Apocalypse Showdown: Carrier Conquest

Chapter 4: The Gift

The fighter jets above the aircraft carrier departed.

But that did not mean the Federation was ready to concede—especially after their analysts deduced that the Tefor was most likely heading toward the Eastern Alliance. In response, the Federation government immediately declared a state of war readiness and issued a stern diplomatic warning to the Eastern Alliance.

"We formally warn the Eastern Alliance government—do not play with fire..."

To this, the Eastern Alliance's spokesperson skillfully deflected, parrying and redirecting with the finesse of a martial artist. After a series of diplomatic maneuvers, they stated that the Eastern Alliance did not condone violence and urged those who had taken control of the aircraft carrier not to harm Federation personnel. Furthermore, they generously offered humanitarian aid, citing principles of proximity.

This statement delighted Eastern Alliance netizens, who flooded online discussions with comments:

"Proximity principle, eh? Hope the ones who hijacked the Tefor are paying attention!" "Our humanitarian aid is top-tier—you deserve it!" "Word is, our fleet has set sail. Obviously, it's to protect the Federation personnel. By the way, the Federation should cover the fuel costs first." "Of course! But if the carrier takes on water, shouldn’t we tow it back first?" ...

Zhou Lin had never intended to hand the Tefor over to the Eastern Alliance military. The carrier was his survival stronghold in the coming apocalypse. Even if he had the inclination to surrender it, there simply wasn’t enough time.

If circumstances allowed, he would have contacted his family first and warned them to prepare. His greatest regret in his past life had been focusing solely on Ai Bing, that treacherous woman. By the time he remembered his family, communication networks and roads had already collapsed. He had died never knowing whether his parents and younger sister had survived.

"Not this time. I won’t be a fool again. You must wait for me."

The Tefor possessed powerful long-range communication capabilities, yet Zhou Lin dared not use them. If he did, within three minutes, every intelligence agency in the world would have his full dossier on their desks. While he might not fear the consequences, his family would be in immediate danger, possibly even used as hostages against him.

Human nature was fragile under pressure.

Fortunately, Zhou Lin still remembered the early signs of the catastrophe: volcanic eruptions in the island nation and the Federation, followed by intense seismic activity along nearby tectonic plates. Then came the tsunamis that ravaged Pacific coastlines and the air pollution from volcanic ash... The destruction outside these disaster zones remained manageable in the initial months. Cities like his hometown would still function normally for a while.

If he could return in time, with the Tefor and his foreknowledge, he had every confidence he could lead his family to survive.

Shortly after midnight, brilliant auroras lit up the skies above the island nation. Experts claimed it was a natural phenomenon, but some speculated it heralded an impending disaster. Few took the warnings seriously—those who did never imagined how deeply it would affect the entire world.

Meanwhile, inside the Federation’s presidential office, a classified report arrived. Their nation’s supervolcano was exhibiting unusual seismic activity. Urgent preparations were recommended.

Yet at that moment, the President and his advisors had no time to spare. Every focus was on the Tefor.

At 1:30 AM, in a Federation military base within the island nation, a transport aircraft taxied onto the runway. Inside, twenty-four elite Marines sat, fully armed and prepped. Their superiors had promised medals, celebrations, and women upon their triumphant return. Their mission: reclaim the Tefor—at any cost.

At 5 AM, the transport plane skimmed low over the ocean, ahead of the Tefor’s projected path. The Marines leaped into the sea in rapid succession, deploying parachutes at dangerously low altitudes. Using three propulsion units, they surged toward the aircraft carrier, confident in their stealth.

What they didn’t anticipate was the Tefor’s subtle course adjustment—just a few degrees, but enough to render their infiltration plan useless.

"Seriously? Did they think my radar was just for show?"

In the command room, Zhou Lin crossed his arms and smirked. Moments later, he transmitted a video message to the Federation’s public channel. The footage showed Federation soldiers sprawled across the deck, unconscious. A chilling voiceover followed:

"Our patience is limited. The Federation should act wisely. Next time, we will randomly select fifty lucky individuals for a one-way trip to heaven. Additionally, all classified data aboard the Tefor will be broadcast worldwide."

"A madman!" "How dare he?!" "Abort all operations... for now."

Reactions varied within the Federation. Across the ocean, the Eastern Alliance netizens were practically cheering for another attempt.

"C’mon, try again, you weaklings!" "Don’t chicken out now!" "Aren’t you a world superpower? Fight him head-on!" ...

Like it or not, Zhou Lin’s gambit worked—the Federation backed off temporarily.

On June 29th, at 2 PM, a moderate earthquake struck Honshu, the heart of the island nation. The tremors weren’t particularly strong, but they sent shockwaves through the world. If the midnight auroras had been mere speculation, this quake was a clear warning—the supervolcano was waking up.

Without waiting for expert confirmation, residents near the volcano began evacuating en masse. Beyond the island, the wealthiest elites fled aboard private jets, heading for the Federation or Oubekistan.

Governments scrambled to evacuate their diplomats and citizens. The Eastern Alliance even dispatched a fleet capable of rescuing two hundred thousand people.

Zhou Lin, too, sprang into action.

Though he could not hand the Tefor over to his homeland, he could still gift them something priceless—the carrier’s invaluable data.

He gathered everything: blueprints, operational manuals for fighter jets and early warning aircraft, maintenance guides, nuclear reactor control software, command systems...

To the Eastern Alliance, these were priceless treasures, capable of bridging technological gaps and propelling advancements that could one day prove critical for humanity’s survival.

When Zhou Lin died in his past life, the Eastern Alliance was still fighting tooth and nail to protect its citizens. If this information could aid in the apocalypse to come, then...

"I guess this counts as doing my part for the Eastern Alliance... and humanity, right?"

After four hours of meticulous work, Zhou Lin secured the collected data into a special black box—designed to withstand extreme conditions, much like an aircraft’s flight recorder.

The box was then loaded into an unmanned submersible.

At 10 PM, as the Tefor slowed to within a hundred kilometers of the Eastern Alliance’s evacuation fleet, Zhou Lin transmitted a clear message:

"This is the Tefor. Good evening, Eastern Alliance fleet. Have you eaten yet? We will be releasing the Federation personnel along your course. Please uphold humanitarian principles and rescue them in time."

The Eastern Alliance fleet responded promptly:

"This is the Eastern Alliance fleet. We just finished supper... We will retrieve the personnel. Anything else?"

Their reply was unmistakably Eastern Alliance in style—who else in the world would greet someone by asking if they’d eaten?

Zhou Lin nearly burst into laughter. Just to be safe, he added: "That’s good. We trust in the professionalism and integrity of Eastern Alliance soldiers. But for heaven’s sake, be thorough when retrieving them—don’t leave anything behind."

The fighter jets shadowing the *Teflon* withdrew, though Valorian resolve remained unbroken. As intelligence analysts confirmed the carrier's trajectory toward Asharan waters, the Valorian government activated DEFCON 2 protocols, issuing bellicose warnings through diplomatic channels:

"The Asharan government is advised against playing with fire..."

Ashara's foreign ministry spokesperson deployed masterful diplomatic judo—deflecting, absorbing, and redirecting accusations before offering magnanimous counsel: "While condemning violence, we implore the hijackers to safeguard Valorian lives. Should assistance be required, Ashara stands ready to provide humanitarian aid per the *proximity principle*."

Netizens reveled in the subtext:

"Proximity principle! Take notes, carrier liberator!"

"Asharan humanitarian packages—now with free delivery!"

"Rumor says our fleet's mobilized... to *protect* Valorian crewmates. Someone invoice their fuel!"

Zhou Lin harbored no intention of surrendering the *Teflon* to Ashara's military. This nuclear leviathan constituted his apocalypse insurance policy. Yet familial concerns gnawed at him—his previous timeline's gravest error had been prioritizing the treacherous Ai Bing over family until communications collapsed.

The carrier's satellite arrays could instantly connect him to loved ones, but global surveillance networks guaranteed such contact would endanger them. Human fragility couldn't withstand such scrutiny.

At 00:17, auroras painted Islandia's skies in unearthly hues—scientists bickered over whether these constituted rare polar lights or geological omens. Simultaneously, Valorian seismologists frantically alerted the White House to abnormal activity beneath their Yellowstone Caldera—warnings drowned in the *Teflon* crisis.

01:30 witnessed a C-17 Globemaster skimming wave crests near the carrier's projected path. Twenty-four Valorian Marines parachuted into ink-black waters, combat submersibles whirring to life. Their "stealth insertion" lasted precisely 4.3 minutes before Zhou Lin adjusted course by 0.8 degrees—a fractional shift rendering their intercept vectors obsolete.

"Did they think my radar's decorative?" Zhou Lin broadcasted infrared footage of the floundering commandos alongside a chilling ultimatum: "Next provocation forfeits fifty randomly selected hostages. Subsequent breaches will see *Teflon*'s entire classified database published globally via open channels."

Asharan netizens crowed:

"Where's your big stick energy now, Valoria?"

"World's policeman needs a timeout!"

The gambit worked—Valorian aggression temporarily neutered.

14:00, June 29. A 6.7-magnitude tremor rocked Islandia's Honshu region. Though scientifically unremarkable, its psychological impact proved seismic—evacuations metastasized into mass exodus. Ashara mobilized a 200,000-capacity evacuation armada from Shanghai.

Amid chaos, Zhou Lin compiled his magnum opus—terabytes of data encompassing:

- F-35C avionics source code

- A1B reactor control algorithms

- Next-gen radar waveform libraries

- Carrier battle management AI kernels

This digital Prometheus' fire was encapsulated within a black-box capsule, loaded onto an unmanned submersible.

22:00. The *Teflon* slowed to 10 knots 100km from Ashara's evacuation fleet. Zhou Lin's plaintext transmission crackled across naval frequencies:

"Asharan Task Force, this is *Teflon*. Have you supped? We shall deposit 299 Valorian guests along your course. Humanitarian obligations apply."

The Asharan reply dripped culinary nonchalance: "Post-midnight noodles consumed. We shall fish your castaways. Further requests?"

Zhou Lin's retort carried grim mirth: "Thorough netting advised. God watches salvage operations."

**Symbiosis Status:**

**[Primary 600/1000]**

**Bonded Vehicle: USS Teflon**

**Storage Capacity: 0/1**

As the submersible dove toward Asharan sonar arrays, Zhou Lin whispered: "Survive well, homeland."