General Li and Shen Lin leaned back stiffly. Only after a long moment, when they exchanged glances and saw the shock in each other's eyes, did they confirm that they had heard correctly.
Even so, General Li asked again, his throat tight, "Little Ji, you just said a nuclear-powered aircraft engine, right?"
"Yes."
General Li raised a hand as though to touch his forehead, but before it reached him, he curled it into a fist and pressed it against his mouth, as if he suddenly had no idea what to do with his hands and feet.
Shen Lin took a deep breath. "Little Ji, you should know that both the Former Soviet Union and the United States once did everything they could to make this idea a reality. The United States even spent nearly half a century on it, but ultimately had no choice but to give up."
Ji Ting nodded. "I know. There were too many problems. For starters, neither shielding nor weight could be resolved."
Neither man wanted to contradict Ji Ting, but Shen Lin still said, "But even now, thirty years later, those problems remain unsolvable."
Ji Ting fell silent. He seemed to think of something, then lowered his eyes.
Shen Lin exchanged a glance with General Li, then offered some reassurance. "It's good to have ambitions, and I believe..."
Before he could finish, a sudden knock came at the office door.
"Come in."
"General, the pilot is ready and awaiting your orders."
"Good." General Li looked at Ji Ting. "Little Ji, let's head to the base center, then."
At 9:46 a.m., the data screens in the Command Center cast a faint blue glow over Ji Ting's face.
"Aircraft 01 entering the designated airspace. Preparing to deploy the Plasma Stealth Layer." The test pilot's voice came through