The short leisure time passed quickly, and soon it was time for the Jiaolong to set sail. The group also ended their island trip on the Wanli Shitang and arrived at the port ahead of time to wait.
The Jiaolong, a ship with a displacement of 10,000 tons, was far larger than Li Xingkong had imagined.
After all, he had never seen any large ships and had no concept of this tonnage.
But when he stood beneath the boat and realized that the part of the boat above the water was already as tall as a typical two- or three-story building in a residential area, he was still awestruck by its size.
This is the beauty of human industry, and the allure of human determination to conquer nature.
A ship of this size is practically a fortress in the sea; Li Xingkong couldn't fathom how such a ship could sink.
Preparations for the ship's departure were nearing completion, and Li Xingkong and his group boarded the ship smoothly under the captain's guidance.
There is a difference between coast guard ships and warships. Li Xingkong thought that he would see a bunch of long guns and cannons pointing at the sky as soon as he got on board, but when he got on, he found that the ship was just like his own residential community, with a flat access deck and a huge building placed in the center of the ship.
It's like a giant building that's floating on the sea.
As for the weapons that Li Xingkong wanted to see, he didn't see a single one.
After all, coast guard ships are for maintaining maritime security, not for going out to fight. Anti-aircraft guns and naval guns are not things they are supposed to carry.
The ship's most formidable firepower consisted of weapons carried by each crew member, but these weapons couldn't be used indiscriminately, as firing them would involve matters of national importance.
Compared to firepower, water cannons on the boat were the main weapon, since they had plenty of ammunition, didn't hurt people, and couldn't be said to cause any disputes.
Often when we see ships from other countries, we can only either block them or spray water to drive them away.
To be honest, Li Xingkong felt a bit aggrieved every time he saw news like this. People were bullying him, and he couldn't even fight back. He couldn't stand it.
The captain assigned Li Xingkong to the rooftop, where the view was most unobstructed. This was to prevent them from wandering around and interfering with the ship's normal operation; they were simply to stay here and keep watch.
After settling in, the boat sounded its horn a few times, broke the surface of the water, and sailed away.
The ship looks quite large, but it's not as cumbersome as I imagined; its speed is quite fast for the sea.
After sailing along the predetermined course for about half an hour, several small dots appeared on the distant ocean.
This is probably the target of the Jiaolong. Li Xingkong was standing far away and could see it clearly. The small boats opposite were much smaller than the Jiaolong, and the people on board didn't look like Divine Land People.
Although they are also yellow-skinned, Li Xingkong could tell at a glance that they were not from Divine Land People. Every country has its own unique character, which is something that is difficult to change.
They called it a fishing boat, but judging from their appearance, they were clearly not proper fishermen. Who sails a boat without fishing? They didn't even have a fishing net; instead, there was a pile of strange things lying around. They would throw one of these things into the sea every so often.
Having located the target vessel, the Jiaolong accelerated once more and moved closer, simultaneously issuing warnings to drive it away.
The crew members on board also brought out their usual equipment, basically each person had a high-pressure nozzle, ready to spray water to drive away the enemy at any time.
Perhaps because the attempts to drive away the Jiaolong were ignored, few of the smaller boats opposite turned and ran; instead, they moved closer to the Jiaolong.
This posture makes it seem more like they've been caught than like they've come specifically to provoke someone.
Because they knew that the Jiaolong was a ship belonging to Divine Land, and the Divine Land People never easily made a big fuss. But in the eyes of these small countries, that meant fear and a reluctance.
The more polite you are to them, the more arrogant they become.
Several small boats not only didn't stop, but instead started spraying water at the Jiaolong. Although they didn't hit anyone, the insults were palpable.
Li Xingkong originally wanted to see how the expulsion would be carried out, but seeing how arrogant these small boats were, he also felt a surge of anger and felt uncomfortable holding it in.
"Are we just supposed to watch them act so arrogantly? In the end, all we can do is send them out of the waters. Is there no other way?"
Looking at the situation below, Li Xingkong asked Lou Zhiwu about it.
"It's difficult. The situation in Wanli Shitang is already complicated; the other side is just waiting for us to make a move."
Lou Zhiwu pointed to a few boats that were waiting in the distance and not approaching.
"See those? These are the so-called 'reporter ships.' They only do one thing: watch from afar. As soon as we make a move, it'll be an international news report."
"So we can only remain in this stalemate? Is there really no other way?"
Li Xingkong was somewhat dissatisfied, feeling that the punishment had no deterrent effect whatsoever.
"Unless the other side is extremely aggressive and attacks us first, we will not consider seizing the ship and detaining the crew."
Lou Zhiwu felt the same way about Li Xingkong's anger, but there was nothing they could do. In this situation, every action they took represented the entire country, so they could only suppress their feelings.
"However, these stalemates usually only last a short while, and they usually break up on their own after a while."
Lou Zhiwu sighed. If he could smoke on the ship, he would like to have a couple of cigarettes to relax.
You're saying the other side is extremely radical?
Li Xingkong pondered Lou Zhiwu's words, and he began to have some ideas.
"Yeah, like opening fire directly on us, or ramming into us."
Lou Zhiwu's eyes were still fixed on what was below, and beneath his seemingly relaxed posture were a pair of tightly clenched fists.
Li Xingkong glanced around at the small boats. These boats were not large; they certainly didn't have a tonnage of 10,000 tons, and were probably only around 500 tons. In the sea, they would just be small boats.
"I asked, is the Jiaolong resistant to impacts?"
Li Xingkong, then suddenly asked a strange question.
"Huh? Of course we can handle it. These small boats can sink the Jiaolong even if it's rammed by them, it's built to warship standards."
Lou Zhiwu was somewhat confused. Was he afraid that the Jiaolong would be hit and sink to the bottom of the sea?
"Then tell the captain to turn on all the camera equipment and point it over there."
Li Xingkong pointed to the bow of the Jiaolong with his empty hand, said something to Lou Zhiwu, and then took off his upper garment.
"What do you want to do? Don't get agitated. Several countries are watching this. Don't make a move."
Seeing Li Xingkong's posture, Lou Zhiwu became frightened.
This guy is a killing machine. If he's allowed to wreak havoc on the enemy, then the third war will begin tomorrow.
"Don't worry, I understand. We can't attack them first, but it's fine if they attack first."
Although Li Xingkong said he understood, his hands didn't stop moving. He took off all his clothes except for his swimming clothes and stood by the boat.
There were some psychological barriers to overcome when it was my first time in the water.