49: Chapter 49 Arrival, Formal Contact
Canglan Military Port.
The moment the order was issued, the entire military port instantly erupted into activity.
A piercing combat alarm sounded.
The previously quiet port completed mobilization within ten minutes. destroyers and frigates moored at the berths cast off their lines one after another, their naval guns raised and missile launch covers opened, forming a defensive formation on the outskirts of the military port.
On the anti-aircraft positions along the shore, anti-aircraft missile vehicles quickly took their places, and radars spun rapidly.
On the road, tanks and armored vehicles of the Army Armored Brigade formed a long, steel dragon, speeding toward the military port.
Fully armed soldiers quickly disembarked and established a defensive line behind the breakwater.
Behind the breakwater, two armored soldiers leaned against an armored vehicle, whispering to each other.
"Something's not right. The Navy is at Level 1 combat readiness, so why did they call in our Army Armored Brigade? This setup doesn't look like a standard exercise at all."
"I don't know. The command center only said an unknown giant target is approaching. Even the port's phased array radar can't lock onto it. It's extremely weird."
"Can't lock on? Our radar can even detect stealth fighters. What kind of thing can block all detection? And build such a huge flying warship..."
The veteran beside him patted him, his eyes serious: "Stop guessing, stay alert! Follow orders! No matter what it is, if it dares to cross the line, we take it out!"
Just then, the command center's instructions came through everyone's combat communication channel:
"Attention all units! Target sighted! Three o'clock direction, 5 nautical miles away!"
"Maintain vigilance, firing without orders is strictly prohibited, report target movement in real-time!"
Everyone instantly fell silent, turning their heads in unison toward the three o'clock direction.
In the night, all the searchlights of the military port lit up, and several thick beams of light pierced the night sky, sweeping toward the sea.
Then, they saw it.
First, a massive shadow, like a moving mountain, completely obscured the moonlight on the sea.
The beams of the searchlights slid along the edge of the shadow, gradually illuminating the outline of that giant object.
The Gothic hull was covered in cold, hard metal textures, shimmering with a dark black luster under the lights. The exposed secondary battery arrays were dense, and the faint shimmer of the Void Shield flickered around the hull.
Even from several kilometers away, one could feel the crushing steel pressure that overwhelmed everything.
The 1.5-kilometer-long cobra-class destroyer slowly sailed into the waters on the outskirts of the military port.
The moment the hull touched the sea surface, the immense buoyancy forced the seawater outward, kicking up waves several meters high that crashed heavily against the breakwater with a booming roar, causing even the ground under their feet to tremble slightly.
The massive shadow swept over them, shrouding the entire military port within it.
The soldiers looked up, feeling as if a pitch-black mountain of steel was slowly pressing down on them.
The mighty ten-thousand-ton destroyers originally in the port instantly became like small sampans in its presence; their hull height was not even half that of the giant ship before them, and their length was less than one-tenth of the other's.
The originally thick main guns now looked like children's toys.
The dozens-of-meters-high gantry cranes on the shore looked as short as stools in front of the giant ship's bridge.
There were no exclamations, no panic.
All soldiers and officers held their breath, gripping their weapons tighter, their eyes filled with extreme shock.
This was awe of unknown technology, yet there was not the slightest bit of cowardice.
At the same time, at a command center of the Shenmao Bureau.
On a massive holographic screen, the scene above Canglan Military Port was being broadcast in real-time.
The 1.5-kilometer-long giant ship, shimmering with cold light in the night, was clearly visible.
A middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the screen with furrowed brows.
The intelligence officer beside him reported quickly: "Director, the military has entered Level 1 combat readiness."
"The target vessel just sent an unencrypted communication, claiming to be Fu Haoran, requesting negotiations."
Zheng Xian was silent for a few seconds before speaking slowly: "Being able to block all radar and approach territorial waters silently, this is not the technology of any known country."
He turned around and looked at the agents standing by behind him: "Put the combat team on standby, ready to intervene at any time."
"Also, connect the military hotline. I want to speak with Canglan."
The deputy hesitated: "Director, the duty of the Shenmao Bureau is to deal with supernatural threats and foreign powered organizations... Isn't it more appropriate to leave this kind of overt military contact to the military?"
Zheng Xian shook his head: "The other party voluntarily exposed their location, maintained minimum speed, and sent an unencrypted communication; every step demonstrates sincerity."
"But someone who can produce this kind of technology is definitely not here to discuss ordinary matters."
He paused, his eyes sharp: "And I have a premonition... the person in charge he is waiting for, who can make decisions, might include us."
Inside the Canglan Theater Command Center, the moment the hotline hung up, the theater commander stared at the giant ship on the screen, remaining silent for a long time.
The adjutant asked in a low voice: "Chief, what did the Shenmao Bureau say?"
The commander was silent for a few seconds before speaking slowly: "Zheng Xian said to let the person they sent come ashore."
The adjutant was stunned: "Just that simple?"
"It's not simple." The commander shook his head, "He said that since this person dared to come, he must have bargaining chips that we cannot refuse."
He looked up at the screen with complex eyes: "Have the frontline positions prepare to receive them. Let's hear first what exactly he wants to trade for."
...
Inside the destroyer's bridge.
The Technician Monk turned to report: "My Lord, all landing equipment is ready. The Leman Russ Tank and chimera personnel carrier are on standby."
Fu Haoran looked at the military port below, which was prepared for battle, and at the soldiers who were holding weapons with vigilant eyes but were not in the slightest disarray, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Open the main hatch and lower the landing ramp."
"Yes! My Lord!"
At the bow, the heavy alloy hatch slowly opened, and the telescopic landing ramp extended down toward the sea.
Fu Haoran adjusted his collar, turned to look at Lucifer beside him, and made a gesture of invitation.
"Let's go, my dear. The upcoming negotiations are the real purpose of our visit here."
Lucifer glanced at the military port below, stood up languidly, and walked to Fu Haoran's side, lagging half a step behind.
She glanced at the soldiers and combat vehicles waiting in battle formation outside the porthole and said in a low voice: "Bringing so much stuff down, are you afraid they won't understand your sincerity?"
Fu Haoran smiled: "Sincerity is an attitude, strength is the foundation. You need both."
He paused, adding a sentence in his heart: If this cooperation is successful, the Hive City's industrial production line can be established, and the mass production of Powered Armor will have hope.
...
At the bow, the heavy alloy hatch slowly slid open to both sides, and the telescopic landing ramp extended down toward the sea.
The moment the hatch opened, the atmosphere of the entire military port instantly tightened to the extreme.
The soldiers behind the breakwater had their fingers on the triggers, staring fixedly at the giant door slowly opening.
The first to appear were the Servo-skulls.
They floated out of the hatch, hovering in mid-air, their red optical lenses scanning the surroundings, carrying no weapons.
The soldiers' nerves relaxed slightly; at least it wasn't rows of gun barrels.
Immediately after, two figures appeared at the hatchway.
The young man walking in front was in his early twenties, wearing a simple black combat suit, his eyes sweeping calmly over the military port below, as if the battle readiness before him was all within his expectations.
The woman beside him wore a well-tailored black robe, her expression indifferent, as if she were strolling in her own backyard, lagging half a step behind him.
Behind the two followed ten armored soldiers, holding only weapons, lining up on both sides in a ceremonial formation.
And inside the giant ship's hatch, one could only see the cold light reflecting off the barrels of the Leman Russ Tanks, and the outlines of the chimera personnel carriers looming in the shadows, yet not a single one drove out of the hatch.
Visible, yet not deployed.
The other party's formation and appearance showed no aggressive intent, instantly easing the tense, sword-drawn atmosphere in the military port.
Everyone also knew that this standoff would ultimately have to be resolved through negotiations, not warfare.
But looking at those weapons and equipment they had never seen before, everyone's heart was still lifted, and their grip on their guns tightened even more.