But how could the firepower of the Jihuo ship be enough to take down a real submarine, let alone these semi-submersible ships and fake submarines?
Let alone the 88mm deck gun, there's not even enough space to install a twin 20mm anti-aircraft gun in the tiny area above the water; at most, you could fit an M2 Lao Gan Ma.
This type of firepower can be dealt with by unmanned combat boats without the need for the dock mothership to take action.
But it's best to bring all the items from the boat up, without missing a single one, since they're hard currency in DEA's country.
"Report, suspected target detected! Location..."
A few hours later, the pilot of flight crew B reported the situation to Zhao Yanshou.
"It's not far from us, let's increase the multiplier."
Old Zhao immediately ran over and said while staring at the screen.
In the image transmitted back by the scanning eagle's white light CCD channel, two snorkels extended out of the sea one after the other, heading towards North America.
"The unmanned combat boat is fast; your team should intercept it first."
After confirming that these were the targets and that there were two more, he turned to the crew of the combat boats and spoke to them.
The JARI-USV multi-purpose unmanned combat vessel, which was further away, caught up with the two cargo submarines of CJNJ at a faster speed.
"Knock knock knock"
The pleasant low hum of the machine gun rang out, and shells landed on the sea near the two targets, stirring up plumes of water.
"Damn it, we've been spotted. Rise up and fight back. Once we've repelled them, we'll retreat."
Upon noticing the movement on the sea, the leader of the escort boat decisively issued an order.
Yes, they haven't lost yet. The Bigfoot submarine is a converted semi-submersible vessel, and it travels very slowly underwater, only 8 to 10 knots.
As long as we can fool the radar and sonar, it doesn't matter if it's slow!
Now that they've been discovered, the most important thing is to surface and run away as soon as possible. Once on the surface, the engine will have enough air intake, and the speed can reach nearly 50 knots, which is not much slower than a large aircraft.
Unfortunately, this idea was particularly difficult to work with, as they ran into Jihuo Defense's Asian branch.
"Knock knock knock"
As the two Bigfoot submarines surfaced one after the other, a fearless machine gunner emerged from each one. Facing the shells from the unmanned combat boat, the gunner untied the waterproof cloth covering the two Browning heavy machine guns, loaded the bullets, and opened fire on the other side.
"Buzz"
At the same time, the two boats, running at full power, sped off in opposite directions, trying to shake off the enemy behind them and find an opportunity to surface.
In their panic, they had no idea that the people controlling the unmanned combat boats were trying to drive them in this direction, plunging them into the open pocket of the Jihuo ship.
"Look! It's a warship!"
After traveling less than ten nautical miles, the crew of CJNJ's escort boat discovered to their horror that they had not shaken off their pursuers but had instead stumbled into a wolf's den.
What should they do now?
"Thump"
The 76mm gun on the bow of the Jihuo ship fired first, exploding on the sea surface between the two bigfoot submarines, sending up a high column of water that soaked them.
"Quick, let's sink the ship!"
Seeing that there was no way to escape this time, the team leader immediately gave the order to sink the ship.
This is international waters. Without evidence, there's still room for maneuver, but being caught red-handed is the real threat.
When the "sea valve" added during the modification was opened, a large amount of seawater rushed into the semi-submarine, and the hull began to tilt and submerge.
"They really did want to destroy the evidence, but they were unlucky to run into our concentrated defense."
Zhao Yanshou said in an icy tone.
Fortunately, the boss bought a dock landing ship; otherwise, he would have been completely at a loss in this situation.
However, the well deck, with its dual passageways at the front and rear, spacious interior, and dry-wet separation, gives the Jihuo ship even more possibilities.
The Mustang hovercraft rushed out of the open stern hatch and arrived at the shipwreck site first, rescuing and securing all the dozen or so CJNJ members. The dock ship followed.
What are these Asians who look like navy personnel but aren't trying to do?
Just as this group of soaked men were trying to figure out what was going on, they saw that the dock landing ship had professional salvage equipment extending deep into the sea from its stern deck.
This, this, this isn't right!
There's nothing wrong with it. Jihuo Defense Asia Branch and Wuerkan Deep Sea Exploration Company are sister companies owned by the same boss, so it's perfectly normal for them to upgrade the ocean salvage capabilities of the Jihuo.
Two large submarines, which had sunk less than 50 meters into the sea, were salvaged right before the eyes of these CJNJ militants, turning what was originally just a capture of people into a capture with both the people and the stolen goods.
But the story didn't end there. On their way to the dry dock, they saw one, two... a total of five main battle tanks and several containers.
Could this equipment and supplies be intended to deal with them, CJNJ?
The guess was quite accurate. The drug cartel's strength wasn't worth the full effort of the defense, but unfortunately, the client had given too much. Xia Yu would feel embarrassed if he didn't commit all his armored units.
Of course, with main battle tanks serving as shields, the digital teams and village protection squads are safer, not to mention the coaxial machine guns and remote weapon stations that act as mobile firing points.
As for the 120mm and 125mm tank guns, their firepower was somewhat excessive, and they only carried a small amount of spare ammunition this time.
"Calling Huangyou, this is Jihuo. We have recovered all personnel and cargo. Shall we proceed to the next phase of the delivery operation?"
Old Zhao contacted Xia Yu to ask for instructions.
"Well done. Deliver to the designated location at 10 p.m. tonight."
"Yes, boss!"
After opening the bow sluice gate and recovering the unmanned combat boat, the Jihuo turned south and sailed until, under the cover of night, it arrived at a secluded beach on the border of Sinaloa and Nayarit states.
Since it's not a tank landing ship, the Jihuo can't be beached and deployed, but fortunately, there are Mustang hovercraft for transfer.
"Impressive, Mr. Sherlock, your company is truly impressive. The equipment for the army, navy, and air force is incredibly comprehensive."
Seeing the Mustang propelled a Leclerc UAE ashore by the wind, Eric found it hard to believe that DEA was working with a PMC company.
"Only comprehensive equipment can better solve problems for customers; human resources have their limits."
Xia Yu explained his business philosophy: Ji Huo Defense and its tens of thousands of employees are not on the same track.
"You're right, but it's unavoidable that it's a capital-intensive business. Mr. Sherlock probably has a lot of his profits tied up in these equipment."
As the deputy director of DEA, Eric has a good eye for talent.
"It's definitely asset-heavy, but the profits are much better than manufacturing, only slightly worse than the financial industry."
Because the Ma family needed equipment, they were willing to accept that their newly established PMC company wasn't profitable, or even that it would lose money. However, Jihuo Defense was actually quite profitable on the surface, coupled with the funds saved from system maintenance and the sideline arms trading.
Even though the museum's money-printing machine has temporarily stopped, Xia Yu is not greatly affected.
Moreover, the targets of this crackdown were drug cartels, whose abundant cash flow was a valuable addition to the spoils of war.
However, Xia Yu also owns 30% of the new company owned by the Márquez father and son. As a partner, he hopes that the company will be profitable, and preferably make more money.
This means that Eric's assistance is indispensable, which is why Boss Xia and Eric are speaking frankly to each other here.
“I’m getting a bit old. Even if my performance this time gets me a promotion, I’ll only be able to stay for a few years before I have to retire.”
Eric didn't beat around the bush and directly explained his situation.
As an administrative officer, he started as an investigator and worked his way up to his current position as deputy director. But regardless of promotions, he will retire when he reaches the required age.
Government officials elected or directly appointed by the president, and even the president himself, are not considered by age, but only by their term of office.
Therefore, some people retire in their 50s, while others are still competing for jobs in their late 70s.
So what Old Ai meant was that as long as he got promoted and worked steadily until retirement, he could keep an eye on the new company for the next few years.
Of course, Rudolph must hire him as a consultant for the company after his retirement, paying him a high salary of no less than two million dollars per year.
Not being able to write books is only one aspect. As the director of a rather special unit like DEA, even if Eric wanted to go on a speaking tour to sell books after retirement, few people would invite him, and he wouldn't sell many books.
The revolving door is still a better option, but it's a rather special case; he can't very well become an advisor to drug cartels.
This is far worse than having your employees poached by large trusts while you're working on antitrust cases; it's perfectly fine to be a consultant for PMC, a company that's cracking down on drug cartels.
He can then leverage his existing connections to better target the laundry detergent market, making the money more secure.
"I can guarantee that. If the money is less than expected, Jihuo Defense will make up the difference."
Xia Yu acted as a guarantor.
He was just stating his position, not saying that Márquez couldn't afford the money.
In fact, Old Ma knew all too well the importance of Eric, after all, the newly formed PMC company was specifically targeting drug cartels.
Foreign powers like Jihuo Defense operate by striking and then withdrawing. As local players, their main business is cultivating the domestic market. So, in order to counter the forces behind drug lords like Carter, they also need to find a powerful patron.
Needless to say, DEA is the best choice.
"I'm relieved to hear that. Prices in the US have risen too fast in recent years. Relying solely on that little bit of retirement income simply won't be enough to cover future expenses, so not continuing to work is not an option."
Eric's words made it sound like their family was really struggling, but those in the know understand.
Furthermore, due to the restrictions imposed by the IRS, every penny he receives must be legal income. If any transaction cannot be explained, it would truly tarnish his reputation in his later years.
After tonight's conversation, the two reached a tacit understanding. However, Eric's promotion will take time, and the newly established PMC company by the Márquez father and son also needs to be prepared.
The next phase of cooperation will officially begin next year. This year's focus remains on CJNJ, as completely eliminating this drug cartel is the foundation for everything.
As dawn broke, the Jihuo ship, having unloaded its cargo, withdrew to the high seas to await the second phase of the operation.
All five main battle tanks were loaded onto trailers and transported to Sinaloa and Nayarit states respectively.
These two states are also key areas for CJNJ's territorial expansion. Their rival CDS's stronghold is in Sinaloa, so nearly 1,000 troops have been deployed on the front lines of the conflict.
Xia Yu dispatched three T-80 tanks to deal with this detachment, hoping to wipe them out in one fell swoop.
While the forces responsible for concentrated fire defenses were being deployed quietly, Elmenjohn lost contact with the maritime transport fleet.
"Did the submarine sink, or was it captured? There's been absolutely no news."
Old Ai asked his men.
"It's unlikely that the two submarines encountered an accident at the same time. They were probably captured. The cargo of 2 tons is probably in grave danger."
His subordinates carefully considered mentioning this unfavorable possibility.
These two bigfoot submarines were each carrying half a ton of fentanyl and half a ton of methamphetamine in order to spread the risk, but they still ended up getting caught in the crossfire.
“There must be a DEA mole within us. Without intelligence from an inside source, it would have been impossible for both Bigfoot ships to have been destroyed at the same time.”
The other party immediately grasped the key point, but the damage had already been done. Trying to catch the undercover agent now would be futile and would not be able to recover the loss of 2 tons of laundry detergent.
"There's no other way. We can only send a batch overland to deal with the immediate crisis and try to delay things as long as possible until we defeat this PMC company."
After injecting himself with insulin, Elmenjohn sighed.
The weapons and equipment from Romagna will not arrive in Mexico for another week, but fortunately, he has many skilled anti-tank missile operators among his men.
They don't need to worry about the more technically advanced equipment like medium-range air defense missiles; Vlad's people will take care of that. All CJNJ needs to do is quietly transport these weapons from Mercigo Bay to Jalisco State.
Yes, and Michoacán too.
Just to be on the safe side, Elmenjohn purchased two sets of equipment, deploying them in two states to cover two main areas.
On the surface, CJNJ's forces in their home base have suffered significant losses, and the enemy will definitely disperse their forces to attack the remaining members of the group next.
Those two heavy attack helicopters wouldn't be used in one direction; you need to buy two sets to take them down together.
"Beep beep beep"
Just as Elmenjo was about to say something, an encrypted satellite phone on his desk rang.
"What do you mean, 'concentrated fire defense' did again?"
Upon hearing the information from the other side, Old Ai immediately stood up.
"Yes, it was their Asian branch that did it. One of their Endurance-class dock landing ships has been shipping between South America and Afica for the past six months, delivering upgraded infantry fighting vehicles to several countries there."
The person on the other end of the phone gave a detailed introduction, clearly demonstrating a deep understanding of Jihuo Defense.
"They should have gone back a month ago, but they hid on the high seas and caught up with your cargo submarine. This Sherlock is too cunning and treacherous."
Hearing this, Elmenjohn couldn't agree more. Even a fox wasn't as cunning as this guy; the nickname "weasel" was indeed well-deserved.
Fortunately, he also had connections, and they received the news as soon as the other side made a move.
If they can keep a close watch on this warship, wouldn't their goods be able to get overboard by sea?
"Don't even think about it, they're cooperating with DEA."
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