NOVEL WEB Chapter 034 – Patriotic Youth
Having arranged to meet Gu Nan in Shanghai, Zhao Zhao returned to the bow of the ship to continue observing the seabed. After scanning the area and finding nothing of interest, she noticed that the largest creature around was Siren. Upon closer inspection, she realized Siren was near the reef island, scratching itself on a large, algae-covered rock. Smart creature—it knew how to avoid getting hurt.
Looking more closely, Zhao Zhao spotted several large sea snails on the reef. These were common in the market and quite sizable.
Sea snails could sell for 30 yuan per jin this season, though they tend to weigh a lot. After finding yellowfin tuna, she now had a second target. The crew eagerly dived in to collect the sea snails, motivated by the fact that their earnings depended on the catch. They were more enthusiastic than Zhao Zhao herself.
Perched at the bow, Yaoguang pointed out a direction. "Southeast, there's a ship on the seabed."
A ship on the seabed?
A sunken ship?
Sunken ship equals treasure!
Her mind raced. Could this be an unexpected windfall?
She quickly asked, "Is it wooden? How long is it? Are there any antiques? That area is international waters, right?" Yaoguang’s next words dashed her hopes.
"It's iron! About ten meters."
Iron? That meant a modern, small sunken boat.
Given that her father was lost at sea, Zhao Zhao was particularly concerned about this potentially modern sunken ship. She sat down to meditate for a bit, gathering spiritual energy into her eyes, and looked in the direction Yaoguang indicated.
This?
An iron sunken ship?
Lord Yaoguang was indeed clueless. Last time, it directed her to a supposed rare bird which turned out to be a common species!
This wasn’t a sunken ship—it was a submarine!
And it didn’t seem to belong to China. If she wasn’t mistaken, the emblem on its tail indicated it was a New Zealand Navy submarine.
Zhao Zhao quickly checked the ship's location in the pilothouse. They were still within China’s territorial waters, and the submarine was at the boundary. She searched her phone for relevant news—no military exercises or passages were mentioned.
This meant the New Zealand Navy had stealthily approached China’s territorial waters, likely with ill intentions. Claiming innocent passage would be hard to believe.
As New Zealand is a primary adversary of China in the international arena, Zhao Zhao, the patriotic youth, decided to give them a push.
The submarine looked sleek and new, like a modern model. If confiscated, it could make a great exhibit at the Chinese Navy Museum. Since it was here, it shouldn’t leave!
Zhao Zhao decided to push New Zealand a bit, confiscate the submarine, and solidify the claim of violating territorial waters.
Zhao Zhao told Xiong Quan that she was going to find fish with Siren and instructed him to pick her up later at the specified location.
Calling Siren over, she jumped into the water. The crew members on the surface were stunned to see her and Yaoguang riding the killer whale.
The bracelet from Yaoguang's domain allowed her to stay dry while riding Siren underwater. Reaching the area, Zhao Zhao feared the submarine might detect them, so she removed the bracelet and tied it to Siren's tail, directing Siren forward while she and Yaoguang entered the water.
When Siren reached the back of the submarine, Zhao Zhao emerged from Yaoguang's domain and used all her strength to unleash the fourth level of the water manipulation technique, "Azure Sea Rising Tide," to push the submarine toward the Chinese coastline.
The people in the submarine were likely bewildered as the once calm seabed, 120 meters deep, suddenly erupted into massive waves, sweeping the submarine away. The four unprepared crew members inside were thrown around, crashing into each other.
"Seaquake! Seaquake!"
"Oh, no!!!"
"Tsunami?"
Zhao Zhao did not hold back with her attack. To ensure the submarine was pushed far enough, she even consumed an Earth Vein Fruit, sparing no expense.
The submarine was tossed around for a long time, crashing headfirst into a reef, flipping multiple times, deforming its tail fins, and finally capsizing on the seabed, ending its intrusive journey.
When everything calmed down, Zhao Zhao closely examined the submarine. The four people inside were motionless, and the submarine's exterior was mostly intact, indicating its high quality. The streamlined shape helped reduce resistance significantly.
Seeing that the submarine wouldn't be able to move anytime soon, Zhao Zhao estimated the distance and confirmed it had entered Chinese territorial waters—perfect.
The submarine's current position made it unlikely for the crew inside to escape. Zhao Zhao didn't care if they were dead or alive. Given New Zealand's history as an invader and current primary adversary, she felt no sympathy. They came here with ill intentions, so they deserved their fate.
Siren leisurely carried her back to the area above the submarine. Zhao Zhao activated the locator, and within about thirty minutes, Yaoguang arrived.
It was crucial to report this quickly, as who knew if the people inside had sent out a distress signal.
As Zhao Zhao climbed the ladder, Xiong Haiming eagerly asked, "What kind of fish did you find this time?" He was now genuinely impressed with his niece. A killer whale that obeyed her like a dog meant they had the ultimate marine hunter on their side, making it unlikely they would fail to catch fish.
"This time, no fish. I found something else. I need to check the pilothouse."
Checking the coordinates in the pilothouse, Zhao Zhao confirmed they were well within Chinese territorial waters, far from the boundary.
Estimating the original position, Zhao Zhao felt New Zealand wasn't wrongly accused. They had stealthily entered the edge of the territorial waters. Normally, they could claim innocent passage, but Zhao Zhao's intervention made it a clear-cut case of intrusion.
No one takes a detour through someone's yard at night without the intent to steal. Similarly, a submarine on the seabed was like wearing black clothes and sneaking through someone's yard at midnight.
Zhao Zhao logged onto a well-known domestic military forum and searched for information on New Zealand naval submarines.
After a short while, she found it—a blurry image claimed to be a spy shot matched the submarine lying on the seabed. It was said to be a new type of nuclear submarine launched by New Zealand last year, with its main functions unknown.
Huh? A new model? This might actually be valuable.
Without hesitation, Zhao Zhao called the Coast Guard, instructing Yaoguang to keep an eye on the submarine. When the call connected, not only were the four people in the pilothouse bewildered, but the operator on the other end was also stunned.
Operator: This is interesting. Who would dare make such a joke? This is ridiculous.
Zhao Zhao repeated herself, "Let me report the coordinates again. This is East Longitude xxx, North Latitude xxx. We were fishing here. Our ship's name is Yaoguang, registration number Chongyu 46563337. I found a suspected foreign military submarine in the sea. Notify the navy. Don't come yourself; you can't handle it. Have them bring salvage equipment."
The operator firmly asked again, "Ma'am, you know this kind of joke isn't something you can just make. If we notify the military and this turns out to be false, no one can bear that responsibility. Falsely reporting an incident is illegal and can result in criminal charges, you know that, right?"
"I’ve already provided our fishing boat's information. Check it. If it’s a false alarm, come and arrest me directly. You can also have the military contact me." As a patriotic citizen, it was frustrating that no one believed her report. Granted, it did sound a bit outrageous.
After multiple confirmations that she was willing to take responsibility for a false alarm, they hung up to verify the information.
In the pilothouse, apart from her, there were four others: Xiong Quan, Rao Jianyang, Da Linzi, and Xiong Haiming, all staring at her intently.
Da Linzi couldn't hold it in any longer and asked directly, "Zhao Zhao, is there really a foreign submarine?"
"Why would I lie to the Coast Guard? There’s really a foreign submarine in the sea, likely military. Just know this and don't tell anyone else. Xiong Quan, back the boat away a bit. This spot is right above it. We don’t want the military finding us parked on top of a nuclear submarine. Uncle Haiming, tell the crew to rest now, make up an excuse, and ensure no one goes into the water. Alright, let’s move!"
No one moved.
Xiong Quan, feeling this was surreal, stuttered, “Nu-nuclear... submarine? Will two hundred meters be enough?”
Rao Jianyang, having recently retired, understood the seriousness of this more than anyone. The New Zealand military had stealthily entered their territory, and this was no small matter. Seeing everyone’s seriousness, he reassured, “It’s a nuclear submarine, not a nuclear missile. It’s fine. But, how did you know it’s a nuclear submarine?” he asked Zhao Zhao.
"I found a similar image online. I might be guessing." She shrugged.
Xiong Haiming, worried, asked, “Do we have to keep watch?”
"Don’t worry, I think they’re too damaged to move. We just need to keep an eye out and not go into the water."
Da Linzi, being a fearless young man, was visibly excited. He grabbed Gun Gun, who was running around, and gave him a few pats. "I'll stay here then, won't go out. I'm afraid I can't keep my mouth shut. Won't the Coast Guard reward us with a bravery award later?"
"Yeah, and maybe a commendation for finding lost treasure too. When they give out the banner, it'll definitely be for you," Zhao Zhao replied, rolling her eyes.