Chapter 5

As Xu Feng hummed a song and piloted the J-24 fighter jet on patrol, suddenly, the radar screen went blank. He immediately thought that he had lost himself.

When the carrier-based aircraft patrols hundreds of kilometers away from the aircraft carrier, the pilot cannot visually locate the carrier. Instead, they rely on the tactical air navigation system on the carrier to determine its position. This system is essentially a radio navigation device that indicates position. The carrier sends out information with its own position, which the carrier-based aircraft receives, allowing the pilot to know the carrier's location. Now, Xu Feng's radar was receiving no information at all, meaning he could no longer find the carrier.

This blank screen indicated that the radar had not received any electromagnetic waves. Could it be a radar malfunction? The J-24's active electronically scanned array radar is among the best in the world, with a very low failure rate. Even if there was a malfunction, it wouldn't be such a major one!

The only thing he could do now was to violate the radio silence order and activate the radio communication equipment to contact the mother ship. He turned on the radio, but all he heard was static. The radio had also failed.

Was it an enemy electronic attack? He immediately thought of the Japanese F-2 fighter that had been shadowing him. Sometimes, he could even see the face of the F-2's pilot. Looking around, the F-2 was nowhere to be seen.

Aliens, paranormal events—these terms from science fiction novels popped into his mind. He mocked himself, "I still have time to think about these things? I should find the carrier first."

An aircraft cannot fly forever. If he couldn't find the mother ship before running out of fuel, the outcome would be a crash and certain death. Despite the life-or-death situation, Xu Feng remained calm. The more dangerous the situation, the calmer he became, which was one of his strengths. He recalled the carrier's position data from the flight control computer and headed towards the last known coordinates. The aircraft's speed was much faster than the carrier's, so he would surely find the carrier in that area. He lowered the aircraft to 1,000 meters, increased the throttle, and the J-24's supersonic cruise capability was evident.

Upon reaching the last coordinates, he lowered the aircraft to 400 meters and activated the electro-optical detection system to search for the carrier. The sea on the thermal imaging screen was a calm green, with ships appearing as red due to their higher temperature.

Gradually, he found the mother ship, feeling a sense of relief. However, he then noticed that several ships were emitting black smoke and attacking the carrier from a few kilometers away.

"The war has begun!" Xu Feng thought, a surge of blood rushing to his heart. He had joined the air force after graduating from university, hoping for such a day.

He switched the aircraft to manual mode, pushed the control stick down, and thanks to the powerful engine, the 28-ton heavy fighter descended like a nimble swallow, stopping just 30 meters above the water, where it was less likely to be detected by radar.

As the aircraft rapidly approached the ships, Xu Feng encountered another problem. Since he was on a routine air patrol and not in a war readiness state, his aircraft did not carry anti-ship missiles. The missile bay contained only two PL-21 air-to-air missiles. The main difference between air-to-air and anti-ship missiles is the warhead. Anti-ship missiles have much more powerful warheads, so Xu Feng was unsure if the air-to-air missiles could effectively damage the enemy ships. He even worried that the missiles might not penetrate the ships' armor.

Xu Feng had a sudden idea and activated the afterburner. Flames shot out from the aircraft's tail, and the speedometer showed that the aircraft had reached 2.7 Mach. This high speed gave the missiles significant initial kinetic energy, allowing them to pierce the enemy ships' armor.

Gradually, the enemy ships entered the missile range. Xu Feng found it strange that the ship's deck structures looked disorganized, unlike modern ships designed to reduce radar reflection with a streamlined appearance. The ship even had gun ports with long barrels. Despite the oddity, Xu Feng locked onto the target, opened the missile bay, and the two missiles shot out like hungry wolves pouncing on a fat sheep, heading towards the enemy ship.

The first missile tore through the ship's side armor and exploded among the guns. The high-speed fragments instantly detonated the unlaunched shells, and a massive shockwave instantly blew away the lookout tower on the deck. The second missile entered through the hole created by the first and exploded upon hitting the boiler. The boiler's walls were riddled with holes, and the high-temperature, high-pressure steam escaped like a prisoner breaking free, scalding everyone nearby to death. Then, with a loud explosion, the boiler burst, and the ship lost power, coming to a stop on the water. At this point, the other ships ceased their bombardment.

Xu Feng, having launched the missiles, did not have time to admire the spectacular scene. He turned off the afterburner, pulled the control stick, and the vector thrust system adjusted, lifting the aircraft towards the sky. At this moment, the aircraft's radar and radio equipment suddenly returned to normal.

Lin Yuan, seeing the enemy ships cease their bombardment, felt a surge of excitement. At this moment, Xu Feng's voice came over the radio, "Chu Ying calling Bird's Nest! Requesting landing!"

Lin Yuan, hearing his good friend's voice, quickly said, "You did a great job! If it weren't for you, we would have taken many more hits."

"Save the compliments for later. Can I land now?"

Lin Yuan turned to the staff officer, who frowned and shook his head, saying, "The deck and the arresting wires are damaged. Landing now could be dangerous."

Lin Yuan then said, "The carrier cannot land. Return to the shore base."

Xu Feng laughed, "I don't have much fuel left. The nearest shore base is the Japanese Kadena Air Base. Do you think they would welcome me? Besides, there's no signal on the ground. I suspect our country has suffered a nuclear attack, and our nuclear submarines in the deep ocean have launched a counterattack. The world has already been destroyed."

Lin Yuan cursed, "What a time to talk nonsense. I order you to land!" He then ordered the preparation of the arresting wires and the barrier net.

Xu Feng received the order, adjusted the aircraft's direction, and aimed for the landing strip. The landing guidance radar was malfunctioning, so he had to rely on the Fresnel lens system, which is an optical system. If the pilot sees an orange-yellow light, it means the landing is accurate.

Xu Feng, an experienced pilot, was not worried about the descent. What he feared most was the damaged deck, which was full of craters. If the landing gear hit a crater, the aircraft would not follow the intended path but would veer to the sides, possibly falling into the sea or colliding with the carrier's island, endangering the lives of the personnel inside.

Thinking about this, he opened the fuel dump valve, released excess fuel, and shut down the engine. He knew this was extremely dangerous. The aircraft must be at maximum speed during landing to ensure it can take off again if the landing fails. However, Xu Feng's actions gave him only one chance to land. If he failed, it would mean certain death.

The aircraft slowly approached the deck, extending the tailhook and lowering the landing gear. The wheels touched the deck, and it felt as if everyone's heart skipped a beat. The tailhook caught the first arresting wire, but it snapped. Everyone's heart raced, but fortunately, the second wire held the aircraft firmly.

Just as everyone's hearts began to relax, another crisis arose. The landing gear wheels hit a crater, and the landing gear could not withstand the impact, breaking with a crack. The nose of the aircraft dipped and slammed onto the deck, creating a trail of sparks.

Adding to the misfortune, the second arresting wire, which had already been damaged, snapped under the aircraft's force. The only thing left to stop the aircraft was the barrier net. Normally, the barrier net would damage the aircraft, so it was only used as a last resort. If the barrier net was not used, the aircraft would plunge into the sea.

Just as everyone hoped the barrier net would stop the aircraft, the left rear landing gear hit a crater, causing the aircraft to veer to one side, bypassing the barrier net and heading towards the carrier's island.

Xu Feng's heart sank. It's over!

Lin Yuan was shocked and immediately ordered, "Everyone, evacuate the island!" However, there were hundreds of people on the island, and they couldn't evacuate quickly enough.

At this critical moment, there were two "cracks," and the aircraft's rear sank, with the mid and rear sections also hitting the deck. Xu Feng immediately understood that the two rear landing gears had broken. Now, the entire aircraft was sliding on the deck, and the friction finally stopped it.

The aircraft stopped! The danger was over!

As everyone cheered for the successful landing, the aircraft's rear burst into flames. The remaining fuel in the engine ignited due to the collision and friction. However, the damage control personnel on the deck quickly rushed over, and the foam from the high-pressure guns instantly covered the burning aircraft. The landing assistance personnel set up ladders and pulled Xu Feng, drenched in sweat, out of the cockpit. Xu Feng removed his helmet, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said nonchalantly, "This aircraft's air conditioning seems to be broken. Look how hot I am."

Seeing the aircraft successfully land, Lin Yuan felt a surge of excitement. Then, even more exciting news came: the radar officer reported that all radars had returned to normal!

The sea surveillance radar screen clearly showed: twelve ships in a column formation behind the carrier, with the one that had attacked them at the end, five kilometers away; and ten ships in a line formation ahead of the carrier, ten kilometers away. From the radar echoes, these ships did not resemble modern ships.

Lin Yuan thought, "It seems we have really gone back in time, like in a science fiction novel. But what time is it now?" The observation department reported that the ships ahead were flying the yellow dragon flag. He immediately understood that their aircraft carrier had returned to September 17, 1894, at the mouth of the Yalu River in Dandong. It was 11:00 AM, and in half an hour, the commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Ito Sukeyuki, would discover the main force of the Beiyang Fleet he had been searching for. In one hour and fifty minutes, the flagship "Dingyuan" would fire the first shot, and the Battle of Dandong would begin. Five hours later, the battle would end, with the Beiyang Fleet losing over 800 men and five ships. After this battle, the Beiyang Fleet would cede control of the sea to the Japanese Navy.

After that, the Japanese captured Lushun and massacred over 30,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians. Liu Gong Island and Weihaiwei fell in succession, and the Beiyang Fleet was completely destroyed!

Lin Yuan finally understood everything. He connected to the ship's intercom and said in the most solemn voice of his life, "I am Captain Lin Yuan. The current time is September 17, 1894. We have returned to the past! We are now between the Japanese Combined Fleet and the Beiyang Fleet. In less than two hours, the Battle of Dandong, which will determine the fate of the First Sino-Japanese War, will begin. The outcome of this battle is well known: the Beiyang Fleet will suffer a crushing defeat! Now, history has given us a sacred and great mission. The moment to change the fate of the Chinese nation has arrived. We will be the writers of this new history! I order all personnel to enter the highest state of war readiness! Immediately repair the damaged facilities! Be ready to launch an attack on the Japanese at any time!"

The crew members were initially stunned but then burst into cheers. They had been waiting for this moment for a long time. They immediately sprang into action. Cranes were brought onto the deck to lift the damaged aircraft onto the maintenance vehicles, which transported them to the elevators. The elevators descended, and the aircraft were taken to the hangar, where the staff waiting in the lower hangar immediately began disassembling and repairing the aircraft, replacing the landing gear, fuselage skin, and more. The maintenance personnel also rushed to the deck to repair the catapults, replace the arresting wires, and level the deck.

The moment of revenge was about to arrive!