Chapter 61

"If the Pure Light Sparrow can advance, it might be able to help you a lot, but you have to take good care of it."

The Neanderthal old man, Barut, savored Chen Fei’s witty remark and unexpectedly nodded.

It sounded like a joke, but the line of thought was not wrong.

The Neanderthal clan’s body cultivation secret techniques inevitably caused some damage to the body. Having a magic beast that could use light element healing spells by its side would save a lot on medical expenses. As long as the nutrition kept up, there would be no need to worry about hidden problems.

For Chen Fei, a millionaire with a deficiency in metal, it really felt like it was meant to be.

However, such a well-behaved and obedient magic beast, the Pure Light Sparrow, was not something just anyone could have. Especially one that could use light healing spells, even the lowest level ones, it would inevitably attract some prying eyes.

Old Man Barut’s reminder was absolutely sincere. If he could not quickly become strong enough to have the power to protect the Pure Light Sparrow, Chirp, he would eventually run into such trouble.

"Let’s have breakfast first! Come over a bit earlier tonight!"

The Neanderthal old man handed over the breakfast he had prepared for Chen Fei.

Chen Fei wolfed down the breakfast, quickly washed up, and used the connections left by Park Ae-hwa to spend five star yuan to get an old phone with a scratched and cracked screen. He registered a new private phone number, then ran all the way, just in time to catch the start of the mechanical repair team’s work shift.

His original phone was lost in Teacher Shen Fei’s Patan Elementary School, and he didn’t know who had picked it up. It was definitely impossible to get it back. The 911 Air Base was almost completely isolated from the outside world. The supply aircraft, which used to come every month, might only come once a quarter or even half a year. Finding a used phone for emergency use was the best he could do.

Chen Fei still hoped to use it to contact his family and report his safety.

He definitely wouldn’t dare to tell them that he had died twice in a month. If he had died, at least there would be insurance and compensation. But being repeatedly rejected by the King of Hell was just too much.

---

The mechanical repair team leader, Xiao Ming, led Chen Fei to an A-39B "Big Mouth" light turboprop attack aircraft in the work area. He glanced at the little bird on his shoulder and said, "The first thing, take good care of your bird!"

For any aircraft, the most feared situation is not engine failure or aerodynamic surface damage, but bird strikes!

According to Heinrich's Law, mechanical failures often have warning signs, but bird strikes always come without warning, catching people off guard.

Especially during takeoff and landing, aircraft are most susceptible to bird strikes.

Even the weakest bird can cause the most fatal damage to an aircraft, and bird strike incidents are common in aviation safety.

"Understood!"

Chen Fei immediately patted Chirp’s head and said, "No flying around or running around, got it?"

"Chirp!"

The Pure Light Sparrow, Chirp, is a magic beast. Although it cannot speak human language, it can understand what Chen Fei says.

It chirped in response, playfully pecked his earlobe, and hopped on his shoulder, showing no intention of taking off.

"..."

Team Leader Xiao looked doubtful.

He didn’t object to Chen Fei keeping a bird as a pet, but it should be kept in a cage, not just with a casual command to make it obedient.

Chen Fei saw through Xiao Ming’s doubt and said, "Don’t worry, Team Leader, Chirp will be very well-behaved."

Xiao Ming nodded, "As long as you’re happy," and continued.

"The second thing, prepare the tool cabinets and workbenches."

Under Xiao Ming’s direction, Chen Fei pushed over two mobile tool cabinets and several workbenches of different purposes, placing the little bird on the shelf of the tool cabinet.

The A-39B "Big Mouth" with the paint number "216": I’m so nervous!

This was an old aircraft with over 1,000 flight hours. Team Leader Xiao wouldn’t use a new aircraft for Chen Fei to practice on.

"The third thing, check if the ‘Big Mouth’s’ self-diagnostic system and all sensors are working normally... The fourth thing... The fifth thing..."

On the surface, Team Leader Xiao Ming seemed to be a rough and tough man, but when guiding Chen Fei in disassembling the A-39B "Big Mouth" light turboprop attack aircraft, he was particularly meticulous. He not only explained but also demonstrated, and then let Chen Fei try his hand, first assembling and then disassembling, without minding the trouble.

Even without having read the seven technical manuals, Chen Fei could now have a clear understanding of this light turboprop aircraft.

However, now, after thoroughly reading the complete set of technical manuals, just one practical operation gave Chen Fei the confidence to operate independently. His hands-on skills were very quick, not like a first-time disassembler, though his movements were still a bit stiff, they already showed the qualities of stability, accuracy, and decisiveness.

With a burst of effort, in less than half an hour, he successfully disassembled the 216 "Big Mouth" aircraft, just like leveling up in a beginner village and then effortlessly defeating a boss outside.

The "Big Mouth," as a popular and inexpensive attack aircraft in various air bases, has a PT6A series turboprop engine that is not as large as many people imagine, only slightly larger than a 40-liter bucket, weighing about 200 kilograms. It has a small body but a powerful engine, making it extremely efficient.

In fact, this series of engines is not only used for various types of aircraft but also for agricultural machinery, ships, aviation auxiliary power (APU), and small generators, making it a versatile power source that can be moved wherever needed, with a wide range of applications and ample supply.

The cost of industrial products is inversely proportional to the production volume. The more demand, the greater the production volume, and the lower the cost, making the price naturally cheaper.

The A-39B "Big Mouth," as a mass-produced and inexpensive aircraft, is not cheap for no reason. The engine itself is not expensive, and the entire hardware and software system, including avionics and the aircraft itself, is not much more complex than a four-wheeled car.

After disassembling the turboprop engine, Chen Fei then disassembled various avionics modules along the densely arranged wiring, leaving the "Big Mouth" used for demonstration almost empty except for the cockpit.

By noon, the light turboprop attack aircraft had been completely disassembled by Team Leader Xiao Ming and Chen Fei, with the workbenches piled high but neatly organized. They even made a list on the spot, planning to spend the same amount of time reassembling it the next day.

This disassembly operation not only served as a demonstration but also included maintenance and replacement of consumable parts, achieving multiple goals at once.

The most feared in such disassembly and reassembly operations is not the inability to reassemble or the lack of parts, but the discovery of extra parts at the end, which would be a big problem.

Xiao Ming wiped his hands, stained with colorful grease, with a cloth and said, "That’s it for today. Once you’re proficient in disassembly and assembly, I’ll teach you how to diagnose and repair faults. Repair work is not just about replacing new parts."

The hands-on and verbal teaching was quite exhausting, and it was just right that Chen Fei belonged to the mechanical repair team in the morning and the "True Fragrance" combat flight squadron in the afternoon, allowing him to catch his breath before continuing the next day.

"Team Leader, thank you for your hard work."

Reading is shallow, but doing is deep. After personally disassembling and reassembling the aircraft and listening to Team Leader’s detailed explanations, Chen Fei gained a lot.

Many things are not mentioned in the seven technical manuals; only by actually doing it can one truly understand.

"Your little bird is quite well-behaved."

Seeing that Chirp had never left the mobile tool cabinet in the work area, Team Leader Xiao Ming finally smiled.

He was worried that the little bird’s curiosity would lead it to explore the nooks and crannies of the "Big Mouth."

Aircraft fear birds whether in flight or on the ground.

"Chirp is one of a kind."

There might be more than one Pure Light Sparrow in the world, but for Chen Fei, Chirp was unique and irreplaceable.

During the lunch break, just as Chen Fei swallowed the last bite of bread, the yellow lights on the roof of Hangar 1 silently lit up.

The pilots on standby in a corner of the hangar immediately responded. Chen Fei’s flight instructor, Ilene Rieux, called out,

"‘True Fragrance’ squadron, gather up! Rookie, come over, we have a mission!"