Chapter 240

Shen City, Intelligence Bureau headquarters.

Just as the main force of the Oriental First Combined Fleet had just sailed away from Sasebo Naval Base, and the Tokyo command radio waves were still propagating in the air, the Communications Section of the Shen City Intelligence Bureau headquarters had already captured an abnormal signal.

Reporting, Bureau Chief! We have detected high-intensity encrypted communications between the Oriental Navy's Sasebo Base and the flagship 'Nagato' of the First Combined Fleet! The frequency and duration far exceed normal! Communications Section Chief Gu Mo, this thin-looking radio expert, now with sharp eyes and rapid speech, reported quickly to Qi Ming Yuan.

Almost at the same time, Liang Shubai, chief of the Intelligence Analysis Center, hurried in, holding a freshly decrypted message fragment: 'Bureau Chief! Our covert line inside the Oriental Navy has sent an urgent encrypted telegram; combining the decrypted portions of the communications, we can confirm——the Oriental Cabinet has ordered the First Combined Fleet to draw out its main forces, led by the flagship Nagato, targeting……the waters outside Shen City!'

Chu Wusheng, overall commander of the External Operations Department responsible for overseas intelligence, also added: 'Our liaison stations in Korea and Longjin Port have simultaneously reported that the Oriental troops stationed there have entered a high state of alert, and there are signs of frequent naval vessel movements, corroborating the intelligence of the fleet sailing south!'

Intelligence from various sources, like puzzle pieces, quickly coalesced before Qi Ming Yuan into a clear picture——the Oriental Empire has decided to deploy its greatest naval strength to conduct a military intimidation against Shen City!

The speed and accuracy of the information transmission fully demonstrated the terrifying power of Lin Yu's intelligence organization. They not only can intercept military-grade encrypted communications, but have also placed agents in the enemy's heartland.

Lin Gong Guan, inside the study.

Qi Ming Yuan reported the compiled intelligence to Lin Yu as quickly as possible.

……We can basically confirm that the main force of the Oriental First Combined Fleet, including its flagship Nagato battleship, at least one elite detachment, has set sail southward, directly targeting the waters outside Shen City. Their intention is clearly to use naval superiority to militarily intimidate us and force us to submit. After Qi Ming Yuan finished his report, he quietly awaited Lin Yu's instructions.

After hearing the report, Lin Yu's face remained calm, as if what he heard was not a powerful fleet capable of destroying most coastal cities approaching, but a trivial matter. He even had the mood to lift his coffee cup and gently blow on the steam.

Only after Qi Ming Yuan finished his report did Lin Yu slowly set down his cup, the corner of his mouth curling into an arc tinged with amusement and sneer.

"Navy……First Combined Fleet……Battleship Nagato……" He murmured the words, his voice devoid of any tension, instead tinged with……the relaxed amusement of someone watching a spectacle.

"Heh," Lin Yu chuckled low, his laugh full of mockery at the foreigners' judgment: "They weren't wrong in their guess. Speaking of traditional naval strength, not to mention present-day Shen City, even the entirety of the Great Dry combined wouldn't be enough to plug a gap between their teeth."

Lin Yu rose, walked to the window, and gazed at the pitch-black night sky outside, his eyes flashing with confidence: "Three years to build an army, a century for a navy……that saying is indeed sound. To hope to create, in a short time, a navy capable of opposing the foreign combined fleet is nearly impossible."

"What a pity……" Lin Yu's smile grew more profound, carrying a hint of a secret only he understood: "They got everything right, yet they missed one thing."

Lin Yu extended a finger, lightly tapping his own temple, his eyes flashing with absolute confidence in the system:

"They could never imagine that my greatest reliance has never been those visible sturdy ships and powerful cannons……"

The foreigners' judgment, based on common sense and experience, is destined to become a fatal error in the face of Lin Yu, who possesses the "Hardbone System" as a super cheat. They thought they had sent an invincible naval force, unaware that what awaits them will be a dimensionality-crushing strike from another realm.

Alright, let's continue describing Lin Yu's thoughts and his interaction with the system:

Lin Yu stood by the window, gazing at the deep night outside, the confident smile at his lips growing richer. The foreigners' navy? To others it might be a catastrophe that could overturn heaven, but in his eyes it was merely a delivery of "experience packs" and "hardline points".

Lin Yu's thoughts stirred slightly, and the familiar system panel unfolded before his eyes.

【Host: Lin Yu】

【Current Controlled Force: Shen City】

【Available Hardline Points: ** points**】

【System Functions: Basic Lottery, Mid-level Lottery, High-level Lottery (used), Super Lottery, System Mall (unlocked)……】

Gazing at the enormous hardline points balance of 176,200 points, Lin Yu's eyes sparkled with excitement and absolute confidence. This vast sum of points is his greatest confidence for daring to overturn the board and confront the Great Powers head-on! With this capital, he can meet any challenge before him, even take the initiative to strike, breaking the claws and fangs of every wolf eyeing Shen City!

His gaze finally settled on the unlocked "Super Lottery" function, glowing with tempting light.

Focusing his mind, the detailed description of the "Super Lottery" instantly appeared before his eyes:

【Super Lottery: Special Limited Lottery Function】

【Cost: ** hardline points】

【Reward Rank: ** guaranteed SSS-rank reward! **】

【Reward Category: Specifiable lottery category (force summon type, item type, materiel/equipment type)】

【Special Note: The Super Lottery has an extremely high probability of yielding **modern equipment, technical blueprints, or special units** that surpass the current era! It greatly boosts the host's force's technological level and military strength!】

【Potential Reward Examples (for reference only): Modern combined arms army summon card, aircraft carrier battle group construction blueprints and core technology package, nuclear-powered submarine design blueprints, beyond-visual-range air combat weapon system, gene-strengthening potion formula……】

Lin Yu carefully read the Super Lottery description; upon seeing the "guaranteed SSS-rank reward," "specifiable category," and "high probability of obtaining modern equipment," even though he had lived two lifetimes and his temperament far surpassed ordinary people, he couldn't help but feel his heart pounding.

50,000 hardline points per draw, though expensive, is an absolute steal compared to the "guaranteed SSS-rank" and the possible modern rewards! This is no ordinary lottery; it's practically a cheat code handed to him, a golden finger granting him dimensionality-crushing power!

And when he saw those "potential reward examples" listed by the system, he couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.

"Army summon card? Aircraft carrier battle group blueprints? Nuclear submarine?!"

"This……this is too exaggerated! Just pulling out any one of these would be enough to overturn this era's warfare landscape! If he could really draw an aircraft carrier battle group or a modern combined arms army……let alone the puny foreigners' First Combined Fleet, even the navies of the whole world combined might not be enough for him to defeat!"

"System……you really didn't disappoint me!" Lin Yu suppressed his excitement, his eyes blazing with the fire of ambition.

Originally, he had prepared some conventional defense plans and contingencies for dealing with the foreigners' fleet. But now, seeing the "Super Lottery"'s heaven-defying setting, he instantly conceived a crazier yet more reliable plan!

That's right, the foreigners' judgment that he lacks naval power is correct. But they never dreamed that, through the system, he could directly "pay-to-win" forth a naval force capable of crushing them!

"Fifty thousand hardline points per draw……" Lin Yu gazed at his surplus of over 170,000 points, heroic spirit rising: "Enough for three draws with plenty to spare! I refuse to believe that three Super Lottery draws won't yield something good enough to dispose of the foreigners' fleet!"

Using the Super Lottery to obtain transcendent maritime strike power and bury the impending foreigners' combined fleet beneath Shen City's outer seas——this bold and crazy plan instantly formed in his mind.

Lin Yu's lips curled into a hint of a cold smile, his eyes brimming with anticipation for the impending "prey".