Chapter Seventeen: Aerial Reconnaissance (Part Two)

"There—bearing 2-2-0, altitude 350, fly that way!"

It was only after flying for more than half an hour away from Mount Fuji that Lei Dong finally spoke.

For the previous thirty minutes, Li Yongzheng had been focused entirely on the control stick, while Lei Dong, with his sharp eyes fixed on the display screen, had fully expanded his spiritual sense to perceive the movements on the ground. The cabin was silent, save for the continuous, rumbling roar of the engine.

Li Yongzheng glanced at the navigator and the flight map, and his expression suddenly turned one of extreme surprise and confusion.

At Mount Fuji, Lei Dong had suddenly asked him to circle the mountain, and his subsequent expression had been a mix of astonishment and doubt. At the time, Li Yongzheng had found it strange—he hadn't seen or sensed a thing. Could this young man, whom he had met only that day, possess some kind of supernatural ability?

The thought felt ridiculous—how could there be so many people with supernatural powers in this world?

But now, Li Yongzheng’s conviction was shaken. After just a glance at the navigator and the map, this veteran intelligence operative, who had been lurking in Japan for twenty years and was intimately familiar with every nook and cranny of the Japanese archipelago, immediately realized that Lei Dong had provided the most rational route for the final reconnaissance point. Following this path not only allowed them to reach their destination several kilometers away at maximum speed, but also enabled them to avoid most surveillance!

"This is impossible!" Li Yongzheng shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off the thought that he was hallucinating.

He was very familiar with the area where the plane was currently located. He had tried to scout it several times before, and had pored over aviation and topographic maps countless times, yet he had never been able to find a suitable passage to get within five kilometers of the destination.

But now, what had he just heard? This guy, who looked to be in his twenties and wore such an indifferent expression, had casually discovered a gap and pointed out a clear path for his plane. Heaven knows, this person had never been here before!

This could only prove one thing: this young man he had met for the first time today possessed extraordinary, unknown abilities.

Li Yongzheng’s heart began to race. Following a comrade with such uncanny skills and sharp insight, it was easy to imagine how brilliantly his own life might unfold!

Li Yongzheng gritted his teeth and, following the route indicated by Lei Dong, maneuvered the plane toward that mysterious area.

It was a small island, located more than 200 kilometers southwest of Kyoto and 10 kilometers off the southwest coastline of the main Japanese island. The island was small, only about 10 square kilometers in area, with flat terrain covered by an endless, lush, dense forest.

In the middle of the dense forest, however, there was a clearing over a kilometer long and wide. Packed densely within this clearing were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of military aircraft of various models!

From Japan’s ancient Zero-type fighters and Type 96 fighters, to the Minian-made Type-8, to the Type-30 and Type-32 that had been equipped by many Minian Federation nations thirty years ago, and even the so-called "Raptor" Type-44 stealth fighters, Hercules transport planes, Chinook helicopters, and B-4 strategic bombers... military aircraft spanning nearly a hundred years of history were lined up neatly on the ground.

An aircraft graveyard!

Actually, many countries had similar places for storing damaged or decommissioned warplanes. But for Japan—an empire that had launched countless foreign wars throughout modern history and had followed in the footsteps of the Minian Federation for decades, acting as its military lackey and henchman—the scale of this aircraft graveyard was truly astonishing.

Lei Dong continued to provide low-voiced instructions on the flight path. Under Li Yongzheng’s careful piloting, the Aeolus-500 plane crept toward the island along a devious route.

10 kilometers, 5 kilometers, 3 kilometers, 1 kilometer...

As the plane drew closer to the island, Li Yongzheng’s heart began to pound ever more fiercely.

"Warning, warning!" Just as the plane was less than 800 meters from the island, a shrill alarm sounded through the communicator. "Aeolus-500, you have approached a restricted military zone. Leave immediately, or you will be shot down. Repeat, you have approached a restricted military zone. Leave immediately, or you will be shot down..."

"Damn it!" Amidst the monotonous, repetitive warning, Li Yongzheng slapped the control console in frustration. He had been just a hair's breadth away from flying into this secret base for the first time!

Lei Dong smiled, patted Li Yongzheng on the shoulder, and said calmly, "Let’s go, head back."

Li Yongzheng looked at the shimmering blue sea beneath the plane with deep reluctance. Helpless, he sent a "Roger" signal to the other party and flew away bitterly, even giving the ground a middle finger as he left.

"This guy is almost like Wu Yun..." Lei Dong chuckled to himself. He hadn't expected this cool-looking veteran agent to have such a childish side.

Lei Dong certainly knew what Li Yongzheng was thinking and knew he was frustrated, but for his own part, the harvest from this trip was already enough.

"Two squads, twenty men, three twin-barreled anti-aircraft guns, one heavy anti-aircraft and anti-personnel machine gun..." Even before the alarm sounded, Lei Dong had clearly sensed the movements and the deployment of troops and firepower on the ground. Within his pervasive spiritual sense, which acted like a fine-meshed fishing net, every action of every person was laid bare.

It was enough. To deal with such a force, especially with the element of surprise, he wouldn't even need the whole team; he could resolve the problem himself. And although most of the planes on the ground were rusted, damaged, or decommissioned, for a team that had undergone near-pathological mechanical training, repairing one or two of them would be no problem at all.

This would be the best fallback option if the team encountered an emergency and could not evacuate by sea as planned!

***

When the Aeolus-500 landed at the flight club, the sky was already dim. The other team members, who had set out separately to scout various pre-determined targets within Kyoto, had also returned.

From a distance, Wu Yun gave a thumbs-up, and Lei Dong immediately felt relieved. It seemed the team had a successful reconnaissance mission, which would play a crucial role in the next step of the operation.

Wu Yun ran over with a smile. From a distance, he flicked his right hand, and a card spun through the air with a whistle. Lei Dong caught it between two fingers with ease. Both of their movements were casual and practiced, as if they had done it countless times before, which caught Li Yongzheng’s eye.

Lei Dong glanced at it and realized it was a hotel key card. Wu Yun laughed and said, "Capital Hotel in the old residential district, room 2046. I saved it specifically for you. The other team members are all staying at the same hotel, just on different floors."

Lei Dong nodded and said, "Good. Notify the brothers, pack the gear, and prepare to move!" Wu Yun answered "Yes" and turned to leave.

Li Yongzheng was stunned, hesitating, "Are you guys..."

Lei Dong smiled: "After dark, we are moving immediately to the hotel in the city center. The rooms are already prepared..."

A sense of being untrusted suddenly filled Li Yongzheng’s heart. His face darkened instantly. He moved his lips for a long while, but in the end, he said nothing, only sighed and lowered his head in silence.

Lei Dong naturally knew what he was thinking and said gently, "I know it’s safe here, and I never doubted your loyalty..."

Li Yongzheng’s eyes regained their luster for a split second. He looked up abruptly and asked, "Then why...?"

Lei Dong patted his shoulder and explained, "The upcoming mission is very intense. Staying in the city center makes it easier to act and saves a lot of time. More importantly, it reduces the chances of us being seen together, thereby reducing the danger of you being exposed."

Just as Li Yongzheng was about to speak, Lei Dong waved his hand to stop him. "I know you aren't afraid of sacrifice, nor of exposure, but you provide us with greater support while lurking in the shadows. It is better for you not to be exposed than to be exposed!" As he spoke, he took a small slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Li Yongzheng. "These are ten email addresses. We can communicate through these. Use cipher key number one."

Seeing that there was no way to persuade them otherwise, Li Yongzheng took the small slip of paper, scrutinized it for a few minutes, took out a lighter to burn it, and then nodded dejectedly. "Fine. You have your own thoughts and plans. I will obey. But if you need anything, you must tell me. I will certainly get it done!" By the end, his voice was filled with resolve.

Lei Dong looked at Li Yongzheng with appreciation as he burned the paper and laughed, "No need to be so downcast. There is actually something right now that requires your help!"

Li Yongzheng’s eyes lit up, and he looked up at Lei Dong.

Lei Dong leaned in close to Li Yongzheng’s ear and whispered a few words. Li Yongzheng nodded repeatedly, his eyes growing wider and brighter, shining like stars in the night sky...

(PS: Take a breather during these few chapters; the fighting is about to begin, and there won't be any time to catch your breath—no spoilers allowed!!)