Test pilots are the most powerful among pilots.
However, test pilot is also the profession closest to death.
Maybe they are still talking and laughing when they wake up in the morning, but they may be gone by noon.
The kind where even the body couldn't be found.
Chen Shanhe applied to be a test pilot himself, but the leaders held meeting after meeting but could not make up their minds.
The reason is simple: given the country's current conditions, it is extremely difficult to train an excellent pilot.
The more this is the case, the more precious the pilots are and the less they dare to sacrifice them.
If Chen Shanhe fails to come back, it will be a loss to the country.
In the end, it was only after Chen Shanhe’s repeated requests that the leader agreed.
Chen Shanhe said, "I am determined to be the best pilot. Only the best pilots can fly the best fighter jets, and only the best fighter jets can kill the enemies who are eyeing our airspace and dare to circle in front of us at any time."
Jiang Shiyue was so engrossed in listening that when she saw Lu Zheng pause, she couldn't help but urge him, "What happened next?"
"Later, Chen Shanhe kept his word. He tested various fighters to their limits. He tested them in extreme cold, heat, low altitude, storms...all sorts of extreme conditions that could easily cause failures. During that period, the design department made rapid progress, and Chen Shanhe was the biggest contributor."
After the test flight, Chen Shanhe found a master named Ma Dali.
Don’t be fooled by Ma Dali’s rustic name, he is a very capable person.
Ma Dali was the only talented person at that time who could both fly and design airplanes.
Chen Shanhe took Ma Dali as his role model and followed him to learn how to design aircraft from scratch.
The aircraft being tested on the day of the accident was J7.
That was the last test flight before the J7 went into mass production.
The J7 is also the first time that my country's design level is comparable to that of international fighter jets.
As a designer and test pilot, Ma Dali is undoubtedly the best candidate for test flight.
At that time, Chen Shanhe was young and energetic, and he was eager to do the last test flight before production.
"I can drive the J7 to its limit. Isn't our test flight to test the limit of the J7? You must know that if we don't test it clearly this time, the next place where the J7 will appear will be on the battlefield." Chen Shanhe requested again and again.
Ma Dali and other management members agreed with Chen Shanhe's words, but they also valued his talent and were afraid that something might go wrong in the last attempt.
In the end, Ma Dali agreed under pressure.
"We can't keep hidden risks just because we're afraid of sacrifice. Chen Shanhe is a rare genius, but no matter how talented he is, he's still a soldier. Protecting the integrity of the nation's airspace is his greatest mission!"
On the day of the test flight, Ma Dali and Chen Shanhe boarded their respective planes almost at the same time.
Chen Shanhe boarded the J7, while Ma Dali tested another fighter jet.
J7 broke through previous limitations and reached a maximum altitude of nearly 30,000 meters.
Rising is a big problem.
Chen Shanhe lifted the J7 straight up into the sky. When it was nearly 20,000 meters above the ground, the J7 suddenly fell.
Everyone watched the rapidly falling J7 with great concern.
Only Chen Shanhe remained calm, his palms dry without a trace of sweat.
Judging from the monitoring equipment, his heartbeat didn't even fluctuate.
The command center watched with their own eyes as Chen Shanhe ignited the J7 twenty times in a row without any response.
Just then, the plane driven by Ma Dali broke down.
All the people on the ground were nervous.
Those officers and soldiers who did not believe in ghosts and gods even closed their eyes and silently prayed for blessings from various gods in the East and the West.
Chen Shanhe's heart was also beating fast, but he knew that at that moment, only he could save himself.
The left and right engines stopped working at the same time, the combustion engine could not ignite, and all the pointers on the dashboard returned to zero.
Chen Shanhe clearly realized that the problem was with the engine, but he couldn't start it no matter what.
J7 hit the ground quickly and hard like a heavy piece of iron.
Chen Shanhe tried to light the fire several times, but failed every time.
He was only 2,500 meters from the ground.
The commander ordered Chen Shanhe to parachute.
But Chen Shanhe did not obey and started the engine again.
Finally, a miracle happened and he successfully started the car, saving J7 and himself.
However, the moment Chen Shanhe landed, he saw Ma Dali's plane dive and crash to the ground.
Everyone knows that test pilots don't have a second chance to fail.
"Since then, something's wrong with Chen Shanhe. He looks normal, but he can't fly a plane anymore. He can fly the simulator just fine, but his hands shake whenever he touches the plane.
The team certainly didn't want Shanhe to get hurt, so they consulted doctor after doctor. They tried both traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and finally sent him to me. I concluded he had PTSD, which stands for post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental illness.
Jiang Shiyue nodded, "I know."
It wasn't the first day Lu Zheng had greeted Jiang Shiyue. She said she knew him and didn't bother to talk any more. "We all know that the test flight that day left a psychological scar on him. But I don't think he was frightened by the near-crash. I've tried some treatments for him, but they weren't very effective."
Jiang Shiyue nodded and asked, "Where is Ma Dali?"
Lu Zheng lowered his eyelashes, "It was gone on the spot. Only one shoe was found."
"Then... have you ever considered that Chen Shanhe's PTSD isn't caused by himself, but by witnessing his master's departure?"
"Impossible!" Lu Zheng shook his head. "Let alone someone like Chen Shanhe who has a good mental state. Even the other pilots and ordinary soldiers are ready to leave at any time, either themselves or their comrades.
Everyone has this awareness! Even if I am just an ordinary military doctor, I will not blame myself to the point of being unable to perform my duties as a doctor because I failed to save my comrades on the battlefield.
If this is true, he is not a qualified military doctor.
He has such awareness, let alone Chen Shanhe who has strong psychological qualities.
Chen Shanhe will be sad, but he should not be afraid.
"It's not fear!" Jiang Shiyue shook her head, "Maybe it's guilt?"
"Guilt?" Lu Zheng was a little confused. "Ma Dali died due to a plane malfunction. Everyone knows that. What is Chen Shanhe feeling guilty about?"
"In Chen Shanhe's eyes, he should have boarded the malfunctioning plane, and Ma Dali should have boarded the J7."
Lu Zheng: “…”
After a long silence, Lu Zheng spoke again with some hesitation, "Did he tell you?"
Jiang Shiyue shook her head: "I guessed."
Lu Zheng: "How about we go to the door and set up a fortune-telling stall together?"
Jiang Shiyue: “…”
Despite being poor, Lu Zheng knew Jiang Shiyue wasn't the type to make wild guesses, so he asked her, "How did you come up with such an idea?"
Jiang Shiyue told Chen Shanhe that he had a nightmare about his master.
"Perhaps in Chen Shanhe's mind, if he hadn't insisted on getting on J7, he would have been the one in the accident that day. His master might have been able to land safely."
"Isn't that nonsense?" Lu Zheng retorted without hesitation. "If they switched places, maybe Chen Shanhe could have gotten the malfunctioning machine down. Just like everyone gave up on J7, but Chen Shanhe forcibly got J7 down and saved his life. Could Ma Dali do the same?"
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