Munitions Empire-Chapter 1222 - 1142 an accident

"The original plan was to act at Nanshan Port, but the higher-ups thought that would alert their comrades, so we could only move directly on the plane... disguise it as an accident." Tossing aside his oil-stained coveralls, the field agent who had just completed his mission said with a grin to his colleague.

His colleague lit a cigarette in the car, handed him one, and helped him light it. The two sat in the car, quietly exhaling smoke.

If they blatantly killed these people with Sofia connections, the rest of the Sofia clique would undoubtedly tense up, becoming more cautious and vigilant.

Although caution and vigilance wouldn’t really help them, forcing the enemy into such a posture is never ideal. Thus, after some deliberation, the Empire Intelligence Bureau decided to disguise their operation as an accident.

This way, they could continue to lull their enemies into a false sense of security, keeping them active and making future operations more manageable. After all, if the enemy realized their communications were insecure and riddled with infiltrators, they would be compelled to act more prudently in their next steps.

The colleague in the driver’s seat started the car and asked, "You’re sure they’ll crash?"

The field agent in the backseat chuckled, "You don’t trust my work? With those two Category-III pilots who barely have any flight experience, the success rate of managing this kind of malfunction is about three percent."

For safety and to avoid alerting the Great Tang Empire’s intelligence network, they had selected pilots who had never trained on Great Tang Empire soil. These pilots had been trained at home, and their instructors—or their instructors’ instructors—had been the ones who trained in the Great Tang Empire.

The Great Tang Empire categorized pilots to estimate their capabilities and susceptibility to defection. In short... Category-III pilots were not worth trying to turn and had little value if kept alive.

The colleague driving the car turned the wheel at an intersection, merging seamlessly into the traffic. "What if they actually manage to overcome the malfunction and land successfully?"

The field agent in the back, unaware that Liu Jing had already changed plans, said confidently, "There’s a contingency plan at Nanshan Port Airport. Once they disembark, they’ll be arrested—no need to worry."

"Dear passengers, we’ve entered the airspace of Chu Country." The pilot’s voice came through the cabin speakers. A cheer erupted among the passengers, palpable excitement sweeping over them.

For those in flight, this was certainly welcome news. At the very least, they believed they had escaped danger—or rather... temporarily escaped it.

Liu Jing also felt that the danger had receded. He considered diverting to the Chu Kingdom’s Royal City Airport a decision he made after boarding, a last-minute improvisation. No matter how capable the forces in Tang Country were, they couldn’t have foreseen this step.

So he believed himself safe. In that instant, the sensation of being watched melted away, leaving him feeling unburdened.

In the cockpit, the two pilots carried out orders from their benefactor. They had been handsomely paid, including a large recent transfer, so naturally, they were quite diligent.

For them, landing at Tang Country’s Nanshan Port Airport or Chu Kingdom’s Royal City Airport made no difference.

"Calling the airport!" Gripping the transmitter, the captain began lying to ground control. "Calling the tower! Our plane is experiencing a malfunction! We’re encountering a malfunction! Requesting emergency landing, requesting emergency landing!"

"This is ground control! This is Chu Kingdom’s Royal City Ground Control! Shu Airlines Flight 90117! Shu Airlines Flight 90117! Please confirm the nature of your malfunction!"

"Our fuel system is problematic! Instruments showing anomalies!" The pilot lied, citing an issue that didn’t sound overly grave but still warranted an urgent landing.

"I’ll guide you to land on the auxiliary runway, Shu Airlines Flight 90117! Please adjust your flight posture and reduce altitude!" Watching the radar blips, the dispatcher maintained a calm demeanor.

C-47 transport planes were inherently prone to faults; they were in a completely different league from modern civilian airliners. During this era, aviation accidents were still frequent, with only Great Tang Empire’s aircraft maintaining a decently safe track record.

It was routine for pilots to report malfunctions and request emergency landings. Major airports in every nation usually had auxiliary runways precisely for situations like this, enabling quick and safe landings.

Hearing the tower’s approval for their landing clearance, a smug grin spread across the pilots’ faces as they started lowering the aircraft’s altitude.

Inside the plane, the fractured fuel line burst open under pressure, spraying black fuel everywhere. Nearby wires, flailing alongside the leaking line, sparked continuously.

"Weird! No response?" The pilot glanced at his gauges, noticing the needles twitching erratically. "What the hell? Pressure’s unstable!"

"We’re descending, but why hasn’t the altimeter changed?" The co-pilot was equally puzzled, having never encountered such a scenario before.

"Flaps won’t deploy!" The captain desperately tried to stabilize the aircraft, but the left engine suddenly caught fire, and flames rapidly engulfed half the wing.

"Damn it! Why’s it on fire?!" The Shu Country co-pilot shrieked in panic. Meanwhile, the passengers in the cabin had also spotted the flames on the wing.

A wave of screams and cries erupted. Liu Jing was stunned, his gaze fixed on the burning engine. In that instant, the truth dawned on him.

This was the danger! The opposition never planned to arrest him at Nanshan Airport or ambush him at the Nanshan Port docks.

They intended to eliminate him mid-flight—or rather, eliminate everyone onboard... all these fleeing nobles and merchants from Chu Country.

Somehow, they had always known—known about his dealings with Qin Country, known about Sofia’s maneuvers...

Whatever they might have discovered, his death seemed certain. Seeing the left engine engulfed in flames, Liu Jing did not scream but instead closed his eyes with a bitter smile.

The Earl of Chu beside him, however, couldn’t maintain his composure. He screamed and wept, wailing that he didn’t want to die, that he still longed to return to Chu Country to relish wealth and luxury.

But it was far too late. The aircraft was losing control, and its altitude continued to plummet. The flaps, battered by airflow and ravaged by fire, had shattered into pieces.

On the ground, the sight of the burning plane in a nosedive left the staff in Chu Kingdom’s Royal City airport tower dumbfounded.

The distress call had led them to believe it was a minor issue, but the severity of the problem—that the plane was already ablaze mid-air—caught them completely off guard.

"Oh my God! Hopefully, they’ll be okay." A female dispatcher clasped her hands over her mouth, staring up at the descending aircraft with a whisper.

The plane struggled to stabilize, with the pilots repeatedly updating the tower on their efforts to retain control.

But it was all futile. About 500 meters above ground, the burning wing finally detached, causing the plane to spiral uncontrollably.

The aircraft’s nose veered off the runway, crashing approximately 300 meters outside its perimeter. The entire fuselage was instantly consumed by flames, its momentum tearing the body apart.

It took about ten minutes for firefighters to arrive at the scene. In the midst of the chaos, charred remains were plainly visible. The blaze raged on for over two hours before it was fully extinguished.

The plane had been fueled for a planned trip to Nanshan Port Airport, carrying ample reserves that fed the relentless fire. Until the excess fuel was entirely burned, the flames couldn’t be subdued.

Once the fire was out, the scene of devastation resembled a vision of hell. Scorched limbs lay next to half-burnt property deeds, and fragments of Great Tang currency fluttered in the wind, tattered and incomplete.

Chu Country firefighters salvaged what they could, pocketing intact currency. The flight had been laden with wealthy individuals fleeing from Shu Country, carrying ample gold, jewelry, and cash—any recovered item was immensely valuable!

Unfortunately, they found no survivors amid the wreckage and flames. Otherwise, such a rescue would undoubtedly have yielded substantial rewards.

The most pitiful remains were those of charred corpses, curled up like gnarled branches. Safety belts kept them fixed to their seats, their proximity to melted aluminum frames rendering them unrecognizable.

While handling the remains, care was taken. Gold chains and rings had melted and fused to the corpses, prompting Chu Country firefighters to meticulously pry out the golden parts, even though this further damaged the fragile, burnt bodies.

"We have recordings... They reported the malfunction themselves." The dispatcher was being questioned by the police. Such an incident warranted a thorough investigation by Chu authorities. Responsibility had to be shirked off where possible—this was Shu Country’s problem, not theirs!

"They reported issues with their fuel system and faulty instruments..." She spoke with absolute certainty since everything she relayed was true.

A few hours later, Chu Country’s radio station broke the news of the disaster: A Shu Airlines Flight 90117 C-47 aircraft had crashed, claiming the lives of all 31 onboard. This included two pilots, one navigator, and 28 passengers.

The investigation quickly pinned responsibility on Shu Country, where wartime negligence in following maintenance protocols had led to the "fuel system issues." The evidence was robust: recorded communications and numerous eyewitness accounts.

Soon after, the Great Tang Empire also disseminated the tragic news: A civilian aircraft had crashed in Chu Country, with all 31 onboard perished.