Recaps

Jiang Yan Hai assessed the Airborne Special Forces Regiment’s slow training pace and began considering how to improve its physical fitness. After spotting recruit Qi Xiao Tian sneaking out after lights-out, he waited for Li Baogen to discover his absence and then ordered Li Baogen, Ma Dang Xian, and the squad vice-leader to return to bed instead of searching for him.

• Jiang Yan Hai judged the regiment’s conventional training too slow and decided physical fitness should be the first step in his plans.
• Zhang Qi intensified his fitness training after losing the competition by two points, while Jiang Yan Hai chose Li Baogen as someone he wanted to approach.
• Jiang Yan Hai followed Qi Xiao Tian from First Company’s barracks and found him hiding in an obstacle-course pit after being punished by his squad leader.
• Jiang Yan Hai waited until Li Baogen and the squad vice-leader discovered Qi Xiao Tian was missing and went to report it to Ma Dang Xian.
• Jiang Yan Hai stopped Ma Dang Xian, Li Baogen, and the squad vice-leader as they set out to search, then ordered them to return to bed.

Jiang Yan Hai prepared a covered obstacle pit and arranged a special meal as he began dealing with Qi Xiao Tian’s plan to set up Li Baogen. He left Li Baogen with orders to have his squad fill sandbags, while Qi Xiao Tian remained missing.

• Jiang Yan Hai borrowed boards and tools from the logistics department and built a sturdy cover for the obstacle pit.
• At dawn, Jiang Yan Hai found Li Baogen and Zhang Fugui waiting outside his barracks and told Zhang Fugui to assure Ma Dang Xian that he knew where Qi Xiao Tian was.
• Jiang Yan Hai took Li Baogen to the Kitchen Squad and arranged grilled meat and vegetables for fifteen people before dinner.
• Jiang Yan Hai met Ma Dang Xian and Zhang Fugui, then ordered Li Baogen to have his squad fill two twenty-kilogram sandbags per person.

Jiang Yan Hai trapped Qi Xiao Tian beneath a wooden lid weighted with sandbags after the recruit fell asleep in the obstacle pit. Qi Xiao Tian remained imprisoned and miserable, though Zhang Fugui secretly brought him water at Jiang Yan Hai’s direction.

• Jiang Yan Hai covered the obstacle pit while Qi Xiao Tian slept, then ordered Ma Dang Xian and the squad to ring the lid with sandbags.
• Jiang Yan Hai closed the obstacle course and sent Ma Dang Xian to inform the battalion, while Li Baogen led the others in training.
• Qi Xiao Tian shouted for help as the soldiers left him trapped, and the battalion learned what had happened without challenging Jiang Yan Hai.
• By noon, Jiang Yan Hai sent Zhang Fugui to slip Qi Xiao Tian a bottle of water so that thirst would not endanger him.
• Zhang Fugui secretly gave Qi Xiao Tian the water and told him to endure the confinement, then hurried away.

Jiang Yan Hai gathered First Squad at the obstacle course and made them listen to detailed descriptions of hometown delicacies before treating them to a barbecue. He left Qi Xiao Tian trapped in the pit, tormented by the food smells and the sight of the skewers.

• Jiang Yan Hai told Zhang Fugui that Qi Xiao Tian should remain confined because his quick admission of fault did not prove he had learned his lesson.
• Jiang Yan Hai ordered Li Baogen to gather First Squad at the obstacle course, while Pan Ye and Shi Jian watched from Commander Pan’s barracks.
• Jiang Yan Hai had the squad sit in a circle and spent over an hour describing local dishes, leaving the hungry soldiers eager for dinner.
• Jiang Yan Hai sent Zhang Fugui to fetch barbecue supplies, and the Kitchen Squad brought a grill, charcoal, and meat to the training ground.
• Jiang Yan Hai grilled skewers for the squad while Squad Leader Zhang described the meat, and Qi Xiao Tian grew increasingly hungry inside the pit.
• Jiang Yan Hai stood beside the pit with Li Baogen, praising him and showing off the skewers where Qi Xiao Tian could see them.

Jiang Yan Hai used his wartime experiences to explain the costs and responsibilities of military service to Li Baogen and the recruits. After the soldiers left, Qi Xiao Tian apologized to Li Baogen from the obstacle pit, leaving his response unstated.

• Pan Ye and Shi Jian watched in disbelief as Jiang Yan Hai and Class One barbecued beside the pit where Qi Xiao Tian was enduring hunger.
• Jiang Yan Hai asked Li Baogen whether he could shoot a child enemy, then explained how hesitation could cost soldiers their lives.
• Jiang Yan Hai recounted fighting in Argentina and said soldiers had to protect civilians even when those civilians insulted them.
• Jiang Yan Hai told Li Baogen that his training would become more painful and that he could apply for discharge if he could not endure it.
• Li Baogen ordered the soldiers to pack up and leave, then told Qi Xiao Tian he could retire rather than suffer.
• Qi Xiao Tian called after Li Baogen and apologized, and Li Baogen smiled silently before walking away.

Jiang Yan Hai forced Qi Xiao Tian to choose between joining a ten-kilometer armed run and resting, then laid out a demanding physical-training program for the battalion. Zhang Qi planned to train a tactical squad and challenge Pan Ye, while Jiang Yan Hai proceeded with his own plan.

• Jiang Yan Hai ordered Qi Xiao Tian to join First Company’s ten-kilometer armed run or return to rest, and Qi Xiao Tian chose to run despite having gone without food for a day and two nights.
• Qi Xiao Tian passed out around five kilometers into the run, and Zhang Qi also passed out after running back and forth to assist the soldiers.
• Zhang Qi proposed training a tactical squad and bet Pan Ye that he could defeat him within two months to win support for his training method.
• Jiang Yan Hai declined to take sides in the contest and said he would follow his training plan during the two months.
• Jiang Yan Hai gave Pan Ye detailed individual and phased physical-training plans for the battalion, explaining that the men needed to prepare for even harder training.
• Pan Ye agreed in principle to Jiang Yan Hai’s plan after learning that the regiment commander and political commissar had already approved it.

Jiang Yan Hai took charge of Special Forces 1st Battalion’s training for two months, dividing the soldiers into six groups with different training plans. The battalion began the punishing program, while Jiang Yan Hai led by example with an even heavier workload.

• Zhang Qi explained that the army needed more real combat experience and that conventional training methods were insufficient for an airborne special operations force.
• Jiang Yan Hai announced that the battalion would follow his training plan for two months and divided the soldiers into S, A, B, C, D, and E groups.
• Jiang Yan Hai ordered everyone to camp outdoors in tents and gave the group officers their training plans.
• Ma Dang Xian objected that the training was excessive, but Jiang Yan Hai challenged the soldiers to compete with him or accept increased workloads.
• The group officers began the training, and the soldiers struggled through tasks such as two hundred push-ups while Jiang Yan Hai completed an even heavier regimen.

After Jiang Yan Hai’s grueling training program transformed the Special Forces 1st Battalion’s performance, he left to pursue his fighter pilot license at a nearby Air Force airport. He met his instructor, Wu Di, who was surprised to learn Jiang Yan Hai would skip the simulator and move quickly toward flying a trainer aircraft.

• Over fifteen days, the Special Forces 1st Battalion increased its training workload by nearly a third, and Pan Ye admired Jiang Yan Hai’s results.
• Jiang Yan Hai completed plans for the battalion’s remaining two months of training and handed them to Pan Ye before leaving to obtain his Flight License.
• At the Air Force airport, Senior Colonel Zhang Mingwu welcomed Jiang Yan Hai and called Captain Wu Di to instruct him.
• Zhang Mingwu told Wu Di to assess Jiang Yan Hai, then move him through Overload Training and into a trainer aircraft.
• Wu Di questioned the unusual plan to skip the simulator, especially since Jiang Yan Hai was an Army officer.

Jiang Yan Hai settled in at the Air Force Base and completed the pilot academic assessment with a perfect score. He asked to proceed directly to Overload Training so he could get into a trainer aircraft sooner.

• Zhang Mingwu told Wu Di to take Jiang Yan Hai to the dormitory and assigned him a room next door to Wu Di.
• Wu Di showed Jiang Yan Hai around the base and took him to the cafeteria for lunch.
• Jiang Yan Hai completed all the academic tests by dinnertime and earned a perfect score.
• Jiang Yan Hai asked to move straight on to Overload Training, and Zhang Mingwu and Wu Di agreed.
• Jiang Yan Hai changed into a flight suit and went with Zhang Mingwu and Wu Di to the Overload Training room.

Jiang Yan Hai tested his tolerance for overload training, enduring 10G with remarkable control before attempting 11G. He recovered quickly and concluded that he still needed to train regularly.

• Wu Di and Zhang Mingwu questioned Jiang Yan Hai’s request to begin at 10G, but agreed to test him in the Overload Training machine.
• Jiang Yan Hai remained conscious and signaled at 10G, then emerged able to walk despite feeling dizzy.
• Jiang Yan Hai said he wanted to try 11G, and Zhang Mingwu agreed to the test with strict conditions.
• After resting for fifteen minutes, Jiang Yan Hai endured 11G long enough to give a thumbs-up before Zhang Mingwu stopped the machine.
• Wu Di and Zhang Mingwu helped Jiang Yan Hai out, and he quickly recovered and said he needed to train regularly.

Jiang Yan Hai began preparing for flight training and wrestled with his growing feelings for Li Ruo Bai. Their first video call ended in embarrassment after she accidentally showed more than she intended, leaving Jiang Yan Hai to reassure her by message.

• Jiang Yan Hai recovered from Overload Training and went to the cafeteria, knowing he could begin training in a JL-10 trainer aircraft the next day.
• Unable to sleep, Jiang Yan Hai opened his chat with Li Ruo Bai and received a message she quickly withdrew.
• Jiang Yan Hai told Li Ruo Bai she could message him whenever she wanted, and she asked if they could video call.
• Jiang Yan Hai accepted Li Ruo Bai's video call, but she immediately hung up after he caught an embarrassing glimpse of her pajamas and cleavage.
• Li Ruo Bai panicked that Jiang Yan Hai thought she had shown herself on purpose, while Jiang Yan Hai messaged that he had not seen anything.

Li Ruo Bai and Jiang Yan Hai shared a shy video call, made plans to meet, and renewed their promise about the note and the meals he owed her. The next morning, Jiang Yan Hai maintained his exercise routine, checked on his battalion’s demanding training, and began Overload Training on his own.

• Li Ruo Bai reopened Jiang Yan Hai’s WeChat, then called him again after making sure her appearance was in order.
• Jiang Yan Hai and Li Ruo Bai discussed his delayed dinner invitation, agreed he owed her ten meals separately from the promise on his note, and promised to meet when they could.
• Li Ruo Bai told Jiang Yan Hai she attended Pearl City University, while he said he was near Fuzhou and promised to let her know if she could visit.
• Jiang Yan Hai woke early, exercised, and called Qiao Dong to check that the battalion’s near-limit training was proceeding without problems.
• Jiang Yan Hai confirmed the training schedule with Qiao Dong, then started his own Overload Training after Zhang Mingwu arranged for him to train alone.

Jiang Yan Hai pushed himself through repeated 10G overload training and exercises to improve his reactions, until Zhang Mingwu ordered him to stop and rest before his afternoon trainer-aircraft flight.

• Jiang Yan Hai entered Overload Training at 10G and practiced aircraft-control movements to train his reactions.
• Jiang Yan Hai emerged from the machine, did burpees for ten minutes, and then returned to 10G training.
• Jiang Yan Hai repeated the training for more than two hours, while the staff member monitored his physical data.
• Jiang Yan Hai's Neural Reaction rose by six points and his physical fitness increased by two points.
• Zhang Mingwu ordered Jiang Yan Hai to stop training and rest so he could prepare for the trainer aircraft that afternoon.

Jiang Yan Hai continued training and joined Wu Di for a flight in a JL-10 trainer, where the Red Star Engine activated a mission requiring him to take control during his first trainer flight. The aircraft took off successfully, leaving Jiang Yan Hai poised to begin piloting it himself.

• Jiang Yan Hai asked Zhang Mingwu for permission to continue Physical Training and trained through the morning.
• Wu Di and Jiang Yan Hai discussed fighter aircraft upgrades before heading to the hangar.
• Jiang Yan Hai inspected the JL-10 with Wu Di and received a Red Star Engine mission to take control of a trainer aircraft during his first flight.
• Jiang Yan Hai asked Wu Di to let him fly the aircraft, and Wu Di agreed after completing the assessment.
• Wu Di and Jiang Yan Hai completed their preflight checks, received clearance from the Control Tower, and took off toward their training airspace.

Jiang Yan Hai experienced Wu Di’s high-speed flying maneuvers, met two pilots who joined them in formation, and passed an emergency-situation assessment. With Control Tower’s authorization, he began taking preliminary control of the aircraft.

• Wu Di put Jiang Yan Hai through a series of intense high-speed maneuvers, but Jiang Yan Hai remained calm and said he looked forward to flying them himself.
• Zhao Hai, callsign Flamingo, and Liu Hao Chen, callsign Red Shore, flew alongside them, greeted Jiang Yan Hai, and then returned to base.
• Wu Di tested Jiang Yan Hai on emergency situations, and Jiang Yan Hai answered well enough for Wu Di to praise his knowledge.
• Wu Di requested permission from Control Tower for Jiang Yan Hai to try controlling the aircraft, and Control Tower approved.
• Wu Di gave Jiang Yan Hai a countdown, and Jiang Yan Hai took the control stick and began controlling the aircraft.

Jiang Yan Hai demonstrated exceptional skill during his training flight, completing a Post-Stall Maneuver and numerous other maneuvers before landing safely. Afterward, Wu Di wondered whether he had come to training just to mess with him.

• Wu Di issued flight commands, and Jiang Yan Hai executed them accurately.
• After learning Jiang Yan Hai had flown fighters before without formal training, Wu Di asked him to perform a Post-Stall Maneuver, and Jiang Yan Hai completed it successfully.
• Wu Di let Jiang Yan Hai perform maneuvers of his choice, which he continued until the aircraft's fuel warning sounded.
• Jiang Yan Hai requested permission from the Control Tower to return and landed safely.
• Wu Di asked Jiang Yan Hai whether he had already been an expert pilot and had come to mess with him.

Jiang Yan Hai rapidly advanced through fighter training while Wu Di and Liu Hao Chen helped him prepare to fly solo. Zhang Mingwu monitored his increasingly demanding overload maneuvers as part of a mission to record Jiang Yan Hai’s training data.

• Wu Di persuaded Zhang Mingwu to let Jiang Yan Hai fly solo after a week of training, with Wu Di and Red Shore accompanying him in shifts.
• Wu Di took Jiang Yan Hai to the base bar, where Liu Hao Chen was shocked to learn that Jiang Yan Hai was only nineteen and already a major.
• Jiang Yan Hai trained for eight hours a day with Wu Di and Liu Hao Chen flying alongside him, and completed a week of maneuvering drills.
• Zhang Mingwu tracked Jiang Yan Hai’s flight records for a mission assigned by the theater command and approved him increasing his overload maneuvers from the fourth day.
• Jiang Yan Hai sustained five- and six-G maneuvers with occasional bursts around eight G, leaving Liu Hao Chen so dizzy that he refused to fly alongside him again.

Jiang Yan Hai completed intensive trainer flights and received a latest-model J10 to begin flying on his own. Meanwhile, scientists discussed assigning him an upgraded fighter for extreme testing, pending his J10 flight data.

• Wu Di and Liu Hao Chen stopped accompanying Jiang Yan Hai after struggling to keep up with his flying.
• Jiang Yan Hai flew solo for two days, pushing the advanced trainer to its limits and reaching fifty flight hours in a week.
• Zhang Mingwu told Jiang Yan Hai he would take over a latest upgraded J10, and Wang Hai delivered the fighter the next morning.
• After the ground crew inspected the J10, Zhang Mingwu allowed Jiang Yan Hai to try it.
• Scientists debated whether to give Jiang Yan Hai an upgraded fighter for extreme testing and decided to review his latest J10 flight data first.

Jiang Yan Hai began official J10 flight training and connected the Electronic Warfare Support Program to the fighter’s avionics. Er Dan enhanced the aircraft’s systems, leaving Jiang Yan Hai astonished by the results.

• Pan Ye admired Jiang Yan Hai’s training plans, while Zhang Qi continued developing his own special forces approach with Qi Xiao Tian.
• After confirming that Special Forces 1st Battalion had no problems, Jiang Yan Hai focused on training at the J10 base.
• Jiang Yan Hai took off in the J10 and climbed above the clouds for his first official training flight.
• Jiang Yan Hai ordered Er Dan to connect the Electronic Warfare Support Program to the J10’s electronic systems.
• Er Dan enhanced the fighter’s avionics, including its radar, communications, safety analysis, and satellite capabilities, and Jiang Yan Hai reacted with astonishment.

Jiang Yan Hai discovered that the radar enhancement gave his fighter detection and targeting capabilities approaching those of an early warning aircraft, though Er Dan warned him not to use it in ways that would expose its power. During training, Jiang Yan Hai proved far more skilled than the pilots at the Air Force Base, leaving them eager to test themselves against him.

• Jiang Yan Hai realized the radar enhancement could detect enemies sooner and guide many missiles, but Er Dan warned him that conspicuous results could not be concealed.
• Jiang Yan Hai trained with the enhanced J10 and wondered how powerful the Electronic Warfare Support Program could make an early warning aircraft.
• Jiang Yan Hai fought Liu Hao Chen to a draw, then also drew against Wu Di while holding back.
• After Liu Hao Chen challenged him, Jiang Yan Hai stopped holding back and defeated him in a lengthy aerial confrontation.
• The pilots at the Air Force Base took turns dogfighting Jiang Yan Hai, but none could beat him, and Wu Di lasted the longest.

After completing the second flight mission, Jiang Yan Hai received a new mission to test an upgraded J10 and was dispatched to Rongcheng. He flew a trainer jet toward the military base, where Sea Blue Mountain was set to take over his communications.

• Jiang Yan Hai completed the second flight mission after defeating Wu Di and Liu Hao Chen, and the Red Star Engine activated a mission to test the latest upgraded J10.
• Zhang Mingwu ordered Jiang Yan Hai to fly a trainer jet to Rongcheng and test a new fighter jet despite the danger.
• Jiang Yan Hai accepted the assignment and departed in a trainer jet, climbing to 12,000 meters and heading for Rongcheng.
• Jiang Yan Hai looked at a photograph on his tactical tablet during the flight as he continued toward Rongcheng.
• The Control Tower transferred Jiang Yan Hai's communications to the Central Theater Command, and he contacted Sea Blue Mountain.

Jiang Yan Hai flew an Advanced Trainer 10 from the Eastern Theater Command to the Western Theater Command, chatting with Owl and the base controller along the way. After landing and handing over the aircraft, he learned from an old man that the plane had been given to him, but he did not yet know who the waiting officials were or why they had arranged it.

• Jiang Yan Hai received clearance from Sea Blue Mountain and chatted with Owl, a Central Theater Command pilot who accelerated to form up beside him.
• Jiang Yan Hai told Owl he served with the 8th Airborne Army, but Owl did not believe him.
• Jiang Yan Hai entered the Western Theater Command and spoke with Giant Panda, a young woman who said Owl frequently harassed her.
• Jiang Yan Hai landed at a large air force base and reported the successful delivery of the Advanced Trainer 10 to the officials waiting there.
• A Senior Colonel signed the handover documents, and an old man in a lab coat told Jiang Yan Hai that the aircraft he had flown was the one they had given him.

Jiang Yan Hai inspected the upgraded J10S, officially called Azure Dragon, and learned about its capabilities and testing risks. He agreed to test the fighter’s limits, unaware that it was the third prototype after the first two had been sent back for rebuilding.

• Jiang Yan Hai entered the hangar and recognized that the J10 had been redesigned with blended wing-body technology.
• Jiang Yan Hai explained that studying aircraft design helped him understand how to fly and handle emergencies, and the old man praised his knowledge and rifle designs.
• The old man introduced the aircraft as the J10S, or Azure Dragon, and described its reinforced airframe, new engine, radar, speed, range, and weapons capacity.
• The old man explained that Jiang Yan Hai was chosen to test the fighter’s limits and told him to eject over the water if anything went wrong.
• Jiang Yan Hai accepted the mission, not knowing the aircraft was the third prototype and that the first two had been sent back for rebuilding.

Jiang Yan Hai inspected the J10S Azure Dragon, received its ground crew, and learned about its capabilities and operating procedures. After the handover, the aircraft was ready to be towed out, with Jiang Yan Hai scheduled to begin flying it the next day.

• Jiang Yan Hai admired the J10S Azure Dragon’s integrated design and improved performance.
• The old man had three red stars painted on the aircraft as kill markings, despite Jiang Yan Hai’s surprise.
• The old man introduced Dong Kejiang and Zheng Ling as Jiang Yan Hai’s mechanic and ordnance officer.
• The old man briefed Jiang Yan Hai on the jet’s maneuverability, engine limits, data transmission, and reporting any problems.
• Jiang Yan Hai began the handover with Dong Kejiang and Zheng Ling as the hangar doors opened and a tow vehicle waited outside.

Jiang Yan Hai tested Azure Dragon, a modified J10, and found it could fly supersonically without afterburners and maneuver far better than his previous fighter. On his return, Owl noticed the aircraft’s three kill markings and realized Jiang Yan Hai was an ace.

• Jiang Yan Hai took off in Azure Dragon and pushed it into supersonic flight without using afterburners.
• Jiang Yan Hai tested Azure Dragon’s maneuverability, performing rolls before climbing to 12,000 meters and heading back to his airfield.
• Jiang Yan Hai spoke with Giant Panda and then checked in with Sea Blue Mountain after entering the Central Theater Command’s defensive zone.
• Owl joined Jiang Yan Hai in formation and exclaimed at the three stars painted on Azure Dragon.
• Jiang Yan Hai confirmed that the stars were kill markings.