mtlumby2d Chapter 879 So that's how it is... It feels good to have a backup plan!
Chapter 879 So that's how it is... It feels good to have a backup plan!
"Buzzing..."
The Be-6 seaplane was patrolling over the Yellow Sea, with the leaden-gray sea and low-hanging, thick cumulonimbus clouds beneath its huge gull-shaped wings.
Do you think that this Be-6 flew out because it had some kind of premonition and came specifically to save 418?
no!
Inside the cockpit, Captain Chen and First Officer Zhang were carrying out their main task for the day—observing the subsequent movements of the "Yuejin" cargo ship.
Yes, the main purpose of this suddenly appearing Be-6 was to observe the "Yuejin" aircraft, which had captured the attention of many!
This Be-6 is actually another kind of reserve force. To put it simply, this aircraft is actually there to clean up the mess for some idiot!
Despite his excellent performance in guiding the Yuejin incident, the seasoned veterans found him to be full of flaws!
He only considered how to resolve the crisis, but did not consider how to handle the aftermath when the crisis was unavoidable or triggered a chain reaction!
“But that makes sense,” one old man said with a smile to another.
"If that kid can really plan everything perfectly and leave no room for error, then he's truly 'awesome'! It's good for young people to have drive, but we old guys have to stay behind and help plug the loopholes."
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Laugh it off, but we can't skimp on the necessary preparations.
These elderly people don't have the "golden touch" of Jiang Xia, who knows the future, but they possess the meticulous caution forged in countless battles and the utmost responsibility for the lives of their comrades.
Therefore, while approving the Jiangxia plan, an unseen order was quietly issued: the Be-6 patrol aircraft at the Qingdao base were ordered to adjust their routes and approach the relevant sea area to stand by, while several reliable fishing boats gathered in the harbor, ready to depart at any time.
This was the final "insurance" they quietly added to Jiangxia's "adventure plan." It wasn't a lack of trust, but rather the deepest care and a safety net.
……
"Captain, it seems those guys on Airborne Early Warning and Control Unit 1 really went all out," the co-pilot, Xiao Wu, clicked his tongue as he looked out the window at the dark clouds that were almost touching the sea. "They dared to go into such thick clouds to guide the aircraft and managed to pull the 'Yuejin' back from the brink of death."
Captain Zheng nodded steadily, his gaze sweeping towards the side of the windshield, where the shadow of Suyan Reef was faintly visible in the murky water. "Yes, it's all thanks to them for risking their lives to warn us through the clouds. Look at that reef; if it weren't for the KJ-1 airborne early warning system, the Yuejin would most likely be stuck there today."
He glanced at the increasingly gloomy sky and slightly adjusted the control stick: "It's getting late, and the downpour is about to begin. Our patrol mission is complete; we've confirmed that the Yuejin has turned safely. Let's report back home and then head back."
"clear."
Xiao Wu responded and began assisting the captain in adjusting the course, preparing for the final inspection before returning to base.
Just as the plane was slowly turning and its nose was about to align with the direction of return, Xiao Wu suddenly caught a glimpse of a red dot of light shooting up from the sea below, standing out conspicuously against the dark clouds.
It quickly exploded with a "pop," dispersing into a cloud of red mist.
He sat bolt upright, pointed in that direction, and shouted, "Captain! Look! Over there! There's a signal flare! A red one!"
Old Zheng immediately frowned and looked in the direction indicated, but the low-hanging clouds and poor visibility made the sea conditions unclear.
Between the gloomy sky and the sea, a faint red light stubbornly flickered once from below the clouds before going out.
"This location..."
Old Zheng frowned deeply, his mind racing as he recalled the pre-departure briefing and known naval deployments:
"That's not right. Apart from the Yuejin, which is on sea trial mission, there shouldn't be any other records of our ships operating in this area today."
The co-pilot, Xiao Wu, guessed, "Could it be a fisherman who encountered a shipwreck due to bad weather? Is he trying to send out a distress signal? Don't forget it's the flood season right now..."
"Most likely!" Old Zheng quickly turned up the defroster on the porthole and squinted at the sea. "This awful weather, with such big waves, if the fishermen capsize, it'll be a real problem."
"Xiao Wu, shall we go take a look? It won't make a difference if it's just a few minutes. If they really are fishermen, we can at least point them in the right direction for rescue."
"That's right! Captain, we're the naval air force! The people's army, we can't ignore the people when they're in trouble!" Xiao Wu glanced at the rain curtain that was gradually approaching in the distance. The dark clouds were already very low, and the waves on the sea were getting higher and higher. It was definitely not the kind of weather a fishing boat should be in.
The Bie-6 slowly turned and flew low towards the direction where the signal flare exploded. The search and rescue lights under the wings slowly turned on, and a bright beam of light pierced through the thin mist and hit the sea surface.
At first, all that could be seen were rolling waves, but as the plane drew closer, Xiao Wu suddenly gasped, his voice trembling: "Captain! It's not a fishing boat! It's... it's a submarine! The two are entangled!"
Old Zheng quickly moved to the porthole, his pupils suddenly contracting.
On the sea, the two submarines were locked in a tight grip. The smaller submarine had a jagged crack in its bow, with the canvas and wooden wedges crookedly blocking it. Several figures in sailor uniforms could be seen waving their arms on the deck.
The larger one was in a worse state, with the bow of the smaller submarine wedged against its side, its hatch half-open, and gray smoke billowing out from the gaps, like a wild beast struggling to breathe.
"It's our 418!" Old Zheng recognized the markings on the hull of the 418 at a glance, and his heart jumped instantly.
If we didn't receive any voyage orders for 418 before departure, how did we end up colliding with another submarine here?
He quickly shouted to Xiao Wu, "Quick! Switch to digital radio! Send a message to headquarters! We've discovered that our submarine 418 has collided with an unidentified submarine. The two submarines are locked in combat, and 418 is damaged! Requesting emergency support!"
Xiao Wu frantically pressed the radio buttons, his voice trembling: "Captain, look at the people on deck 418! They look like they're taking prisoners! That big submarine... is it the Bald Eagle?"
"I can't see it! Lower your head and keep an eye on the altimeter for me!"
"understand!"
Thanks to the priority upgrades made recently, this Be-6 is equipped with the latest digital radio provided by a certain manufacturer.
While looking at the altimeter, Xiao Wu quickly locked onto the signal amidst the noisy electromagnetic background, converting the astonishing scene before him into encrypted radio waves and sending them into the distance.
"Base! Base! This is Haixun-1 (Bie-6)! Emergency! At XX degrees XX minutes North latitude and XX degrees XX minutes East longitude, our submarine 418 has been found to have collided seriously with an unmarked new submarine!"
The two vessels are currently entangled and severely damaged, with oil spilling onto the sea surface! There is personnel activity on the deck of vessel 418, who are sending out distress signals (pointing to a fire and flares)! We request immediate instructions and rescue assistance!
After Xiao Wu finished his report, he unconsciously looked out the window again. At that moment, Captain Zheng exclaimed:
"Holy crap! They caught a notebook!"
"That's Japan's submarine!"
"Hey, Captain, how did you know?"
"Pah! Didn't you see that compilation of new military uniforms from various countries that the intelligence agents went to great lengths to get back?"
……
When the intelligence was relayed back to the Qingdao command, the naval leaders were stunned.
How come such bizarre things happen wherever there are adorable little guys?
Submarine colliding with another submarine?
This is truly the first time in history.
Fortunately, the elderly had prepared backup plans that were still in place, and the rescue fishing boats set off after the order was given!