freenovelworld Chapter 641 The Giant Wave! The Giant Wave!
Chapter 641 The Giant Wave! The Giant Wave!
Time ticked by, heavy as lead, amidst the massive vibrations of the engine operating at full power. Xiao Zhao, the radar and sonar operator, stared intently at the fan-shaped screen, his eyes nearly bleeding, while one hand gripped his headset tightly.
"Passive sonar... detected noise from a large, high-speed propeller! Direction... due east! Distance... rapidly approaching!"
Suddenly, the bright spot representing "Blue" appeared out of nowhere on the edge of the radar screen like a ghost, and expanded and approached at an alarming speed!
"Radar contact! Bearing southeast, distance... 15 nautical miles! Still approaching at high speed!"
Almost simultaneously, the emergency call from KJ-1 came through again: "Falcon Boat, KJ-1 is running low on fuel! We must return to base immediately to refuel! Repeat, our aircraft must leave the mission airspace immediately! Follow-up air support is being coordinated, but it will take time to arrive! Your boat..."
With the arrival of the "KJ-1" airborne early warning and control system, the white noise from the radio was significantly reduced.
Liu Huaqing glanced at the resolute eyes of his comrades in the cabin and replied with a slightly relaxed tone: "Our ship will stand firm at its post!"
"Comrades! Take care! Our plane will turn back immediately after refueling! Don't engage them head-on! Don't forget, behind you are 600 million compatriots!"
"Air support? Ha, only someone with legs as long as yours could get here..." Liu Huaqing muttered to himself as he put down the communicator.
The departure of "Airborne Early Warning and Control System No. 1" made the white noise in the radio louder again. Liu Huaqing watched as "Airborne Early Warning and Control System No. 1" slowed down a bit and threw a few small bags from mid-air to the crashing P2V aircraft.
"Hey, that's pretty thorough. We were still debating whether or not to bring them on board. Not bringing them on board means certain death, but bringing them on board also..."
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" Liu Huaqing spat several times. "Signalman, tell them to stay put over there. We're going to chase away the bugs. We'll come back to pick them up when we're done!"
"Yes!"
The minesweeper's searchlight flashed a few times at the P2V crew, leaving them with their hands raised, and then it sailed forward...
…………
"Holy crap! The people on the other side are so inconsiderate! We've all honestly raised our hands, why aren't they coming to take them?"
"Where are they going to run off to!"
Ignoring the turbulent ride, the P2V navigator stood up and unleashed a torrent of angry curses at the "Sea Eagle" minesweeper. The curses were rather vulgar…
Well, there's nothing he can do. As an air force pilot, he naturally can't understand naval signals. This is probably a mistake on the part of our top student submarine captain.
The seasoned squadron leader ignored him, staring blankly at the package dropped by "Airborne Early Warning and Control System No. 1"...
Liu Huaqing moved his binoculars away from the man's face, deciding that if he ever got back, he would definitely give him a good beating...
Hmm? The destroyers from the Bald Eagles must be heading straight for them, right? Should we strike first? Liu Huaqing frowned as he looked at the heavy machine gun on the ship's side.
Hehe, never mind, we share the same blood after all!
…………
Fifteen nautical miles! For a giant ship charging at full speed, that's just a fleeting moment. Liu Huaqing rushed to the port side of the bridge and grabbed a high-powered telescope. The telescope tube shook violently as the ship cut through the waves at high speed.
He struggled to steady his arm and adjusted the focus.
In my field of vision, the horizon was torn apart.
Dusk completely swallowed the sea and sky, as thick as ink that couldn't be dissolved. In the depths of this suffocating darkness, two beams of light suddenly pierced the sky!
That was the enormous searchlight of the Blue, like the cold eye of a Cyclops in mythology, possessing the power to pierce through everything, and it suddenly fixed itself on the Sea Eagle, which was violently heaving on the crest of the wave. The huge beam of light was like an invisible chain, firmly binding the small boat to the center of the pale circle of light.
A moving steel mountain, with the cold, powerful beauty of the industrial age, crashed through the horizon. The massive, dark gray hull had rigid lines, as if cleaved by a knife and axe. Its huge bow cleaved through the vast waves, creating white walls of waves several stories high, surging forward with an aura of destruction.
The towering bridge, densely packed with various antennas and sensors, resembles the wary head of a steel monster. Most breathtaking are the two massive, angular MK-45 127mm naval gun turrets on the foredeck. The dark muzzles are slowly rotating, like the single eye of death, coldly scanning the sea. Finally, those chilling gun barrels seem to lock onto the "Sea Eagle," this insignificant "little thing" in the vast ocean, with unwavering precision.
"Report to the captain! Enemy ship... enemy ship's main gun... is pointed at our ship!" The lookout's voice, tinged with fear, pierced through the howling wind and waves.
The bridge of the "Seahawk" shook violently under the huge initial shock wave from the Blue, as if it had experienced a small earthquake.
Liu Huaqing gripped the handrail tightly, his feet firmly planted on the ground, but his gaze, sharp as a hawk's, pierced through the dazzling light screen, fixed on the ever-approaching steel mountain.
He could clearly see the cold number on the bow of the other ship. "Heh, so the hull number is 744. It really does prove the old saying, 'The higher you fly, the farther you see!'"
"It was worth it! Brothers, we now have eyes in the air!"
Liu Huaqing felt honored to have witnessed the detection capabilities of the "KJ-1" airborne early warning and control system. He turned to his comrades and shouted, "I came, I witnessed it! Even if it means death!"
Before the other soldiers could cheer, the enormous roar of the engine surged in like a tidal wave, making the hull vibrate and groan, as if the entire skeleton of the small boat was groaning.
The minesweeper was tossed and turned wildly in the turbulent waves stirred up by the destroyer, as fragile as a withered leaf about to be swallowed by the whirlpool.
"Stabilize! Maintain course!" Liu Huaqing's roar was almost torn apart by the massive noise storm. The helmsman gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, using all his strength to fight against the raging water tearing at the rudder blades.
Liu Huaqing gripped the cold railing tightly, his fingernails almost digging into the painted steel, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.
We cannot retreat! Not even a single step! Behind us are the wreckage of the plane and our compatriots, separated only by a narrow strip of water; behind us are the secrets that may have sunk to the bottom of the sea; behind us is this sea passed down from our ancestors!
Taking a step back is like falling into an abyss!
We've been out of the loop long enough!
There is no way to retreat!
"Signalman! Send the light signal! You know what to say! Use the internationally accepted code! Send it repeatedly!"
"Main guns! Aim them at the front of its bridge! Anti-aircraft machine guns, point them at its signal lights! Let the Americans see clearly that our guns aren't just for show! Tell them, if they dare cross the line, they'll face the consequences!"
"Understood!" The gunner's roar carried a fierce, all-or-nothing intensity.
Driven by the soldiers, the two 37mm naval guns on the fore and aft decks of the Falcon churned with a dull hum, their short, thick barrels slowly rising and steadily pointing towards the sea ahead of the Blue with unwavering resolve!
The anti-aircraft machine guns on both sides clicked to release their safety, their dark muzzles pointing straight at the glaring signal lights on the enemy's bridge!
No shots were fired, but this silent aiming was more powerful than any words. It was a declaration of the indomitable, a sharp edge of courage, a five-hundred-ton assault on three-thousand-ton forces—an unwavering declaration of war!
The signal lights flashed rapidly and forcefully, piercing through the mist rising from the sea and projecting clear light signals toward the approaching steel fortress:
"CHINESE NAVY VESSEL 'HAIYING' CONDUCTING SOVEREIGNTY OPERATIONS!
YOU HAVE ILLEGALLY ENTERED TERRITORIAL WATERS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA!
ALTER COURSE IMMEDIATELY! LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!”
The lights, like an indomitable pulse, beat tenaciously between the sea and the sky.
The Blue did not respond.
Its massive body, exuding an arrogant sense of dominance, continued to plow through the sea at a speed of thirty knots, charging straight toward the "Sea Eagle" and toward the core area of the P2V wreckage!
"Delusion!"
Liu Huaqing slammed his fist on the control panel. "Hard to port! Maximum speed! Get between it and the wreckage! Signalman, keep using the light signals!"
The small body of the "Sea Eagle" suddenly shuddered, the diesel engine roared to its limit, and surging white waves rose from the stern.
Like an enraged light cavalryman, it burst forth with astonishing speed disproportionate to its size, resolutely drawing a sharp and dangerous arc as it cut decisively through the narrow gap between the massive bow of the "Blue" and the sea surface floating with debris!
On the bridge, Captain Williams, the captain of the USS Blue, lowered his binoculars, a playful smile curving his lips. It was a mixture of surprise and a cat-and-mouse smirk: "Oh? This little thing has quite a temper. First mate, give our 'little friend' a taste of some waves, let it wake up."
The order was given.
The massive twin propellers at the stern of the "Blue" suddenly accelerated their rotation, stirring up the power of the deep sea.
A massive, unstoppable wave, like an underwater bomb, suddenly appeared, roaring and crashing towards the "Sea Eagle," which had just completed its interception maneuver and was still rocking violently!
"Huge wave! Starboard!"