Sky-cracking Rider

As the heartwarming hot pot meal came to an end, the mobile base vehicle carrying Chen Fei and Shen Fei had just arrived at its destination.

There was only one gate on Summer Solstice Fourth Road, rendering the door number superfluous. Airport 310 was a joint military airport shared with Northern Weapons Industry Group, and it was also a special level strategic readiness airport. The main runway was about 5500 meters long, and it hosted a combat flight corps and an army aviation brigade.

Such large facilities must be used regularly because things tend to degrade not from use, but from neglect.

If left unused for a year, wild grasses would overgrow everywhere, and vigorous roots could easily crack the cement ground.

Three years of neglect, and plants would cover most of the cement surfaces, including the ground and building facades, requiring a comprehensive renovation before they could be put back into use.

If it went ten years without human presence, then essentially, it shouldn't be utilized at all, as it would be no different from ruins.

Shen Fei originally thought she would need to get out of the vehicle and negotiate with the guards, then wait inside the gate for a shuttle vehicle to actually enter Airport 310.

However, to her surprise, as the mobile base vehicle approached the gate, the blocking posts automatically descended, and the lift barrier simultaneously rose.

Then Chen Fei naturally pressed on the accelerator, and the vehicle, supported by five pairs of load-bearing wheels, slowly entered through the gate.

"Eh? Eh, eh, eh? What's going on here?"

Shen Fei exclaimed in surprise repeatedly, turning her head to look back, only to see the gate guards and the communication room appearing normal, showing no intent to stop them.

This vehicle shouldn't have been stopped outside, right?

Chen Fei, puzzled, asked, "What?"

"This vehicle wasn't stopped?"

Shen Fei was even more confused.

Could it be that the gate's recognition equipment malfunctioned? But that couldn't be possible!

If the equipment malfunctioned, could people malfunction as well?

"Stopped? Why should it be stopped?"

Chen Fei had a look as if it were only natural.

Since the access control had already let them through, he of course just drove the mobile base vehicle inside, which seemed perfectly fine!

The Blue Star Global United Defense Committee had processed the relevant entry procedures for this mobile base vehicle, applying for permission to park in a lower military area.

After all, it was a vehicle armed with a large-caliber railgun, and constantly parking it in a civilian parking lot wasn't ideal, so parking in a military area was somewhat safer, thus they were temporarily granted certain privileges.

Just like public transportation oversight recognition, the vehicle license number, appearance, and response key altogether enabled its clearance.

The guards at the gate confirmed the vehicle's authorization, which perfectly matched the access level of Airport 310, thus they immediately allowed it to pass.

However, to penetrate deeper required higher-level clearance; naturally, they could not just dash onto the main runway under the setting sun.

"Is this an active service military vehicle?"

Shen Fei could only guess one possibility.

But Chen Fei had previously clearly stated that this was a second-hand assembled vehicle.

Could that work as well?

It probably shouldn't...

Yet the more she thought about it, the more doubts accumulated in her mind.

"Of course not, it doesn't even count as a military vehicle."

Chen Fei shook his head, dismissing the notion as ridiculous—how could an active service military vehicle be a second-hand assembled one.

Shen Fei only knew that he had been constantly on field assignments, and the business of a military contractor often wasn't limited to Aircrew Bases, sometimes taking on other tasks such as security and escorting services, covering both public and private sectors. However, she was completely unaware of any engagements outside of Jiu Defense Company that involved the mobile base vehicle acquiring temporary military area access privileges.

As for Chen Fei himself, he didn't know much either—if allowed in, then enter; if not, turn around and leave.

"This is really strange!"

Shen Fei, with her mind full of questions, followed the traffic lights guiding the mobile base vehicle into the parking lot.

There weren't many vehicles in the parking lot, and most of them were visitors' vehicles. Shen Fei saw her father's car, an old black official car, and it was the type that had a driver.

It looked like people from the group company had already arrived, at least a dozen of them. Her father's deputy director-general level official car was parked beside two minibuses, a clear indicator, as both the lettering and license plates on the minibuses belonged to Northern Weapons Industry Group.

As a member of the administrative center's secretary office, recognizing these details was basic knowledge, which she had to memorize before joining the job.

"Teacher Shen, where are you headed?"

Chen Fei gestured towards his foldable electric bike, one of the supplementary equipments of the mobile base vehicle.

Each device has its limitations and strengths; after all, the mobile base vehicle was too large for some settings, thus a foldable electric bike was more suitable.

"Your gear is really well-equipped, you've been a great help."

Shen Fei didn't stand on ceremony with Chen Fei, took the fully unfolded foldable electric bike, and straddled it in one move.

At this critical moment, she couldn't wait for a shuttle vehicle, so naturally, she went with whatever was more convenient.

As a cooperative unit of the corporation, this wasn't her first visit to the 310 airport, and she naturally knew where to find her father, Shen Songling, the Deputy General Manager of the group company. As the secretary to the deputy general manager, she needed to be on site promptly.

With a flick of a switch, the folding electric bicycle shot out, carrying Shen Fei quickly away.

"Be careful!"

Chen Fei stayed in the parking lot, waving at the receding figure of Shen Fei and the folding electric bicycle.

The fire at the crash site near the main runway had been extinguished, leaving only wisps of lingering smoke.

Thinking that it would be possible to extinguish the fire by clearing nearby snow was a joke. It required high-flow dedicated fire nozzles that at least two people needed to hold steady. The thick jet of water gushed out, and the rising white vapor immediately suppressed the flames and thick smoke, controlling the shooting flames in an instant.

From the moment two fire trucks rushed in and began dousing the flames to when the fire was put out, the whole process didn't exceed five minutes.

Underneath the snow, a large area of withered grass was scorched along with the wreckage, leaving nothing but a large pile of indistinguishable black debris.

The isolation tape had been quickly set up, with about a dozen people encircling the scene—all top industry experts. Wind barriers were erected, forming a giant inverted bowl covering a hundred-meter diameter area; despite being outdoors, it wasn't bone-chillingly cold.

Shen Songling, the Deputy General Manager of Northern Weapons Industry Group, frowned. The "Canglong" project he was in charge of had entered its test flight phase, but prototype number two had unexpectedly crashed. The loss included not only one of the four prototype aircraft and billions in funds but could also lead to even more serious consequences.

Defense budgets are fixed, and with current air force procurement orders, everyone wants a piece, resulting in greasy mouths. But if someone consumes more, it inevitably means others get less. Competition is everywhere.

Every year, one or two new aircraft, especially combat aircraft, are proposed, but very few successfully secure the orders, most becoming mere trappings or vanishing without a trace.

Becoming part of the active service equipment has never been an easy task.

Although failure meant losing billions, even hundreds of billions of Star Yuan, the hard-earned new technology could also become spoils of war for the winners.

If successful, however, and winning favor from the military to be included in active service, it would mean superorders worth trillions of Star Yuan, enough to keep any military enterprise thriving, benefiting an entire generation.

If the military lost confidence in the "Canglong" project, all the initial efforts of the Northern Weapons Industry Group would be in vain.

As the deputy general manager who strongly supported the project, it was inevitable that he would have to shoulder the responsibility.

Since he had chosen to undertake the project, naturally, he had to bear all the ensuing consequences: enjoy the rewards if successful, and pay the price if failed.

Shen Songling was not worried about his position as deputy general manager being jeopardized; in fact, those who wanted a trouble-free life could never occupy such a position. One needed to be disruptive and create benefits for everyone, securing continuous development resources for the corporation—that was the most important thing.

So, he was once again faced with a multiple-choice question: either terminate the "Canglong" project to stop losses in time,

or slow down the project, strengthen theoretical validation, and reduce actual costs to minimize real-world risks—a compromise solution,

or continue to push forward with test flights until successful. Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire

He had to choose one of the three options, A, B, or C.

Just as Shen Songling's brows knitted into a frown and he was solemnly weighing the pros and cons, he heard someone shouting not far away, "Director Shen, Secretary Shen Fei is here to report."

Shen Fei rode the folding electric bike directly to the crash site, addressing her own father in a strictly official tone.

"Oh, it's Xiao Fei, Secretary Shen is here."

While absorbed in his thoughts, Shen Songling hadn't expected his daughter to arrive so quickly. A faint hot pot broth aroma wafted to his nose, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Eh? Did you have hot pot for lunch? I was going to ask you to get food from the cafeteria!"

One of the biggest characteristics of hot pot is its lingering scent that often lasts for days.

"Hehe, I had hot pot with a friend."

Shen Fei grinned like a sly fox.

Shen Songling asked, puzzled, "A friend? Are there any hot pot restaurants near 310?"

The area around 310 airport is semi-military, with vast tracts of farmland that are actually military farms. Ordinary citizens live sixty miles away, where the administrative center of Northern Weapons Industry Group, the main assembly workshop, and related facilities are located.

"I had it in my friend's car; he has a really big one, so big!"

Shen Fei gestured animatedly, having never seen such a large vehicle before, and it was even a motorhome.

It was her first time experiencing the novelty of traveling while eating hot pot in such a vehicle.

Returning to business, Shen Songling, addressing her by her official title, said, "Oh! Secretary Shen, you are responsible for assisting the experts with their documentation. I need to have the organized first-hand report from the scene."

Keep private matters private and public matters public, never sacrificing public duties for personal reasons—this was the family teaching of the Shen Family.

"Understood!"

Shen Fei saluted crisply.

Just then, the experts surrounding the wreckage of the crash site started arguing, a few of them turning red in the face and their voices suddenly rising.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Shen Fei hastily said to her father, "Oh, right, Director Shen, my friend mentioned, when the crash happened, he was on the nearby national highway, and it seemed like the malfunction occurred during an engine boost."

"I got it, go on now!"

Seeing the experts were about to escalate their argument, Shen Songling quickly waved his hand to send Shen Fei off to intervene.

He pondered over the term he had just heard.

"Boost …"

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