King of the Wilderness

"Do you know what this means? You not only memorized the question bank, but also understood the underlying logic of aviation as a discipline, and then completed this assessment in a superior way!"

Hank listened in amazement. He had never seen John, known for his strictness and indifference, speak so much to an examinee.

John adjusted his reading glasses, took out a business card from his pocket, and handed it to Lin Yu’an.

The card was crafted with extreme care. Besides a name and phone number, there was also a badge that most people wouldn’t recognize—the emblem of the United States Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC).

"Before becoming an FAA exam proctor, I served in the Air Force for thirty years, responsible for recruiting and screening flight cadets."

John’s voice was low but carried an undeniable power: "Young man, have you ever thought about serving this country? Are you interested in enlisting?"

He looked at Lin Yu’an, eyes filled with a thirst for talent: "I don’t need you to start as a recruit."

"With your demonstrated learning ability and mental acuity, I can directly use my special talent recommendation quota to recommend you for the Pentagon’s high-potential pilot program."

"You’ll skip all the cumbersome procedures and head straight into the top flying academy for the best training."

"What you’ll pilot won’t be toys like a Cessna, but the F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning!"

"Within a few years, you could become a real ace pilot, soaring at tens of thousands of meters high, protecting the honor of this nation. Such a sky is what a genius like you should have!"

These words, like thunder on a clear day, left Hank absolutely stunned.

He only brought Lin Yu’an for a private pilot exam, so how did it turn into a top-tier Air Force recruitment scene?

And directly promising an F-22 and F-35? Is this old man crazy? Doesn’t he know Lin is Chinese? How could the US Military ever accept a pilot with a Chinese background?

However, faced with such an offer that would drive any passionate young man wild, Lin Yu’an’s response was terrifyingly calm.

He didn’t immediately take the business card; he just looked at John, smiled, and shook his head.

"Thank you, Mr. John. I’m honored to receive your recognition," he said, his voice gentle yet firm. "But I’m sorry, my skies aren’t confined within the borders of any country."

"I just want...to fly freely."

After finishing, he courteously accepted the card, put it in his pocket, nodded to John and the still-stunned Hank, and turned to walk towards the door.

John Miller stood still, watching his departing figure for a long time without moving. He wasn’t angry at being refused; instead, his eyes showed extreme admiration mixed with deep regret.

On the way back, Hank was silent the entire journey. He occasionally glanced at the unnaturally calm young man beside him from the corner of his eye.

Looking at the results in his hand, he mumbled, "It took me three tries to score 72 back in the day...this is insane. Seems like those ten free flights of mine are coming much sooner than I thought."

The real flight training began the next day.

Wiseman’s sky became Lin Yu’an’s personal training ground.

Hank’s Cessna 185, a legendary workhorse serving for decades in Alaska, became his first weapon in conquering the sky.

Hank’s teaching methods were wild yet practical. He wasn’t just teaching a genius student, but also investing in his own future.

The sooner Lin Yu’an graduated, the sooner Hank’s returns would materialize.

"Forget the gentle theories you read in books! In the plane, you have to relearn through experience!" Hank shouted in the turbulent cabin on the first official flight day.

"This is Alaska! The sky is not your friend; it wants to kill you at any moment! You have to be fiercer than it!"

He wouldn’t let Lin Yu’an drearily practice level flight and turns; instead, he directly took him flying through the valleys of the Brooks Range, experiencing the demon-like turbulence of the valleys.

The plane, like a leaf in a storm, was sometimes suddenly lifted by an invisible force, sometimes plummeting rapidly. The feeling of weightlessness and overloading hit the body alternately.

"Can you feel it? The plane is sinking!" Hank pointed at the rapidly approaching mountains outside the window and yelled, "Don’t fight it! Pulling hard will only cause you to stall!"

"Find the updrafts! Like an eagle, use the wind instead of fearing it! In the future, when you’re flying better planes with powers many times greater, these basic skills will be what save your life!"

Lin Yu’an’s talent was pushed to the extreme in such a challenging environment. His enhanced brain and body seemed to directly read the air currents.

He could judge the direction of the airflow from the slightest tremor of the wings and sense changes in air density from the smallest variations in engine noise.

With steady hands on the control stick, feet precisely coordinating the rudder, he skillfully maneuvered the plane from dangerous downdrafts into stable updrafts time and again.

Throughout the process, he was even calmer than Hank beside him.

By the third day, basic flying maneuvers had become as simple as eating or drinking for him. Hank started teaching him more advanced jungle flying techniques.

"See that gravel bank below?" Hank pointed at a narrow riverbank filled with pebbles below. "Assuming we have engine issues now and need to land there. Tell me, your approach path and landing spot!"

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