Chapter 281

Chapter 281: Carrier Life Cabin

"Yes, I’m Lin Mo." Lin Mo saluted, acknowledging the major, even though they were not in the same chain of command. The military structure required him to pay his respects first.

"Hello, I’m Zou Rong from the personnel team! I’m responsible for welcoming you." The young major returned the salute with a smile and handed over a folder, pointing to a specific spot, saying, "Please sign here." He also offered a pen.

The elevator officially began to descend, revealing a much larger space beneath the flight deck, complete with support pillars and aircraft berths to accommodate more planes.

Inside many of the berths were sleek silver J-15 "Dark Sabre" carrier-based aircraft and helicopters. This aircraft carrier training ship seemed to be stocked with a standard inventory of carrier-based aircraft.

"Don’t worry, the planes will be put in a good spot. Please follow me."

After the high-speed hydraulic elevator stopped, Zou Rong pointed to a direction where a small passenger elevator was located.

"Okay." Lin Mo pressed the electronic key in his hand, and the signal light on the corner of the P-51 "Mustang" flickered, making two beeping sounds like a car and automatically locking the engine ignition while not affecting the movement of the landing gear tires.

This World War II fighter had truly been transformed into a private vehicle.

What a familiar sound! Major Zou Rong glanced back curiously as the towing vehicle took away the P-51 "Mustang." As military personnel, he was quite knowledgeable about this iconic aircraft known as "the greatest fighter of all time" from World War II, but this "Mustang" indeed appeared distinct.

"Manufactured in America in 1945, hmm, original parts, but I modified it with cannons, equipped it with 85 anti-aircraft machine guns, added a turbocharger, changed the avionics, and installed a double-layer sealed, water droplet-shaped bulletproof canopy. I also modified the mounting brackets to fire PL-9 short-range combat missiles."

Noticing Zou Rong’s confusion, Lin Mo, as the person who modified it, eagerly shared his insights, like recalling treasured items.

"You modified it?"

"Yes! It cost me over five hundred thousand, but it’s worth it."

If it weren’t for having some funds left in the account and the new ride not arriving yet, Lin Mo wouldn’t have gone through the effort to modify it. He could have simply dismantled the weapon system and sold it for a couple of million. After all, the plane was well maintained, having shown no signs of oxidation or rust in the dry environment of Afghanistan.

"Impressive! Where did you get this?"

Major Zou Rong was not just shocked; he was astounded that something from 1945 could be acquired. It was a waste of wealth that should be preserved in a museum rather than being showcased in impressive piloting displays.

"I found it!"

Lin Mo blurted out those two words, leaving Major Zou Rong rolling his eyes. If you could find something like this, maybe one day you’d find a space shuttle too?

However, Lin Mo was indeed stating a well-known fact, with nothing to hide.

The sharp noise of jet engines echoed from above the flight deck, indicating that the carrier-based aircraft outside were starting to land in batches. Compared to the noise of the P-51 "Mustang," it was like the difference between a baby’s cry and the buzzing of a mosquito.

A few guards stood at the elevator entrance, equipped with various devices to conduct security checks, part of their routine task.

They quickly scanned for any objects that could emit signals and checked for prohibited items in the bags.

Lin Mo didn’t carry much, and those devices couldn’t detect the silent Gold Coins. The security check concluded rapidly.

"We’re here!"

Major Zou Rong led Lin Mo to a cabin on the negative third floor, a two-person living space. Compared to the cramped quarters for sailors, with over ten people squeezed into one room, pilots had a much more comfortable environment. The space was relatively spacious.

With metal partitions on all sides, there were no windows, just a uniform LED lighting system illuminating the area. The air inside was quite fresh, with the salty sea smell being much less noticeable due to filtration. Some plants decorated the corners, adding a refreshing touch despite the lack of exquisite decor.

"Captain Lin Mo, this is your cabin. As of now, you are the only one here, making it your personal space." Major Zou Rong opened the door and took out a phone-like device. "This is your dedicated communication device and a spare battery. The number is on the back, a four-digit number that’s easy to remember. Inside, there’s a charging dock as well as a phonebook with my number. If you need anything, feel free to contact me, and the main department numbers are also behind the room door."

"Oh, and here’s a basic guide to life on the training ship, including a map of the main cabins like the laundry, dining, and movie rooms, as well as restricted areas. Take a moment to rest and put away your personal things. Later, I’ll gather the other instructors in Conference Room 12 for introductions. There’s a computer and TV inside, and you can access the internal intranet, but meals and showers are located in common areas."

"Alright, thank you!" Lin Mo surveyed his cabin, with a height of about two meters and a space of over forty square meters, featuring a private washroom. The bed was wide and spacious, with a railing along the side to prevent anyone from falling off during rough weather. There were also fixed handholds throughout for added safety during turbulence.

After quickly placing his daily necessities and a change of clothes in the room, Lin Mo removed the watch from his left wrist and casually stuck it against the cabin wall. He then pulled out an identical watch from his bag and put it back on.

"You have one week! Gold Coins, you only have one week to explore the underwater area, and you cannot target any ships, including submarines. As for wrecks and manganese nodules, feel free to explore. Eat well and come back quickly. Don’t think you’re safe underwater just because people can’t see you; they have sonar devices too. Stay small and don’t attract attention."

"Hehe! It’s vacation time!" The watch stuck to the cabin wall seemed to merge into the metal surface, disappearing without a trace.

This glutton was off to foraging for food. The ocean’s metal resources were far richer than those on land, with seawater teeming with various metallic elements. With enough patience and filtering capability, the gold giant dragon could extract large amounts of metals, including rare earth elements.

Having been on land for missions, Lin Mo rarely had a chance to head to the sea and was giving this unfortunate soul from another world a rare opportunity for a getaway. At least Lin Mo could guarantee that this fellow wouldn’t disappear forever; if it could run, it would have by now.

For the gold giant dragon, radar, metal detectors, missiles, laser weapons, particle beams, electromagnetic pulse weapons, and strong magnetic fields were all deadly threats. Even a combat aircraft’s radar could detect it. So, staying near Lin Mo to get its fill was much safer.

After arranging his things in the room, Lin Mo took out the materials Major Zou Rong provided about life on the training ship, along with a sensing identity card used to access certain secure areas and to unlock his living quarters, resembling an electronic key.

The newly issued communication device suddenly rang, and Lin Mo answered it.

"Okay, I’ll be right there."

By the time Lin Mo arrived at Conference Room 12 on the negative third floor, a few people had already gathered. Others trickled in after him until a total of sixteen individuals filled the nearly thirty-square-meter meeting room. Aside from Major Zou Rong and Lin Mo, there were fourteen flight instructors, all of whom held ranks of colonel or above, with only Lin Mo being the lowest-ranking, a small captain.

As China’s first aircraft carrier training ship, "Shilang," it hosted significantly more personnel than an ordinary aircraft carrier, boasting nine captains alone, with each position staffed with three or more rotating personnel, even exceeding norms in kitchen staff and barbers. They all gained practical experience through rotation.

After all, aircraft carriers were the largest long-range weapons systems in human history, requiring two to three thousand personnel to operate efficiently. This training ship was packed with nearly five thousand people, including cadets and instructors.

The most dangerous aspect of the aircraft carrier remained the takeoffs and landings of carrier-based aircraft. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising to have fourteen carrier-based aircraft instructors, each responsible for guiding ten cadets, ensuring quality education through small class sizes. Experienced carrier-based aircraft instructors were always in demand.

Conference Room 12 was better decorated than the living and working cabins, featuring ample wooden accents, unlike the other rooms filled with harsh steel frames.

"Now that everyone is here, let’s get started! In half an hour, everyone should be able to get to know each other." Major Zou Rong closed the meeting room door and swiftly got to the point, walking over to Lin Mo and gesturing, his voice resonating clearly, "Today, I’d like to introduce Captain Lin Mo, officially codenamed ‘Dragon Knight.’ The earlier call sign ‘Mustang’ was temporary. We greatly appreciate Captain Lin for showcasing an impressive vertical landing demonstration with the P-51 this afternoon. Truly remarkable! Now, Captain Lin, please introduce yourself to everyone. Don’t underestimate Captain Lin Mo; he’s a veteran who has participated in real combat."

Major Zou Rong effectively reminded everyone not to overlook the new young captain as he winked at them.

Even in a disciplined military setting, the tendency to overlook newcomers was unavoidable, stemming from the strict hierarchical structure. Major Zou Rong’s every word was carefully considered to help Lin Mo blend into the team, creating curiosity to dissipate the initial unfamiliarity.