48: Chapter 48 Taking the Initiative to Visit

No matter which parallel world it is, there is only one major industrial power in this world.

In the night sky, 10,000 meters above the Pacific Ocean.

A 1.5-kilometer-long Gothic hull glided silently toward the East Sea like a dormant steel beast.

The Technician Monk bowed forward, its electronic voice steady: "Governor, we are about to reach the designated area."

Fu Haoran nodded: "Good, deactivate the Void Shield, maintain minimum cruising speed."

The Technician Monk paused, then quickly reminded: "Governor, deactivating the Void Shield will allow the other party's detectors to discover the hull, exposing our whereabouts prematurely."

"It does not matter." Fu Haoran's tone was calm. "We are here to negotiate cooperation, not to intimidate people. Proceed according to the plan."

With the order given, the 1.5-kilometer-long giant ship slowly adjusted its posture, pierced through the clouds, and began a slow descent.

...

Above the East Sea, Air China flight CA1892 was flying along its established route.

The captain reported steadily into the communicator: "Air Traffic Control Center, Flight CA1892, altitude 9,000 meters, heading 120°, expected to enter East Sea airspace in 15 minutes. Cabin is stable, route is normal, requesting entry into the domestic control zone."

As soon as he finished speaking, the co-pilot suddenly exclaimed: "Captain! Radar anomaly! A giant unknown target has appeared out of thin air 5 kilometers directly ahead. Its RCS signal strength far exceeds any existing aircraft type. It is not a passenger plane, nor is it a fighter jet!"

The captain's nerves tightened instantly. His left hand slammed the stick to adjust the heading, while his right hand pulled up the altitude simultaneously: "Change heading to 150° immediately, climb 1,000 meters, activate emergency communication!"

He stared fixedly at the night sky ahead, the sweat in his palms soaking the control stick.

For a commercial airliner at 10,000 meters, 5 kilometers is just a dozen seconds of flight time; a slight carelessness would result in a mid-air collision tragedy.

"Calling East Sea Air Traffic Control Center! CA1892 emergency report! An unknown giant flying object has been detected directly ahead on our route. There is no flight plan filed, and it is overlapping our route. Requesting emergency vectoring to avoid!"

The controller at the Air Traffic Control Center became serious instantly.

He immediately called up the regional radar to verify. In the center of the screen, a glaring, giant light spot appeared. The length calculated automatically by the system was shockingly over 1 kilometer!

"CA1892, received. Please maintain a safe distance and continue to monitor the target's movements. We will immediately coordinate surrounding flights to avoid it!"

While replying to the airliner, the controller grabbed the military emergency dedicated line phone and spoke extremely fast: "East Sea Theater Air Traffic Control Center! An unknown giant flying object has been detected in the East Sea airspace. There is no flight plan filed. It is approaching our territorial waters from the Pacific direction. The estimated length is over 1 kilometer. It is suspected to be an unconventional aircraft. Requesting military intervention for reconnaissance!"

Inside the airliner's cockpit, the co-pilot suddenly pointed at the porthole and shouted in shock: "Captain! Look! What is that?!"

The captain looked in the direction he was pointing, and his pupils contracted sharply.

In the night, a pitch-black "big ship" with Gothic spires was slowly descending, skimming the clouds.

A ship?

At 10,000 meters, how could there be a ship?

Is this a UFO?!

"Take a picture of the scene immediately and report to Air Traffic Control a second time!" The captain gritted his teeth, his palms full of cold sweat.

...

In the East Sea Theater Combat Command Center, the moment the dedicated line phone hung up, the entire command center became busy instantly.

"The target length is over 1 kilometer? Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?" The duty officer held the phone, listening to the Air Traffic Control's second verification, and was stunned on the spot.

"It is absolutely true! The airliner crew confirmed it visually. Radar calculations estimate the length at about 1.5 kilometers. It is approaching the Canglan Military Port at an extremely low airspeed!"

"Good, we will send someone to check immediately."

The duty officer immediately reported to the theater duty commander, and the combat order was issued immediately: "Immediately dispatch two J-16 fighter jets to take off urgently, carry reconnaissance pods, and proceed to the target area to execute reconnaissance and alert missions. It is strictly forbidden to open fire proactively!"

Less than three minutes after the order was issued, on the runway of the coastal military airport, two J-16 fighter jets dragged their exhaust flames and rushed into the night sky, flying in formation toward the target area.

In the cockpit, the lead pilot listened to the tower's intelligence and couldn't help but complain to his wingman:

"1.5 kilometers? Did you hear that right? Active aircraft carriers are only 300 meters. This thing is the equivalent of five aircraft carriers flying in the sky?"

"Stop guessing. We'll see it for ourselves. The tower said the airliner even took pictures. It can't be fake."

Ten minutes later, the two pilots' skepticism came to an abrupt end.

In the night, a pitch-black giant warship appeared in their field of vision.

The Gothic bridge pierced into the night sky, and the secondary gun arrays on both sides of the hull were clearly visible. The hull, which seemed endless at a glance, was like a moving steel mountain spanning the sea, casting a huge shadow on the ocean surface.

Even at a safe distance of more than ten kilometers, the giant ship was like a black mountain range spanning the night. The J-16s looked like sparrows flying around an eagle next to it.

"This... is this a warship?"

The lead pilot gasped, immediately pushed the throttle to the max, maintained a safe distance to circle, and reported to the command center:

"Dong-Mei Dong-Mei, visual confirmation of the target! It is not a plane, it is a giant warship!"

"The target is descending, requesting instructions!"

The command center exploded instantly.

"Immediately dispatch 8 more J-16s and 1 early warning aircraft to form a warning circle, maintain a safe distance, and continue to monitor!"

"Activate all coastal air defense radars, preheat fire control systems, and lock onto the target area!"

"Notify Canglan Military Port to immediately enter Level 1 combat readiness!"

...

Inside the destroyer's bridge, the Technician Monk reported again: "Governor, the other party has dispatched multiple additional fighter jets, which are approaching us, and their detectors have also locked onto us."

"Activate the Void Shield." Fu Haoran ordered.

A pale blue energy barrier unfolded instantly, wrapping the entire warship, and a visible shimmer appeared around the hull.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow: "Unnecessary. The Void Shield might make the warship disappear from detectors, but it is visible to the pilots' naked eyes. Doing this will only provoke them into misjudging and opening fire."

Fu Haoran chuckled, his tone firm: "Showing ourselves proactively is polite, letting them know we have no malice."

"Turning on the Void Shield is to display our strength, which is conducive to the subsequent cooperation."

Lucifer withdrew her gaze, her tone indifferent: "Humans are indeed troublesome. In my opinion, crushing them is much easier than these roundabout ways."

Fu Haoran shook his head: "What I want is not war, but a win-win situation."

Whether it is choosing a faction or completing the industrial upgrade of the Hive City, this place is a key link!

...

Just then, in the command center's communication channel, the pilot's urgent voice suddenly came: "Dong-Mei Dong-Mei! Abnormal situation! Fire control radar has lost the target signal!"

"The target is still within visual range, but all radar and scanning systems have failed!"

The command center went quiet instantly.

Everyone stared at the radar screen. The previously glaring giant light spot had disappeared without a trace.

But in the pilot's real-time footage, the giant warship was still clearly visible.

"It can block all our fire control radars and phased array scans?" The hawkish staff officer stared at the screen. "What kind of technology is this?! I suggest immediately activating the air defense missile system and striking first!"

"Do not fire rashly!" The conservative staff officer immediately retorted. "The other party clearly has the ability to travel stealthily the whole way, yet they chose to show themselves at the edge of our territorial waters and maintain minimum cruising speed. This in itself is a gesture of goodwill!"

"If they really wanted to start a war, they would have raided the military port long ago and wouldn't have given us time to prepare!"

Amidst the arguments, the theater commander stared fixedly at the route calculation chart, which clearly marked the target's destination pointing directly at Canglan Military Port.

He was silent for a full half-minute, then suddenly raised his hand to suppress all arguments, and said in a deep voice:

"First, the fighter jets in the warning circle must maintain distance, continue to monitor, and are strictly forbidden from crossing the line."

"Second, Canglan Military Port must immediately enter Level 1 combat readiness. All ships must leave the port, deploy on the outskirts of the military port, and form an anti-aircraft and anti-ship warning circle."

"Third, the Army armored brigade and air defense brigade must urgently reinforce the military port to prepare for ground defense and emergency handling."

The commander paused, his eyes firm: "Our bottom line is not to fire the first shot, but we will absolutely not show weakness. Prepare for the worst-case scenario of starting a war!"

Suddenly, the top-secret dedicated line on the table rang. It was a call from the special department, the Shenmao Bureau.

At the same time, on the sea outside Canglan Military Port, the lights on the bridge of the giant Cobra warship flickered as it slowly moved toward the military port without the slightest pause.