This might have been its last combat mission, because beyond this, it could no longer carry out any combat missions. Unless they wanted to send it after smuggling fleets, it had no place left on any other modern maritime battlefield.
But like countless old soldiers, it would continue to shine in another way.
As a maritime museum, it would become the nation's first warship maintained by retired veterans who had once served aboard it, with weapon systems such as its torpedoes and missiles left intact.
Perhaps it would not be the last, but it would absolutely be the first.
And when the time came, all the weapon systems would be open to the public.
Of course, under normal circumstances, those weapon systems would remain locked down. But everyone who visited would be able to see real missiles, torpedoes, naval guns, mines, anti-submarine rockets, and more.
The others did not think too much about it. Though it was an old warship, as soldiers, they naturally would not look down on these old comrades. They might have grown old, but they had once defended the Republic's maritime borders as well.
Just like the battle that had taken place on Johnson South Reef in these South China Sea waters, they had once been guardians of this ocean. Now they had grown old, while their descendants continued to become stronger and sturdier. In the end, like those old soldiers who had passed on, they too would leave this world.
The sun had already risen high into the sky, its dazzling light falling across the sea. The water shimmered as though recounting the glory this stretch of ocean had once known.
Jiang Yan Hai and the others all boarded the old warship, while soldiers aboard were dispatched to take the fishing boat back.
"Hello, Commander."