Chapter 2: Disaster by Coincidence

A blossom of blood unfurled in the ocean, and the great white sharks scattered in panic like lambs awaiting slaughter.

"Ding!"

"Congratulations! You have devoured a great white shark. Body size, night vision, linear swimming speed, and bite force increased by 30%!"

"Congratulations! You have obtained the biological feature: Shark Teeth!"

...

"Commander, our sonar signal is gone!"

"Damn it!"

Aboard the American submarine 731.

The commander struggled to maintain composure, but a nameless dread crept over him. Was it possible that the Chinese Navy’s technology was so advanced that they could even interfere with the electromagnetic waves they had just launched?

"Deploy the underwater drones!" the commander ordered coldly.

The captain turned in surprise, trying to dissuade him. "Commander, underwater drones are for use only in wartime. You’re about to create a serious diplomatic incident."

"Shouldn’t I?" the commander retorted, his rage barely contained. "It was those Chinese who attacked us first—I’m merely retaliating!"

Sigh.

The captain shook his head, worry clouding his eyes.

You’re only making trouble for yourself!

Half a minute later.

Lin Qiu swam with his fully restored fins, herding the school of great white sharks like a shepherd with his flock.

After a round of devouring, he had grown to six meters long. His shark teeth lined his jaws in parallel rows, each fourteen centimeters long—twice the size of an average adult orca’s!

Just then, he sensed five underwater drones approaching in the distance.

Because he was cloaked, the drones failed to capture any image of him. Lin Qiu followed behind them, observing these fifty-meter-long mechanical giants with curiosity.

After some study, he had a sense of their purpose.

"They must be following orders," Lin Qiu murmured. "System, activate ocean radar and detect all human machinery within five kilometers."

"Ding!"

"Target: American Submarine 731!"

"Location: Southeast, 1,700 meters!"

"Target: Chinese Submarine 255!"

"Location: Southwest, 2,100 meters!"

Sharp as ever, Lin Qiu immediately understood—the Americans must have mistaken Submarine 255 for the attacker and were preparing to cause trouble.

"Fools," Lin Qiu thought with a shake of his head.

How could five underwater drones possibly threaten the well-equipped Submarine 255?

Unless they were caught completely off guard.

But that was all Submarine 731 could do for now.

What Lin Qiu did not expect, however, was how fate would turn.

At that very moment, although Submarine 255 was on patrol duty, it welcomed a special guest: the renowned Chinese journalist Xu Bing.

She was a striking young woman with a poised, professional air. Her business attire accentuated her elegance, and her long legs, clad in black stockings, were on full display.

As a military enthusiast, Xu Bing had investigated numerous incidents of American harassment of the Chinese navy in the Pacific. She decided to create a program to showcase the might of the Chinese navy.

The show was well received by the public, prompting the authorities to launch a live broadcast in the navy’s name, giving everyone a glimpse into the lives of the sailors.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now aboard Submarine 255!"

"Although Submarine 255 is operational, we have temporarily shut down detection systems to avoid interference with our equipment!"

On the livestream, the poised young woman smiled as she spoke.

Viewers marveled at the "most beautiful journalist" and began discussing the decision to shut down the equipment.

"What? Why shut down the systems? Aren’t you afraid of a surprise attack?"

"You’re overthinking it. The Pacific is patrolled by the fleets of major powers. Besides the Americans, who would dare mess with us?"

"But didn’t the US navy launch an unprovoked attack last time, and then blame us for it?"

"Same old trick—sneak attack, then claim self-defense!"

"But with so many viewers watching this live, if they try anything, there’ll be no denying it!"

No one expected that this viewer’s words would prove prophetic.

...

Outside Submarine 255, Lin Qiu was focused on hunting great white sharks, using human wit to drive them in a particular direction.

He found that as long as he controlled their path, the fierce sharks would help him eliminate any enemies in the current.

Perfect little henchmen.

Nibbling on a shark’s liver, Lin Qiu skillfully herded the great whites ahead.

Unexpectedly, the five underwater drones nearby emitted a high-decibel sonic pulse.

As an evolved orca, Lin Qiu’s senses were acute—he instantly realized the pulse was aimed at Submarine 255.

"Pathetic," he sneered. "Even marine creatures can sense a sonic pulse this loud—how could a fleet not notice?"

Meanwhile, aboard Submarine 255, Xu Bing hurried to introduce the sailors’ daily life to the viewers.

Time ticked away. As the submarine’s commander, Zhang Beihai spoke with caution, "That should be enough, Ms. Xu Bing..."

"Although this meet-and-greet with the viewers was only scheduled for twenty minutes, we are on an active mission."

Clearly, Zhang Beihai wanted to end the broadcast, which left Xu Bing disappointed.

The number of viewers had soared!

From fifty thousand at the start to one and a half million now.

People across the country had tuned in after seeing news alerts—was the broadcast really about to end?

"No way! Why is Commander Zhang so stingy? We’ve barely seen any footage!"

"I haven’t even seen the D-missiles on the sub yet!"

"Commander Zhang’s emotional intelligence is way too low—I bet he’s just trying to avoid blame!"

Even the viewers began to doubt Zhang Beihai’s capabilities.

But Zhang Beihai remained firm. "Ms. Xu Bing, please end the livestream."

"I must immediately activate the submarine’s defense systems. The manual verification process involves state secrets."

"Alright," Xu Bing sighed.

But just as she spoke, alarms suddenly blared inside the submarine!

"Warning! Warning!"

"Our forces are under attack!"

What?!

Panic swept through Xu Bing and her crew.

"Stay calm!" Zhang Beihai barked.

The submarine shook violently, as if it had taken a direct hit.

"Commander, our operating system is malfunctioning—automatic misoperation in progress!"

"Commander, we are losing power!"

"Commander, our communications with headquarters are down—we’ve lost contact!"

The sudden chaos left Xu Bing weak in the knees, and the male cameraman nearly collapsed.

At that moment, the livestream was still running, and the viewers erupted in confusion.

"What the—? Are we under attack?"

"No way!"

"Something’s happened! It’s war!"

"The US Navy has attacked! Our forces are collapsing!"

The more dramatic, the better for the crowd.

But Zhang Beihai, commander of Submarine 255, spoke calmly: "All hands!"

"We are paralyzed! Abandon all illusions and prepare for battle!"