General Lascaux was a pure soldier. In a modern world where only local wars occur, perhaps fighting this deep-sea monster could satisfy a soldier's desire for battle.
Furthermore, General Lascaux wouldn't care how valuable this deep-sea monster was in the eyes of biologists; he only cared whether this monster would pose a threat to his territory.
In fact, this threat has already taken hold, as evidenced by the numerous ships that have disappeared in these waters over the past few decades. With this pretext, General Lascaux has ample reason to launch this operation.
“Oh, I think… General Lascaux, your decision is right. Such a large creature, if it ever decides to come ashore, would cause immeasurable damage to humanity. If your country can truly eliminate it, it will benefit all of humanity…”
If there were any biologists on this ship, they would definitely give Zhuang Rui a good dressing down. This is unbelievable! Haven't you ever heard of octopuses on land? What did that deep-sea creature do to you that you have to exterminate it?
“However, General Lascaux, I am just an archaeologist and do not know the habits of this marine creature. I am of no use to your operation, am I?”
Zhuang Rui then raised his own question, actually wanting to avoid the operation to exterminate the deep-sea monster. The desolation of marine life in that area showed that the big guy was no pushover, and if anything went wrong, it would definitely end in certain death.
"Mr. Zhuang, you may not have realized it yourself, but you have an innate sensitivity to danger. If it weren't for your reminder, we would probably all be monster snacks by now. So... we hope you can participate in this operation..."
Lasco spoke sincerely. If it weren't for Zhuang Rui, a scene resembling a deep-sea monster grandmother would probably have actually happened, and he wouldn't have had the chance to sit here and speak.
Zhuang Rui lowered his head and thought for a while before raising his head and saying, "This... let me think about it. General Lascaux, your report hasn't been submitted yet. Let's discuss this issue after your country approves it and formulates an action plan..."
Zhuang Rui knew that his participation would indeed allow General Rasc's army to attack the monsters more effectively, but there was a prerequisite: Zhuang Rui would only participate in this operation if his own safety was guaranteed.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Lasco nodded and said, "Okay, Mr. Zhuang, for safety reasons, I suggest that the Xuanrui temporarily dock at a coastal port in our country for the next few days. I will take care of the supplies for you..."
"Thank you, General Lasco. We will return home aboard your warships..."
Zhuang Rui nodded in agreement, though he was also a little apprehensive. Who knew if that big guy, stimulated by the helicopter and his spiritual energy, would end up in the shallow sea area? Safety first, after all.
After spending some time on Zhuang Rui's Xuanrui, Lasco took a helicopter directly back to his base. He wanted to compile the footage taken from the helicopter and all the information about the deep-sea monster in order to get the politicians to agree to his actions.
Portugal, a nation that had dominated the seas for centuries, had its Xuanrui docked directly in a naval port under the care of General Lasco. Zhuang Rui, reassured, awaited news from Lasco. ...
"Mr. Zhuang, the operation has been approved, but you'll have to wait a few more days. This operation requires the cooperation of several countries..."
Two days later, Zhuang Rui, who was idly fishing in the harbor from a small boat on the cruise ship, received a call from General Lascaux, which greatly surprised him. He had originally thought he would have to wait there for ten days or half a month.
You know, if something like this happened in China, it would be subject to numerous obstacles and layers of approval. The family planning commission might even get involved. If this monster didn't leave any offspring, wouldn't it lead to species extinction?
Smiling and shaking his head to clear his mind of the random thoughts, Zhuang Rui asked, "General Lascaux, which countries are involved? Why are we forming an alliance with them?"
"It involves several nearby Spanish countries, as well as Britain and France... Zhuang, as you know, this deep-sea creature is too large, requiring the use of weapons of mass destruction. Since the area is in international waters, we must coordinate with several nearby countries. This will be a multinational military operation..."
Lasco had initially thought the operation would encounter some difficulties, but he clearly underestimated the fear of death among the politicians in the country. The submission of these documents and photos immediately caused a panic.
In response to this incident, Portuguese President Aníbal convened an emergency meeting. Upon learning that the enormous deep-sea monster was located in waters not far from them, the politicians immediately passed a resolution to eradicate it.
Of course, some politicians dedicated to environmental and animal protection have raised objections, but when faced with the choice between life and the environment, most people have chosen the former, and they don't believe that this monster would understand people's feelings.
Subsequently, the Portuguese authorities notified several countries in the Eurozone of the discovery, and they quickly responded. Britain, France, Spain, and other countries decided to send troops to participate in the operation.
Even major powers that are not European countries, such as the United States, China, and Russia, immediately expressed their intention to send observers to the scene and participate in the operation to hunt down the sea monster after receiving the relevant information.
As the discoverer of the deep-sea monster and the initiator of the operation, General Lascaux naturally became the commander-in-chief of the operation. He would command the joint forces of several countries to encircle and exterminate the deep-sea monster.
Don't underestimate the title of Commander-in-Chief. In today's peaceful Europe, being able to command the joint operations of four or five countries' armies may be the key to General Lasco's future promotion to lieutenant general.
Therefore, Lasco's words also revealed a hint of pride and excitement. He had already drawn up a detailed plan, but with the resources of the multinational forces, whether Zhuang Rui participated or not became less important.
Zhuang Rui also sensed the excitement in Lasco's voice and immediately said with a smile, "General Lasco, congratulations on finally discovering and about to eliminate this monster that has plagued the seas for many years. I believe that after this, you will definitely become a national hero..."
In the process of dealing with this deep-sea monster, the gold might be scattered in various places. Zhuang Rui's salvage operation will need some help from General Lascaux, and Zhuang Rui doesn't mind complimenting him a few times.
"Haha, Zhuang, I'm formally inviting you to participate in this operation. But don't worry, you're only participating as a scientific researcher; you don't need to be on the front lines. That's what soldiers are supposed to do..."
Lasco laughed loudly upon hearing this. As the saying goes, "a sedan chair is carried by people," whether Zhuang Rui is one more or one less in this operation is just a matter of him saying a word.
In Lasco's view, he was doing Zhuang Rui an enormous favor, as ordinary people simply couldn't participate in this multinational joint operation.
It's important to understand that there are no absolute secrets between countries. The materials and images he captured were placed on the desks of leaders around the world in the shortest possible time.
Meanwhile, the waters near Vigo Bay, having witnessed the appearance of a monster that defied all conventional human thinking, once again became the focus of attention for political figures and powers around the world after several centuries.
After waiting for two days, a helicopter picked up Zhuang Rui, Peng Fei, and Captain Clyde and took them to a military camp not far from the coastline. Peng Fei and Captain Clyde, who had witnessed the deep-sea monster, were also fortunate enough to participate in the operation.
"Gentlemen, General Lasco is currently discussing the details of the operation with representatives from various countries. Please wait a moment..."
After getting off the helicopter, Zhuang Rui and the others were taken to a medium-sized conference room. In addition to the three of them, there were also some soldiers dressed in military uniforms from various countries sitting inside.
On a large screen directly in front of the conference room, the scenes that Zhuang Rui and others had witnessed a few days ago were being played. Occasionally, exclamations of surprise could be heard from the soldiers nearby.
"Zhuang Rui, you... how did you get here?"
Zhuang Rui had just sat down when he heard someone calling his name. He looked up and couldn't help but laugh. What a small world! He had only been separated from this guy for two months, and now they were meeting again in a place thousands of miles away from their homeland.
Chapter 1290 Action Plan (Part 2)
"Brother Li, what brings you here? This matter has nothing to do with our country, does it?"
Upon seeing that it was Major General Li Shaohua speaking, Zhuang Rui hurriedly went to greet him. If it weren't for Li Shaohua's help, all the things he had done in Africa, let alone King Solomon's treasure, he probably wouldn't have been able to smuggle even a gorilla out of the country.
"How can it be unrelated? Whether this cat grew to such a size due to mutation or natural growth is a matter worthy of study by various countries, and of course our country should come..."
This joint action by Eurozone countries has truly alarmed many nations. As Li Shaohua said, this monster, whose size exceeds people's understanding, has many aspects worth studying.
Although being rejected by Western countries is a common occurrence in China's diplomatic affairs, given China's current national strength and global influence, these European countries cannot refuse to share in this matter.
After casually explaining a few things to Zhuang Rui, Li Shaohua said with a suspicious look, "But you, kid, didn't you just return to China not long ago? Why are you causing trouble here again? Is this related to you?"
Li Shaohua arrived directly from Central Africa by plane after receiving orders, so he was unaware that the incident was actually caused by Zhuang Rui. In fact, even within China, no one knew how the deep-sea monster was discovered.
"Brother Li, that's a very novel question. What do you mean by 'connection'? I'm the one who discovered that monster. Wouldn't you say that counts as a connection?"
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this. If it weren't for him, Zhuang Rui, that monster would probably still be living a comfortable life. But as the saying goes, blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents. Who told that guy to stay next to such a huge treasure?
"You...you discovered this? I mean...are you an archaeologist or a biologist? How come you've discovered all the monsters in this world?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Li Shaohua's eyes widened in surprise. He had personally witnessed the corpses of the two prehistoric monsters in the Central African forest, and he never expected that Zhuang Rui would be clashing with monsters again in just two months.
While the two monsters in the Central African forests were also quite large, they were still within the range that humans could accept. However, this sea monster exceeded human imagination, and therefore had a very wide impact.
Almost every country with even a little international influence wanted a piece of the pie. Li Shaohua's orders were to spare no effort in obtaining the monster's genes for use in the genetic research projects of domestic scientists.
Li Shaohua was still having a headache about this mission, but he never expected that Zhuang Rui would be so closely involved in this matter. He couldn't help but roll his eyes and gently tug at Zhuang Rui's clothes.
"Brother Li, what's going on so mysteriously?"
After being pulled to a corner of the conference room by Li Shaohua, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but ask curiously.
Li Shaohua rubbed his hands together, a sheepish look on his face, and said, "Ahem, brother, could you perhaps participate in this operation?"
"Yes, as the one who discovered the monster, of course I have to participate..."
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this. He still didn't understand why Li Shaohua had come here. In Zhuang Rui's mind, the allure of the monster was far less than that of the gold at the bottom of the sea, and he hadn't even considered that possibility.
Li Shaohua didn't stand on ceremony and said directly, "Then...then could you get me a piece of that monster's flesh? You don't know, I received a death order..."
Whether they were directly involved in this operation or participated as observers, all countries shared the same goal, and there was nothing to keep secret.
"You want the monster's flesh?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned when he heard Li Shaohua's words. Only then did Zhuang Rui realize that there were many things worth studying about this monster. To put it bluntly, it was a treasure trove.
However precious it was, Zhuang Rui did not regret leading General Lascaux to discover the monster, because he himself had no ability to destroy the monster, and he had little interest in genetic engineering.
"Ouch..."
Zhuang Rui suddenly exclaimed in surprise, his face turning bitter.
Seeing Zhuang Rui's troubled expression, Li Shaohua assumed he couldn't handle the matter and said, "Brother, what's wrong? If it's difficult, then forget it. I don't believe that the Eurozone countries would dare to monopolize it..."
Li Shaohua had already learned that the sea area where the monster was entrenched was international waters.
Portugal and its neighboring countries can only blockade that sea area for a very short time at most; he has plenty of ways to obtain the monster's genes.
But Zhuang Rui didn't understand maritime law. After hearing what Li Shaohua said, his first reaction was that if something was so good, the Eurozone countries would definitely block it.
However, this would ruin Zhuang Rui's salvage operation. Who knows how long those guys would blockade that area of the sea?
Just as Zhuang Rui was frowning and thinking of a solution, the conference room door was pushed open, and a group of soldiers, led by General Lasco, walked in.
"Gentlemen, we understand why you've come. This deep-sea monster belongs to all of humanity. Every country is qualified to study it. Please rest assured that after this operation, all countries will obtain the monster's genes..."
General Lasco, true to his military style, cut to the chase and addressed the most pressing questions in everyone's minds, drawing cheers from the audience.
Of course, Zhuang Rui was also among the cheerers. Since monster genes could be shared, there was no need to blockade the sea area. Zhuang Rui could then salvage the sunken treasure in that sea area.
"Ahem, everyone, please be quiet for a moment. I will now announce the details of this operation, and I also hope that you will offer your opinions and suggestions as observers..."
Hearing the commotion below, General Lascaux coughed, feeling both displeased and somewhat helpless.
Making this decision was unavoidable. The monster was hundreds of meters long, and no matter how powerful the Eurozone countries were, they couldn't possibly collect all the pieces of flesh. Rather than offending so many countries, it was better to be generous now.
Most of the people present were from disciplined forces in their respective countries, and the meeting room immediately fell silent after hearing General Lasco's words.
"Everyone has seen the size of this monster. We've been tracking its activity area for the past few days, and 3D scanning shows that it's over 700 meters long..."
Lasco's words immediately drew a gasp from the audience. Judging from the scene, the audience's reaction wasn't that strong; it wasn't much different from watching a monster in a disaster movie.
But hearing the number 700 meters made everyone gasp. Even in the prehistoric dinosaur era, there probably wasn't such a large creature.
"Due to the monster's enormous size, we decided that after locking onto the target, we would lay a large area of mines in the sea where the monster is known to be. Then, we deployed a total of two hundred anti-submarine helicopters to drop one thousand tons of depth charges on the monster's habitat..."
Lasco's words drew another gasp: two hundred anti-submarine helicopters. It seems the entire Eurozone has mobilized this time, and perhaps NATO and the United States are also involved.
A thousand tons of depth charges would be enough to turn that sea upside down. Even if only a small fraction of them hit the monster, let alone all of them, it would be enough to tear that so-called six or seven hundred-meter-long body to shreds.
"General Lascaux, the depth charges are inanimate, and I doubt your depth charges even have navigation systems, right? But that monster is alive. If we fail to kill it, what remedial measures will you take?"
Everyone present was an expert, and someone immediately questioned the loopholes in Lasco's statement.
Although depth charges are inexpensive and easy to use, their throwing method and range cannot fully account for the depth of the sea in that area, and the possibility that deep-sea monsters may escape from the seabed cannot be ruled out.
Upon hearing the man's question, General Lasco smiled and confidently said, "Gentlemen, we have also considered this. Since the monster's habitat is in the deepest part of this sea, if it escapes into the shallow waters, its body will inevitably be close to the surface. We have laid a large number of mines in the nearby waters to restrict its movement, and the United States will send two B2 bombers carrying two BLU-82 thermobaric bombs, each weighing 6 tons. I believe that under the attack of the thermobaric bombs, that monster will have no chance of survival, right?"
This time, Lasco's words silenced everyone in the conference room. With the United States involved and the power of thermobaric weapons, even if the sea monster was an alien creature, it would be hard to escape this calamity.
Apart from Zhuang Rui, almost everyone in the room could be considered a military expert, and they were extremely familiar with thermobaric weapons.
Thermobaric bombs, also known as fuel-air explosives, contain fuel instead of explosives. Compared to bombs of the same weight, their power can be increased by more than three times. Specially formulated thermobaric bombs can be up to eight times more powerful than conventional bombs of the same weight.
The United States was the first country to develop thermobaric weapons, but its initial purpose was not for their use as weapons, but to quickly establish helicopter landing sites in the jungles of Vietnam.
The largest thermobaric bomb to date is owned by the United States, namely the BLU-82, which Lasker refers to as one of the most powerful bombs in the U.S. military arsenal.
The fact that the United States was willing to use two large-tonnage thermobaric bombs shows how much importance they attached to this operation.