Love in the Courtyard: Starting with Engineers

The night in the South China Sea was as dark as ink, with only the moonlight casting a faint glow on the surface.

The Chinese law enforcement vessel "Haixun 09" is patrolling along its predetermined route.

At that moment, the radar operator, his eyes glued to the screen, reported, "Captain, an unidentified underwater target has been detected, rapidly moving towards our islands and reefs. The signal characteristics suggest a Japanese Soryu-class submarine!"

Captain Zhao Weidong immediately stood up and moved closer to the radar screen: "Amplify the signal and continue tracking! Control the underwater drone to approach and confirm!"

Half an hour later, the high-definition images transmitted back by the underwater unmanned submersible made everyone in the command room look solemn.

A Japanese Soryu-class submarine was skimming the seabed, with torpedo tubes mounted on its hull, clearly not on a routine patrol.

Even more alarming is that the unmanned underwater vehicle detected that the other submarine's communication channel was frequently communicating with ships in the distance.

"Oh no, this is bait!"

Zhao Weidong slammed his hand on the table in front of him. "They're trying to use submarines to distract us; their main fleet is definitely nearby!"

"Immediately report to the Southern Theater Command and simultaneously activate the quantum communication encrypted link, requesting support!"

At the same time, on the screen in the Longxing Factory command center, Li Yu had already captured the entire picture through the global satellite monitoring system.

"Chen Feng, look here."

He pointed his finger towards the sea area to the west of the screen.

"The US aircraft carrier group USS Ronald Reagan and the Japanese quasi-aircraft carrier group Izumo are meeting up, totaling 12 ships and 8 anti-submarine aircraft, with their target Huangyan Island."

Chen Feng's pupils constricted sharply: "Are they planning a night raid to seize the island?"

Li Yu shook his head and said, "It's not seizing, it's provoking."

"They don't have the courage to start a war."

"Country M needs a victory to stabilize domestic morale, while Japan wants to use Country M's momentum to save face."

"They are not really starting a war; they are trying to create international public opinion through close-range intimidation."

"Notify the military that we will hand over control of Longteng's satellites to them, so that their every move will be exposed to us."

Three o'clock in the morning, in the waters near Huangyan Island.

On the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, more than a dozen fighter jets were neatly arranged, and the pilots had entered their cockpits and were ready to take command.

Captain Welsh stood in the command tower and spoke coldly into the walkie-talkie:

"Tell Yamada Takayuki to proceed as planned, first sending two destroyers close to the islands and reefs to test China's reaction."

Inside the command center of the Japanese warship Izumo, Yamada Takayuki received the order and immediately gave the command.

"Suzutsuki and Murasame, full speed ahead, approach within 12 nautical miles of Huangyan Island, activate shipboard radar and display firepower!"

The two Japanese destroyers sped up, their missile launchers slowly rising, and their main guns adjusted their angles, striking a highly provocative pose.

The captain of the Liangyue warship issued a warning via public channel: "Attention Chinese Navy, we are conducting a freedom of navigation operation. Immediately withdraw from the waters surrounding the islands and reefs, or you will bear the consequences!"

The Chinese navy is already on high alert near Huangyan Island.

The naval commander shouted, "This is Chinese territory. You have illegally trespassed. Cease your advance immediately! If you dare to approach further, we will take coercive measures!"

"Ridiculous!" Captain Liangyue scoffed disdainfully. "With your meager forces, you dare to stop us? Keep advancing!"

Ignoring warnings, the destroyer continued to approach the island, coming within 8 nautical miles.

Just then, the roar of engines suddenly came from the sky, and dozens of Falcon drones swooped down from the clouds.

They instantly formed an encirclement, and the missiles under the wings were clearly visible.

"Oh no! It's a swarm of Chinese drones!"

The radar operator of the Liangyue exclaimed in surprise, the dense clusters of lights on the screen making his scalp tingle.

Upon receiving the report aboard the Izumo, Yamada Takayuki's expression changed drastically: "What happened? Why didn't our radar give us a warning?"

"The enemy drone uses stealth technology; our radar can't detect it at all!" the communications officer quickly responded.

Upon learning of the situation, Welsh inwardly cursed the strangeness of Chinese technology, but now he was in a difficult position.

"Order F-fighter jets to take off and disperse the drone swarm!"

He then added, "Tell China that we are conducting joint military exercises, and warn them not to act rashly!"

Four F-class fighter jets roared into the sky, attempting to strike the swarm of drones.

However, the Falcon drone's maneuverability far surpasses that of enemy fighters, allowing it to nimbly evade collisions and simultaneously disable enemy radar systems through electronic jamming.

"Warning! Fighter aircraft have intruded into our air defense identification zone. Evacuate immediately!"

The warning from the Chinese Navy was broadcast on public channels.

Welsh was furious, but dared not order the firing.

He knew that once the fighting started, it would mean all-out war, and he still felt lingering fear about the power of China's intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, the Japanese destroyer Murasame suddenly encountered an accident.

A violent tremor came from the bottom of the ship, and the propeller was entangled by an unidentified object, causing the speed to drop sharply.

"Captain, our propellers are entangled in the arresting nets deployed by the underwater drone!" the crew member reported in a panic.

"Baka!" the captain of the Murasame cursed angrily.

Because of their small size and high speed, underwater unmanned vehicles can move unpredictably, making them impossible to detect and intercept.

Then, something even more alarming happened to the fleets of the United States and Japan.

All ship communication systems were suddenly cut off, radar screens went blank, and only the voice of the Chinese Navy could be heard on the public channel:

"The joint fleet of the United States (M) and Japan has illegally entered Chinese territorial waters and interfered with our normal patrols. You are hereby ordered to withdraw immediately!"

"You have ten minutes, or we will enforce it!"

Welsh attempted to contact the home front via an encrypted channel, only to find that all signals were blocked.

"Damn electromagnetic interference!"

He slammed his fist on the control panel. "Weren't those people in the tech department so confident that they'd solved it? What's the situation now?"

Takayuki Yamada panicked even more. He looked out the window at the swarm of drones getting closer and closer, as well as the shore-based missiles that had already targeted them on the reef. Cold sweat poured down his back.

The M country's naval commander glanced at the nuclear submarine that was gradually approaching the Chinese fleet on the radar.

He issued the order via pre-arranged wired communication: "Turn on the searchlights and tell the fleet to proceed according to the plan."

Yamada Takayuki, aboard the Japanese warship Izumo, knew what to do as soon as he saw the searchlights turn on.

He immediately ordered, "Advance quickly towards the reef! Turn on the searchlights at the same time!"

As the searchlights of the Izumo illuminated, the Japanese fleet charged toward Scarborough Shoal at full speed.