Chapter 777: Captain Pan’s Goodwill Card

Captain Pan glanced at his watch; it was only six o’clock. Just two hours after he left, the entire hangar seemed to have undergone a thorough cleaning. Everything was arranged neatly, giving off a completely refreshed vibe.

This is so damn incredible.

Could it be the speed of 5 Mach, or did this guy just use the engine’s afterburner to clear the hangar?

Originally, Captain Pan wanted to punish Lin Mo, but after sending the others away, he softened his heart. Seizing the excuse of bringing Lin Mo food, he planned to join him in cleaning the hangar. As the leader, sharing hardships with his subordinates was essential, even if it meant taking on the punishment together. Otherwise, it could seriously affect the group leader’s authority.

However, Captain Pan didn’t anticipate Lin Mo’s quick hands and feet; his speed and efficiency were faster than he imagined.

What he didn’t know was that two hours ago, Lin Mo casually tossed aside his watch, and the surveillance camera in the hangar picked up a constant signal. A giant entity appeared inside the hangar, continuously splitting into humanoid shapes, as if it were a clone producing hundreds of bodies to organize the hangar.

The first step was simply to arrange everything, and it went quickly. The subsequent cleaning was even simpler with over a hundred units working in parallel. In just over an hour, what would typically take one person several days to clean was now spotless.

Captain Pan meandered around the hangar with a bag full of food until he finally spotted Lin Mo. This guy seemed completely unaware of anyone approaching, as he stood on the maintenance platform, absorbed in tinkering with his "monstrous" variable wings fighter jet.

After all, as a Dragon Knight, he was also a bit of a tech enthusiast. When he focused, he could be oblivious to the world around him.

The J-18 "Red Eagle" in the hangar was borrowed from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation for missions and training. However, casual modifications were out of the question.

As one of the naturally produced prototypes, it was a huge honor for Shenyang to lend it to Lin Mo. Otherwise, he’d only be able to fly a used model. Because he promoted the J-10 in Zhuhai, Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group couldn’t even provide him with a single J-10.

But when it came to the P-51 "Mustang" and the X-8 "monstrous" fighter jets, there was no pressure at all. These belonged to Lin Mo; he could modify them however he liked. Naturally, all improvement technologies automatically belonged to the military. Discussing patents with the state was silly, and patent laws applied only to civil rights.

The Aircrew Group’s hangar typically had four multifunctional maintenance areas, suitable for both helicopter maintenance and compatible with jet fighters.

The design structure of the "monstrous" was infused with the blood of domestically produced fighter jets. Most of the maintenance tools sent from Chengdu for the J-10 could be used, plus the custom tools and robotic arms from assembling the "monstrous," making the consumables replacement process proceed smoothly. By the time Captain Pan arrived behind Lin Mo, the maintenance work was already completed, and they were starting to focus on the installation bay for the Ser engine.

A gold giant dragon was doing the work while the Dragon Knight supervised.

The dimensions of the Ser engine obtained from "Abyss Nirvana" were all noted in the gold giant dragon’s mind. This glutton modified the internal structure of the "monstrous" very simply. While dismantling the structure, the evolving micro-processing system could simultaneously compute on the computer, quickly verifying and adjusting for the best values.

This was currently the most efficient upgrading method in the world, requiring minimal materials and tools. In just half an hour, such a complex task was completed.

In contrast, at other aircraft design firms, each modification meant causing a ripple effect throughout the entire project. Just simulating the calculations was time-consuming, and once a preliminary draft was established, new models needed to be produced for verification, requiring aerodynamic calculations and various equations of aircraft parameters. That wasn’t even the final result; real modifications only counted when applied to the physical prototype.

The amount of modifications Lin Mo and Coin Gold made to the X-8 "monstrous" variable wings fighter jet would be enough to bankrupt any aircraft design firm. Every minute of modifications by the gold giant dragon equaled a month of work at an aircraft design firm.

The aerodynamic design and morphing structure of the "monstrous" were completely derived from extensive physical simulations conducted by the gold giant dragon, achieved through a mix of brute strength and constant refinement.

Initially, the gold giant dragon and Lin Mo needed the base’s supercomputer to assist in calculating mathematical models. However, after receiving Coin Gold, the main body can now provide ample computational resources on its own.

It’s pitiful how Lockheed believed they invented the perfect alloy for processors, "Fenrir," but they didn’t realize that the Coin Gold obtained in Iran was what genuinely justified Lockheed’s claims about the computing properties of "Fenrir."

“Ahem!”

Suddenly, Lin Mo heard two coughs from behind him. He immediately stopped, and a silver light burst out from the "monstrous" body, slithering around his left wrist and then becoming still.

Upon closer inspection, it was the gold giant dragon. Hearing the noise, it quickly reverted back to its camouflage form.

“Oh, Captain Pan? It’s you!”

Lin Mo turned around and saw the source of the coughing—his Aircrew Group leader.

“I didn’t know if you had eaten yet, so I brought you some food.”

Captain Pan smiled, lifting the bag filled with food.

“Oh, I haven’t eaten yet. Well, thank you!”

Lin Mo clapped his hands, stopping his work and stepping down from the moving platform.

Captain Pan had a reputation for being stern, yet underneath his intimidating exterior, he was a genuinely good person. When he issued the order for cleaning the hangar, Lin Mo had no complaints.

Lin Mo was not an ungrateful person; he understood that his antics and mischief were always shielded by Captain Pan. Compared to the cleaning task, which seemed harsh, it was insignificant. No one ever heard of a cleaner escaping punishment for making a mess. Without Captain Pan’s protection, Lin Mo might have been demoted from a major to a low-ranking officer.

“Come on, eat first. I didn’t expect you to work so fast and get this done so quickly.”

Captain Pan pulled over an empty workbench, opened the plastic bag, and laid out the food. It looked like a large amount, enough to feed four or five hefty men, but everyone in the Special Forces knew Lin Mo’s appetite was nearly limitless.

This was also to help Lin Mo fill his stomach; if it wasn’t enough, he could always go to the canteen for more. The Special Forces base offered round-the-clock dining services.

“Thanks, Captain Pan!”

Lin Mo was not at all polite, digging in and starting to wolf down the food. After just a couple of bites, he looked up at Captain Pan and asked, “Have you eaten? If not, want to join?”

“Just eat yours; I already had a meal before I came.”

Captain Pan waved his hand.

Lin Mo grinned broadly, grabbing his chopsticks again and eating with furious speed. In a sense, he and that gluttonous dragon kin were quite similar, as he never let food in front of him go to waste.

“Is your ‘monstrous’ maintenance done? This time, Xiao Li and the others cleared a solid two pounds of dust off your aircraft. My gosh, is the weather in Turkey that harsh? Oh, you even opened all the outer skins; what are you doing? Maintenance and replacing consumables shouldn’t require such a massive effort, right?”

Captain Pan scrutinized the fighter jet while Lin Mo was busy eating. This variable wings fighter jet looked almost entirely stripped.

It seemed like it was undergoing a major surgery; several pieces of integrated outer skin were suspended in mid-air, with only a few critical parts and specially shaped defensive armor left for coverage, making many areas of the aircraft entirely visible.

And indeed, as Captain Pan mentioned, normal maintenance and replacing consumables didn’t need such a grand operation.

Lin Mo raised his head, glanced back at the aircraft maintenance platform, swallowed the food, and replied, “Well, I plan to upgrade it. I happen to have a part that I can use, so I need to recalculate the center of gravity and its effect on the aerodynamic properties.”

“Does installing one part require such a commotion?”

Captain Pan couldn’t fathom what kind of treasure needed such extensive dismantling of the entire aircraft.

When it came to helicopters, Captain Pan was a true expert. However, his knowledge of jet fighters was limited to operating according to thick maintenance manuals. The guy in front of him, gorging on food, was the real jet fighter expert.

“It’s a force field device that can effectively enhance the fighter jet’s endurance while also acting as a continuous power supply center.”

Lin Mo explained the function of the Ser engine in an easily understandable way. If he tried to explain the Ser effect, the intricate concentric circle structure alone would leave Captain Pan confused and unable to grasp the key points.

“Oh, that’s amazing? It’s not some fuel-saving valve, right? Let me tell you; don’t believe in fuel-saving valves. I, Old Pan, fell for that once and nearly lost my life. The fuel allocation for military engines is calculated precisely. Any device that claims to save fuel does so at the cost of performance. While I’m not as knowledgeable as you about jet fighter structures, you need to carefully consider any component you install.”

Captain Pan clearly mistook the Ser engine for a fuel-saving device that improved endurance.

“Don’t worry. This isn’t a fuel-saving valve; it’s a high-precision physical technology device.” Lin Mo didn’t want Old Pan to worry, considering his past experience with fuel-saving valves.

Although the actual production technology for the Ser engine was extremely demanding, the gold giant dragon faced no obstacles concerning processing precision—it could replicate such technology freely, perfectly aligned with the inherent capabilities of the gold element dragon kin.