Chapter 237: A bit panicked! What should you do when a submarine encounters a mech?

Li Yang controlled the mech and continued to speak in Japanese: "I heard you like deep-sea exploration? Do you need a tour guide?"

The submarine did not respond.

It could be that the communication system had crashed, or perhaps the people had crashed.

"If you don't speak, I'll take that as your consent." Li Yang manipulated the mech, its mechanical arm cradling the submarine, and began to ascend.

Like a tour guide, he led the submarine toward the surface.

The submarine tried to struggle, but its engine thrust was already limited under the high pressure of the deep sea, and with the Iron Wolf's mechanical arm firmly fixing the hull, it couldn't break free at all.

Nine thousand meters, eight thousand meters, five thousand meters...

As the depth decreased, the live broadcast image became clearer and clearer.

Sunlight began to pierce through the seawater, and the silhouettes of the mech and the submarine appeared exceptionally magical in the deep blue light.

When they floated to a depth of one thousand meters, Li Yang released the mechanical arm.

The submarine, like a small fish that had regained its freedom, suddenly accelerated, trying to escape.

But the next second, the vector thrusters on the back of the mech ignited.

The Iron Wolf accelerated instantly, circled to the front of the submarine, and then turned to face it.

The mechanical arm raised and made a stop gesture.

The submarine braked in an emergency.

"The tour is over, please return the way you came. Next time you want to come and play, remember to apply for a visa in advance, otherwise, it won't be this simple next time," Li Yang said.

After speaking, the mech turned and dived down toward the deep sea.

It disappeared into the darkness in a few seconds.

Only that submarine was left, floating alone in the seawater, as if it were contemplating life.

The live broadcast was cut off.

The final frame froze on the pale face of Colonel Yamada in the submarine's command cabin.

Five minutes later, the video had already gone viral on the global internet.

The titles were varied: "Shocking! Longguo Mech Politely Intercepts Foot-Basin-Chicken Submarine in the Deep Sea," "Deep Sea Encounter: What Should You Do When a Submarine Meets a Mech?", "On the Importance of Polite Hospitality"...

The Longguo Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded quickly, issuing a statement just an hour later:

"Early this morning, our country encountered a certain country's submarine while conducting deep-sea equipment testing in the East Sea Exclusive Economic Zone."

"Out of safety considerations, our test personnel provided friendly guidance to the submarine to ensure it left the test area."

"The entire process was safe, professional, and in accordance with international practice."

The word "encountered" was used very cleverly.

As for why the submarine "encountered" a mech at a depth of nine thousand meters in the deep sea, and in Longguo's territorial waters at that, that remained unknown.

That afternoon, in the Longyin Research Institute conference room.

"The final count for the live broadcast viewership: 870 million," Chen Guang said, pushing up his glasses.

"One-third of them were from within the Foot-Basin-Chicken country."

"How is their domestic public opinion?" Feng Yan asked.

"It's practically exploded," Wang Hao answered preemptively.

"Some are cursing the military for being incompetent, some are demanding a thorough investigation, and others are saying it's special effects."

"However, the submarine commander, Colonel Yamada, has already retired 'for health reasons,' so that counts as confirmation."

Li Yang rubbed his temples upon hearing this; deep-sea lurking and precision operation were very draining on mental energy: "How are the test data for the Iron Wolf?"

"Simply perfect. Deep-sea high-pressure adaptability is 12% above design specifications, silent lurking time broke records, and the mechanical arm's control precision at ten thousand meters depth reached the millimeter level," Zhao Kaiyuan said, pulling up the report.

"These data have already been sent to the Navy. They want twelve units to form a deep-sea mech assault team."

"Here," Feng Yan said, "but they have to pay for it themselves. The institute is not a military factory, after all; we have to account for costs."

Everyone laughed.

After laughing, Chen Guang got to the main point: "Regarding the deep-space signal, there is a new development."

He pulled up the analysis chart for Torch Dragon-3: "Based on the background radiation data collected by the Iron Wolf in the deep sea, combined with the previous gravitational fluctuations at the edge of the solar system, Torch Dragon-3 has updated the model."

On the screen, a three-dimensional model of the solar system appeared.

From inside to outside: Mercury, Venus, Blue Star, Mars, Asteroid Belt, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Kuiper Belt...

Then, twelve points of light appeared on the periphery of the model.

"These are the deployment points for the first phase of the Solar System Defense Network plan," Chen Guang said, marking the locations.

"Near-Earth orbit: twelve Dingyue-II laser platforms; Lunar orbit: six monitoring stations; Mars orbit: three deep-space early warning outposts."

"What's the schedule?" Li Yang asked.

"Near-Earth orbit platforms, launching starting next month, will take six months to complete deployment. Lunar monitoring stations, by the end of the year. Mars outposts... will take two years."

"Too slow," Feng Yan shook his head.

"It's already the fastest speed," Chen Guang explained.

"Transport capacity is limited. Even using the Qingyun heavy rocket, we can only send the core module of one platform at a time. And we have to consider the on-orbit assembly time..."

"Then increase transport capacity. Haozi, how much more can the production capacity of the Qingyun rocket be increased?" Feng Yan said.

Wang Hao scratched his head: "Four launches per month is already the limit. The factory buildings, equipment, and workers are not enough..."

"Whatever you need, give it—money, land, people. Submit the report tomorrow, I will approve it. Within three months, reach the goal of twelve launches per month," Feng Yan interrupted.

"Twelve launches?!" Wang Hao's eyes widened, "Brother Feng, that would require building three new production lines!"

"Then build them." Feng Yan looked at everyone, "I know it's difficult, but we must be fast. If it's a 187-day countdown, that's no joke."

He pulled up the latest deduction from Torch Dragon-3: "According to the updated model, if the Harvesters are really coming toward the solar system, then their advance probes might already be on the way."

"Every day we are faster, we get one more minute of early warning time."

"So, equipment like the Iron Wolf is not just for dealing with the Foot-Basin-Chicken," Li Yang said slowly.

"Correct. Deep sea, polar regions, space... we must practice combat capabilities in all extreme environments. Because we don't know from which direction the Harvesters will come, or in what form they will appear," Feng Yan nodded and said.

Zhao Gong tapped his tobacco pouch: "Then our material production lines must also expand. Dragon Scale-Deep Sea type, Dragon Scale-Space type, Dragon Scale-Polar type... we must keep sufficient inventory of all three types of materials."

Zhao Kaiyuan pulled up the planning map: "Southwest, Northwest, Northeast—three new material production bases have already started construction simultaneously, and production capacity can at least quintuple by the end of the year."

"Good." Feng Yan stood up.

"The 187-day countdown belongs to them." He stood with his back to the crowd, his voice calm but firm.

"But we also have a countdown. From today on, all projects, all production, and all training will enter a wartime rhythm."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone's face:

"Before the Harvesters see the solar system, we must arm it into a hedgehog."

"A steel hedgehog covered in spikes, painful for anyone who touches it."

After the meeting, Li Yang didn't rush to leave.

He sat in the conference room and pulled up the test data for the Iron Wolf again.

Nine thousand meters deep in the sea, nine hundred atmospheres of water pressure, temperatures near freezing...

He had personally felt the loneliness and oppression in that environment today.

And what the Harvesters have to traverse is deep space, billions of times darker than that.

Will they be lonely? Will they be afraid?

Or will they be like hagfish in the deep sea, knowing only how to devour?

I don't know.

But Li Yang knows one thing: if the enemy comes, he will pilot his mech and stand at the very front.

Whether it's in the deep sea, on land, or in space.

This was the path destined for him three years ago when he built the first exoskeleton joint in the warehouse.