However, this had a drawback: Chen Xiao didn't know how long his weakened state would last, and it was even possible that it would continue like this indefinitely... That would be terrible! On the vast ocean, he was completely powerless. Although the ship had enough food and water, how could he leave? He was alone, and even if he wanted to sail, he couldn't possibly steer such a large ship away!
The second option: utilize these smugglers. Perhaps they can be used to escape this place. The key is to keep their weakness a secret from them!
Thinking of this, Chen Xiao turned around, a gentle smile on his face, and looked at the smugglers.
"You...you should know how to sail a boat, right?"
With a thud, the old whistleman and several other guys knelt down in fright.
Sail, sail? This terrifying guy, does he want us to sail this Japanese warship back?
Good heavens! Don't tell me we don't have that kind of ability! Even if we did, sailing a Japanese warship into China, we'd be stopped by our navy before even entering territorial waters!!
Chen Xiao didn't say anything, but turned around and walked over to the cockpit. The smugglers looked at each other, all with mournful expressions, and finally had no choice but to get up and follow behind.
Inside the command cabin, Chen Xiao seemed to be walking around casually, but he was actually carefully observing the instruments.
Finally, he was drawn to an instrument panel screen, which was a radar display.
Clearly, the Japanese troops didn't destroy the radar when they withdrew. And the radar on this ship was... an Aegis system!
Chen Xiao glanced at it and felt a little strange. Although he didn't know anything about Aegis, he could recognize it as radar.
Just as he was pondering these memories in his heart, suddenly, the radar screen reacted!
Beep beep, beep beep beep...
Several tiny dots began to appear on the radar screen, and those tiny dots were rapidly approaching!
Before Chen Xiao could speak, one of the smugglers next to him suddenly realized what was happening.
"Airplanes! It's airplanes!! Military airplanes!"
It is clear from the direction it came from that it was definitely not from China.
"Are they Japanese military planes?" Chen Xiao frowned. They shouldn't be that bold, right? Given the air combat capabilities he had demonstrated before, the Japanese military wouldn't send planes to their deaths so easily.
Could it be...?
Chen Xiao suddenly felt a pang of anxiety; a memory flashed through his mind, causing cold sweat to immediately pour down his forehead!
US military! Could it be a US military plane?!
Chen Xiao's memories told him: There are many US military bases in Japan!! The Japanese army might not dare to come, but maybe the US military planes would!!
But I'm no longer a "superman"!
...
Almost at the same time that Chen Xiao was sweating.
In a secret conference room at the Pentagon, thousands of miles away in the United States.
A few old men in general's uniforms sat solemnly in their seats in front of the round conference table, their stars gleaming.
In front of the conference table, a screen hanging from the ceiling is displaying a video.
This is a view from above, the image flickering frame by frame rather than smooth, but the old men in the conference room are watching it intently, each with a solemn expression.
The scene clearly showed Chen Xiao chasing after the entire Japanese transport fleet, followed by warships falling silent under the attack of that winged demon! Neither artillery fire, missiles, nor aircraft could cause the slightest damage to that demon.
The scene was clearly coming to an end. On the last cruiser, the Japanese troops were forced to withdraw under Chen Xiao's pressure, and the cruiser had to stop on the vast sea.
"These are all the images sent back by our military satellites." The only old man in the room who wasn't wearing a military uniform spoke in a somber tone. He was wearing a suit, had a full head of silver hair, and his eyes were filled with a deep gloom, sharp as an eagle's.
“It seems this guy isn’t human,” an old man with the rank of lieutenant general said, pursing his lips. “Perhaps we should hand this over to District 52.”
"Damn it, is this guy an alien?" an old man with a huge hooked nose muttered.
“No.” The only old man in a suit spoke up, and everyone looked at him as he did so: “I think this guy may not be human, but he’s not from outer space either. I think he might be one of ‘those’ guys.”
Clearly, everyone in the room knew what he meant by "those" guys, and the conference room fell silent.
“Mr. Defense Secretary, what exactly are you trying to say?” A middle-aged man in military uniform, but without shoulder insignia, spoke up: “The President is waiting for our conclusion.”
“It’s very simple.” The Defense Secretary’s eyes were firm. “Japan is under the protection of the United States! And now, a Japanese fleet has been destroyed… Of course, we might not care about that; the Japanese have money, and perhaps losing a fleet will give them an even bigger order for warships. But, gentlemen, a Kongo-class cruiser is currently in those waters! We cannot stand by and watch this happen! At least, even if it sinks, it’s a hundred times better than leaving it there!”
The group of generals all understood what the Minister of Defense meant at the same time!
That Japanese ship had a complete Aegis system! Those damned Japanese, why didn't they activate the destruction mechanism before retreating?!
"If this ship is sunk, it won't do us any harm, but if it falls into the hands of other countries, like Red China... or... don't forget, that sea area isn't far from North Korea! I don't want those dictators in North Korea to receive such a huge gift!"
Buzz!
In the conference room, several old men began to whisper among themselves.
"So, we've already taken action?" A general glanced at the Minister of Defense, a representative of the hawks. Since he said that, he must have already taken action beforehand.
"Yes, gentlemen, our base on Saipan has already taken off. Four A-10s and two bombers have formed a formation and are about to carry out a precision strike on this location. Our objective is not to defeat that winged demon, but to send this ship to the bottom of the sea! The time is approximately..." He glanced at the time and said, "It will be completed in three minutes."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
“This operation hasn’t been approved…” a general muttered, though his voice wasn’t loud. The others didn’t react much either; after all… this wasn’t the first time.
"This is just the first step. What we need to discuss today is exactly what that winged thing is, or rather, what we believe is a threat to American security! Imagine if this thing appeared not in Japan, but on our west coast? Could our fleet in the Pacific effectively defeat this mysterious enemy? Look at Sasebo in Japan, look at that transport fleet! I don't want such a thing flying over our land and causing another 9/11!"
Just as the Minister of Defense was speaking in a solemn and serious tone.