159: I'll set an example first.

"Boss! Is it time to make a move?"

Li Zhenshan rubbed his hands together, his voice booming and full of excitement, as if he were heading to a New Year's fair rather than a battlefield.

Lu Fan nodded and asked casually, "Have the tank training subjects and motor vehicle driving I assigned been completed?"

"Absolutely!" Li Zhenshan patted his chest and said with certainty, "If they weren't finished, they wouldn't even be qualified to set out!"

"Good!" Lu Fan said, looking toward Sheng Aiyi. "Aiyi, I need logistical support."

Sheng Aiyi walked briskly to the map, her finger tracing over several marked points as she spoke quickly and clearly.

"Warehouse Number 76 on Xiafei Road has enough food, water, and medicine stored to last your six hundred men for half a month.

And here, at the old cotton mill warehouse in Nanshi, I've stockpiled a batch of fuel and spare weapons and ammunition."

Looking at the sharp and efficient Sheng Aiyi, Lu Fan sighed inwardly: Women really can hold up more than half the sky.

"Also here, and here—"

She pointed out several more locations, saying, "These are all safe houses I've prepared. They're in hidden locations and can be used for emergency rest or evacuation.

All locations have our people waiting to receive you; just use this token."

She placed a small jade ruyi on the map, her movements professional and full of a spirit that showed she was every bit as capable as any man.

"Thank you." Lu Fan took the ruyi.

"Be extremely careful." Sheng Aiyi knew she couldn't stop him. After leaving those words of caution, she turned and left decisively.

She had her own battle to fight: mobilizing resources and providing stable logistical support.

Watching her departing back, Lu Fan turned to instruct Li Zhenshan, "Escort Seventh Miss Sheng back safely. We'll meet at Liuhe Dyeing Factory."

"You got it!" Li Zhenshan took the order and followed after Sheng Aiyi.

Having sent the two off, Lu Fan delayed no longer.

He quickly changed into his Bionic Flight Suit and checked the atomic no. 4 gun, which had only two energy charges left.

That's right, he was going to use this devastating weapon of mass destruction again.

Since he had said he would give the Japanese a head-on blow, it had to be something fierce; otherwise, he wouldn't be living up to his bold words.

He immediately started the engine and blended silently into the night sky, heading straight for the mouth of the Yangtze River.

Under the cover of night and with the aid of his multifunctional glasses, Lu Fan began searching efficiently.

Soon, dots of light and massive silhouettes appeared in his field of vision.

The Japanese ships were densely packed, anchored on the sea outside the mouth of the Yangtze River.

Lu Fan hovered at a high altitude, calmly searching for a target to strike.

Since he had decided to act, he had to choose the one with the greatest strategic value to start with.

Soon, the Japanese's largest vessel, the Kaga Aircraft Carrier, was locked on as the primary target.

It was the middle of the night, and all was quiet on the sea. Lu Fan approached the airspace above the Kaga as easily as if he were strolling down a street.

With a thought, the atomic no. 4 gun appeared in his hand, its cold touch greeting him.

"Japs, I'm going to set an example for you, to let you know what the consequences of invading China are!"

Muttering to himself, he aimed and pulled the trigger in one smooth motion.

There was no deafening roar, only an almost silent energy pulse that distorted the light as it shot out.

It crossed the distance in an instant, accurately hitting the deck in the middle of the Izumo's hull.

The next moment, an indescribable flash of intense light burst forth, illuminating the entire sea as bright as day.

What followed was not a common explosion, but a matter annihilation effect.

The Kaga Aircraft Carrier's thick armor was torn and pierced through like paper, and a massive gap suddenly appeared.

Structural damage spread rapidly, and flames erupted violently from the interior, triggering a chain of explosions.

The massive hull was pierced from top to bottom, a literal arrow through the heart.

He let the Japanese taste what it felt like to be chilled to the bone and have their souls sent flying.

The pulse beam penetrated the ship and reached the seabed, releasing a massive shockwave that kicked up towering waves on the surrounding water.

The giant waves slammed into other nearby ships, and several smaller gunboats were even overturned directly.

For the ships that hadn't been overturned, he simply took out a Type 69 40mm rocket launcher from his space and unleashed a barrage of fire.

Don't be fooled by the old-fashioned weapon; when paired with armor-piercing rounds, the impact was top-notch.

On the sea, the Japanese Navy, caught in the sudden attack, was in utter chaos.

Panic-stricken cries, alarms, and explosions were all mixed together.

High in the sky, Lu Fan watched everything with cold eyes.

In terms of attack effectiveness, only piercing the Kaga Aircraft Carrier didn't maximize the power of the atomic no. 4 gun.

But from the overall perspective of the war, severely damaging the Kaga in this way would maximize the benefits.

With the top, middle, and bottom three layers of the flight deck destroyed, the Kaga Aircraft Carrier could no longer launch carrier-based aircraft. For the short term, it was essentially crippled.

This move would not only help our air force seize air superiority but, more importantly, it would psychologically deter the Japanese.

It would ensure their navy could no longer run wild along our coasts and inland rivers without consequence.

Just as Lu Fan expected, this strike—which far exceeded the understanding of the era and felt like divine punishment—had immediate results.

The navy, plunged into immense shock and panic, urgently ordered all ships to retreat to the open sea.

Seeing the Japanese fleet flee, Lu Fan did not linger and quickly evacuated the waters that had already fallen into chaos and hell.

Under the cover of night, he turned and flew toward the rendezvous point: Liuhe Dyeing Factory.

At the same time.

The headquarters was brightly lit, with the sound of ringing telephones and the ticking of telegraph machines rising and falling.

An urgent telegram was delivered to the office of Commander-in-Chief General Matsui Iwane by a communications officer who was practically stumbling.

"Your Excellency! Urgent report! It's from the Yangtze Estuary Fleet!" The officer's voice was distorted by extreme terror.

Matsui Iwane frowned in displeasure, took the telegram, and scanned the paper.

[Kaga encountered an unknown attack. Not shelling, not an air raid. It was hit by a beam of white light.

The middle of the hull was pierced through entirely. Structural failure accompanied by explosions. Three decks destroyed. Combat capability lost.]

"baka! What kind of nonsense is this!" Matsui slammed the telegram onto the desk and shouted sternly.

But immediately after, more confirmation telegrams from different vessels flew in like snowflakes.

The contents all pointed to the same terrifying fact: the Kaga Aircraft Carrier had suffered devastating damage in seconds and was nearly scrapped.

The office fell into a sudden, deathly silence.

All the officers stopped what they were doing, their eyes focused on that thin sheet of telegram paper.

Matsui Iwane's hands began to tremble slightly, and the color drained from his face.

His previous displeasure and anger were replaced by immense shock and disbelief.

He couldn't understand: what weapon in the world could severely damage an aircraft carrier in an instant?

This was completely beyond his military comprehension.

After a long pause, he suddenly looked up, his voice dry and raspy as he barked at the Chief of Staff standing dazed to the side, "Immediately!

Order all ships to suspend all current offensive actions, assemble in the open sea, and raise the alert level to the maximum!

At the same time, carbon copy the telegram to the Imperial General Headquarters in the homeland. Fast! Right now!"

The originally orderly rhythm within the headquarters was completely shattered.

In its place was a state of panic and deathly silence shrouded in immense shock.

An indescribable fear began to spread through the hearts of all the Japanese.