Volume One, Chapter 35: Approval

Three days later, the command and control room of Factory 132.

The air was stagnant, thick with the distinct, acrid scent of scorched metal and circuit boards. There were no windows here, only rows of screens flickering with ghostly green light, resembling countless eyes peering into the deep reaches of space.

Factory Director Zhang stood in the center of the room, hands clasped behind his back like an iron statue. Director Gao leaned against the wall by the door, his figure swallowed by the shadows, with only the intermittent glow of a cigarette ember between his fingers betraying his presence.

Du Yuze sat before the main console, the stream of data flowing before him like a waterfall. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, not a single movement wasted.

"Tower, this is JY1 requesting takeoff."

Wang Zhen’s voice crackled through the radio, as calm as if he were remarking on the weather.

Director Zhang did not turn around. "Little Du, how is your system?"

"All sensor self-tests passed, data link established, recording module on standby," Du Yuze replied, his tone as devoid of emotion as Wang Zhen’s.

"Old Gao, what about your end?" Director Zhang asked.

The figure in the shadows shifted. "The net is cast. Not even a bird could fly into the factory grounds today."

Director Zhang nodded. "Clear for takeoff."

The order traveled through the microphone to the tower, and then to the cockpit of the JY1.

In the control room, everyone held their breath. On the main screen, the silhouette of the JY1 appeared like an arrowhead poised to fly.

"Engine thrust increasing," Du Yuze reported. "Turbine RPM... seven thousand... eight thousand... ten thousand."

On the screen, the curves representing engine temperature and pressure climbed sharply, as if yanked upward by an invisible hand. Two red warning lines stood as their insurmountable boundaries.

"It is roaring," Director Zhang said suddenly.

No one responded, for everyone heard it. It was not through the radio, but through the concrete floor beneath their feet, through the walls, and through the very air—the deep-seated growl of the "Dragon Sparrow" heart.

"Taxiing speed eighty... one hundred twenty... one hundred eighty..."

"Pull up," came Wang Zhen’s voice.

The arrowhead on the screen tilted upward, the trailing light point lifting away from the line representing the runway.

"Landing gear retracted."

"Climb rate normal."

"Engine parameters stable."

The reports from Du Yuze and another technician alternated, cold and rapid.

Director Zhang walked behind Du Yuze, watching the steady, advancing curves. "How much faster is the climb than the J-5?"

"Theoretically thirty percent faster, but actual data..." Du Yuze pointed to the screen, "is thirty-eight percent faster. And this isn't even its limit."

"Good," Director Zhang said.

***

The aircraft continued its climb. Three thousand meters, five thousand meters, eight thousand meters.

"Altitude ten thousand, leveling off," Wang Zhen reported. "Requesting permission for maneuver testing."

"Approved."

Du Yuze’s heart tightened. The true feast of data was only just beginning.

"Initiating high-G turn."

On the screen, the flight path of the JY1 traced a perfect arc. The number representing airframe load factor jumped from "1" to "3," then to "4."

"Engine intake pressure stable, turbine temperature showing minor fluctuations, well within safety margins," Du Yuze kept his eyes glued to his screen.

"Increase load factor," Du Yuze commanded into the microphone.

"Copy that."

The load factor digit jumped to "5."

"Wing structural integrity feedback normal!"

"Hydraulic system normal!"

"Flight control response is sensitive, no lag," Wang Zhen’s voice carried a hint of excitement for the first time. "It’s like... it’s like an extension of my own body. It’s far more agile than the J-6!"

Director Zhang’s tense posture relaxed slightly. He looked to the other side of the room, toward the desk of a scholarly, middle-aged man wearing thick-rimmed glasses: Shen Qingyun, the head of the radar system.

"Engineer Shen, what about your 'eyes'? Are they open yet?"

Shen Qingyun did not answer immediately. His screen was a sea of static, with only a few scan lines stubbornly sweeping back and forth.

"Don't rush," Shen Qingyun adjusted his glasses. "The interleaved PRF system requires a computation cycle to filter out ground clutter. It is reconstructing the electromagnetic image of this airspace."

"I don't want theory," Director Zhang interrupted. "I’m asking you, can you see that J-6 we arranged?"

"Theoretically, it is eighty kilometers ahead of the JY1 right now; it should have entered our effective detection range," Shen Qingyun said.

Director Gao stepped out of the shadows and stood behind Shen Qingyun. "If we can't even see our own 'sparring partner,' then even if the 'Vulture' aircraft get close, we’ll be blind."

Sweat beaded on Shen Qingyun’s forehead. He tapped the keyboard, and the static on the screen flickered faster.

"Switch to pulse mode, increase transmission power," he ordered.

"Power is already at maximum," his assistant replied.

The air in the control room grew heavy again. Du Yuze even momentarily ignored the engine data on his own screen to watch Shen Qingyun. The trap he had designed required a pair of sharp eyes. If those eyes could not see, all the sacrifices would be meaningless.

"Got it!" Shen Qingyun suddenly shouted.

Every pair of eyes focused on his screen.

Against the background of static, a faint, barely discernible green dot flickered stubbornly.

***

"Distance seventy-five kilometers, bearing 0-4-5, it matches the J-6 signal profile!" Shen Qingyun’s voice trembled. "Lock onto it!"

The assistant immediately complied. A green crosshair appeared on the screen, framing the dot.

"Target locked!"

"Success!" Director Zhang slapped his thigh.

"Don't celebrate too early." Shen Qingyun’s expression remained grave. "This is only the initial verification. Now, we test its anti-interference capability." He ordered Wang Zhen, "Comrade Wang Zhen, please activate the electronic jamming pod and suppress our radar across all frequency bands."

"What?" Wang Zhen paused over the radio. "Jam our own people?"

"Execute the order!" Shen Qingyun’s tone left no room for debate.

"Copy that."

Seconds later, on Shen Qingyun’s radar screen, the locked light point was instantly drowned in a tsunami of static.

"Target lost," the assistant reported.

Director Zhang’s smile froze on his face.

"What are you afraid of?" Shen Qingyun chuckled. "If it were that easily jammed, could it really be called 'interleaved PRF'?" He tapped the keyboard again. "System initiating adaptive frequency hopping, beginning analysis of the jamming source... reconstructing signal..."

On the screen, the static remained violent, but an algorithm program box was calculating at lightning speed.

Ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

Thirty seconds.

Just as Director Zhang was about to lose patience, the green crosshair re-emerged amidst the static, firmly locked onto its original position.

"Target re-acquired!" Shen Qingyun announced. "Interleaved PRF system operational!"

A muffled cheer erupted throughout the control room.

Only Director Gao remained still. He walked to Du Yuze’s side and asked in a low voice, "Is that data recording system you designed running at full power?"

"Yes," Du Yuze replied. "Every piece of data is being transmitted back in real-time through an encrypted channel."

"Good." The corners of Director Gao’s mouth twitched. "The bait is in the water, and it’s a very plump piece of bait." He turned and ordered his communications officer: "Notify all monitoring outposts, Level One alert. From now on, monitor all anomalous signals across all bands. I want to know who else, besides us, is watching this show."

Du Yuze did not look back at the data on the screen. He knew that the true test flight was only beginning at this very moment.

He spoke into the microphone, enunciating each word clearly: "Wang Zhen, the first phase of testing is complete. Now, prepare to break the sound barrier."