Hope Breaks in Despair Chapter 7

"I feel sorry if you have to distort the facts to become a soldier."

Ethan Xiao thought, it seems that in the report to the superiors, this lieutenant colonel and his adjutant will probably discredit him as a "follower of the special task force", so he might as well say whatever he wants to say. The worst that can happen is that he will be expelled from the Central Academy of Sciences and become an ordinary citizen from then on. At most, he will not be able to receive the student allowance, but at least he can live freely.

"Distorting the facts?" Will clenched his fists. Ethan Xiao lowered his eyes, thinking that he was probably going to get beaten.

"Will!" Lieutenant Colonel Raven pressed the adjutant's shoulder. "You are too emotional right now and you don't have a calm judgment on this matter. Don't forget that this young man had a broken shoulder when he was brought back to the base, and he almost died."

"So did White die in vain?" Will always believed that Daniel Captain's death was due to Lucas Hein's dereliction of duty.

Ethan Xiao looked at his toes. No matter that Lucas Hein had scratched his face with a knife, or that his shoulder bone was broken because of this guy, if he was really a cold-blooded person who didn't care about other people's lives, Lucas Hein wouldn't have to go to the trouble of carrying him on his shoulders and bringing him back when Ethan Xiao was in unbearable pain and became a burden.

"Do you have anything else to say?" Lieutenant Colonel Raven looked at Ethan Xiao. He felt that this young man was just a Class B student, but he was a little different from those Class A researchers. He didn't have the enthusiasm to do his best to show his hope for promotion, nor did he have the timidity of other Class B students. He just stood opposite, and fame and fortune had nothing to do with him.

"I just find it hard to understand, Commander."

"What's not clear to you?"

"Daniel Captain died under the gunfire of the Surge. I believe the Special Task Force's report on the situation at the time is more detailed than my oral account. However, Captain Jack did not hate the Surge nor was he determined to fight the zombies to the death. Instead, he blamed everything on the Special Task Force. I was just imagining, if Captain Jack and Daniel Captain were in the same aircraft, what choice would they make? Stay in the aircraft, or follow the Special Task Force to leave with the uranium raw materials?"

Will was about to get angry, but the moment he raised his fist his arm froze in mid-air.

"If you stay in the aircraft, you will be killed by the Tide Organization. This is a known outcome. But you said that you avoided the tracking missiles. We don't believe this. Even if the Matt is Lucas Hein, I don't think he can make the aircraft avoid the tracking missiles. If the reason for your landing is fictitious, then everything that happened afterwards is not credible." Lieutenant Colonel Raven still smiled, but Ethan Xiao could not recognize his intentions.

"Let's do a test. The flight simulation system can simulate the terrain at that time. Please fly the aircraft to avoid the tracking missile. Make your 'story' more convincing."

Ethan Xiao stared blankly into Lieutenant Colonel Raven's eyes. This guy was serious.

"The system will be debugged in half an hour. I am waiting for your performance. Let's see if miracles really exist."

Ethan Xiao was taken away from Lieutenant Colonel Raven's office by the secretary.

Will didn't understand the meaning of Lieutenant Colonel Raven's actions at all. He looked at his smile suspiciously. "Lieutenant Colonel, if we want to test whether they can avoid tracking missiles, our test subject should be Lucas Hein, right?"

"I'm just a lieutenant colonel. Do you think I'm qualified to ask Colonel Burton to take a test? And this guy named Ethan Xiao is also very interesting. People who tell the truth are certainly admirable, but those who tell the truth regardless of the occasion and place need to be taught a lesson."

Ethan Xiao followed behind the secretary. Flying an aircraft was a compulsory course for the reserve force, but he had never simulated a situation of encountering a tracking missile.

Walking towards the simulated driving cab, Ethan Xiao felt inexplicably uneasy.

If he failed, what would be the consequences? Would Lieutenant Colonel Raven really use this as an excuse to accuse Lucas Hein of dereliction of duty?

Just as he was thinking, the special task force came towards him.

Zoe was walking in the front. She winked at Ethan Xiao and said, "We will go and cheer for you!"

"Boy, we worked hard to save you. If you embarrass us, I will tear your head off!"

Aaron showed a ferocious expression, which scared Ethan Xiao and made him step back. The big man laughed contentedly.

Lucas Hein's slender figure passed by, never glancing sideways or stopping, and nothing could concern him.

Ethan Xiao sat in the simulated cockpit. There were many people standing on the observation deck on the second floor, including researchers, officers from the Military and Political Department, and many special forces. They were all Lucas Hein's subordinates.

Zoe stood on a high place, leaning against the fence and waved at Ethan Xiao, while Aaron clenched his fist with a gesture of "I'll beat you if you fail".

Ethan Xiao smiled bitterly and said, "It would be better if you knock me out."

After looking around, I didn't see Lucas Hein. He disdained such occasions.

After putting on the helmet and connecting to the driving system, Ethan Xiao saw a vast world in front of him. He even had an illusion that he could see the wind rushing past the wings of the aircraft. Below him was a whole forest that stretched to the end of his sight.

The supply platform has come into view, and Ethan Xiao's heart seems to be grasped tightly, unable to move.

Be careful when you descend, or it will be over before it even begins.

Before coming here, he had relived the situation in his mind countless times, under what circumstances Hain took off the aircraft, how he avoided the missiles time and time again, and in which direction the mountain was. If one detail went wrong or even if he was a little slow in reacting, all his previous efforts would be wasted.

The aircraft approached the platform and was preparing to land.

Everyone waited with bated breath.

The aircraft descended at a normal speed, and Ethan Xiao paid close attention to the muzzle of the platform.

It was still tempting him.

At the moment when the muzzle vibrated slightly, Ethan Xiao's aircraft quickly climbed away from the platform and rushed into the sky.

A missile shot out of the muzzle and followed closely behind.

Ethan Xiao rushed towards the mountain.

He kept changing directions rapidly to delay the missile's flight trajectory. Every time he made an emergency evasive maneuver, the missile almost brushed past the aircraft. Everyone broke out in a cold sweat and the originally relaxed atmosphere instantly became tense.

Ethan Xiao's flying angle was extremely tricky, and the coordination of arc and speed was astonishing.

"This kid is awesome!" Aaron blinked in surprise.

Zoe looked across the crowd of onlookers in the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Raven. "This guy has bad intentions."

Lieutenant Colonel Raven squinted his eyes and looked at the holographic projection screen.

The mountain was already in sight, but the distance between the missile and Ethan Xiao was getting closer and closer.

"Alas... He may not be able to make it to the top of the mountain..." Aaron touched his head regretfully.

Ethan Xiao's back was already wet with sweat, and the distance between him and the mountain kept showing in front of his eyes. The terminal responded to his thoughts, calculating the time difference between colliding with the mountain at the highest speed and the speed of the missile.

When the data reached the critical point, Ethan Xiao decisively drove the aircraft up at high speed.

"What is this kid doing? Committing suicide?"

Lieutenant Colonel Raven's fingers clenched the armrests, and the corners of his lips curled up slowly. "Everything is just for this moment."

A system alarm sounded in Ethan Xiao's ears, indicating that the speed had exceeded the engine's capacity.

But Ethan Xiao still didn't slow down.

"Oh my god---"

Several students who were watching even covered their eyes. After all, the holographic simulation was too real.

Ethan Xiao gritted his teeth. He could still remember how Lucas Hein had taken them on a sharp turn and flew vertically along the mountain range. All the tree veins were crawling down, and the scorching heat in the air made the leaves in the forest burn wildly.

The aircraft soared straight up, rushed towards the mountain and into the sky.

However, the tracking missile had no time to adjust its direction and rushed fiercely into the mountains, making a deafening explosion.

Ethan Xiao was breathing heavily, and the whole place was silent.

After a long while, Lieutenant Colonel Raven on the observation deck applauded. Captain Jack, who was standing next to him, had a sour face, but he also applauded and recognized Ethan Xiao's driving. Aaron was very excited, whistling and shouting, "Rookie! Well done!"

There are system prompts in my ears.

"The aircraft's engines are overheated and cannot continue to fly. Please land slowly."

Everything is exactly the same as it was then.

After Ethan Xiao landed, he closed his eyes and took a long breath.

He didn't know how Lucas Hein managed to do all this so calmly, even though his nerves were about to break down from the high-speed calculations and critical moments.

Ethan Xiao took off the helmet connected to the terminal and shook it to open the cockpit.

Everyone was looking at him. Ethan Xiao had no time to figure out their attitudes, and Lieutenant Colonel Raven had already arrived in front of him.

"Ethan Xiao, you have verified the feasibility of aircraft avoiding tracking missiles. Well done."

"No, Lieutenant Colonel. What I verified is that what the special forces can do, we technical soldiers can also do."

Ethan Xiao's face was pale and he was about to collapse.

Lieutenant Colonel Raven was stunned for a moment, then raised the corner of his mouth, "This is the most beautiful truth you have said since I met you."

"You little brat! You're so arrogant! I'll break your neck!"

Ethan Xiao smiled.

"Ethan Xiao, tell me, do you think Daniel Captain is a senior worthy of respect?" Lieutenant Colonel Raven suddenly asked.

"of course!"

"Although he is also a Class A researcher, I am sure he can't do what you just did. Outstanding talents are destined to bear heavier responsibilities. The pursuit of every field requires perseverance, and no man of blood will stand aside. Do you understand?"

Ethan Xiao paused, then nodded, "I understand."

Understanding does not mean that he will spend his energy on those "persistent persistence". For Ethan Xiao, people only live once, and this only time he will only live for himself, not for any high-sounding reasons. So he still plans to live a life of idleness as a B-level student until graduation, and then be assigned to do some scattered and meaningless but not very brain-intensive technical research, earn a salary that is not high but definitely not low, and date a beautiful but simple-minded woman, and live a leisurely life.

"Very good. 'Excellence' is never divided into A or B grades, but here." Lieutenant Colonel Raven clenched his fist and pounded his chest. "Now, you are an excellent student and reservist. I hope you will also be a responsible man in the future."

Lieutenant Colonel Raven turned around, "Okay, the test is over now. Everyone return to your posts!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the researchers and officers left the observation deck without saying a word, leaving only Aaron, Zoe, and a few special forces soldiers.

Ethan Xiao was walking in the corridor, his head was dizzy. Just after turning a corner, he lost his balance and fell down.

He closed his eyes and thought about just lying on the ground and taking a nap.

But the imagined touchdown did not happen, his arms were firmly grasped, and his balance was restored.

Ethan Xiao's sight fell into a bottomless cold abyss, and he suddenly woke up.

"Colonel Burton!"

The hands that were supporting him loosened.

"You're lucky, rookie."

With his drooping eyebrows, he seemed to be always looking down from a high place, arrogant yet awe-inspiring.

Ethan Xiao opened his mouth slightly, but no words came out.

"The aircraft encountered not only homing missiles, but also the intrusion of 'interdictors'."

"Interrupter?"

At this moment, Lucas Hein turned around suddenly, his back stretched out continuously, and the following sight had no end.

When Ethan Xiao came to his senses, he finally understood what Hai Yin meant.

Rookie, don't be too proud, your level is far from enough.