Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

Wei Jinzhong led his men onto the Poison Spider 3 to familiarize themselves with it, and he was in a state of excitement the whole time, as if he had turned on the speed-up button. He walked and talked faster, and kept talking to Wang Yaotang, saying how damn good this thing was!

Wang Yaotang could at most know from the data that the Poison Spider was advanced, but the details were still best left to users like Wei Jinzhong.

Wei Jinzhong's words implied that the Poison Spider 3, as the main combat force, coupled with the Admiral Lazarev nuclear-powered cruiser docked in the port of Vladivostok, dared to compete with the US Pacific Fleet to see who was the boss!
Admiral Lazarev: Full load displacement 24,300 tons, length 250.1 meters, width 28.5 meters.

Armament: 20 SS-N-19 "Granit" anti-ship missiles, SA-N-6 air defense missile system, 1 130mm main gun, 6 30mm close-in weapon systems, 2 five-tube 533mm torpedo launchers, and 2 RBU-12000 anti-submarine rocket launchers.

One of the world's largest cruisers, known for its ferocious firepower!

No wonder the Russians later focused on archaeological research.

"No, wait a minute, that's the Pacific Fleet, it belongs to the Russians, not mine." Wang Yaotang was somewhat amused and exasperated.

"I believe in the boss!" Wei Jinzhong said firmly.

"What do you believe in me that you'll believe?"

"Anything the boss sets his sights on, he'll trick into getting sooner or later."

"I'll teach you to lie, I'll teach you to lie!" Wang Yaotang kicked him. "You little bastard, can't you even speak properly?"

Wei Jinzhong didn't dodge, he just chuckled. He was willing to be kicked a hundred times as long as he had the chance to get on the Kirov-class cruiser.

"Boss, just tell us, who are we going to fight this time, and how are we going to fight them!" Wei Jinzhong patted his chest to show his loyalty. "Whether it's fighting the Japanese Self-Defense Forces or not, there's no question. You give the order, and we'll fight them to the death, even if it costs us our lives!"

The boss's team isn't new; the internal competition is fierce. Only by making many contributions can one have a chance to rise in the ranks.

It's confirmed that the tanker hijacked by our own people belongs to the Self-Defense Forces, but we can't exactly sail the Tarantula to the Japanese naval base. Besides, even if they leave port, it would be difficult to pinpoint their location.

"Force them out." Wang Yaotang spat. "Get familiar with it. We'll set off in three days. Block the shipping lanes from the Far East to the Japanese. As long as they're not flying the Russian flag, no matter whose it is, sink them all!"

“Sink them all?” Wei Jinzhong was startled. “Indiscriminate attacks on merchant ships will seriously damage your reputation, boss.”

We weren't this ruthless when dealing with the Annamese before.

"Who said I sank it? What evidence do you have? Why don't you just kill them all? That way, no one can testify against you. Besides, even if someone is lucky enough to make it ashore alive, so what? It was clearly the Vikings who did it. What does it have to do with me, Wang Yaotang!"

“Uh… Vikings are in Europe,” Wei Jinzhong muttered under his breath.

Since the boss had made the decision, there was nothing he could say.

All those Japanese devils deserve... except for women, they all deserve to die!
In the trade between the Soviet Union and Japan, 90% of the freight was handled by Japanese companies, mainly Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, with Showa Marine and Yamashita Shin Nippon Kisen Kaisha as secondary players. Wang Yaotang was not worried about making a mistake at all.

Three days later, a 6.4-ton bulk carrier from Mitsui O.S. Lines, loaded with logs, pulp, lumber, plywood, and other materials, left Nakhodka and headed towards Japan at an economical speed. They had been navigating this sea route for many years and were very familiar with it. As long as it wasn't the monsoon season, they could simply let the ship navigate on its own.

Trade between Russia and Japan mainly involved raw materials and primary processed goods, which were of low value, with timber being the largest component.

This is definitely not smuggled; it's a bulk commodity, and the individual items are huge, making it very difficult to smuggle.

But that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of them; the Russians also have invoices...

Just as the ship left Russian waters, more than 80 kilometers away on the Poison Spider ship, Wei Jinzhong shouted the order, "Fire!"

"Whoosh!"

A plume of white smoke rose as the 3M-80 'Moskit' semi-armor-piercing high-explosive anti-ship missile shot up several hundred meters into the air. It then adjusted its course in mid-air, its tail engine spewing flames as it hurtled toward its target.

For most of the flight, the 3M-80 relies on inertial guidance. It only activates its radar to actively scan for the target when it is about 30 kilometers away, and then adjusts its flight direction.

The 3M-80's speed increased rapidly, quickly exceeding Mach 2, and the 120-kilometer distance was rapidly shortened.

"Boom-"

The missile warhead struck the bulk carrier about 2 meters above the waterline. After penetrating the hull, the warhead went all the way in. The 6.4-ton bulk carrier was too big; it only trembled slightly, and the people on board felt nothing.

Then, the next second, boom!
A massive fireball, wreathed in flames, shot skyward, dark red flames licking the hull, and thick smoke, like an ink pillar, pierced the clouds.

The cargo ship shuddered violently, its deck was ripped several meters off the ground, and the surrounding timber was instantly ignited. Burning logs fell from the sky onto the sea from the churning black clouds, like a magical meteor shower.

Sparks flew everywhere from the broken steel components of the cargo ship, and the seawater vented by the explosion surged into the damaged compartments with even greater force. The ship gradually tilted, and the shock wave from the explosion stirred up a giant ring wave on the sea surface, turning the surrounding seawater into a turbid blackish-red color. The scorching heat wave mixed with the smell of fuel permeated the air above the sea.

All of this was observed by the Y-12 aircraft in the sky. The pilot shouted loudly over the radio, "Yo yo yo yo yo, holy crap, holy crap, oh holy crap, this missile, holy crap, its power is too great!"

Several hours later, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines discovered that its cargo ship had not returned by the scheduled arrival time. They were unable to reach it via satellite phone and radio communication also failed, causing them to panic.

A cargo ship loaded with Kuzbass coalfields suddenly exploded on its side and stern. A thick column of black smoke billowed into the sky, and the surging seawater stirred up a huge amount of water vapor. The bow of the ship slowly rose and sank little by little with a slow but unstoppable trend.

On the same shipping route, Showa Shipping, a 5000-ton cargo ship carrying seafood was filled with crew members screaming in terror, as panicked as ants. Some knelt on the ground and cried loudly, while others simply rushed to the ship's side and jumped directly into the sea.

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

The cannons fired in quick succession at a fixed frequency, and splashes of water several meters high erupted near the cargo ship's waterline. Tumbling seawater surged in through the breach, causing the ship to tilt rapidly.

"Why aren't we using missiles this time?"

The mission to attack merchant ships was not challenging at all, so the first mate, idly asking the question that had been bothering him, asked, "It can't be for actual combat training, can it?"

“You’re absolutely right,” Wei Jinzhong said with a smile. “That’s exactly what the boss said. Simply operating the equipment will only increase your proficiency; you have to learn real skills from the artillery.”

"Well, fine, that's the boss's style." The first mate was somewhat amused and exasperated.

“The Japanese don’t count as people,” Wei Jinzhong added. “Of course, the boss said the missiles were too powerful. These cargo ships couldn’t even send out a signal that they were under attack. The Japanese are very slow in doing things, and it takes too long for the pressure to be transmitted to those Self-Defense Forces. This gives them a chance.”

Playing the game openly is just the boss's style!
The disappearance of several cargo ships from different freight companies near the handover area has drawn the attention of three major Japanese departments: the Japan Coast Guard, the Maritime Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This kind of thing can't be handled by one department alone, and if multiple departments work together, the inevitable result will be dragging on and passing the buck. If a signal isn't sent out, Wang Yaotang is afraid the Russians will collapse while these bastards are still investigating and gathering evidence.

As for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, their smuggling channels have been cut off, and they won't reappear on their own until they can be contacted again.

The distress message sent by the cargo ship before it sank caught the attention of the Maritime Safety Administration. The message was reported up the chain of command, but Wang Yaotang waited and waited without any news. He began to suspect that there was no one on the cargo ship at all.

A few days later, the three departments finally managed to gather together to discuss the matter, and concluded that they had been attacked by an unknown maritime force, suspected to be pirates...

First, a warning was issued: ships should not sail to the Russian port of Nakhodka in the near future. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the Far East, but the port was unaware of the situation and said that cooperation was impossible, as we are a socialist country.

The major shipping companies finally received the investigation notice, but the results were unsatisfactory, and the cargo owners were equally dissatisfied.

The two places are only 800 kilometers apart, and unless there is extreme weather, the shipping safety is extremely high, so many insurance policies are not in place. Now that the ship and cargo have suddenly disappeared, how can they just wait patiently for a three-way investigation into the pirates?

The entrances and exits to this area of ​​the sea are firmly sealed off; how could there possibly be pirates!
News from the Far East is relatively easy to gather, mainly because the region is sparsely populated and its economy is largely geared towards military purposes, with connections at almost every level.

After spending money on information, they quickly learned from 'secret channels' that a Hong Kong oil tanker had recently been attacked and disappeared by pirates in this area.

Pirates again?

Where did all these pirates come from!

It's either the Self-Defense Forces or the Pacific Fleet.

The three companies first targeted the Self-Defense Forces, because how could they not know the character of their own people!

As for why they destroyed their own ships, you'll have to ask them!
Having operated the same route year after year, how could the Self-Defense Forces not know who was smuggling refined oil?

Inoshita Matsuoka shook his head violently, "We destroyed your cargo ship? Impossible!"

Those damned idiots, can't they use their brains before acting? So what if they were discovered? How could they sink someone else's cargo ship!

After a big argument, he sent the person away, then called over his men and slapped them hard across the face, yelling, "You idiot, you moron!"

"Yes, sir!" the subordinate said, bowing his head in apology.

After the punishment was completed and the accounts were checked, something was wrong. The warships hadn't even gone out these past few days, so we didn't do it.

"Are there really pirates?" Jingxia Songyan blinked his small eyes.

One of his men thought of something else: "Mr. Jingxia, could it be that Hong Kong guy?"

"A Hong Konger? Which Hong Konger?"

“Wang Yaotang, a wealthy Chinese tycoon and one of the world’s top warlords, commands a fleet and even annihilated an Annamese fleet. The smugglers we captured earlier were working for him,” his subordinate reminded him.

Jingxia's eyes flickered a few times, and he immediately confirmed his subordinate's guess.

Smuggling fuel is not so simple; it can be said to be a scheme to make money... Behind this is a CIA-orchestrated operation, part of a color revolution aimed at corrupting the Far East Fleet and reducing its combat effectiveness.

It took years of trade to gradually establish relations with the Far East Pacific Fleet, starting from the lower and middle levels, from daily necessities, and from ship commanders secretly selling oil. It was only when the Russian economy was in trouble that the upper echelons were persuaded to start large-scale smuggling of fuel.

Wang Yaotang: How can they be so similar?

Now that the fuel smuggling business has been disrupted, Jingxia will naturally investigate Wang Yaotang, as the CIA behind him also has information on him.

Wang Yaotang: A staunch supporter of the mainland, suspected of being a secret agent in Southeast Asia cultivated by the Chinese.

The use of proxies by major powers is very much in line with Western logic.

Wang Yaotang's involvement in the Russian Far East is, in a way, seen by the authorities as a way to help the Far East escape its predicament, given that they are both considered successors to socialism...

So, whether it's for money or to execute the plan, this business must be sabotaged!
I never expected that guy surnamed Wang would be so crazy, actually sending his fleet in. It must have passed through the Strait of Tartary, and the Russians let him through.

What should we do now?
Should Wang Yaotang's atrocities of disguising himself as a pirate and attacking merchant ships be made public?

Of course he could, but why would Wang Yaotang, a world-class billionaire, do such a thing?

Oh, the Self-Defense Forces are collaborating with the Far East Fleet to smuggle refined oil for fleet use!

Before the outcome of the conflict between Wang Yaotang and the Self-Defense Forces is decided, the KGB in Gotham is about to carry out a bloody purge of the Far East's top brass; Russian leaders have always been ruthless.

It ruined the American daddy's years of hard work and planning. Regardless of right or wrong, the American daddy should just die!
Therefore, it must not be made public under any circumstances!

But dragging this out indefinitely won't work either. Those businessmen don't understand the moral obligation to serve the country; they only care about money. If they really cause trouble, they'll end up in deep trouble themselves.

Thinking about it this way, Jingxia Songyan couldn't help but curse and grumble. That Wang fellow was indeed extremely cunning!
All of this was within his calculations; the only solution was a decisive battle at sea!

However, winning would be fine, but what if we lose...?

No, even if it's just the loss of some warships, he wouldn't know how to explain it to his superiors. It couldn't possibly be that the gas turbines exploded and shattered the warships!
dilemma!

"It must be them. Get ready, we're leaving in three days to wipe out these damned Chinese!" Inoshita Matsuoka said viciously.

"Huh?" The deputy was stunned. No, was it really that hasty?
"You idiot, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and go!" Jingxia Songyan raised his hand and slapped him again.

"Hi!"

Three days later, a fleet led by an Ishikari-class missile destroyer departed from Ominato Port in Aomori Prefecture, Hokkaido.

Ishikari-class: 1700 tons full load, 25 knots speed, equipped with 4 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 1 Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missile launcher, mainly used for near-shore anti-submarine warfare and patrol.

In terms of tonnage, it far exceeds that of the Sea Spider.

The fleet is also larger in size... (End of Chapter)