My Items Have an Upgrade Panel

Chapter 171 - 171: Old Feng, I Need Your Help (Part 1)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The captain of the Japanese submarine and its crew were left dumbfounded.

The submarine was cruising smoothly, when suddenly, without warning, the rudder vanished.

Was this a supernatural occurrence?

A quick check of the water pressure confirmed they were indeed 300 meters beneath the surface.

Gulp!

A gulp of saliva slid down their throats.

The Japanese submarine captain shouted, “Activate the active sonar! Report our situation to headquarters!”

“Hai!”

Several Japanese crewmen immediately nodded.

With the activation of the active sonar, they discovered a mysterious sight: a group of deep-sea phantoms, gracefully circling their submarine at an eerie pace.

What on earth?

Upon seeing the sonar readings, a shiver ran down the spines of every Japanese crewman.

They had mistaken frogman troops for deep-sea spirits.

But there was no choice.

The frogman soldiers were equipped with underwater propulsion systems using magnetic fluid dynamics. Their start and stop times were lightning-fast. So, on the sonar, they might be on the left one moment, and the next moment on the right, a truly spine-chilling experience.

“Captain, what should we do now?”

“We await orders from headquarters.”

The captain clenched his teeth. In terms of tenacity, the Japanese were indeed tougher than the Americans.

The Americans had surfaced immediately after having their propellers removed the last time.

However, the Japanese crew, despite their missing rudder, gritted their teeth and endured, waiting for orders.

Outside the submarine.

After the rudder was detached, the frogman team started circling the vessel, keen to observe this latest addition to Japan’s fleet.

“Captain, should we inspect the submarine’s insides for them?” asked one frogman.

“Don’t get involved. Removing the rudder is enough. They’ll definitely have to surface. Just observe, but don’t interfere. If you accidentally sink them, it’ll be hard to explain.”

The captain calmly advised; he couldn’t afford to lose his composure like the rest of his team. Sinking the Japanese submarine was not his intention.

Sinking a submarine brought no benefits. The best way to deal with one was to force it to surface, then help with the repairs. It was the most profitable and sensible approach.

After letting the team have some fun, the captain finally called them back.

Their mission for the night was far from over.

Japan’s submarine wasn’t the big catch they were aiming for; they were hoping to capture an Ohio-class Blackfish.

Back inside their smaller submarine, the hatch sealed shut.

The water slowly drained from the compartment.

As they removed their helmets, every face was adorned with smiles.

Their frogman team had just pulled off a remarkable feat.

Despite the diminishing role of frogman teams due to modern military technology, their upgraded equipment had revitalized their prowess.

Removing the rudder of an enemy submarine at a depth of 300 meters wasn’t merely a slap in the face—it was a relentless, ferocious barrage.

The key was, there was nothing the enemy could do. As long as they couldn’t locate the Japanese sub, the frogman team could roam the ocean floor, and perhaps even appear at your doorstep.

A dozen minutes later, the Great Whale received orders from headquarters to surface.

Upon receiving the command, the captain ordered the ascent.

With no rudder, the submarine rose straight up.

As they reached the shallower waters, the Japanese peered through the periscope and saw several warships on the surface.

The searchlights illuminated the area they were ascending through, turning it into a bright day.

Under such lighting conditions, their ascent would undoubtedly reveal every scratch on the submarine’s hull, visible to the soldiers on the warships.

Through the sonar equipment, they could also hear the sound of helicopter rotor blades above.

There was no need to guess; these were anti-submarine helicopters.

Duang!

Just as their submarine broke the surface, a sonar buoy landed directly on its hull.

The pilot who dropped the sonar buoy was taken aback.

He swore he hadn’t done it on purpose.

Primarily, he saw that the Japanese submarine was only ten meters from the surface, lingering and observing without surfacing.

So, he decided to toss a sonar buoy as a reminder to surface quickly.

For a submarine with no rudder, still dawdling there, no matter how much you observe, it’s pointless.

Across the ocean, in a command center, a large screen displayed the situation in the area where the Japanese submarine surfaced.

The image quality was somewhat lacking, clearly satellite footage.

Despite the suboptimal quality, it was still possible to witness the Japanese submarine surfacing from the seafloor, surrounded by Chinese warships.

There was even a helicopter tossing debris onto the sub.

“According to the information we received from the Japanese, their Great Whale submarine suddenly lost its rudder and the ability to steer, forcing them to surface.”

“Considering their account, we can reflect on our submarines’ encounters in the South China Sea. It seems eerily similar to what happened to the Japanese submarine.”

“After we towed that Sea Wolf-class submarine back, experts found that the propeller shaft wasn’t naturally damaged but had been deliberately severed.”

“Adding today’s experience with the French submarine, we can now confidently say that the Chinese have developed a deep-sea combat drone. However, we currently lack details about this drone..”