Chapter 82: Soaring to the Heavens

On the vast expanse of the airfield, under the watchful eyes of all present, a pilot clad in a thick, pressure-resistant spacesuit slowly ascended the ladder and entered the fighter jet. This pilot, Yang Yi, was himself an astronaut, experienced in numerous journeys to and from space, and formerly a fighter pilot as well. Now, he had been entrusted with a glorious mission: to become the first test pilot of the nation’s pioneering aerospace fighter.

“Take off!”

At the command, everyone instinctively raised their binoculars, focusing on the fighter on the runway.

A deep hum resonated as the plasma engine roared to life, sending ripples through the air that spread in all directions. The grass beside the runway was swept up as if by a hurricane, torn away by the waves of force.

Twin orange-red exhaust flames burst from the rear of the fighter, swiftly shifting to a dazzling white that none dared look at directly. The high-grade runway behind, battered by the searing thousands-degree heat and immense thrust, was instantly obliterated—scorched chunks of concrete hurtled backward, blackened by the burn.

To the eyes of the onlookers, the fighter became an arrow loosed from a bow. In the instant the tail flame blazed from orange-red to incandescent white, the jet shot forward. In barely ten meters, it was airborne, streaking skyward like a brilliant meteor racing against the flow.

Within three seconds, a mist-like corona enveloped the fuselage as a thunderous boom split the sky—breaking the sound barrier, unleashing a mighty sonic boom.

In just five seconds, the fighter had climbed thousands of meters, vanishing from sight. A faint contrail lingered in its wake, slowly dissipating—a mark of its supersonic passage, where the shockwave encouraged condensation in the air.

When the jet disappeared from view, all attention shifted to the main screen in the command center. There, ground-based radar and orbital satellites formed a three-dimensional tracking web, pinpointing the aircraft’s precise position.

On a massive world map, a red dot crawled across the surface like an ant. It seemed slow at this scale, but this was the world map—the furious pace rivaled that of an intercontinental missile.

“Mach 5!”

“Mach 10!”

In mere minutes, the fighter had flown from north to south, leaving the province’s airspace behind; ten minutes later, it crossed the national border and soared above the Indian Ocean.

“Power levels nominal!”

“Liquid compressed air normal!”

“Engines stable!”

“Signal tracking stable!”

Inside the hall, all eyes were fixed on the rows of green indicator lights and on the red dot racing across the world map. Tension hung in the air, for the most formidable trial was about to begin.

“Enter space!”

Another order issued from the command center, and high above the Indian Ocean, the fighter darted upward like an arrow, piercing the heavens. In just minutes, it left the atmosphere and entered outer space.

Prepared satellites captured the moment the fighter breached the edge of space, transmitting the image to the command center screens: the jet, bathed in holy brilliance, appeared almost divine—like a sacred bird soaring, vivid and alive, or a stingray leaping from the sea, with the Earth below, glowing blue and full of life.

“Mach 20!”

With no atmospheric drag, the fighter’s speed continued to climb, forcing the pilot to shut down the engine and allow the craft to coast in orbit around Earth like a spaceship. Had the engines remained active, the speed would have soared even higher.

“All systems normal!”

Now in space, every indicator remained green. The fighter orbited the planet, with national ocean surveillance vessels and the satellite network relaying its position and speed in real time. The fighter’s own communication systems continuously reported back to ground control.

“Return to base!”

After confirming that the craft was sound and free of hidden defects, the command center decisively issued the return order.

In space, the fighter responded, plunging toward the blue, life-glowing Earth like a celestial spirit descending from the sky.

The descent was swift, but the plasma engine remained dormant—the fighter was still moving too fast for a safe landing. To touch down safely, it had to reduce speed significantly, relying on atmospheric drag to slow its approach.

“Mach 10!”

“Mach 5!”

As the fighter neared the ground, its speed dropped sharply, the friction of the air braking its fall. Now, it glided through the sky much like the American space shuttle, banking and swooping as it lost speed.

The moment the fighter slowed to Mach 1, the engine fired up once again, this time at minimal power, to adjust its heading and ensure that, should anything go awry, a quick ascent and second landing attempt would be possible.

Half an hour later, the fighter reappeared in view. Its speed had dropped to a safe range as it touched down on the runway. For added safety, its drag chute deployed, and the craft rolled gently to a stop.

Yang Yi slowly opened the cockpit, descending with the help of ground staff. Smiling, he waved toward the command center, clearly in excellent spirits.

“Haha! We did it!”

At that moment, Liu Shiying leapt up, releasing his clenched fists, laughing aloud with the delight of a child.

Thunderous applause erupted in the vast command center, someone leading the charge. Grins broke out on every face as the crowd cheered in unison.

The maiden test flight of the nation’s first-generation aerospace fighter had concluded flawlessly. The fighter took off from the ground, soared into space, circled the planet, and returned safely and smoothly, with both pilot and machine unharmed—perfection itself!

“A divine instrument of the nation! From this moment, we lead the world!”

These words appeared on the massive display, stirring the crowd to even higher excitement. Laughter and pride swept through them, a wave of national pride welling up from within.

A century of lagging behind, a century of humiliation—we once doubted ourselves, lost our confidence, isolated from the world and subjected to suspicion and injustice. Yet we rose up, we pressed on, and one miracle after another was born from our resolve.

Today, in the most advanced and cutting-edge field of aerospace technology, our nation has taken the lead by developing a new-generation aerospace fighter—one that stands unchallenged before the world. From this day forward, we will guide the world’s future!

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