At dawn, a thin layer of mist enveloped the end of the makeshift running track.

On the cold steel frame, the prototype of the "Shadow" lay dormant silently.

Its smooth yet eerie diamond-shaped outline appears and disappears in the morning light. The special dark gray coating absorbs most of the light, giving this battle aircraft, which embodies countless efforts, a chilling, silent power.

On both sides of the track, crowds held their breath in suspense.

Academician Zhang Meng gripped the control tower railings tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white from the force, her bloodshot eyes fixed on the end of the runway.

Su Xuan stood beside him, her lips trembling slightly with nervousness, subconsciously checking the communicator in her hand repeatedly.

Wang Tiezhu, with his extinguished pipe dangling from his lips, frowned deeply, his gaze shifting between "Shadow" and Zhang Meng with complex emotions. His deep-seated doubts were replaced by an indescribable tension.

Jiang Feng led a security team scattered in key positions, while he himself held a high-powered telescope, vigilantly scanning the sky and the surrounding mountains, the hydraulic device of the mechanical leg emitting an extremely slight hum.

Mingzhao stood a little behind the crowd, dressed in faded work clothes, her eyes calm.

Inside the control tower, the calm, almost cold voice of test pilot Lao Zhao came through the communication channel: "Shadow reporting, engine warm-up complete, all systems self-check normal. Requesting taxiing."

Zhang Meng took a deep breath, suppressing the pounding of her heart, grabbed the communicator, and said with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice, "Tower received. Shadow, you can slide out. Old Zhao... take care!"

"Understood. For victory." Old Zhao's reply was brief and forceful.

A deep rumble broke the silence of the early morning.

Two engines, specially treated for noise reduction and infrared suppression, emitted pale blue exhaust flames. The "Shadow" slowly glided off the tarmac like a cheetah awakening and headed towards the runway starting point.

Its movements were fluid and quiet, a stark contrast to the deafening roar of fighter jets in people's minds. This unusual stillness added to its mystery and sense of oppression.

"Ground radar activated! Target tracking!"

Su Xuan gave the order into the microphone, his voice rising with excitement. In the distance, on a hillside, the antenna of a mobile radar vehicle slowly rotated.

"Shadow is in position, requesting takeoff," Old Zhao's voice rang out again.

Zhang Meng glanced around, her gaze lingering for a moment on Ming Zhao's calm face.

He slammed down the call button and said decisively, "Tower approved! Shadow, take off!"

"Roger that. Shadow, take off!"

The engine roar instantly reached its peak!

Two more solid blue flames shot out, propelling the heavy fighter jet to accelerate and sprint down the runway!

The streamlined fuselage tore through the thin mist, and the tires screeched as they rubbed against the rough concrete track.

Everyone's heart was in their throat.

Wang Tiezhu clenched his fists instinctively; his pipe was nowhere to be found.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Zhang Meng's forehead.

Su Xuan stared intently at the radar screen, where the light spot representing the Shadow was pulsating violently as the speed increased.

Accelerate! Accelerate again! The runway recedes rapidly beneath the plane's wheels!

Just as the runway was about to run out of space, the nose of the "Shadow" suddenly lifted up!

The heavy machine seemed to break free of invisible shackles, and with lightness and unparalleled power, it pierced straight into the sky!

Beneath the fuselage, the landing gear is quietly retracted, leaving the perfectly stealthy shape without any unnecessary embellishments.

"It's off the ground!!"

Su Xuan roared excitedly, and the control room erupted in cheers that had been suppressed for a long time!

The shadowy figure rose rapidly, like a black lightning bolt.

The sunlight finally pierced through the clouds and shone on its dark gray fuselage, but instead of reflecting a dazzling light, it seemed to be swallowed up by that strange coating, leaving only a deep, blurry silhouette.

"Ground radar! Report the target!" Zhang Meng's voice was filled with an undeniable urgency.

The radar operator's eyes widened, his fingers flying across the control panel, his voice filled with disbelief:

"Report to Commander! Target... Target signal strength is rapidly weakening! It's disappearing! Repeat, target signal is disappearing! After filtering out clutter... the main screen cannot lock on! The auxiliary screen only has extremely weak intermittent echoes left, unable to track stably! It... it really is like a ghost!"

Inside and outside the control tower, a deathly silence fell instantly, followed by an even more frenzied uproar!

Success! The revolutionary shape and radar-absorbing material incorporating the secrets of "stardust" demonstrated near-perfect radar stealth performance during the takeoff phase of the simulated combat exercise!

Wang Tiezhu stared wide-eyed at the almost nonexistent signal area on the radar screen. All color drained from his face, leaving only utter shock and a bewildered sense of his worldview being turned upside down.

"It's actually true......"

In the air, the "Shadow" continued to climb and hover steadily.

Old Zhao's voice came through clearly, carrying a hint of barely suppressed excitement:

"Tower, Shadow reports: flight attitude stable, control response excellent! Altitude 3000 meters, speed Mach 0.6. Engine noise is quieter than expected, cockpit smooth. This feeling...unprecedented!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhang Meng said "good" three times in a row, and hot tears finally welled up in his eyes. He slammed his hand on the table so hard that the teacups on the table jumped.

So many days and nights of painstaking effort, so many doubts and ridicule, so many shortages of resources... This moment, it was all worth it!

He looked at Mingzhao, who stood quietly below the tower, and his heart was filled with indescribable gratitude and awe.

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