Chapter 939: Bombing Jincheng

Many scientists, through continuous scientific proof and by burning their own lives, eventually convinced most people that the planet beneath our feet is a sphere.

In their efforts to persuade others, many pointed out that when observing the horizon, the first thing to appear in view is always the highest point of a ship—perhaps the very top of its mast, or a sailor standing on the lookout tower, telescope aimed toward you.

Only afterward does more of the ship’s hull gradually come into view, proving the water’s surface is not flat, but curved.

So when the warship first entered the fishing boat’s visible range, they could see nothing at all.

But as the warship drew nearer, they could see clearly.

The two stood dumbfounded on the swaying deck; the engine’s rotation tightened the net ever more, until the net could no longer withstand the relentless contraction and exploded with force.

Countless fish instantly returned to the ocean, but some floated lifelessly on the surface.

As the net tightened, it cut into their bodies, tearing them into fragments, their blood staining the sea around the boat.

But clearly, the fish school had no intention of feasting, for they too felt the immense “vibration” emanating from within the ocean!

The fish school frantically shifted toward directions untouched by the vibration, or dove deeper into the sea!

The captain snapped to attention, rushed into the cabin, and spun the boat around, throttling the engine to its limit.

But this was a fishing boat—small, at that—with a top speed of less than eight knots.

What it faced was a warship moving at over twenty knots.

The captain dared not turn back; he could feel his fishing boat, which had never once reached its theoretical maximum speed since launch, now hurtling wildly across the gently rippling sea.

But the speed was still too slow.

Without turning, he could already hear the sound of the sea tearing apart, drawing ever closer.

The fishing boat’s engine, after a violent cough like an old man gasping for breath, suddenly died far off in the distance—the ancient engine had given out.

The captain slammed his fist against the controls and cursed, “Fuck!” When he stepped out of the cabin, the massive warship seemed to loom directly before his face.

He walked to the stern, lifted the engine hatch, and thick smoke poured out; seeing this, he was utterly desperate.

He looked at his crew in terror and despair; they returned his gaze with identical emotion.

After an unknown length of time, the sea’s power surged; the waves grew violent, and the sky darkened as if swallowed.

In their final, resigned stare, the tiny fishing boat was shredded, and the two vanished into the water.

After a lifetime of fishing, he had finally taken from fish—and returned to them.

“Did we just hit something?”

The warship’s captain asked casually.

The sailor responsible for monitoring the sea surface replied indifferently, “Sank a small fishing boat.”

The captain’s expression grew slightly more serious. “Did they scratch my warship?”

“Soldier?”

“No, sir!”

The captain nodded satisfied and returned to studying the papers in his hands; had that fishing boat scratched his warship, he would have made life unbearable for its crew.

Of course, they weren’t having a good time now either.

00:05:00

At an open-air café in Jincheng’s tourist port, a professor sat with several students participating in a social practice course; they were on break, afternoon, having just eaten and now sipping coffee, chatting about topics intellectuals favored—nothing could be more pleasant.

They discussed many things; no one knew who started it, but soon the conversation turned to “Whether Dantela might attack Jincheng, as depicted in the film”—a research direction in international war dynamics.

When an issue promises positive emotional feedback and benefit, people study it—like mining.

Mining yields mineral resources; resources can be sold for money, satisfying material needs; thus, people research mineral deposits, how to locate them, and how to extract them more efficiently.

War is the same.

Repeated victories in war revealed greater benefits, drawing more people into war research; perhaps some of their projects might lead them down an entirely different path!

Every university research project has the potential to be submitted to relevant government departments; if any department shows interest, they will inquire—this is a golden opportunity.

Securing additional research funding from the Ministry of National Defense or the Presidential Palace brings not only profit but also prestige to many professors and scholars.

These students were studying societal changes under conditions of war.

Since the topic had been raised, and as a prerequisite to their research, everyone voiced their opinions.

Each had their own views, not necessarily converging; some students, merely seeking attention, deliberately proposed ideas that were not their true beliefs but were sensational enough to draw notice.

After heated debate, their attention finally turned to the professor.

The professor’s favorite female student asked, “Professor, what do you think of this issue?”

“Could the Dantelans possibly attack Jincheng?”

The professor sipped his coffee and smiled. “I believe it’s possible—but the probability is low, no more than five percent!”

“The film ‘Ambush at Jincheng’ briefly outlined Dantela’s motives for attacking Jincheng; I think their portrayal isn’t entirely accurate, but the broad direction is essentially correct.”

“We all know that sometimes the right choice isn’t the inevitable one.”

“An ambush on Jincheng would escalate the entire Federation’s hatred toward Dantela; currently, our involvement in the war is minimal—it’s the ruling class driving intervention.”

“The lower and middle classes haven’t actively participated; they’re passive.”

“At this moment, provoking us would be a cost Dantela may not be able to bear.”

“Once the Federation’s people are fully enraged, they must win this war—they cannot afford to lose!”

The professor took another sip of coffee; he enjoyed displaying his knowledge before students—everyone has their own preferences.

Some love money, some love sex, some love showing off; the professor loves them all.

He loves money, he loves sex, and he loves showing off.

He loves the awe in his students’ eyes—it makes him feel weightless.

“So, it’s possible—but the probability is low!”

“If we were deciding the war’s direction, I’d mobilize the fleet to sever our maritime supply lines to Slade.”

“The warring parties’ production capacity is being eroded by war, but the Federation’s is not—it has become Slade’s lifeline for war potential.”

“If we continue supplying Slade, the balance will slowly tip in our favor!”

As a highly educated professor specializing in social sciences, his views aligned with mainstream societal thinking—at least, that’s what he believed.

Usually, by now, his students would applaud or praise his insights—but today, what was wrong with them?

In that moment, he mentally reviewed everything he’d said—nothing wrong!

He looked up at his students; they had all risen, staring dumbfounded at the sea behind him.

He froze, shifted slightly, gripped the chair’s armrest, turned toward the sea—and slowly opened his mouth in shock.

On the eastern horizon, numerous warships appeared, painted in colors unmistakably different from the Federation’s; before they could identify them, the professor saw distant warships erupt in flashes of fire and smoke!

“Boom!”

“Happy Birthday!”

People laughed and twisted confetti cannons; ribbons burst from the tubes in an instant, refracting sunlight and bathing the entire birthday party in dazzling, hallucinatory color!

A grand birthday party—nearly all core members of the Lans family had come, along with representatives from partners, including Arthur and James.

Mayor Williams wanted to attend, but the city’s expansion project was at a critical stage; he had to ensure his grand plan wouldn’t stall.

Besides, he’d sent his two sons—enough to demonstrate his sincerity.

One, the standard heir; the other, his favorite—sufficient to signal his stance to all.

Many locals came too, especially major film studios.

Lans currently holds the honorary chairmanship of the Film Committee; this organization has no permanent chair, only an executive committee handling daily affairs—Wanli Pictures is an executive member.

Combined with Wanli Distribution and the newly formed Wanli Ticketing, Lans’s companies wield enormous influence over the entire film industry!

Even studios that disliked Lans had to send representatives to celebrate his birthday.

Local politicians and elites also attended; as Mayor Williams expanded the city’s boundaries, the “border” between Xigu Valley and Jincheng grew ever more blurred.

Jincheng’s influence on Xigu Valley would only grow stronger.

Lans, the new emperor of Jincheng’s—and all of Likaizhou’s—underworld, was celebrating his birthday here; he might forget who came, but someone would surely remind him who didn’t.

So today was unquestionably the most lively day in Xigu Valley’s history!

This also meant an abundance of celebrities appeared at the party.

After all… Lans was a real big shot, and everyone wanted to curry favor with him—and the other big shots.

Whether the stars liked it or not, studios, agencies, and companies all brought their hottest talent.

These male and female stars walked red carpets outside the party like at a film festival, drawing crowds of photographers and curious fans who kept asking what was happening.

This didn’t feel like a birthday party—it felt like a grand celebration!

Lans hadn’t expected it to be this huge, but… it didn’t matter; publicly, he’d declared this year exceptionally special.

Because Ace was born—he’d gone from an ordinary young man to a father, stepping into a new phase of life, utterly different from the past!

This claim received widespread approval; after all, this was Lans’s first child, and he deeply valued his child—nothing wrong with that.

In ancient times, when a ruler bore his first child capable of inheriting everything, he would hold a grand celebration to mark the moment!

“Lans, say something!”

Someone started chanting, and soon the crowd unified in cheers, clapping, urging Lans to speak.

Not everyone truly wanted him to speak—some were just stirring chaos; others hoped to see him humiliated.

Few truly knew Lans; they were curious, secretly hoping this uneducated Lans would say something wildly inappropriate at such a grand party.

This wasn’t strange—poor people resent the rich, the lower classes despise the upper; Lans was no longer a nobody—he’d drawn envy, jealousy, and hatred too.

The microphone soon reached Lans’s hands; it seemed he had no choice. His emotions had been stoked by the crowd’s clamor.

He held the mic, paused, needing time to think; every time this happened, he admired Old Du and Old Lin—they could speak effortlessly, charming everyone into stunned silence; he lacked that skill.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to say at this joyful moment—I have too much to say, too many emotions to express.”

“This journey hasn’t been easy—we’ve endured lows, struggled through trials, and finally reached here.”

The road ahead is long, so long I cannot see its end; we still have many mountains to conquer and more wonderful scenery to experience.

Some people fade away from our lives as they walk, while others suddenly burst into them.

We walk side by side forward, facing together all difficulties, hardships, everything!

This is my twenty-sixth birthday; if measured in a hundred years, I’ve just completed one-quarter of my life, and three-quarters still await us.

I hope every stage of my life shines, illuminating more people.

I also hope these good friends, these good brothers, stay together forever.

My life is complete with you all!

Thank you!

Thank you all for coming to my birthday party—thank you so much!

Lans bowed slightly in greeting, and the crowd erupted again.

Those who came to see a joke saw none; they saw only a very “humble” Lans—no lofty wishes, only simple, ordinary aspirations for life.

How beautifully said—just hoping friends and brothers stay together—is there any wish purer than this?

Everyone began to clap; whether they liked him or not, Lans’s brothers stepped forward one by one to embrace him, feeling immense pride and surprise!

This was not just Lans’s birthday—it was their “birthday,” the day of their rebirth, six summers ago!

Lans took a drink from a server provided by the local party company, raised it high, and said, “To today’s friends, brothers, family, and tomorrow’s beauty—cheers!”

People raised their glasses; in that moment, the sunlight was dyed into a mosaic of colors by the swirling liquids!

Like… the gun barrels raised on a fleet upon the sea!

The first salvo was only a test, seeking the impact points; the second salvo was the real attack!

The professor snapped back to awareness, spun around in terror, raised both arms to signal his students to follow him, and the entire tourist pier descended into chaos—the harbor dock too!

After thirty to forty seconds, the warships on the sea fired again, spewing fire and rising black smoke; only after a moment did the people hear the thunderous boom, as if the god of thunder himself had roared.

The earth shook; crowds ran in every direction—shrapnel became the reaper’s scythe, and everything flung by the shockwaves became the reaper’s scythe too!

The targeted harbor was in complete chaos; meanwhile, the main fleet had locked onto the warships moored at Xingang Pier.

There was no complete formation here—only about half the warships were stationed here on rotation; the rest were on duty across the East Ocean.

They could never have imagined the Dantela would strike at their very doorstep—with not a single warning!

In fact, they had taken a wide detour, avoiding the observation posts in Yalan Region, and came directly from the East Ocean east of Jingang City.

Though the route was longer, no one had spotted them.

The warships moored in the harbor were not fully manned; many had barely any sailors aboard!

The sailors were all relaxing!

Every warship had become a target!

General Miles leapt to his feet in shock, staring in disbelief at the black smoke rising from Xingang Pier; he snatched up the phone and dialed the logistics department at Xingang Pier: “What’s happening?”

“Was it an ammunition depot explosion—or did the Dantela attack us?”

The logistics operator could barely speak, “The navy—the warships at sea are attacking us…”

The next second, an explosion crackled through the receiver, then the line went dead!

General Miles immediately triggered the red alert; the entire naval base mobilized!

Meanwhile, at Lans’s birthday celebration, a flood of followers and hangers-on rushed to the party site; soon, the first person asked to leave, then the second.

Soon, everyone knew what had happened.

The “Ambush on Jingang” had come true!

The Dantela Navy had ambushed Jingang City!

(End of Chapter)