5: Target: Abandoned military port! Dark night raid!

Over three hours passed in a tense and oppressive atmosphere. Deep Blue 01, like a silent deep-sea behemoth, stealthily approached the target area at its most economical speed. It was completely dark, with no moonlight, only heavy, ink-like dark clouds that seemed to cling to the sea, making visibility extremely low. Gale-force winds whipped cold seawater, constantly lashing against the ship's hull.

"Captain, we've reached the designated area, 5 nautical miles from the outer perimeter of the target port!" the navigator's voice rang out in the bridge.

"Reduce to minimum speed, maintain silent running! Passive radar scan, sonar in listening mode! Drones prepare for takeoff and reconnaissance!" Lin Feng issued a series of commands, his voice steady. The energy reserves had dropped to a dangerous 15%, and every power output had to be carefully calculated.

The massive warship glided like a ghost in the darkness, its engine's roar reduced to a minimum. Inside the bridge, there was only the faint cold light from instrument screens and the low reports of operators.

"Passive radar scan... electromagnetic signals in the port area are weak... no large ship heat signatures... severe building damage..." the radar operator reported.

"Sonar listening... abnormal water flow within the port... faint noise of small boats moving... unknown quantity... dispersed locations..." the sonar operator added.

"Electro-optical sensor at maximum magnification... multiple collapsed buildings visible... dock facilities rusted and damaged... deep in the port... sporadic fires..." the officer in charge of optical observation stared at the screen.

Fragments of information pieced together the outline of a dilapidated, silent, yet dangerous port.

"Captain, drones are ready!" the aviation officer reported. A small fixed-wing reconnaissance drone with folded wings was brought from the hangar to the flight deck by a lift.

"Launch! Execute high-altitude wide-area scanning and low-altitude close-range reconnaissance! Focus on scanning the oil tank area, docks, high ground, and locations with fires and abnormal sonar readings! Maintain stealth!" Lin Feng ordered.

"Understood! 'Hawkeye' No. 1, launching!"

Buzz—

Accompanied by a faint electric motor hum, the reconnaissance drone shot from the flight deck like an arrow from a bow, quickly disappearing into the dense night. Its real-time footage was soon transmitted to the main screen on the bridge.

From an overhead perspective, the full extent of the abandoned port was revealed. It was a considerable-sized military-civilian port, which must have been quite prosperous once. But now, most of the dock facilities were rusted, even collapsed and broken. Most of the warehouses and office buildings on shore had broken windows and cracked walls, some burned down to only charred frames. Some cranes had toppled into the water, like the skeletons of giant beasts. The entire port was enveloped in a suffocating silence and decay, with only the wailing of the wind through the ruins and the sound of waves crashing against the shore.

The drone lowered its altitude and began a more detailed scan.

【Area A: Large bulk cargo terminal. Severely damaged, no signs of life.】

【Area B: Container yard. Containers scattered, rusted, some with burn marks, no heat sources.】

【Area C: Suspected Navy/Coast Guard small vessel mooring area. Several overturned or half-submerged small patrol boats found.】

【Area D: Core port area! Relatively intact L-shaped pier found! Behind the pier... confirmed! Large underground oil tank entrance (with robust protective door)!】

【Near the oil tank area, weak heat signature signals (2) and... rudimentary defensive structures (sandbag bunkers, barbed wire) detected!】

【Area E: Port office and living quarters. Multiple buildings with sporadic fires! Multiple moving heat signature signals detected (quantity: approximately 15-20)! Rudimentary sentry posts found! Confirmed presence of armed personnel activity! Weapon type identification... mostly light weapons (assault rifles, shotguns), suspected heavy machine gun (1) positioned on the high-point water tower!】

The footage clearly captured key information: the oil tanks were in Area D! But there were guards (2 weak heat sources) and defensive structures there! And in the port living quarters, Area E, there were about 20 armed personnel, like a pack of hyenas occupying a den! They clearly controlled the entire port!

"As expected, there are armed individuals entrenched," Deputy Captain Gao Qiang's eyes were cold. "Looking at their setup, it's very loose, lacking discipline, like atemporary gathered mob. The heavy machine gun on the water tower... its line of sight covers most of the port, that's a problem."

"There are only two guards for the oil tanks, and the fortifications are rudimentary. It seems their main force is concentrated in the living quarters, and they don't value the oil tanks much, or... there isn't much oil left inside?" Lin Feng analyzed, while asking the system: 【System, can you estimate the remaining storage in the oil tanks in Area D?】

【Combining drone scan data (protective door integrity, no large-scale leakage traces nearby) and heat source distribution (lax guards), preliminary estimate: underground oil tanks' remaining storage is approximately 30%-40% of standard capacity. Meeting the minimum mission requirement (replenish to 50%) has a high probability, but requires actual confirmation upon opening.】

30% - 40%! There's hope! Lin Feng's spirits lifted. As long as they secured the oil tanks, they could solve the immediate crisis! As for the thugs entrenched in the living quarters... it would be best if they didn't cause trouble, but if they dared to... Deep Blue 01's cannons just needed some "cleaning up"!

"Mission objective is clear!" Lin Feng turned around, his gaze sweeping over the officers waiting for orders in the bridge. "The oil tanks in Area D are our core target! We must secure them undamaged! The armed individuals in Area E are a potential threat! Our actions must be swift, precise, and decisive. Before they can react, we must control the oil tank area and establish a defensive line!"

"I order!" Lin Feng's voice carried an undeniable resolve:

"1. Marines First and Second Squads, a total of 20 personnel, commanded by Captain Chen Hai, prepare immediately! Board two high-speed RHIB inflatable boats and execute 'Dark Blade' operation! Target: Oil tanks in Area D!"

"Action plan: Utilize the cover of night, approach stealthily from the port flank via a non-main channel, avoiding Area E's line of sight. Prioritize silent elimination of oil tank area guards (2 personnel), control the protective door! Establish a circular defensive position! Await further instructions!"

"Equipment to carry: night vision devices, silenced weapons, explosive devices (backup), individual anti-tank rocket launchers, medical kits!"

"2. Main gun (130mm), CIWS, and Haihongqi-10 missile system on standby! Lock onto Area E's high-point water tower and suspected heavy machine gun position, and the main gathering points of armed individuals! Should the Marines be exposed or encounter a large-scale counterattack from Area E's armed individuals, without waiting for permission, immediately conduct precise fire suppression! Prioritize destroying the heavy machine gun and the high-point!"

"3. Drones to continuously monitor Area E's dynamics! Report any unusual activity immediately!"

"4. This vessel will remain silent, with its bow pointed towards the port, ready to provide fire support and extraction at any time!"

"Remember! Our target is fuel! Actions must be covert! But if the enemy seeks death, send them to hell! Move out!"

"Yes! Mission accomplished!" Marine Captain Chen Hai, a lean man like a cheetah with eyes as sharp as an eagle, saluted crisply, his eyes gleaming with excited battle intent. The other officers also affirmed their orders in unison.

Soon, two black high-speed RHIB inflatable boats, like agile sharks, silently glided out from the shadow of Deep Blue 01, their engines running at minimum power, heading towards a complex stretch of water on the port's flank, filled with reefs and the wreckage of abandoned small boats. Onboard, twenty fully armed Marines, their faces smeared with camouflage paint, were like statues merged with the night, only their night vision devices glowing with an eerie green light.

Lin Feng and Gao Qiang stood on the bridge, closely watching the real-time footage from the drone and the first-person view from the Marines' helmet cameras.

Time seemed to freeze. There was only the sound of waves and the occasional, barely audible breathing from the communication channel.

"Hawkeye report: Marine squad has reached the designated insertion point, beginning to swim ashore... successfully avoided Area E's line of sight..."

"Spearhead Team 1 report: Has approached the outer barbed wire of the oil tank area... one patrolling guard spotted... approaching now..."

On the screen, the figure of an armed individual, clutching a rifle and hunched behind a sandbag bunker to shelter from the wind, appeared in the green field of view of the night vision device. He was completely unaware.