Sky-cracking Rider

"The meeting hasn't ended yet, so they probably haven't made up their minds!" Shen Fei was quite open about it, as the final outcomes would eventually need to be relayed to Chen Fei anyway. The bigwigs hadn't left the meeting room, and the morning session continued into the afternoon, with even lunch being served there. Everyone half-heartedly dealt with their meal, unlike the folks at Jiu Defense Company who feasted lavishly on fish stewed in iron pots. After wreaking havoc, Chen Fei took off, leaving everyone in utter disarray. Now, it seemed, he was truly a sly fox! The Northern Weapons Industry Group was hell-bent on acquiring Chen Fei's "Canglong" design plan and absolutely wouldn't allow it to fall into anyone else's hands. They also had to guard against him patenting it on his own, and ... without these steps, there might not be a future for the "Canglong" project team. Aerospace designers often rely on just one project for their entire careers. If someone else cut in, the project team would be forced to disband, its members scattered to other projects. What could have been a crowning achievement would end as merely assisting others. With good luck, one might end up listed toward the end of a team document, but with bad luck, one might retire in obscurity. Chen Fei remarked with regret, "That's really too bad!" He hoped the Northern Weapons Industry Group would settle on a transaction price soon, so he could ask for an exorbitant amount and negotiate from there, striving for maximal benefits. The aviation manufacturing giants had many desirable goodies to make one's mouth water. As just one of several vice presidents, Shen Fei's father didn't own the Northern Weapons Industry Group, so Chen Fei felt no pressure whatsoever when driving a hard bargain. After all, aside from returning the shell of the "Canglong" as originally displayed, Chen Fei had also cobbled together three incomplete L-22 advanced trainers from parts and delivered them to the Northern Weapons Industry Group. The cost of assembly and filling in missing parts was deducted from the leasing price. By contrast, National Defense Star provided sixteen missiles without asking for anything in return. "I'll inform you as soon as there's news." Due to work circumstances, even if Shen Fei had intentions of remaining neutral, her position inevitably leaned toward Chen Fei, given the unavoidable relationship between the two. "I hope it can be sold for a good price." Chen Fei fiddled with a champagne bottle meant for ladies, shook his head, and switched to juice, filling his cup to the brim. No sooner had he picked it up than Little Bird swooped in, perching on his hand and taking a sip first. Seemingly disappointed by the lack of alcohol, it turned around and fluttered back to its own cup. "Just now..." Hanna Gagel hadn't finished speaking when the voice of the Abyssal Gladiatorial host suddenly rose, increasing by more than a few decibels. An unexpected turn of events occurred in the sky as the combatants chasing and fighting each other: One of the "Sky Falcons" had fallen, heading toward the Comprehensive Center. The building's protective barrier activated for safety, and ground personnel were urged to evacuate promptly... Inside the VIP box, the locked holographic projection of a dueling Constructed Combat Aircraft was shedding variously sized debris as it plummeted uncontrollably to the ground. According to the estimated trajectory, the crash site was at the corner of the Comprehensive Center, a structure as large as a standard soccer stadium. Multiple light films flashed in succession, enveloping the entire Comprehensive Center. Some spellcasters stood atop the Comprehensive Center, casting brilliant spells of magic shields to intercept the falling "Sky Falcon." To ensure the safety of those on the ground, the Abyssal Gladiatorial organizers had gathered quite a few ability users. Boom!~ The intense light flash from the three-dimensional holographic projection was followed nearly simultaneously by a loud explosion from both the sound unit and just outside the VIP box. The impact point seemed very close to the VIP box where the people from Jiu Defense were seated. Even the room itself shook slightly, showing that despite layered magical and special ability interceptions, some impact force inevitably reached the main structure of the Comprehensive Center. The Cangqiong Star-made Constructed Combat Aircraft didn't have fuel engines, so they typically crashed to pieces without exploding. The significant noise was caused by the firearms ammunition they carried. "It's the 'Sky Falcon.' You guys watch; I'm going out for a bit." Realizing there might be a bargain to snatch, Chen Fei quickly got up and rushed out of the VIP box. "That guy, he moves too fast!" Before she could finish her statement, Hanna Gagel helplessly shook her head. She didn't understand why the Africa Intercontinental Environmental Protection Agency had come knocking at her door, nor had she imagined that the large fish that fed everyone a delicious meal at noon might be suspected of being illegally caught. Chen Fei didn't seem like the kind to act without thinking, so perhaps there was some hidden story, or even a conspiracy behind this. "'Sky Falcon' is an aircraft from Cangqiong Star; he might have gone to pick up the debris." Teacher Shen was able to understand Chen Fei's impatience, guessing that he coveted the technology used by the others, secretly picking up a few pieces of debris, and then surreptitiously "sacrificing" them to assimilate part of 'Sky Falcon's secrets for his own. If that wasn't the case, where did the magic arrays in Chen Fei's Canglong advanced fighter jet design come from? How could an ordinary man have a chance to come across such things? It was probably a fluke, but the really good stuff was still out of his reach. Boss Hana said with some concern, "Don't let them get caught!" Of course, she knew that magic arrays shouldn't be tampered with by ordinary people, and studying them privately was illegal. In the three-dimensional holographic projection, the 'Sky Falcon' pilot had miraculously survived, hanging below the parachute, slowly drifting down toward the Comprehensive Center. By now, the large magic barrier enveloping the whole building had dissipated, for maintaining it required a massive expenditure of energy, and it could not be sustained for long, only activated in crucial moments. Emmm... The parachute and pilot, met with no obstruction, did not land on the rooftop of the Comprehensive Center nor on the ground; instead, they accidentally got caught on a tall overhanging eave, hanging there like a hanged ghost, swaying, making onlookers anxious but more so embarrassed. "Hahahaha..." "What a misfortune!" "It's an idiot! Can't the people from Cangqiong Star use parachutes?" "Their constructed aircraft have only been flying for a few years, isn't this to be expected?" A chorus of ridicule and laughter erupted in the VIP box, especially from the fellows of the 'Genuine Fragrance' Combat Flight Squadron, who reveled in schadenfreude without any restraint. Chen Fei dashed out of the VIP box in a rush, realizing he was not the only one aware that the crash site was nearby. Many others started coming out from neighboring boxes, eager to see the scene firsthand, but none were as hurried as Chen Fei. Taking advantage of the fact that the 'Sky Falcon' debris had not yet been cordoned off, Chen Fei reached out with a guilty hand toward the scattered small and large fragments. System: Ding! Discovered constructed combat aircraft 'Sky Falcon' -4 Beta type wreckage, metal material 11.21 kilograms, absorb? Yes/No System: Ding! Discovered constructed combat aircraft 'Sky Falcon' -4 Beta type wreckage, metal material 23.13 kilograms, absorb? Yes/No System: Discovered Magic Array 'Mind Brand'! Huh? How could the 'Mind Brand' magic array appear on the 'Sky Falcon'? Chen Fei had already obtained the 'Mind Brand' magic array but did not know its true purpose. System: Ding! Discovered constructed combat aircraft 'Sky Falcon' -4 Beta type wreckage, metal material 0.45 kilograms, absorb? Yes/No ... "'Rookie'! Someone's coming!" Upon hearing someone call him, Chen Fei looked up to see Miyoshi Monk donning a black robe standing not far away, with a hesitant expression on his face. Hadn't this guy already apprehended the 'Plagiarist Ghost'? Why hadn't he left yet! The monk knew very well what Chen Xiao'er was doing at this moment and hesitated about whether to catch him red-handed. However, after a moment's thought, he realized he didn't have the authority for such action and it wouldn't be right to overstep his bounds, so he left after giving the warning, out of sight, out of mind. "To those over there, do not touch the wreckage fragments, it can be dangerous!" The ground security personnel from the 'Abyssal Gladiatorial' organizers arrived late, just in time to see Chen Fei and a number of other curious and recklessly brave folks standing with the crashed remnants of the constructed combat aircraft 'Sky Falcon'. By the time Chen Fei was forcibly cleared away by the security staff, the weight of 'Sky Falcon' -4 Beta type wreckage he had touched had already exceeded five hundred pounds, and he had secured three complete magic arrays.