72: Chapter 72 Radar Advantage

## 1. Eyes in the Dark

The night was as dark as ink.

The main force of the United Fleet sailed through the night. Over fifty vessels moved across the sea in a tight formation, like a pack of silent behemoths. For concealment, they kept their lights off and had even modified their funnels to minimize any escaping sparks or glow.

On the flagship "Victory", Admiral Fisher, Commander-in-Chief of the United Fleet, stood by the bridge window, staring into the darkness ahead. He was a veteran in his sixties, grey-haired but energetic, his blue-grey eyes gleaming in the dark.

"Admiral, we've received a telegram from the vanguard. They were ambushed by Li Ling's fleet in yesterday's battle and suffered heavy losses," the adjutant said, handing over the telegram.

Fisher took the telegram, glanced at it, and folded it expressionlessly before slipping it into his pocket.

"Li Ling..." he murmured. "This young man is more difficult to deal with than I imagined."

"Admiral, do we need to adjust our course? Li Ling's fleet seems to possess some advanced reconnaissance method; he manages to detect our every move in advance."

Fisher fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No need. No matter how capable he is, he has fewer than twenty vessels. We have over fifty, which is more than double our strength. As long as we don't make mistakes, Victory will surely be ours."

The adjutant opened his mouth to speak but ultimately swallowed his words.

What he didn't know was that eighty nautical miles northwest of the United Fleet, Li Ling's command ship, the dragon might, was sitting quietly in the darkness.

Unlike the United Fleet, Li Ling's fleet made no attempt to hide—because they didn't need to. On the Radar screen, the signals of the United Fleet's fifty-odd vessels were clearly visible, with the position, course, and speed of each ship clearly marked.

"My Lord, the enemy fleet is sailing southwest and is expected to reach our picket line tomorrow evening," the Radar operator reported.

Li Ling nodded, walked over to the nautical chart, and traced the enemy's position and route onto transparent paper with a pencil.

"They are taking the shortest route." He pointed to the chart. "This indicates that Fisher wants a quick resolution and doesn't want to drag this out with us."

"Then what should we do?" the Chief of Staff asked.

"We will beat him at his own game." Li Ling stood up straight. "Fisher wants a quick battle, so we'll make sure he doesn't get his way. Tonight, I'm going to make sure he doesn't get a wink of sleep."

## 2. Night Raid

At two in the morning, the sea was pitch black.

Ten Torpedo boats quietly slipped away from Li Ling's fleet, dispersing into three groups to approach the United Fleet from different directions. They kept their lights off and throttled their engines to the lowest speed, gliding almost silently across the water.

Li Ling stood on the bridge of the dragon might, monitoring the movement of the Torpedo boats via Radar. The system projected a real-time situational map onto his retina, with each blip of light moving slowly.

[Host, the Torpedo boats are still fifteen nautical miles away from the enemy fleet.]

"Have them maintain their low speed and avoid detection."

[Understood.]

Time passed minute by minute.

When the Torpedo boats were only five nautical miles from the United Fleet, Li Ling ordered, "Launch the attack!"

The three groups of Torpedo boats accelerated simultaneously, their engines running at full throttle as they charged toward the enemy fleet at speeds exceeding twenty-five knots. On the sea, ten white wakes were exceptionally prominent in the darkness.

The United Fleet's picket ships spotted them immediately, and alarms blared through the night sky.

"Enemy attack! Torpedo boats spotted on the port side!"

"There are some on the starboard side too!"

"Three directly ahead!"

Fisher was startled awake from his sleep. He rushed out of his cabin and onto the bridge, his face grim. "Counterattack! All picket ships, intercept!"

The United Fleet's Destroyers and Torpedo boats turned immediately, charging toward Li Ling's Torpedo boats. Gunfire erupted across the sea, and flares shot into the sky, lighting up the water like day.

But Li Ling's Torpedo boats did not linger. They launched their torpedoes at a distance of three nautical miles from the enemy fleet and then quickly turned to retreat.

Dozens of torpedoes sliced through the water, rushing toward the United Fleet with white wakes trailing behind. Although most were evaded, two Destroyers failed to dodge in time and were struck. Amid violent explosions, their hulls broke apart and they rapidly sank.

"Pursue them! Don't let them escape!" Fisher roared.

The Destroyers and Torpedo boats gave chase, but Li Ling's Torpedo boats were faster, and with the cover of night, they quickly vanished into the darkness.

Fisher stood on the bridge, watching the receding Torpedo boats, his expression dreadfully grim.

"Pass the order to heighten security and put all ships on Condition Two readiness," he said, taking a deep breath. "Li Ling is trying to wear down our energy. He wants to exhaust us before launching a decisive battle."

"Admiral, then what should we do?"

"Ignore him." Fisher turned around. "Have the men rest in shifts to maintain combat readiness. No matter how much he harasses us, it's nothing more than an itch."

Though he said this, Fisher knew in his heart that Li Ling's harassment tactics were indeed effective. That night, the officers and men of the United Fleet barely closed their eyes; everyone was on edge, dreading that the next sneak attack could come at any moment.

## 3. The Darkness Before Dawn

At four in the morning, when the sky was at its darkest, the second wave of sneak attacks arrived.

This time, Li Ling deployed Submarines.

Six Submarines slipped into the periphery of the United Fleet under the cover of night and launched torpedoes from three nautical miles away. Although the United Fleet's picket ships spotted the torpedoes in time, two transport ships and one Cruiser were still hit.

The ammunition and fuel on the transport ships detonated, and massive fireballs lit up half the sky. The sound of the explosions echoed across the sea, clearly audible even to Li Ling dozens of nautical miles away.

Fisher was truly enraged this time.

"Submarines! They have Submarines!" He pointed at the chart. "Where is our anti-Submarine force? Why weren't they detected beforehand?"

"Admiral, their Submarines are highly advanced and extremely quiet; our sonar couldn't detect them at all," the anti-Submarine commander explained with a look of grievance. "Furthermore, the torpedoes they fired have a very long range, leaving our picket ships with no time to intercept."

Fisher took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"Starting tomorrow, all transport ships must sail under the escort of Destroyers; no independent sailing is allowed," he ordered. "In addition, deploy all reconnaissance planes to search for Li Ling's main fleet. I want to know where he is, how many ships he has, and what he is doing."

"Yes, sir!"

Meanwhile, aboard Li Ling's dragon might, the system was tallying the battle results.

[Host, the second wave of sneak attacks sank two enemy transport ships and one Cruiser. All Submarines returned safely without any losses.]

"Beautifully done." Li Ling smiled. "Fisher must be hopping mad right now."

[Host, the system reminds you that this is merely harassment; the real decisive battle has not yet begun. Although Fisher's main fleet has lost a few vessels, its core strength remains intact, with around fifty ships still combat-ready.]

"I know," Li Ling nodded. "That's why I will continue to wear them down. We'll have the Torpedo boats and Submarines take turns—resting by day and launching sneak attacks by night. I want to make sure Fisher's men can't eat or sleep well. Once they are thoroughly exhausted, I will make my move."

[Host, this tactic of yours is quite devious.]

"It's called tactics," Li Ling said proudly. "As the Art of War says: engage with the orthodox, and conquer with the unorthodox. If you can't win head-on, use clever maneuvers."

Over the next two days, Li Ling's Torpedo boats and Submarines launched attacks in turns, harassing the United Fleet day and night without pause. Although the damage caused each time was not extensive, the persistent pressure left the officers and men of the United Fleet utterly exhausted. Many had not had a full night's sleep for several days, leaving them dazed and slow to react.

Fisher knew they couldn't go on like this, but he had no better solution. Li Ling's fleet was like a ghost, always appearing when least expected, striking and then fleeing immediately, never lingering for a fight.

"Admiral, if this continues, the men won't be able to hold out," the adjutant said worriedly. "Many of them haven't closed their eyes for days."

Fisher gritted his teeth and remained silent for a long time.

"Order the entire fleet to turn northwest," he finally made his decision. "Isn't Li Ling harassing us? Then we shall go find him. We will locate his main force and annihilate them in one fell swoop."

"But Admiral, our current position..."

"It doesn't matter," Fisher interrupted him. "Rather than sitting here taking a beating passively, we might as well take the initiative. Order the entire fleet to proceed at full speed and search for Li Ling's main force!"

The United Fleet altered its course and headed northwest.

But what they didn't know was that Li Ling's Radar had long since picked up this movement.

[Host, the Fishers Fleet has altered its course and is proceeding at full speed to the northwest.]

Li Ling's eyes lit up. "They've finally lost their patience."

[What does the Host plan to do?]

"We fight," Li Ling stood up. "Since Fisher wants a battle, I'll give him one. Assemble all vessels and prepare for the decisive battle!"

## 4. Final Preparations

On the eve of the decisive battle, Li Ling gathered all the captains aboard the dragon might for a brief tactical meeting.

"Tomorrow is the day of the decisive battle." Li Ling stood before the nautical chart with a solemn expression. "Fisher has over fifty vessels, while we have fewer than twenty. The disparity in strength is vast, so I will not engage them in a head-on clash."

He pointed to a spot on the chart. "Here lies a cluster of reefs and islands. The terrain is complex and the channels are narrow, making it highly unfavorable for a large fleet to maneuver. I will lure Fisher here, and then use the geographical advantage to defeat them one by one."

"My Lord, will Fisher willingly fall into our trap?" one of the captains asked.

"He will," Li Ling said with certainty. "Because he no longer has a choice. His fleet is low on supplies, and his men are exhausted. If he doesn't engage in a decisive battle soon, his forces will collapse on their own before we even strike. Therefore, I wager he will pursue us relentlessly, regardless of what lies ahead."

The officers exchanged glances and nodded one after another.

"Tomorrow's battle will be arduous," Li Ling looked around at everyone. "Many may sacrifice their lives. But I promise you, as long as we win this battle, the United Fleet will never be able to stir up trouble again. When that time comes, the people along the coast will be able to live in peace, free from the harassment of the Wokou pirates."

"For the people!" a young captain shouted excitedly.

"For the people!" the others echoed in unison.

Li Ling raised his teacup. "Using tea instead of wine, I wish you all a victorious start!"

"A victorious start!"

After the meeting, Li Ling walked onto the deck alone, gazing at the dark clouds gathering in the night sky.

[Host, tomorrow is the decisive battle. Are you nervous?]

"I am," Li Ling said honestly. "But I am not afraid."

[Why?]

"Because behind me are the people I want to protect." Li Ling looked into the distance. "My family, my friends, my soldiers, and the people of this land. For them, I cannot lose, and I will not lose."

[Host, the system believes in you.]

"Thank you," Li Ling smiled. "However, I'll still need your help tomorrow. Keep the Radar running continuously; I need to know the enemy's movements the instant they happen."

[Rest assured. The system is on standby twenty-four hours a day.]

Li Ling patted the railing and turned to walk back to his cabin.

Tomorrow will be the day that decides our fate.