Chapter 40: What the Hell!

The J-10 was like a tiny boat in towering waves, rising and falling erratically. The single-engine AL-31-F turbofan engine surged to nearly its theoretical thrust of 130 kilonewtons, and Lin Mo could see the fuel gauge dropping sharply. Despite such power output, the J-10 felt trapped in mud as it struggled to descend. Just as it lost some altitude, a sudden jolt sent it reeling, making it impossible for him to adjust the angle of attack and plunging it deeper into turbulence.

Alarms blared in the cockpit, and Lin Mo frantically switched various controls to regain stability. While such intense shaking might greatly impact an ordinary pilot’s body, Lin Mo was unaffected, his extraordinary physique rendering him impervious to this level of turbulence.

However, the violent upheaval caused severe vibrations in the J-10’s structure. The grating noise of metal creaking warned Lin Mo that the aircraft had sustained minor structural damage. If it continued like this, it might risk disintegrating in midair.

No one could predict what would happen next. The high altitude turbulence covered a vast area, extending over a hundred kilometers. Although it was only 200 to 1500 meters thick, this sudden turbulence, usually cleared in three to four seconds, now proved to be a daunting challenge for Lin Mo’s J-10. The struggle aptly described the J-10’s current predicament, as if it were stuck in quicksand.

Lin Mo had often faced similar conditions in the other world, where the high maneuverability of the aerial knights allowed them to navigate such turbulence with ease. But the J-10, being a fighter jet with high mobility but low adaptability, could only rely on engine thrust and wing adjustments. It couldn’t pivot freely or ascend or descend, like being caught in glue.

The tower "Chicken Coop" no longer hoped for a smooth return of the J-10; they only wished it wouldn’t crash in a densely populated area. If that were to happen, civilian casualties would put immense pressure on the air force, and the tower personnel gripped the microphone anxiously, it creaking ominously under their grasp.

People in the city below could hear the massive roar of the fighter jet overhead. Many looked up, startled by the sound. The feedback from the control stick grew weaker, and Lin Mo felt the plane’s response fading. The J-10 remained trapped in turbulence, but he refused to give up; he pressed on, his voice escalating in urgency: “Gold Coin calling Chicken Coop, the aircraft could lose control at any moment!”

Even though Lin Mo wanted to shout, “For the New China, launch the missiles at me!”, he believed that if he really said it, missiles might just come flying at him.

Ejecting would be straightforward, but letting the plane crash into a residential area would result in disastrous casualties. No matter which world he had lived in, Lin Mo, having experienced two lifetimes, could not allow himself to commit such an act. He scorned any action that would tarnish the knight’s image; since that moment he first soared into the sky, he had this realization.

The aircraft suddenly rolled in the turbulence, and altitude dropped sharply. Although it exited the turbulence zone after fifteen seconds, now at over 5,000 meters, Lin Mo’s face grew paler; the control stick had failed—the aircraft was stalling! Unexpectedly, he did not report this condition to "Chicken Coop."

“Pull out, pull out! Your lift coefficient is below 1! Change course immediately!” The voice from the tower "Chicken Coop" rose in intensity. It was clear they had detected the plane’s condition through satellite and radar. The drastic data changes tensed the atmosphere in the tower.

“No! The airflow is severely separated! The aircraft has lost power!” Lin Mo replied frantically, still clinging to the control stick, testing various adjustments. The rapid descent created a sensation of weightlessness for the pilot. If he couldn’t recover from the stall quickly, the J-10 would rotate and crash, creating a massive fireball on the ground.

The piercing alarm filled the entire cockpit as the instrument panel’s needles swung erratically. The altitude indicator plummeted rapidly. The aircraft was almost out of the city outskirts, but the situation left Lin Mo riddled with anxiety. His hands moved frantically, beads of sweat forming on his forehead in mere seconds.

With no way to recover, the control stick had completely lost responsiveness. No matter what he tried, he could not escape the stall; this was perhaps the most terrifying incident a fighter pilot could face.

“Eject! Eject now! That’s an order! Execute immediately!” A hoarse, desperate voice screamed through his helmet’s headset.

One of the few instruments still functioning, the altimeter, began a countdown of the altitude readings.

Four thousand meters!

Three thousand meters!

Two thousand meters!

Lin Mo remained unresponsive. Below, the buildings were still densely packed—an outcome of population growth and urban expansion. A plane crash into a residential area would not only cause one casualty; any fatalities would impact entire families, leading to unimaginable grief.

One thousand meters!

“Lin Mo! Do you hear me? I order you to eject!” The tower commander’s voice was so loud it could be clearly heard inside the cockpit. The best altitude for the parachute to deploy was 4,000 meters; it was evident Lin Mo had missed that window.

People on the ground began to sense something was wrong. Countless heads turned skyward to see a fighter jet spiraling towards the earth. This unusual flight posture sent many into a panic; people rushed out of their homes and cars screaming.

As long as there was altitude, Lin Mo couldn’t give up! This was the solid principle of a Dragon Knight.

Eight hundred meters!

Five hundred meters!

Lin Mo ignored "Chicken Coop" desperately calling him, instead switching off the microphone and headset. He gripped the control stick, determined to adjust the wings and tail and regulate the engine output.

At four hundred meters, Lin Mo’s pocket stirred suddenly as a metallic egg rolled out. In an instant, it expanded wildly, like an amoeba, merging seamlessly into the cockpit wall. Within moments, it seemed as if countless tiny creatures were emerging and crawling towards every corner of the aircraft.

“Gold Coin, no!” Lin Mo shouted in a panic. It was Gold Coin that had jumped out of his pocket, rapidly devouring the entire J-10 at an alarming speed.

This was terrible! If Gold Coin had its way, this J-10 would surely become its meal. How could he explain this to the base? The bare aircraft was valued at nearly 180 million yuan; even selling Lin Mo wouldn’t cover the loss!

Almost simultaneously, the J-10’s descent began to slow dramatically. However, its flight posture became increasingly bizarre, failing to conform to the thrust required to maneuver a ten-ton fighter jet, clearly exhibiting an abnormal sense of lift.

“Phew! Finally managed to pull it back!” Lin Mo released the control stick, ignoring the still-descending plane, letting out a heavy sigh, wiping away sweat, and quickly moving his hands across the control panel to adjust the aircraft’s systems.

The airplane was equipped with a “black box,” so Lin Mo dared not speak much. Gold Coin remained silent throughout, and while he sweated nervously, he secretly felt a sense of relief.

Earlier, Lin Mo was entirely focused on pulling the plane out of the stall, disregarding the risks associated with its descent and the severe consequences of crashing. At this low altitude, even if he could eject, survival odds would be significantly reduced; the impact from such a crash would put even a Dragon Knight’s resilience at risk, much less a normal person.

Today would likely be a day that Village Chief Cao would remember for the rest of his life. Just after buying a pack of Hongmei cigarettes from the local station, he was preparing for lunch when a thunderous roar erupted from the sky. “How can it thunder on such a bright day?!” As Chief Cao pondered, he heard chaos erupt in the village: “A plane is falling! Run!” The entire village erupted into a frenzy as people rushed out of their homes.

Chief Cao looked up at the sky, his expression frozen in shock, his mouth agape as if it could fit a fist. “What the hell?!”