I started by watching videos, and I chose 10,000 combat power.

In the communications room of the Japan Coast Guard headquarters, there was an eerie silence.

The last recorded communication transmitted over the radio waves has been played over a dozen times.

The captain of the third patrol ship, a veteran naval officer with twenty-six years of service at sea, reported in a trembling, incoherent voice: "There is light, from the sky... They are cutting, the ship is breaking apart... Everyone..." Before he could finish speaking, there was a piercing electrical static, followed by a deathly silence that lasted for thirty seconds. After that, communication was completely cut off, and no sound came from the other side.

Three ships, three sets of signals, in the same sea area, at almost the same moment, all disappeared.

A young technician took off his headphones, turned around, and looked pale.

The communications room supervisor stood behind him, his hands resting on the edge of the table, staring at the three grayed-out signal icons on the screen for a long time without moving. Then he picked up the red phone on the table and dialed a number.

The phone was answered after only one ring. The person on the other end didn't ask "Feed" or "What's up?", just waited. The supervisor took a deep breath, his voice low: "Three patrol vessels, in the waters west of the Diaoyu Islands, have simultaneously lost contact. The last communication received... was abnormal."

There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone, then the call ended.

The news quickly spread throughout all departments of Japan.

The Japan Coast Guard, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Cabinet Office were receiving one phone call after another, and one meeting after another was convened.

Two hours later, all the lights were on in a conference room in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs building.

The long table was filled with people, all dressed in suits, ties, and badges, their faces equally somber.

The Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Defense stood in front of the projection screen, holding a laser pointer in his hand, and a red dot slowly moved across the satellite map.

"This is the last known location of the three patrol vessels—about twelve nautical miles west of the Diaoyu Islands. The sovereignty of this area is disputed. The three vessels were conducting a routine patrol mission at the time, driving away two Chinese fishing boats that were operating illegally. This is satellite imagery taken five minutes before the last communication."

He pressed a button on the remote control, and a blurry black and white photo appeared on the screen.

On the sea, three gray-white ships were spread out in a fan shape, while two dark-colored fishing boats were moored side by side in front.

The image is blurry, and no further details can be seen.

But everyone saw that in the upper left corner of the image, near the clouds, there was a very small, almost invisible spot of light.

"What is this?"

An elderly man sitting in the middle of the long table spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse.

He is the Minister of Defense, 67 years old, and has been in the position for less than eight months, but has already handled four incidents of Chinese fishing boats entering disputed waters—each time using loudspeakers, water cannons, and the bows of ships to squeeze, ram, and drive them away.

Never before have their ships disappeared.

The chief of staff pressed his finger on the laser pointer, and the light spot circled around the small patch of light.

"The satellite image resolution is insufficient to confirm its exact nature. However, based on radar data and the content of the last communication, we have reason to believe that it is a... new type of drone."

The meeting room fell silent for a few seconds.

Someone coughed softly, and someone pushed their chair back a little, making a slight creaking sound.

The Defense Minister remained silent, took off his glasses, and slowly wiped the lenses. His movements were slow and meticulous, as if he were using this time to think.

After wiping his lenses, he put his glasses back on, looked up, and said, "Contact the Chinese authorities. Demand that they hand over the two fishing boats, as well as the white yacht that was in the area at the time of the incident. All relevant personnel must go to Japan for investigation."

The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs frowned and leaned forward: "Without solid evidence, demanding the handover directly might have a negative impact on international public opinion—"

No evidence is needed.

The Defense Minister interrupted him, his voice not loud but firm: "Three patrol ships, 127 officers and soldiers from the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard, were sunk by the Chinese in our waters. This is not a legal issue, it is a sovereignty issue."

After he finished speaking, he stood up, and his chair slid back with a screeching sound.

He didn't look at anyone else, turned around and walked out of the conference hall.

The door closed behind him.

Not long after, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a formal diplomatic note to the Chinese Embassy in Japan.

The wording was harsh and the tone was forceful.

"Strong protest"

"Cooperation is mandatory"

Phrases like "Do not leave without permission" were used.

The note concluded with the statement in bold: "If the aforementioned vessels and personnel refuse to cooperate with the investigation, Japan reserves the right to take all necessary measures."

At the same time, the Ministry of Defense ordered the 4th Escort Flotilla of the Maritime Self-Defense Force to set sail from its base with anti-ship missiles and head towards the Diaoyu Islands.

The fleet commander received only one order before departure: "Intercept all ships attempting to leave this area. If there is resistance, force may be used."

At the base's dock, the engines of two destroyers started up simultaneously, their deep roar carrying far.

The sailors ran onto the deck, untied the ropes, and the chains rattled.

The destroyer sailed out of the harbor, its bow cutting through the seawater, white waves churning on both sides, at great speed.

On the bridge, a young officer stared at the radar screen, then turned to the captain and said, "The target is still in the area and hasn't moved. But a coast guard vessel is approaching at about 25 knots and is about to arrive."

The captain didn't speak, he just nodded. His hand rested on the edge of the command platform, his fingers slightly clenched.

Kyoto, China. The conference room lights were on.

People sat on both sides of the long table, and the same satellite map was displayed on the projection screen, but with different labels.

People from the coast guard, navy, diplomacy, intelligence, and other departments sat together, the teacups on the table steaming, but no one drank from them.

A general in military uniform stood in front of the projection screen, pressed a button on the remote control in his hand, and several photos switched on the screen—not satellite images, but photos taken by coast guard ships after they arrived at the scene.

Debris, steel plates, cables, oil stains, and other unidentifiable objects floated on the sea surface, bobbing up and down in the waves.

"This is the full text of the diplomatic note just released by Japan."

A middle-aged man wearing glasses, sitting on the other side of the long table, spoke up. He was a director-general from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and he spoke a little faster than usual.

"They demanded that we hand over all personnel from two fishing boats and one yacht to Japan for investigation. Meanwhile, the 4th Escort Flotilla of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has departed and is heading towards the area. According to their statement, if our vessels attempt to leave, they will—"

"Launch the missile." A voice suddenly interrupted. All eyes turned to the center of the long table, where an elderly man with gray hair sat with a document spread out in front of him, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

He was Li Zhengxun from the General Staff Operations Department. Among those present, he held the highest military rank. He was usually calm and composed, thought things through before acting, and liked to leave himself an out. He was considered conservative, and no one dared to disregard his words.

"Japan is getting a bit cocky lately."

He leaned back in his chair. "In southern Japan, they've deployed American Tomahawk missiles, with a range covering several of our coastal cities. You should also know where they've set up the launch sites."

"Next to the school, next to the hospital."

Li Zhengxun's voice turned cold. "They calculated this perfectly. Once war breaks out, we won't dare to fight. If we fight, it will mean attacking civilian facilities; if we don't fight, we'll be passively attacked. They've already seized the moral high ground."

A few seconds of silence filled the conference room. Sitting opposite him was Qin Zhenhua.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Li Zhengxun stopped him by raising his hand.

"Don't be so hasty," Li Zhengxun looked at him. "You guys are usually pretty tough when faced with provocations, aren't you? If it weren't for us old guys holding you back, you'd probably just fight back. Comrade Luo Fei mentioned a plan for him to deal with the US. Why did you think it was too radical, too risky, and had too many uncontrollable factors, and therefore rejected it?"

He paused, picked up his teacup, took a sip—the tea was cold—but didn't mind, swallowed, and put the cup down. "You're all still too conservative."

Qin Zhenhua was stunned.

He looked at Li Zhengxun with surprise and confusion in his eyes.

Li Zhengxun did not look at him.

"If we agreed with what Comrade Luo Fei said last time, then the US no longer exists."

His voice was calm. "There will always be a way to solve the remaining problems. If it weren't for the US, would Japan still dare to be so arrogant?"

No one responded.

Lee Jung-hoon turned to the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and said, "Issue a public announcement. Japanese patrol vessels intruded into Chinese waters and illegally intercepted and threatened Chinese fishing boats operating normally. Our coast guard drove them away in accordance with the law. As for what sinking? We did not launch any attack on the Japanese vessels. Let them investigate how their own boat sank."

The director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nodded, quickly jotted down a few notes in his notebook, looked up, and asked again, "What about those two fishing boats and that yacht? The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force has already left port. If we don't take action, they will be intercepted."

Li Zhengxun paused for a moment.

"Contact the Coast Guard and Navy, and have them expedite their journey to the scene to bring our ship back before the Japanese fleet arrives. If the Japanese arrive first..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Tell them that any attack on Chinese ships will be considered an act of war. The Chinese military will take all necessary measures to protect the lives and property of its citizens."

After he finished speaking, he sat back down in his chair, picked up the cup of tea, and took another sip. The tea had cooled down and tasted even more bitter.

The director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs closed his notebook, stood up, and strode out of the conference room.

In the corridor, his leather shoes echoed crisply on the marble floor.

He took out his phone, dialed a number, and said as he walked, "I've sent you the general content of the announcement. Release it as soon as it's ready."

Twenty minutes later, the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dragon Kingdom released a brief statement.

The wording was restrained, but the stance was clear.

Ten minutes after the statement was released, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an emergency press conference. The Minister of Defense personally attended and, facing dozens of cameras, condemned China's "unprovoked attack" on the Japanese patrol vessel in the strongest terms. He immediately announced that all personnel on the two Chinese fishing boats and the white yacht must remain in place to cooperate with the Japanese investigation. Any attempt to leave would be considered confrontation, and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force would take "all necessary measures, including force."

At the end of the press conference, a reporter raised his hand and asked, "Your Excellency, what specifically does the military measure you mentioned include?"

The Defense Minister glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to leave the podium.

Off the southern coast of Japan's base, two destroyers, a frigate, and a supply ship were sailing at full speed in the darkness. On the radar screen on the bridge, the few dots remained in place, motionless.

The captain ordered the helmsman: "Full speed ahead. We must reach the target area before nightfall."