Chapter 59: Shrouded in Gloom

Unexpectedly, the Eastern nation did not make the first move, yet they could no longer hold back!

This development truly caught Xu Dongguo off guard.

With a heavy heart, Xu Dongguo's mind raced with a myriad of thoughts.

Why would they make a move? This matter had nothing to do with them.

Suddenly, he recalled the previous failed negotiations, especially the last one.

All the pieces suddenly connected in his mind, and he immediately grasped the situation.

They were attempting to use this tactic to force us to continue purchasing the Sovremenny-class destroyers!

Xu Dongguo sneered inwardly.

Your calculations are entirely wrong!

Even if I have to covertly build the Sovremenny-class production line myself, I will never send another penny to you.

"Alright, I am aware of this matter." Xu Dongguo waved his hand, signaling that the guard could leave.

As soon as the guard closed the door, his expression darkened instantly.

Through this incident, he became even more acutely aware of the formidable intelligence capabilities of the Bear Country, realizing that the previous security measures protecting Su Dingping were by no means excessive.

At that moment, the desk phone rang.

"It's me, Xu Dongguo."

"Old Xu, have you received the intelligence?"

The caller was none other than Qian Wenbing.

"Old Qian, I already know the situation. Right now, the public is probably shrouded in gloom, and everyone is panicking." Changing the subject, Xu Dongguo continued, "But if they think they can use such despicable tactics to force us to submit, they are dreaming!"

Qian Wenbing expressed agreement with Xu Dongguo's stance and went on to say, "I have already reported this matter to the superiors. The leadership's intention is that after the Chinese New Year next month, our navy will hold a simple exercise!"

Xu Dongguo immediately reacted: "Drill the troops?"

"Yes! The news of our warships entering the modernization era has been strictly confidential. Through a military drill, we can boost the morale of the comrades in the three major fleets! Keeping it under wraps indefinitely is detrimental to naval morale!"

"Indeed. On Navy Day, it will give a strong shot in the arm to the people of the entire country! Prior to that, we must boost the morale of our naval comrades! Only then can the spirit we project convince the public!"

With a countermeasure decided by the leadership, Xu Dongguo felt much more at ease.

"Roughly when will this take place?"

"The date hasn't been finalized yet, likely around late February or early March! There is one more matter," Qian Wenbing continued. "Since it's inconvenient for my Sovremenny-class ship to show its face, Old Xiao has decided to bring their Sovremenny-class out for a public appearance in the next few days!"

"Very proper. No matter how strong the enemy is, our morale must not waver!"

After hanging up the phone, Xu Dongguo paced back and forth in the room.

Just a few days ago, he was envisioning the navy's future aircraft carrier fleet, but now it seemed there was simply not enough time.

Time!

Our navy needs time!

Xu Dongguo sighed softly, his heart feeling heavy.

Meanwhile, at the Beijing Foreign Guest House.

Turgenev and the others were gathered in a room, drinking vodka with deep satisfaction.

Turgenev laughed, "I didn't expect them to move so quickly; one strike was a direct checkmate! The Eastern nation's Maritime Self-Defense Force must be completely bewildered by now."

Hearing this, the others burst into laughter.

Just as Turgenev had said, the Eastern nation's MSDF was indeed dumbfounded. With such classified intelligence leaked, they naturally could not sit still. The commotion caused was considerable, and they eventually discovered it was linked to the Bear Country's KGB.

"Under such pressure, they certainly won't remain calm! It won't be long before they come looking for us!"

Kovsky said with a beaming smile.

"For now, we can just sit back and watch from the sidelines, letting them descend into chaos!"

Just as they were reveling in their excitement, a piece of news suddenly arrived.

"What? The Chinese Eastern Fleet plans to open up their Sovremenny-class destroyer the day after tomorrow, allowing the public to visit for three days? Is the information accurate? Alright, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, the smile on Kovsky's face instantly froze.

"What do you make of this?"

The men looked at each other in dismay and shook their heads.

Turgenev suddenly said, "They are fighting back! They want to use this method to stabilize the public's confidence."

"Then what should we do?"

"Wait!"

"Wait?"

"Yes! Wait! Wait until they can no longer bear the pressure, and they will naturally come to us! Keep in mind, the Eastern nation has four Kongō-class ships, while they only have two Sovremenny-class destroyers. To begin with, the Sovremenny-class is no match for the Kongō-class—two against four, there is simply no way to block them, let alone when the Eastern nation's fleet consists entirely of modern warships! Under public outcry, they will eventually compromise!"

Hearing this, the men thought about it carefully and found it made sense.

That very evening, the C7 military intelligence interview program touched upon this exact topic.

The host spoke to the camera:

"Good evening, viewers and friends... Tonight, we have invited two military intelligence experts, Expert Liu and Expert Cui."

With that, the host looked at the two experts and asked:

"Experts, what are your thoughts on the leaked technical parameters regarding the Eastern nation's fourth Kongō-class guided-missile destroyer?"

Expert Cui stated, "The parameters of the fourth Kongō-class leaked to the outside world are almost catching up with the American Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers! I boldly speculate that its actual combat capability should be comparable to the Burke-class."

Expert Liu quickly chimed in, "I think that's impossible! The United States would never allow the Eastern nation to possess such powerful guided-missile destroyers! In my view, it's most likely a smokescreen!"

Seeing the two engaging in a tit-for-tat debate, the host quickly interjected:

"Gentlemen, whether it's a smokescreen or not is secondary! The strength of the Eastern nation's MSDF is growing stronger by the day. I hear our navy procured two Sovremenny-class ships recently—do they have what it takes to fight them?"

Expert Cui replied, "If it's in coastal waters, coordinated with missile units and the air force, we have a fighting chance."

"And what about in the open ocean?"

Expert Cui opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat, refusing to come out.

He looked at Expert Liu. Liu, who had just been arguing fiercely with him, now put on an expression of furrowed brows and deep thought.

With no other choice, Cui could only say, "The Sovremenny-class is still quite powerful; it's a Bear Country..."

After rambling for a long time, he failed to make a concrete point.

The host had no choice but to conclude: "Viewers and friends, the Sovremenny-class is so powerful, I believe our navy still has the confidence to ensure the safety of our maritime territory!"

"Additionally, the Eastern Fleet has issued an order to open the Sovremenny-class destroyer the day after tomorrow for public visits. If any of our viewers are interested in the Sovremenny-class, since the day after tomorrow is Saturday, you might as well go take a look."

Following that, she skipped the topic and began discussing other matters with the two experts.

As for what the actual situation was, ordinary citizens naturally could not tell, as they lacked a clear understanding of warships.

In front of the television, Zhao Haikou felt extremely restless after watching the broadcast.

He hurriedly got up, left the laboratory, and rushed to Professor Wu's research group.

"Xin, oh, Yun girl is here too."

Seeing the anxious look on Zhao Haikou's face, Wang Xin asked with concern, "Haikou, what's wrong?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to ask you guys—didn't you say you saw Junior Brother in Qingdao last time? Did he mention when he'll be back?"

"No," Wang Xin and Guo Xueyun said in unison. "Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing, I just suddenly missed Junior Brother." Smiling, Zhao Haikou said, "You guys go ahead with your work. I haven't finished my experiment yet, so I'll head back."

The moment he turned around, his mood grew significantly heavier.

He did not know how vast the gap was between the Sovremenny-class and the Kongō-class, but from the reactions of those two military intelligence experts, he could sense it.

The Kongō-class was probably much stronger than the Sovremenny-class.

Aside from the Kongō-class, the Eastern nation's MSDF possessed so many other modern warships.

Non-modern warships could not serve any major purpose; how could they possibly cope relying solely on two Sovremenny-class destroyers?

He could not figure it out.

Abruptly, Zhao Haikou let out a heavy sigh.

Junior Brother, how is your progress coming along?

This senior brother of yours is worried sick!