226: Chapter 226 Vividly in My Eyes No. 2

"Welcome ba... uh, just keep moving forward."

The Chinese phrase in his helmet headset took an abrupt turn.

Li Li's Adam's apple bobbed.

This voice was more reassuring than the roar of the F135 engine.

He pushed the throttle down.

The F-35A tore through the clouds, maintaining a speed of Mach 1.6 as it continued to fly west.

Behind him, Kadena Air Base had descended into total chaos.

In the tower command center, Lieutenant Colonel Reynolds sat in his swivel chair, his military cap lying on the floor by his feet.

On the big screen, the data residuals from the four AIM-120s destroyed by the HHQ-9B were still flashing.

The F-22 formation channel was filled with static.

The flight lead's voice came through.

"Sir, we've been locked on."

"The 055 fire-control radar from the East is fully illuminated on us."

"If we go one more nautical mile forward, they will definitely fire."

He paused for half a second.

The flight lead added another sentence.

"Also, we're running out of fuel."

Lieutenant Colonel Reynolds raised his hand to press the communicator, his facial muscles twitching twice.

Twenty-five F-22s.

The United States' most expensive aerial facade.

Chasing one of their own F-35s until they ran out of fuel, only to have the East's fleet fire-control radar pointed right at their foreheads.

If this were written into a report, those guys at The Pentagon would probably smash their desks on the spot.

Lieutenant Colonel Reynolds gritted his teeth.

"Maintain distance, circle and stand by."

He turned to look at his adjutant.

"Connect me to air force one."

A few seconds later.

air force one, the President's private lounge.

Mark held up the encrypted phone, sweat dripping from his chin onto the carpet.

President Trump tugged at his red tie, pacing back and forth in front of the desk.

His live broadcast had just crashed.

Two hundred and fifty million viewers watched with their own eyes as an F-35 flew away from Kadena Air Base, and heard him cursing on his private plane.

Now, that plane had actually been picked up by the East.

The call connected.

The voice of John Browning came through the speaker.

The National Security Council had synchronized the East China Sea situation with him, and he was temporarily patched into the crisis hotline.

"Mr. President, the situation has been confirmed."

John Browning's speaking pace was very steady.

"The East China Sea Fleet's 055 formation has intervened, intercepted our missiles, and locked onto the twenty-five F-22s."

President Trump stopped pacing.

"Then hit them back!"

"When has the United States Air Force ever been afraid of a few ships?"

"Sir."

John Browning interrupted quickly.

"Those aren't just ordinary warships. Our F-22s have no anti-sea weapons, and they don't have enough fuel."

"If we continue the pursuit, the twenty-five F-22s will be shot down."

"That would directly trigger a military conflict."

The office went quiet.

John Browning continued.

"The F-35 has already entered their Air Defense Identification Zone; it cannot be pursued back."

"My recommendation is to immediately order the formation to retreat."

President Trump stared at the Stars and Stripes ornament on the desk, his chest heaving violently.

More than two hundred million people watched him get his plane stolen.

Now he had to personally give the order to retreat.

This frustration was stuck in his throat; he couldn't swallow it, nor could he spit it out.

A few seconds later, he squeezed two words through his teeth.

"Retreat."

Mark lowered his head, even his breathing becoming shallow.

President Trump slapped the water glass off the desk.

Glass shards rolled across the floor.

"Make them roll back to Kadena Air Base!"

"They're all trash!"

John Browning hung up.

Mark was just about to leave when President Trump turned abruptly, pointing a finger in his face.

"Contact the White House Press Office!"

"Issue a top-level presidential announcement!"

Mark nodded quickly.

President Trump spoke faster and faster.

"Denounce this despicable act of military espionage!"

"Make it clear that the bastard who stole the plane is a top-tier agent who has been disguised for a long time!"

He turned halfway around his desk.

"Tell the whole world that in order to steal our technology, the East had a military agent disguise himself as..."

He paused.

The absurd report from the CIA flashed through his mind.

A certain Dating Reality Show male guest.

A certain TikTok top streamer.

A certain orphanage director.

A certain hero who saved people from a fire.

President Trump's face looked even worse.

"Disguised as a celebrity!"

"Disguised as an actor!"

"They use such methods to steal United States property!"

"I will make them pay the price in the international community!"

Mark didn't dare ask any more questions, grabbing his folder and rushing out of the lounge.

Over the East China Sea.

Li Li pushed the control stick down.

The F-35A began to descend.

Ten thousand meters.

Five thousand meters.

Three thousand meters.

One thousand meters.

The sea was churning with white waves as three gray-white warships cut through the water.

The Nanchang Ship was in the middle, flanked by two 052Ds.

The vertical launch system covers were open, and the radar arrays were operating continuously.

Li Li piloted the F-35, skimming over the Nanchang Ship.

The airflow churned up white foam on the sea surface.

He tilted his head to take a look.

On the deck, some sailors raised their hands to wave at the sky.

Li Li didn't speak.

He just raised his hand and operated the control panel.

Disabling radio silence.

Enabling full-band communication.

Nanchang Ship, CIC combat command center.

The lead radar operator, Old Li, had just picked up his thermos when a new prompt popped up on the screen.

"Report!"

"The target fighter has broken silence and is actively connecting to the public communication channel!"

Chen Zhengguo walked to the communication console and picked up the microphone.

The entire command center went quiet.

An active-duty US military F-35.

Flew out of Kadena Air Base.

Chased by F-22s.

Shot at by AIM-120s.

Finally, it actively connected to their channel.

If this were in a military academy textbook, even the instructors wouldn't dare to set such a question.

Chen Zhengguo switched to the English channel.

"Unknown aircraft, this is the PLA Navy. You have entered our airspace. Please state your identity and intentions."

The static crackled twice.

A three-second pause.

Then, a voice in Mandarin came out of the speaker.

"Friendly, friendly."

No one in the command center moved.

The thermos in Old Li's hand "clattered" onto the console, and the goji berry water flowed into the gaps of the keyboard.

The staff officer's pen, which he had just picked up, froze in mid-air.

The communications soldier took his headset off to his neck and didn't put it back on for a long time.

Chinese.

Friendly.

The person flying a US military F-35, who had charged all the way from Kadena Air Base into the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone, said he was friendly.

Chen Zhengguo held the microphone, pausing for two seconds.

Discipline is discipline.

What cannot be asked, is not asked.

What cannot be said, is not said.

He went straight into the command procedure.

"Received."

"Your current airframe number, JP-0047, is too conspicuous; US military satellites and early warning aircraft are still watching from behind."

"We will change your temporary radio Call Sign and synchronize the IFF code."

"Provide your temporary Call Sign."

Inside the F-35 cockpit.

Li Li leaned back in the ejection seat, his left hand resting on the throttle.

Temporary Call Sign?

The first thing that came to his mind was the experience of stealing a plane with Jiang Rumu at another US military base.

That time it was an F-18, this time it was an F-35; the upgrades were happening too fast.

Since that's the case, might as well update the Call Sign too.

Li Li pressed the talk button.

"Then let's call it..."

He paused.

"Call Sign."

The Nanchang Ship command center went quiet again.

Old Li looked down at the screen, then looked up at the bewildered Chen Zhengguo.

The communications soldier opened his mouth but didn't dare to make a sound.

Call Sign?

Isn't that the CP name from the internet?

It's been on the trending list every day recently.

Li Li and Jiang Rumu.

Dating Reality Show, Dubai, orphanage, war correspondent.

And that man who netizens call "the strict father of the squid spy."

It was just as well the fleet had been overseas and unable to suffer casualties, otherwise he would have known about even more outrageous events in Hong Kong.

Chen Zhengguo replayed the previous notification from headquarters in his mind.

[That pilot is highly likely to be our comrade.]

Coupled with the presidential announcement just issued by President Trump.

[A military agent disguised as a celebrity.]

The clues matched up.

The person who flew the F-35 back really was Li Li.

In Chen Zhengguo's military career, he had seen too many outrageous things.

But this one still left him speechless.

A Dating Reality Show male guest casually flew a fifth-generation fighter back from the US military's largest base in the Far East.

Whoever writes this report will have a headache.

Chen Zhengguo stood up straight and reconnected the channel.

"Call Sign, this is Nanchang Ship."

"IFF code updated."

"Guidance data link sent to your tactical terminal."

"Heading 270, altitude 8,000, East China Sea Fleet headquarters will contact you."

He paused and added a sentence.

"Wish you success in love."

"Return safely."

Li Li chuckled in the cockpit.

"Thanks, Chief."

With that "Chief," the last bit of doubt in the command center vanished.

A real foreigner couldn't learn to use that term.

The F135 engine continued to roar.

The gray-black fighter climbed under the escort of the fleet's radar, its contrail cutting through the clouds.

Li Li glanced at the multi-function display.

Fuel was still sufficient.

This job was definitely worth it.

He raised his hand and patted the cockpit wall.

"Let's go."

"Take you to the place of your dreams."

At the same time.

The White House Press Office's presidential announcement was just issued.

The global internet exploded again.

And in Li Li's mind, the system's electronic voice finally sounded.

[Temporary mission: Show them off, completed.]

[Rewards are being calculated...]