278: Chapter 278 Ignition!

Kuznetsov's phone rang at noon.

"Kuzna... is Li Ming there?" Ushakov asked.

"He's right here, what's wrong?" Kuznetsov could rarely sense such anxiety in Ushakov's voice.

"Something has come up, we need..."

"Let me explain." Before Ushakov could finish, Peter snatched the phone. "The radar station reports that a massive and bizarre-looking fleet has been discovered in the outer sea. It is predominantly black, and the main vessels are abnormally large. Meanwhile, according to information from the World Alliance Security Council, these fleets have also appeared in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans."

"...Sirens." Hearing this description, Li Ming immediately understood what it meant.

Kuznetsov glanced at Li Ming. "What do you need me to do?"

"Could Commander Li Ming please bring you to the command post? It's safer there, and... we need you to be in charge of rear-end coordination and scheduling. I will lead the fleet out shortly."

"Understood."

"Understood, that's all then." Kuznetsov hung up the phone and looked at Li Ming.

He was putting on his bulletproof vest.

"Are we leaving now?" Li Ming asked.

"Wait a moment." Kuznetsov stood up, took her military uniform from the hanger, and walked toward the storage room. "Take Snai and wait for me outside."

"Understood, Marshal." Li Ming looked at Snai, who was still a bit dazed. "Snai, get dressed and follow me."

"...Coming!"

Li Ming went out first and casually tossed a handheld smoke grenade into the sky.

As the smoke grenade detonated, smoke filled the air, and Li Ming's figure disappeared along with it.

When the smoke cleared, a white-painted BMPT was already waiting at the door.

Snai sat kneeling on the turret, watching Kuznetsov walk out of the house, fully dressed.

Under the white brim of her cap, her expression was unclear. She sat into the vehicle, pulling Snai in with her.

The BMPT's engine had already started. As soon as she sat steady, it drove forward and entered the main road.

"Li Ming, do you have any intelligence regarding these... Sirens?"

"Yes, and it's relatively complete," Li Ming replied. "I've been battling wits with them for quite some time, but I'm not sure if their situation here is the same as it is on my side."

"No matter, tell me about it."

—————— Command Center.

"Ushakov, Pamir, where is Peter?"

"She has already departed with the fleet." Ushakov looked at the information on the central control platform. "Peter, this is HQ, please reply if received."

"Voice channel is clear, HQ please speak."

"The Marshal and Li Ming have arrived at the designated location, over."

"Received," Peter replied. "HQ, requesting status of all friendly units."

Pamir immediately pulled up the command chain information.

"Let me see." Kuznetsov took the command baton. "The 14th Army has entered combat readiness, all operational coastal defense facilities are running, and the 45th Air Defense Army is moving into combat positions."

"What about the 279th Carrier-based Aviation Regiment and the 403rd Aviation Regiment?"

Kuznetsov looked over. "They are already on the runway. Additionally, a Lumberjack is approaching us."

"Understood," Peter said. "I will try to force them back."

"It's useless," Li Ming interjected. "They will open fire directly. Don't waste your breath on them; most of them are just a bunch of automated combat units."

Kuznetsov glanced at him. "Peter, you decide."

"...I understand." Peter was silent for a moment before replying.

Li Ming watched the various combat signals on the screen. The Northern Fleet didn't have many large surface vessels; many were light ships and submarines.

This meant that when facing the Sirens, they would lack fire saturation, even though the Pyotr Velikiy was an arsenal ship.

"Where is Admiral Nakhimov?" Li Ming looked at Pamir.

Pamir was stunned for a moment. "She should still be under maintenance; her rigging status hasn't been fully adjusted yet."

"Tch." Li Ming tapped his fingers lightly against the table.

Wu Sha was already the last Sovremenny-class destroyer, and now with Nakhimov absent, the only capital ship on the front line was Pyotr Velikiy.

"Ushakov..." Li Ming looked at Ushakov.

"What is it?"

"Confirm that the NBC protection system is working properly, and check the status of civilians outside. I believe the civilians in Murmansk need to be evacuated immediately."

"Hmm..." Ushakov thought for a moment and looked at Kuznetsov. "Can we contact the City Hall?"

Kuznetsov nodded. "Ushakov, coordinate with City Hall to evacuate the civilians. Be quick."

"Understood."

"Pamir, activate the NBC protection system and have the garrison forces in the surrounding areas retreat to the vicinity of the command post."

"Yes!"

"Li Ming, keep an eye on Snai."

Li Ming didn't respond, and Kuznetsov turned her head to look.

Li Ming was staring out the window, dazed.

"Li Ming, what's wrong?"

"...Nothing, just a bad feeling."

"What are you thinking of?" Ushakov walked over.

"...I'm going out for a moment."

"Eh?"

"Ushakov, keep an eye on things here. I feel like something isn't right." Li Ming grabbed his rifle and walked out.

"Li Ming, you..."

"Trust me, I need to verify something."

Watching Li Ming leave, Ushakov and Pamir looked at each other.

—————— "Hello there, Commander Li Ming~"

"Observer."

Li Ming looked at this malicious white-haired young girl. Although he knew this was just their mission, Li Ming still felt somewhat... unaccustomed to it.

"What are you planning to do now?"

"Of course, completing the experiment," Observer looked at him with a smile. "You know, to complete our plan."

"So? Why did you come looking for me?"

"Because you stumbled into our test site." Observer fiddled with her fingers. "So all the plans have been disrupted by you, haven't they?"

"Then... what do you intend to do?"

Snowflakes began to fall in the night sky again, and Observer's golden pupils glowed in the darkness. She looked at him with some interest. "You are also an insider, why don't we make a deal?"

"How so?"

"Cooperate with me to complete this experiment, and then I'll give you the data on all the Ship Girls in this world. How about it?"

"Why?" Li Ming raised an eyebrow.

"Naturally, it's... a secret~ But you need power, don't you?"

"However, as for this kind of power, please forgive me for refusing." Li Ming looked at her. "Observer, you know my personality."

"An expected response." Observer narrowed her eyes. "Then stop me, Com-man-der?"

"Observer, you're still as malicious as ever..."

"And you, you've grown quite a bit..."