On a nuclear submarine.

After trying various methods, the crew had no choice but to give up on their self-rescue and anxiously awaited the final outcome.

Suddenly, a slight sound came, and a colorless and odorless gas began to quietly flow into each cabin through the air circulation system.

Within ten minutes, the crew members began to feel dizzy and weak, and then one by one they lost consciousness.

Outside, dozens of engineering robots clung to the submarine, slowly propelling it forward into the depths of the trench.

Before long, the nuclear submarine disappeared into the dark seabed.

"Say it again, the nuclear submarine Kanglie has lost contact?"

Inside the command center of the US aircraft carrier, the commander of this exercise, Aquilino, suddenly turned around and looked sternly at the communications officer who came to report.

"Yes, Commander, the Kanglie was supposed to contact headquarters half an hour ago, but we haven't been able to reach it yet. We've tried everything, but we still can't get in touch with the Kanglie," the communications soldier reported ramrod straight.

“Continue calling the Conlie,” Aquililo said calmly.

After the communications officer left, Aquilino could no longer keep his composure. The disappearance of a nuclear submarine was no small matter; even as the commander of the Pacific Fleet, he couldn't hide it. He had to report it to the White House immediately, or he would face a court-martial.

He picked up the red landline on the table and dialed the White House.

White House,

The high-ranking American official, who had been urgently summoned, listened to the entire incident report and his expression became extremely grave.

The conference room was filled with a sense of oppression and tension.

"Everyone, what should we do now?" Biden, sitting in the main seat, scanned the room and asked with a grim expression.

His question echoed in the conference room, but no one dared to answer it easily. The high-ranking American officials present all lowered their heads, and none of them dared to offer any suggestions.

Biden was furious. He glared at these high-ranking officials who were usually so eloquent and argumentative, and demanded, "Why are you all silent? You're usually so eager to argue, but now you've all become mute?"

A deathly silence fell over the conference room. Everyone was thinking to themselves, "Usually, arguments are just about interests, but this is a nuclear submarine. One wrong suggestion could mean planting mushroom shells on each other and destroying the world. Who dares to say no?"

Seeing that no one spoke, Bai Deng turned his gaze to Secretary of Defense Mike, "You're the Secretary of Defense, what do you think we should do now?"

Knowing he couldn't refuse after being singled out by the president, Mike could only say helplessly, "The nuclear submarine has just lost contact, so it's hard to be sure what happened. It might just be a communication failure. I suggest we wait for more news."

"Wait a minute, how long?" Bai Deng pressed on, not letting him off the hook.

"This~"

Mike hesitated, unsure how long he would have to wait. But in his haste, a thought struck him, and he remembered a similar incident. He quickly said, "Decades ago, when we were engaged in a military struggle with the Red Alliance, the predecessor of the Russian Federation, a nuclear submarine also went missing. I suggest we refer to the handling methods used back then."

"Yes, that's one way."

After pondering for a moment, Bai Deng asked, "Does anyone have any other ideas?"

"General Mike's suggestion is excellent, I agree."

I agree.

The high-ranking officials present all nodded in agreement.

Seeing that no one objected, Biden ordered, "Then let's follow the same procedure as last time. Wait 48 hours, and at the same time, conduct a thorough search centered on the last known location of the Camry!"

"If the Camry is still not contacted after 48 hours, then announce to the public that the nuclear submarine is missing, and at the same time, request all countries to provide clues."

"Will the exercises in the South China Sea continue? We are still in a standoff, and it's easy to misjudge the situation," an official asked in a low voice.

Biden glared at the official as if he were an idiot and roared, "With such a huge incident, Earth might be doomed, what's the point of this exercise?!"

"What about the Nansha Bay nuclear fusion reactor? Are we just going to watch it continue operating?" the U.S. Energy Secretary asked somewhat reluctantly.

Biden pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to Commerce Secretary Monteredo and said, "Since force cannot solve the problem, the only option is to resolve it through diplomacy or commercial negotiations. Ms. Monteredo, you were recently humiliated by China. You can use this as an opportunity to threaten sanctions and force them to share nuclear fusion reactor technology."

"Alright, Mr. President, I'll do my best." Retmondo's expression changed slightly, and she reluctantly agreed, feeling that she was about to get herself into trouble again!

"Then let's stop the exercise, everyone do your job, get through this crisis, meeting adjourned!" Biden concluded.

Following the conclusion of the White House emergency meeting, the order to suspend exercises in the South China Sea and focus all efforts on the search and rescue of the USS Cornell nuclear submarine was relayed to the Pacific Fleet Command.

Upon receiving the order, Aquilino dared not delay and immediately ordered the fleet to halt its advance and dispatch all ships to search for the nuclear submarine, the Camille.

Meanwhile, in the command center of China's aircraft carrier, a group of staff officers were discussing among themselves around a sand table.

"What is the US doing? They've stopped advancing, all their ships are scattered, and all their aircraft have been deployed. What are they trying to do?"

"Judging from their formation, it's a bit chaotic and doesn't look like a battle formation. Instead, it looks like they're searching for something."

"Hmph, what could they possibly be looking for in the South China Sea? Could it be that one of our fishermen has found some of their important equipment again?"

"You know what, it's actually possible. We should contact the coastal police department right away and ask if any fishermen have claimed their rewards recently."

"Put that aside for now, how should we deal with this situation?"

"Since the US military's current formation is not a combat formation, let's remain on high alert and have all units keep a close watch. We must not let our guard down."

"This is the only way; we must remain unchanged in the face of all changes."

Soon, the staff officers' analysis and suggestions were delivered to the Chinese commander's desk, and he nodded in approval.

Soon, the order to suspend the exercise and maintain combat readiness was issued to all combat units.

And so, the two massive naval fleets fell into an eerie silence over this small area of ​​the South China Sea.

The tense atmosphere that had been on the verge of conflict suddenly calmed down, making it feel unreal.

For a time, the countries on Earth that had been watching this military exercise and preparing to watch the drama unfold were completely astonished, as they had been hoping for a showdown between the US and China!