Invasion of the United States

Just at dusk, a light mist shrouded the waters south of Guam. The sea wind murmured, and the waves slapped against the hull, giving off a rhythmic, muffled "pa-pa" sound.

The Polaris research vessel and the Watson vehicle carrier quietly approached each other.

These two behemoths, like ghosts in the night, each left the protection of their formation, deliberately slowing their speed, maintaining a distance of two or three nautical miles, and sailing side by side.

On the radar screen, their signal points slowly converged. The lights on the ships were intentionally dimmed, leaving only a few navigation lights flickering faintly in the mist, like ghostly fires.

On the bridge of the Watson, Captain Bell stood by the porthole, clutching his binoculars tightly as he carefully judged the ship opposite. His eye bags were large and dark, indicating he hadn't slept well these past few days.

He had been uneasy, wondering if he might fall into some trap—if the pile of contraband in the hold was exposed, forget about getting rich, he might even lose his life.

In the dim light, the hull number of the Polaris was faintly visible, painted with the white color of a research vessel, with four large spherical radar antennas conspicuously marked. Helpuscontinuebyreadingatthesource:MV2LEMPYR.

Ha ha... Bell finally breathed a sigh of relief and laughed: "Damn, it's Dongda's electronic reconnaissance ship, it can't be a fake."

A few minutes later, a Zhi-18 helicopter took off from the Polaris and headed straight for the Watson.

Through the porthole, the helicopter landing pad on the Watson gradually came into view, with a yellow 'H' gliding marker right ahead and a crew member below directing the landing.

The Zhi-18 landed steadily, the rotors gradually stopped spinning, and the cabin door snapped open with a "ka" sound, letting in a gust of sea breeze mixed with the smell of diesel.

Xiao Jinlang was the first to step out, his boots making a crisp sound on the deck. He wore a casual trench coat, the hem flapping wildly in the rotor wash.

Behind him were two naval intelligence officers, young and vigorous, clad in plain clothes that couldn't conceal their military bearing, carrying black briefcases with steady steps.

Next, an elderly academician in his seventies grasped the handrail and tottered out, his silver hair disheveled in the wind, his thick glasses perched on his nose, looking both solemn and excited.

As he got out, he looked around, sighing: "I'm still too young, it's the first time I've encountered something like this."

Two researchers in their forties or fifties followed behind the academician, carefully supporting his arms and softly reminding their teacher to watch his step.

Bell stood on the bridge watching this group of 'guests' from a distance, smiling broadly. He picked up the intercom, instructing his subordinates: "Bring our saviors to the bridge."

Led by a crew member of the Watson, Xiao Jinlang and his group walked through the narrow passage between the cargo holds, following a row of fully stacked containers towards the bridge.

To show his welcome, Captain Bell opened his arms, laughing as he hugged Old Xiao, deliberately asking their friends from Dongda if they wanted a drink.

"Let's see the goods first," Xiao Jinlang smiled modestly, "we can drink till dawn once the job is done."

"Follow me," Captain Bell didn't hesitate, leading the way himself. But he specifically noted: "Your helicopter deck is still a bit small; the transfer speed might be hard to speed up later."

"Don't worry, we have other ships and helicopters on standby nearby," Xiao Jinlang hinted at the other side deliberately.

Captain Bell was happily leading the way, but suddenly froze, quickly turning back to stare at Old Xiao. After a few seconds, he exclaimed in surprise: "You're using an aircraft carrier to pick up the goods?"

Old Xiao thought something serious had happened, thinking: "You just realized that?" He responded speechlessly: "Is there a problem with that?"

A problem? Of course, there was a problem!

"We only smuggle goods occasionally, our main task is still exercises."

"We also only pick up goods occasionally, our main task is exercises."

"The United States is no longer what it was, I've always thought your idealism was the beacon of hope for humanity. I never expected that you too were corrupt."

Old Xiao was speechless, "We never expected that the once number one in the world had become so corrupt."

Bell suddenly laughed heartily, as if this had brought them closer. He patted Old Xiao on the shoulder, whispering: "How much can you earn on a run like this?"

"No money, just fulfilling the mission," Xiao Jinlang answered.

"Such a dangerous task, and your superiors don't give you money?" Bell was even more surprised, somewhat sympathetically continuing to pat Old Xiao on the shoulder, "if you ever want to make money, look for me, I'll help you find connections."

Old Xiao quickly agreed, indicating he should remember him if there are any benefits in the future. The two entered the cabin arm in arm, soon becoming close as if about to make a blood oath of brotherhood.

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The Watson was a large ship of over 60,000 tons, with a cargo hold of nearly 40,000 square meters, divided into multiple decks, running from the midsection to the stern.

Its interior was like a series of huge steel caverns, with bulkheads painted with rust-proof gray paint, and the air mixed with the smell of engine oil and metal.

The lowest level was the heavy vehicle area, capable of holding M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks, whose tracks slightly bent the deck.

Above that was the medium vehicle level, usually filled with Humvees and armored personnel carriers, with chains used for securing them clinking.

The next level was the light equipment area, lined with rows of containers, possibly filled with weapon parts or field supplies.

Each deck was connected by fixed ramps and hydraulic lift platforms, with ramps wide enough for two trucks to pass side by side.

The hold was equipped with an environmental control system, maintaining constant temperature and humidity to prevent equipment rust, along with foam fire suppression and drainage systems to handle sudden maritime incidents.