81: A situation of evenly matched forces

After a brief conversation, both sides hung up the phone.

Xu Ning leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting towards the window.

The roar of the Su-27 fighter jet, the silhouette of the transport plane, and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier he had never seen before appeared in his mind.

This trip was crucial for him, as it concerned whether the country could secure a place on the international stage.

The same was true for the aircraft carrier; otherwise, it might act recklessly right on your doorstep.

On that very day, Xu Ning took Xiao Jianhao and left Shanhai Industry, heading for Beijing.

...

After several hours of driving, they arrived at Chen Dongchao's residence before dinner.

This time, Chen Dongchao was already waiting inside the door, slowly getting up upon seeing them arrive.

"You two lads, you really arrived just in time for dinner."

After getting off work, he had changed into simple clothes, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan as he greeted the two.

"Come in and eat first."

Xu Ning entered the house with a polite smile.

After dinner, Chen Dongchao and Xu Ning, as usual, went into the study to play chess, leaving Xiao Jianhao alone in the living room.

Looking at the chessboard, Chen Dongchao rubbed his hands together eagerly.

"Hey, kid, I've been studying chess manuals quite a bit lately."

"Watch how I'll checkmate you!"

Xu Ning was not to be outdone.

"Bring it on, Uncle Chao, just don't go back on your word later."

Chen Dongchao's face flushed slightly, and he gently tapped Xu Ning's head with the palm-leaf fan.

"You brat, when have I ever gone back on my word? Don't ruin my reputation."

Xu Ning just chuckled beside him.

Chen Dongchao, playing with the red pieces, made the first move, and Xu Ning followed suit.

Halfway through the game, both sides were still evenly matched.

At this moment, Chen Dongchao spoke up and asked.

"For this operation, how many chances of success are there?"

"About seventy percent."

"That confident?"

Xu Ning smiled slightly.

Before, he only had fifty percent confidence, but now with the support from the higher-ups, his confidence had increased by twenty percent.

"You little devil, so you were setting a trap for me here."

"Don't be in a hurry to leave tonight. The guest rooms are ready for you. Let's depart tomorrow."

"Okay." Xu Ning replied and nodded.

His straightforwardness, however, made Chen Dongchao a little confused, and he raised his head.

"Kid, why aren't you asking why?"

"Hehe, if you don't tell me, how would I dare to ask more questions?"

"Hmph, playing mind games with me again."

"The approval from above for you to go this time isn't just because of the aircraft carrier. You should have already researched other things as well, right?"

Xu Ning said with a smile, "Uncle Chao, are you talking about the transport plane?"

"Hmph, I knew you had other plans, but this time it's not as simple as just the transport plane."

Chen Dongchao took out a document from the nearby drawer and handed it to Xu Ning.

"Take a look at this. I've marked the key targets and things to pay attention to."

Xu Ning took the document and began to flip through it.

He had some understanding of the an-124 transport plane and had originally planned to go and see it.

However, when he saw the tu-160, his eyes couldn't help but widen.

He had considered acquiring this aircraft, but after investigating, he found that Uralan's most famous aircraft design bureau, the Antonov Design Bureau, primarily produced the Antonov an-225, and the tu-160 was not from them.

He tried to find more information but couldn't find anything relevant and eventually had to give up.

He didn't expect that at this moment, Uncle Chao would hand over the document.

Pripyat Air Force Base... It seems he still needed to find a way to contact their military.

Xu Ning secretly calculated in his mind.

On the chessboard, Chen Dongchao had reached a peak, having learned from the last lesson, he changed his strategy this time.

At the same time, he reminded him, "Keep these in mind. The document cannot be taken away. It will be troublesome if someone discovers it."

"Since you're going, let's strive for success in one go and not miss anything."

"Regarding funding, the higher-ups will also provide support."

"If necessary, an overseas fund might be helpful to you."

"But be sure to use it carefully."

Saying this, Chen Dongchao turned the document to the last page and pointed to a string of numbers on it, saying:

"Remember this contact method. When you need to use that fund, dial this number."

"And state the key below."

Xu Ning glanced at it, then immediately placed a piece on the board, capturing one of Chen Dongchao's rooks.

"Hey, kid, who told you to capture my rook!"

Chen Dongchao stepped forward, preparing to make a move, but saw Xu Ning chuckle, move a piece, and easily capture his knight.

Almost simultaneously, Chen Dongchao's complaint followed: "Oh, you naughty imp, give me back my knight!"

Xu Ning had a smug smile on his face, as if everything was within his expectations.

After Chen Dongchao placed a defensive piece, Xu Ning quickly completed the layout of his rook and knight.

"Checkmate!" Xu Ning announced.

Chen Dongchao's face turned ugly, and he looked at the chessboard in disbelief.

The originally evenly matched situation was suddenly turned into a losing one by the opponent capturing three pieces in a row.

This made Chen Dongchao couldn't help but wonder if Xu Ning had been going easy on him before.

"This game doesn't count, let's play again!" Chen Dongchao said, waving the palm-leaf fan in his hand faster.

That night, Xu Ning returned to his room and kept studying the document in his hand until late at night before resting.

Meanwhile, Chen Dongchao secretly sneaked into the study and focused on studying chess.

He kept muttering to himself, "This kid, did he grow up eating chess manuals? How come his chess skills have improved so much after not seeing him for a few months..."

Early the next morning, Xu Ning got out of bed and stretched.

When he arrived at the dining room, he found that Chen Dongchao was already enjoying breakfast, and Xiao Jianhao was also wolfing down steamed buns beside him.

Xu Ning was also not polite, picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat heartily.

After he finished eating, Chen Dongchao stood up and said, "Let's go, come outside with me."

Although Xu Ning felt confused, he still followed him outside.

When they reached the courtyard entrance, Xu Ning realized there was a team standing there.

Although they were wearing casual clothes, their upright posture gave off an invisible pressure.

"This is the Hunter Vulture Squad, specially formed for your safety," Chen Dong Chao explained.

"This mission has too many unknown factors, and those foreigners have volatile tempers.

Even if Regimental Commander Gao's martial arts skills are high, he might be outnumbered."

Xu Ning looked at Xiao Jianhao, and both showed surprised expressions.

For Xu Ning, this was indeed an unexpectedly good piece of news.

"Your mission is to protect him and ensure he returns safely!"

"Understood!" The team members responded in unison.

Chen Dongchao turned and gently patted Xu Ning's shoulder, leaning close to his ear and whispering, "The leader asked me to pass on a message to you."

"The aircraft carrier is important, of course, but your life is equally precious."

"Remember that."

"Mountains will always be surpassed, but only people can do it."

A flicker of emotion flashed in Xu Ning's eyes, and then his gaze became resolute.