Invasion of America

Chapter 57 Extra Harvest
On the night when "Electric Flight" was broadcast on the news, Zhou Qingfeng informed Xiao Jinlang of the specific location of the smuggled goods.

"On the USS Watson, a vehicle transport ship in the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group, you can contact Captain Bull directly to coordinate the transfer at sea."

At this moment, the "Green Onion" was cutting through the waves. It had already passed through the Bashi Channel and entered the vast ocean east of the Philippines.

The waters of Northeast Asia are bustling with commercial logistics. Even in the depths of night, the lights of cargo ships can be seen faintly on the surface of the sea.

In the sky, Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-3C Orion reconnaissance aircraft took off from the Naha base and hovered in the sky for hours like a fly that could not be shaken off.

The reconnaissance aircraft will monitor and record the "Scallion"'s every move, including the frequency of carrier-based aircraft sorties, take-off and landing speeds, and even internal communications within the fleet.

By accumulating these daily military information, we can have a rough assessment of the combat effectiveness of a fleet.

Xiao Jinlang stood on the bridge of the "Dacong". Although he could not see the Japanese reconnaissance plane, he was aware of its presence and muttered, "The Japs are really haunting us."

He pulled out his satellite phone and dialed Captain Bull's number.

After the signal was connected, Lao Xiao identified himself. A slightly hoarse American accent came from the phone, arrogantly and directly asking:
"Is your flush-deck ship ready? It has to be big enough, not too small."

Xiao Jinlang stood in front of the French windows on the bridge, his eyes sweeping over the carrier-based aircraft on the deck undergoing nighttime takeoff and landing training. He replied calmly in English, "We're ready. Where are you now?"

This was just a formality, he actually knew the other party's approximate location.

Captain Bull's voice turned cold, and he said arrogantly, "Contact me when you are 300 nautical miles north of Guam."

After he finished speaking, there was a "click" sound from the other end of the phone, and he hung up neatly.

Xiao Jinlang put down the phone, frowned slightly, turned around and looked at the naval intelligence officer beside him.

The intelligence officer calmly pointed to the nautical chart and said, "According to optical reconnaissance from space-based satellites, the USS Ronald Reagan carrier battle group passed by Wake Island yesterday.

The Watson is an auxiliary ship, not as fast as the main fleet. It is currently located approximately 200 nautical miles east of Wake Island, along with other auxiliary vessels.

If the fleet maintains its current speed, it will encounter it in another thirty-six hours."

Xiao Jinlang hummed deeply, and said with a wry smile, "I never thought that the first carrier-to-carrier confrontation between China and the United States would turn out to be like this.

I'm going to sleep for a while, I'm afraid I won't be able to rest after daybreak."
-
The lights in the bridge of the Watson were dim, with only the charts and instruments lit.

Captain Bull hung up the satellite phone and subconsciously scratched his bearded chin with his fingers, the stubble making a slight rustling sound as it rubbed against his skin.

He stood in front of the large porthole, staring at the dark sea outside, feeling very unhappy.

The Watson-class vehicle transport ship is part of the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC).

As an auxiliary ship, it is not like those majestic aircraft carriers or destroyers, and there are no officers in uniforms on the bridge.

Only he, a merchant ship captain in an old jacket, and a group of civilian crew members were busy working.

The U.S. Navy has a tradition of outsourcing logistics to private companies, and veteran merchant ship captains like Bull have long been accustomed to operating in the gray area.

Because he is not a regular soldier, he is less bound by rules and regulations and is bolder than ordinary people.

This transport ship, loaded with more than 60,000 tons of supplies, not only carried military vehicles for the "Cobra Gold" exercise, but also a lot of smuggled goods that were not meant to be seen in public.

The ten heavy trucks were just the cargo Zhou Qingfeng had entrusted to carry, but compared to the other "private cargo" on board, their weight was only half.

In the cargo hold, there are all kinds of contraband, from arms to luxury goods, making it like a floating black market warehouse.

The more prohibited something is, the better the price it can fetch.

Bull licked his cracked lips, and his mind flashed back to the news he had received a few days ago - after the fleet arrived in Tokyo, the naval police would board the ship to search.

This news was like a thorn, which made him unable to sleep well these days.

He grabbed the coffee cup on the table and took a big gulp. The bitter taste made him frown, but the anxiety in his heart did not decrease at all.

The generals above them tacitly approve of smuggling, but they will not directly participate. If something goes wrong, not only will they not help, but they will also kill people to clear themselves of any involvement.

For example, the Navy Minister who is now angry and embarrassed may have had a hand in the smuggling of goods.

At this time, the transport ship had not yet reached Tokyo, and the generals ordered the smuggled goods to be abandoned at sea. But the problem was that a lot of the goods were obtained by the officers of all ranks in the fleet.

The generals have already pocketed the "freight fees", but there are still people below who are counting on this shipment to make a fortune.

There are still a lot of "private goods" on the transport ship. It is not right to throw them away, and it is not right not to throw them away.

Bull gritted his teeth and cursed inwardly, "Throw it into the sea? I'll lose everything. Not only will my trip be in vain, but I'll also lose half my life and everything I own!"

He walked to the chart table, squinted his eyes at the map with densely marked routes, and drew a circle near Wake Island with his finger.

The crew was busy checking the route, with only the occasional sound of keyboard tapping breaking the silence of the bridge.

Bull muttered, "Only one day left... In one day I'll meet the mysterious owner."

He remembered Xiao Jinlang's calm tone on the phone just now, and his heart tightened again - the receiving personnel contacted by Victor were extremely efficient and prepared a large flat-deck ship in just a few days.

"This is not easy, very difficult. It shows that the other party is very powerful."

Bull scratched his hair, turned and walked to the window. The sea breeze came in through the gaps and blew coolly on his face.

He clenched his fists, a thought swirling in his mind: "If the goods are lost, those generals can protect themselves, but what about me? Who will care about an errand boy like me?"

He exhaled harshly, his eyes sweeping across the bridge gloomily. "No, we have to think of a way to talk to 'Xiao' again. We can't just throw the goods away. We have to at least get some back."

In the corner of the bridge, the deputy glanced at him cautiously and asked in a low voice, "Captain, do you want to adjust the speed and slow down?"

Bull waved his hand and replied unhappily, "What's the point of delaying? We're on the sea, where can we go?" He scratched his beard again and said, "Bring me the ship's manifest."
-
Xiao Jinlang had only been asleep for a little over an hour when he was woken up by an intelligence officer. It was Bull from the Watson calling, "How big is your ship? Can you take on more cargo?"

Old Xiao sat up from his bunk, his mind racing with thoughts. He didn't rush to answer, but instead asked in a deep voice, "What else do you have?"

After a while, Bull sent an encrypted bill of lading.

Old Xiao clicked on it and saw that his pupils suddenly shrank. He almost couldn't help cursing out loud: "Good fellow, these American soldiers are so bold, they smuggled so much stuff!"

The list of contraband far exceeded Zhou Qingfeng's ten heavy trucks, filling an entire page. The largest quantities were cigarettes and high-end liquor—several entire containers.

Brands range from Marlboro to Hennessy.

This thing is easy to purchase and has a strong market demand, especially when shipped to countries with ridiculously high tariffs. You can double your profit by reselling it with low risk.

Lao Xiao felt both amused and confused, "This business is going quite smoothly."

But he didn't have time to lament, because the next line of product's name made his heart skip a beat—"Scrapped F135 aircraft engines." Old Xiao's eyes widened, and he read that line several times, thinking to himself, "Can this thing be sold?"

Self-media mocked this aircraft engine for its thrust-to-weight ratio of only 6.7. In fact, they didn't even understand the difference between the core engine and the whole aircraft before criticizing it.

We must have basic respect for our mortal enemy - if a single engine can push a 35-ton FC to supersonic speed, the performance of this engine cannot be weak.

There was a note on the manifest, and the buyer was clearly written as "Mitsubishi Heavy Industries" - the Japanese who failed in the development of "Mindray" were actually stealing Mitsubishi's treasure in secret.

Lao Xiao couldn't help but laugh: "You're still ruthless, you little devil."

Looking down, another blockbuster product comes into view - the plasma dry etcher from Lam Research in the United States.

This device is designed for high-speed, multi-layer stacked memory and is a cutting-edge tool in chip manufacturing. The invoice didn't specify the buyer, only the contact information for the recipient.

Xiao immediately determined that Samsung was secretly purchasing the goods. He muttered, "The Americans are even wary of their own dogs, hoarding their valuables."

This equipment is subject to export restrictions. If Samsung wants to obtain it openly, it must also undergo layers of approval from the U.S. Congress.

Lam Research itself wants to export, make money, and find buyers, which is why this private transaction happened.

The list wasn't over yet; the sheer variety of goods dazzled Old Xiao. There were military optical lenses wanted by the Russians, and chemical raw materials targeted by the North Koreans.

There is even reusable rocket technology that India is eyeing - the list clearly lists two Merlin-1D rocket engines that should have been destroyed.

This engine is SpaceX's treasure. It supports multiple ignitions and is used to recover rockets.

Lao Xiao touched his chin and sneered secretly, "Third Brother, with his industrial level, he still wants to steal my skills. Even if I give him the real thing, he can't copy it."

To Bull, the cigarettes and alcohol belonged to him and his accomplices and could not be thrown into the sea. As long as Xiao was willing to help transport or buy them, the other goods would be given away for free.

Otherwise it will just be discarded.

Lao Xiao didn't dare to make a decision on this matter, so he could only report it through encrypted communications on the ship and let his leader make the decision.

A few hours later, the decision was made: help Bull with the shipment, or buy his goods. Building a good relationship with him was crucial; perhaps this connection would be useful in the future.

When Lao Xiao replied to the message, saying that he could make a friend and take delivery of the goods on his behalf, Bull was overjoyed, "Okay, that's great, my cigarettes and alcohol are saved."
-
The next morning, Japanese media were the first to drop a bombshell. NHK's headline, in bold bold type, read: "Chinese and US aircraft carrier battle groups face off in Guam waters, tensions escalate!"

The news was like a fire, instantly igniting global public opinion.

The screen cuts to footage from a P-3C reconnaissance aircraft. Over the Pacific Ocean east of Guam, the morning mist has not yet dissipated, and the "Todai" aircraft carrier formation is advancing at high speed.

The gray silhouette of the battleship was faintly visible where the water and sky met.

Ground crews in orange vests were bustling around, and several carrier-based aircraft were neatly lined up in the deck's preparation area.

The engine nozzle spewed orange flames outward from the side of the ship as a pre-takeoff test, and then it was dispatched to the runway to wait for the flame shield to be erected.

In the distance, the escorting 052D destroyer was performing accompanying air defense. The bow of the ship cut through the waves, and the splashes of water sparkled in the sun like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath.

As for the 055, it is already hundreds of nautical miles away, facing the opponent directly.

The scene changed again, and the U.S. "Reagan" aircraft carrier battle group seemed unwilling to be outdone. The carrier-based F-35Cs roared into the sky like a group of falcons, their wings cutting through the mist, leaving white trails.

The escorting Burke-class destroyers spread out their formation, forming an impenetrable air defense network, ready to respond to sudden threats at any time.

According to the news anchor's report, the two fleets are on the verge of a bloody battle that will shock the world.

The "military observers" invited to the studio even discussed the dangers of this standoff. The waters near Guam instantly became the focus of global attention.

CNN commentators shouted at the top of their lungs that "the provocations of the Eastern superpower have seriously damaged America's global interests."

The BBC analyzed the strategic intentions of both sides in a calm tone and deduced what would happen if a war broke out.

On the streets of Tokyo, passers-by stopped in front of huge outdoor screens, pointing and talking; in the Wall Street stock market, traders were extremely sensitive and their phones kept ringing.

Some people worry that war is imminent and will plunge humanity into a doomsday disaster; others cheer for the muscle-flexing of this great power game and engage in verbal abuse and quarrels online.

Only people on the scene, such as Xiao Jinlang, knew that the two fleets had indeed launched carrier-based aircraft for exercises.

However, both sides tacitly avoided the opponent's air attack range. The fleets were far apart on the sea, and at most the carrier-based aircraft had a chance to encounter each other.

The real action is behind the scenes.
The sun sets in the west, and the last orange light in the sky is about to be swallowed up by the deep blue sea.

Xiao Jinlang was standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier. A "Z-18" transport helicopter was preparing to take off, and the strong wind created by the propeller made his hair flutter.

Several intelligence personnel accompanied Lao Xiao on board the plane.

The hatch slammed shut, the engine roared suddenly, the fuselage shook slightly, and it took off into the air, flying towards the vast ocean more than a hundred nautical miles away.

An hour later, it was dark.

A speck of light appeared on the sea; it was a research vessel sailing slowly across the surface. The Z-18 hovered briefly, then slowly descended, landing precisely on the helicopter deck at the stern.

From the very beginning, the intelligence agencies never thought of using aircraft carriers to directly transport "purchased goods" - if something went wrong, the country's important equipment would be contaminated.

Aircraft carrier formations are used for escort.

Ostensibly, this research vessel was carrying out a marine geological survey mission, but in reality, it had been arranged to "coincidentally" pass by the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier battle group.

Due to its large hull and sturdy and spacious helicopter deck, it became a transit point for this secret operation.

From the captain to the sailors, everyone on the ship is "one of our own people".

Below deck, a team led by an academician has arrived and set up a temporary biochemical protection area. Figures in white protective suits shuttle back and forth, and air purifiers are buzzing.

The protective area is surrounded by transparent partitions and is filled with experimental equipment. The lights cast a cold white light on the entire cabin, making it look like a floating laboratory.

The chemical defense forces on the aircraft carrier are still packing up their equipment. There is too much stuff and it will probably take several hours to transfer it all over.

Lao Xiao took out his satellite phone and called Bull: "I'm less than fifty nautical miles away from you. I want to take a few people over by helicopter to check the status of the cargo."

Bull was very surprised. "How do you know my location?"

Lao Xiao was amused, "We have satellites watching you."

Bull replied immediately, "You actually have a satellite?" He paused for a few seconds, then pressed, "Do you have a military background?"

"No, I don't have a military background." Lao Xiao said this with a bit of pride, "But I have enough background to handle tonight's mission."

(End of this chapter)