Chapter 21: Aerial Training

Flying Shadow Corporation Base, Monitoring Center

"Old Lu."

"We've detected two Bluebird patrol crafts: numbers 28 and 37."

One of the security staff under Luo Fei's command had keenly picked up two signal sources during routine monitoring. Tracking them revealed the crafts flying over Zone G100, prompting an immediate identification and report.

Old Lu, holding a silver, flat flask, took a slow sip of his drink and responded:

"Chen Wuling and the rookie, Tian Xiao…"

"He just joined today, and instead of heading to the shooting range, he's out piloting a Bluebird? What's Chen Wuling thinking?"

Taking charge of the monitoring center, Old Lu signaled his colleagues to continue tracking. The two patrol crafts were now splitting formation.

Bluebird 28 accelerated forward while Bluebird 37 circled briefly before following. Old Lu's seasoned experience immediately recognized this as a standard training drill. Chen Wuling was undoubtedly setting up a test for the newcomer.

Sure enough, as the two crafts reached visual range limits, the lower hatch of Bluebird 28 opened abruptly. A series of irregularly shaped rocks were ejected in a swift maneuver, each one drawing a unique arc through the air before scattering in various directions.

The execution was crisp and efficient.

"Having Chen Wuling personally lead this training… Luo must really value this rookie. Let's see if he lives up to expectations."

Old Lu crossed his arms, ready to watch. Bluebird live-fire training wasn't new to anyone here. Chen Wuling, as always, set a tough challenge, showing no signs of going easy.

The thrown rocks, serving as targets, had about seven to eight seconds from ejection to ground impact. Yet the real window for calculation and targeting was far shorter, reduced to just two seconds due to the time taken for bullets to travel.

In essence, the pilot had only a brief moment to compute trajectories, lock on, and fire.

If it were just one target, the onboard chip would make it trivial. However, Chen Wuling had released eight rocks at once. Tian Xiao would need to complete eight sets of calculations and shots within those fleeting two seconds.

"First time piloting a Bluebird, and Chen Wuling's already setting such a hard test? Hitting even two rocks would be passing," said a colleague of Old Lu, settling into his chair with a grin. "Only Luo, Deputy Wu Hao, Iron Bear, Zhao Jia, and Chen Wuling himself have ever hit all eight in our security group. Me? Six is my best."

Old Lu remained silent. His declining reflexes allowed him to hit only four targets in two attempts at most. Yet as they spoke, the rookie's Bluebird patrol craft was already firing, spraying four distinct streams of tracer rounds into the sky.

Old Lu froze, flask halfway to his lips.

What did he just see?

Four fire streams?

The colleague beside him stared in disbelief.

"Holy crap," he muttered.

"Four streams again!"

The excitement in the monitoring center surged as Liu Xuesong leapt to his feet, shouting, "Look at the score!"

Eight streams of fire in two seconds. The rookie clearly aimed to obliterate all eight targets.

The rapid bursts were fierce yet controlled, leaving everyone watching with chills.

"Check the results!" Old Lu leaned closer to the screen, hastily capping his flask.

When the results came through, both he and Liu Xuesong were struck speechless.

All targets hit.

The eight rocks shattered mid-air into plumes of gray dust.

Old Lu swallowed hard. Liu Xuesong rubbed his arms, unable to shake the goosebumps.

Meanwhile, Chen Wuling's reaction was no calmer. Watching Tian Xiao's effortless destruction of the targets, achieving a level of skill rivaling senior security personnel, he could only think of one word:

Monster.

Could shooting talent manifest so perfectly in patrol craft combat? Or was this something more? The unsettling thought crept into Chen Wuling's mind—

This wasn't just shooting talent.

It was a terrifying synergy of chip mastery and combat intuition.

The Bluebird circled gracefully. Forcing himself to regain composure, Chen Wuling issued a clear command:

"Continue."

Once more, Bluebird 28 executed a sharp maneuver, ejecting another set of eight rocks. In the cockpit, Tian Xiao calmly processed the challenge. He felt the dormant skills etched into his bones coming to light. Hiding them?

Why?

Talent, he believed, should shine. He had no time to hold back, no patience for incremental growth. Flying Shadow Corporation was too small a pond for him—merely a stepping stone. Once he accumulated enough resources, he would leave.

His onboard display rapidly calculated the trajectories of the eight rocks, projecting precise firing paths. Before the lock-on tone even completed, Tian Xiao's finger was already squeezing the trigger. His focus was unshakable.

Fire lines sprayed outward, snapping from one target to the next with clockwork precision.

Six lines.

Eight lines.

The Bluebird soared through a field of pulverized fragments, its trail marked by explosions of dust.

"This kid… he could enlist as an air combat pilot," muttered Old Lu, utterly stunned.

In the monitoring center, the room buzzed with disbelief. The unrelenting precision of Tian Xiao's attacks, combined with his seamless movements, painted him as a natural-born aerial warrior.

Chen Wuling, meanwhile, refused to stop. He needed to see how long Tian Xiao could sustain this performance. Even the most brilliant pilot would eventually falter under prolonged focus, their calculations dulled by mental and physical fatigue.

Was Tian Xiao a mere spark of brilliance, or did he possess the steady heart of a true ace?

If it was the former, Chen Wuling resolved to shape him. If it was the latter…

Unbelievable.

Despite knowing Tian Xiao's talent eclipsed his own, even surpassing Luo's, Chen Wuling harbored no jealousy—only awe. This kind of potential was unprecedented.

Chen Wuling threw down another challenge. Tian Xiao, equally determined, took it head-on. The two Bluebirds began a skyward dance, one pilot crafting problems, the other demolishing them.

Explosions of rock fragments echoed continuously. Fire lines shredded the targets before they even stabilized mid-air. By the end, the rocks were obliterated the moment they left the hatch.

Chen Wuling was drenched in sweat. Somehow, one Bluebird had unleashed the ferocity of an aerial assault.

In the monitoring center, Old Lu and Liu Xuesong were transfixed, staring at the screens as if watching a sci-fi blockbuster. They didn't even notice Luo Fei's arrival behind them.