112: Chapter 112: Go down and clean up.

That patch of black pollution was spreading crazily in the ten-thousand-meter deep sea, like cancer cells.

In the command center, everyone watched that terrifying scene through the monitors.

Schools of bioluminescent jellyfish lost their glow the moment they touched the black water, and their entire bodies melted away.

A deep-sea giant squid over a dozen meters long didn't even have time to struggle before it was corroded into a pile of rotten meat in the black water.

This was by no means any kind of physical or chemical pollution.

This thing was erasing everything from the root!

"Is this... something created by the devil?" A young female technician looked at the hellish scene on the screen, her face pale with fright, unable to hold back the urge to vomit.

The atmosphere in the command center, which had been joyful just moments ago, suddenly plunged into an ice cellar.

Everyone felt a chill rising in their hearts.

"Analyze the composition of the black water immediately!"

"It's impossible! The probes get corroded as soon as they get close! That thing is devouring everything!"

"The pollution is accelerating towards the main spiritual vein! It will reach the energy field of the spiritual vein in three minutes!"

"Once it gets contaminated, the entire spiritual vein is finished! It will turn from a 'source of life' into a 'River Styx' spewing death! By then, let alone tsunamis, the entire West Pacific coastline could become a dead zone!"

A geologist's analysis made everyone's heart sink to the bottom.

Director Zhao Lixin turned his head abruptly to look at Jiang Ning, his voice trembling.

"Engineer Jiang... what do we do now?"

Everyone's gaze once again focused on the girl who had been unusually calm from beginning to end.

Jiang Ning didn't speak.

Her eyes were fixed on the spreading black patch on the screen, and the Manta submersible hovering above the source of the pollution.

Her expression became ugly for the first time.

But it wasn't fear, nor was it panic.

It was a kind of... extreme anger.

The purest kind of anger that only a top-tier engineer would have.

In her view, whether it was the Earth or this newly completed spiritual vein, they were all "projects" that, while primitive, were full of potential.

She was using her own heart's blood to optimize and build it, to make it better.

But now, a group of people had popped up, using the stupidest, most barbaric, and most irresponsible way to relieve themselves on her "construction site"!

They weren't building anything; it didn't even count as destruction.

They were creating trash! They were polluting the environment! They were lowering the class of the entire project!

This was the ultimate blasphemy against the art of "engineering"!

It was something Jiang Ning absolutely could not tolerate.

"Director Zhao."

Jiang Ning finally spoke, her voice as cold as the seawater at ten thousand meters deep.

"Connect me to the Commander-in-Chief of the East Sea Fleet."

Director Zhao Lixin was stunned for a moment, but he immediately complied.

Soon, the image of the East Sea Fleet commander appeared on the screen in front of Jiang Ning.

"Chief Engineer Jiang! I am Zhou Hailong of the East Sea Fleet! Please instruct!" The Old General's expression was also very grim; clearly, he had also seen everything happening on the seabed.

"Commander Zhou," Jiang Ning looked at him, speaking word by word, "From now on, in my capacity as the Chief Engineer of the Zhenhai Project, I am issuing a top-priority order to you."

"Please speak!"

"Utilize every means at your disposal, including... strategic-level means."

Jiang Ning's words made everyone present skip a beat.

Strategic-level means? Everyone knew what that meant.

"Blockade that sea area completely. I don't care what method you use; from now on, I don't want a single fly to be able to fly into my construction site."

"Also," Jiang Ning's gaze fell on the "black tide no. 1", her expression devoid of any emotion, "Lock onto that target. Erase it for me... physically, completely."

Commander Zhou Hailong looked at the young girl on the screen, who was more decisive and ruthless than any general he had ever seen, and remained silent for three seconds.

Then, he straightened his back abruptly and gave a standard military salute.

"Yes! Guarantee the completion of the mission!"

He didn't ask why, nor did he question whether this order was overstepping her authority.

Because he knew that in the face of the survival of the nation and the people, and in the face of protecting the homes of billions of compatriots, all red tape lost its meaning.

Some people, some things, must be destroyed.

The communication was cut off.

Jiang Ning turned around and issued a second order to the crowd in the command center who were already stunned.

"All non-combat personnel, evacuate the command tower immediately. Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo, Professor Chen, you take the students from Kunlun Academy and continue to maintain the operation of the base station, ensuring the stability of the spiritual vein's energy."

"Engineer Jiang! What about you?" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo was anxious. "Where are you going?"

"Me?"

Jiang Ning glanced at the black patch approaching the spiritual vein on the screen, her tone terrifyingly calm.

"I'm going down there to clean up."

Having said that, she didn't wait for anyone to react; a flash of her figure, and she had already disappeared from the command tower.

Leaving a room full of people staring at each other.

"She... she wants to go down alone?"

"She's crazy! It's too dangerous! That's the ten-thousand-meter deep sea, and there's that deadly pollution!"

Director Zhao Lixin looked in the direction where Jiang Ning had disappeared and clenched his fists; he couldn't stop her.

All he could do was trust her.

Then, he picked up another red phone on the table and dialed a number he had never imagined he would actively call.

"Connect to the capital, The Ninth Bureau headquarters."

"I am Director Zhao Lixin, initiate 'Red Alert' level one response."

"Target, R country's 'child of the ocean' fleet."

"Notify all our people in R country, prepare to... close the net."

...

East Sea Port, the pier.

Jiang Ning's figure appeared at the end of the deserted pier.

She glanced at the horizon where the sea met the sky, as if she could already feel the roar of artillery fire coming from afar.

That was the country's "big cleanup" beginning.

And she, too, had her own "cleaning" to do.

She didn't take any submersible.

She formed a hand seal with one hand, and the ordinary T-shirt and sweatpants she was wearing were instantly covered by a layer of blue radiance.

As the radiance faded, a deep blue, form-fitting combat suit full of technological aesthetics was already on her.

This combat suit was tailor-made for her using equipment from Kunlun Academy and blueprints she had exchanged for.

It could not only withstand the water pressure of the deep sea but was also a micro-combat platform capable of both offense and defense, and energy conversion.

"Time to get to work."

Jiang Ning muttered to herself, then took a step forward and stepped into the icy seawater.

Her body didn't sink; instead, the moment she touched the surface of the sea, she turned into a blue stream of light and dived silently and rapidly toward the deep sea.

Her speed was faster than any torpedo.