Experience Points

After confirming that the tailhook had caught the arresting gear cable, Liu Jun throttled back and applied the brakes. The J-15 continued rolling forward for a short distance before the arresting gear cable bled off its energy, bringing it to a steady stop on the deck.

A textbook carrier landing had come to an end. The deck crew quickly ran toward the J-15, while Liu Jun unfastened his helmet and looked toward the Island beside him.

"Should I have passed?"

His landing had been standard. He should have passed the Daytime Carrier Qualification Certification, and for the next year, he would train aboard the Liaoning.

Once the carrier-based aircraft had been confirmed stationary, the flight deck crew drove over in a small vehicle and towed the J-15 to the parking area, securing it to the deck with mooring locks. However, most of their attention was focused on a section of skinning on the right side of the cockpit. Unlike the material used elsewhere, its surface had been blackened over a large area by the gases produced when the cannon fired.

Liu Jun climbed down the ladder from the J-15, got his bearings, and headed toward the Island. Next, he needed to report to his superiors.

Walking across the broad deck of the Liaoning, Liu Jun felt as though the ship were on level ground despite being at sea. The waves could not shake this giant vessel at all, and its sailing stability was excellent. It was nothing like that Indian carrier that kept pitching forward across the waves.

As he walked, Liu Jun checked the experience he had just gained. It was enough to equal half a month of flying. After glancing over the experience required for each attribute, he saw that none of his other skills had enough to level up. He only had enough to raise Situational Awareness by 0.5, so he directly put the experience into Situational Awareness.

**Ding~**

Visual Acuity Training LV: 1

Situational Awareness LV: 1

G-Force Tolerance LV: 2

Physique Enhancement LV: 1

Life Augmentation LV: 1

The skills were well balanced. Liu Jun felt as if he was becoming a "low-spec all-rounder." After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped. His mind felt startlingly clear, and he could distinctly sense every movement around him. Even things his eyes could not see were clearly perceptible.

The change surprised Liu Jun. Every skill really was powerful. Unfortunately, Flight Experience had to be built up gradually through steady effort. After all, this was a time of peace, and it could only be accumulated through flight hours.

When he reached the Island, Liu Jun saw the officer waiting for him. Snap! He immediately straightened up and loudly reported, "Cadet Liu Jun reporting!"

"At ease."

The other man looked Liu Jun over and nodded inwardly. Then he motioned for the middle-aged man beside him to step forward. "This is Zhang Peng. He'll be your master from now on. All right, Old Zhang, show him around. Once the results of his qualification certification are out, you'll be notified."

With that, the squadron commander turned and left. He had other matters to attend to, leaving only Liu Jun and Zhang Peng behind.

"Master."

Zhang Peng was a round-faced middle-aged man. He gave Liu Jun a friendly smile and gestured for him to follow. A master was not like an instructor; it was a much closer relationship. He was responsible for teaching his apprentice how to fly, while also looking after his life and emotions. Being both teacher and father figure was not just an empty phrase.

"Don't worry. I watched your landing. There won't be any problem with your daytime qualification certification."

Zhang Peng reassured him as they first went to the ship's security office to store some personal belongings. Personal use of mobile phones for calls or internet access was strictly prohibited aboard the carrier.

A single phone call, even a single message, could expose the carrier's position!

Liu Jun took out his belongings one by one for the security personnel to inspect.

His phone was powered off and handed in; it would be returned to Liu Jun when he disembarked. They checked the brand of his tablet and, after confirming that it was domestic Huawei rather than Apple or another foreign brand, allowed him to keep it. Pilots needed their own private space, after all. The tablet contained several television dramas and movies, while his remaining paper books and notebook were left untouched.

After handling his personal belongings, Zhang Peng led him into the interior of the carrier and began introducing the layout of its compartments. Liu Jun listened carefully.

"There are more than ten levels below the flight deck. It really is like a maze. When I first came aboard, I got lost several times myself."

Zhang Peng spoke of his embarrassing experiences with helplessness written all over his round face. The carrier was simply too large, with passageways and compartments everywhere. The total length of all the internal passageways added up to dozens of kilometers, and its internal structure was even more complicated.

"Our ship has more than three thousand compartments, with over a thousand people living inside them. It's practically a city at sea. Oh, and there's a supermarket too. If you forget to bring something, you can buy it there. They have a pretty complete selection, except there's no alcohol."

After saying that, Zhang Peng sniffed lightly. He did not smell smoke on Liu Jun. As for alcohol? Pilots would not touch it.

"You don't smoke. Good, very good." After that, Zhang Peng led Liu Jun along the port side and introduced the carrier's interior. "The passageways are too narrow for two-way traffic. You should have learned this already: the most basic rule is that if you're heading toward the bow, take the port side. If you're heading toward the stern, take the starboard side."

"Huh? Old Zhang, not bad. You've got yourself an apprentice?"

As they spoke, the two arrived at a stairway and ran into an old serviceman. Liu Jun glanced at the man's insignia. Good lord! A First Sergeant Major! He immediately felt a surge of respect.

Zhang Peng stepped aside, and Liu Jun followed him to the edge. When using the stairs, they had to follow the rule of letting those going up pass before those going down.

The Sergeant Major went up the stairs and glanced at Liu Jun. "Kid, you just came aboard, right?"

"Yes!"

"Learn more from Old Zhang. Don't let his belly fool you—he's got some real knowledge in there." With that, the Sergeant Major briskly headed toward the mess hall.

"Hey! Who are you calling fat?" Zhang Peng protested a few times before introducing him. "That was the Chief Engineer. He's in charge of the engine room."

Zhang Peng briefly introduced the engine room, then said no more. It was enough to know where it was; pilots would not casually wander into the engine room. The places they went most often were the flight deck, the hangar, and the compartments where pilots lived.

After turning several corners, Zhang Peng brought Liu Jun to the hangar beneath the flight deck.

"This is our hangar. Aircraft maintenance and inspections are all done here."

Liu Jun swept his gaze across the enormous hangar. It was filled with J-15 carrier-based aircraft with their wings folded. Among them were several two-seat J-15S models, as well as four or five newly commissioned J-15Ts. The rest were J-15s, including the number 189 aircraft he had flown in.

Several deck crew members had opened the skinning on 189 and were inspecting the cannon barrel and ammunition supply, while wiping away the skinning blackened by gun gases. The barrel of the GSh-30-1 cannon was practically disposable; after firing its 150-round ammunition load, the barrel had to be replaced. Even though Liu Jun had fired only thirty cannon rounds, the deck crew still had to assess the barrel to determine whether the cannon needed replacement. One crew member had climbed into the intake, carefully inspecting the engine blades to see whether any had been damaged or fatigued.

In the scorching weather, climbing into a cramped intake was hardly comfortable work. Yet it was precisely the thoroughness and care of the deck crew that allowed pilots to fly without worries. The combat effectiveness of equipment depended entirely on logistics, and they also had India's creative aircraft crashes to thank for giving their peers a lesson.