Chapter 145: Alien Spaceship

With a wicked smile, he gave a wave of his hand.

Several heroic spirits, blades in hand, stepped forward.

"What do you want?" Hans panicked.

"No... No..."

"Ah!"

Half an hour later, a figure stained a vivid crimson was bound with ropes and tossed into the ocean, the other end of the rope secured tightly to the stern of the ship.

They still needed to wait and see the outcome.

They could not afford any melodramatic clichés where a villain managed to escape, only to return decades later seeking revenge.

Hans struggled in the water for a few minutes, kicking up a flurry of splashes.

Soon, all movement ceased.

A member of the combat division approached Yun Lengyue to report:

"Report, can we retrieve our detector now?"

Yun Lengyue nodded. "Retrieve it. Hopefully, we won't ever need to use it again."

The team member pressed the remote control in his hand, and the indicator light began to flash.

Immediately afterward, a faint mechanical sound rang out.

"Clank!"

The sound resembled metal gears turning slowly.

The mast of the ghost ship collapsed, and the cabin folded rapidly like a Transformer, shrinking into a tiny, thin disc.

It slipped into the water and vanished without a trace.

A short while later, ten scouts returned one by one.

"How did it go?" Yun Lengyue asked anxiously.

The scouts dropped to one knee.

"Your subordinates are incompetent; we failed to breach the interior of that spacecraft."

Yun Lengyue frowned, perplexed.

"You didn't get in? How is that possible? Aren't you all spirits? Can't you pass through walls?"

"Your subordinate does not know the reason either. The outer shell of that object is simply too hard and too thick."

All the scouts shared this exact impression.

"That is strange!"

Unwilling to give up, Yun Lengyue asked, "What about the miniature cameras installed on you?"

Fortunately, they were all still there!

Yun Lengyue helped them remove the cameras and hurried back to her vessel, where a technician played the recorded footage on a computer.

Though she had already prepared herself mentally.

When the spacecraft finally appeared on screen, everyone gasped in astonishment.

The object resembled a straw hat and spanned an area as large as two soccer fields.

Yun Lengyue transmitted the video data back to the headquarters in China.

After analyzing the footage, the technicians at headquarters sent back their conclusion.

Judging by its exterior, the spacecraft appeared to be equipped with anti-nuclear radiation functions.

Yun Lengyue did not report to headquarters that the footage had been captured by spirits.

Nor could they explain why spirits were unable to enter.

They had no choice but to seek alternative methods.

At that moment, another message suddenly arrived from headquarters.

[There are people inside that spacecraft! Comrade Yun, if conditions permit, please send someone to infiltrate quietly and copy the data.]

As it turned out, while reviewing the video recorded by the tenth scout, they had discovered some minor clues.

This placed Yun Lengyue in a difficult position.

If there really were people inside, given the defensive systems present, combat team members would likely be detected before even managing to get in.

It would still be best to have spirits carry out the mission.

"Xiaonan, headquarters insists that we find a way in."

Yun Lengyue bit her lip and asked, "Can we think of a way to let the heroic spirits enter smoothly?"

"If there are people inside, there will certainly be times when they come out. When they open the door, couldn't our people just slip in right behind them?"

Gu Xiangnan suggested.

Yun Lengyue frowned and asked:

"But how can we possibly know when they will come out?"

"Perhaps..." Gu Xiangnan wore a cunning smile, "we can force them to come out."

"Force them?"

"Precisely! If there are truly people in there, they must account for the basic survival needs of human life."

"For instance, breathing!"

Having received professional military training, Yun Lengyue caught on immediately.

To stay alive, humans require oxygen.

However, Gu Xiangnan did not really understand military matters.

Yun Lengyue dismissed the idea:

"Xiaonan, I am not entirely familiar with spacecraft. But if we draw an analogy to nuclear submarines, they possess specialized oxygen-generation equipment that can electrolyze seawater to produce oxygen."

"Supporting a hundred people living inside for months is not a problem!"

"Even if the oxygen-generation equipment malfunctions, the vessel carries oxygen candles for emergencies."

To her surprise, Gu Xiangnan countered:

"Let's look at it from another angle. We can't tamper with the oxygen being inhaled, but what about the carbon dioxide being exhaled?"

"Master taught us chemistry up on the mountain. An excess of carbon dioxide is harmful to the human body!"

Yun Lengyue had a sudden flash of insight.

She immediately summoned the combat team's military expert, and the two of them studied the submarine blueprints for a long time.

Finally, Yun Lengyue told Gu Xiangnan with excitement:

"Xiaonan, you really are something. Following your line of reasoning actually works."

On a submarine, chemical agents are used to absorb and store carbon dioxide.

Once a certain concentration is reached, it is discharged into the surrounding ocean.

"As long as we block the carbon dioxide exhaust vent, the personnel inside will definitely have to come out to make repairs. The heroic spirits can then follow them right inside."

Elated, Gu Xiangnan quickly called Han Fei inside.

The two of them explained the plan to Han Fei.

Han Fei deemed the difficulty of the mission manageable and believed it could be accomplished.

Then, he raised a new question:

"Once our people get inside, what should they do? Is killing required?"

Yun Lengyue pondered for a moment. "If there are people in there, in all likelihood they are merely scientists. There is no need to kill!"

"The most important objective is to find their research data and transmit it back."

Han Fei looked completely bewildered:

"What is data? And where is it transmitted back from? Is it carrier pigeon messaging?"

Although Han Fei frequently watched military channels and understood weapons that fired real bullets and shells,

the data stored on a computer felt far too ethereal.

It was genuinely difficult for him to comprehend.

Yun Lengyue felt a slight headache coming on, unsure of where to even begin her explanation.

A thought suddenly occurred to Gu Xiangnan.

"General Han, I recall there being a pilot among the undead legion. Can we assign this mission to him?"

"You mean Wang Wei?"

Han Fei recalled him almost instantly, as he had left a deep impression on him.

"Yes, exactly!" Gu Xiangnan nodded repeatedly.

Han Fei summoned him forth directly.

Dressed in a pilot's uniform, Wang Wei appeared before the group.

Yun Lengyue was suddenly overcome with emotion.

She snapped to attention and saluted in one fluid motion.

"Comrade Wang Wei, I am Yun Lengyue of the Northern Frontier Combat Team."

"It is an immense honor to see you again!"

Her eyes welled with tears.

In the year 2000, a reconnaissance aircraft from the United States entered Chinese airspace.

Wang Wei, on a flight mission, tracked and monitored it.

Unexpectedly, the American aircraft suddenly veered sharply and rammed into his plane.

The tail fin of the aircraft piloted by Wang Wei was shattered into pieces, and his fighter jet plummeted into a steep dive.

Following orders, he ejected and perished in the sea.

Yun Lengyue was, of course, well-versed in Wang Wei's heroic deeds.

Spanning two decades of time and space, Yun Lengyue had actually laid eyes on this legendary hero once more.

How could she not be moved?

Seeing her deep emotion, though he did not recognize her, Wang Wei felt profoundly inspired.

"Comrade Yun Lengyue, hello! Please issue your orders for the mission!"

Wiping away her tears, Yun Lengyue regained her composure as a calm female god of war.

She clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention.

Then she explained the upcoming mission plan in detail.

"Wang Wei, you need to dive into the ocean and block the carbon dioxide exhaust vent on the submarine."

"Then wait patiently. Once the personnel inside come out to make repairs, you will follow them right inside. Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

Yun Lengyue produced a miniature USB flash drive.

"And then, insert this into the machine."