As usual, after pulling on his G-suit and slipping the metal egg—his “Gold Coin” in disguise—into his pocket, Lin Mo went to Finance to draw an advance. He grabbed a quick bowl of porridge with steamed buns and pickled sides in the mess hall, just enough to settle his stomach, then hurried straight to the hangar.
On the apron, a silver, two-seat J-10 was already prepped for departure, conformal fuel tanks mounted and secured. Several ground crew and mechanics were making final checks. When they spotted Lin Mo, they waved him over and gave the all-clear gesture. The hangar crew, holding signal wands, signed to the runway crew and simultaneously reported to the tower via radio that the pilot was on site.
“Safe flight!”
The maintenance team assigned to this aircraft—one crew usually handle
