On the rough sea, towering warships are breaking the waves.

They are the fleet of the South China Sea Alliance, and they are also the only formed maritime combat force in this sea.

The flagship was the cruiser Harpoon, which had made great achievements in the Civil War.

And behind the cruiser, four more destroyers followed.

Excluding the forces of domestic defense, the South China Sea Alliance has dispatched almost every warship it can deploy. Even in addition to the sea power, there are three submarines scattered and dormant under the surface.

At the beginning, the alliance contributed a lot to the reunification of the South China Sea Alliance, but now that the alliance is in trouble, the South China Sea Alliance is naturally sticking a knife in the ribs of good brothers.

While the survivors of the islands of the Southern Seas are not interested in land strife, they are well aware that the Legion's ambitions are more than just an old-time province.

Little by little, they will test the bottom line of the eastern survivors' forces, and take advantage of the weakness of the academy and enterprises to keep moving forward, compressing the living space of the civilized world.

The South Sea Alliance will not let the Legion succeed, and the Council knows that by helping other suffering survivors, it is helping itself.

But—

The start of the campaign was not promising.

Inside the bridge of the "Harpoon," President Lee Ming-hui, who had put on his military uniform again, stared at the signals on the radar screen and sonar screen, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

“…… Hehe, looks like we're in trouble. ”

Five hundred kilometers away, there are 20 signal sources that match the characteristics of warships are flashing brightly and dimly.

The hulls of these ships are coated with an anti-radar coating, which is clearly not low in technology.

Not only that, but at the same time as they caught each other, it was obvious that the other party had also discovered their presence, and was cautiously keeping a distance from them, heading northeast.

Their intentions were obvious, and that was to escort the ships traveling between Saifan Harbor and Yongye Harbor.

Originally, according to the plan, the fleet of the South China Sea Alliance would go to the shipping lane between Xifan Harbor and Yongye Harbor to blockade the port and the waters near it.

However, it seems that this matter is not so simple now......

Li Minghui thought for a moment, picked up the communicator resting on the console, and ordered cleanly.

"Release the reconnaissance drone!"

A response was not long in the communication channel.

"Yes!"

As the order was given, the destroyer "Reef" that was moving to the side raised its front launch tube, "banged" out a wisp of white smoke, and fired a sword-shaped missile into the airspace directly ahead.

After flying some distance in the air, the missile spread its folded wings to the sides, soared above the clouds like a petrel, and quickly approached the radar source.

Li Minghui in the bridge stared intently at the twenty flickering signals on the radar screen, and propped his hands on the center console.

As the minutes ticked by, the atmosphere inside the bridge was unusually tense.

War at sea is much more boring than war on land, there are not so many bells and whistles tactics, discovering the enemy may be a moment's effort, being discovered by the enemy is also an instant, and a small mistake can make tens of thousands of people's hard work turn into scrap metal and sink to the bottom of the sea.

The palms of the weapon operator oozed sweat, but the clenched fists did not leave the console.

The war was not as simple as they had originally thought, and they could go home with a medal by going to the Borneo Sea and blowing up a few fish.

Especially for them, this is not a battle to defend their homeland, but to defend someone else's homeland. If the final outcome is to die in the belly of the fish, it is difficult to say whether their credit will be remembered.

It was also at this moment that these young men finally realized the mood of their "big brother" alliance.

Risking one's life for a common fate is not an easy thing to do......

The drone continued to fly forward for about a few tens of kilometers, keeping up with the trajectory of the fleet.

Li Minghui grabbed the communicator again and ordered in a calm voice.

"Turn on the active irradiation radar!"

With the order given, the drone's belly opened the hatch downward, releasing a fist-sized pod.

The electromagnetic wave signal is released in a fan-shaped front, completely enveloping the more than 20 flickering signal sources.

However, at this moment, a scene occurred that surprised everyone.

At the moment when that echo came, more than twenty flickering signal sources suddenly disappeared from the radar screen!

“…… Our drones did not detect enemy ships! Request next instructions! ”

Stunned expressions appeared on their faces, and the officers on the bridge were all stunned for a moment.

Including Li Minghui.

His pupils dilated slightly for a moment, but they quickly contracted.

"Eighty percent are electronic warfare ......"

Standing next to Commander Li Minghui, the captain of the Harpoon said with a frown.

Li Minghui nodded, grabbed the communicator and continued to order.

"Turn off the active irradiation radar, switch the optical camera...... Fly near the target and take a look. ”

"Yes!"

Echoes were heard in the communication channel, and the destroyer "Reef", which was operating the drone, quickly complied.

Continuing to fly in the sky for some distance, the reconnaissance drone soon approached the target sea area, and as Li Minghui expected, the entire sea surface was empty, except for the rolling waves.

At this time, the other party seemed to have discovered the action of sending their drones, and the signal that originally appeared on their shipboard radar also disappeared.

Li Minghui's brows were tightly locked, and he said after a moment of thought.

"It should be a submarine ......"

The adjutant standing on the side swallowed his saliva and asked nervously.

"Do you want our submarine to come over and have a look?"

Sending a submarine to explore the path first is also one of the routine operations, and the speed of retreat is faster than that of a destroyer, especially in the deep sea, and it is still a little difficult to hunt down a submarine that is determined to run.

However, as soon as his words fell, the captain of the Harpoon on the side interrupted him without hesitation.

"It's better not to do that, it's probably a trap. If I were their commander, I would definitely set up an ambush nearby! ”

And at this moment, the staff officer standing on the side suddenly spoke.

"Is there a possibility...... They don't really know where we are. ”

There was a murmur among the crowds.

Li Minghui thought for a moment and nodded, and said in a deep voice.

"I was thinking about the possibility that the first signal we detected was passive sonar, and it was most likely a deliberate noise from them using decoys."

And the reason why the other party chooses to test in this way is because it is extremely high because it is in the same situation as them.

Both sides are aware of each other's existence, but they don't know each other's details.

That's it......

"This temptation should be considered a tie."

It seems that there is someone outside this person, and there is a heaven outside the sky.

I have to admit that this time he met an opponent far more tricky than Charas, and it was unrealistic to rely entirely on the art of command to play others.

However, this is not necessarily all bad.

Evenly matched opponents will keep each other restrained, and the other side may not want to go wrong.

After all, even in name, this was a war between the Sillan Empire and the countries of the Borneo provinces.

Before the legion tore its face and declared war on the Alliance, the fleet of the South China Sea Alliance would at most only blockade the port, raid the strategic facilities belonging to the Xilan Empire, and sink a few supply ships, so it was impossible to really launch a blatant bombardment of the port.

The war did not escalate into a full-scale war.

And as supporters, they have no reason to escalate the war on their own initiative.

"Difficult to do...... It can only be seen what our allies say. ”

Li Minghui took out a cigarette from his pocket, took out a lighter and lit it.

I probably can't fight today.

The other side was waiting for them to take the bait while trying to get them to fire the first shot.

The staff officer frowned, still thinking.

"Now the tricky thing is...... We have not yet been able to determine who these ships really belong to. ”

Li Minghui's deputy looked at him.

"Is there a difference?"

The staff officer nodded.

"Of course there is...... If it's the Western Legion, then we have to be careful with our ass. ”

Now there is only one destroyer and one submarine in the entire southern seas, and all that can be relied on is the air force of the crater and those land-based missile launchers.

But that's not enough.

There was a brief silence on the bridge, followed by a whispered exchange resumed.

Although the Eastern Legion has reached a private agreement with the Alliance, the other two legions have not yet taken a stand.

“…… Heard about the Western Legion in the New World. ”

"Hmm...... The other side of the planet. ”

"Has anyone been there?"

"I don't have the impression of ...... It was too far to start from the east or west, there were no supply points along the way, and the location of the port was uncertain. ”

"I don't know how they're going......

"If only there were satellites to look at it."

Looking at the people who were talking, Li Minghui did not participate in the discussion, but smoked in silence.

The captain standing on the side was silent for a long time, and said with a sigh.

"It would be nice if the Haiya was still around."

It was once the only battleship of the South Sea Alliance, and the only weapon designed against the Legion's airships...... However, the militarists within them used it against their own people.

But from another point of view, Vault 70 did pull them behind closed doors for too long.

Those airships built based on the core of the starship are no longer the only thing the legion relies on.

And they're just getting out of the island......

……

On the other side, at the forefront of the battlefield, the 170,000 troops under the command of Commander Oletevan have taken Surak County in the northwest of Shizhou, opening a breakthrough to continue northward.

The 1st and 20,000 troops of Borneo organized a defensive line like paper paste, first bombarded by artillery and unable to find the north, and then divided and surrounded by armored units acting as the vanguard.

The Southern Corps is best at using artillery, and armor is only a support.

But even so, for Borneo, which has almost no tanks, the hundreds of "Conqueror X" in the breakthrough direction can still be called a torrent of steel.

The first to enter Surak County was the 171st Thousand Men under the command of Commander Ross.

In the local culture of Borneo, "surak" means lion's head, and this surname is also a major local family, occupying millions of acres of fertile land and tens of thousands of tenants.

Ross didn't know if he had the surname "Surak" or the strange slang term "lion's head" first, and he didn't really care.

As a conquistador, he only cared if the locals cooperated with his conquest.

If he didn't cooperate, he wouldn't mind hanging this "lion's head" on the wall where the trophies were displayed.

Interestingly, however, his troops entered the area and were greeted with a warm welcome by all the "suraks".

In one of the largest villages and towns in the county, a man of about 60 years old led a group of people to stand in the middle of the road.

He was draped in a rich robe, and he looked like an elder of a clan. His beard was gray, and his old face was full of joy, and he welcomed the people of Wilant from the bottom of his heart.

Seeing that these men were not carrying guns, Rose waved his hand and motioned for the armored personnel carrier to follow the tank into the town, while he got out of the jeep and walked in front of the old man with several officers.

Seeing the oncoming Willant officer, the old man took two trembling steps forward, eager to kneel on the ground.

"Your Excellency...... You're coming! Those heavenly kings have hurt us so badly! ”

He didn't adulterate these words, those people under the Heavenly King killed the nobles when they saw them, and robbed them when they saw money and grain, so frightened that he went to hide in the mountains and forests for half a month. It wasn't until he heard that Yanush was dead and that the Heavenly King's army was scattered that he dared to come back with his family.

Unconcerned about what had happened here, Rose glanced at him.

"You're a nobleman here?"

The old man had a smile on his face and quickly nodded.

"Exactly...... The contemptible person is Cham Surak, a viscount canonized by His Majesty himself, and a radius of 100 miles is considered to be in my Zhuangzi. ”

Rose didn't talk nonsense with him, just gave the officer next to him a look and threw a list in his hand.

Looking at the stunned old man, the officer said succinctly.

"We are members of the Southern Legion, and we have been invited by your Majesty Akbar to the north to help you suppress the bandits. Your Majesty asks you to cooperate with us to the utmost of your ability, otherwise we will be dealt with by national law. ”

"In addition, we need food for 100,000 people, mainly wheat flour, supplemented by meat, as well as supplies such as vegetables and fruits, so please prepare it here."

Hearing this number, Chamm was startled, and the whole person almost collapsed on the ground.

"Ten, one hundred thousand?!"

Not only was he startled, but the "Suraks" behind him were also stunned, their faces turning their heads in fear, looking like the end of the world.

Looking at the chirping rats, Rose impatiently pointed to the list in the old man's hand.

"There is a price on the list, you prepare it according to our requirements, and we pay you."

Although always imitated by marauders, they are not predators after all.

As for the land with useful value, in principle, they do not intend to destroy the original production relations, and even buy off the locals with a small profit from other colonies.

Of course, when this war is over, they will recoup this investment in the future. And the local survivors will use the blood and sweat of generations to repay the confusion and short-lived sweetness of this moment.

Hearing the big noses give money, Cham finally breathed a sigh of relief, and a happy smile appeared again on his blood-recovering face, nodding and saying.

"Rest assured! Our county is rich in products, and the most important thing is food! There are other counties nearby, and you will definitely be able to get these supplies you want! ”

Rose nodded, didn't talk nonsense with this guy, and sent him aside, just briefly explained the patrol related tasks to a few of his subordinates beside him.

The corps' logistical supply lines were raided by the Alliance Air Force, and supplies that were planned to be sent to the front could not arrive on time.

They need to fix up here a bit and wait until the logistics catch up before moving on.

Surak County is a good location, ideal as a staging point for supplies from the front.

Perhaps they could build a temporary port on the western coastline to distract the logistical pressure on the port.

Just as Rose was finishing the task to his subordinates, he suddenly noticed a group of shirtless men and women kneeling on the side of the road.

None of them were very old, all in their early twenties, and they were all tied up with ropes.

The fifty or so people were like animals chained to a pigsty, and there was not a trace of blood visible on their numb faces, and if they were not still breathing, they could not help but wonder if they were still alive.

Rose's eyebrows lifted as he looked at the Charm who was following him.

"Who are these people?"

Seeing that the Willant asked about the identities of these people, Cham immediately replied with a flattering smile.

"My lord, these dogs are bandits! They're not a good thing, and they want to encourage us to fight you! ”

Bandits?

Rose was slightly stunned, and it took a moment to react that what he said should be the "Heavenly King Army", and then narrowed his eyes.

Speaking of which, these people still owe them a blood debt.

"Dragged outside."

"Yes!"

The centurion standing beside him made a military salute, and then led his men to the group of kneeling men with murderous vigour.

The men followed them obediently, and soon fell to the ground in a burst of gunfire.

The thick plasma soaked the dirt, and the walking dead turned into real corpses.

In the distance, a group of onlookers hid in the fields, some of them serfs in the fields, and some of them were tenants of the nearby Zhuangzi.

They had never seen such a bloody scene before, and they all looked at it curiously, their faces half scared, but half excited.

After shooting, the Willant soldiers grabbed a few onlookers and threw shovels at them, telling them to find a place to bury the corpses.

Those people nodded hurriedly, and without asking for payment, they dug a pit on the spot on the execution ground.

Some people also quietly reached out and secretly hid some bloody dirt in their pockets while digging the soil.

Taking in the full view of the appearance of the sentient beings, the Willant soldiers who were standing on the sidelines couldn't help but pout, and there was a hint of undisguised mockery in their disdainful voices.

“…… It would be a shame to leave this fertile land to them to take care of. ”

Another Willant soldier snorted with a rifle on his shoulder.

"But no one gave them this land, and I remember correctly, this used to be a zoo, and they came in by themselves."

"Hahaha!"

"If my ancestors had regretted it, it would have been better to die in the desert."

The unbridled ridicule, the slaves who had dug the pit were silent, but they did not feel any dissatisfaction.

What does it have to do with the remnants of the Age of Prosperity?

Only on occasions of boasting do they mention that their ancestors once came from the center of a prosperous world, including touting General Lowell's immortal exploits in the ice and snow, and making fun of how miserable the tribes beyond the Djobar Mountains were, and how they were being carried away by the three-headed and six-armed xenomorphs.

But sometimes they would spit on Lowell, spurn the abandonment of them by the War Construction Committee, and hated that the Prosperous Era did not leave them a little legacy.

It's like they sometimes think of themselves as Brahmans, and sometimes they draw a line with Brahminats or other breeds of rats.

Some people make memories into boots and step on the soles of their feet, and in order to go further, some people weave memories into clothes and pants and wear them on their bodies to make a beautiful appearance. And ingeniously, they made memories into pillows, turning them over and over just to sleep peacefully...... And now I do sleep soundly.

Pete, who was standing on the sidelines, smoked a cigarette and did not participate in the discussion of the soldiers, only feeling bored.

He didn't care at all about what these ancestors were like, let alone who this land belonged to, he just wanted to fight with the real opponent as soon as possible.

Whether it's an alliance or a company, at least a decent opponent!

Fighting these unarmed people, he didn't feel the slightest sense of pride in his heart, but felt ashamed.

Especially the glittering figure in the courtroom, which always lingered in his heart.

Lately he's been having nightmares about being back in the courtroom, only to be in the dock and the jury behind him full of dead people.

Among them were the Willantes, as well as others who didn't have the same high nose bridge.

Although it was just a dream, it still made him break out in a cold sweat.

It was at this moment that the centurion's voice came from afar.

"Pete, are you done digging?"

Pete, who came to his senses, hurriedly replied.

"It's almost over!"

The centurion continued to call.

"Leave those slaves alone, let them dig their own and get back to the team!"

"Yes!"

In response, Pete threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stepped on it, and quickly returned with his soldiers.

The sharp-eyed slave on the side happened to see the cigarette butt he threw down, and when he was far away, he rushed up and grabbed it into his pocket, and even fought for "first come, first served" and "those who see it have a share".

The appearance of rolling in the blood-red mire made people cry and laugh, but they couldn't help but sigh.

At the same time, an urgent telegram was sent from Tiandu to the port of Golden Gallen and to all parts of Borneo, informing every inch of the war to every inch of the 4 million square kilometers.

On the same day, the "Survivor Daily" in the port of Golden Gallen rushed another issue, and used a rare line of blood-red letters.

Invasion! The Southern Army is fighting undeclared! 》

The blood-drenched red color was like the blood of the pilots and soldiers.

"It's so deceitful!"

Ah Xin, who was sitting in his study, scolded angrily and slammed the newspaper in his hand on the table.

He rarely made such gaffes.

And at this moment, he couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.

He was not alone, but thousands of people were standing.

From the port area, Tulip Street, Knights all the way ...... Then to the reeds at the mouth of the eternal river, anger was written on every face full of righteous indignation.

Someone chooses to bury their head down, and there must be someone who holds their chin high unyieldingly.

They are also Brahmans.

And it's the one who woke up!

Suni, who was standing on the street, looked at the teenager in the crowd with a textbook in his arm.

When I was sixteen or seventeen years old, I didn't have this kind of scenery, and if I remember correctly, I should have teased seagulls on the dock and skipped class to bask in the sun.

He was extremely glad that he had made the choice to get on the boat to Kinggallen Harbor and become a public school teacher, and he happened to read the article called "Red Soil" and brought it into the classroom to share.

It wasn't an earth-shattering feat, just a trivia that happened after a lunch break.

However, he still can't forget the light that burned in the eyes of those young girls at that time.

The hope that broke through the ground is sprouting at this moment!

It was the seedling he cared for with his own hands-

"We sent our emperor away, but the legions wanted us to kneel! Tell me! Your answers! ”

The boy standing on the high ground roared hoarsely, and he was answered by the cry of the mountain and the tsunami.

"Never !!"

The thin arms were raised in the air, but he was not alone, for soon more powerful arms were raised.

Among them are those with long sleeves, as well as those with short sleeves and those without sleeves.

Five fingers clenched into a fist, holding up a piece of the sky.

"What do we do——!"

"!! with them"

(End of chapter)