Chapter 1, The First Shot

A loud rumble echoed, not far from the surface of the sea where no ships were present, yet it left all who witnessed the event utterly astonished

"Plain text telegram, notifying the world, China officially takes over the Diaoyu Islands and exercises sovereignty over them." As he watched the landing craft gradually recede, the deputy captain suddenly commanded the first officer behind him.

However, when their radar detected the rapidly approaching Zuoying, the captain of the Baihe Maru immediately changed his mind

The captain is not a fool; he knows that their two patrol boats, each weighing a thousand tons, are fundamentally unable to compete with the nine-thousand-ton Jide ship. However, he knows one more thing: even if the Taiwanese navy sees them capsizing fishing boats, they will not easily engage in conflict.

The shout from the other party was like a sudden wake-up call, jolting the still-dazed deputy captain back to reality. He watched as the crew member from the opposing ship comically mimicked the first aid actions of his own medical officer. The deputy captain, feeling impatient, waved his hand at the weapons officer and said, "Go ahead, go ahead"

Upon hearing the distress signals from nearby fishermen, he immediately exercised his provisional authority—ordering the warship to proceed to the area of the incident

Zhongye Jun was momentarily taken aback upon hearing the captain's orders, and then, with a sense of resignation, turned the ship around and charged towards the fishing boat

Another Japanese patrol boat met an even more tragic fate than the Baihe Maru, as a harpoon struck directly at the command cabin. When the smoke cleared, the superstructure of this patrol boat had completely vanished

Upon thinking of this, Captain Baihewan smiled slightly and said to his subordinate: "Zhongye, you are a soldier, and the duty of a soldier is to protect the territory of your country. Now, carry out the orders."

What does it truly mean to be a soldier? Many people find it difficult to articulate, while others can express it clearly, whether in a grand or succinct manner. In essence, the meaning of a soldier can be simply understood as follows: regardless of whether one engages in indulgence or deceit, when a person in need of protection calls for help, you must respond immediately and fulfill your duty to the best of your ability. This is what it means to be a soldier.

I—! '' And me. '' '' Count me in, then! '' ... ...

Before explaining everything, it is essential to first clarify a question, or rather a definition, which is: what is a soldier

The current situation has exceeded the cognitive capacity of the deputy captain. If the earlier attack on the Japanese ship could be considered an act of righteous indignation, something that could be justified, then the actions taken now are nothing short of an open 'betrayal'.

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However, unexpected events always occur, and this time, an unexpected event truly happened

"I hope it is like this," Long Island said softly, as the scene that he had dreamed of countless times since enlisting emerged in his mind—a sleeping elephant finally awakening once again

"Harpoon missile ready," the first officer said calmly to the deputy captain

The Zuo Ying had not reacted immediately, but by the time he organized a rescue, it seemed to be somewhat too late

Upon hearing the captain's orders, the helmsman hesitated for a moment and then reminded, "But, but, Captain, there is a Gearing-class destroyer approaching us from the front. Will this not..."

During the patrol of the "territorial waters," the Zuo Ying ship was actually commanded by the deputy captain, as the captain seemed to be detained in Taipei due to certain official matters. This allowed the deputy captain the opportunity to command this so-called "most advanced" warship, which is referred to as one of the "Four Great Kings" of Taiwan.

When the Zuo Ying, which was patrolling nearby, received a distress signal, it immediately proceeded to the scene of the incident. It was precisely due to their swift action that the legitimacy of the subsequent war was established.

Although economists, politicians, and various scholars and professors have commented in hindsight like Zhuge Liang, saying: "It is not surprising that Taiwan and Japan went to war, and it was predictable. As Taiwan gradually transformed into a technology-intensive region, conflicts with Japan became increasingly prominent, making the eventual conflict with Japan imaginable and understandable"

The call for registration sounded again, one, two, three... The deputy captain silently counted in his heart

Taiwan, indeed, has been under Japanese rule for several decades, which naturally influences its character to some extent, leaning closer to Japan. Moreover, their leaders are currently negotiating matters of joint military defense with the Japanese government. Therefore, even if the actions of Captain Baihewan are somewhat excessive, during such a 'close' period, it is unlikely to provoke significant repercussions. Of course, another reason for Captain Baihewan's unwavering confidence is his deep contempt for the Taiwanese military.

"Yes, Commander, the fire control radar is activated, actively searching for targets. Prepare left one, left two, patrol boat located four hundred meters ahead of the target." After skillfully issuing the orders, the first officer turned to look at the deputy captain.

***

However, the information provided by the meteorological bureau indicates that today's sea conditions only have a wind force of level 3, and our radar has not detected any significant climatic changes. Therefore, we can basically rule out meteorological influences, the radar operator replied

When the captain of the fishing boat saw the Zuo Ying approaching slowly in the distance, the joy in his heart was beyond words. He had even thought that as long as the Zuo Ying could escort him out of this sea area, he would be completely satisfied. Of course, to take a step back, even if he could be protected from being captured by the Japanese, he would still consider it a great fortune

At that time, the Baihewan did not intend to sink the small fishing boat from Taiwan, as it preferred to capture the Taiwanese fishermen instead, which would at least allow for some cash extortion

The 1,000-ton hull of the Baihe Maru was completely torn apart, resembling a capricious child's doll.

Although the matter becomes comprehensible in the words of scholars, the shock generated when everyone hears this news remains immense and unprecedented

Seeing the incredulous expressions of his subordinates, the captain smiled enigmatically and continued, "Zhongye Jun, execute the order"

Silence is yet another silence, prolonged to the point of unsettling everyone. All the soldiers seem to begin confronting a singular issue, that is, the war is about to commence

Undoubtedly, many qualified military personnel meet this criterion, including acting ship captains

Could it be possible that the wind and waves have affected the communication? As the commander of the first radar station on Changdao, who has been here for ten years, he is no stranger to such occurrences. Therefore, upon hearing the report from the radar operator, he quickly inquired.

Hearing his subordinate's words, the captain glanced at him impatiently and then said disdainfully, "So what if they have arrived? It just happens to be a good opportunity to rescue someone"

***

I, I am going, and I too! To everyone's surprise, the first to sign up was actually the fisherman who had been rescued. They snatched the intercom in the cabin and broke the terrifying silence at the first opportunity. "I want to kill those little Japanese, I want to avenge my wife, damn it, are Chinese people not human? Wuwu!" It seemed to evoke painful memories, and halfway through, the fisherman broke down in tears.

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"Deploy the landing craft and blow up those little Japanese things on the island. Raise our national flag. At the same time, I need ten volunteers; I need you to stay on the island." With this thought, the deputy captain issued the order.

The distance between the Xiang Zuo Ying and the Bai He Wan is so short that the harpoon does not even need to activate its own active radar; it plunges into the hull of the Bai He Wan and the library like a javelin thrown.

The deputy captain knew that he had no way out now; before him lay only one path, a thorny road that required bloodshed to survive.

The captain of the Baihewan, feeling somewhat impatient with the Zuo Ying, snatched the transmitter from the communications officer's hand and shouted loudly, "Zuo Ying, one of us has to retreat first, it can be you or it can be me. How about this: let us both head south together and then part ways from here, what do you think?" The captain of the Baihewan was quite pleased with his prudent suggestion; in his view, this approach not only saved face for the Zuo Ying but also brought honor to his own country, making it a win-win situation.

The sound and shockwave generated by the massive explosion completely lifted the fishing boat that was still floating on the water's surface

Having undertaken such a significant action, neither the Taiwanese government nor the Japanese government will let it go easily, and one will undoubtedly be made a scapegoat. Upon reflecting on this, the deputy captain seemed to envision his fate of being imprisoned and then secretly executed.

In the command room, although the orders were hesitated for a moment, they were still executed unconditionally. The massive hull of the Left Camp ship sliced through the waves, heading towards the nearby Diaoyu Island

The first officer glanced at the deputy captain once more, then, with a serious expression, pressed the launch button

In fact, if Taiwanese fishing vessels could bear to give up the seafood they have caught, perhaps the war would not have occurred. However, the captain is truly reluctant to part with the fruits of his labor from the past ten days, and this has sown the seeds for future conflicts

The deputy captain was not entirely clear about what had happened, but his superiors had once told him that in such disputed waters, it was best to yield if possible. Therefore, the deputy captain initially did not intend to take any drastic actions. This thought remained with him until the fishing boat was capsized.

The signal from the Baihewan has disappeared. The radar operator reluctantly put down the headset and turned to the commander to say

"Yes, but Captain, they are Japanese..." The first officer glanced at the pale-faced deputy captain, hesitating whether to continue speaking.

"You have entered the waters of the Sea of Japan, please leave immediately, otherwise..." The Japanese patrol boat's untimely warning echoed once more, while simultaneously, the anger simmering in the chest of the first officer was ignited.

The vessels that came to expel the Taiwanese fishing boats were two Japanese maritime patrol ships, one of which is the infamous "Hakuhō Maru".

It seems I understand the first officer's meaning. The deputy captain, with a stern look in his eyes, said, "What are you dawdling for? It is neither the Republic of China nor the People's Republic of China, but China. Do you understand? China. Now, go send the telegram."

Upon hearing the command from the first officer, the chief mate hesitated for a moment, looking at the first officer with an expression that suggested he was about to speak but held back.

Later, some individuals engaged in an in-depth discussion of these issues, with some scholars even suggesting that the Zuoying did not actually use missiles to attack the Baihe Maru, but rather that the soldiers on the warship opened fire first using naval guns. The reason is quite simple: the minimum attack range of the fishing fork missile is significantly greater than the distance between the two vessels. Of course, others believe that the first weapon used by the Zuoying was actually a torpedo, and that the two Japanese patrol boats were likely struck first by the torpedo. However, regardless of the circumstances... Of course, others believe that the first weapon used by the Zuoying was actually a torpedo, and that the two Japanese patrol boats were likely struck first by the torpedo. However, regardless of the circumstances...

The first shot of the Sino-Japanese War was fired in the most unlikely of places

1,000 tons versus 25 tons is simply a joke; the patrol boat didn't even change its course and capsized the fishing vessel. The four individuals on the fishing boat also fell into the water, including the captain's wife, who was pregnant.

Everyone on the ship has just experienced the recent shock and seems not to have fully regained their composure, so for the moment, they do not quite understand the implications of the secret mission mentioned by the deputy captain

"Turn left full rudder, full speed ahead, destination Diaoyu Island." The deputy captain's voice trembled slightly as he issued this command, "What is the purpose of living this life? It is to leave a place of one's own in history. If all of this is destined, then let me make it even more glorious."

"Continue to contact them; it is possible that their communicator has malfunctioned," Nagashima continued. Unfortunately, what Nagashima did not know was that in a very short time, he would become a witness to history.

Upon thinking of this, he seemed to have made a firm decision, suddenly grabbing the intercom and shouting, "Everyone is present, we are about to carry out a secret mission"

Looking at the remnants of the Japanese ships drifting on the sea, the vice captain, who had just vented his pent-up frustration, seemed to calm down. "What should we do next? What ought to be done? Or rather, what should I do?" The vice captain glanced around at the soldiers, feeling uncertain in his heart.

The captain's wife was trapped in the sunken ship and unable to escape. When she was rescued, she had already lost her heartbeat. Looking at his wife's corpse and the child he had yet to meet, the fishing boat captain did not utter a single word before he completely fainted.

Full speed ahead said Captain Bai He Wan excitedly in the cabin and library Let these Chinese take a seawater bath

The first to receive the signal was Changdao. Looking at the plaintext telegram translated by the signalman in his hand, Changdao involuntarily began to shiver.

AGM-84 "Harpoon" missile, with a length of 3.84 meters, a diameter of 0.344 meters, and a launch weight of 522 kilograms. The guidance system employs mid-course inertial guidance and terminal active radar guidance. The warhead is equipped with a wideband frequency agile active radar seeker that has good anti-jamming capabilities

"I need you to remain vigilant on the island, and you must firmly believe that we will definitely return." As he watched the soldiers silently board the landing craft, the deputy captain spoke loudly to the volunteers

"Captain, we have arrived at Diaoyu Island and request further instructions." The voice of the messenger echoed again from the intercom, as the massive silhouette of Diaoyu Island appeared before the first officer's eyes

***

As he watched the Japanese patrol boat arrogantly approaching him, and saw the doctor on the deck who still did not give up, the deputy captain hesitated

"Still, can I?" The words of the fisherman seemed to strike like a hammer, igniting a sense of masculinity within some soldiers. After hearing the fisherman's words, a frail soldier quietly spoke into the communicator.

"Commander, it is possible that some personal radio stations are broadcasting fool's signals," the communications soldier said quietly, observing the dazed expression on Long Island's face

***

The distress signal from fishermen has become remarkably proficient, especially among those who frequently fish near the Diaoyu Islands. As soon as they see a flag resembling a woman's sanitary pad on the horizon, the radio operator will immediately send out a distress signal. Although whether anyone will come to their rescue remains uncertain, at least this action provides them with a glimmer of hope.

What is wrong with the Japanese? Do the Japanese who kill our people not have to pay for their lives? If it were your wife or your sister lying on the deck now, would you still tell me they are Japanese? Now I will tell you again, get ready to launch the missiles. If you are not deaf and not blind, then damn it, go prepare immediately. The deputy captain slapped him and shouted at the first officer. Now I will tell you again, get ready to launch the missiles. If you are not deaf and not blind, then damn it, go prepare immediately. The deputy captain slapped him and shouted at the first officer.

No one could have anticipated that the first shot of the Sino-Japanese War would actually be fired by Taiwan

Once again, there was silence, as if no one wished to respond. However, the landing craft resolutely departed from the Zuoying, bearing the mission of redeeming a nation's disgrace, as the first military force of China set sail for the Diaoyu Islands

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