Chapter 38: Battle with the Dragon at Sea (Part 1)

Through the unique closed-circuit monitoring system of this experimental submarine, Zhanxiage could clearly see on the screen that the officers and experts in compartments one to five were still at their respective combat posts, as if they were in a sweet slumber, with no trace of pain on their faces or any struggle facing death. A soldier named Li Min lay on the deck, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, wearing a happy smile. Perhaps at that time, he was still thinking about how to let his family know he was safe after returning to base, or writing a letter to the country girl he was already engaged to to boast about his extraordinary experience?!
But they all died!
If they weren't dead, how could they have just lain there motionless for dozens of hours?
After finally calming down from her excitement, Sun Jing sat motionless in her command chair, becoming a living fossil without any thoughts. There were seventy people on the entire submarine before departure, and now only twenty-six are still alive! And all they could do was wait quietly here.
One operator suddenly widened his eyes and said, "Our drainage tank system is also malfunctioning. Our submarine is slowly sinking, and now we've surfaced below fifty-five meters!" Now we have lost control of the submarine and cannot prevent it from continuing to sink! ”
Everyone remained silent. Not only had they lost all escape routes, but due to environmental restrictions, they couldn't restart the radio system. The submarine operated in radio silence. Even though the scheduled silence period had passed, searching for a submarine below the surface with no wires or markers in this vast ocean was like searching for a needle in a haystack!
Another operator murmured, "Sink, sink. When our submarine drops below its limit and exceeds the pressure limit, the submarine gets crushed and everyone is doomed. It's better than suffocating here to death." Our hydraulic oxygen and oxygen generators here won't last much longer! ”
"No, we can't give up, we can't die!" Sun Jing, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. Amid the nearly frenzied wailing, his voice was hoarse from crying. Hearing his low, hoarse voice, as if he was shouting with all his might, everyone present couldn't help but feel a sting in their noses.
"Our submarine is packed with experimental data that experts have risked their lives to bring back. These are data that can enhance our country's coastal defense capabilities and enhance the battlefield survivability of our submarine forces. We must preserve this data!" Sun Jing took out a small square gold box from her collar and hung it around her neck with a metal necklace. She said softly, "This contains all the data collected by those experts six hours ago. Our submarine can sink, but we must send this data back for the National Academy of Sciences to interpret!" Only by completing this task will the sacrifices of those experts and our brothers be meaningful! ”
Everyone stared at the small metal box in Sun Jing's hand—that data was bought at the cost of forty-four living lives!
"I've already thought it through. While there's still time, we have another way to escape from here!" Sun Jing raised her head, scanning everyone present with her blood-red eyes, and said in a deep voice, "We can still reach the torpedo launch chamber now. We can use the torpedo tubes to eject people from inside!" ”
Everyone stared blankly at Sun Jing, almost doubting their own ears. Sun Jing waved her hand and said in a deep voice, "I'm not crazy, bring me the map!" ”
An operator ran and spread a navigation map across the table. Sun Jing picked up the compass and set square and quickly calculated on the map. After a while, he exhaled deeply and said, "If everyone survives and escapes through the torpedo tubes, you only need to swim 25 kilometers west to reach the coast and deliver the data to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Then this operation will be a victory!" ”
"There were precedents of soldiers successfully escaping from torpedo tubes during World War II!" Sun Jing looked around at everyone present and said in a deep voice, "Since soldiers set precedents for us decades ago, why can't we Chinese soldiers do it?!" ”
Facing Sun Jing's pleading gaze, Zhan Xia Ge stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Sitting and waiting for death is not my creed. Not to mention the precedent of success, even if it means untold things, Brother Sun, I will gamble with you!" At worst, we could set out earlier and avoid worrying here. Fight to your heart's content, die in a dazzling death, and not live in vain at least once! ”
Huang Zhipeng also stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Count me in too. If I really fail, at least I'll be able to travel with Xiage on the journey!" Trying to survive in the face of death is better than foolishly waiting for death. If we wait for the submarine to sink another thirty or forty meters, even if we want to gamble, we won't have the chance! ”
With Zhan Xiagege and Huang Zhipeng leading the way, everyone silently nodded. They were right—seeking survival in the midst of death was better than sitting and waiting for death.
"Remember, after hearing the signal I sent, you must do everything you can to expel all the air in your lungs! After bouncing into the water, close your eyes tightly and control your breathing until you feel the momentum of your sprint has eased to the limit your body can tolerate, then you can open your eyes! ”
Sun Jing stood beside the torpedo tube, carefully reminding Huang Zhipeng, who was eager to be the first to dive in. Suddenly, he hugged Huang tightly and whispered, "I'm sorry, brother, take care!" ”
Huang Zhipeng nodded vigorously. Although his face was pale, he still turned to Zhan Xiagage and forced a smile. He smiled and said, "Company Commander, you always get ahead of me when I try anything daring. This time, I finally got to take the lead!" ”
Zhanxiage said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I'll be there to accompany you soon!" Remember, don't die before me! ”
Watching Huang Zhipeng climb into the torpedo tube, Zhan Xiagege gritted his teeth fiercely. The moment he heard Sun Jing's order, just as Huang Zhipeng had already exhaled all the air in his lungs, Zhan Xiagege suddenly let out a wild howl and personally flung his brother into the sea, launching him into a journey where life and death were uncertain.
Sun Jing carefully reminded everyone, saying the same words as everyone trying to climb into the torpedo tube: "Sorry, brother, take care!" ”
Every time she said something like that, the muscles on Sun Jing's face couldn't help but twitch. By the end, everyone could only see his lips moving up and down, and all they could hear was his uncontrollable sobs!
When only Zhan Xiaoge and Sun Jing were left in the submarine, Sun Jing made a gesture to invite him in. Zhan Xiaoge nodded and was about to dive into the torpedo tube, when his body suddenly froze. An absolute cold struck him instantly. Zhan Xiaoge trembled violently, even his body couldn't help but tremble. He stared at Sun Jing and shouted hoarsely, "Tell me, the automatic torpedo launch system can't be activated anymore. Someone must fire manually. How are you going to eject yourself?!" ”
"You don't need to worry about that. I'm the captain. I've worked in submarines for so many years, and this is my closest home. I'll always find a way out!"
"Sun Jing!" Zhanxiage roared, "Don't treat me like a child!" If you really have a way, tell me. I'll eject you first, then use the method you taught me to escape from here! ”
"Thud!"
Sun Jing knelt heavily before Zhan Xiaoge, staring at him with desperate eyes. He cried out, "Zhanxiage knows I can't fool you. I admit to you, one of us will go down with this submarine!" I am the captain of this submarine. Because of my mistake, I caused the deaths of so many brothers. Tell me, how can I face the families of those fallen brothers alive? Do you want me to stand before them and tell them that my eldest brother survived, that I, the supreme commander of the submarine, escaped back, but I can't even bring back those brothers' bodies? Battle Hero's Song, tell me, do you want me to live like a walking corpse, or do you want me to live with honor, dying like a real man, like a real man?! ”
"Song of the Hero, I beg you, grant me your wish!"
Sun Jing struck her head heavily against the submarine's hard metal panel, and the "thump thump" sound echoed fiercely inside the submarine's cabin, which had only two living people but forty-four martyrs.
Every echo was like a mighty hammer, striking Zhanxiage's chest hard. Every tear in Sun Jing's eyes was like the sharpest bullet, piercing Zhanxiage's heart.
Kneeling before him was a real man, a sword that would never bend! When such a man, such a man, such a man, kneels before him, the war hero sees a heart that is weeping blood, yet radiating the brightest, fieryst, most loyal soul without regret...... Military spirit!
Sun Jing gripped Zhan Xiage's hand tightly, gripping so hard that even Zhan Xia Ge cried out in pain. Sun Jing screamed wildly, "Zhan Xia Ge, if you really consider me a brother, then you have to live for me!" I believe you were born a soldier. As long as you are willing, you will surely become the best soldier. If you truly consider me a brother, then fulfill your duty as a soldier for me, repay the debt I owe my brothers, the loyalty I owe them, and the promises I owe them!! ”
Sun Jing's head slammed hard against the submarine's hard metal panel. Zhan Xiaoge's large hand swept past the corner of his eye. Suddenly, he let out a wild, wounded howl, like a lone wolf. Without looking back, he dove into the torpedo tube, shouting hoarsely, "I'm ready, launch!" ”
A white wave of air suddenly burst out from the submarine's torpedo tube. Zhanxiage closed his eyes tightly, doing his best to control his wide-open mouth and inhale. Tears kept seeping from the corners of his tightly shut eyes, mixing in the vast ocean of the world, impossible to tell apart.
Sun Jing slowly walked back to the command room. He straightened his uniform, gently wiped the stains from his knees, then carefully wiped the tears and blood from his face. He sat proudly at his command post, his expression so focused that it was as if he were commanding all the brothers on the submarine to launch the fiercest attack on the enemy!
Amid Sun Jing's repeated military and national anthems, the entire submarine slowly sank in, bit by bit, sinking, sinking......