Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 101：Escorting

The helicopter hovering over the Alexander Bridge received the command to attack from the ground commander. The pilot swiftly rotated the helicopter's nose, preparing to deploy a grenade. The task was clear: to flip the car, which contained people, just as they had done before, to allow the officers on the bridge to coordinate the arrest.

"Boom... Boom..." The deafening sound of the propellers was almost unbearable. The group clamped their hands tightly over their ears, but the noise only grew louder, signaling that the helicopter was drawing closer.

Lei Kun instructed everyone to hold on tight to any stable objects in the car, not to let go. He had already devised a plan: if the vehicle were overturned, he would immediately open the door and leap into the Seine-Marne River with Jiang Fan.

The helicopter swiftly adjusted its position, and the grenadier took his stance. The pilot, through his headset, announced, "Ready to deploy!"

"Okay!"

But no sooner had the pilot spoken, a frantic shout from the ground commander echoed through the headset. "Cease the attack! Cease the attack!"

However, it was too late. The grenadier had already made the throw. The pilot, realizing there was no turning back, executed a sharp maneuver to quickly descend, causing the grenade's trajectory to shift. It landed directly in the Seine-Marne River.

"Boom!"

A massive column of water erupted, sending a nearby speedboat flying. The officers aboard were flung into the water, though thankfully unharmed by the explosion.

The officers on the bridge were also shaken, sweat dripping from their brows. They realized how narrowly they had avoided a catastrophe—had they not been alerted in time, a disaster might have unfolded, possibly even sparking a war. With a relieved sigh, the officer wiped the sweat from his forehead and ordered, "All units, retreat immediately!"

Meanwhile, Jiang Fan and his group were also startled by the deafening blast, but their car remained unharmed. As they braced for the next bomb to detonate, a tense silence followed, with no further explosions. Slowly, they eased their hands from their ears and realized the sound of the helicopter's propellers was receding.

Jiang Fan peered through the car window, watching as the helicopter flew further away. "Why is the helicopter leaving?"

Wu Lao, upon hearing Jiang Fan, quickly looked and confirmed the helicopter was indeed flying off. Excitedly, he exclaimed, "It must mean the negotiations with our country have succeeded! Haha..."

The others, upon hearing this, immediately began to cheer, elated by the news. "We're saved! Haha..." "Wonderful..."

Lei Kun, scanning the surroundings through the car window, was equally astonished to see the officers at the bridge head retreating. Clearly, they had received some new orders, perhaps signaling a successful negotiation by Dragon Nation.

After seeing the situation outside, everyone was filled with renewed hope and excitement. It felt as if they had been granted a new lease on life. Just as one person began to open the car door, Lei Kun stopped him.

"Stay in the car—be cautious, this could be a trick!"

Everyone paused, considering the possibility, and decided to stay put. They remained in the car, watching, as Lei Kun continued observing the surroundings.

At that moment, two jeeps drove toward them from the bridge. Lei Kun immediately grabbed his AK-47, preparing for a possible attack.

Several figures emerged from the jeeps, and Long Lao recognized them as members of the embassy. "Don't shoot, they're from the embassy!" he shouted to Lei Kun.

Only then did Lei Kun lower his weapon and step out of the car. Du Hongchang, hurrying over, addressed Wu Lao, "Professor Wu, Jiang Fan is injured, isn't he?"

"No, he's fine!" Wu Lao responded.

After everyone had exited the vehicle, Du Hongchang rushed to Jiang Fan, relieved to find him unharmed. If anything had happened to Jiang Fan, he would have become a liability to the nation.

Du Hongchang then recounted the situation. When they learned that the nation had deployed ten J-20 fighter jets, along with the Hainan-1 aircraft carrier, and launched thousands of intercontinental missiles, everyone was astonished, unable to believe what they had just heard.

They were overwhelmed with pride to be citizens of Dragon Nation.

"Everyone is safe now. The country has sent a special plane to take you home, and it should arrive in about half an hour!"

Jiang Fan, deeply moved, realized that his country had risked war to rescue him. With such a powerful nation behind him, he felt no fear. He silently vowed never to disappoint his country. He believed that he had the ability to help Dragon Nation become the foremost technological power in the Blue Planet.

Half an hour later, Jiang Fan and his group boarded the special plane sent by the government. The representatives from the technology companies were ecstatic. Although wealthy, they had never traveled on a private plane before. Their excitement was akin to that of children.

One of them suddenly leaned out the window and shouted, "Wow! Fighter jets!"

"Where?" the others quickly followed suit, peering through the windows.

They noticed that five fighter jets flanked each side of the plane. Their majestic, formidable forms cut through the air like swords, thunderous and electrifying.

For every man, a fighter jet represented a dream. To pilot one, even just once, would be enough to boast about for a lifetime!

The flight attendants, addressing the group, proudly explained, "These J-20 fighter jets are escorting our plane."

"What? Escorting us?" The group was struck speechless, unable to comprehend the enormity of the situation.

"Is this real? Are we really being escorted?" one of the representatives stammered.

"Of course! Otherwise, why would they be flying on either side of us?" the flight attendant responded, her voice full of pride.

She had been a flight attendant for five years, but today, she had never felt so secure, so proud. In fact, she knew they enjoyed such high treatment largely because of Jiang Fan. If not for him, they wouldn't have even had a private plane, let alone fighter jets escorting them.

At that moment, everyone looked at Jiang Fan, who was gazing out the window, with awe. Many of them, who were now parents, silently vowed to encourage their children to pursue scientific research, as such an honor was something money could never buy.

Wu Lao, now relaxed, turned to Jiang Fan, who was still looking out the window at the fighter jets. "Jiang Fan, how do you feel?"

Without lifting his head, Jiang Fan replied, "The aerodynamics design is quite good, but the engine's performance is lacking..."

The others exchanged puzzled glances. They had asked if Jiang Fan was feeling relaxed, but instead, he was giving an evaluation of the fighter jet!