Location: Thousands of miles away in Uklan.Time: Twenty hours ago.Two elderly Soviet pilots boarded the cab of their old Ri-2PG passenger and cargo aircraft.The pilot sat down heavily in the worn-out chair, touched his red rosacea, and pulled a 500-liter bottle of vodka from his old flight suit — the brown bear on the label indicated that the vodka was made in Russia and had a formidable degree.Putting the bottle in his mouth, the pilot, who was already in his fifties, raised his head and drank several sips, then stretched it out to the side and handed it to the co-pilot."
Yakov, take a sip!"
The co-pilot grinned, revealing a mouthful of jagged yellow teeth.He took the vodka, poured two sips into his mouth without hesitation, and half-closed his teeth and half-closed his eyes enjoyed the burning sensation of the strong liquor sliding through his esophagus into his stomach, and the nerves in his body seemed to be completely stimulated and fully activated at once.Completely different from the tired appearance of just walking into the cockpit and secretly half-asleep, the co-pilot Yakov entered a state of euphoria as if he had been resurrected on the spot and refilled with blood.The bottle was capped and handed back to his master, who was piloted by Osbelev, Yakov quickly turned on the switches of various instruments - and there were not many switches, the Li-2PG aircraft was introduced in the early eighties and has been used as a multi-purpose passenger and cargo aircraft, and some models have been converted into reconnaissance aircraft.However, with the collapse of the huge former Soviet Union, Ukraine was not able to maintain these planes, except for a small number that remained in the army, the rest were either bought by private companies or thrown into the aircraft graveyard to mold, and the fate was the same as that of the once glorious empire.This plane touched both Osbelev and Yakov very much, and it was a tool for their livelihood.They are both of Ukrainian origin, and after the breakup, both of them who had stable pilot jobs were unemployed, and later the Air Force disposed of a batch of Li-2PG passenger and cargo aircraft, and the two of them combined their little savings to buy them for the transportation of goods, and occasionally of people.As former Air Force pilots, they seem to be very tall, but in fact, during the period when the motherland was divided, they did not live as well as dogs, and it was good to have a job.Business has not been very good recently, and Osbelev is about to get sick, and he has no income, and he can't afford to keep his planes.But things quickly took a turn for the worse, and luck came and fell Osbelev's head.A week ago, a middle-aged man who claimed to be the owner of a trading company came to the door and said that there was a business to take care of Ostelev, but asked Ostelev not to intervene in anything other than the flight route and schedule, and to be blind and deaf in the whole process.After some talking, the old and spicy Osberev smelled something unusual.The transport business may not be as simple as it seems—the destination is Somalia, Africa, and when he heard the name, Osberev chuckled.That's not a good place.When you go to the desert area of an out-of-control country to transport a batch of goods that you can't ask or see, the water in it can be as deep as it gets, and you may not be able to use weapons or something.The so-called trading companies today are probably arms dealers.It's not like Osberev hasn't done such a job before.In order to survive, to live, he and his partner Yakov sometimes had to put aside the dignity of former Soviet Air Force officers to take on some odd and even illegal work.Just as Osberev was thinking about how much more he would be paid to this guy to be worthy of his adventure, and deliberately grinding, the visitor slapped a stack of dollar bills on the table.It was a stack of three bundles of cash bills, the familiar green color with Franklin's head, and the alluring $100 number.Osbelev almost didn't come out on the spot.The guest told him that if he agreed, the $30,000 would be a deposit, and that he would be used to refuel and maintain the plane, and that he would wait at the suburban cargo airport after a week, and that the guest would arrange everything else for them, and that all the specific route would be sent to Osberev as for the flight route, where to fly, where to refuel, and where to land.Sure enough, when Osberev and Yakov checked all the plane's instruments and felt normal, the middle-aged man from the trading company appeared on the plane."
Ospalev, your plane is okay, right!?"
The guests looked at the somewhat backward dashboard of the old plane and expressed a little worry.Obelev patted his chest and said, "No problem!"
I know every part of this plane, and it's never been in such good shape, like a young man in his early twenties, who can't give him ten girls!
Hahaha!
”As soon as he smiled, his mouth opened, and the strong smell of vodka rose to the sky.The guest frowned, but didn't say anything.In the former Soviet Union, these big hairy people drank vodka as coke, and it is said that some pilots don't know how to fly a plane if you don't give him vodka."
This is the flight schedule, you strictly follow the above routes and locations to fly and refuel, remember not to make a mistake!"
Osberev took the flight schedule, looked at it carefully with a frown, and then gave a thumbs up: "No problem!"
”"Then everything is left to you, when you get to Somalia, someone will connect with you, the landing site is a little troublesome, it's not a regular airport, but I don't think it's difficult for you, right?"
The guest said.Osbelev continues to take on big things, and now what time is it?
If it doesn't work, you have to do it!
It was a big deal, and the final payment was enough for him and his partner Yakov to go to the beach on the Black Sea for a long time, and enough to pay his own mountain of bills, all thanks to this business.The guest nodded, still slightly worried, and got off the plane.When Osberev saw the guests leave, he closed the hatch and put the flight watch above the wheelhouse."
Yakov, this is not a good deal."
Yakov looked at the flight arrangement, nodded and said, "That's right, refuel twice......
Flying more than 8,000 kilometers, this is really a long journey......"
"I can't care so much, it's important to make money!"
”Osberev pushed the joystick, lightly pressed the throttle, and the plane began to slowly glide to the runway take-off position.They all knew it was a difficult voyage, with two refueling points in unsafe third world countries.Every time they stop to refuel, they will already be in danger of being damaged by the inferior quality fuel, but fortunately this plane is of the former Soviet Union, and itself uses two Schwittsov-62 Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines produced under license, although this thing is older, but it is absolutely durable!
However, in the face of a generous honorarium, all dangers are clouds.Their employers promised them a generous bonus if they arrived on time at their designated location in Somalia.The two of them are now no longer the former Soviet Air Force, they are flying for themselves, not for the Soviet Air Force, which paid them a few decades ago.The sooner you complete the task, the sooner you get the money, and then return to the country where you live to continue your own life, this is the king.With a roar, the Rich-2PG transport plane slowly flew into the sky and quickly disappeared into the distant clouds.On the ground, the guest who hired Osberev and Yakov stood in a corner of the airport, watched the plane disappear from his sight, then picked up the satellite phone and dialed a number."
That's all right, let the lab get ready."
He looked at his watch."
Twenty-five hours later, all evacuations began."