Chapter 198: Madness

The command post was as noisy as a marketplace, with everyone eager to share what they had seen with their own eyes, though the stories had already become increasingly outrageous after being embellished.

Li Yunlong did not stop them; he sat before the command table with a satisfied smile on his face, sipping hot tea from time to time.

This indulgence after victory was something the soldiers deserved, especially since the aircraft shot down this time was the "Sabre" fighter that the Di Guo was so proud of!

"Lao Li, look at that smile of yours," Zhao Gang walked over and sat down, "Don't get too cocky; the Di Guo won't let this go. They will definitely send more planes to retaliate."

Li Yunlong snorted: "Let them come! The more they send, the more we'll shoot down! If I weren't worried about the 'Flying Dragon-1' running out of ammunition, not a single one would have escaped today!"

Zhao Gang shook his head, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up: "I have already sent someone to deliver the battle report to headquarters overnight. I expect that once this news spreads, the entire army will be in an uproar."

"An uproar is good!" Li Yunlong slapped the table, "We soldiers of the Long Country have been stifled for too long! Today, we finally get to hold our heads high!"

At this moment, a Communication Soldier ran in hurriedly: "Chief, we've captured a pilot! They are being brought over now!"

Li Yunlong's eyes lit up: "Good, I was just worrying about having no one to question!"

A few minutes later, a Di Guo pilot was escorted into the command post.

He was in rags, his face full of terror and confusion, but the deep-rooted arrogance in his eyes had not completely vanished.

"You... what kind of weapon did you use?" the pilot asked in broken Chinese, his voice filled with disbelief.

Li Yunlong laughed: "What, even a high-tech pilot from the Di Guo can feel fear?"

The pilot shook his head: "Impossible... you couldn't possibly have this kind of technology... those rockets that can track, and such precise Anti-aircraft Machine Guns..."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Li Yunlong said smugly, "These were all independently developed by our Long Country! How about it, doesn't feel good, does it?"

The pilot lowered his head, seemingly digesting this hard-to-accept reality.

In his perception, the Long Country was a backward nation that could not possibly possess such advanced weapon systems.

Everything that happened today had completely overturned his worldview.

"Take him away and treat him well!" Li Yunlong waved his hand, "Don't mistreat him; let him see the hospitality of our Long Country!"

After the soldiers escorted the pilot away, the celebratory atmosphere in the command post became even more intense. Someone brought out treasured cigarettes and alcohol, starting the victory celebration early.

"A toast to Chief Engineer Li!" a Company Commander raised his glass high, "Without his magical weapons, there would be no victory today!"

"A toast to Chief Engineer Li!" everyone echoed in unison and drank it all in one gulp.

……

Just as the celebration was in full swing, at the exit of the valley, that single F-86 "Sabre" that had escaped was wobbling toward the base, carrying news enough to shock the entire Di Guo military.

Southern Taiyang, Di Guo airbase.

Above the base, the alarm sounded shrilly.

The tower operator stared at the Radar screen in confusion, seeing only a single, lonely light spot approaching.

"Is this... one of the... Blue Eagle formation?" the operator asked in disbelief, "Where are the other planes?"

Hanmidun Colonel was already standing on the tower, his face as gloomy as iron: "Heaven knows! Initiate emergency procedures immediately and prepare to receive the aircraft!"

The base was in chaos; medical teams, fire trucks, and ground crews quickly moved into position.

The condition of that F-86 looked extremely grim; the fuselage was shaking violently, there was obvious damage to the right wing, and the engine sound was abnormal.

"Blue Eagle lead, this is the tower, please respond!" the Communication Officer called repeatedly, but received only intermittent noise and a few unrecognizable words.

"Tow... tower... I... I'm back... only me... the others... died... they all died..."

This fragmented response caused the atmosphere in the command room to freeze instantly.

Hanmidun's face turned deathly pale, and the other officers looked at each other, unable to believe their ears.

The F-86 finally landed, but it was more like a controlled crash.

The fighter touched down at a speed far higher than normal, bounced several times, and the left landing gear snapped on the spot.

The plane dragged along the runway for several hundred meters, sparking, and finally stopped at the end of the runway.

The rescue team rushed up immediately.

When they opened the cockpit canopy, they saw a terrified Wilson.

His eyes were unfocused, his body kept trembling, and his hands were still clutching the control stick tightly, as if it were the only straw to cling to for survival.

"Wilson! Wilson!" the medical personnel shouted loudly, trying to get his attention, "You are safe! You've returned to the base!"

Wilson seemed not to hear; his gaze remained fixed ahead, muttering to himself: "Fire net... fire everywhere... no way to hide... they will chase you..."

With the help of several soldiers, Wilson was dragged out of the cockpit, but his legs were already too weak to stand, and he collapsed onto the runway the moment he touched the ground.

Hanmidun Colonel rushed to the scene and, without a word, grabbed Wilson by the shoulders: "What exactly happened? Where are the other planes?"

Wilson looked up, his eyes full of fear: "It's all over... they were all shot down... twenty-three planes... only I escaped..."

This sentence struck everyone present like a heavy hammer. Twenty-four fighters departed, and only one returned? This was simply a nightmare!

"Impossible!" Hanmidun Colonel roared, losing his composure, "This is impossible! How could those Long Country people shoot down our 'Sabre'? They don't even have decent Anti-aircraft weapons!"

Wilson suddenly grabbed the Colonel's collar and screamed hysterically:

"They do! They have weapons we've never seen before! Those Rocket Shells will chase you! The ground is full of precise machine gun fire! The sky suddenly explodes, releasing thousands of metal fragments! There is nowhere to escape! It's hell there! It's a trap set by the devil!"

Hanmidun was startled by this sudden move, stepped back two paces, and looked at Wilson as if looking at a madman.

"He is delirious," the medical officer whispered, "It might be a stress reaction; he needs immediate treatment."

Wilson was forcibly pressed onto a stretcher, but he continued to scream:

"You don't understand! The Long Country people have new weapons! Brand new things! Their Radar can guide fire! Their rockets track heat sources! You must believe me! Everyone will die!"

As Wilson was carried away, the scene fell into a dead silence.

Hanmidun Colonel stood where he was, his expression uncertain.