Chapter Seven, Atonement

However, when Kohta Yoji looked around at the fleet, he even began to regret why the missile had not hit the bow of the ship earlier

Suddenly, Kohta Yoji had a flash of insight, and all his doubts became clear in an instant. "A deception, it is definitely a deception. First, they used 091 as bait and initially displayed a hostile stance, then lured the entire Japanese fleet into an encirclement, ultimately to annihilate it. It seems that when I ordered the pursuit of 091, I had already declared Japan's defeat in this war in advance—what had just appeared on the radar as a signal from a fishing boat of about 50 tons now clearly does not represent a ridiculous fishing vessel, but rather the 2208 wave-piercing stealth missile catamaran that China had long since deployed." At this moment, Kohta Yoji wished he could cut himself into pieces with a knife.

On the radar, the Standard II missile once again encountered the cursor represented by the C-803, but this time, no miracle occurred. The quantity of C-803s did not see a decisive reduction

Yoko Koda now feels a chill throughout his body, especially after witnessing the successful breach of the Sea Sparrow defense perimeter by the C-803 missile group; he has even entertained thoughts of abandoning the ship

The grenade launcher effortlessly erected a smoke screen between the defensive position and the sea. Under the cover of this screen, two Japanese soldiers in rubber boats cautiously landed on Diaoyu Island

A sustained attack lasting fifteen minutes resulted in nearly twenty warships sinking, with a full two-fifths of the Japanese 8-8 Fleet submerged beneath the waves. ... Observing the warships nearby that were engulfed in fierce explosions, as well as the sailors struggling on the surface of the water, Kohta Yoji hopelessly drew his pistol ...

Within the visible range, under the coordination of the HN900 tactical data link, all vessels of the joint fleet were subjected to attacks by anti-ship missiles. The Japanese fleet, through its own experience, validated the correctness of Marshal Gorshkov, and it will also be recorded in history as the first fleet to endure a saturation attack

Upon seeing the enemy approaching, the other fire points swiftly unveiled their camouflage and unleashed a concentrated barrage of bullets towards the enemy

Looking out from the porthole and the library window, the soldiers hurriedly rushed to their respective posts. Koji Kanda knew that the outcome of the war would be decided in just a few minutes, and what he could rely on now was only the Standard II surface-to-air missile that had just taken off outside.

At last, a C - 803 has evaded the heavy barrage, landing a profound kiss on the massive hull of a Kongo-class destroyer

On the deck, the sailors hastily picked up their rifles and began shooting aimlessly into the sky, while inside the command cabin, the technicians were furiously typing on their keyboards, hoping to find a perfect solution

A true army requires the tempering of battle.

The fuel supply is doubled, the speed increases to 1.5 Mach, and the serpentine maneuvering mode is initiated. Before encountering the Sea Sparrow, the C-803 first increases its speed to 1.5 Mach

The projectile, weighing over 800 kilograms, easily tore through the diamond-grade armor plate at a speed of 1.5 Mach, with the entire missile burrowing deeply into the massive hull like a gigantic leech.

After the smoke cleared, the 95 general-purpose machine gun in the hands of the stout man fired first. Following a few short bursts of fire, he was met with a hail of bullets in response

On the surface of the sea, after C-803 stabilized its flight trajectory at an altitude of five meters above sea level, it immediately relied on its powerful new solid rocket to effortlessly increase its speed to 0.9 Mach. The bluish-white exhaust emitted from the engine's tail created a beautiful reflection on the azure sea surface

In an instant, all radar alarm signals on Japanese vessels emitted a fierce buzzing sound simultaneously, with warning red lights flashing on every ship and in every compartment. Amidst the alternating red and black, countless anxious faces were filled with fear as they speculated about what might happen

Gradually, the gunfire in the new recruit's ears became less frightening, while the voice of the chubby man became clear and distinguishable

***

Just as Kojiro Kanda was about to give the order to counterattack, the radar operator once again screamed hoarsely: "Sir, sir, missile—!"

When arriving at the * map * book, the Prime Minister's words echoed in his mind once again, "Commander, they say that provoking is not as effective as encouraging, but I say that encouraging is not as effective as dispatching. A battle commander must possess a calm mind. If one relies solely on momentary courage and anger, then at best, one is merely like Zhang Fei or Xu Chu. This battle will likely depend on you. I reiterate my old saying: the decision to fight or not lies with you. However, I must sincerely remind you that the geographical relationship between Japan and China inevitably leads to grievances between the two countries. This is not merely a clash of power, but also a confrontation of two ideologies. China is currently in a period of peaceful development, while Japan, as a mature economic power, will inevitably encounter various conflicts with us. This dispute cannot be denied as a concrete manifestation of that conflict. For China to develop, it must challenge the previously established economic forms. So, what should be done? For China to develop, it must challenge the previously established economic forms. So, what should be done? Although I have entrusted the decision to fight or not to you this time, I know that even I find it difficult to make this decision. However, an old saying reminds us that a tree cannot grow under a big tree."

"Brother, get up, don't be afraid, fight them." With one hand holding a machine gun, the stout man grasped the new recruit's wrist with the other, attempting to pull him back up. Unfortunately, the recruit's courage had long since vanished without a trace.

15 kilometers ... ... Final adjustment of target parameters, 10 kilometers. ... ... Terminal guidance radar activated, searching for and tracking the target

Fear will certainly lead to death, but not fearing may allow one to survive... "Da da—" "The more you fear, the quicker you die..." "Da da da da—" ... The enemy will not spare you because of your fear; on the contrary, the more you fear him, the more he will bully you... Weakness cannot conquer the enemy. "The intense gunfire, the stout man gritted his teeth, encouraging the new recruits... The enemy will not spare you because of your fear; on the contrary, the more you fear him, the more he will bully you... Weakness cannot conquer the enemy. "The intense gunfire, the stout man gritted his teeth, encouraging the new recruits.

The Sea Sparrow missile launch ... The defense system was activated once again, and dozens of Sea Sparrow short-range air defense missiles burst forth from their containers, bravely engaging the C-803 not far away.

However, when he attempted to pick up the submachine gun to retaliate and - the - book, all the courage he had just mustered vanished in an instant

40 kilometers, the booster rocket separates from the projectile, the jet engine operates, at 35 kilometers, it receives satellite target coordinate data and recalibrates the initially set attack target

Kōda Yōji realized that he had made a mistake. From the attack on the SH-60J by 091, and even from the attack on the Baihe Maru by the Taiwanese Navy, he should have ordered the annihilation of all known enemies, rather than following and surrounding 091 as he had just done. This was entirely due to his deep contempt for the Chinese. The direct consequence of this contempt was underestimating the enemy. Following and surrounding 091 was a result of his deep-seated disdain for the Chinese, and this disdain directly led to his underestimation of the threat.

In the crisp sound of jingling, the shell of the C-803 was easily disassembled, and then the entire missile was detonated by a blazing shell. Just as the Japanese soldiers on the ship were preparing to cheer loudly, more C-803 missiles appeared within sight of everyone.

When comparing the military strengths of Japan and China, everyone, whether intentionally or unintentionally, avoids a certain question: compared to China, which has not been involved in war for nearly twenty years, Japan is a country that has not experienced war for at least sixty years. All active soldiers and generals in Japan have only undergone exercises and have never encountered the slightest scent of battlefield smoke.

On the day when the C - 803 was no longer visible in the sky, Kohta Yoji was pleasantly surprised to find that he was still alive. Although the flagship had been hit by a missile at the stern, it had successfully balanced the deck by taking on water at the bow.

The missile faithfully fulfills the sacred mission assigned by its internal computer, executing each pre-determined action with precision

The command cabin, which had originally been filled with low murmurs, fell silent in an instant due to the radar operator's scream. Everyone's gaze was once again fixed on the radar screen closest to them. At that moment, the radar screen was flashing with countless rapidly advancing light spots, occupying every square on the screen's surface—each flickering, jumping light spot represented a C-803 missile. The number of light spots doubled every three seconds, quickly saturating the radar screen.

Inside the missile, the speed rapidly halts, activating the red light on the internal computer to green. The circuit, which had been in a disconnected state, begins to receive power. The electric detonator is ignited immediately, simultaneously detonating the semi-armored warhead containing 165 kilograms of high-explosive material. The explosive detonates with a thunderous roar, releasing a stable high-pressure nitrogen gas.

Inside the Dreadnought-class chamber, the stationed soldiers suddenly felt the steel deck beneath their feet bulge up in an instant. Then, with a deafening roar, the deck split into two sections, and a massive pressure wave propelled burning flames along with fragments of the deck and projectile from within the ship, bursting through the topmost deck of the Dreadnought-class vessel.

Sigh! The heavyset man let out a deep sigh in his heart, and once again fired a long-range shot to suppress the machine gunner hiding behind a rock.

The Japanese fleet's last line of defense was finally activated in the face of the threat posed by C-803

The commander's emotions were a mix of feelings at this moment. As the leader of the entire ambush fleet, he felt an exceptionally heavy burden on his shoulders. "To strike or not to strike? Japan's response this time is far more intense than anticipated. Two-fifths of their naval forces are gathered here, clearly not just for the sake of the Left Camp ship. So, should we strike or not? Making a choice is much more difficult than winning a war. " To strike is certainly exhilarating, but it could very well drag China into the quagmire of war. Not to strike? While it is undoubtedly safer, the person making this decision will inevitably be nailed to the pillar of shame in Chinese history for the loss of territory. " Just now, the commander temporarily detonated those two C-803 missiles precisely because he was unable to make a decision.

At this moment, aboard the flagship of the Japanese army, Kohta Yoji discreetly wiped the sweat from his forehead while adjusting his hat. In the command cabin, everyone let out a long sigh of relief.

The radar of the "Dense Array" close-in defense system accurately locks onto the target, and the motor driving the 6-barrel 20mm M61A1 Gatling gun begins to hum, resembling a hunting dog firmly chained. When the C-803 enters the final 1,500 meters, the armor-piercing rounds fired from the 6-barrel Gatling gun sketch a steel barrier at a rate of 3,000 rounds per minute

Indeed, a tree cannot grow under the shade of another tree. The commander repeated this phrase in his mind once more, then, with a serious expression, picked up the field telephone and said in a deep voice: "Notify all ambush teams to execute the second operational plan—Project Hou Yi."

The Gatling gun rotated once more, spewing forth fire snakes nearly a meter long; however, compared to the numerous missiles, the Phalanx system was evidently unable to intercept them effectively

***

022 stealth missile boat, with a length of 30 meters and a displacement of 250 tons, has a radar cross-section equivalent to that of a 30-ton fishing vessel. It relies on the HN900 tactical data link to achieve coordinated operations. The weapon system includes 4 quadruple-mounted C-803 anti-ship missiles, a small-caliber close-in weapon system, and jamming devices

The new recruit from Taiwan, sharing the same trench with the overweight soldier, is currently curled up at the bottom of the trench. He even wishes that his entire body could hide inside his helmet, as the dense rain of bullets overhead seems to strike him with every shot, rapidly wearing down his courage and amplifying the fear within his heart

3 kilometers, the missile enters the final attack phase at a dive angle of 25 degrees ... The first C-803 missile leads the way into the final sprint phase, its massive body gracefully leaps, tracing a beautiful arc between the sea and sky

One, two, ten, twenty; in the sailors' despairing eyes, the enormous and terrifying figure of C-803 flickered.

After the fire support concluded once more, a 40mm rocket launcher slowly emerged from behind a rock on the island

Countless fragments, bearing unmatched lethality, shattered the surrounding sailors into pieces—when one sailor rejoiced at still being alive, he was horrified to discover that his body remained on the deck.

Watching his soldiers being suppressed by gunfire on the beach, Zoten anxiously waved his hand heavily towards the two patrol boats behind him. Upon receiving the signal, the rapid-fire guns on the patrol boats opened fire again, covering several recently exposed firing positions.