8: Unlock the blueprint; close-in weapon system upgrade plan!

Inside the warehouse, the roar of the old refining equipment, like the labored breathing of a dying beast, grew heavier and heavier.

Steam hissed between the pipes, and the pressure gauge needle trembled wildly at the edge of the dangerous red line.

Zhang Defu’s old face, covered in oil and sweat, was pressed against the scorching metal casing, one eye fixed on the pressure gauge, the other peering through the observation mirror at the churning, black oil with strange bubbles in the reaction vessel.

His calloused hands were veined, as if welded to the huge steam bypass valve, making adjustments with millimeter-level precision.

“Pressure! The pressure is going to explode!” The young engineer responsible for observation had his voice change pitch.

“Shut up! Hold steady!” Zhang Defu roared, his voice hoarse but carrying an undeniable authority.

He suddenly twisted the valve back by an almost imperceptible angle!

The needle jumped violently once, narrowly sliding away from the red line and stabilizing in a relatively safe zone.

“Catalytic tower temperature! The temperature is dropping!” another engineer shouted.

“Add activated carbon! Half a scoop! Quick!” Zhang Defu ordered without looking back.

The entire process of repair and activation was like dancing on a knife's edge, every step fraught with deadly danger.

Zhang Defu, relying on decades of experience and an almost instinctive intuition, managed to pull this pile of “scrap metal” back from the brink of collapse.

Sweat soaked his work clothes, and high-temperature steam scorched his skin, but his stooped figure appeared unusually tall in front of the massive equipment.

Outside the warehouse, at the entrance to the D-zone oil tanks.

Chen Hai and the Marines were ready, relying on sandbag fortifications and captured enemy weapons.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and tension.

Drone footage showed Scarface personally leading over thirty armed militants, aggressively advancing along the main road of the port area!

Their equipment was mixed, but their firepower was not to be underestimated: in addition to automatic rifles, there were several shotguns, and most deadly were the two men next to Scarface carrying old RPG-7 rocket launchers!

The heavy machine gun mounted in the back of the pickup truck was an even greater threat!

“Distance 500 meters! Entering rocket launcher range!” the lookout reported.

“Hold steady! Let them get closer before firing! Prioritize taking out the rocket launchers and heavy machine gun!” Chen Hai’s voice was cold, transmitted to every team member through their individual communicators.

His high-precision sniper rifle was already firmly locked onto a burly man next to Scarface carrying an RPG.

On the bridge, the atmosphere was equally tense.

Lin Feng stood in front of the integrated display and control console, his gaze as sharp as an eagle’s.

“Main gun! Load high-explosive shells! Target: the road 50 meters in front of the enemy’s heavy machine gun pickup! Block their advance route!”

“CIWS! Lock onto RPG shooters! Fire at will!”

“Haihongqi-10! Stand by, to prevent any stragglers from attacking the Marines’ position!”

“poseidon's eye! Continue guidance!”

Scarface’s gang clearly didn't take the dozen or so Marines “alone” guarding the oil tank area seriously; they didn't even spread out their formation much, shouting and driving their pickup truck, charging straight ahead!

“RPG! Two o’clock direction!” the lookout urgently called out!

Boom!

A rocket, trailing a fiery tail, whistled out from behind a half-collapsed building, heading straight for the Marines’ cover!

Almost at the same instant the rocket flew out!

Whir—!!!!

The 1130 CIWS on the bow of Deep Blue 01 let out a deafening roar!

A scorching line of fire instantly spanned hundreds of meters, precisely striking the flying rocket in mid-air!

Boom—!

The rocket exploded in mid-air! Turning into a huge fireball!

The shockwave of the explosion knocked several nearby armed militants to the ground!

“Beautiful!” a low cheer erupted on the bridge.

But this was just the beginning!

The heavy machine gun on the pickup truck also roared! Dense bullets sprayed like water towards the Marines’ cover, hitting the sandbags with thuds, sending debris flying!

“Sniper! Take out the machine gunner!” Chen Hai roared.

Bang!

A dull gunshot.

The machine gunner in the back of the pickup truck jerked his head back and slumped down.

“RPG! Eleven o’clock direction! Another one is coming!” From another direction, another rocket, trailing white smoke, shot out!

Whir—!!!!

The 1130 CIWS roared again!

The line of fire swept across!

The second rocket also turned into dazzling fireworks in mid-air!

The powerful close-range air defense firepower of Deep Blue 01, at this moment, demonstrated its terrifying ground suppression capability!

Precise, deadly, and unmatched!

“Damn it! What kind of monster cannon is on that ship?!” Scarface watched the rockets being successively blown up, both shocked and furious, screaming in exasperation, “Forget those tin cans! Blow up the oil tanks for me! Blow them up! No one will get them!”

The last RPG shooter next to him immediately changed direction, aiming at the huge metal protective door of the oil tank!

If he could blast through there and cause an explosion, the consequences would be unimaginable!

“Stop him!” Chen Hai’s eyes were bloodshot, and he adjusted his gun, but his angle was blocked by a discarded truck!

“CIWS!” Lin Feng also saw the danger, but the 1130’s field of fire was partially obstructed by port buildings, requiring a turret angle adjustment!

Just as the RPG shooter had already pulled the trigger!

At this critical moment!

Boom—!!!!

A much duller, more earth-shattering roar than a rocket launch came from the direction of Deep Blue 01!

A stream of orange-red light tore through the darkness, carrying a chilling shriek, and at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, it slammed fiercely into the front of Scarface’s charging group, less than ten meters from that RPG shooter!

Boom—!!!!

The ground trembled violently!

A huge fireball, over five meters in diameter, shot into the sky!

A violent shockwave, laden with countlessbroken stones, dirt, and human fragments, swept out like a hurricane!

The shooter who had just fired the rocket was instantly torn to shreds, man and launcher alike!

Seven or eight armed militants nearby were thrown like rag dolls!

Even the pickup truck was overturned, engulfed in raging flames!

It was the 130mm naval gun!

Deep Blue 01’s main gun had opened fire!

Although it was only a single high-explosive shell, its power was a devastating divine punishment for infantry!

The smoke of the explosion had not yet dissipated, and the main road of the port was already a chaotic, hellish scene!

Dismembered limbs were everywhere, and wails of agony were incessant.

Scarface himself was thrown by the blast wave, falling head over heels, his face covered in blood and terror.

He struggled to get up, looked at the hellish scene before him, and then at the warship in the distance, like a primordial beast in the darkness; his last shred of ferocity was completely extinguished!

“Retreat! Retreat quickly!!” Scarface let out a desperate howl, like a stray dog, scrambling to his feet and running away.

The surviving dozen or so armed militants were also utterly terrified, abandoning their weapons and armor, following Scarface in a frantic escape towards the living quarters, not daring to look back!

A furious attack, under the absolute firepower suppression of Deep Blue 01, instantly disintegrated!

“Target dispersed! Threat neutralized!” Chen Hai’s voice carried a hint of relief and shock.

The Marines looked at the huge crater blasted by the main gun and the chaotic scene, feeling a mix of lingering fear and relief.

On the bridge, Lin Feng also breathed a sigh of relief, but his gaze immediately turned towards the warehouse: “Engineering team! Engineer Zhang! How is the situation? How is the equipment?”

Just then, inside the warehouse, the engineering team leader, who had been staring intently at the oil outlet valve, suddenly let out an incredible, ecstatic cry: “It’s coming out! Oil! It’s clean oil!”

A stream of clear, amber-colored fuel, carrying a warm scent, was gurgling out of the refining equipment’s oil outlet pipe!

Although the flow was not large, the color was bright and transparent, completely free of impurities, and without that unsettling stickiness and peculiar smell!

“Quick! Take samples for testing!” the engineering team leader shouted excitedly.

The test results were instantly sent back to the ship: [Fuel sample analysis: 98.7% purity, extremely low impurity content, 0.1% water, no active residue of “iron-eating bacteria”! Fully meets marine fuel standards! Can be used directly!]

“We succeeded! Engineer Zhang! We succeeded!” Cheers of relief erupted in the warehouse!

The young engineers excitedly embraced Zhang Defu, who was soaked and almost collapsed from exhaustion.

Zhang Defu leaned against the hot equipment, a tired but incredibly relieved smile appearing on his wrinkled face as he murmured, "Old buddy... you still... you still didn't let me down..."

"Ding!"

"Emergency Mission: Race Against Time - Objective 2 (Successfully acquire energy supply) complete!"

"Acquired: Energy/Points +500"

"Acquired: 'Basic Fuel Purification Module' blueprint × 1"

"Unlocked: 'Exchange Shop: Basic Resources' list!"

"Mission: Race Against Time Total Completion Assessment: A-grade (Successfully acquired energy, but took longer than expected)!"

"Acquired additional reward: Energy/Points +200"

"Current Energy/Points: 600 (original) + 500 (mission) + 200 (additional) = 1300 points!"

"Ding!"

"Main Mission (Prologue): Lonely Ship in a Raging Sea - Objective 3 (Establish initial foothold) complete!"

"Acquired: Energy/Points +1000"

"Acquired: 'Small Nearshore Outpost' blueprint × 1"

"Acquired: Random Basic Industrial Equipment blueprint × 1 (Already drawn: 'Small Water Purification Plant' blueprint)!"

"Unlocked: 'Technology Tree: Basic Construction' branch!"

A series of system prompts rang in Lin Feng's mind like heavenly music! Energy points surged to 2300! The fuel crisis was resolved! The foothold mission was complete! More importantly, the Exchange Shop and Technology Tree were unlocked! This meant he had the foundation and direction for development!

"Immediately begin oil transfer operations! Engineering team, lay temporary oil pipelines! Engine room crew, prepare to receive!" Lin Feng suppressed his excitement and quickly ordered, "Marines, expand the alert perimeter! Clear the battlefield! Be vigilant against a counterattack from Scarface's remnants! Medical team, prepare to receive casualties (mainly Zhang Defu needs rest)!"

Deep Blue 01, like a parched land receiving sweet rain, began to greedily draw in the life-saving fuel. Amber-colored oil flowed continuously through the temporarily laid pipelines, pouring into the ship's fuel tanks. The energy reserve progress bar finally stopped dropping and began to slowly but steadily rise!

Standing on the bridge, looking at the bustling Shenlan Port and the sporadic lights from the distant living area, Lin Feng knew this was just the beginning. Although Scarface was crippled, he was not dead; the threat of monsters in the ocean remained; and deeper still, the secret of "poseidon's eye" awaited exploration.

He opened the system interface and first accessed the newly unlocked "Technology Tree: Basic Construction" branch. The tree diagram clearly unfolded:

"[Basic Layer:]"

"- Small Nearshore Outpost (Blueprint unlocked): Provides basic defense, living, and storage functions. Construction requirements: Basic building materials, energy."

"- Small Water Purification Plant (Blueprint unlocked): Provides freshwater purification. Construction requirements: Basic building materials, energy."

"- Basic Power Facilities (Requires research): Provides stable electricity. Research requirements: 500 Energy/Points."

"[Defense Layer (Requires prerequisite buildings):]"

"- Simple Wall/Barbed Wire (Requires research): Enhances outpost defense. Research requirements: 300 points."

"- Watchtower/Firepoint (Requires research): Enhances vigilance and defensive firepower. Research requirements: 800 points."

"[Production Layer (Requires prerequisite buildings and electricity):]"

"- Small Repair Workshop (Requires research): Can repair light vehicles and weapons. Research requirements: 1500 points."

"- Basic Planting Shed (Requires research): Provides limited food sources. Research requirements: 1000 points."

"..."

A clear development path was laid out before him!

Next, he opened the "[Exchange Shop: Basic Resources]". The list was dazzling:

"[Basic Building Material Pack (wood, steel, cement, etc.): 100 points/pack]"

"[Food Supply Pack (compressed rations, canned goods, etc.): 50 points/pack]"

"[Freshwater (10 tons): 30 points]"

"[Basic Tool Set: 80 points]"

"[Small Generator: 200 points]"

"[Fuel (10 tons): 150 points] (Note: Requires storage facilities)"

"..."

Resources! As long as he had points, he could exchange for urgently needed resources! This greatly alleviated the initial difficulty of scavenging for supplies!

Finally, his gaze fell on the blueprints from the first battle reward and this chapter's unlocks: "[Primary Radar Early Warning Range Enhancement Module]", "[Shipborne Drone (Reconnaissance Type) Blueprint]", "[Primary Deep Sea Sonar Array Blueprint]", and "[Basic Fuel Purification Module Blueprint]".

Especially the "[Basic Fuel Purification Module Blueprint]", combined with the recently acquired "Small Nearshore Outpost" blueprint, a clear idea formed in Lin Feng's mind: establish an outpost at Shenlan Port, install the purification module, and continuously purify the low-quality oil in the storage tanks, converting it into a stable fuel source! This would completely resolve any future energy concerns!

"System," Lin Feng silently thought, "use the [Small Nearshore Outpost] blueprint and the [Basic Fuel Purification Module] blueprint, combined with the current environment of Shenlan Port's D-zone, to generate the optimal construction plan!"

"[Command confirmed... Scanning environment... Generating plan...]"

"[Plan: Deep Blue Port Outpost (Primary)]"

"[Location: High ground near the D-zone oil tank entrance (good visibility, easy to defend)]"

"[Core Buildings:]"

"1. Reinforced Command/Living Hut (modified using some materials from existing warehouses)."

"2. Underground oil tank access point and purification module installation platform."

"3. Simple defensive wall (constructed using abandoned containers and sandbags)."

"4. Small Water Purification Plant (located near the dock's water intake point)."

"[Construction Requirements: Basic Building Material Pack × 5, Small Generator × 1, Energy/Points: 800 points.]"

"[Estimated Time: 12 hours (with sufficient manpower and engineering equipment assistance).]"

"Excellent!" Lin Feng's eyes gleamed, "Immediately begin preparations! Engineering team, Marines, except for essential security personnel, all hands on deck for outpost construction! Prioritize the purification module platform and the perimeter wall! Exchange for Basic Building Material Pack × 5, Small Generator × 1!"

"[Exchange successful! Energy/Points consumed: 100 × 5 + 200 = 700 points. Remaining: 1600 points.]"

"[Materials have been delivered to the designated location in Shenlan Port's D-zone.]"

Following Lin Feng's orders, a flurry of construction rapidly unfolded in the dilapidated D-zone of Shenlan Port. The Marines and engineers, along with Zhang Weiguo, Zhao Tiezhu, and others who had just been rescued and regained some strength, all joined the construction efforts. Zhang Defu was forced to rest, but he still leaned on an iron rod, pointing and instructing, imparting various practical skills.

Deep Blue 01 quietly moored offshore, like a guardian. Its gun barrels remained vigilantly pointed towards the depths of the land and the direction of the living area. And inside it, on the system interface, a brand new progress bar, named "[Deep Blue Port Outpost (Under Construction)]", was slowly but steadily advancing.

The foothold had finally driven in its first stake! The first step of Deep Blue Hegemony was taken firmly upon this ruin, ravaged by disaster and violence! However, Lin Feng knew that Scarface's hatred would not disappear, the monsters of the deep sea were still lurking, and a wider world and more severe challenges had just begun.

"Ding!"

"Detected that the host has successfully established a primary stronghold 'Deep Blue Port Outpost' (Under Construction), triggering a new mission..."

"[Mission: Cleanse and Expand]"

"[Mission Description: The safety of the Deep Blue Port Outpost is challenged by Scarface's remnants and unknown threats in the surrounding area. Consolidate the foothold, eliminate immediate threats, and explore other areas of the port to acquire more resources.]"

"[Mission Objectives:]"

"1. Completely eliminate or drive out Scarface's armed remnants entrenched in the E-zone living area (0/1)."

"2. Explore and control at least 50% of the port area (0/50%)."

"3. Outpost construction progress reaches 100%."

"[Mission Rewards:]"

"Energy/Points +1500"

"'Lightly Armed Fast Boat' blueprint × 1"

"Unlock 'Technology Tree: Military Engineering' branch"

"Random Skill Book × 1"

"[Failure Penalty: Outpost destroyed, stronghold lost, reputation decreased.]"

New challenges had arrived!