Steeling the Chengdu J-100 - The Jade Scorpion, #3

Ji-Yeon and Li Mei are summoned by General Park for a high-risk covert mission involving China's newest fighter aircraft, the Chengdu J-100. The aircraft represents a massive leap in military technology, capable of hypersonic supercruise, near-invisibility to advanced detection systems, and AI-driven combat prediction. The urgency of the mission becomes clear when Park reveals that the J-100 recently destroyed three American F-35s in under ninety seconds, killing the pilots and securing the wreckage before recovery. Multiple American infiltration attempts have already failed, making Ji-Yeon and Li Mei the last viable option.

The aircraft is hidden within a fortified mountain base in western Sichuan, protected by layered defenses, surveillance systems, and unpredictable patrols. Park outlines the dangerous parameters: the operatives will enter China under civilian cover as salvage surveyors, with limited electronic support and no air assistance. If captured, their government will deny involvement, leaving them completely on their own.

After preparing specialized equipment, forged identities, and contingency plans, Ji-Yeon and Li Mei depart aboard a civilian freighter. They travel through the South China Sea and enter China via a remote coastal insertion, moving inland through mountainous terrain using local contacts and safe houses. The journey is tense and calculated, with both women constantly assessing risks and adapting to limited intelligence.

Eventually, they reach the heavily guarded installation. Using timing, micro-drones, and hacking tools, they slip through outer defenses and infiltrate the hangar where the J-100 is housed. Inside, they confirm the aircraft's advanced structure and successfully extract critical data through a maintenance access panel while briefly disabling surveillance systems.

A near encounter with maintenance personnel nearly compromises the mission, but they remain undetected. With the data secured, they retreat through the mountains and escape the facility. Carrying intelligence capable of shifting global military balance, Ji-Yeon and Li Mei disappear into the night, knowing their success may reshape international power dynamics while leaving them still deep in hostile territory.