Chapter 51: It's Really a Fighter Jet!

"This is no model! It's a real fighter jet!" Su Qi exclaimed, his voice sharp and piercing.

Lin Yi, positioned beneath the aircraft, nodded. "Judging, judging by the test results, this is indeed a real fighter jet..."

He was now certain that the object he had been inspecting—previously suspected to be a replica—was an authentic fighter jet, not a model at all!

If the previous two tests had yielded abnormal results—the first time due to stealth coating left on the surface, and the second time regarding the aerodynamic devices due to equipment malfunction—this engine test was infallible!

He had checked his instruments thoroughly before conducting the test. He would never make such a simple mistake, nor was it possible for two high-precision instruments to fail simultaneously.

There was only one possible explanation: this F-22 was a genuine fighter jet!

Of course, for now, they could only confirm it was a real fighter jet, not definitively an F-22. After all, too much classified performance data surrounded the F-22 to verify it through a single preliminary test; they could not jump to conclusions based solely on appearance.

Hearing this verdict, Zhai Lin froze. He took a few steps back, staring at the colossal F-22 model before him, and then recalled what the two military researchers had just said.

A look of bewilderment and confusion surfaced in his eyes.

It turned out not to be an F-22 model, but a real fighter jet...

A real fighter jet!

The moment those words echoed in his mind, his entire being went completely blank.

"Th-This is a real F-22?" Zhai Lin let out a startled cry, instinctively retreating several steps.

He never imagined that he had only considered buying it because it looked so realistic—just like a genuine F-22—and because he assumed such a machine could never exist anywhere outside the United States military, let alone within the borders of the State of Kyushu.

That was why he had decided to spend money to acquire this supposed F-22 model.

Little did he know, this was no model; it was a bona fide F-22 fighter jet!

If he had remained ignorant of this fact and foolishly bought a real F-22, wouldn't he... wouldn't he be guilty of illegal arms trafficking?

And purchasing such a heavy, large-scale military combat weapon, at that!

By then, forget about being a top-tier celebrity; even his talent agency's boss would face severe legal accountability from the authorities.

"Sister Li, I-I'm not buying it anymore. The deposit, I don't even want the deposit back. Let's leave, let's leave right now." Zhai Lin turned to flee, completely unable to care about anything else.

Sister Li, naturally aware of the grave implications, hurriedly packed up her belongings, preparing to make a hasty exit.

However, a security guard stepped directly in front of them, narrowing his eyes. "Please stay, both of you, and cooperate with our investigation."

"No, officer, I really didn't know! I honestly had no idea this was a real F-22! I—I initially thought it was just a model, I just wanted to buy it to play with—no, wait, not to play with, just for decoration! I never had any intention of buying illegal arms!" Zhai Lin was on the verge of tears, his legs trembling slightly.

Sister Li chimed in anxiously, "I can vouch for that, officer! We merely wanted to purchase a fighter jet model to build up his public persona. We absolutely never intended to get involved in any weapons trade!"

She was genuinely terrified.

Once Zhai Lin became implicated in arms dealing, all the agency's painstaking efforts would go down the drain. The company itself could get dragged into the mess, affecting its other artists and sending its stock prices plummeting.

As for her, she would lose her career, forever barred from working in this industry again.

The security officer nodded. "I believe you. But until the matter is fully investigated, I must ask you to wait here. Once we reach a conclusion, we will decide whether you are free to leave. Your cooperation is appreciated."

"Yes, yes, yes, we understand. We'll cooperate fully."

Zhai Lin and Sister Li retreated to the side, both casting anxious glances at the two F-22 fighter jets.

Only two people on the scene remained completely unfazed.

The first was Wang Yang. Not a trace of surprise showed on his face; the two F-22s were genuine to begin with, and he had never intended to hide it. That the authorities discovered them to be real fighter jets was merely a matter of time.

Besides, he had anticipated this exact scenario.

Jiang Liangliang was much the same. Initially, she too had suspected they were merely replicas.

No matter how she thought about it, Brother Yang could not possibly possess the credentials of a top-tier scientific genius capable of restoring two fighter jet wrecks into fully functional aircraft.

Yet, after experiencing the live broadcast and yesterday's inspection process, she had already deduced a terrifying possibility: the two F-22s Brother Yang was putting up for sale might not be models at all, but actual, functioning F-22 fighter jets!

Though she had lacked definitive proof until now, the arrival of the military had finally confirmed her suspicions.

Gazing at the two fighter jets and then looking back at Brother Yang, a wave of profound awe washed over her.

Brother Yang... was simply too legendary!

No, "legendary" didn't even cover it; it was utterly terrifying!

A single man had restored two F-22 wrecks into authentic, operational F-22 fighter jets!

And he had accomplished this feat in a mere half-year.

A brand-new understanding of Wang Yang formed in her mind: Brother Yang was practically a divine entity.

Now, she finally understood what Brother Yang had used all those hundred-and-some-odd millions borrowed by President Liang for...

Every single cent had clearly gone into restoring these fighter jets!

"Director Lin, Director Su, can you confirm whether these two F-22 fighter jets are real?" The security officer stepped forward, looking intently at the two researchers as he asked in a solemn tone.

Lin Yi and Su Qi both nodded in unison.

"To be precise, this is a genuine fighter jet, though whether it is specifically an F-22 cannot yet be definitively determined."

"That's right. This is no model; it is a real fighter jet."

Hearing their responses, the guard nodded.

He glanced at the trembling Zhai Lin and Sister Li, then at the calm and collected Wang Yang, and finally at the stunned Jiang Liangliang.

Turning around, he pulled out his military communication device and swiftly punched in a series of numbers.

Moments later, the call connected, and Li Wenshan's authoritative voice came through the receiver. "Xiao Zhang, what are the test results? Has it been confirmed as a model?"

"Reporting to the Commander, the outcome may differ slightly from your expectations..." The security officer took a deep breath.

Li Wenshan paused. "Differ? What kind of difference? Are there suspicious devices hidden within these two models?"

In an era dominated by information-warfare tactics, any anomaly could potentially be an attempt by a hostile nation to gather intelligence.

In matters like this, there was zero room for error.

The guard shook his head. "Commander, what I mean is, the test results indicate..."

He glanced back at Wang Yang before speaking in a low voice, "The two fighter jets up for sale are real. While we can't definitively confirm if they are F-22s, they are definitely not models!"