Xiaerdi

Biodata

Story Role / Major Arcs

Failed Low-Altitude Search

Sanjay sends Xiaerdi to locate Li Zhi and Liao Yifei after the Dragon Country pilots disappear from radar near the Great Snow Mountain. Initially confident, Xiaerdi estimates their position using his own flying speed and searches the wrong area. His opponents are flying substantially faster at ultra-low altitude 42.

Sanjay joins the search, but neither finds the pair. After four Peacock reinforcements arrive, Li Zhi and Liao Yifei reveal themselves roughly one hundred kilometers away from where Xiaerdi and Sanjay have been searching, then return to base 42.

Radar Confrontation and Sanjay’s Crash

Assigned to monitor Li Zhi again, Xiaerdi recognizes aircraft J20024 and complains about encountering him. Li Zhi briefly locks onto both Peacock fighters, provoking Xiaerdi into pursuing him at ultra-low altitude. Sanjay follows despite suspecting a trap. Neither crosses the border, fearing Dragon Country’s air defenses and lacking authorization 45.

In hilly terrain, Li Zhi maintains a fire-control lock on Xiaerdi for more than three seconds. Xiaerdi rolls over Sanjay’s fighter and places it between himself and Li Zhi, breaking the lock without warning his teammate. Li Zhi switches targets to Sanjay, who descends to evade him, strikes trees, and ejects before his aircraft crashes 45 46.

Xiaerdi requests support but cannot explain why Sanjay ejected. Commander Sunak berates him for failing to report the earlier radar locks 46.

Flight-Control Lockout and Ejection

After Sanjay’s loss, Xiaerdi refuses further confrontation and concentrates on evading Li Zhi’s repeated radar locks. A prolonged lock causes his fighter’s flight-control system to register the aircraft as shot down and lock out manual operation. Its engine and instruments continue working, but the stick, rudder, and panel buttons no longer respond 47.

Xiaerdi reports that his course will carry him into Dragon Country in approximately ten minutes. Peacock requests assistance from Eagle Country, which knows the cause but offers vague answers and cannot resolve the problem remotely 47.

When Li Zhi illuminates him again, Xiaerdi interprets it as a warning and ejects before the controller can calm him. The independently functioning ejection system saves him, but his missile-laden fighter continues across the border. Li Zhi subsequently punctures both wings with cannon fire to drain its fuel while attempting to preserve the aircraft 48.

Personality

Xiaerdi is competitive and strongly concerned with saving face. He initially boasts about his ability to find Li Zhi, and later refuses to accept humiliation under a radar lock. His quick thinking produces an escape, but at Sanjay’s expense: he uses his teammate as a shield without coordinating the maneuver 42 46.

His confidence depends heavily on circumstances. He eagerly pursues Li Zhi with a two-to-one advantage, but avoids confronting him alone after Sanjay’s crash. Repeated targeting and the loss of aircraft control eventually drive him into panic 45 47 48.

Abilities & Skills

Fighter Piloting

• Performs rolls, low-altitude pursuit, and radar-lock evasions 42 45.
• Is substantially less capable at ultra-low-altitude flight than Li Zhi and Liao Yifei; he also acknowledges that he cannot fly as low as Sanjay 42 46.

Improvised Radar Evasion

• Breaks Li Zhi’s lock by placing Sanjay’s aircraft between their fighters 46.
• The maneuver transfers the immediate danger to his teammate rather than neutralizing it 46.

Equipment

• Eagle-manufactured fighter jet — Carries missiles and a flight-control system that disables manual controls after registering a simulated shootdown 47 48.
• Ejection seat and parachute — Operate independently of the locked flight-control system, allowing Xiaerdi to escape 48.

Relationships

• Sanjay — Flight leader and teammate. Supports Xiaerdi’s pursuit of Li Zhi, but is exposed to a radar lock when Xiaerdi uses his aircraft as cover 45 46.
• Li Zhi — Opposing Dragon Country pilot. Repeatedly outmaneuvers and frightens Xiaerdi; his prolonged radar lock triggers Xiaerdi’s aircraft lockout 42 45 47.
• Sunak — Commander who questions Xiaerdi after Sanjay’s crash and oversees the response to his control failure. Xiaerdi openly rejects Sunak’s suggestion to restart the fighter in flight 46 47.

Notable Quotes

“Sure, I’ll show you how it’s done!” 42

“Do you think this is a computer? It’s a fighter jet!” 47