The Combat Operations Center aboard the aircraft carrier East Wind was nothing less than the nerve center of the entire Dragon Kingdom Navy.
Countless streams of complex data and radar signals flickered across an enormous wraparound screen, giving the room a futuristic, science-fiction feel.
Dozens of staff officers and technicians in white naval uniforms worked at their stations with tense but orderly efficiency.
Apart from the clatter of keyboards and the hum of machinery, the center was so quiet that a pin drop would have been audible.
When Zhao Mengsheng entered with Yue Xiaofei and the others, everyone immediately stopped working, stood, and saluted.
"Carry on!"
Zhao Mengsheng waved a hand, then ordered his subordinates to close the doors and dismissed everyone except a few of his most trusted staff officers.
The atmosphere in the center instantly grew solemn.
Zhao Mengsheng approached the main console and braced both hands on its surface. His gaze sharpened as he studied the enormous map covering the entire Western Pacific Ocean.
"Xiaofei, did you really think I mobilized all these fleets, practically sent out everything we had, and made such a huge show just to welcome you home?"
Zhao Mengsheng turned toward Yue Xiaofei, an enigmatic smile tugging at his lips.
Yue Xiaofei raised an eyebrow. He had known it could not be that simple.
"Uncle Zhao, stop keeping me in suspense."
He smiled. "With an operation this big, beating up a few Eastern Japan watchdogs would be a waste of ammunition."
"You're a sharp one."
Zhao Mengsheng laughed, then reached out and jabbed a finger hard against a location deep within the maritime map.
It was several hundred nautical miles from their current position, in a seemingly unremarkable stretch of international waters.
Yet on the military map, it was marked with a bright