Chapter 549: Sailing for You to See

"Chief Engineer Li, there is an urgent call." The secretary's voice came through the door crack.

Li Mingyuan put down the pen in his hand, stretched, and asked, "Whose is it?"

"It is Minister Zhang; he says there is an important matter to discuss."

Li Mingyuan smiled. This Minister Zhang had been as busy as a spinning top these past few days, exhausted from dealing with the stormy waves of international public opinion. Ever since "Kunpeng" made its high-profile appearance in the waters of Sakura, the entire world had been shocked by this "Eastern Giant," Long Country.

"Put it through."

On the other end of the line, Minister Zhang's voice carried unconcealable excitement: "Lao Li, I just received news. Both Star-Spangled Country and Beijixiong Guo have dispatched top-tier spy ships, disguised as merchant vessels, and they are currently lingering in a certain international shipping lane at sea. It is clear they want to catch a glimpse of the true face of 'Kunpeng'!"

Li Mingyuan chuckled: "These foreigners, they couldn't hold it in anymore, could they?"

"You said it! They can't sleep at night now, terrified that Long Country will come up with some new trick. I am thinking, shouldn't we let them see their fill?"

Li Mingyuan's eyes lit up: "Minister Zhang, you mean..."

"Yes, exactly what you are thinking! Formally display 'Kunpeng' and let the whole world see our strength!" Minister Zhang's voice grew more agitated. "The Military has already agreed, and the leaders have nodded as well. Tell me, shouldn't we arrange a 'scientific research test'? Right there in that international shipping lane!"

Li Mingyuan pondered for a moment, the corners of his mouth slowly rising: "I have a better idea. This time, we won't rush to push the speed. First, we will let them get a good look at the true face of 'Kunpeng,' and then we will hit them with something fierce!"

"Interesting, tell me about it."

"We officially announce that 'Kunpeng' will conduct a 'low-speed cruise scientific research test' in a certain international shipping lane at sea, specifically emphasizing the words 'low-speed.' Let those foreigners have plenty of time to observe, take photos, record videos, and take measurements..."

"And then?" Minister Zhang's voice carried anticipation.

"Then, just when they think they have mastered all the data on 'Kunpeng,' we will suddenly accelerate and completely shatter their worldview!" Li Mingyuan laughed like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank.

Minister Zhang was silent for two seconds on the other end of the line, then burst into a hearty laugh: "Good idea! That is so damn devious! This is basically slapping them in the face in public!"

"It's not just a slap in the face; it's to make them understand that Long Country's technology is already at least thirty years ahead of them!" Li Mingyuan said, thinking to himself that this feeling of showing off and slapping faces was truly satisfying.

Minister Zhang restrained his laughter and said sternly: "It is settled then. I will immediately arrange for the Wajiaobu to issue a formal statement, saying that 'Kunpeng' will conduct a low-speed scientific research test at sea in three days. You are responsible for the technical preparations; it must be foolproof!"

"Guarantee to complete the mission!" Li Mingyuan gave a military salute, even though Minister Zhang on the other end of the phone could not see it.

Three days later, a certain international shipping lane at sea.

On the calm sea surface, the sunlight cast shimmering ripples. This seemingly ordinary stretch of sea was currently surging with undercurrents. At least six "merchant ships" and three "research vessels" were quietly positioned on both sides of the shipping lane, each ship equipped with the most advanced observation equipment. High in the sky, two Star-Spangled Country U-2 Reconnaissance Planes circled at the edge of the stratosphere, carrying the most advanced long-range cameras of the time. Underwater, three nuclear submarines lurked at different depths, their sonar systems running at full power.

This was an intelligence war without gunpowder; Star-Spangled Country and Beijixiong Guo spared no effort in using their top-tier intelligence resources just to catch a glimpse of the true face of Long Country's "Kunpeng."

On the Star-Spangled Country intelligence ship "Ocean Scholar," the agent disguised as a scientist, Thomson, bit down hard on his cigar, staring unblinkingly at the Radar screen. He had not closed his eyes for forty-eight hours; ever since Long Country announced that "Kunpeng" would be tested in these waters, the entire Star-Spangled Country intelligence community had gone mad.

"Sir, target detected! Northeast direction, distance about 50 nautical miles, approaching us!" the Radar Operator shouted excitedly.

Thomson immediately picked up the walkie-talkie: "Everyone, alert status! Optical equipment ready! Radar at full power! Do not miss any details!"

"Sir, the target's speed is only about 10 knots, very slow."

"10 knots?" Thomson frowned, "Even lower than the 'low-speed' they claimed. What kind of tactic is this?"

At this time, other observation points also sent in confirmation information one after another. The pilot of the high-altitude reconnaissance plane was the first to discover the outline of the target.

"Headquarters, this is 'Sky Eagle One'! I see it! My God..." The pilot's voice stopped abruptly.

"'Sky Eagle One,' report the situation! What do you see?" the ground command center asked urgently.

"It... it is too big... it's practically like a moving small island..." The pilot's voice carried unconcealable shock, "I have never seen such a large sea vehicle! How is it floating? This does not conform to any known shipbuilding principles!"

At the same time, on Beijixiong Guo's intelligence ship "Red Seagull," the senior military expert Colonel Kolosov was observing the massive object gradually becoming clear on the distant sea surface through binoculars.

"Impossible..." he muttered to himself, then suddenly turned to the young officer beside him, "Record! Record all the data for me! The very existence of this thing is a challenge to our understanding!"

As "Kunpeng" approached, all observers fell into a state of near-religious shock. It was a massive, streamlined platform; its silver-gray hull shimmered in the sunlight. Its total length was visually estimated to be over 150 meters, with a width of about 50 meters, but its height was unusually low—almost hugging the sea surface. Even more baffling was that it had no obvious propulsion devices, no propellers, and no exhaust ports, yet it could move steadily across the sea.

"Kunpeng" traveled at an extremely slow speed, as if it were deliberately showing off its majestic posture, giving all observers plenty of time to record every detail.

Li Mingyuan stood inside the command cabin of "Kunpeng." Through the advanced monitoring system, he could clearly "see" all the reconnaissance activities around him. The screen displayed the positions of at least nine surface ships, three submarines, and two high-altitude reconnaissance planes.

"This lineup is quite something," Li Mingyuan said with a smile to the technical officer beside him, "It seems our little invitation is quite popular."

"Chief Engineer Li, how long are we to maintain this speed?" the technical officer asked.

Li Mingyuan glanced at his watch: "Let them look for another twenty minutes; that's enough time for them to take enough photos, measure the dimensions, and record enough video."

At this moment, the instruments on the intelligence ships of various countries were running frantically, collecting every piece of data on "Kunpeng."

On the Star-Spangled Country's "Ocean Scholar," the engineer James was shaking his head at the measurement results: "This is impossible! According to this size and structure, conventional materials cannot support its own weight! What exactly is its hull made of?"