Chapter 303

Chapter 303: The Bustling South China Sea

"Ha ha, with a speed of 200 knots, it’s almost no different from flying. We also have to consider water pressure, endurance, hull strength, and surface treatment processes. It’s not just about materials. I personally estimate that this submersible is likely a generation or two more advanced than the most cutting-edge underwater technologies currently available to mankind. Whether on the surface or beneath the waves, every knot increase in speed incurs enormous costs, requiring significant technological and material innovations. That’s why the Americans call this ‘Flying Little Boat’ an alien submersible; if we encountered it, we would do everything possible to seize it, and build about ten of them to secure control of the seas for the entire planet."

A propulsion expert shared his assessment via remote video, providing valuable insights for the attendees.

"Today, the American government has formally issued a request to Japan to investigate all current fluid dynamics research projects, including the highest-level studies. Although the Japanese government and research institutions protested on the spot, they have not provided a clear response. They can’t refuse the Americans’ stern stance. Heh, the Japanese are about to have their technical secrets laid bare."

A senior official from the General Staff updated the participants on the latest news, which elicited light laughter. The Japanese really got caught in the crossfire.

While listening, Lin Mo tapped his finger on his watch, pondering how this guy had learned the bad habit of framing others. When they were in the Su Lan Empire, Gold Coin had been played like a fool by various means and had to become his trusty mount.

A strong sensation surged through his fingertips, resembling a 40-volt electric charge, unmistakably indicating that Gold Coin was protesting by discharging electricity.

"From the appearance of this submersible, we can’t be sure if the surface details come from special polishing or unique materials. However, it’s clear that its design completely considers fluid dynamics; otherwise, it wouldn’t be tapered in front and bulky in the back, resembling an arrowhead. The design meets the needs of high-speed travel. Judging by its agility for fast maneuvers, it likely has multiple water jets to replace fins for steering, and I estimate there are no fewer than ten jet outlets…"

As a seasoned military expert in submersibles, he deduced the performance and appearance of Gold Coin’s transformation with remarkable accuracy, even Lin Mo couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Experts truly stood out; despite seeing the real thing, their assessments closely matched reality, though their internal equipment assumptions were limited by current technological constraints, much of it was mere conjecture.

…

The hearing lasted for several hours, gathering field data and feedback from personnel, which was compiled as raw records and sent to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other technical departments for detailed analysis. This field had many industry specialists, and some exceptionally talented individuals could directly infer parameters and weaponry from mere appearances.

As more doubts about the so-called "Flying Little Boat" submersible surfaced during discussions, the disguised gold giant dragon, posing as a watch, was terrified. The brilliance of human intellect in this world was simply frightening; even without weapons, this intelligence could obliterate them entirely.

The little pride Gold Coin had recently harbored was squashed again; it truly was a terrifying world.

The incident involving the American aircraft carrier task force encountering an alien submersible in the South China Sea created a huge stir globally, with continuous repercussions.

After all, the plaintext message sent by the American military spread to neighboring countries, and news of battling with aliens was explosive—a mega news story that turned heads in countless media outlets.

Like sharks smelling blood, countless news media flocked to the South China Sea, and the coordinates of the battle zone were suddenly filled with boats overnight—military vessels from various nations, civilian observers, and news media charters all converging.

Due to the vast ocean, China couldn’t charge admission and could only let this unfold.

Eventually, there was no more subterfuge; they openly declared their presence. The flotilla of vessels almost outshone the aircraft carrier task force. Hundreds of boats roamed in the area, creating a grand "Alien Ship PARTY."

The American military’s gag order didn’t have the intended effect, as sailors shared blurry videos captured on their phones, despite the unclear footage and voices. The rampant viewership crashed that major interactive website repeatedly, requiring the addition of multiple servers and bandwidth lines to alleviate the load.

Moreover, a flood of dubious fake videos filled the internet, and the public buzzed with talk of aliens, fueling a surge of rumors.

Some claimed an alien army invaded Earth, intent on war with humanity. Others insisted it was an experimental submersible from a certain country that was caught by the Americans, leading to an immediate confrontation driven by jealousy over its performance, with the intent to seize this high-speed submersible.

Even more disconnected individuals shouted about forming a Global Federation to counter the alien invasion, discarding national and ethnic identities to rally under slogans like “One Earth, One Nation, One People, One Home.”

Even claims emerged that humanity was engaged in combat with alien fleets and that information suppression was aimed at preventing social panic, concealing the world’s urgent state of war, urging all humanity to arm themselves to defend Earth.

Some traitors sought out alien forces for alliances, trampling others for personal gain.

Suddenly, recently released science fiction movies surged in popularity among audiences who were in a frenzy.

Various sci-fi merchandise flew off the shelves, and toy manufacturers rolled out intricately designed submersible models that even made Gold Coin and Lin Mo widen their eyes in astonishment, barely resisting the urge to place an order for mail delivery.

Human imagination truly had no bounds.

Unexpectedly, a small landlocked African nation jumped into the fray at the United Nations, accusing America of attacking its submersible, causing severe damage and sinking it in the depths of the ocean, with all crew members lost. They demanded hefty compensation from the United States to address the aftermath of this intentional act of murder.

While many nations waited to see how America would respond, this little country, which had appeared out of nowhere, was overthrown by a domestic anti-government group.

Although those in the know realized what had transpired, especially regarding the previous declaration about the battle with aliens in the South China Sea, the Americans remained tight-lipped.

A series of unexpected events kept arising, with absurdities abounding, leaving the American government, particularly its news department, at a complete loss. Even the high-ranking officers aboard the frightened George Washington aircraft carrier had not anticipated such trouble stemming from the incident.

In stark contrast to the Americans, who were in a state of chaos, the Chinese government prospered, reaping benefits by securing protection fees for the George Washington aircraft carrier’s safe exit from the South China Sea. It remains uncertain how many advantages the Americans promised to the Chinese to resolve this matter. At least, the Chinese didn’t spend a single bullet, undoubtedly coming out ahead.

The real unfortunate ones were the Philippines, as not a single country cared about their sunken fishing boat that resulted in the loss of over a dozen fishermen, or how several military vessels were driven back to their territorial waters by a J-15 "Dark Sabre" like ducks in a pond during the international maritime dispute.

As the world focused on the alien submersible incident, every second on television and every space in newspapers rushed to report on the event, leaving little attention for the Philippines’ trivial affairs.

Only a few local newspapers and television stations in the Philippines offered indifferent coverage, as the attention of their population had already shifted to the pressing matters unfolding in the South China Sea.

Consequently, while the Philippine government shed tears of grievance, the Chinese government began to step up its rhetoric.

Various videos and satellite photos, including footage of the so-called "fishermen" firing AK-47s in battle, were piled before international courts, and even the Americans had to yield in the South China Sea, let alone one of the world’s poorest countries, the Philippines. If this conflict escalated harshly, the Philippine economy could regress by at least five years.

The Americans were left fuming in the background, while China showcased its best pilots aboard the Shilang aircraft carrier training ship, signaling that they were a serious combat force ready to wipe out adversaries.

"Ugh, I’m so tired! Why haven’t we caught anything yet?"

Amid a flurry of yawns, a piece of thawed beef, still dripping blood, was tossed into the sea, splashing up a wave.

Lin Mo rubbed his eyes as he sat at the bow of the escort submarine, Jing Ke, fishing for sharks. Using a discarded cannon barrel from the weapon crew as a fishing rod, he perched himself on a small stool at the submarine’s nose, enjoying a day of deep-sea fishing—something almost unique in the world.

He had been called into remote video conferences several times over the past few days, causing him sleepless nights while his real work leading students was put on hold.

Originally, he had been sent to keep a low profile, but now troublesome matters had found him again, making it impossible to live quietly without being the center of attention.

Perhaps the biggest beneficiary from this commotion was the well-fed gold giant dragon, who smirked with its beady eyes when alone, and Lin Mo found himself wanting to stuff this mischief-maker into a nuclear reactor to see how radiation might affect the gold giant dragon.