"I said, 'This submarine showing up in the Nansha waters certainly doesn't bode well. Commander Zhang, immediately survey the surrounding sea conditions and assess whether launching a torpedo would draw the attention of the Yue Navy.'"

Zhang Dahai quickly replied, "Reporting, Commander Comrade 7, computer analysis shows the nearest Yue-occupied island is nearly a hundred kilometers away. Launching micro-torpedoes absolutely will not alert the Yue forces."

I waved my hand in assent, "Then wipe it out! Best to prevent it from frequently surfacing here and disrupting our normal navigation."

Zhu Da was eager to try, "Should Cai Baozi and I go out? We can find a few magnetic mines and stick them onto their submarine to send them back to their homeland. Isn't that what they always do? Let them taste their own medicine now."

I replied, "No need, that's making a mountain out of a molehill. Send four Mercury-class submarines to launch torpedo attacks." Zhang Dahai exclaimed in shock, "Four vessels! Just one is enough to take its life."

I countered, "We only engage in battles we are certain to win. We absolutely must not be careless and cause an accident. Keep all four Mercury submarines on station. After the attack, meticulously clean up the scene; under no circumstances let a single fish escape the net."

Zhang Dahai accepted the order, "The Commander's consideration is indeed thorough. I was a bit rash and careless."

The orders were quickly relayed. Before long, we felt a slight tremor on the surface. Soon, the data was reported back: at a depth of three hundred meters, the small Yue-Yue submarine was simultaneously struck by three micro-torpedoes from the Mercury-class vessels. As the enemy detected the torpedo attack, they attempted to surface and flee, but the torpedoes launched by the Mercury-class submarines struck quickly. They never even had a chance to counterattack before feeding the fish.

This could only be considered a minor incident during our voyage. I don't know what mission that small Yue-Nan submarine was on, but they would never achieve any glorious achievements again. The Yue Navy still has one small submarine left; we'll find an opportunity to eliminate that one too, severing an arm of the 126th Marine Brigade, and see if they dare to swagger in the territorial waters of Great Dragon Country again.

At dawn, as the fleet was about to enter the territorial waters of Wenlai, a message arrived from the satellites: a task force from the US military base in Hawaii was about to enter Wenlai's territorial waters. The enemy force consisted of one Grassroots-class aircraft carrier, two escort cruisers, four missile destroyers, four anti-submarine destroyers, five nuclear-powered attack submarines, plus fifteen supply ships and landing craft.

Such a formation was quite massive for a US Navy contingent. It seemed the US was unwilling to accept the failure of the Sea Turtle Commando Unit. They feared that the establishment of the Wenlai military base would bring about a huge shift in the Pacific structure, so they were absolutely determined to keep the Red Dragon out of Wenlai.

Everyone waited for my orders. I said to Zhang Dahai, "Calculate the distance to Wenlai immediately. Can we reach the Wenlai naval port before the US fleet does?"

The calculation result came back quickly. If the fleet proceeded at full speed, we should arrive half an hour before the US fleet reached full speed at the Wenlai naval port. Without hesitation, I ordered, "Activate the nuclear reactors, proceed at full speed! The Wenlai naval port must be secured; this is our first step in advancing into the Pacific. We will not shy away from a fight with the US for this!"

Activating the nuclear reactor supplied the necessary power for the warships' navigation and simultaneously charged the high-energy battery banks. Guided by numerous satellites, the fleet navigated through the maze of reefs and soon appeared in Wenlai's territorial waters. At this moment, the US fleet still had an hour's travel time before reaching port. It seemed Zhang Dahai had overestimated their cruising speed.

"Commander Comrade, please take personal command of this battle. After all, the significance of this campaign is extraordinary; it is our first step toward the ocean," Zhang Dahai requested.

"Heh, Commander Zhang, you know I'm just a humble volunteer soldier; I’m not very adept at warfare."

"The Commander is too modest. The entire Tri-Service Corps admires you. It is precisely because you are not as conventional as us that every battle yields unexpectedly stunning results."

Leading troops in battle has been my childhood dream, so I no longer stood on ceremony. I issued the orders: "Order the Mercury and Mars submarines to disperse and patrol/maintain vigilance within a 300-nautical-mile radius of the fleet. Order the Venus submarine tenders to launch ten long-endurance unmanned early warning aircraft to patrol and monitor the entire Wenlai combat zone. The Xia-class cruisers numbered 001–005, the Xiyu-class destroyers numbered 001–010, along with the five submarine tenders, will intercept the US fleet!"

***Admiral Grade, Commander of the US Ninth Fleet, was the overall commander for the Wenlai combat zone. He had been tasked by the President to prevent the Red Dragon from establishing a naval port and military base in Wenlai territory at any cost.

Admiral Grade's initial plan was to intercept the Red Dragon forces outside Wenlai's territorial waters, then dispatch landing craft to seize the Wenlai beaches, thereby controlling the small nation of Wenlai with US forces under the pretext of counter-terrorism, and using it as a base to threaten the Great Dragon Country's islands and reefs in the South Sea.

Just as dawn broke, the US task force, which had been sailing all night, was about to enter Wenlai waters when signal operators on every ship simultaneously discovered that the satellite navigation system connection had been interrupted.

Grade was greatly alarmed. Sailing on the open sea without satellite navigation was extremely dangerous, especially in this area riddled with reefs; a slight misstep could lead to grounding and wrecking the ship. He immediately ordered the troops to dispatch more early warning aircraft to scout the path ahead while urgently investigating the cause of the failure.

After some investigation, the communications personnel reached a conclusion, and soon someone reported to Grade, "Reporting, Commander Sir, our satellite receiving systems on all warships are normal. It is certain that the warships are being subjected to enemy signal jamming. They are using jamming methods currently unknown to us, and we are unable to restore communications for the time being."

Grade broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, early warning aircraft were already circling above the fleet; otherwise, a sudden enemy attack would have dealt a fatal blow to the formation.

"Send a dispatch to Pacific Command reporting the situation, dispatch additional early warning aircraft, and expand the warning radius to 600 nautical miles. Order all warships and carrier-borne aircraft to combat readiness level one!"

Not long after the order was issued, Admiral Grade received another alert: a large fleet marked with the Red Dragon insignia was detected 500 nautical miles ahead. Grade ordered the observer, "Immediately ascertain the combat strength of the enemy fleet, and simultaneously transmit a message to headquarters requesting satellite reconnaissance support."

A few minutes later, the Chief of Staff reported to Admiral Grade, "Headquarters reports via teletype that satellite scans confirm the area is normal and shows no trace of the enemy fleet. They require us to confirm whether the early warning aircraft signals are accurate."

The existence of the enemy fleet was undeniable, as lookouts aboard the Grassroots carrier had already spotted their position through binoculars. Judging by its size, this fleet was powerful, but compared to the US Ninth Fleet, it lacked the essential support of an aircraft carrier.

Grade told his Chief of Staff, "The enemy possesses means to counter satellite detection. It seems we cannot rely on headquarters for much useful intelligence. We will have to adapt as we go."