Washington, White House Oval Office.

President Ronald Reagan watched the C.I.A. collar and felt that God had played a big joke on him, and the television in his office was broadcasting sensational news.

“…… The serious terrorist attack killed three members of China's diplomatic mission, including a deputy director of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an official and a bodyguard, and injured 27 people, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Xuejian himself. After learning of the incident, the Chinese side expressed great indignation and condemnation, and demanded that the South Korean authorities give an explanation, otherwise the Chinese side will take all necessary means to punish the perpetrators......"

Vice President George H.W. Bush turned off the TV with the remote control, threw it on the sofa, looked at Reagan with a grim face, and said: "Obviously, the Chinese are really angry." ”

On the one hand, South Korea is a "semi-colony" of the Eagle Sauce family, and on the other hand, the Celestial Empire is a strategic partner that they urgently need to win, because a small incident eventually leads to a bigger and bigger situation, which makes the United States feel inexplicable and helpless.

CIA Director William? Cassie also frowned and reported to the president: "Your Excellency, China should be really angry this time, they can't even wait for their wounded to be treated in South Korea, probably because they are afraid that those radical nationalist terrorists will launch terrorist attacks against Chinese diplomatic missions again, they have already killed a deputy director, if the foreign minister is also hung in South Korea, it is inevitable that China will not declare war on South Korea." ”

Reagan was furious, and he rose from his throne: "Declaration of war? It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen in my life! Because the defection of an old-fashioned bomber ended up involving so many things, and even pulled us into a war? ”

Just as he was roaring in the Oval Office regardless of his image, a CIA intelligence officer walked in and handed a note to Director Cassie, who frowned even more and said to Reagan: "Your Excellency, the situation is developing in the worst direction, the Chinese Navy has sent an aircraft carrier battle group, which has set sail from the Bohai Sea, and is expected to reach the waters off Inchon this evening." ”

Weinberg's eyes were about to fall, and he said in disbelief: "Aircraft carrier battle group? Are you kidding me? When did the Chinese have an aircraft carrier battle group? ”

Cassie admits defeat: "It was our mistake, but we can't understand the change. This news was conveyed to us by the Chinese on their own initiative, and it seems that the Chinese are still somewhat sensible and should go crazy within the limits of our tolerance. As for that aircraft carrier battle group, well, to be precise, it should be an amphibious battle group, and that amphibious assault ship is actually the Australian aircraft carrier HMS Melbourne, which was awarded a ship dismantling contract Chinese last year, and it is clear that they did not dismantle her, but turned it into an amphibious assault ship......"

Weinberg was even more messy this time: "The Melbourne that once cut two destroyers in half? ”

Cassie nodded yes.

Weinberg shuddered and said a sneer: "I guess when I hear that it is this ship, our US Navy will refuse to participate in the battle." ”

No one can laugh in this atmosphere, and the joke is not funny at all.

Cassie continued: "The Chinese told us that they did not trust South Korean security and were more worried about the South Korean government's arrangements for the attack, so they sent amphibious assault ships with complete medical equipment and would transfer their wounded to the amphibious assault ships themselves." ”

Reagan snorted and said, "If that's the case, it's good to send a ship over, why send a whole fleet?" ”

Weinberg replied: "This is the Chinese trying to show their neighbors!" However, to convert an abandoned aircraft carrier into an amphibious assault ship in a few months? It's impossible, right? ”

Reagan said to Weinberg: "Immediately order the South Korean Command to send reconnaissance planes, we want to have first-hand information about the Chinese amphibious battle group fleet, well, and inform the Chinese that the US military in South Korea is escorting them, in response to any sudden adverse situation, and we are willing to work with China to fight violent terrorists." Mr. Scholz, please come forward personally to express your most sincere condolences to the victims in China, as well as the strongest condemnation of the terrorists. ”

Weinberg and Schultz said yes at the same time.

————

It has rained heavily on the Yellow Sea, which has already entered autumn, and the whistling sea breeze has rolled up the waves, and the sea conditions are very high, which is not very suitable for navigation. But soldiers never fight only in good weather, they have to be there when the country needs them.

This amphibious battle group is composed of five warships, the core of which is naturally the amphibious assault ship 52 Hainan, which was converted from the Melbourne, and the four surface ships escorting her are the Type 052A destroyers 112 Harbin and 166 Zhuhai, and the Type 054A frigates 525 Ma'anshan and 526 Wenzhou.

According to the newly revised regulations on the naming of naval vessels, aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships belong to the first class of warships, and they are named after provincial-level administrative units, hence the name Hainan. She made a lot of modifications on the basis of the Melbourne, in addition to the repair shop repaired her hull, added the closed structure of the bow hull part, modified all domestic electronic equipment, improved the high temperature and corrosion resistance of the flight deck, and removed things like catapults. The armament also unloaded all those Bofors and installed two Type 730 close-in defense guns and two 18-pack Haihongqi-10 short-range anti-aircraft missiles. The cabin and hangar space have been optimized to carry up to 16 large and medium-sized helicopters, and up to 12 J-8V Skua fighters and 2 Z-20H anti-submarine helicopters when performing air supremacy missions.

In fact, the ship has not yet been officially commissioned, and most of the personnel operating on it are sailors recruited by the Red Police base, and there are more than 200 sailors and officers of the Navy who are familiarizing themselves with the ship's condition, including Zhang Juzuo.

Zhang Juzuo, who was originally a research officer, never imagined that he would one day be able to become an officer who boarded a combat ship to command, and he was placed in the air service command and control department.

It's just that Zhang Juzuo was waiting for this battleship to officially enter the navy, but he didn't expect that what he was waiting for was actually a combat order. More than 800 officers and men of the whole ship, under the condition that they may not have fully mastered this battleship, came to their respective combat positions with a high degree of concentration, four J-8V Skua STOVL fighters that had not yet been officially stationed on the ship were urgently sent to the battleship, and six Z-20s for transportation were also fully prepared. A large number of medical personnel were brought to the ship, and Zhang Juzuo and his comrades-in-arms immediately converted part of the cabin into an emergency hospital in accordance with the ship's manual.

At this time, they also received their own instructions - to go to South Korea and use helicopters to pick up members of the Chinese diplomatic mission who had been attacked by terrorists.

A strong and urgent sense of mission surrounded Zhang Juzuo, and he could roughly feel what kind of mood the naval soldiers who were ordered to be ordered in the Xisha Naval Battle back then.

Zhang Juzuo, who was directing everyone to prepare in the hangar, suddenly saw the captain of the Hainan ship, Colonel Tang Zuogang. This Zhang Juzuo felt very kind, and the humble captain was still calm at this time, which made Zhang Juzuo very admired.

The captain walked in front of Zhang Juzuo, and Zhang Juzuo hurriedly saluted.

Tang Zuogang returned a salute, smiled slightly, and asked, "Aviation officer, how are you preparing?" ”

"Report to the captain, everything is ready, and the fighter plane is ready to go at any time."

Tang Zuogang nodded and said, "Although theoretically our mission this time is to pick up the wounded and return home, there is no great danger, but remember, only those who are prepared for all situations can win in all situations." ”

"Yes, Captain!" Zhang Juzuo shouted.

Tang Zuogang smiled slightly, turned around and went to comfort the other personnel.

The battleship split the wind and waves on the rainy sea and sailed towards its destination with great perseverance, and because of the bad weather, the US reconnaissance planes that had originally planned to sail for reconnaissance did not appear on time at the head of this fleet.

And far away in the Zhongnanhai of Beijing, there is also Ping Taizong whose face is as gloomy as the Yellow Sea.

Not only did Reagan feel impatient with the way things turned out today, but Taizong also found it ridiculous. And what shocked him the most was that Qi Yiming, who was in charge of the Red Police Base, was also injured a little in this terrorist attack, although it was not serious, but it also scared Ping Taizong and the old ministers half to death.

Chen Yunnian chattered: "After the kid comes back, put him under house arrest, hey, we old men have lost it, he can't afford to lose." ”

Yang Dezhi shook his head and sighed: "Xiao Qi, this kid has a big spirit, he can't control it, but after going abroad, it's better to have less, in the past, he stayed in his own base, surrounded by a large army, and there would be no problems, and it was nothing to go around in China, but there was chaos abroad, and he would not be banned from going abroad in the future." ”

Everyone, you and I are talking about restricting Qi Yiming's personal freedom, Ping Taizong reluctantly showed a little smile and said: "Hehe, I hope this kid will grow wise." ”

Zhang Aiping said: "For him to send such a big show, we haven't trained the amphibious fleet yet, there won't be any problem, right?" ”

As a matter of fact, Navy Commander Liu Huaqing strongly opposed the dispatch of the amphibious fleet, because the officers and men of the Navy were not yet fully familiar with the combat performance of the ships, and they mainly relied on some Red Alert fighters to support them in the main positions, and the captain of the Hainan was also a Red Alert soldier. The deeper factor is that Liu Huaqing is afraid that the little money he has saved up will be lost.

Sending an amphibious fleet was the highest instruction of Ping Taizong, and in addition to picking up the wounded faster and safer, he also had the intention of showing his strength. This old man who used to take "Taoguang to raise obscurity and make a difference" as a will to the outside world, in fact, he has a strong heart in his heart, he used to have no soldiers and no food in his hands, but now he has the strength to rely on, he naturally wants to take it out, deter Xiaoxiao, and let the world begin to face up to the strength of the eastern dragon.