256: Chapter 256 The Black Sun Presses Down on the City

"General, the target's volume is continuously expanding; the radar cannot resolve its specific structure."

The radar operator gripped the edge of the console tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

General MacArthur pushed aside the adjutant blocking his path and strode to the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Report the target's speed."

General MacArthur roared, staring at the sky outside.

"The target is decelerating, currently at Mach 3, and is approaching directly above us."

The radar operator's voice trembled.

The sky, just beginning to show a glimmer of dawn, was forcibly cut off by a massive, pure black shadow that descended toward the sea with a low hum.

General MacArthur's palms were slick with cold sweat.

The area data on the radar screen was more than enough to hold two medium-sized cities; it was impossible for any human aircraft on Earth to reach such a size.

"This is a trick."

General MacArthur slammed his hand onto the metal command console.

"Scramble all F-35 squadrons and shoot it down for me; a holographic projection scam cannot fool me."

"General, the radar has physical feedback data; there is a risk of physical collision."

The adjutant reminded him from the side.

"Execute the order, fire."

General MacArthur turned his head and stared intensely at the adjutant.

The adjutant swallowed hard, immediately grabbed the walkie-talkie, and roared.

"First Flight Squadron, catapult launch, free fire, lock onto the aerial target."

The anti-aircraft sirens on the flagship deck were ear-piercing as dozens of F-35 C fighters were catapulted into the air one after another, soaring straight into the high altitude.

At this moment, the pure black behemoth was fully revealed to everyone's view.

A massive, inverted triangular steel chassis completely blocked the rising sun, and the sea above the Allied fleet instantly plunged into boundless darkness.

"Major, report the visual situation."

General MacArthur asked, grabbing the communication channel.

"General, that thing is too big, the radar cannot lock onto any weak points. How are we supposed to fight it?"

The flight squadron leader's voice was filled with extreme panic.

"Launch all air-to-air missiles and create a saturated fire coverage net."

General MacArthur roared loudly.

"Received, Fox One launching, Fox Two launching."

Continuous broadcast sounds came over the communication channel.

Dozens of fighter jets pressed their weapon launch buttons simultaneously, and dozens of the latest model air-to-air missiles, trailing long plumes of fire, crazily darted toward the black shadow.

General MacArthur clenched his fists tightly.

The next second, the scene in the sky completely froze.

When the dozens of missiles approached within a hundred meters of the pure black chassis's edge, they slammed directly into an invisible air wall; the missile bodies twisted violently, followed by a series of sympathetic detonations.

The dull thundering sounds from high above merged into one.

As the firelight dissipated, that massive pure black chassis didn't even lose a flake of paint, still hovering steadily and silently in mid-air.

"General, the missiles are ineffective. We cannot penetrate the enemy's outer defense. Requesting retreat, requesting retreat!"

The squadron leader's voice completely broke.

General MacArthur did not answer and threw the communicator directly onto the desk.

Inside the Aerospace Carrier chassis.

The Underground Level 3 command center had been shifted as a whole to the core belly of the chassis, becoming the ship's main control room.

Lu Chen sat steadily in that slightly old boss chair, holding his signature enamel tea mug.

The shockwave from the explosion failed to cause even a ripple in the tea in his mug.

"Boss, the foreigners below are setting off welcome firecrackers for us."

Da Biao looked down through the thick bulletproof glass and turned his head to shout.

"The firepower is too weak."

Zhang Qiang stood to the side and curled his lip.

"They couldn't even scratch the edge of this Magnetofluid Shield that Old Wei made. I thought I'd see something new."

Wei Jianguo walked over holding a tactical tablet.

"Factory Director, our current hovering altitude is 3,000 meters; the internal life support system is running smoothly, and the high-frequency anti-gravity wave oscillation amplitude is at its lowest value."

Wei Jianguo wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"The structural hardness of the chassis is enough to take a bath in an undersea volcano; flying in the sky is just child's play."

Song Changming gripped a large wrench and grinned.

"Even if we let them smash it today, they wouldn't be able to."

Lu Chen handed Old Zhou a double happiness cigarette.

"Is everything arranged at home?"

Lu Chen asked.

Old Zhou took the cigarette with both hands and immediately lit it.

"Everyone is in the air-raid shelters; high-energy nutrition bars were distributed. Everyone is eating while watching the live broadcast outside. Old Wu has routed the external network signal over."

Lu Chen nodded.

He blew off the foam on the tea and took a sip.

"We are polite business people."

Lu Chen set the tea mug on the control console, making a dull "thud" sound.

Lu Chen turned his head to look at Wu Dong.

"Old Wu."

Lu Chen called out.

"I'm here, Boss, at your command."

Wu Dong immediately sat up straight.

"Activate the peripheral edge magnetization array."

Lu Chen tapped his fingers on the table.

"Start with 30% power."

Wu Dong immediately placed his hands on the keyboard.

"Boss, down there are big guys worth over 10 billion USD each. Will 30% power be a bit too high? If they all get sucked up, it might dirty our chassis."

Wu Dong asked casually.

Lu Chen didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Scrape a layer of rust off them and help them sober up."

Lu Chen said in a flat tone.

"Alright, 30% power, let's go."

Wu Dong slammed the Enter key.

At the edge of the chassis, that layer of armor shell, forged from deep-sea Extreme Pressure Soft Gold, emitted a blinding, dim blue shimmer.

A super-high-frequency strong magnetic pulse, in a huge fan-shaped coverage area, swept fiercely toward the sea below.

On the USS Ford nuclear-powered aircraft carrier directly below.

General MacArthur had just picked up the communicator, preparing to call the submarine formation to launch underwater anti-aircraft torpedoes.

Suddenly, the metal communicator in his hand erupted with an extremely terrifying pulling force.

Snap.

The communicator forcibly broke free from his palm and stuck directly to the metal bulkhead beside him.

Before General MacArthur could even speak, the metal buttons on his uniform were all ripped off.

The entire bridge command room erupted with ear-piercing sounds of metal friction.

"What's going on? My sidearm was sucked away!"

"My wrist, my mechanical watch is stuck to the table, I can't get it off!"

"General, the radar screen has completely malfunctioned!"

The surrounding officers screamed frantically.

All of their metal objects, along with the keyboards and monitor casings on the command console, all uncontrollably crashed into each other and stuck tightly together in an instant.

"Ah, help!"

The adjutant screamed; his sidearm slammed heavily into the iron cabinet next to him, pinning two of his fingers tightly in between, blood flowing freely.

The F-35 fighter jets that had just parked on the deck lost their structural integrity under the pull of the super-strong magnetic field; their landing gear twisted extremely and snapped on the spot.

The fuselage, amidst a chorus of metal groans, turned into a pile of interconnected scrap metal lumps.

Inside the Ford's main control room, all electronic components and chip arrays short-circuited and burned out the moment they touched the super-strong magnetic field.

Countless sparks exploded on the motherboards.

"Report General, our power system has failed!"

An engineer covered in black ash rushed into the command room and shouted.

"Restart the reactor, quickly!"

General MacArthur gripped the armrests of his wooden chair tightly.

"We can't start it; the electronic ignition array is ruined, the coils of the backup generator units are all burned out. We are completely dead in the water."

The engineer had tears streaming down his face.

A boatswain rolled in holding a walkie-talkie.

"A large amount of seawater is backflowing into the bottom cabins; the watertight doors are locked by magnetic force and cannot be closed at all!"

In less than ten seconds, the world's most advanced USS Ford, along with the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier nearby, had their entire ships completely paralyzed, turning into two huge pieces of scrap metal floating on the sea.

The British HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier faced the same tragic situation.

The British captain watched the metal shards flying everywhere; to avoid a flying heavy wrench, he threw himself onto the deck.

"Retreat, abandon resistance!"

The British captain shouted into the damaged microphone.

"Launch the lifeboats, let the lads leave this scrap ship!"

The frigates and destroyers slightly further away saw that something was wrong.

"Calling flagship, calling USS Ford, please respond if received."

A frigate captain roared into the walkie-talkie.

There was only chaotic electromagnetic static in the walkie-talkie.

"Sir, the flagship's power is zero, we cannot establish any communication link."

The adjutant reported urgently.

The captain looked up at the black iron block in the sky that was blocking out the sun, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"Retreat, turn around immediately, leave this sea area."

The captain ordered without hesitation.

"But the Fourteen-Nation Joint Defense Agreement stipulates..."

"Screw the agreement, everyone staying here is going to sink."

The captain grabbed the adjutant by the collar.

"Full rudder, withdraw from international waters."

The originally aggressive Allied fleet formation was in chaos, warships scrambled for lanes, and several serious collisions occurred on the sea.

General MacArthur slumped on the cold deck, covering his face with both hands.

He knew very well that after today, the era of Western-dominated maritime power, which had lasted for hundreds of years, was over.

Inside the chassis main control room.

"Boss, the outer ships have turned around and run."

Wu Dong pointed at the chaotic red dots of the fleet on the screen.

"Coming when they want and leaving when they want, do they think our Jiangcheng is a public toilet?"

Da Biao snorted coldly.

Lu Chen slowly crushed the double happiness cigarette in the ashtray.

He stood up, walked to the explosion-proof glass, and looked down at the group of warships fleeing in panic below, his eyes extremely cold.

"Old Wu."

Lu Chen said.

"Here."

Wu Dong responded immediately.

"Push the power of the peripheral edge magnetization array to 100%."

Lu Chen gave the order word by word.

Wu Dong took a deep breath, his hands hovering over the keyboard, waiting for the confirmation password.

"Boss, at 100% power, not even a single screw will be left intact down there."

Wei Jianguo swallowed hard from the side.

Lu Chen pressed one hand against the bulletproof glass.

"I want to let this sea area..."

Lu Chen looked down at what was below.