Chapter 323: Sunk!

The aircraft carrier seemed to be struck by a giant's hammer; the entire midsection snapped instantly, splitting into two halves.

The forward section sank rapidly, while the aft section tilted high, forming a heartbreaking angle.

"No! No! No!" a sailor cried hysterically on a lifeboat, "This is impossible! This is impossible!"

But the cruel reality was right before their eyes—the "Enterprise," this massive ship known as the "sea fortress," was sinking at a speed visible to the naked eye.

On the bridge, Admiral Jackson stood silently on the tilted floor, watching the sea outside the window drawing ever closer.

He did not flee, choosing to go down with his ship.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered, whether to the dead sailors or to his family far away in Di Guo, "I have failed..."

The forward section of the carrier had already completely submerged into the sea, and the aft section was still stubbornly holding on, but as seawater poured in continuously, its fate was sealed.

"Look! Look at that huge whirlpool!" a rescued pilot pointed at the massive vortex of water forming around the carrier, his voice trembling, "It's going to suck in all the small boats nearby!"

Indeed, as the carrier sank, seawater rushed to fill the void, forming a terrifying whirlpool.

Several lifeboats that were too close were swept into it, unable to escape, and were dragged into the deep sea along with the sailors on board.

"Row! Row hard!" Maikesi paddled desperately on a small boat, trying to escape the suction of the whirlpool, "Faster! Or we'll all die!"

But the power of the whirlpool was too strong, and the small boat was constantly pulled toward the center.

Just as they were about to be swallowed, suddenly, a passing destroyer spotted them and extended a helping hand in time.

The last section of the "Enterprise" was also about to sink, with only the stern still exposed above the water.

The flag on the stern was still fluttering, as if it were the final stubbornness of this giant ship.

Then, in a Silence, the flag also submerged into the water, the whirlpool gradually subsided, and the sea surface returned to calm, as if the tragedy that had just occurred had never happened.

Only the scattered wreckage, the corpses floating on the water, and hundreds of survivors shivering on lifeboats proved that all of this had indeed happened.

This news was quickly transmitted via radio to the Long Country Frontline Command.

……

At the Frontline Command, Li Yunlong was anxiously awaiting the results of the operation.

Ever since the Missile was launched, the entire command post had been deathly silent; everyone held their breath, waiting for the news that would decide the outcome of the war.

"Why is there no news yet?" Li Yunlong checked his watch for the tenth time; nearly half an hour had passed since the Missile launch, "There should be a result by now, right?"

Li Mingyuan stood to the side, outwardly calm, but his heart was also filled with trepidation.

Although the Missile performed perfectly during the test firing, actual combat was a different matter entirely, and the enemy ship's defense system was far more complex than a target ship.

Just then, the communications officer jumped up from his seat, "Report! Urgent telegram from the coastal observation station! The enemy ship has been hit! Repeat: The enemy ship has been hit!"

The entire command post instantly erupted!

"Details!" Li Yunlong snatched the telegram and asked impatiently, "What about the aircraft carrier?"

The communications officer was so excited he was incoherent, "Re... report! The first wave of Missiles has hit the target! Three escort ships have sunk, and the aircraft carrier is severely damaged! The second wave of Missiles has also hit, and the carrier... the carrier is sinking!"

"Sinking?!" Li Yunlong shouted in disbelief, "Di Guo's aircraft carrier, that 'Enterprise,' has it really sunk?!"

"The report indicates that the carrier has begun to tilt, a large number of personnel are abandoning ship, and it is expected... expected to sink completely within half an hour!"

Li Yunlong stood stunned for a moment, then suddenly let out a long roar toward the sky:

"Good! Very good!" He slammed his fist onto the map table, "Di Guo's aircraft carrier, their 'sea overlord' they were so proud of, has finally tasted the power of Long Country!"

A burst of frenzied cheers erupted in the command post; staff officers hugged each other, soldiers cheered and jumped for joy, and some were even moved to tears.

Just as Li Mingyuan was about to say something, the communications officer shouted again in surprise: "New news! The third wave of Missiles has also been launched, targeting Di Guo's other aircraft carrier, the 'Victory'!"

"What?" Li Yunlong was overjoyed, "Good! Wiping out two of Di Guo's aircraft carriers in one fell swoop, this war will be completely turned around!"

Another half hour passed, and the good news arrived again—the "Victory" had also been subjected to a fierce strike by Long Country's Missiles; although it did not sink, its flight deck was severely damaged, it lost its combat capability, and it was urgently withdrawing from the war zone.

"Di Guo's carrier strike group is in total disarray!" the communications officer announced excitedly, "Their fleet is retreating urgently! The Long Country sea area has been completely liberated!"

At this moment, the cheers in the command post reached their peak.

For a month, Di Guo's aircraft carriers had been running rampant in Long Country's sea area, showing off their power, continuously bombing Long Country's rear, and cutting off supply lines; now, they had finally tasted the bitter fruit!

A thrill of revenge flickered in Li Yunlong's eyes, "Pass on my order! All troops prepare for a counterattack immediately! The enemy has lost carrier support, their morale will inevitably collapse; this is the best time for us to strike back!"

The Chief of Staff quickly marked the map, "Lao Li, we can launch a surprise attack from here and here, cut off the enemy's retreat, and then the main force will launch a fierce frontal assault!"

Li Yunlong slapped the table, "That's it! Act immediately! Today, I want to let the enemy know what the price of offending Long Country is!"

The order was quickly transmitted to various frontline units.

Upon learning the news that Di Guo's aircraft carrier had been sunk, the Long Country army's morale was greatly boosted, and an unprecedented enthusiasm for battle swept through the entire front line.

"Brothers, have you heard? Our new weapon sank Di Guo's aircraft carrier!" a Company Commander said excitedly to the soldiers.

"Is it true?" the soldiers were half-believing.

"Absolutely true! The headquarters sent an urgent telegram saying it was the 'Thunderstrike-1' Missile developed by Li Mingyuan that sank Di Guo's 'Enterprise' in one fell swoop from three hundred kilometers away!"

"My god!" the soldiers exclaimed, "The 'Enterprise' is Di Guo's main aircraft carrier!"

"Not only that, the other one, the 'Victory,' was also crippled! Di Guo's fleet is retreating in defeat!"

This news was like a shot of adrenaline, injected into the blood of every Long Country soldier.

For so many days and nights, they had struggled under the enemy's bombing, watching their comrades sacrifice themselves, yet they were powerless to fight back.

Now, Long Country finally had a weapon capable of contending with Di Guo, and it was even an ultimate weapon capable of directly striking aircraft carriers!

"Prepare for a counterattack!" the Company Commander shouted, "Follow Regimental Commander Li and kill our way back!"

The soldiers were fired up, checking their weapons one after another, preparing for battle.

At this moment, the Long Country army was like a fierce tiger ready to spring, prepared to pounce on its prey at any time.

……