Chapter 761: Evacuation

A moment’s miscalculation was destined to pay a huge price.

The two F-16 "Falcon" jets of the Turkish "White-shouldered Eagle" squadron had barely scattered when a fireball erupted in the sky, clearly indicating they had not escaped the range of the medium-range air-to-air missile.

With the technology level of the F-16 "Falcon," there was no way to dodge the PL-12 missile.

“Number two!”

The lead aircraft, “White-shouldered Eagle 1,” was nearly going crazy; his teammate had been shot down, and it was unclear whether he had managed to eject in time. But at this moment, he didn’t have the energy to think about that, as the pursuing missile was closing in fast.

The remaining F-16 "Falcon" hadn’t fired a shot and was being chased away dozens of kilometers, unsure if it had taken down its target. Anyway, Lin Mo never saw it return.

In a battlefield, orders from higher-up leaders often need to be disregarded; many times the sudden changes on the battlefield require combat personnel to adapt on their own.

The Dragon Knight’s intertwined tactical arrangements made everyone in the “Night” headquarters command center back home applaud, although they were still unaware that Lin Mo had an unexpected little captive in his cockpit.

The Turkish military was even more frustrated. Without clearly seeing what was happening, they had already lost one fighter and had another one damaged, completely losing their combat effectiveness. Could it get any more frustrating than this?

“Everyone prepare to evacuate! Team Three! Gather the Kurdish forces to collect the fragments of the powered armor. Gather as much as you can, and for what you can’t collect, toss in a few grenades to blow it up. We leave in two minutes!”

The enemies who tricked the fourth squadron were sent into disarray by Lin Mo’s airstrike, suffering severe casualties. They were completely incapacitated and could no longer organize any attacking forces.

The Air Knight’s powerful strike perfectly aligned with the operational plan from the "Night" headquarters command center.

“Dragon Knight! Twelve F-16 fighter jets are approaching Ankara Air Force Base!”

While Lin Mo was searching for remaining enemies on the ground, he heard the latest announcement from the "Night" headquarters communication personnel.

“Twelve jets? How are we supposed to survive this?!”

Instead of answering, Lin Mo listened as Squadron Leader Zhang Zhenyu, nicknamed “Avanti,” vented his frustration. The air force held a natural advantage over the army.

If Lin Mo hadn’t established air dominance upon their arrival, when those twelve “Falcon” jets got here, the fourth squadron and the Kurdish forces would likely be wiped out!

Everyone in the fourth squad felt a chill down their spines. The Kurdish armed personnel looked at their allies, suddenly appearing this way, equally puzzled and unsure of what had just happened.

“If we can fight, we will fight; if we can’t, we will still fight!”

Lin Mo turned to look at the back seat, his expression suddenly freezing.

Uh-oh!

Despite Lin Mo controlling the tactical movements, that little guy had already rolled his eyes, foaming at the mouth, and was clearly on the verge of collapse.

Without a pressure suit for protection and relying solely on a seatbelt, even a 3G or 4G overload would be suffocating for an adult, let alone a young child.

Poor kid!

By the Dragon God! Lin Mo turned his head, pretending not to see.

“Dragon Knight! Do you have enough fuel to support the fourth squadron’s evacuation? If not, you may return first; the fourth squadron can split up to evacuate.”

The command center at the "Night" headquarters found it hard to understand why the Turkish military was in such a rush to send twelve fighter jets this way. Was it really necessary? They were overestimating the fourth squadron.

If the command center had known that the Turkish “Falcon” squadron sent to clear the area hadn’t even seen what the enemy looked like, or couldn’t even tell if they were on the ground or in the air, suffering one injury and one loss, they would instantly understand the Turkish military’s dreadful mood.

Just think about it; the sole victor of the recent “Abyss Nirvana” contest’s Death Team Battle could take down special tier pilots from the sky. Now that same individual was soaring in a fighter jet more advanced than those in the contest right beneath their noses. The Turkish choice to deploy the “Falcon” squadron was undeniably correct.

“I have two-thirds of my fuel left, just enough for a round trip. However, I doubt the fourth squadron can retreat in one piece. I have a suggestion: my aircraft can act like a helicopter, taking off and landing together with them for protection. At the very least, they will have a strong bodyguard and can periodically return for ammunition resupply. This distance is not an issue for me as long as there’s a landing point; I can support the fourth squadron at any moment and clear a retreat path for them.”

From the deployment of the twelve F-16s, the Turkish determination was evident, and Lin Mo was confident in overcoming that determination.

The "monstrous" vertical takeoff and landing capabilities made the fighter jet highly adaptable to the battlefield, as it could land in just a slightly flat area.

By deploying camouflage netting or hiding in shadowy zones, it was hard to spot from the air, and the fighter jet’s radar scanning function could cover a very large alert area.

“This is a good plan, but what about refueling?”

Colonel Xie Fengdao from the Intelligence Group at the Command Center recognized Lin Mo’s proposal and looked at Captain Feng Chenye and others.

In case of an emergency, the "monstrous" jet could take off quickly like a helicopter, boasting a combat radius that could clear a significant airspace. Lin Mo’s suggestion was indeed a great idea.

“That’s easy to solve. Just use a refueling aircraft; as long as Iran or Pakistan sends a refueling aircraft, it’s easy for the ‘monstrous’ jet to come over and refuel,”

Colonel Ji Konglin from the Staff Group suggested a feasible plan on the spot.

Lin Mo’s fighter jet was very adaptable to the battlefield, allowing for near-instant refueling and possessing enough ammunition for multiple sorties. If suitable landing spots could be found within Turkey, the safety of the fourth squad would be even more assured.

“Okay! Let’s try it out. If it doesn’t work, the ‘Dragon Knights’ can pull back first!”

Using the "monstrous" jet’s superior performance to take on the "Falcon" shouldn’t be a problem. Captain Feng Chenye felt reassured by Lin Mo, who had been honed in the "Abyss Nirvana." Sometimes, quality trumps quantity.

…

The X-8 "monstrous" variable wings fighter jet scanned the surrounding airspace and then confidently turned toward the fourth squad’s position, gradually descending in front of a stunned Squadron Leader Zhang Zhenyu. This thing could even land vertically!

What on earth was their "Dragon Knight" up to?

The soldiers of the fourth squad suddenly pushed the Kurdish forces away with a firm attitude, even their privately supported armed groups from Turkey were not allowed near. Such crucial military assets should not be shown lightly.

“What’s going on here?”

Through the radio, Squadron Leader Zhang Zhenyu was utterly confused about why Lin Mo’s fighter jet suddenly flew down to land in front of him. This aircraft seemed too extraordinary.

“I have a captive for you to take care of. It’s important. If he stays with me much longer, he’ll likely end up dead.”

As Squadron Leader Zhang Zhenyu saw the cockpit cover of the jet open, Lin Mo spoke while reaching behind him, and to his surprise, he pulled out a person from the back seat.

What on earth is going on?

How did the Air Knight manage to bring back a captive like this?

Squadron Leader Zhang Zhenyu had never heard of a pilot capturing someone while airborne.

Capturing prisoners was typically the job of the navy and army, right?

This was truly peculiar; could it have been done mid-air?

Not only the fourth squad, but even the "Night" Command Center fell into stunned silence upon hearing Lin Mo speak, exchanging puzzled glances as they realized that Lin Mo had once again pulled off such a bizarre act.

It was indeed strange things happening every year, but this year seemed particularly full of them.

How did this guy manage to capture a prisoner? Everyone was intensely curious.

Just moments ago, amidst the darkness, explosions, and gunfire, nobody noticed the fighter jet flying at ultra-low altitude, nor that the pilot had parachuted down to grab a young boy and toss him into the cockpit.

Who had ever seen such a dereliction of duty by a pilot? No wonder everyone’s jaws dropped in astonishment in the fourth squad.

Squadron Leader Zhang Zhenyu caught the youth Lin Mo tossed over like a small piglet. The boy appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, small and lightweight, with fine golden short hair, tightly closed eyes, and clutching a laptop. This was a big trouble. He sighed and laughed bitterly, resignedly saying, “Uh, alright!”

It was easy to imagine that, as Lin Mo said, if this child stayed in that fighter jet much longer, he would probably perish. Sticking to humanitarian principles, saving a life was better than building a pagoda.

Although he didn’t understand why Lin Mo had chosen to bring back a young boy, as a captive, he couldn’t just abandon him.

Lin Mo’s next words quickly enlightened everyone.

“The ‘Ya Zi-2’ is controlled by this kid. He’s quite talented! Keep an eye on him; if trained for a few years, he could become one of us.”

Lin Mo casually encouraged the military to take on the great profession of human trafficking. If it weren’t for the boy’s pliability, they would likely just have incapacitated an adult first.

“Okay, okay!”

Squadron Leader Zhang Zhenyu had never thought that the Dragon Knights would be so ruthless towards their enemies.

Watching the "monstrous" jet soar into the sky again, Squadron Leader Zhang Zhenyu waved to his subordinates, “Have you all packed up? We need to move quickly.”

He knew that even with Lin Mo’s fighter jet providing cover, once the twelve Turkish F-16 "Falcons" arrived, it would be much harder to retreat.

They should hurry up and leave to avoid holding Lin Mo back.