The US generals, after viewing the footage and photographs sent back by the fighter jets, were utterly astounded to discover a colossal black python within the recovered imagery. With the recording and pictures restored, Xiao Hei’s immense size was rendered terrifyingly clear. It was depicted tearing through the sea at high speed, attacking their carrier strike group, exhibiting a destructive power that left them profoundly shocked.

In the footage and photos, Xiao Hei had savagely annihilated the US Navy’s USS Stennis carrier strike group. The manner of its destruction of the Stennis strike group was remarkably swift and straightforward; the entire operation took no more than ten minutes. Yet, the American fighter jets overhead were entirely helpless against Xiao Hei’s rampage.

The faces of the generals began to drain of color. If they calculated based on the sheer destructive capability of this massive black serpent, none of the US Navy’s currently active warships at sea stood a chance against it. This black python, suddenly appearing in the Arabian Sea, dealt a crushing blow to these generals, formally declaring the end of the era of undisputed American naval dominance across the globe. From this point forward, wherever this black python existed, US Navy vessels would have to steer clear, as they would possess no sense of security in its presence; a single collision would send them straight to the bottom.

Gates stated with a heavy expression, "Gentlemen, this is our most sorrowful day. Not only have we suffered a defeat in our military operations in the Gulf region, but our USS Stennis carrier strike group has been completely wiped out again. Crucially, the nemesis of the United States Navy has emerged. Henceforth, the ocean is no longer our domain."

The President of the United States inquired, "Mr. Gates, what exactly is this entity that can sink our carrier strike group? Do we truly have no recourse against it?"

Gates replied, "Mr. President, based on our computer analysis, the unknown object that sank our USS Stennis strike group is believed to be a black python of immense size. This black python measures approximately two hundred and thirty meters in length, with an average body diameter exceeding eight meters. Furthermore, it is tremendously powerful, moves like the wind, and its entire body is impervious to conventional weaponry. As long as it exists, our American warships will not be a match for it."

The President frowned and remarked, "Then how did this black python appear? We know the pythons we encountered before were barely over twenty meters long. And why would it attack our warships? Do all these giant sea serpents hold a grudge against us?"

The President was extremely frustrated. Two years prior, a US Seawolf-class attack submarine on a special mission in Hong Kong waters was attacked by a sea serpent over twenty meters long, which ultimately led to the submarine being captured by the Chinese Navy. The US had paid a significant price to secure the crew's return. Now, this incident was even more outrageous—an entire carrier formation decimated by an even larger black python.

What the President failed to realize, however, was that the twenty-meter sea serpent from before and the current two-hundred-meter giant were, in fact, the same creature; the difference in size was simply too vast for him to connect the two incidents.

Gates spread his hands and said, "Respected Mr. President, I do not know the answers to those questions either. But I believe the emergence of such a massive creature must be linked to the nuclear weapons testing conducted by humanity. Generally, it is only under conditions of nuclear radiation contamination that the genes of such creatures mutate, leading to such colossal size. I recall there was a movie in the United States called Godzilla, where a small lizard was exposed to nuclear radiation and grew to an enormous size. As for why this black python attacked our warships, perhaps our carrier strike group simply happened to be within its active area, and the noise generated by the formation disturbed it. Otherwise, why would it attack us twice near the Strait of Hormuz? Animal territorial instincts are extremely strong."

Smith, standing next to the President, suddenly exclaimed, "I think I understand! Last year, there was a nuclear detonation in the Indian Ocean, and a large swath of the sea was contaminated by the resulting radiation. Could this black python have been contaminated by that radiation at that time, resulting in this genetic mutation and its current appearance?"

Everyone then recalled the nuclear accident in the Indian Ocean last year, and they felt that Smith’s reasoning held some merit.

However, neither the President, Gates, nor Director Smith, who was in charge of intelligence gathering, ever suspected that Xiao Hei was a monster created by humans on Earth. They believed Xiao Hei was a natural occurrence, and that they had simply been unlucky enough to provoke it, leading to two successive attacks.

They simply could not believe that any organization or individual possessed the capacity to create such a behemoth. Not only did current genetic technology not support such a leap, but they also conceived that such a massive creature would be uncontrollable. They failed to connect the Xiao Hei incident with the Starry Sky Group, viewing the timing of Xiao Hei’s appearance as mere coincidence.

The President stated, "Gentlemen, this black python seriously threatens our national security. So, how should we deal with it? We cannot retreat three leagues every time it appears, can we?"

Smith offered, "Mr. President, research indicates that creatures undergoing rapid genetic mutation leading to massive size changes expend a huge amount of their vital energy. Therefore, we can simply wait for this Great Black Serpent to die naturally; the seas will remain ours then. The lifespan of a black python of this nature is usually around five or six years. Since its lifespan has been severely overdrawn, it likely has only one or two years left to live!"

The President responded dissatisfied, "If this giant black snake won't die for another year or two, how are we supposed to protect our maritime interests now?"

Smith was left speechless, unable to address a question that clearly lay outside the scope of his current understanding.

Just as the room full of generals reached an impasse regarding the threat of the black python, Gates’ secretary handed him a newly arrived piece of intelligence. After reading it, Gates’ brows furrowed, and his expression turned grim.

"Mr. Gates, what is the situation now?" the President asked.

Gates reported, "Respected Mr. President, our operation to detain the Starry Sky Group's cargo vessel near Guam has failed. Our older warship was destroyed by unknown weaponry, and the personnel aboard were captured by the opposing side."

The President was shocked. "How is that possible? Guam is within our sphere of influence; we are intimately familiar with every blade of grass there. How could they be destroyed by unknown weapons? Moreover, we dispatched elite soldiers; how could they be so easily captured by those sailors? Did they not manage to transmit any more detailed information?"

Gates shook his head. "Our personnel only managed to send this one message before we lost contact. We currently have no precise details on their situation."

The President had suffered too many setbacks today. Stimulated by this latest news, he finally lost control. He swept everything off the table, yelling loudly, "This must be the Starry Sky Group causing trouble! It must be them! They destroyed our warship, and we must retaliate! We must deploy a powerful army and attack their headquarters in Hong Kong directly!"

Gates and the generals in the room paid no attention to the President's outburst. Attacking Hong Kong would be equivalent to attacking China, immediately plunging the US and China into war. At that point, it would be far more than a localized conflict; it could escalate to the point where both sides, driven mad, launch nuclear weapons and destroy the world.

While the President was irrationally screaming about attacking Hong Kong, an intelligence operative entered, his face etched with urgency, and handed Smith a piece of intelligence.

After reading it, Smith's face drastically changed. He told the President, "Mr. President, a major event has occurred in our country. We are in no position to deal with the Starry Sky Group right now." He then handed the paper to the President.

When the President clearly read the contents of the intelligence slip, he was so stunned that he lost his composure, his hands trembling so violently that the small piece of paper slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor.

The generals were startled and glanced over, seeing a few bold characters scrawled on the note: "US Western Time, August 9, 2014, 2:23 AM, a magnitude ten earthquake struck downtown Los Angeles."

Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan area in the United States, one of its most economically vibrant regions, and the home of the world-famous Hollywood.

Furthermore, Los Angeles lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, the world's largest seismic belt, making it a highly active earthquake zone. In Hollywood films, Los Angeles has been destroyed by sudden, massive earthquakes countless times—the scenes of destruction are always shocking. But those were just movies; the citizens of Los Angeles had no direct experience of such a disaster. They continued to lead their healthy, orderly, and leisurely lives.

Although a significant earthquake had struck northwest of Los Angeles in 1994, twenty years had passed. As the older generation of Angelenos passed on, the new generation had long forgotten the profound shock that earthquake brought.

Late on the night of August 9, 2014, the bustling city of Los Angeles had quieted down. Most people were resting in their homes, preparing for work the next day, while only a few restless souls wandered the city streets. The entire city appeared peaceful and serene, completely unaware that a super-catastrophe was silently bearing down upon them.

Approximately twenty kilometers beneath the city of Los Angeles lay a major crustal fault line. Below this fault, vast amounts of magma churned continuously, generating immense energy. This energy, unable to be effectively relieved, slowly accumulated. However, because this vast energy had not yet exceeded the fault line's tolerance limit, the fault had not shifted, and ground observation stations registered no anomalies.

It wasn't until that evening that the energy from the underground magma finally reached an overwhelming peak. Upon reaching this zenith, a quantitative change finally resulted in a qualitative one: the crustal fault, which had existed for countless years, began to move horizontally. This horizontal shift triggered a chain reaction, culminating in a violent earthquake beneath Los Angeles, unleashing massive energy outward.

As the intense earthquake struck, various seismic waves rapidly propagated outwards in all directions. The first to reach the surface were the P-waves (longitudinal waves). Thus, almost instantaneously, the entire city of Los Angeles began to vibrate up and down as if mounted on springs. This vertical shaking lasted five seconds, after which buildings started to collapse, burying countless people under rubble while they slept.

Next, the S-waves (transverse waves) reached the surface, causing the city to shake violently backward, forward, and side to side. This transverse wave caused tremendous damage; under its force, within less than five seconds, even more buildings collapsed across the metropolitan area, burying more people.

Subsequently, these two wave types met, exciting each other to generate mixed waves, which propagated rapidly across the surface with the strongest destructive force. Along the path of these mixed waves, vast numbers of structures crumbled, burying even more individuals.

The intense earthquake lasted a total of thirty seconds. By the time the shaking subsided, the entire city of Los Angeles was a ruin. Dust filled the air everywhere, and fires ignited by the quake raged across the landscape. The city's iconic landmarks were utterly destroyed. Bewildered citizens milled about—some shouting in disorientation, others desperately digging through the debris, hoping to rescue loved ones, while many more stood numbly, unable to shake off the preceding terror.

Immediately following the super-quake in Los Angeles, the seismic monitoring stations on the US West Coast detected the massive tremor emanating from the city. Their readings indicated an unprecedented magnitude of Richter 10, with the epicenter located just twenty kilometers beneath downtown Los Angeles. The monitoring technician initially suspected equipment malfunction and immediately checked his instruments. The resulting confirmation remained: a magnitude 10 earthquake in Los Angeles. Only then did he realize the gravity of the situation and immediately reported the finding to his superior. His superior, not daring to delay, reported up the chain.

Thus, the news of a magnitude 10 earthquake on the US West Coast was quickly relayed to the White House office. Because the President was at the Pentagon observing their military operations, the intelligence was delivered by an operative to Smith, who then passed it to the President.

The President stood up, his face ashen, and said in a trembling voice, "Gentlemen, Los Angeles has suffered a magnitude 10 earthquake. All our military operations are suspended. All aircraft and troops at our overseas bases, except those absolutely required for essential duty, are to be recalled to the US mainland, and a nationwide mobilization order is to be issued immediately. Gentlemen, America is at its most difficult juncture. I hope you will help me save as many American lives as possible during this great catastrophe."

This super-quake had struck the most prosperous city on the West Coast, reaching the highest magnitude ever recorded in US history. Moreover, it occurred late at night while the vast majority of residents were asleep at home. The expected casualties would be catastrophic, which explained the President's assertion that the nation was at its lowest ebb.

The generals immediately rose, their expressions serious, pledging their loyalty to the President. Regardless of their prior opinions of the Commander-in-Chief, America was truly in grave peril, and these US generals resolved to put aside differences and work together to help the nation overcome this crisis.

Director Smith reminded him, "Mr. President, but what about the Starry Sky Group? We are still technically in a state of conflict with them!"

The President asked, "State of conflict? Have we declared war on them?"

Smith shook his head. "No, technically we haven't, but we..."

The President cut him off. "Since we haven't declared war, our issues with them are a minor problem, not a matter of life and death. Immediately dispatch personnel to negotiate with them. Our priority now is not war, but the lives of our compatriots at home."

Compared to this super-earthquake sweeping the United States, the trouble with the Starry Sky Group was insignificant, scarcely worth mentioning. The President was now consumed with worry over the impending casualties in downtown Los Angeles. The fact that citizens received absolutely no earthquake warnings or forecasts prior to this meant they were utterly unprepared. How long could his presidency last under such circumstances?

At 2:30 AM Western US time (5:30 PM Hong Kong time), Liu Hui had been closely monitoring the piracy incident involving the cargo vessel near Guam. He finally received the triumphant news delivered by Wu Yuanjia: "Starry Sky One" had successfully rescued two cargo ships belonging to Starry Sky Logistics in Guam waters, sinking the pirates' dilapidated warship and capturing thirty armed personnel.

During this skirmish, "Starry Sky One" first used its railgun from beneath the surface to destroy the dilapidated warship on the surface, then surfaced to capture the "pirates" who had jumped overboard or remained on the cargo ships.

However, during the exchange of fire, Starry Sky Group security personnel suffered two deaths and three injuries, and the cargo ship crew sustained one death and one injury. This result frustrated Liu Hui. In the previous engagements against the US military in the Persian Gulf, his side had zero fatalities, yet now, encountering mere "pirates," they suffered three dead and four wounded. The only consolation for Liu Hui was that the "pirates" suffered five dead and ten wounded, meaning his side still held the advantage in casualties.

Fortunately, the cargo ships were recovered. Liu Hui immediately ordered "Starry Sky One" to formally return, escorting the two freighters back to Hong Kong. Given the heavy losses suffered by the US military in the Middle East, and the annihilation of two of their carrier strike groups by Xiao Hei, they would temporarily lack the strength to continue attacking the desalination ships. Therefore, the harassment actions the US military initiated in other areas would also cease, as these diversions were designed to support the main Middle East front. With that front temporarily quiet, the US would naturally stand down.

The Starry Sky Group’s ability to counter US high-tech weaponry in direct confrontation was entirely due to several cutting-edge weapons developed by the Starry Sky Scientific Research Institute. These included long-range laser weapons, close-defense railguns, the "Spiritual Wave Radar" capable of scanning targets without interference, the "Starry Sky" Observer that could temporarily serve as a satellite to survey the battlefield over a wide area, the super-submarine "Starry Sky Two" capable of silently transporting vast amounts of supplies, and high-speed hovering aircraft. It was thanks to these assets that Ah Huo was able to repel the US attack in the Persian Gulf and inflict heavy losses upon them.

Of course, the complete retreat of the US military was partly due to Xiao Hei, but the Starry Sky Group's novel weaponry also played a significant role. Therefore, now that the situation had temporarily stabilized, Liu Hui decided to visit the scientists at the Starry Sky Scientific Research Institute to express his gratitude.

When Liu Hui arrived at Chen Changsheng’s office, he found Chen absent. Upon inquiry, Liu Hui learned that Chen had gone to An Qi’s laboratory. Resignedly, Liu Hui made his way to An Qi’s research quarters.

As Liu Hui pushed the door open, he discovered An Qi immersed in a peculiar experiment within her laboratory. Beside her, Chen Changsheng watched An Qi's every move with keen interest, assisting her as a helper. Upon seeing Liu Hui enter, Chen Changsheng called out, "Good day, Boss!"

An Qi also noticed Liu Hui’s entrance and paused her experiment, simply looking at him.

Liu Hui spotted dark circles under An Qi’s eyes, and an unexpected pang of concern struck him. He said, "An Qi, have you been resting? You have dark circles. You know, your body is..."

An Qi laughed. "Liu Hui, scientific research is the essence of my existence; without it, I am nothing. But I do understand the importance of balancing work and rest. I actually took a nap at noon before rushing over here, so my energy is excellent, and there are no health issues. What you see as dark circles isn't fatigue at all—it's a type of smoky makeup I applied. Don't you think this look is rather novel?"

Liu Hui’s expression stiffened. He hadn't expected An Qi to wear such an unusual style, yet seeing her like this suddenly made him feel a strange pity, a desire to draw her into his embrace.

"Ahem, haven't your parents come to Hong Kong to visit you? Shouldn't you spend more time with them?" Liu Hui began, searching for something to say.

Just as An Qi was about to reply to Liu Hui’s question, the door to her lab burst open. A researcher hurried in and addressed Liu Hui, "Boss, something major is happening in America! They are broadcasting it live on television—you should watch!"

Liu Hui was intrigued, wondering what major event could be gripping the U.S. He quickly instructed someone to turn on the television in An Qi's room. Only then did he learn from the news broadcast about the magnitude-ten earthquake that had struck Los Angeles, USA.

A word of thanks to the reader: Ye Ming, for the 588-coin reward. Thanks to the readers: Yu Yueqian and others, for their monthly ticket support! With your attention and support, this book will become increasingly spectacular. Thank you! A