60 Chapter 47 The Three Kingdoms Verbal War
The drone suddenly ascended, and both the South Korean Law Enforcement Boat and the Chinese Fishing Boat, which were engaged in a chase on the sea surface, spotted the drone.
The people aboard the Chinese Fishing Boat didn't pay much attention to military matters and didn't recognize what kind of aircraft it was, nor did they know which country the aircraft belonged to since it bore no identifiable markings.
However, the crew of the South Korean Law Enforcement Boat recognized it almost immediately as a Predator Drone from the US Army, a sight they were accustomed to seeing in South Korean Airspace. What puzzled them, though, was why a US military drone would be in this territorial waters and why there were no US military insignias on the aircraft.
The drone climbed to a higher altitude and began to dive toward the South Korean Law Enforcement Boat. An anti-tank missile suddenly detached from under the wing, ignited midair, and, trailing flames, headed straight toward the law enforcement boat below.
The South Korean boat, initially surprised by the sudden appearance of the US military drone, found itself under attack as the drone dove at them and then shockingly fired a missile. When they realized their own vessel was the target of the missile attack, the South Koreans were utterly shocked.
In the South Koreans' minds, the US Army was naturally their ally, a powerful support they could count on. They believed they would stand together against all enemies, but why was a US drone attacking them today?
The anti-tank missile arched through the air and hit the lead South Korean Law Enforcement Boat hard. The vessel shook upon impact, then exploded violently. As the ship was torn in two amidst the fiery blast, massive amounts of sea water rushed in, and both halves quickly sank to the ocean floor.
From the moment it was hit, the boat sank completely in just ten seconds. The brevity of this timespan meant that not a single crew member was able to abandon the ship, and all perished with the vessel beneath the waves.
The remaining two South Korean law enforcement boats were left dumbfounded. Even as they witnessed the event with their own eyes, they still couldn't believe what they were seeing. Surely the US military drone wouldn't attack them. Could they be seeing things? After all, they had the South Korean flag hanging on their ship; they were supposed to be on the same side!
The drone's attack, broadcast live by an internet live-streamer, was watched by netizens from China who immediately recognized the Predator Drone of the US Army. Just as they were speculating whether the sudden appearance of the US drone would complicate the situation further, the drone launched an attack on the South Korean law enforcement boat and struck it down in a single blow.
Witnessing this unexpected outcome, the people from China were just as bewildered as the South Koreans. What exactly was happening? Could the arrogant US military have suddenly developed a conscience and, out of disdain for the South Koreans bullying others, decided to take the stand for justice...
Yan Fei didn't demonstrate the drone's hovering capability, but instead made it execute a turn in the distant sky before flying back. Then, another anti-tank missile under the wing ignited and headed toward another South Korean law enforcement boat. Through a predictable course of events, that vessel, too, was hit by the anti-tank missile, exploded, took on water, and sank. But having learned from the first boat's fate, the South Koreans on board prepared themselves and abandoned the ship before the missile could strike, miraculously escaping from the sinking law enforcement boat.
The third law enforcement boat, having seen its two counterparts ruthlessly sunk by the US military drone, was gripped by boundless fear. They quickly attempted to contact their headquarters. Unfortunately, before they could fully report the situation, the drone commenced its third wave of attack.
An anti-tank missile was launched once again, striking the final law enforcement boat and sinking it completely. Fortunately, the crew, sensing the danger early, jumped into the water ahead of time, sparing themselves a watery grave.
With that, all three South Korean law enforcement boats were sunk by the drone. The only solace for the South Koreans was that, apart from the first boat, the crews of the other two vessels were able to escape.
The entire incident, from the appearance of the drone to the start of the attack and the sinking of the law enforcement boats, was captured by the live-streaming anchor's camera and was watched live by domestic audiences from beginning to end. The realistic depiction of the war scene left viewers stunned. Before they could even process what had happened, the drone turned and flew eastward, disappearing into the grey sky.
As for the live audience, still reeling from the profound shock of the attack, the drone lowered its altitude after leaving the camera's view and flew close to the sea surface. The color of the drone was very similar to the sea water, making it virtually invisible from above.
Once the drone was a sufficient distance from the incident scene, it hid beneath a dense cloud before nosediving into the ocean, where it proceeded to navigate underwater, changing course to head back to Shanghai.
Yan Fei's disappearance immediately raised a tumultuous uproar. When the mysterious drone had first appeared in the territorial waters and launched missile attacks, radars from China, South Korea, the United States, and even Japan to the east had detected it and kept a constant lock. However, after the drone completed its attack and left the scene, lowering its flight altitude, it mysteriously vanished from radar screens.