Chapter 59: Declaration of War!

"Move faster!"

A voice speaking broken English came from behind.

Carl Thomas raised his hands high and, under the armed escort of soldiers, walked out of the island of the aircraft carrier *USS Dwight D. Eisenhower* onto the flight deck.

His eyes were dim and lifeless as he cast a glance around the vast deck.

All around, helicopters were parked in dense rows.

Pity that these aircraft did not belong to them, but to the great Eastern power.

Now, the carrier had fallen entirely into enemy hands.

"Climb, climb up! Hurry!"

Suddenly, a neat chorus of shouts from a distance caught his attention.

Carl looked up and beheld a sight that filled him with even deeper despair.

On the carrier's island, several Chinese soldiers wearing naval "Blueberry" camouflage were rapidly scaling the superstructure.

Working in coordination, they quickly reached the flag halyards.

The lead soldier casually tore down the American Stars and Stripes and tossed it into the sea as if it were trash.

Shortly after, a bright red Five-Star Red Flag was solemnly hoisted in its place.

The red flag unfurled in the wind, exceptionally beautiful.

With this, the *USS Dwight D. Eisenhower* and its entire crew—except for those who resisted and were killed—were completely captured!

When Carl witnessed this scene, the final line of defense in his heart finally collapsed.

He abruptly slumped to the ground, his gaze vacant.

All around him, U.S. servicemen were squatting with their hands clasped behind their heads in terror.

Their expressions were panicked; their robust physiques stood in stark contrast to their fearful expressions.

At that moment, Carl seemed to see something through his blurred vision.

Just like the Stars and Stripes tossed away into the waves.

On this planet, their country, the great America, was likewise about to be knocked off its pedestal!

"Captain Carl!"

In a corner, Carl's loyal executive officer saw him collapse and immediately started to rush toward him.

"Stay still!"

The guard watching him let out a furious roar, pointed his rifle, and stammered:

"YUO DOn't mOv... Dammit, I hate this bird language the most, get back down and squat!"

Our soldiers were in no mood to coddle him.

With a swift swing, the soldier smashed the butt of his rifle into the executive officer's occiput, dropping him instantly to the deck.

That single blow served to sober up any of the detained American soldiers who still harbored thoughts of defiance.

It thoroughly cleared their heads.

Along with it, everyone became remarkably cooperative.

This made the subsequent transfer operations significantly less troublesome.

...

China and the United States had clashed in the South China Sea!

This piece of news instantly skyrocketed to the top of trending lists across the globe!

The entire world immediately focused its gaze upon this region.

However, because this was a clash between two superpowers, any satellite passing overhead in orbit was subjected to interference.

Consequently, until this very moment, the exact situation on the front lines remained shrouded in mist.

Only nearby fishermen, standing far away, had managed to record the distant sounds of violent explosions.

Everyone was waiting anxiously.

For this war would determine who would be the supreme hegemon of East Asia and indeed the entire planet hereafter!

Would the United States retain its crown, with the Anglo-Saxon core continuing to bleed the entire world dry? Or would the Eastern power rise like a new sun to illuminate the globe?

Perhaps this war would offer a glimpse of the answer.

Inside the Eastern power, an eerie silence prevailed; everyone knew the fight had truly begun.

Therefore, everyone awaited the ultimate verdict.

Victory or defeat?

Along the banks of the Zhan River, in a twenty-fifth-floor residential apartment.

Jiang Ming had simply moved his computer desk out onto the living room balcony, facing the azure sea.

"Why is there still no news? We have to win!"

The news that the two superpowers had gone to war in the South China Sea had already spread like wildfire.

As a veteran military enthusiast, he followed this development with rapt attention.

He wished he could transform into a satellite and fly directly above the battlefield to see what on earth was happening!

"The coastal air defense units haven't moved; the situation must be holding steady!"

Raising his binoculars and noticing that the coastal defense troops on shore did not appear overly panicked, Jiang Ming let out a long sigh of relief.

"Hoo—"

Suddenly, a piercing siren blared across the distant sea surface.

Jiang Ming snapped to attention.

Wasn't that the characteristic sound of a Chinese naval siren?!

Could it be that the enemy had broken through to the coast?!

Filled with dread, Jiang Ming picked up his binoculars, holding his breath, afraid to imagine what came next.

On the horizon, a majestic steel beast revealed its magnificent silhouette—painted a uniform grey-white, featuring towering masts and a massive flight deck the size of three football fields—as it slowly steamed toward Zhan River.

This scene was undeniably breathtaking.

For a split second, Jiang Ming even forgot to question how unreasonable it was, left with only a profound sense of terror in his heart.

"This is... this is the *USS Dwight D. Eisenhower*! How, why has it sailed all the way to Zhan River?!"

"Could it be that we lost?"

Overwhelmed with fear, Jiang Ming rushed desperately onto the balcony, sticking his head out to get a closer look at what was going on.

"Hey, Old Jiang, is that our ship?"

His next-door neighbor also poked his head out of the balcony to peer across, and seeing Jiang Ming, he scratched his head.

"That's not our ship!"

Jiang Ming was panicking now; damn it, wasn't this ship here to attack them?

Was his neighbor going blind in his old age?

"Isn't it? But it's flying our flag, and why are the people on board... why are so many of them squatting with their heads in their hands??"

The neighbor looked utterly bewildered. Eh, isn't it? He couldn't quite figure it out.

"What?!"

Jiang Ming froze for a moment, struck by sudden astonishment, and quickly raised his binoculars again to observe in detail.

This time, he looked exceptionally carefully.

Because the vessel had drawn very close, the bright Five-Star Red Flag on the island shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

"It really is our flag!"

Jiang Ming thought to himself in shock.

He had been so focused on the ship itself that he had overlooked these details!

Gripping the binoculars tightly with both hands and leaning forward, the corners of his mouth suddenly twitched upward into a wild, unrestrained laugh:

"They're prisoners! Everyone on that deck is an American POW!"

Lowering the binoculars in joyous relief, Jiang Ming quickly checked the time.

Two hours!

Barely two hours, and the American aircraft carrier had been captured alive and towed right back into the harbor.

At this moment, Jiang Ming entertained two bold hypotheses.

They might have already won!

This hypothesis only arose after witnessing the scene before his eyes.

Furthermore, he had a strong intuition that it was true!

...

At exactly five o'clock in the afternoon.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China stepped up to the podium with a solemn expression.

Though maintaining a serious demeanor, a distinct gleam of joy shone brightly in his eyes.

The surrounding journalists had green glares in their eyes as they frantically hurled questions about whether a war had broken out in the South China Sea and what the current situation was.

The spokesperson gently pressed his hands down. He raised his head, faced the global media with utmost solemnity, and declared in ringing tones:

"At 2:25 this afternoon, the U.S. authorities, colluding with South Korea and Japan, brazenly launched an attack on our military aircraft and dispatched a joint fleet totaling 120 vessels to launch a surprise attack on our naval formation. Our forces engaged in passive defense and self-defense."

"At present, our military has routed the enemy forces. Specific casualty statistics will be made public once the tally is complete."

"In the face of the malicious acts of military aggression by the U.S. authorities, South Korea, and Japan, I hereby solemnly announce that the entire nation is entering a state of war—"

Pausing briefly, the spokesperson spoke with unyielding firmness, his gaze cold and detached:

"Furthermore, we formally declare war on the three nations!"