Chapter 69: Uninvited Guest, a Hasty Conclusion

Inside the 518G-type electronic reconnaissance ship.

Unlike the noisy exercise outside, inside the ship's Command Center it was so quiet that only the low hum of equipment could be heard.

Captain Ye Chen had his hands behind his back, calmly watching the main screen.

On the screen,

was a real-time updated tactical situation map.

Dozens of red light points representing enemy vessels were densely scattered across the map, each point's model, heading, speed, and even radar power status marked clearly.

And outside those red points, the green light point representing the 518 reconnaissance ship was like a nonexistent phantom, calmly slipping through the gaps in the radar waves.

"Report Captain, we have successfully bypassed the enemy's three-layer air defense identification zone."

"The sonar department reports no active sonar lock-on signals detected; we passed near them and they didn't notice."

A young soldier reported, his face unable to hide a smile.

"Distance to the Freedom carrier battle group, fifteen kilometers."

"Ten kilometers."

"Five kilometers!"

When the latest distance was reported, everyone in the Command Center felt refreshed.

Five kilometers!

At this distance, even with the naked eye one could clearly see the aircraft on the enemy carrier's deck.

Yet the enemy's so-called world-top-tier "Aegis" defense network remained like a blind person, showing no reaction.

This feeling is just awesome!

Clearly we already had our dagger at the target's throat, yet the target was still proudly boasting about how advanced its warship was.

At this moment, on the lookout post of the Australian Shrimp Nation's destroyer "Te Bahuo", a soldier was scanning the sea with binoculars.

Suddenly, his movement froze, and he rubbed his eyes hard.

At the edge of his field of vision, a blurry ship silhouette appeared.

That ship's paint was gray-white, lines smooth, but its shape was utterly unfamiliar, belonging to none of the ships in the United Fleet.

"Command room, this is the lookout; I spotted an unknown ship about three nautical miles ahead left of my vessel!"

At first, the captain didn't pay attention, thinking it was an ally's ship that had strayed off position.

He picked up the communicator and began inquiring on the united channel.

"Gangang, has your ship deviated from its course?"

"This is Gangang, our ship is at the designated position and has not moved."

The voice of the island nation's captain came through.

"King Sejong, is that you?"

"Not us." The captain of the Bangzi Nation answered firmly.

After asking several more, all replies were negative. In the United Fleet's command channel, the atmosphere began to turn strange.

The news quickly reached the ears of Chief Commander Thomson.

"An unknown ship? What a joke!"

Thomson frowned and scolded, "Why does our radar show nothing? Have them report precise coordinates!"

When the coordinates were transmitted to the Freedom's Command Center, everyone stared at the blank radar display, falling into a deathly silence.

A radar operator, sweating profusely, repeatedly checked:

"General, the Aegis system is completely normal! Those coordinates…… really have nothing!"

"Use optical equipment to look!" Thomson's voice carried a hint of urgency.

Soon, the high‑power camera returned a clear image.

A ship they had never seen before was slowly drifting on the sea surface a few kilometers away.

Thomson felt a chill surge from his soles straight to the crown of his head.

When did the other side arrive?

How did they come?

Like entering an uninhabited realm, they broke through the defense network formed by two carrier battle groups and dozens of top‑tier warships, and crept right up beside us!

If it wasn't a reconnaissance ship but a missile‑laden attack vessel,

or even a nuclear submarine……

Thomson dared not think further; his back was instantly soaked in cold sweat.

An unprecedented fear gripped his heart.

On the 518 reconnaissance ship, many could no longer contain their excitement, utterly thrilled!

"Haha! Well done!"

"So awesome! Look at those foreign devils; they must be seeing ghosts now!"

Ye Chen heard the crew's cheers, a faint smile appeared on his face, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Quiet!"

He let out a low shout, suppressing everyone's over‑excited pride, "The mission isn't over yet."

He scanned the circle and solemnly ordered: "Raise the national flag!"

"Yes!"

Soon, a bright red flag rose slowly on the ship's mast.

That vivid red was like a spear, fiercely stabbing into Thomson's eyeball; his hand gripping the binoculars showed bulging veins, his knuckles whitening from force.

"It's Yanhuang Guo!"

Tangmusen almost squeezed these words out from between his teeth, his face ashen, ugly to the extreme.

This is blatant humiliation!

However, before he could issue any orders, a clear voice suddenly came over the United Fleet's public communications channel.

"Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic! We're just carrying out a routine navigation mission and inadvertently passed through your exercise area. Please continue, no need to mind us."

When the personnel of the Six Nations Fleet heard this, their expressions were rich and varied.

"Especially the phrase 'inadvertently passed through' was even more sarcastic!"

Tangmusen is no fool; how could he believe such nonsense!

Inadvertently passed through?

Who would believe that!

"General Tangmusen! This is the most serious provocation against us! I request to open fire immediately and sink it! Just say it was a mistaken bombing."

In the United Fleet channel, the commander of the Island Nation, Gangcun Taijian, proposed:

"I second that!"

The captain of the Stick Country King Sejong the Great also immediately followed up, "They must pay for their arrogance!"

For a moment, the channel erupted in anger, with several allied nations' commanders shouting to give that lone Yanhuang Guo warship a bloody nose.

"Shut up!"

Tangmusen let out a furious roar, suppressing all noise with his highest authority.

"Gangcun! You idiot! Use your pig brain to think! How did a single ship appear here!"

"And do you still think Yanhuang Guo is what it was decades ago? Even if it was a mistaken strike, if you want to die, don't drag me down with you."

Gangcun Taijian was left stunned by the scolding and dared not speak again.

Tangmusen still felt unsatisfied and continued to roar at everyone:

"Do you think the defense system we spent hundreds of billions to build is just for show? Do you think the air‑submarine defense network formed by dozens of warships is a fishing net?"

"It can silently approach right up to our faces, and underneath the sea will be spotless!"

Those words were like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads, instantly calming the shouting commanders as cold sweat began to break out on their backs.

Indeed, they had all overlooked this most basic and terrifying fact.

"I'll tell you!"

Tangmusen's voice dropped low, carrying a hint of fear,

"Before we detected it, it had been lurking here for who knows how long! In the unseen depths below, who knows how many Yanhuang Guo black fish,

"have torpedoes locked onto our carriers' fuel compartments and ammo magazines! And in space above, who knows how many satellites have calculated the coordinates of each of our ships with pinpoint accuracy!"

He drew a deep breath, almost gritting his teeth,

"If we give the order to fire now, I guarantee that within thirty seconds our entire fleet will become a heap of scrap iron at the bottom of the Pacific, and all we can do is resign ourselves to fate."

The entire United Command Channel fell into a deathly silence.

Just as they had been full of vigor before, now they were overwhelmed by fear and frustration.

Tangmusen wearily lowered his binoculars; this enormously expensive joint military exercise, from the moment that Yanhuang Guo reconnaissance ship appeared, had already turned into a complete joke.

They had intended to flex their muscles to intimidate Yanhuang Guo, but instead they were shown up, their faces rubbed repeatedly in the dirt.

"General, what should we do now?" the aide asked cautiously.

Tangmusen closed his eyes, his face full of humiliation and helplessness.

After a few seconds, he reopened his eyes, his gaze holding only cold rationality.

"Notify all units: the exercise is ended early due to sudden bad weather. Everyone, disperse."