CHAPTER 378: CHAPTER 178: POSSESSED?

Lei Jie wasn’t joking when he told Jin Zhong to fly south and, if conditions allowed, drop an air bomb on that Whale Catfish’s head.

That very afternoon, as Jin Zhong set off with the Guard Brigade towards Yanling, the mosquito-style fighter jet at the base also took off.

The pilot of the fighter jet was Jiang Yu—or more precisely, both Jiang Yu and Lei Jie.

This fighter jet doesn’t have a designated primary or secondary pilot seat, but as a bomber with certain teaching responsibilities, Lei Jie designed enough space for two people to fly simultaneously.

As the co-pilot, he can guide Jiang Yu’s operations via a simple linkage control stick, providing a significant safety guarantee.

The only issue is that in dual-pilot mode, the control stick becomes heavier and requires more effort to handle.

----But this is a minor problem for Jiang Yu.

As soon as the plane was airborne, she swung the control stick with flair.

The excitement of her first flight made her completely forget any fear, and even the weightless feeling from a dive felt incredibly novel to her.

"Squad Leader! Where are we headed?"

Jiang Yu asked loudly.

"Wherever you want to go!"

Lei Jie said while focusing on the simple dashboard integrated into his tactical goggles:

"You need to keep an eye on the airspeed and altitude indicators, they’re the only data that can help you make safe judgments on this aircraft."

"We don’t have many precise instruments; most information is integrated into the helmet."

"But this is just a simple helmet modified from an FPV drone helmet, it’s not very reliable."

"You’ll have to rely on your instincts as much as possible—get familiar with this aircraft!"

"Understood!"

Jiang Yu responded again.

She didn’t know what a real aircraft cockpit was supposed to be like, she only knew that she was indeed controlling this plane, and the process felt natural.

Gently pushing the control stick down, the plane turned left in the direction of travel.

Through the data on the FPV helmet, Jiang Yu saw the plane heading south.

"Altitude 1100 meters, airspeed 330, ground speed... 310!"

"Squad Leader, we’re flying smoothly!"

"I know."

Lei Jie sighed.

At this moment, he understood why Chen Jian had said, "No need to shout."

Because after smart noise reduction, the throat mic’s sound was indeed terrifyingly loud.

"You don’t need to shout, I can hear you clearly."

"Maintain course, ascent, rise to 2200."

"Understood, rising to 2200!"

Jiang Yu gently pulled up the control stick, and the plane began to ascend steadily.

Then, as they approached the designated altitude, without needing any extra commands from Lei Jie, she slowly pushed down the control stick, leveling the plane.

Truth be told, this maneuver surprised Lei Jie a little.

After all, in his stereotypical view, most natives of this world have a rather shallow understanding of mechanical operation.

During ground training, most of the chosen residents knew pulling the stick means up and pushing means down, but they couldn’t comprehend the full flight trajectory of the plane.

It’s analogous to how novice drivers often can’t find the right moment to straighten the steering wheel.

But clearly, Jiang Yu didn’t have this issue.

She easily grasped the logical movements of this aircraft, and within just a few minutes of flight, she was proficient enough for Lei Jie to comfortably release the control stick in front of him.

Is this what they call the chosen one?

Lei Jie curiously glanced at Jiang Yu, recalling the series of operations she performed when arriving at the 011 base, he couldn’t help but sigh, in such a survival-of-the-fittest world, her ability to achieve such a level of authority in a settlement of hundreds as a woman suggests her true strength is no joke.

"So what did you do before?"

Lei Jie asked curiously.

"Me? I was a fisherman in Qian Island Lake Town."

"I’m an orphan, my parents passed away early."

"I lived in Qian Island Lake Town all along, just like everyone else."

.....You’re not like everyone else.

Lei Jie scrutinized Jiang Yu, a thought flashed through his mind.

Orphan.

Could she be... from outside Qian Island Lake Town?

Exceptional physical strength, super adaptability, and obviously high intelligence...

Could she be one of the truly meaningful third-generation Artificial People created by the academy?

Perhaps only this answer could reasonably explain her uniqueness.

With this thought, Lei Jie asked:

"So, were you adopted by your parents, or did they move to Qian Island Lake Town after having you?"

"Huh?"

Jiang Yu paused briefly, while carefully adjusting the control stick to counter the sudden strong wind in the sky, and responded:

"My parents lived in Qian Island Lake Town—my grandfather passed away later than them, just two years ago."

"Squad Leader, why do you ask?"

This answer was unexpected for Lei Jie, who shook his head and replied:

"Not much."

"I just thought you’re much smarter than ordinary people, and wondered if you had a special background."

"There are plenty of people smarter than me."

Jiang Yu replied carelessly:

"I’ve met many more capable than me, they don’t have any special background either."

"I’m just a bit lucky, coincidentally survived."

"...Understood."

At that moment, Lei Jie suddenly realized his own narrow-mindedness.

Indeed, among humanity, individual prodigies are never a scarce resource.