Chapter 185: Not Somewhere They Can Enter Just Because They Want To

He paused, then continued, "But we can adjust the plan. Tell the Bismarck formation to shorten the distance to forty nautical miles. At the same time, order the submarine forces to report to headquarters immediately once they confirm the main fleet has left port. We need to track their every move."

"Yes, sir!" Zhou Tieshan immediately went to relay the orders.

Li Te still stood in place, watching the light points on the naval chart. The red Fuxing was slowly heading north in the South China Sea, the blue Bismarck formation quietly following behind, and the green submarine groups lying in wait around the Japanese archipelago. And somewhere in the East China Sea, yellow light points representing the Japanese Combined Fleet were about to appear—if the intelligence was accurate, there would be at least four, perhaps even more.

"Great President," he asked softly, "what do you think our chances of success are?"

Chen Feng did not answer immediately. He walked to the window and looked out at the scorching sunlight. In Dubai's summer, the temperature could soar to fifty degrees, but what he felt now was not heat, but an icy clarity.

"Li Te, have you ever played cards?" he suddenly asked an unrelated question.

"Cards? I played when I was little..."

"At the card table, the most important thing isn't what cards you hold, but knowing what cards your opponent holds, and what cards your opponent thinks you hold." Chen Feng turned around, his gaze sharp. "The Japanese think the Fuxing is a lone ship, think we don't know their plan, think this is an easy one-sided hunt. That is the first layer they know."

"And we know their plan, know how many they will send, know where they will set their ambush. This is the second layer."

"Then, they might guess that we have preparations, might suspect there's an ambush behind the Fuxing. But they will still choose to strike, because they feel that even with an ambush, they can handle it. This is the third layer."

Chen Feng walked back to the naval chart and tapped his finger on the blue light point representing the Bismarck formation: "And the true fourth layer is—we know they might guess there's an ambush, so what we've prepared isn't just four Bismarck Class ships, but also twelve submarines waiting at Japan's doorstep. If they win the naval battle, these submarines will intercept and kill the damaged ships returning to port. If they lose, these submarines will block their escape route."

He looked at Li Te: "Now tell me, what are our chances of success?"

Li Te opened his mouth, only to suddenly find he couldn't answer the question. This was not a simple comparison of forces, not a numbers game on paper. This was a multi-layered, nested psychological contest, where every step was built upon the opponent's judgments and counter-judgments.

"I don't know, Great President," he said honestly at last. "But I believe we are better prepared than they are."

"That's enough." Chen Feng patted his shoulder. "In war, the side that is better prepared doesn't always win. But the side that is inadequately prepared will almost certainly lose."

The telephone rang. Li Te picked it up, listened for a moment, and his expression changed.

"Great President, the Fuxing reports that their radar has detected an unidentified underwater contact at a distance of thirty nautical miles, currently tracking them. Suspected to be a Japanese submarine."

Chen Feng's eyes immediately narrowed: "Order the Fuxing to maintain course and speed, and not to react. At the same time, notify the Bismarck formation to watch for underwater threats. If it is confirmed to be a Japanese submarine, do not attack proactively before the other side launches an attack."

"Why not attack proactively?" Li Te was puzzled. "If we let the Japanese submarine keep following us, our movements will be completely exposed."

"That's exactly why we let them expose us." Chen Feng's explanation was unexpected. "If the Japanese submarine has discovered the Fuxing and keeps tracking it, then Tokyo will be even more convinced that the Fuxing is a lone ship—because no escort vessel would allow an enemy submarine to approach a capital ship. This will strengthen their confidence and make them more resolute in executing the ambush plan."

Li Te suddenly understood, but then had a new concern: "But if the Japanese submarine launches an attack..."

"Then we respond according to the contingency plan." Chen Feng's tone was very calm. "The Fuxing has comprehensive anti-submarine equipment and enough speed to shake off a submarine. Moreover, if the Japanese submarine actually dares to make a move, that would amount to a declaration of war in advance. At that point, we would have ample reason to let the Bismarck formation intervene early."

The orders were relayed. Ten minutes later, the Fuxing replied: the unidentified underwater contact was still tracking, but showed no intention of attacking. The ship had already made anti-submarine preparations.

Chen Feng looked at this report, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"It seems the fish has truly taken the bait."

It was late at night.

Somewhere in the South China Sea, the Fuxing sailed through the darkness. To save fuel, the ship kept only essential navigation lights on, and its massive hull was but a blurry black silhouette under the moonlight. On the bridge, Lin Hai and the deputy captain Chen Qiming were taking turns on watch, having not closed their eyes for twenty-four hours.

"Captain, you should go get some rest," Chen Qiming urged. "I'll take the night watch."

Lin Hai shook his head, his eyes fixed on the radar screen. The light point representing the unidentified underwater contact was still thirty nautical miles away, following at a leisurely pace.

"No need, I can't sleep." He took a sip of strong tea. "Besides, if something actually happens, I need to be on the bridge."

Chen Qiming knew he couldn't persuade him, so he didn't insist. He walked to the observation window and looked out at the pitch-black sea. The moon was hidden by clouds, and the sea was in total darkness; only the white wake from the bow cutting through the waves was faintly visible in the night.

"Captain," he suddenly asked, "do you think we'll come back safely this time?"

Lin Haisheng did not answer immediately. He set down his teacup, walked to Chen Qiming's side, and the two stood side by side looking at the dark sea.

"Vice Captain Chen, how many years have you been in the military?"

"Six years, Captain. I've been on the Fuxing since I graduated from the Naval Academy."

"Then you should know that in this profession of the navy, there has never been one hundred percent safety." Lin Haisheng's voice was very calm. "Storms, mechanical failures, human error, or even just bad luck could make a ship and hundreds of people disappear at sea. The only thing we can do is prepare as best we can, and leave the rest to fate."

He paused, then continued: "But this time is different. This time it's not a natural disaster, but a man-made calamity. We know full well there may be a trap ahead, yet we still have to walk right into it. Why?"

Chen Qiming thought for a moment: "Because of orders?"

"Not entirely." Lin Haisheng shook his head. "Because sometimes, retreating is more dangerous than advancing. If we don't go to Qingdao out of fear, Japan will think we're weak and will push their luck. Today they dare to ambush us on the high seas; tomorrow they'll dare to shell our ports; the day after, they'll dare to land on our soil."

He turned around and looked at the tracking light point on the radar screen: "So this battle must be fought. Not to win, but to tell them—Lanfang's warships are not theirs to touch whenever they please. Lanfang's waters are not theirs to enter whenever they please."