Chapter 172: South Sea Abyss (Part 2) — The Choice of 'Carl Vinson

South Sea, 10:30 AM.

The air inside the bridge of the aircraft carrier 'Carl Vinson' seemed to have frozen.

Rear Admiral Rogers stared at the stationary light spot on the tactical screen.

The signal of the nuclear submarine 'Charlotte' hadn't moved for thirty minutes.

The last communication was the short "We agree to surface" from submarine captain Miller, and there had been no sound since.

"Confirmed," the intelligence officer's voice was dry.

"'Charlotte' surfaced near Yongshu Reef and was controlled by four Dragon Country humanoid underwater mechs."

"All 152 officers and men on board were captured."

A Los Angeles-class attack nuclear submarine, costing 2 billion USD, carrying 24 Tomahawk missiles and 12 torpedoes, capable of lurking underwater for three months, was captured alive just like that?

"'Mechs

"They used mechs underwater?"

"Yes, sir." The operations officer pulled up the satellite imagery and zoomed in.

"This is footage from five minutes ago. Four humanoid mechs, about eight meters tall, are latched onto the submarine's hull, with mechanical arms locking down the thrusters and the conning tower."

The image was somewhat blurry, but one could clearly see the streamlined shells of those mechs and the vector thrusters on their backs emitting bubbles.

"Their technology..." Rogers couldn't continue.

First, the laser defense system perfectly intercepted forty-eight cruise missiles, and then, underwater mechs captured a nuclear submarine alive.

This technological generation gap was already so large that it could not be compensated for by tactics.

"Sir, an urgent cable from the Pacific Command." The communications officer handed over an encrypted tablet.

Rogers scanned it quickly.

The wording of the cable was stern: it demanded that the Carl Vinson battle group immediately break contact to avoid further losses.

But at the same time, it hinted that "if a deterrent capability can be demonstrated before retreating, it would be favorable for subsequent negotiations."

A typical Washington-style order—wanting you to be cowardly while also wanting you to put on a tough front.

"Commanders of all ships, video conference." Rogers ordered.

Three minutes later, four other faces appeared on the command screen:

The captains of two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the captain of a Ticonderoga-class cruiser, and the virtual image of the fleet chief of staff.

"You all know the situation." Rogers got straight to the point.

"The Charlotte has been captured, and one hundred and fifty-two officers and men have become hostages. Washington wants us to retreat, but we must demonstrate a deterrent capability before doing so. Any thoughts?"

"I think we could use 'Standard-6' missiles for an over-the-horizon strike," the cruiser captain proposed.

"Select non-critical facilities on their artificial reefs as targets, such as docks or warehouses."

"This way, we can avoid causing casualties that would trigger a more serious diplomatic conflict, while also showing that we have the capability to strike Longguo."

"And then wait for their lasers to shoot down all our missiles?" The destroyer captain shook his head.

"Was the lesson of the forty-eight Tomahawks just now not enough?"

"Then use something more extreme," the chief of staff mused.

"Have all carrier-based aircraft from the Carl Vinson take off fully loaded, perform close-in flights, and simulate attack flight paths."

"Use numbers to overwhelm their defense system. If they dare to open fire, it means total war; they might not dare."

Rogers was silent.

He was thinking about a deeper question: Why didn't Longguo sink the Charlotte?

The technical difficulty of capturing a nuclear submarine alive is ten times higher than sinking it; why did they do this?

Unless... they wanted to capture it alive from the very beginning.

For interrogation?

For technical analysis?

Or for... a bargaining chip?

"Sir!" the radar operator suddenly exclaimed.

"High-altitude high-speed target appearing! From the direction of Longguo's mainland! Speed... Mach 20! And still accelerating!"

"What?!" Rogers rushed to the radar screen.

On the screen, a light spot was approaching from the northwest at an astonishing speed, its altitude having already reached eighty thousand meters, exceeding the atmosphere.

"Ballistic missile? But they didn't have a launch warning..."

"It's not a ballistic missile," the technical officer stared at the data stream.

"The trajectory is not a parabola, but a continuously accelerating straight-line climb. Look at this acceleration curve; it is using some kind of propulsion system to continuously accelerate outside the atmosphere."

"Can it be intercepted?"

"Cannot be intercepted," the technical officer smiled bitterly.

"The maximum interception altitude of the Standard-3 anti-missile missile is five hundred kilometers, but the target's speed has already exceeded Mach 20 and is still accelerating."

"By the time our missile climbs to the interception altitude, it will have long since flown past."

The bridge was deathly silent.

Everyone watched as that light spot streaked across the screen at a speed that defied physical common sense, turned above the SouthSea airspace at an altitude of one hundred kilometers, and began flying in circles.

"It is... circling us?" The operations officer couldn't believe it.

"No," Rogers understood.

"It is drawing a circle. A circular orbit with a radius of one hundred kilometers, centered on the Carl Vinson."

This was a show of force.

A naked, technologically crushing show of force.

Longyin Control Center.

Wang Hao stared at the real-time data stream of the "Kuafu-2" test missile, dancing with excitement:

"Look! Mach 20! Mach 22! Still accelerating! Is this missile of mine, Brother Hao, awesome or what!"

On the screen, the green light spot representing the missile was flying in near-Earth space at a speed of seven kilometers per second.

It deployed four solar panels on its back to provide auxiliary power for the ion propulsion system, while the main propulsion relied on the miniature "Xuanming" fusion reactor at its tail.

Although it was still just a test model, the power was sufficient to allow this fifteen-ton missile to continuously accelerate outside the atmosphere.

"Orbital parameters are stable," Chen Guang recorded the data.

"Orbit radius is one hundred and two kilometers, period is eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds. 'Torch Dragon' is controlling it remotely throughout, and it can change orbit or re-enter at any time."

Feng Yan asked: "The Eagle Country fleet's reaction?"

"Radar signals show that all their air defense systems have locked onto 'Kuafu-2', but there has been no launch action," Chen Guang pulled up the electromagnetic spectrum.

"They are still evaluating, hesitating whether it can be intercepted."

"Then let them evaluate a bit more," Feng Yan said.

"Wang Hao, have the missile perform a polite dive."

"Understood!"

Wang Hao entered the command.

At an altitude of one hundred kilometers, "Kuafu-2" suddenly shut down its ion propulsion, adjusted its attitude, and dived downward.

The speed instantly soared from Mach 22 to Mach 30; this was the initial speed of a dive from outside the atmosphere.

On the bridge of the Carl Vinson, alarms rang out in unison.

"Target diving! Predicted trajectory... pointing at our ship!" The radar operator's voice was filled with despair.

"Prepare the close-in defense system!" Rogers roared.

But the next second, the target suddenly pulled up at a distance of fifty kilometers from the sea surface, climbed again, slowed to Mach 20, and continued circling.

A false alarm.

No, not a false alarm.

It was a precise display of control: I can hit you if I want to, but I'm not hitting you this time; next time might be different.

"They are playing with us," the chief of staff said bitterly.

Rogers did not refute.

He looked at the light spot on the screen that continued to circle, and suddenly remembered a class at the Naval War College many years ago.

The professor said: "In future wars, the outcome might be decided before the first shot is fired."

"Because a truly brilliant strategist will make the opponent understand before the war starts—you cannot win."

At the time, he thought this was the view of a bookworm.

Now, he believed it.

"Sir, Pacific Command is calling again," the communications officer said cautiously, "requesting that we... retreat immediately."

"Reply," Rogers took a deep breath, "The Carl Vinson battle group requests... a safe withdrawal route."

He used "request," not "announce."

The communications officer was stunned.

This meant formally applying to the Longguo side, which was equivalent to acknowledging the other party's control over this area.

"Send it," Rogers repeated.

"Yes."

The cable was sent.

One minute later, the Longguo side replied with only a few simple coordinate points, connecting into a winding route, clearly intended to make them take the long way around.

"Withdraw according to the route," Rogers ordered.

"Sir..." the chief of staff hesitated.

"We have already lost," Rogers said calmly.

"Lost in technology, lost in strategy. Staying here any longer has no meaning other than losing more ships and personnel. Retreat, preserve strength, and wait for a political solution."

The order was quickly passed down.

The Carl Vinson slowly turned, and escorted by two destroyers and a cruiser, sailed toward the southeast along the route designated by Longguo.

Above the fleet, that green light spot circled two more times, then turned around and headed back toward the Longguo mainland.

On the return journey, it deliberately streaked past fifty kilometers directly above the Carl Vinson.

At this altitude, people on the ship could see a thin, bright line streak across the sky with the naked eye, like the smile left behind by the Grim Reaper as he brushed past.

Longyin Control Center.

Watching the trajectory of "Kuafu-2" returning safely on the screen, Wang Hao let out a long sigh of relief: "Scared the hell out of Brother Hao! I thought we were really going to fight!"

"We won't fight," Feng Yan said.

"Eagle Country has already lost a submarine and had nearly three hundred people captured—pilots plus submariners and the advisory group that went to help the White Elephant."

"The domestic political pressure is already so great that they dare not take any more risks. Showing 'Kuafu-2' is telling them that the result of taking more risks will be even more miserable."

"Then what's next?" Li Yang's image appeared on the screen.

He was still at Fiery Cross Reef handling the submarine captives.

"Next, it's time to negotiate," Feng Yan pulled up a global map.

"Three fronts, we won them all."

"In the East Sea, we captured six ships, over two hundred sailors, and nine pilots;"

"In the southwest, we annihilated sixteen thousand White Elephant troops, captured twenty-three thousand, and seized eight hundred and forty-seven tanks and six hundred and thirty artillery pieces;"

"In the SouthSea, we captured a nuclear submarine alive, took one hundred and fifty-two prisoners, and forced back the carrier battle group."

He paused: "This result is enough for us to sit at the negotiating table and set any conditions they have to accept."

Chen Guang added: "But we must also guard against them jumping over the wall in desperation."

"White Elephant still has a strategic missile force, Eagle Country still has power in Guam and Diego Garcia, and although the Foot-Basin Chicken suffered heavy losses, they still have a large amount of military strength on their home soil."

"So the negotiations must be conducted on the basis of a show of force," Feng Yan said.

"Wang Hao, your 'Kuafu-2' must enter combat readiness duty. Chen Guang, the 'Torch Dragon Eye' system is on standby around the clock."

"Li Yang, do not withdraw the mech troops in the southwest; station them right on the border line to show the White Elephant."

"Understood!"

The tasks were assigned.

In the control center, the team that had been busy all night could finally catch their breath.

Some fell asleep on the tables, some stared blankly while holding coffee, and Wang Hao took several bags of snacks out of his backpack to share with everyone.

"Good thing Brother Hao was prepared!" he said proudly.

"Beef jerky, chocolate, energy bars! How can you fight on an empty stomach!"

Feng Yan took a piece of chocolate and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the night grew deeper.

But the Longyin Research Institute was still brightly lit; on the test field, new mechs were being assembled;

In the workshop, the production line for the next batch of "Kuafu" missiles had already started;

In the laboratory, Zhao Gong and Zhao Kaiyuan were analyzing the Foot-Basin Chicken exoskeletons and Eagle Country submarine materials just seized.

He took a bite of the chocolate; it was sweet with a hint of bitterness.

This war was won, but the price of winning was that the world could never go back to how it was before.

Once technology is displayed, it cannot be taken back.

Once power is used, one must remain strong and ahead forever.

The communicator vibrated; it was an encrypted message from Lei Jindong:

"The higher-ups have decided to hold four-party negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, in one week. On our side, you will participate as a technical consultant."

Feng Yan replied: "Received. What is the bottom line for the negotiations?"

"Strive for our rights and interests to the maximum extent," Lei Jindong replied quickly.

"Historical issues, real-world losses, future guarantees—all must be discussed clearly. This may be... an opportunity to settle a century of grievances."

Turning off the communicator, Feng Yan looked at the lights outside the window and whispered to himself:

"Then let's settle it; everything that belonged to us before must be taken back."