RPAGF Chapter 769 Our soldiers are all top-notch!
Chapter 769 Our soldiers are all top-notch!
"Sir, our aircraft has completed the initial modification of the scheduled interfaces at the 'Spark' base and is loaded with important supplies urgently entrusted to us by the 109th Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences! Please inspect and sign for receipt!"
Jiang Xia took the file bag, opened it, and glanced inside. Besides several technical specifications, there was also a diagram showing the loading of supplies. The list prominently displayed: "Specialized High-Density Integrated Circuit Components (Experimental Batch)" and "Experimental Centralized High-Speed Signal Processor System (Prototype 1)".
"Is everything in the cabin? Did something go wrong on the way?" Jiang Xia asked anxiously, his gaze involuntarily turning to the slender bomber.
"Absolutely foolproof." The captain turned and pushed open the cabin door latch; the metallic scraping sound was particularly clear in the morning mist. "You'll see for yourself."
The hatch slid open, and a blast of cold air rushed out. Jiang Xia had only peeked halfway in when he stopped in his tracks.
He had initially thought it was just about transporting a few boxes, but the scene before him far exceeded his expectations:
The Il-28's originally spacious bomb bay has been completely transformed into a small transport space. After removing all the bomb racks and rails, in order to make the most of every inch of space, the engineers painstakingly nailed two simple folding benches into the sides of the cold metal bulkhead.
On each bench, four PLA soldiers stood close together, their helmets pulled low, almost touching their knees, but their backs were ramrod straight.
1. The high ceiling forced them to hunch over, the hems of their military coats were squeezed into a crumpled mess, and the frostbite on their exposed wrists was glaringly red.
The aisle in the middle was so narrow that you could only turn sideways, yet two soldiers were huddled together, their knees pressed against the back of the person in front of them, their hands gripping the wooden crate beneath them.
Ten men, like sardines carefully packed into a can, filled the cramped bomb bay to the brim. The cabin was dimly lit, but you could see the soldiers' pale faces, their lips tinged with blue, and their breathing more rapid than normal, clearly from lack of oxygen.
But their hands never left the wooden boxes marked "Top Secret". Some wrapped their forearms around the corners of the boxes, while others gripped the seams with their fingertips, as if they wanted to wrap the boxes in their arms.
“This is…” Jiang Xia’s voice suddenly went hoarse. He had thought that the transport of supplies was just a routine escort, but he did not expect it to be like this.
"To ensure the supplies are safe and secure." The captain stood behind him, his gaze fixed on the cabin, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Since coming from the 'Fire Seed' base, the soldiers have been protecting the boxes like this to prevent them from shaking."
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldier on the outermost side heard the noise and tried to straighten his back with difficulty, but the cabin ceiling was too low and he bumped his shoulder as soon as he raised it. He didn't make a sound, but just turned his head and said in a weak voice with the sound of lack of oxygen, but each word was clear: "Commander, the supplies are intact. Please check them."
As he spoke, his fingers were still gently stroking the seal on the wooden crate, as if to confirm that the paper was not damaged in the slightest. The soldier next to him wanted to reach out to help him up, but he stopped him with a look.
Having the leaders inspect the supplies first is more important than anything else.
Jiang Xia's nose suddenly stung with tears. He quickly turned his face away and urgently said to Squad Leader Ru behind him, "Squad Leader! Quick! Call the factory clinic and get the best doctors and nurses! Bring all the oxygen tanks and first-aid kits! And bring a few more quilts! Hurry!"
Squad Leader Ru's eyes had already reddened from watching. He turned around and ran towards the factory area, his footsteps crunching on the snow.
Jiang Xia took a deep breath and bent down to squeeze into the cabin. The space was too cramped, and even Jiang Xia's skinny body had to move sideways. He accidentally bumped into a soldier's arm and realized that the other's hand was freezing cold, but it was still firmly pressed against the wooden box.
Jiang Xia quickly checked the number of each box, ran her fingertip over the intact seal, and said in a gentle voice, "All are fine, the seals haven't been touched, the supplies are safe."
Hearing this, the soldiers' tense shoulders relaxed slightly. The soldier on the outermost side tried to stand up using the crate, but his legs went numb and he stumbled. Jiang Xia quickly supported him: "Wait! Don't get up suddenly, move your ankles first! The doctor will be here soon, let's get some fresh air at the cabin door first."
But the soldier shook his head, steadied himself by bending over against the bulkhead, and looked back at the boxes inside the cabin: "Sir, do you need our help unloading? These boxes are heavy, so we have to handle them carefully."
"No need! You guys rest first!" Jiang Xia quickly pressed down on his shoulders. "I've already had the factory's precision equipment moving team come over. They're all experienced and know how to protect these things. You guys should go to the rest room next door to warm up by the fire and get some oxygen. Don't try to tough it out."
As they were talking, the doctor from the clinic ran over with an oxygen tank on his back. The soldiers were helped to the rest area in the hangar, wrapped in blankets and breathing oxygen, but they still kept glancing toward the bomb bay.
I didn't feel at ease until I saw the moving team wrap the boxes in shock-absorbing pads and carefully lift them onto a specially made trolley.
The small cart that Factory Manager Xiong arranged was used by the factory to transport precision parts. Its wheels were covered with rubber, so it didn't vibrate much when walking on the snow. Jiang Xia followed behind the cart, reminding his coworkers from time to time: "Walk slowly, there are icy areas ahead, don't sway."
The trolley was slowly pushed into the test workshop of Factory 112. Jiang Xia breathed a sigh of relief as his coworkers gently placed the box on the pre-laid wooden board.
He turned to look towards the hangar, and through the window, he could see doctors examining the soldiers. There was no complaint on their young faces, only the satisfaction of having completed their mission.
"Our soldiers are truly the best of the best..." Jiang Xia sighed silently in his heart, a warm feeling mixed with bittersweetness welling up inside him. "There are no more reliable people than them!"
He turned his gaze to the boxes on the ground and said to Director Xiong beside him, "Uncle-Master, those two boxes over there labeled 'Special Aviation Interface' are for the Il-28 modification. Store them in your 112's secure warehouse for now. The rest of these," he pointed to a few other boxes, "need to be transported back to the Seventh Laboratory. If you have time, could you go and take a look later?"
These chips and processors are not just cold, impersonal devices; they are something that soldiers protected through oxygen-deprived journeys and with frozen hands. He has to bear this weight.
"No way! My uncle is too old, he really has no interest in looking at that dictionary..." Factory Director Xiong cupped his hands in a pleading gesture, directed his coworkers, and pushed the two boxes Jiang Xia had just pointed to away at lightning speed.
Jiang Xia watched as Director Xiong fled in disarray, shaking his head with a wry smile.
Wait, that's not right. If you ran away, at least leave the cart behind...
Never mind, it's not far.
Fortunately, there weren't too many boxes that needed to be transported back to the Seventh Institute. The largest one, although quite large, was estimated to be within the range that two adults could lift.
Jiang Xia rolled up his sleeves and gestured to Squad Leader Ru beside him: "Squad Leader, let's give each other a hand and carry this big one back."
The two of them crouched down, one in front of the other, grabbed the wooden support at the bottom of the box, and exerted force at the same time. "Up—!" The box lifted off the ground, but its weight still made Jiang Xia grit his teeth and his arm muscles tense up instantly.
Squad Leader Ru was clearly more composed. He adjusted his breathing and said in a deep voice, "Engineer Jiang, slow down. Shift your weight to me."
Just as Jiang Xia was grimacing and staggering as he walked out, a series of neat and hurried footsteps came from the workshop door. There came the badge squad leader who had been leading the escort team, leading his soldiers at a jog.
"Commander! Let us do it!" The squad leader's tone left no room for doubt. Before he finished speaking, two soldiers had already taken over the task nimbly, steadily taking over the heavy responsibility from Jiang Xia and Squad Leader Ru's shoulders.
"Hey, you guys..." Jiang Xia was taken aback, his arm suddenly feeling lighter. He looked at the squad leader, feeling somewhat apologetic. "This won't do! You just came down and need to rest! Quickly get the medical staff to give you a thorough check-up!"
The squad leader smiled, his face still showing a hint of fatigue, but his eyes were bright and his breathing was much steadyer: "Reporting, sir, I'm really fine! I've had oxygen and sugar water, and I've recovered a long time ago! This level of altitude acclimatization is nothing to us; a few hours of rest and we'll be back to normal!"
He patted his chest and said, "With the organization's approval, our team will stay at Factory 112 from now on, at your command, and will do our best to ensure the safety of the project and you! This kind of moving work is just our job!"
"Huh... they sent someone again?"
Jiang Xia and Squad Leader Ru followed behind. Looking at the reliable backs of the soldiers, Jiang Xia felt as if the pressure on his shoulders had truly been relieved.
The road ahead is difficult, but he is not alone.