Demanding Justice

"Officer Gu, Office Manager Zhang, there's been a bit of an accident. I'm so sorry. Please wait aside while we handle it."

Hong Lin said awkwardly and helplessly to Gu Ya and another member of the investigation team, Officer Zhang.

Gu Ya was about to step forward and ask for clarification when a car approached from behind. Upon seeing that it was a military vehicle, the car slowly came to a stop, not daring to honk its horn to urge the driver on.

Hong Lin quickly said, "Squad leader, turn the steering wheel and push the car to the side first."

Seeing this, Gu Ya and Zhang, the staff member, couldn't just stand by and watch, so they helped push the car to the side of the road and cleared the way.

"Officer Hong, what exactly happened?" Gu Ya's tone was not good.

Suddenly someone appeared, stopped the car, and without saying a word, took the car keys and drove off. It was nothing short of banditry. Gu Ya was already quite composed for not getting angry.

Hong Lin could only bite the bullet and explain, "Comrade Chen Hai's wife is eight months pregnant. It's not appropriate for her to know that Chen Hai is in trouble at this time..."

Gu Ya immediately glared at her and said, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"There might be a communication problem; I'm not entirely sure about the situation," Hong Lin said with a wry smile.

Officer Zhang interjected, "Even so, your Captain Li shouldn't be doing things this way, right? What's the meaning of taking the car keys? Are we supposed to walk back?"

Hong Lin thought to himself, "That's what Sixth Brother means, but does he dare to say it out loud?"

He quickly took out his phone and said, "Don't worry, I'll call the station right away and have them send a car to pick you up."

Gu Ya and Zhang were both furious. They were from the Air Force and had traveled all over the country and visited many units over the years, but they had never seen anyone like this before!

He was still a lieutenant and deputy company commander!

Isn't that a bit too unrestrained?

Gu Ya's composure was quite good, but Zhang, the clerk, couldn't hold back any longer.

He glared at Hong Lin and demanded, "Officer Hong, is this how your 7th Air Regiment does its job? You just come over, don't say a word, and take the car keys without a word. Are you deliberately trying to mess with us?"

Hong Lin, realizing he was in the wrong, smiled apologetically and said, "We had a problem with our internal coordination. I'm sorry, Officer Zhang. I'll call the station right away and have them send a vehicle over."

Seeing Hong Lin start making phone calls, Officer Zhang could only swallow his anger.

Air force bases are mostly regimental-level units, and their convoys are larger than those of army infantry regiments. They are relatively well-funded and have greater needs.

Therefore, when Hong Lin makes this call, the station will immediately arrange a vehicle to pick them up and bring the spare key as well.

However, after Hong Lin explained the situation over the phone, the duty officer at the station said with great difficulty, "Officer Hong, all the vehicles at the station have been dispatched right now. We need three vehicles on standby just for the investigation team. If you need a vehicle immediately, well…"

Hong Lin was taken aback. "One of the vehicles in the security investigation team... has broken down. Didn't I just say that the vehicle has a problem? Please send a vehicle to pick us up immediately."

The duty officer said, "Officer Hong, we will coordinate immediately. Please wait a moment."

There was no news for half an hour during this coordination process.

With such a large depot, can't even one train be coordinated?

Obviously not.

On his way back, Li Lu called the station's duty room, explained the situation truthfully, and suggested that the station send a tow truck to tow the Cheetah vehicle back.

The duty officer immediately understood Li Lu's implication and replied, "Sixth Brother, I know what to do, don't worry."

The small fleet has two Cheetah vehicles that are currently idle, and they are brand new vehicles that were just issued last year.

But the duty officer just wouldn't send anyone.

Although not officially recognized, in the eyes of the grassroots officers and soldiers, Chen Hai is a martyr and a hero who won glory for the country.

The hero's family member was eight months pregnant, a stage where she couldn't withstand any stimulation—that's common sense, even for a mother.

The station duty officer was very dissatisfied with the investigation team's approach, so it was reasonable for him to slightly delay dispatching the vehicle and make the investigation team suffer a bit.

Upon seeing this, Hong Lin immediately realized that Li Lu must have spoken to the station's duty room, and they might have to walk back.

Seeing Hong Lin's troubled expression, Gu Ya gasped and asked, "Is it because the depot doesn't have any vehicles to send?"

Hong Lin quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes. Officer Gu, Officer Zhang, it's cold outside. You can sit in the car and wait. The vehicle sent by the station to pick you up is on its way."

Gu Ya rolled her eyes in exasperation, saying as she walked towards the car, "What kind of mess is this...?"

The most wronged person was the driver, who thought to himself, "What did I do to deserve this?"

This is not over yet.

Li Lu returned to the airfield, parked his car in front of the headquarters building, slammed the door shut, and strode towards the regimental chief of staff's office.

Xu Hailiang was looking at the flight path map he had obtained from the radar department when a loud knocking came from the door. When he looked up, he saw Li Lu burst in.

"Did you approve Hong Lin taking the investigation team to Lin Yanna to inquire about the situation?" Li Lu blurted out.

Xu Hailiang was taken aback, then asked, "Do you think I approved it? Where are they? We can't let them go!"

"I stopped them halfway there," Li Lu said, pointing to the telephone. "Ask Fang Zhenwei; only he would do something like that."

Without a word, Xu Hailiang picked up the phone and dialed the number. "Political Commissar, this is Xu Hailiang. The investigation team wants to speak with Chen Yanna to understand the situation... this matter..."

"I agreed to it," Fang Zhenwei said. "The investigation has changed somewhat. They need to understand Chen Hai's recent thoughts and emotions, and this matter should be handled as soon as possible."

Xu Hailiang immediately became angry, his tone turning much colder: "Political Commissar, Lin Yanna could give birth at any moment; we can't allow her to be affected by any emotional fluctuations at this time!"

Fang Zhenwei said, "Calm down. Do you think I don't know this situation? But think about it, after Lin Yanna gives birth, it will take anywhere from a month to two months. The investigation can't wait that long."

Fang Zhenwei continued, "Regarding Chen Hai's accident, the first thing to do is to clarify the nature of the incident. The most crucial engine wreckage has not yet been found. The investigation team's only focus right now is to question his work unit and family members, including you and me."

Xu Hailiang said, "I understand."

He was about to hang up.

Fang Zhenwei suddenly said, "Wait a minute, has Li Lu done something again?"

After he finished speaking, he suddenly stood up, as if he had thought of something, and said, "He wouldn't have done anything to the investigation team, would he? Old Xu, you can't let him do whatever he wants."

"I understand." Xu Hailiang didn't want to say anything more to him and hung up the phone.

Li Lu overheard the conversation, turned around and left, saying, "I'm going to find him."

"Come back!" Xu Hailiang called out softly, then strode over and closed the door.

He tugged at Li Lu's arm, gesturing for him to sit down.

Li Lu forced himself to sit down and took out a cigarette, puffing away.

"What did you say to him? Question him?" Xu Hailiang was at his wits' end with this subordinate. "You're just a lowly lieutenant, and the company commander is only acting. You're questioning the regimental political commissar? Don't you have even the slightest bit of discipline?"

Li Lu stared wide-eyed at Xu Hailiang.

Xu Hailiang, not one to tolerate his behavior, immediately berated him, "What are you glaring at me for! Believe me or not, I'll lock you up in solitary confinement for ten days or more!"

Li Lu turned his head away indignantly and continued to puff away on his cigarette.

"He's the political commissar. The regimental commander isn't home, so he's the number one leader in this building. People see your arrogance, but they don't hold it against you."

"Yes, you're capable. You achieved solo flight within a month of joining the unit, mastered low-weather flight in three months, and obtained day and night flight certification in six months. But you need to change your temperament. If I hadn't stopped you, you would have gone to the political commissar's office and caused a scene. A disciplinary action would have been the least of your worries!"

Li Lu retorted, his neck stiff, "He's not even human!"

Xu Hailiang's tone softened. He pulled up a chair and sat down, saying in a deep voice, "Political Commissar Fang's intentions are not bad; he's just a bit rigid in his approach."

"But think about it from another perspective. If the nature of Chen Hai's accident isn't clear, it will directly affect the subsequent assessment. Clarifying it as soon as possible is beneficial for the family."

Li Lu was stunned. "Is there any objection to the martyrdom of Chen Haiping? He died during a major military operation!"

"Don't glare at me. We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible to ensure there are no objections. While you were with the investigation team, I wasn't idle either. I just looked at the flight path map provided by the radar department, and the flight path of J-7E No. 03 before it lost contact was normal."

"The plane plunged vertically into the sea, and without finding engine debris, it's impossible to determine whether the incident was caused by mechanical failure or human error. The data from the black box had been lost before that."

"From the perspective of the investigation team, they can only start by understanding Chen Hai's recent personal situation."

"Think about it carefully, isn't that the truth?"

Li Lu fell into deep thought.

An Min, an engine expert from the investigation team, revealed the key to him: from a flight perspective, the J-7E No. 03 rapidly changed from level flight cruise to vertical dive. Excluding pilot factors, what kind of malfunction could have caused such a change?

Technical issues are serious and rigorous; they cannot be solved by throwing a tantrum.

Li Lu was very clear about this.

He was an outstanding new pilot, while his comrades were still practicing day and night flying and killing the enemy. He even had the ability to fly in low weather.

Li Lu knew more about the technology of the J-6 and J-7 series of fighter jets than he did about himself.

Without understanding the strange flight path of the J-7E No. 03 at the end, we cannot understand the cause of the accident, especially its nature.

Seeing that Li Lu had begun to think calmly, Xu Hailiang breathed a sigh of relief.

He saw that Li Lu was holding a car key, so he reached out and said, "The key to the investigation team's vehicle? Give it to me."

Li Lu tossed the car keys to Xu Hailiang.

Xu Hailiang got up and walked out, shaking his head helplessly, "I have to clean up your mess again. When are you going to change your bad temper?"

He went out to arrange for people to handle the aftermath, while Li Lu continued to rack his brains in his office.

If engine debris cannot be found, there must be a way to prove that the vertical dive was caused by mechanical failure.