Rejecting Tsinghua and Peking Universities: I Will Lead Harbin Institute of Technology to World Lead

Lin Feng's conclusion that they had arrived home was like a bucket of ice water poured over Li Lao's head, instantly extinguishing the last shred of hope that Li Lao still had.

The enemy not only has the intention, but also the ability, and has already come to our doorstep!

The two vanguard ships on the screen, shimmering with eerie light, were no longer vague symbols of threat, but rather cold, sharp knives of reality piercing the heart of China.

"Now that you're here, you're not leaving." Old Li's eyes suddenly sharpened like knives, seemingly able to pierce through the screen and stare directly at the two ghost ships. "The subterranean civilization knows very little about us; this is our opportunity. Bring them down, alive, and with their warships as intact as possible! We must know who they are, where they came from, how many people they have, and... what they really want!"

The order was transmitted to the highest military command level with the highest level of secrecy and at the fastest speed.

"Target: Two unidentified high-energy flying objects in eastern airspace. Operation codename: Capture the Abyss. Requirements: Absolute stealth, swift attack, capture crew alive to the maximum extent possible, and preserve the integrity of the enemy ship. Authorized to use Fuxi, Baihu, and necessary electronic suppression measures." Every officer on the chain of command felt the immense weight behind this order.

The war machine of China, its nerves already stretched taut in preparation for the threat from the Earth's core, was now fully activated.

"Pangu, activate the Tianluo Protocol and take full control of this airspace and all electromagnetic spectrum within a 300-kilometer radius! Suppress, interfere with, and simulate all possible outward transmissions of signals! Construct an information black hole!" the electronic warfare commander ordered sternly.

An invisible storm first erupted in the electromagnetic spectrum. Pangu's immense computing power was instantly unleashed, temporarily and harmlessly hijacking or silencing civilian communications in the airspace, while military channels entered a highly encrypted frequency-hopping state. Simultaneously, powerful directional jamming beams, like an invisible cage, enveloped Shadow Shuttle-7 and Shadow Shuttle-9, attempting to sever all their connections with the outside world. Analog signals were released, creating the illusion that everything in the area was normal.

"Kuafu System, lock onto target, continuously track, and provide real-time high-precision positioning and trajectory prediction! Activate energy feature shielding to prevent the enemy from sensing our units' approach through energy fluctuations!" Space-based support is activated simultaneously.

New energy shielding devices deployed in concealed ground positions and on Fuxi fighter jets have been activated. These devices, which draw on some of the Earth's core energy field theory, can effectively reduce the presence of friendly units in front of enemy energy detectors.

"First Fuxi Squadron, take off! Second White Tiger Rapid Response Team, coordinate the attack! Operational guidelines: diplomacy first, then force; if resistance is encountered, non-lethal means are permitted; if attacked, immediately switch to full suppression, with capture as the primary objective!"

Twelve Fuxi aerospace fighters quietly took off from several coastal bases. Their engines operated with extremely low noise in a special mode, and their paint scheme and energy field worked together to make them nearly invisible to radar and the naked eye. Thirty elite soldiers equipped with White Tiger-I powered armor were precisely deployed to pre-selected positions outside the target airspace via a high-speed transport platform.

A meticulously woven, silent, and deadly net was quietly unfurled in the skies over eastern China within minutes.

Meanwhile, the Atlantean scouts inside Shadow Shuttle-7 and Shadow Shuttle-9, the prey caught in the net, remained completely oblivious. Their arrogance stemmed from their long-standing condescension over surface civilizations and their absolute confidence in their own technology. Inside the bridge, several Atlanteans in lightweight silver uniforms leisurely recorded the layout of the city below, traffic flow, prominent landmarks, and the occasional image of an outdated aircraft.

"Energy readings are generally low, building structures are fragile, and moving units are moving slowly... Just as the Commander-in-Chief predicted, the insects on the surface are still wallowing in the mud." An adjutant commented dismissively on the general data transmitted by the sensors.

"Focus your scans on those large energy clusters," ordered the squad leader, a female Atlantean officer with short gray hair. "Based on ancient records and past energy fluctuations, it seems there are some anomalies in this world. The force that drilled the hole on the edge of New Poseidon is very likely in this area."

They adjusted their scanning array, aiming it at several large industrial areas and highly classified military bases, attempting to penetrate the ground and uncover deeper secrets. They were completely unprepared for the silently approaching threat of death.

until--

"Warning! Multiple high-speed, high-energy reactions detected rapidly approaching! Bearing: All-aspect! Distance: 50 kilometers... 30 kilometers... 10 kilometers!" The shipboard AI's cold and urgent alarm suddenly rang out, breaking the tranquility of the bridge.

"What?!" The gray-haired female officer looked up sharply at the main screen. On the screen, twelve flashing red dots representing high-threat units suddenly appeared in the previously clear airspace, along with dozens of smaller dots that also emitted strong energy, approaching from multiple directions—a terrifying convergence!

What alarmed her even more was that the ship's communication channels were filled with a cacophony of noise, and all frequencies used for external communication were being severely suppressed and interfered with! She couldn't even send out an emergency distress signal!

"Impossible! How could surface insects detect us?! And react so quickly?!" a young scout exclaimed, his face filled with disbelief.

"This is not the time for this!" the female officer snapped. "Full power energy shields! Weapon systems ready! Attempt to break out immediately and send an encounter alert to the President! Use the backup frequency, at maximum power!"

However, China acted faster than they reacted.

"This is China! You have illegally entered our airspace! Immediately shut down your engines, disarm, and submit to inspection! Repeat, surrender immediately!" A clear, calm, yet unquestionable warning came through the general communication channel, and was then translated into several possible world languages.

Three seconds after the warning was issued, there was no response. Instead, the enemy ship's energy shield was detected to be rapidly increasing, and there were signs of energy accumulation at the weapon ports.

"Target refuses to surrender and intends to attack. Operation Capture the Abyss, transitioning to the assault phase. White Tiger Squadron, advance and board! Fuxi Squadron, provide fire support, suppress enemy ship maneuverability and firepower! Note: preserve the enemy ship's structural integrity as much as possible!"

The moment the order was given, the vector thrusters on the backs of the White Tiger warriors, who were already in position, roared to life, and thirty silver figures, like cannonballs, rushed toward the two Shadow Shuttle ships from all sorts of tricky angles! Their armor surfaces glowed with the faint light of an energy defense layer, and the weapons in their hands were not lethal guns, but specially made electromagnetic restraint net launchers and powerful energy jammers.

Almost simultaneously, the Shadow Shuttle reacted. Several blindingly white laser beams shot out from multiple concealed launch ports on the ship, precisely targeting the charging White Tiger warriors!

"Take cover!" the squad leader's voice rang out on the tactical channel.

The White Tiger Armor's superior mobility was on full display at this moment! With the near-zero-delay reaction brought by the neural connection and the armor's powerful vector thrust, the soldiers performed dazzling evasive maneuvers in the air, narrowly escaping the death beam! The scorching beam ionized the air behind them, emitting a pungent ozone smell.

However, not everyone was so lucky. A Fuxi fighter jet, which hesitated slightly to cover its comrades, was hit directly in the flank by a tricky beam of light! The composite armor, which was strong enough to withstand missile attacks, was like paper in front of Atlantis' high-energy laser, and was melted through in an instant! The fighter jet rolled out of control, trailing black smoke as it crashed to the ground, and the pilot ejected at the last moment.

This scene was transmitted back to the command center in real time.

The faces of the military's top brass instantly turned ashen.

"They dare to fight back?! Attack them! Smash their arrogance! Fuxi, open fire freely, prioritize destroying their weapon systems and propulsion systems! Baihu, find an opportunity to board the ship by force!" The commander's voice was cold and decisive.

"receive!"

"clear!"

The counterattack instantly became sharp and deadly!

Several Fuxi fighters disregarded the extent of the damage, simultaneously firing their high-energy pulse cannons and electromagnetic railguns beneath their noses! Blue pulse beams and silver metal projectiles tore through the air, bombarding the Shadow Shuttle's energy shields like a torrential downpour!

Boom boom boom!

A deafening energy explosion rippled through the air! The shields of the two Shadow Shuttles flickered violently, rippling with intense waves, and the hulls trembled violently from the impact. The shield energy readings plummeted at a visible rate, and piercing overload alarms echoed mournfully within the Atlantis bridge.

"Shield strength 67%...54%...41%! Minor structural damage! Leakage in the port propulsion power duct!"

"Counterattack! Counterattack! Aim at those aircraft! And those tin cans!" The gray-haired female officer roared like a madwoman. She couldn't accept that the surface civilization, which she considered an ant, actually possessed the military power to threaten and even suppress them!

More laser beams were fired from the Shadow Shuttle, but their accuracy was greatly reduced due to the ship's damage and the Fuxi's high maneuverability. In contrast, the Fuxi fighters' attacks became increasingly precise and ruthless.

Meanwhile, the White Tiger warriors seized the gaps in the shield's fluctuations and swarmed close to the Shadow Shuttle like a leech! They used the cutting tools and electromagnetic adsorption devices built into their armor to forcibly create entrances on the ship's hull or directly search for airtight hatches!

"They're trying to board! Stop them!" the Atlantean soldier shouted in terror, grabbing his energy pistol and rushing toward the possible breach.

A brief but intense boarding action erupted inside the cramped warship. The White Tiger armored ships possessed a clear advantage in strength and speed, but the Atlantean soldiers were familiar with the ship's internal structure and were also equipped with energy weapons and light armor, making their resistance exceptionally tenacious.

"Quickly! Send a final alert to the President! We have been ambushed by an unknown advanced civilization! Coordinates... The combat capability assessment is seriously flawed! Requesting..." The gray-haired female officer rushed to the communications station, attempting to activate the last, backup ultra-dense quantum communication unit.

However, outside the ship's hull, a special jamming missile, launched by the Fuxi fighter jet and specifically designed to target the energy system, exploded near the Shadow Shuttle-7. An invisible, powerful electromagnetic pulse swept through, instantly causing sparks to fly from all the ship's precision electronic equipment, plunging the screens into darkness, and even completely disabling the backup communication units.

Last hope, extinguished.

"Shadow Shuttle-9's shield has collapsed! The main compartment has been taken over by the White Tiger Squad!"

"The Shadow Shuttle-7's power system is severely damaged, rendering it unable to maneuver! Resistance is weakening!"

Good news kept coming back.

Five minutes later, silence returned to the sky, broken only by the ionized breeze caused by the residual energy.

Two battered and smoking Shadow Shuttle ships, immobilized by the traction beams of the Fuxi fighter and the physical fixation of the White Tiger warriors, hovered in mid-air like captured deep-sea monsters.

Within Chinese airspace, the first direct confrontation with the subterranean civilization ended with a swift and unexpected attack by the Chinese military, which, at a certain cost, resulted in the capture of two enemy ships and some of their crew.

But everyone knew that this was just the beginning.