Chapter 25: Successful Maiden Flight, Reactions from All Countries

Only four days had passed, and the day of the maiden flight of the Ascending Dragon fighter had arrived.

The location was the air force test flight base in Hua'an City, Northwest Province.

For this day, the entire base had already entered the highest alert status in advance.

Qin Hao, as a specially invited observer, together with Luo Lao, Academician Qian Bowen, Academician Li, and the heads of major defense conglomerates, came to the base's command tower.

The tower commanded a wide view, allowing a clear sight of the distant runway and the fully ready Ascending Dragon fighter.

On the tarmac, the Ascending Dragon prototype stood like a poised raptor, silent and upright.

Its sci‑fi‑tinged flattened fuselage design, unique wing‑body integration layout, and deep air intakes all revealed its superb aerodynamic performance and stealth capability.

The two characters 'Ascending Dragon' on its fuselage gleamed in the sunlight.

Qin Hao felt somewhat excited.

This fighter's hull and engine material are Starfall Alloy, its brain is a 4‑nanometer crystal element, and these key cores all depend on his system.

One could say that this Ascending Dragon also embodies his painstaking effort.

"Xiao Qin, is this your first time seeing such a scene?"

Luo Lao stood beside Qin Hao, smiling as he asked.

He could sense the fluctuations in Qin Hao's emotions.

Qin Hao nodded, then shook his head: "Hmm! I'm getting a bit nervous, but more than that I'm looking forward to it. I believe in it."

"We all believe in it." Luo Lao's gaze turned to the distant fighter, his face full of confidence.

Nine o'clock in the morning sharp.

With a command from the tower controller, the test flight officially began.

"Ascending Dragon One, checks complete, request takeoff!"

Over the radio came the test pilot's calm and steady voice.

He was a top‑notch pilot selected one in a hundred from the entire air force.

"Ascending Dragon One, cleared for takeoff!"

The engine's roar suddenly erupted, like a dragon's bellow, tearing apart the airport's tranquility.

Two scorching plumes of exhaust jetted from the tail of the Ascending Dragon, and its powerful thrust drove this iron beast to begin rolling down the runway.

Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate again!

Everyone present had their hearts in their throats.

Academician Qian Bowen and Academician Li clenched their fists even tighter, their knuckles whitening from the strain.

After merely a few hundred meters of rollout—a astonishing distance—the Ascending Dragon's nose lifted lightly, and the whole fuselage rose like a feather off the ground at an extremely steep angle,

piercing the heavens!

"Beautiful! So beautiful! Its short‑takeoff‑and‑landing performance is outstanding!"

An aviation expert couldn't help but utter a low exclamation, his voice full of admiration.

Qin Hao also watched, eyes unblinking.

Although he didn't know much about flight technology, he could sense from that agile posture the Ascending Dragon's abundant power and superb controllability.

The Ascending Dragon completed an elegant turn in the air, then began a series of prescribed test items.

Supersonic cruise, high‑maneuver directional changes, high angle‑of‑attack flight, low‑altitude penetration…

One difficult maneuver after another, executed smoothly and effortlessly under the test pilot's control.

Especially during the high‑maneuverability demonstration,

at times like a ghost making tight‑radius turns, at times like a sword shooting up vertically at high speed, at times fluttering unpredictably like a falling leaf, performing all kinds of astonishing flight maneuvers.

Its displayed agility and controllability far exceeded the expectations of all experts present.

"This… this is a cobra maneuver? No, it's more complex than a cobra maneuver and more meaningful in combat!"

General Zhang pointed excitedly at the sky, where the fighter had just completed a jaw‑dropping post‑stall maneuver.

"Its aerodynamic layout, combined with our newest‑generation vector‑thrust engine, plus the lightweight, high‑strength fuselage from the Starfall Alloy, enables such astonishing maneuvers!"

Academician Qian Bowen added from the side, his face glowing with pride.

Inside the command tower, bursts of amazement and applause erupted from time to time.

Everyone was conquered by the Ascending Dragon's outstanding performance.

The flight test lasted nearly half an hour.

When the aircraft landed smoothly on the runway in a perfect attitude, the entire command tower erupted with thunderous cheers.

Luo Lao slapped Qin Hao's shoulder hard, his voice booming:

"Xiao Qin, did you see that? This is the great contribution you have made for the country and the people!"

Qin Hao's eyes grew a little moist, and he nodded heavily.

At this moment, all his efforts and hard work turned into unparalleled pride and satisfaction.

The news of the successful maiden flight was first released nationwide and worldwide through official channels.

"The maiden flight test of the Ascending Dragon One prototype was a complete success!"

A brief sentence, accompanied by several clear photos of the Ascending Dragon soaring in the sky and a edited highlight reel of its flight,

instantly ignited the enthusiasm of all domestic and foreign media and the public.

Within Yanhuang Guo, there was a sea of jubilation.

"So cool! Our Ascending Dragon is practically straight out of a sci‑fi movie!"

"This aerodynamic shape, this maneuverability, are absolutely world‑class!"

"Raise our nation's prestige! Strengthen our military spirit! Give a thumbs‑up to our country's powerful defense technology!"

"Thank those silent‑dedicated researchers; you are the true heroes!"

……

On the internet, words of praise surged like a tide.

Countless citizens were exhilarated and proud.

On streets and alleys, everyone was discussing the majestic bearing of the 'Ascending Dragon', and national pride surged to unprecedented heights.

Of course, besides these, there were also some disparaging remarks.

"Looking at its appearance, it indeed looks quite sci-fi, but without combat experience, it definitely cannot match Yingjiang's fighter jets; I remain skeptical."

"Exactly, I think! This Ascending Dragon fighter jet can only be used for performances! It has absolutely no combat capability."

Their remarks, once spoken, instantly ignited the powder keg.

Being scolded by over a billion netizens, they were left utterly battered.

"Fuck! Where did this fawning foreign-loving dog come from, barking here? Get lost and go back to your dog dad, stop embarrassing yourself here."

"You lot are just a bunch of 500,000 walkers; if I run into you, I'll beat you so badly your own mother won't recognize you, damn it!"

……

Meanwhile, abroad, the reaction was far more complex.

Yingjiang Guo Presidential Palace.

"Fuck! How did they manage that?"

President Wil looked at the screen showing the Ascending Dragon's oppressive flight footage and couldn't help but swear.

The Intelligence Department had previously insisted that Yanhuang Guo's aviation industry lagged behind them by at least twenty years, but this aircraft before our eyes,

It clearly already possessed the capability to match their most advanced fighters, the Y-22 and Y-35, and in some aspects even seemed superior!

"Mr. President, based on our preliminary video analysis and infrared signal characteristics, the Ascending Dragon fighter jet possesses extremely strong stealth performance, and its supersonic cruise capability and maneuverability have reached an unprecedented level."

"We... we may have underestimated their development speed."

Minister of National Defense James reported with a grim face.

"Underestimated? I see it as serious dereliction of duty!"

The president was furious and then slammed his hand on the table,

"Immediately assemble a top-tier expert team to give me a detailed analysis of all data on the Ascending Dragon! I need to know where exactly this technology came from!"

An air force command of a certain country in O Continent.

"General, Yanhuang Guo's Ascending Dragon looks very advanced. Our Big Wind and Small Wind, in front of it, are probably..."

A staff officer said worriedly.

The general gazed silently at the screen for a long time before sighing,

"The world's skies are about to change color. Notify the technical department to closely monitor the Ascending Dragon's subsequent movements; we need to reassess future aerial power comparisons."

Island Nation.

"Damn! How could Yanhuang people possibly develop such an advanced fighter so quickly?"

Our Y-35 procurement plan must be accelerated! Moreover, we must strive for more advanced technical support from Yingjiang.

The Minister of Defense shouted angrily.

In no time, the Ascending Dragon's maiden flight succeeded, becoming the hottest topic in global military and technological circles.

Countless satellite images, video screenshots, and technical parameters were repeatedly studied and analyzed.

Yanhuang Guo, a country that has long been regarded by the Western world as lagging behind in cutting-edge military technology,

Suddenly, it unveiled a trump card capable of changing the rules of the game.

This is not only the success of an aircraft, but also a manifestation of Yanhuang Guo's overall scientific and technological strength and manufacturing capacity leaping forward.