A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Chapter 650 A few scattered stars, gathering into a vast ocean. But, don't come any closer!

Liu Huaqing frowned: "Are you sure?"

"Uncertain! So we need to confirm, confirm, confirm!" Xiao Zhao scooped up the seawater rushing in from the control panel and splashed it on his face. The stinging sensation jolted him awake.

“I’ve never heard that voiceprint before, but, Captain, we’ve been locked in combat for so long, our reinforcements should be on their way. Our ‘Four King Kongs’ sonar is no match for our minesweeper. What if a big black fish suddenly attacks…”

"Damn! That's really ruthless! The old general was absolutely right when he said never to underestimate the enemy!"

Liu Huaqing was shocked. He knew that the minesweeper he was commanding, although it looked unremarkable, was actually one of the larger and better equipped combat vessels in the current Chinese Navy's surface fleet. In addition to minesweeping, it also undertook various tasks such as maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare, making it a versatile vessel in the current Chinese Navy.

In terms of anti-submarine warfare capabilities, even the "Four Great Kings" are no match for this small minesweeper.

"Old Duan! Stop busying yourself in the engine room and quickly help Xiao Zhao lower the spare sonar minesweeping equipment!"

"Alright! But what about our comrades who are still fighting on the sea?"

"Let them hold us off! Our ship is about 500 tons, if it really rams in, they won't get away with it! But if they start using guns or cannons, we'll still have to hold them off!"

"You all go ahead with your work, I'll calculate the angle from which it will come in next time..."

Liu Huaqing watched as the "Blue" slowly drove back out of the area, his hands clenched into fists.

"No wonder you're so arrogant. Are you trying to cover up what's underwater? Are you trying to gather information about our waters, or are you planning to launch a surprise attack?"

No matter what, we can't let you succeed!

"Xiao Zhao, it's all up to you!"

"Little Zhao? Little Zhao!"

"Hey! Captain! No problem, watch me!" Xiao Zhao, who had been called by Liu Huaqing several times, finally came to his senses.

However, his movements were somewhat strange at this moment. He pulled off the earpiece in his right ear with one hand, leaned half of his body close to Liu Huaqing's direction, and stared intently at Liu Huaqing's mouth.

After agreeing, Xiao Zhao operated the dashboard with only his left hand, while his other right hand was tightly gripping the right earpiece. The veins on his right hand were bulging, as if he wanted to press the earpiece into his bones.

"Active sonar, start..."

…………

Meanwhile, the battle for control of the sea continues.

If we weren't known as the kings of night combat, our soldiers wouldn't have been able to make a mess of things for a bunch of big, burly Marines.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the soldiers managed to salvage some floating debris and pile it on the rubber boat.

Perhaps feeling that its own "Marine" wasn't performing well enough, the "Brut" slowly moved forward again, but after a short while, it made a half-turn, deviating from its original course. Only the searchlight once more swept across the sea where the two sides were locked in combat.

"Damn! Is it marking something?!"

Liu Huaqing spun the steering wheel rapidly, trying to maneuver the minesweeper between the two sides.

"Xiao Zhao! Xiao Zhao! How's it going on your end?"

At this moment, Xiao Zhao's entire body was pressed against the control panel of the sonar system. If it weren't for the thin sheet of metal, he would have wanted to crawl inside.

"Tsk..." Liu Huaqing glanced quickly at Xiao Zhao, who hadn't replied, gritted his teeth, and spun the steering wheel back: "Buy time, buy time. I need time..."

Just as Zhao Laosi's net caught another piece of debris, he was about to pull it into the boat when a large hand wearing a canvas glove suddenly appeared and grabbed the end of the net rope.

Li Jianguo, who was nearby, saw an eagle emblem embroidered on the glove, which was currently struggling against Zhao Laosi's chapped palm. His thumb was wrapped with a blackened strip of cloth, which had been punctured when he was repairing the fishing net that morning, and now blood mixed with seawater had seeped into the hemp rope, leaving dark red marks.

Seeing this, Zhao Laosi suddenly loosened the rope, and the rubber boat swung to the side with the reaction force, crashing into the stern of the other inflatable boat. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sun Weiguo threw a pair of iron pliers, which grazed past Li Jianguo's ear and slammed into the aluminum alloy rod of the other's long hook with a "clang".

"Let go!" Li Jianguo's iron hook suddenly changed direction, not to hook the debris, but to hook the rope loop of the other inflatable boat. He and another recruit, Zhang Xiaobao, leaned back at the same time, and the rubber boat spun in the waves, knocking the other's long pole hook out of their hands.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhang Xiaobao pounced over and used his knee to press down on a piece of aluminum skin that was drifting nearby. It still had charred black marks on it, and it should be a part near the engine.

A chaotic melee ensued, with everyone thrown into disarray. People kept falling into the water, only to be pulled back onto their small boats.

The sea water is so cold!

At this moment, Zhao Laosi had already retrieved the second fragment, which was half of a dashboard with markings. He used his teeth to bite the edge of the dashboard and used both hands to help Sun Weiguo grab a floating cable. The cable's outer sheath was broken, revealing the thin copper wires wrapped inside.

"Make sure the battlefield is clean!" Zhao Laosi whistled, his lips blackened by the cold, and looked defiantly at the small boat opposite.

The man on the other side, "Ma Run," shouted a few times, sounding like he was cursing.

Suddenly, the "Marun" pulled a canvas bag from the bottom of the boat, shook out several dark objects, and handed them to the people next to him, gesturing for them to put them on.

Zhao Laosi didn't know what that thing was, but he saw that the person opposite him was wearing it and was able to dodge the oar that Sun Weiguo suddenly swung.

"Whatever it is! It must be something rare..."

Zhao Laosi whistled, and regardless of whether Li Jianguo on the small boat next to him could see him or not, he pointed at the "Marun" opposite him and shouted: "Jianguo! This is a rare thing, even if it sinks, we have to get it! Follow my whistle!"

"Good!" Li Jianguo believed Zhao Laosi's words. After all, that guy's eyes were so sharp they could practically glow at night! Their minesweeper boat won first place in the fishing operation in January, all thanks to Zhao Laosi's eyes!

As the wave crashed down again, Li Jianguo deliberately steered the rubber boat toward the right of the other side. Using the force of the surge, he leaped and slammed heavily into the small boat where "Ma Run" was staying.

"Bring it to Grandpa!"

…………

"So, Xiao Zhao, any results yet? Xiao Zhao! Xiao Zhao!"

Xiao Zhao still didn't reply, but simply extended his left hand and waved it at his captain...

A radio that had been left unattended suddenly emitted a static sound...

"Wow... Wow..."

"Sea Eagle! Sea Eagle! This is Anshan! My fleet has arrived outside your territorial waters! Repeat, reinforcements have arrived!"

"Seahawk! Seahawk! Respond if you receive this!"

The sound from the radio brought a wave of relief to Liu Huaqing's heart, followed by a renewed sense of tension...

"Xiao Zhao! Go and get back to him! I can't spare the time right now!"

"Old Liu! Southeast! Lights! It's our ship! Lots of lights! Hahaha, there's a hole in the engine room, I see it! I see it!" Old Duan's voice from the engine room echoed through the megaphone.

Liu Huaqing suddenly looked up.

In the distant darkness, like stars falling from the sea, a string of firm and bright navigation lights pierced the night and sped toward this tense sea area!

Beside this string of navigation lights, there are also a few scattered sparks, which, from a distance, look like the tiny lights on the tails of fireflies. But these tiny sparks, when gathered together, bring an indescribable sense of awe!

"Don't come over!"