Chapter 853 Unidentified Fleet
Chapter 853 Unidentified Fleet
On the rough sea, towering warships are breaking through the waves.
They are the fleet of the South China Sea Alliance, and they are also the only organized naval combat force on this sea.
The leading flagship is the Harpoon cruiser, which has made great achievements in the civil war.
Behind the cruiser, there are four destroyers following.
In addition to the defense of the homeland, the South China Sea Alliance has dispatched almost all the warships that can be dispatched. Even in addition to the naval forces, there are three submarines scattered under the sea.
The alliance made a lot of efforts for the unification of the South China Sea Alliance. Now that the alliance is in trouble, the South China Sea Alliance will naturally stick a knife in the ribs for its good brothers.
Although the survivors of the islands in the southern sea area are not interested in the disputes on land, they are very clear that the ambition of the legion is by no means just a province of the old times.
They will test the bottom line of the survivors in the east little by little, and take advantage of the weakness of colleges and enterprises to keep moving forward and compress the living space of the civilized world.
The South China Sea Alliance will not let the Legion succeed. The representatives will know that helping other suffering survivors is helping themselves.
However,
the beginning of this battle is not optimistic.
In the bridge of the “Harpoon”, President Li Minghui, who was dressed in military uniform again, stared at the signals on the radar screen and sonar screen, and squinted his eyes slightly.
”…Hehe, it seems that we are in trouble.”
Five hundred kilometers away, there are a full twenty signal sources that meet the characteristics of warships flickering.
The hulls of these ships are coated with anti-radar coatings, and the technical content is obviously not low.
Not only that, at the same time they captured the other party, the other party had obviously discovered their existence and was cautiously keeping a distance from them, circling to the northeast.
Their intention is obvious, that is, to escort the transport ships traveling between Xifan Port and Yongye Port.
According to the original plan, the fleet of the South China Sea Alliance will go to the channel between Xifan Port and Yongye Port to block the port and its surrounding waters.
However, it seems that this matter may not be so simple now…
Li Minghui thought for a moment, picked up the communicator on the console, and gave a clear and neat order.
”Release the reconnaissance drone!”
A response came quickly from the communication channel.
”Yes!”
As the order was issued, the destroyer “Reef” on the side raised the launch tube at the front end, and a wisp of white smoke burst out, and a sword-shaped missile was launched towards the airspace directly in front.
After flying a distance in the air, the missile spread its folded wings to both sides, soared above the clouds like a seagull, and quickly approached the signal source on the radar.
Li Minghui in the bridge stared at the twenty flickering signals on the radar screen, with his hands on the center console.
Time passed by minute by minute, and the atmosphere in the bridge was extremely tense.
Wars at sea are much more boring than wars on land. There are not so many fancy tactics. It may take only a moment to discover the enemy, and it may also take only a moment to be discovered by the enemy. A small mistake can turn the hard work of tens of thousands of people into scrap iron and sink to the bottom of the sea.
The palms of the weapon operator were sweating, but his clenched fists did not leave the operating table.
This war is not as simple as they originally thought. They can go to the Borneo Sea to fry a few fish and go home with medals.
Especially for them, this is not a battle to defend their homeland, but to defend the homes of others. If the final outcome is to be buried in the belly of the fish, it is hard to say whether their contributions will be remembered.
It was at this moment that these guys finally realized the feelings of their “big brother” alliance at the beginning.
It is not an easy thing to bet your life for a common destiny…
The drone continued to fly forward for about dozens of kilometers and caught up with the navigation track of the fleet.
Li Minghui grabbed the communicator again and ordered calmly.
”Turn on the active illumination radar!”
As the order was issued, the drone opened the hatch with its belly facing down and released a fist-sized pod.
The electromagnetic wave signal was released forward in a fan-shaped plane, completely covering the more than 20 flickering signal sources.
However, at this moment, a scene that surprised everyone happened.
At the moment when the echo came, more than 20 flickering signal sources suddenly disappeared from the radar screen!
”…Our drone did not find the enemy ship! Request the next instruction!”
A stunned expression appeared on everyone’s face, and the officers in the bridge were all stunned.
Including Li Minghui.
His pupils dilated slightly for a moment, but soon shrank.
”Eighty percent of it is electronic warfare…”
Standing next to Commander Li Minghui, the captain of the Harpoon said with a frown.
Li Minghui nodded and continued to give orders while holding the communicator.
”Turn off the active illumination radar, switch to the optical camera… fly to the vicinity of the target and take a look.”
”Yes!”
An echo came from the communication channel, and the destroyer “Reef” operating the drone quickly did it.
After flying for a while in the sky, the reconnaissance drone quickly approached the target sea area, and the result was just as Li Minghui expected. The entire sea surface was empty, with nothing but rolling waves.
At this time, the other party seemed to have discovered their action of sending out the drone, and the signal that originally appeared on their shipborne radar also disappeared.
Li Minghui frowned and said after thinking for a moment.
”It should be a submarine…”
The adjutant standing aside swallowed his saliva and asked nervously.
”Do you want our submarine to go over and take a look?”
Sending a submarine to explore the way first is also one of the routine operations. The speed of retreat of that thing is faster than that of a destroyer, especially in deep sea areas. It is still difficult to hunt down a submarine that is determined to escape.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, the captain of the Harpoon next to him interrupted him without hesitation.
”It’s better not to do this. This may be a trap. If I were their commander, I would definitely set an ambush nearby!”
At this time, the staff officer standing aside suddenly spoke.
”Is there a possibility… that they don’t actually know where we are?”
Everyone whispered.
Li Minghui thought for a moment, nodded, and said in a deep voice.
”I was just thinking about this possibility. The signal we initially detected was from passive sonar. It is very likely that they deliberately made noise with bait.” The reason
why the other party chose to test in this way is very likely because they are in the same situation as them.
Both sides know each other’s existence, but they don’t know each other’s details.
But in this way…
”This test should be a draw.”
It seems that there are always people who are better than you.
I have to admit that the opponent he encountered this time is much more difficult than Charas. It is not realistic to rely entirely on the art of command to play tricks on others.
However, this may not be all bad.
Evenly matched opponents will make each other restrained, and the other party may not want to accidentally fire.
After all, even in name, this is a war between the Xilan Empire and the countries of the Borneo Province.
Before the legion tore its face and declared war on the alliance, the fleet of the South Sea Alliance would at most blockade the port, raid the strategic facilities belonging to the Xilan Empire, and sink a few supply ships. It is impossible to really launch a blatant bombing of the port.
This war did not escalate into a full-scale war.
As the supporting party, they had no reason to take the initiative to escalate the war.
”It’s difficult… We can only see what our allies say.”
Li Minghui took out a cigarette from his pocket and took out a lighter to light it.
There might not be a fight today.
The other side was waiting for them to take the bait while trying to get them to fire the first shot.
The staff frowned, still thinking.
”The tricky thing now is… We can’t be sure who these ships belong to.”
Li Minghui’s deputy looked at him.
”Does it make a difference?”
The staff nodded.
”Of course… If it’s the Western Legion, then we have to be careful.”
Now there is only one destroyer and one submarine in the entire southern waters. In addition, we can only rely on the air force of the ring island and those land-based missile launchers.
But those things alone are not enough.
The bridge fell into a brief silence, and then the whispering communication was heard again.
Although the Eastern Legion has reached a private agreement with the Alliance, the other two legions have not yet expressed their opinions.
”…I heard that the Western Legion is in the New World.”
”Well… on the other side of this planet.”
”Has anyone been there?”
”I don’t remember… it’s too far whether you start from the east or the west. There are no supply points along the way, and the location of the port is not certain.” ”
I don’t know how they are developing…”
”It would be nice if there were a satellite to see.”
Looking at the people talking, Li Minghui did not participate in the discussion, but just smoked silently.
The captain standing aside was silent for a long time, sighed and said.
”It would be nice if the ‘Sea End’ was still there.”
It was once the only battleship of the South China Sea Alliance and the only weapon designed to target the Legion’s airships… However, those militant militarists within them used it on their own people.
But from another perspective, Shelter No. 70 did indeed keep them behind closed doors for too long.
Those airships built based on the core of the starship are no longer the only reliance of the Legion.
And they have just walked out of the island…
…
On the other side, at the forefront of the battlefield, the 170,000-man team under the command of Captain Orlet has taken over Sulak County in the northwest of Lion State, opening a breakthrough to continue northward.
The defense line organized by the first and second 10,000-man teams of Borneo was like paper. First, they were bombarded and lost their way, and then they were divided and surrounded by the armored forces serving as the vanguard.
The Southern Corps is best at using artillery, and armor is only auxiliary.
However, even so, for Borneo, which has almost no tanks, the hundreds of “Conqueror No. 10” in the breakthrough direction can still be called a torrent of steel.
The first to enter Sulak County was the 171,000-man team commanded by Captain Ross.
In the local culture of Borneo Province, “Sulak” means lion’s head, and this surname is also a prominent family in the local area, occupying millions of acres of fertile land and tens of thousands of tenants.
Ross didn’t know whether the surname “Sulak” came first or the strange slang “lion’s head” came first, and he didn’t care much.
As a conqueror, he only cared whether the locals cooperated with his conquest.
If they did not, he would not mind hanging this “lion’s head” on the wall displaying the spoils.
But what was interesting was that when his troops entered this area, they not only did not encounter any resistance, but were warmly welcomed by all the “Sulak”. In
the largest village in the entire county, a man in his sixties led a group of people standing in the middle of the road.
He was wearing a luxurious robe and looked like an elder in the tribe. His beard and hair were gray, and his old face was full of joy. He welcomed the Willant people who came here from the bottom of his heart.
Seeing that these people did not carry guns, Ross waved his hand, indicating that the armored personnel carrier followed the tank into the town, and he got off the jeep and walked to the old man with several officers.
Seeing the Willant officer coming towards him, the old man trembled and took two steps forward, wishing he could kneel on the ground.
”Sir… you are finally here! Those kings have caused us so much trouble!”
He said this without any falsehood. The people under the kings killed the nobles when they saw them, and robbed them of money and food when they saw them. He was so scared that he hid in the mountains and forests for half a month. He didn’t dare to bring his family back until he heard that Janusz was dead and the king’s army was scattered.
Ross glanced at him, not caring about what had happened here.
”Are you a noble here?”
The old man smiled and nodded quickly.
”That’s right… I am Cham Surak, a viscount personally appointed by His Majesty. The whole area within a hundred miles is considered my estate.”
Ross didn’t waste time talking to him, but just gave a look to the officer next to him and threw a list in his hand.
Looking at the stunned old man, the officer said concisely.
”We are from the Southern Army, and we are invited by your Majesty Akbar to help you fight the bandits in the north. Your Majesty requires you to cooperate with us to the best of your ability, otherwise you will be punished according to the law.”
”In addition, we need food for 100,000 people, mainly wheat flour, supplemented by meat, and vegetables and other supplies. Please prepare them here.”
Hearing this number, Cham was shocked and almost collapsed on the ground.
”One, one hundred thousand people?!”
Not only was he shocked, but the “Sulak” following him were also stunned, whispering in panic, as if the world was coming to an end.
Looking at this group of chattering mice, Ross pointed impatiently at the list in the old man’s hand.
”There are prices on the list. You prepare according to our requirements and we will pay you.”
Although they are always imitated by plunderers, they are not plunderers after all.
For land with utilization value, in principle, they do not intend to destroy the original production relations, and even allocate a little profit from other colonies to bribe the locals.
Of course, after the war is over, they will recover this investment in the future. And the local survivors will repay this momentary confusion and short-lived sweetness with the blood and sweat of generations of descendants.
Hearing that these big-nosed people were giving money, Cham finally breathed a sigh of relief, and a happy smile reappeared on his face, nodding and bowing.
”Don’t worry! Our county is rich in products, and the thing we lack the least is food! There are other counties nearby, and you can definitely get the supplies you want!”
Ross nodded, and didn’t waste time talking to this guy. He sent him aside and simply explained the patrol-related tasks to a few men beside him. The
logistics supply line of the Legion was raided by the Alliance Air Force, and the supplies originally planned to be sent to the front line could not arrive on time.
They need to make some repairs here and wait until the logistics catch up before continuing to move forward.
Sulak County is a good location, very suitable as a transit point for front-line supplies.
Perhaps they can build a temporary port on the west coastline to disperse the logistics pressure of Xifan Port.
Just when Ross finished explaining the tasks to his subordinates, he suddenly noticed a group of naked men and women kneeling on the side of the road.
They were not very old, all in their early twenties, and without exception, they were tied up with ropes.
The fifty or so people were like animals tied to a pigsty, with no trace of blood on their numb faces. If they were not still breathing, one would doubt whether they were still alive.
Ross raised his eyebrows and looked at Cham, who was following him closely.
”Who are these people?”
Seeing the Willant people asking about their identities, Cham immediately answered with a flattering smile.
”My lord, these bastards are all bandits! They are not good people, and they want to instigate us to fight you!”
Bandits?
Ross was slightly stunned, and it took him some time to react that he should be talking about the “King’s Army”, and then narrowed his eyes.
Speaking of which, this group of people still owed them a blood debt.
”Drag them outside and shoot them.”
”Yes!”
The centurion standing beside him stood at attention and saluted, then led his subordinates and walked towards the group of people kneeling on the ground with murderous intent.
Those people followed them obediently, and soon fell to the ground in a burst of gunfire.
The thick blood soaked the soil red, and the walking corpses turned into real corpses.
A group of onlookers hid in the fields in the distance. Some of them were serfs on the fields, and some were tenants from nearby farms. They
had never seen such a bloody scene before, and they all looked at it curiously, with half of their faces showing fear, and the other half showing excitement. After
shooting, the Willant soldiers grabbed a few onlookers and threw shovels to them, asking them to find a place to bury these corpses.
Those people nodded hurriedly, and did not ask for rewards, and they worked hard to dig a pit on the spot at the execution ground.
Some people even quietly reached out and took advantage of the time to dig the soil to secretly hide some bloody soil in their pockets.
The Willant soldiers standing aside and watching the appearance of all living beings could not help but curl their lips, with a hint of undisguised sarcasm in their contemptuous voices.
”…It’s a waste of talent to let them take care of this fertile land.”
Another Willant soldier, carrying a rifle, laughed and supported it.
”But no one gave them this land. I remember correctly that this used to be a zoo. They came here by themselves, crossing the mountains and ridges.”
”Hahaha!”
”If I were their ancestors, I would definitely regret it. It would be better for them to die in the desert.”
The slaves digging the pits remained silent about the outrageous ridicule, but they did not feel any dissatisfaction.
They were talking about the survivors of the Prosperous Era. What did it have to do with them?
Only when they needed to boast would they mention that their ancestors had come from the center of the Prosperous World, including praising General Lowell’s extraordinary achievements in the ice and snow, and making fun of how miserable the tribes outside the Zhuobar Mountains were and how they were chased away by the three-headed and six-armed aliens.
But sometimes they would spit on Lowell, spit on the abandonment of them by the War Construction Committee, and hate that the Prosperous Era did not leave them any legacy.
Just like they would sometimes remember that they were Brahmans, and sometimes draw a clear line between themselves and Brahmans or other species of mice.
Some people make memories into boots and step on them to go further. Some people weave memories into clothes and pants and wear them to look beautiful. And the ingenious ones make memories into pillows, tossing and turning just to sleep peacefully… and now they are sleeping peacefully.
Standing aside, Pete smoked a cigarette and did not participate in the discussion of the soldiers. He just felt depressed.
He didn’t care what the ancestors of these people were like, and he didn’t care who this land belonged to. He just wanted to fight with the real opponent as soon as possible.
Whether it was the alliance or the enterprise, at least there should be a decent opponent!
Fighting with these unarmed people, he didn’t feel proud at all, but felt ashamed.
Especially the shining figure in the court, which always lingered in his heart.
Recently, he always had nightmares, dreaming that he was back in that court, but he was standing in the dock, and the jury behind him was full of dead people.
Among them were the Willant people, and some other people with less high noses.
Although it was just a dream, it still made him break out in a cold sweat.
At this moment, the voice of the centurion came from a distance.
”Pete, are you done digging?”
Peter, who had come to his senses, hurriedly replied.
”It’s almost done!”
the centurion continued to call out.
”Don’t worry about the slaves, let them dig by themselves, and return to the team quickly!”
”Yes!”
After answering, Pete threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out, and quickly returned to the team with his soldiers.
The sharp-eyed slaves on the side happened to see the cigarette butt he threw, and rushed to grab it in their pockets when the people walked away, and even fought for “first come first served” and “whoever sees it gets a share”.
The rolling appearance in the blood-red quagmire made people laugh and cry, but they couldn’t help sighing.
At the same time, urgent telegrams were sent from Tiandu to Jinjialun Port and all parts of the Borneo Province, informing every inch of the 4 million square kilometers of land of the war.
On that day, the “Survivor Daily” in Jinjialun Port issued another urgent special edition, and rarely used a line of blood-red characters.
”Blazing invasion! The Southern Legion fought without declaration!”
The bloody red color looked very much like the blood of those pilots and soldiers.
”This is really too much!”
Asin, who was sitting in his own study, cursed angrily and threw the newspaper in his hand on the table.
He rarely loses his temper like this.
But at this moment, he can’t suppress the anger in his heart.
He is not the only one who is angry, there are also thousands of people standing.
From the port area, Tulip Street, Knight Road… to the reed marsh at the mouth of the Yongliu River, anger is written on every indignant face.
Some people choose to bury their heads, and there must be people who hold their chins high.
They are also Borneo people.
And they are awakened people!
Suni, standing on the street, holding a textbook under his arm, looked at the boy in the crowd with relief.
When he was sixteen or seventeen years old, he didn’t have such a scene of being so popular. If I remember correctly, I should have been playing with seagulls on the dock, skipping classes and basking in the sun.
He was extremely glad that he made the choice at the time, boarded the ship to King Galleon Port, became a public school teacher, and happened to read the article titled “Red Soil” and brought it into the classroom to share.
It was not a world-shaking feat, but just a trivial matter that happened after lunch break.
However, he still can’t forget the burning light in the eyes of those boys and girls at that time.
The hope that broke through the ground was sprouting at this moment!
It was the seedling that he nurtured with his own hands——
”We sent away our emperor, but the legion wants us to kneel down! Tell me! Your answer!” The
young man standing on a high place roared at the top of his lungs, and what responded to him was the roar of the mountains and seas.
”Never!!!”
The thin arm was raised high in the air, but he was not alone, because soon stronger arms were raised one after another.
Among them were people with long sleeves, short sleeves and no sleeves.
Five fingers clenched into fists, holding up a piece of the sky.
”What should we do——!”
”Fight them!!!”
(End of this chapter)
