Chapter 171: South Sea Abyss (Part 1) — Perfect Capture of Nuclear Submarine

South Sea, 9:15 AM.

On the flight deck of the aircraft carrier 'Carl Vinson', the shrill screams of steam catapults followed one after another.

Fighter jets, F/A-18E Super Hornets, fully loaded with ammunition, took off and formed an attack formation above the fleet.

Inside the bridge, Rear Admiral Rogers stared at the tactical screen, his face even more grave than two hours ago.

The battle report just received from the southwest was simply shocking: the White Elephant's three mountain brigades, 40,000 people, were almost wiped out in four hours.

The East Sea direction was even worse, twelve latest fighter jets were annihilated in seven minutes.

And the Dragon Country side... zero casualties.

This was simply unscientific.

"Sir, the first attack wave is in position," the operations officer reported.

"Total twenty-four fighter jets, carrying forty-eight 'Tomahawk' Block V cruise missiles, target: military facilities on seven artificial reefs of the Dragon Country in the South Sea."

"Has the launch authorization been confirmed?" Rogers asked.

"Pacific Command has approved, codename 'Thunder Demonstration'," the operations officer paused.

"But if the other side intercepts..."

"Then let them intercept," Rogers said coldly.

"I want to see how many missiles their laser defense system can intercept at once."

"Order the 'Charlotte' nuclear submarine to move to the second array, if laser interception is successful, launch torpedoes to attack their frigates."

"Remember, hit the ships, don't hit the islands."

"Yes!"

The order was issued.

Twenty-four fighter jets fired missiles in a volley 200 kilometers from the Dragon Country reefs, then returned quickly.

Their order was "only fire missiles, return immediately after firing, forbidden to engage".

Forty-eight Tomahawk cruise missiles flew at a speed of 0.7 Mach, hugging the sea surface like a group of death gods rushing toward the target.

Dragon Chant Command Center.

On the large screen, the missile trajectories and predicted impact points were marked with red lines by the 'Torch Dragon' system, glaring and eye-catching.

"Here they come," Chen Guang pushed up his glasses.

"Forty-eight, in seven waves, fifteen-second intervals. Targets are radar stations, hangars, and warehouses on seven reefs including Yongshu, Meiji, and Zhubi."

"How many can be intercepted?" Feng Yan asked.

"The Zhoushan 'Torch Dragon's Eye' main array can intercept twelve targets simultaneously," Chen Guang pulled up parameters.

"But the targets are scattered over a 200-kilometer sea area, requiring mobile laser vehicles to cooperate. If operating at full power, the theoretical interception rate... is 100%."

Wang Hao laughed in the side: "Guangzi, don't brag, if you can't intercept them, Brother Hao will laugh at you for a lifetime."

Chen Guang ignored him, his fingers flying on the control console:

"Activate full-domain defense mode. Zhoushan main array locks onto the first twelve, coastal mobile laser vehicles are responsible for subsequent waves in groups. 'Torch Dragon', calculate the optimal interception sequence."

【Calculating... plan generated. Expected energy consumption: main array peak power maintained for 180 seconds, mobile laser vehicle groups take turns cooling. Success rate: 99.7%.】

"Execute."

Above the South Sea, on seven reefs, laser emitters disguised as communication base stations or wind turbines turned simultaneously, dark red beams piercing the morning mist.

The first wave of twelve Tomahawk missiles were hit almost simultaneously 80 kilometers from the reefs.

The laser beams precisely burned through the missiles' guidance modules and warhead fuses.

The missiles that lost control twisted and fell into the sea, splashing water columns more than ten meters high.

Second wave, mobile laser vehicles opened fire.

Three heavy trucks sped along the coastal highway, the laser turret on top of the truck bed rotating rapidly, like playing a death shooting game.

"Port side ten degrees, target locked... fire!" Inside the control vehicle, the operator stared at the screen, forehead sweating.

Blue-white light beams flashed, and another eight missiles turned into scrap metal and fell into the sea.

Third wave, fourth wave...

The terror of the 'Torch Dragon' system was fully displayed: it didn't just intercept simply, but calculated missile trajectories in real-time, optimizing the interception order.

Hit the most dangerous first, hit the hardest to hit first, hit those about to enter terminal maneuvering first.

When the forty-eighth missile was melted through in mid-air just fifteen kilometers from Yongshu Reef, applause rang out in the command center.

Wang Hao counted the hits on the screen: "One, two, three... forty-eight! Home run! Guangzi is awesome!"

Chen Guang frowned: "Too smooth."

"What do you mean?" Wang Hao was stunned.

"Eagle Country knows we have a laser defense system, why use cruise missiles, a weapon easy to intercept?" Chen Guang pulled up the electromagnetic spectrum.

"Unless... this is a feint."

Before the words were finished, the alarm sounded again.

【Detected abnormal sonar signal underwater! Bearing 095, depth 300 meters, speed 25 knots! Characteristic match: Los Angeles-class attack nuclear submarine!】

"Here it is," Feng Yan said in a low voice. "Surface feint, underwater killer move. Li Yang, your turn."

At this time, 300 meters underwater in the South Sea, it was pitch black.

In the command cabin of the nuclear submarine 'Charlotte', Captain Commander Miller stared at the sonar screen.

The screen showed that forty-eight aerial targets had all disappeared, meaning the missile attack had failed.

"Expected," Miller wasn't surprised.

"Now, execute Plan B. Torpedo tubes 1 and 2, load MK-48 heavy torpedoes, target: Dragon Country 054A frigate 'Yueyang'."

"Loading complete."

"Fire."

Two torpedoes detached from the launch tubes, rushed out of the submarine under the push of compressed air, then the electric thrusters started, shooting toward the target 20 kilometers away, dragging thin trails.

Miller calculated the time: torpedo speed 40 knots, impact in twenty minutes.

This time was enough for the 'Charlotte' to dive to a depth of 500 meters, then retreat silently.

But he didn't count on one thing.

Less than thirty seconds after the torpedoes were fired, the sonar operator suddenly exclaimed: "Captain! Something is above us! Speed... very fast! Approaching!"

"What?"

On the sonar screen, four high-speed targets were diving from above, speed exceeding fifty knots, an unbelievable speed underwater.

"Torpedoes? Or Dragon Country anti-submarine torpedoes?"

"Neither... the volume is too large, sonar characteristics... look like some kind of submersible, but the shape is irregular..."

Miller rushed to the sonar console.

On the screen, the four targets had closed to within 500 meters, and were still accelerating.

"Emergency dive! Full speed!" he roared.

The 'Charlotte's' thrusters ran at full power, the bow pressed down, rushing toward the deeper abyss.

But those things were faster.

350 meters, 300 meters, 250 meters...

When the distance closed to 100 meters, the sonar operator finally saw the silhouettes of those things, his voice changing:

"It's... it's humanoid! Mechs! Dragon Country underwater mechs!"

In the cockpit of the 'Flood Dragon' deep-sea mech, Li Yang stared at the silhouette of the submarine diving in panic on the holographic display, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

Four 'Flood Dragon' mechs were in a diamond formation, he was in the front.

The mech's shape was more streamlined than the land model, with extra waterproof seals at the joints, and vector thrusters on the back, capable of fighter-like maneuvers underwater.

"All units note, target 'Los Angeles'-class, hull number unknown," Li Yang said in the quantum encrypted channel.

"Follow Plan C: Unit 1 and Unit 2 intercept torpedoes, Unit 3 and Unit 4 follow me to flank the submarine."

"Understood!"

Two 'Flood Dragon' mechs suddenly turned and rushed toward the two MK-48 torpedoes.

Their mechanical arms unfolded, and some kind of net-like device popped out from the front, this was the 'fluid braking net' specially made by Zhao Gong, capable of unfolding in high-speed water flow, sticking to the torpedo's thruster like a spider web.

The first torpedo hit the net, the propeller was tightly entangled by the carbon fiber net, struggled a few times, lost power, and slowly sank.

The second torpedo tried to evade, but the maneuverability of the 'Flood Dragon' mech was even more terrifying underwater.

A sharp turn, the mechanical arm threw the second net, capturing it as well.

"Torpedoes all cleared," the report came from the channel.

"Very good," Li Yang stared at the submarine that had dived to a depth of 400 meters. "Now, time to say hello to the guests."

Four 'Flood Dragon' mechs accelerated simultaneously.

500 meters deep, the water pressure had reached 50 atmospheres, but the 'Dragon Scale-Deep Sea' armor of the mech didn't move.

The 'Xuanming' fusion reactor inside the mech provided a steady stream of power, allowing them to be like fish in water in the deep sea.

Inside the 'Charlotte', the sonar operator's voice was filled with despair: "They're catching up! Distance 80 meters! 60 meters! They are... directly above us!"

Miller rushed to the periscope position, although he couldn't see anything 400 meters underwater, he still did it subconsciously.

Then he heard it.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Metal knocking sound, coming from the submarine's hull, rhythmic, like... knocking on the door.

"They're knocking on our hull!" a young sailor said in terror.

Miller forced himself to stay calm: "Ignore them! Continue diving! To 600 meters, they can't fol..."

Before he could finish.

"Thump!"

This time it wasn't knocking, it was the sound of some mechanical arm attaching to the hull.

Immediately after, the submarine shook violently, and the diving speed dropped sharply.

"They... they've grabbed us!"

On the sonar screen, the four targets were already stuck to the submarine's hull, mechanical arms locking onto the submarine's thruster compartment and command tower.

The 'Charlotte' was like a fish bitten by a giant whale, struggling in vain, but unable to move.

In the cockpit, Li Yang looked at the 'lock complete' prompt on the screen, and opened the public underwater communication channel, which was the internationally used distress channel, and all submarines could hear it.

He said in English: "Los Angeles-class submarine, this is the Dragon Country South Sea Defense Force."

"You have illegally intruded into our country's territorial waters and launched an attack."

"You are now ordered to surface immediately, shut down all weapon systems, and accept inspection."

Inside the submarine, Miller listened to the calm voice, his face pale.

He looked around, the officers and sailors were all looking at him, their eyes full of fear.

Continue to resist?

Stuck by four mechs 400 meters underwater, how to resist?

"Captain..." the vice-captain's voice trembled.

Miller closed his eyes, opened them after three seconds, and picked up the communicator: "We... agree to surface."

South Sea, 10:00 AM.

The officers and men of the frigate 'Yueyang' looked at the 'Los Angeles'-class submarine slowly surfacing in the distance, and the four humanoid mechs lying on the submarine's hull, collectively falling into silence.

After a while, the captain picked up the communicator: "Command center, this is 'Yueyang'. We... seem to have captured a submarine."

In the command center, Wang Hao looked at the returned image and slapped his thigh: "Holy crap! Brother Li is awesome! Captured a nuclear submarine alive! This is enough for me to brag about for ten years!"

Chen Guang recorded data: "'Flood Dragon' deep-sea mech field performance is perfect. Underwater maneuverability, pressure resistance, target capture capability all exceeded design indicators."

Feng Yan looked at satellite images, where the 'Carl Vinson' carrier strike group was turning, clearly already knowing the submarine had been captured.

"They will retaliate," he said.

"Lost a submarine, Eagle Country can't just let it go."

"Then what to do?" Wang Hao was eager to try. "Should Brother Hao fire the 'Kuafu-2' test bomb? Scare them?"

"No," Feng Yan shook his head.

"Not yet. Chen Guang, activate the 'Torch Dragon's Eye' deterrence mode."

"Wang Hao, prepare your 'Kuafu-2' for launch, but only do orbital demonstration, no live-fire attack."

"Understood!"

"Li Yang," Feng Yan connected to the underwater channel.

"Escort the submarine to Yongshu Reef, send heavy troops to guard it. Note, there might be nuclear weapons on board, have Zhao Kaiyuan take the Energy Group people to handle it."

"Yes."

The communication ended.

Feng Yan walked to the large screen in the command center, looking at the real-time situation of the three battlefields:

East Sea controlled, Southwest pacified, South Sea... just completed the first round of engagement.

He knew the hardest part hadn't come yet.

Eagle Country lost a submarine, had nearly three hundred people captured (pilots plus submarine crew plus the advisor group helping the White Elephant), the domestic political pressure would be explosive.

Next, either negotiation, or... full-scale war escalation.

And what he had to do was to demonstrate the absolute strength of "you can't win" before the escalation. ===== CHAPTER 172 =====