Visiting Relatives

Amidst congratulatory remarks, the carrier air wing commander personally presented the First-Class Merit Medal to several individuals. Liu Jun was the first. Zhang Jun jokingly remarked, "You shot down all three, just two more and you'll be an ace."

Liu Jun responded, "Commander, the enemy was taken down by all of us. What about the others?"

"They've already received their commendations and left early. Remember to keep this confidential until it's announced throughout the army!" the political commissar said from the side.

"Understood!"

"Is your report ready?"

"Yes, I've already submitted it."

The carrier air wing commander nodded. With Liu Jun's report and the previous recordings, the higher-ups were compiling the "Principles and Regulations for Contact with Alien Civilizations," which would be distributed at the appropriate time.

Liu Jun felt something was amiss that only the Captain, carrier air wing commander, and political commissar received commendations. It was unlikely that so few people would receive the First-Class Merit Medal; even the squadron leader wasn't present. It turned out to be for secrecy. After the commendation ceremony, he saw his master touching the medal on his chest, his eyes filled with emotion. This was the nation's recognition of an individual, the highest honor for a soldier!

"Master, if you keep rubbing it, it'll lose its paint," Liu Jun quipped, a rare moment of levity.

"It's pure gold, how could it lose paint? Do you think it's some foreign medal!" Zhang Peng stopped what he was doing and then asked loudly, "Xiao Jun, are you going home for your leave?"

"Yes, I plan to go back and see my parents."

"We have fifteen days of leave. The high-speed rail station is quite far from our naval base, isn't it?" Zhang Peng's voice grew louder, but his gaze was fixed on the carrier air wing commander, his intentions clearly elsewhere.

"Yes, it's probably about an hour by taxi," Liu Jun continued.

At this moment, the carrier air wing commander could clearly see what Zhang Peng, the veteran pilot, was thinking. He was quite protective of his protégé! With an even more protective tone, he said, "Comrade Liu Jun, pack your bags. Aircraft [189] has been transferred to the airport."

The carrier air wing commander's intention was simple: fly the plane home!

"Commander, this isn't according to regulations," Liu Jun was still a trainee, not yet at the level of veteran pilots flying their own planes home for visits.

"Go ahead, it's fine. Even though it's fifteen days of leave, special circumstances can arise at any time. Flying a fighter jet back makes it convenient for recall," the political commissar added. It was perfectly acceptable for a First-Class Merit recipient to fly home for a visit, and they could indeed be recalled at any moment. Didn't they see the Liaoning was already transferring its standard J-15s out, preparing to refit with the J-15S and J-15T?

"Yes! Understood!"

Liu Jun saluted and looked towards his master, Zhang Peng.

"Go on, go on, the child misses home too," Zhang Peng waved him off like a doting father.

After seeing Liu Jun off, Zhang Peng smiled and looked at the carrier air wing commander. The commander grunted, preparing to write his report. While the crew and pilots could rest, he couldn't slack off, with various meetings and reports awaiting him.

"You should go back and visit too. It's been two years since you went home. I heard your father was hospitalized. If you have any difficulties, tell me," the political commissar said, showing great concern for the personal lives of the soldiers.

"My father is fine, just a minor illness. He'll recover in a couple of days with rest. I won't trouble the organization."

Returning to his cabin, Liu Jun started packing. After tidying up, he ended up packing only a small backpack. Just as he was about to head to the locker room with his backpack, his phone vibrated. Liu Jun looked down and saw the caller ID read [Mom].

After answering the call, an anxious voice came from the other end, "Jun'er, you've earned a merit award?!"

"How did you know?" Liu Jun asked, confused.

"They already delivered a plaque to the house!"

"So soon?"

Didn't they say it was confidential? Why was the plaque sent home?

"What merit did you earn?" his mom continued to ask.

"I can't say."

Liu Jun suddenly understood. They hadn't specified what the merit was for. Others who asked were given vague answers. It would only be partially declassified when the official announcement was made.

"Okay, okay, I won't ask..." His mom knew the military regulations and continued, her voice breaking into tears, "Tell me the truth! Did you... did you not lose any parts? I saw that families of First-Class Merit recipients were honored!"

"Don't worry, I'm fine. All my limbs are intact, and I'm mentally and physically healthy. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be back in a few days."

"Good! I'll let your dad know!"

Beep... The call ended. Liu Jun shook his head with a smile and walked out of the cabin with his luggage.

"Master, I'm leaving."

Zhang Peng drove a utility vehicle within the base, taking his apprentice to the airport.

"Go back and spend more time with your parents. You usually don't have the time. Oh, right, your callsign has been approved. Congratulations."

"Got it, Master."

"See you later."

After giving his instructions, Zhang Peng drove away.

Watching his master's car disappear, Liu Jun, having changed his clothes, walked towards his beloved aircraft. From a distance, he saw several ground crew busy around a J-15. As he got closer, Liu Jun noticed they had painted three solid little stars under his cockpit.

[★★★]

On fighter jets, stars represent confirmed kills. Solid stars are for confirmed kills, while hollow stars indicate damaged enemy aircraft. Only pilots who have actually shot down or damaged enemy aircraft are allowed to have stars painted on their planes, representing another form of honor and military achievement.

"Alright, we're done painting."

The ground crew looked at their work with satisfaction and gave Liu Jun a thumbs-up. They didn't yet know what Liu Jun had specifically shot down.

"Give me your luggage, I'll help you secure it."

Taking Liu Jun's luggage, the ground crew secured it firmly. Liu Jun climbed the boarding ladder into the cockpit and glanced at the old bird beneath him, a sense of familiarity washing over him. After all, this fighter jet was the first aircraft truly his own in his flying career.

After securing the luggage, the ground crew climbed the ladder to assist Liu Jun in checking the instruments. Once everything was confirmed to be normal, the ground crew climbed down the ladder again, retrieved the boarding ladder, and the tow tractor drove into the hangar. After securing it to the front landing gear, it pulled the J-15 towards the takeoff runway.

Inside the cockpit, Liu Jun performed a final check of the aircraft's status. After the ground crew confirmed the J-15's external skin was normal, the engines started one by one, propelling the J-15 down the runway. It accelerated, and with a pull of the control stick, that familiar feeling of weightlessness returned.

Climbing to altitude, adjusting the flight path, and reaching cruising speed, the J-15 was significantly faster than civilian airliners; it could reach home in just one hour.

During the flight, Liu Jun periodically glanced at the altimeter, ensuring he was flying within the designated altitude.

Altitude was the aircraft's "road." Every plane had to fly on its own road. Changing lanes without the Control Tower's dispatch could easily lead to collisions with other aircraft, resulting in a catastrophic air disaster.

Along the way, there were no unusual air traffic situations or accidents. However, he keenly felt that the combat readiness along the coast had increased. The outward appearance was relaxed, but internally, there was tension. It was understandable, as parts of the eastern coast directly faced the threat of alien civilizations.

After reporting his heading, speed, and altitude to the Control Tower once more, Liu Jun had entered the airspace of a third-tier city, heading towards a local military-civilian dual-use airport.