The person who called to notify Chen Fei about the impending conflict was not only Chef Abel from the base canteen, but also Big Brother Xiao, the mechanic chief, and "Devil Pepper" Irinei Rusios, the deputy squadron leader of the "Genuine Fragrance" squadron; they all wanted this rookie to be mentally prepared in advance not to freak out before the enemy even arrived and make some rash and impulsive decisions.
As for Chekhov Big Bear, the head of the "Genuine Fragrance" squadron, he was probably brandishing his hand at the topographic map of Xingdu Kush Mountain Area right now, devising all sorts of ambush tactics like facing the enemy head-on or striking first to gain the upper hand.
Flying an attack aircraft was all about offense, with skill points all added to attack and speed—full offense, full speed, low sensitivity, zero defense; just a small poke could finish them off. Having the attack aircraft pilots simply defend the ground would be worse than killing them outright; it's simply not feasible!
Sneaky attacks, throw a bomb, and run – now that's the real deal! What era are we in, still dogfighting, just toying with dogs!
The head of human resources, Takar, was leading some employees in a protest within the base to fish for personal benefits. Aside from a few employees who irrationally joined the chaos, most were diligently stationed at their posts and even drafted a wartime shift rota to ensure every position was staffed 24 hours a day.
After all, during such times, creating confusion among themselves was the last thing needed; once they gave the Meman Brothers United Defense Consortium an opportunity, nobody would survive.
When the bombs drop and the missiles descend, there will be no mercy whatsoever.
An A-39B "Big Mouth Monster" turboprop light attack aircraft equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks and electronic pods took off, circling around Aircrew Base 911, always on alert, guarding against the potential attack from fighters sided with the Meman Brothers United Defense Consortium, like the long-range raid on Aircrew Base 897.
If only Aircrew Base 897 had a turboprop hanging a tactical electronic reconnaissance pod patrolling in the sky that day, the five "Big Mouth Monsters" of the "Genuine Fragrance" Combat Flight Squadron wouldn't have easily succeeded in their ultra-low-altitude close-range surprise attack.
Learning from the defeated, Aircrew Base 911 was fully prepared.
The "Big Mouth Monster" could stay airborne for 15 hours, but the pilots couldn't handle such long durations; they had to switch every four hours and even needed diapers, especially under the current circumstances when pilots must avoid fatigue.
Aircrew Base 911 and Apocalypse Defense were not worried about the Meman Brothers United possibly deploying radar-evading stealth combat weapons, as no military contractor could possess such Sovereign Level warfare weaponry.
More bad news arrived: Aircrew Base 909 to the south of Aircrew Base 911 had defected, having once fought side by side against the Metallic Dragons Bit and shared in the substantial benefits from Apocalypse Defense Group, only to turn around and join the industry giant, Meman Brothers United Defense Consortium, without hesitation.
What was most infuriating was that after the "Genuine Fragrance" Combat Flight Squadron raided Aircrew Base 897, they refueled and resupplied at Aircrew Base 909 on their way back. In theory, there should have been ironclad camaraderie since they had faced battles together,
yet despite such a relationship, the military contractor behind Aircrew Base 909 chose to betray them.
Luckily, the superior level of Apocalypse Defense Group's intelligence was powerful enough to deliver this crucial information in time; otherwise, it would have been a tremendous loss.
Aircrew Base 909 had the audacity to offer support, but Aircrew Base 911 saw through their wild ambitions and cursed them out directly.
The actual fighting hadn't even started yet, and already the two neighboring aircrew bases had begun an outright verbal war over public communication channels, one accusing the other of ingratitude, the other of monopolizing the benefits; each had their reasoning, and everyone could hear the spitting contest in full swing.
Since ancient times, verbal skirmishes have always been one of the most common military tactics, falling into the category of psychological warfare—anyone who takes it seriously has lost.
The strength disparity in the corporate war between the industry-ranked 27th and 8th was simply too vast.
As the weaker party, Apocalypse Defense Group wasn't just sitting around waiting to be hit; it was aligning allies and forming coalitions to boost its stance, making the Meman Brothers United think twice, wary of the consequences while also leveraging connections, exchanging resources to try and negotiate a private settlement with Meman Brothers United to avoid this corporate war, or at least not turn it into a complete catastrophe.
After sunset, Chen Fei brought Little Bird and its new nest to the steel shed that housed the Target Low Temperature Nuclear Fusion Energy Tower to switch shifts with Old Master Barut.
Now that Aircrew Base 911 was facing an unexpected corporate war, the Energy Tower, which always needed guarding, was now even more in need of surveillance.
1. Devour 1 ton of metal to earn +1 Energy Point (Daily Task)
2. Kill a good person within 52 hours to earn +100 Energy Points (If the task is not completed on time, die!)
In this wild mountainous region, where was Chen Fei supposed to find a good person to kill? The person he most wanted to put down, Big Bear, wasn't a good person at all, and Teacher Shen Fei definitely was, but could he really bring himself to do it?
Counting on his fingers, he had already died twice that month; was Chen Fei still afraid of death?
Damn it! Might as well just lie down and give up! Whatever will be, will be!
Just then, during the corporate war, all employees of the Aircrew Base 911 had their salaries doubled, wartime compensation doubled, and there was also a temporary increase in disability and personal accident insurance. It was enough.
If anything were to happen, the Earth Order Third Rank Light-element Magical Beast Crystal Core and Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu would allow the descendants of the Chen Family Gate to prosper for maybe a generation or two, so it was definitely not a loss.
Should anyone dare target this ultimate security, the Metallic Dragons, led by Yilan along with the backing of the Sky Dragon City, would absolutely make the perpetrator regret ever being born.
Chen Fei set down his belongings and prepared to take a stance.
"Old Master, your Squatting Horse Stance technique is really effective," he said.
Indeed, after squatting in the "Toilet Step" for a few days, not only had his strength greatly increased, but his vitality and spirit had improved as well.
"Today, we won't practice the Horse Stance; conserve your physical energy. I'll teach you a breathing technique, start with this instead," he said.
The Neanderthal elder was holding a slender, cone-like object that emitted a purple-blue sheen, wrapped in the middle with thin hemp rope, its sharp tip adorned with bright red tassels, appearing to be a type of Cold Weapon.
Chen Fei eyed the slender cone which was almost as tall as he was and asked puzzledly, "Eh? Grandpa Barut, what's this in your hand?"
"It's called Blood Spike, an old companion that has been with me my whole life," he said.
Barut, hunched over, seemed to be reminiscing about his past glories.
Now he was just a frail old man at the twilight of his life, no longer the elite warrior who defended the Supreme Council. His last few memories would be buried with him, leaving no trace in this world.
Looking away from the slender spear, Barut turned to Chen Fei and said, "The breathing technique I'm about to teach you is a type of Internal Strengthening Technique. The stance strengthens muscles and bones, while breathing adjusts organs and blood vessels.
The knack is simple, 'Nine Shallows and One Deep', breathe shallowly and quickly nine times, then take as deep a breath as possible once, breathing in and out slowly, pause for three seconds before continuing."
The subtler the skill, the simpler it actually is.
Chen Fei tried the newly learned "Nine Shallows and One Deep" breathing technique for a few minutes. Although initially slightly unaccustomed, he quickly became adept at it, finding it quite interesting.
However, the breathing technique of the Internal Strengthening Technique wouldn't have immediate effects; just like the Horse Stance, the more persistent the practice, the more evident the effects would become.
"It seems you've mastered it, and there's nothing more for me to teach you," Barut said with a sigh of melancholy.
Chen Fei, stunned, refused to believe it and said, "Grandpa Barut, you must have other skills. Teaching one is the same as teaching two, don't hold back, teach them all to me!"
"Heh, there still is one!" Barut said, tapping the blood-colored tattoos on his body with a finger, speaking cryptically: "My War Patterns, do you want to inherit them?"
Chen Fei's hair stood on end immediately, the old man's tattoos looked frightening just to look at, he really didn't want that!
Getting such tattoos over his own body, was he not going to worry about having a girlfriend anymore?
"Yes, the Horse Stance I taught you before, and the breathing technique from just now, along with these War Patterns, form the Secret Technique of Fighting to the Death of my War Tribe," Barut explained.
Barut flicked his Blood Spike and the long slender shaft trembled slightly, emitting a humming sound.
He turned the sharp point toward a clump of bushes not far away, his eyes wide open, and suddenly shouted, "Come out! You cowardly rats!!!"