Reborn as a Noble s Son

Chapter 530: Chapter 487: The Fatal Blow _1
 

Nie Zhenbang’s words were not disputed by either of them. Nie Jiamin knew his younger brother’s capabilities best as he was known as the ‘Soldier King’ in the Northwest Military Region Tiger Battalion, he was the top general under Devil Yao Yuan. Rumor had it, not even Yao Yuan himself was a match for him. Participating in this operation would not be a hindrance; on the contrary, it promised to be a significant asset.

Though Gao Wei had not seen Nie Zhenbang’s prestige in the Xibei Military Region, they had gone through life and death together during their time in the disciplinary commission. That experience was still vivid in Gao Wei’s memory.

As a group, they briskly exited the airport and got into a military vehicle from the Wanghai City Military Region, which Nie Jiamin had driven there. As soon as he got inside the car, Nie Jiamin said, “Third Brother, I’ve gone all out this time for Lin Zhengxing. I asked our father for help, and had him arrange for a navy destroyer from Jiangzhou Military District. I have to see what Lin Zhengxing can use to resist this time.”

Nie Zhenbang nodded approvingly at this arrangement. As the Wanghai Military Region had no ships, there were only two methods to capture Lin Zhengxing’s smuggling boat amidst the boundless sea— through the Customs Patrol’s smuggling interception boats or by seeking support from the Minan Armed Police Force’s border and maritime troops.

However, Nie Zhenbang, who had a keen memory, knew very well that neither of these departments could be approached as they had both been infiltrated by Lin Zhengxing. Although only a portion of their personnel were corrupt, avoiding any leaks was impossible.

At this time, seeking help from the military was the right decision and Nie Zhenbang was pleased with his older brother’s approach. It seemed his brother had not entirely lost his military acumen over the years.

Unevolving his father to get support from the Jiangzhou Military District was a simple matter. Instead of going to the Wanghai City Military Region, the car drove directly into the military port in Wanghai City.

At that moment, the Wanghai Naval Base was brightly lit despite it being late at night. As soon as Nie Jiamin’s party arrived, a Colonel was there to welcome them.

Nie Jiamin promptly introduced Nie Zhenbang, “Third Brother, this is Colonel Fang Zhongqi, the head of Wanghai Naval Base. Colonel Fang will be fully cooperating with us on this operation.”

Then, facing Fang Zhongqi, he added, “Director Fang, this is my cousin, Nie Zhenbang, the current Deputy Mayor of Wanghai City.”

Upon hearing this, Fang Zhongqi was taken aback. As the Deputy Mayor of Wanghai, Nie Zhenbang held the rank of a division-level official, just like him. However, he was in his forties while Nie Zhenbang was not even thirty. This glaring inconsistency was hard to ignore.

Nie Zhenbang was not to be underestimated merely for his youthfulness. Especially considering that he was tremendously wealthy. Fang Zhongqi respectfully extended a handshake, “Welcome, Mayor Nie. I am grateful for the support the Wanghai City Government has provided to us in our military efforts throughout the years. We are based in Wanghai, so we often rely on your assistance in various aspects of our daily lives.”

Nie Zhenbang smiled, “Director Fang, you are too kind. It is our duty to support the military in any way we can. In the future, we’ll have ample opportunity to collaborate. For now, shall we discuss the operation?”

Nie Zhenbang’s pragmatic and concise style surprised Fang Zhongqi. He had always perceived local government officials as people who wrap their ideas in unnecessary jargon and were more concerned with flattery than getting work done. But he found Nie Zhenbang to be far from that stereotype. After taking a moment, he responded with a gracious gesture, “Mayor Nie, I admire your forthrightness. I apologize for my oversight. Please come in.”

After this interaction, Fang Zhongqi’s attitude towards them improved considerably. Honesty and integrity always garnered respect and Nie Zhenbang was a prime example.

The group strode into the command center of the base. On one side of the command center hung a large map of the entire Wanghai seabed. As a naval port, they frequently interacted with the navy. Naturally, their priorities aligned with those of the navy.

“Deputy Commander Nie, as per the order from the military district, destroyer number 121 will be supporting your operation. According to your intelligence, the operation area will be roughly 40 nautical miles off the coast of Wanghai, in zone 156. This means there’s about half an hour left to prepare. Else, there won’t be enough time,” a member of Nie’s party explained.

This operation was considered minor for both the navy and Nie Jiamin’s group. Their immense focus came from the significance behind capturing the suspect.

Nie Jiamin then reflected aloud, “Capturing them is easy. A tanker can never compete with the speed of a warship. That’s not our concern. Our primary objective is gathering evidence of their smuggling activities. Director Fang, there’s no time to waste. I believe we can set sail now.”

Following Nie Jiamin’s command, two hundred fully armed soldiers from the Wanghai Military Region orderly boarded the warship. Without sounding any horn, the warship slowly sailed out of the military port, disappearing into the vast expanse of the sea.

With the warship’s speed, it reached the designated sea area, 40 nautical miles offshore, in a little over an hour, even without travelling at full steam.

Navigation routes at sea are essentially fixed, especially near the coast. To change the route recklessly could lead to a disaster like running aground, and no one navigating the seas would make such a foolish mistake.

The naval ship maintained its silent state and after about ten minutes, a solitary light appeared in the distant, pitch-black sea. From the deck of the destroyer, Director Fang turned and said, “Vice Commander Nie, they’re here. The radar indicates that it is our target.”

Upon hearing that, Nie Jiamin clenched his fist. Nie Zhenbang’s countenance also became solemn. Their triumph or defeat hinged on this moment.

Now was not the time for sentimentality. After some contemplation, Nie Jiamin nodded and turned to a military officer at his side, saying “Staff Officer Wang, relay my orders. Everyone, be ready. Once we approach the ship, take immediate action and control every aspect of the oil tanker.”

At this moment, on the oil tanker, more than a dozen men did not rest. After having traveled a considerable distance, they became extra vigilant as they approached the final stretch.

The military ship that appeared ahead made everyone nervous. In the main pilothouse of the tanker, the lookout, while observing the radar, warned in a low voice, “Brother Ma, it’s a warship. Why would there be a warship at this time? Should we stop?”

“Stop? Lai Lao Liu, did you hit your head? If we stop now, it’ll just be a few hours until daylight. Then, we’ll be easily spotted by fishermen,” Brother Ma responded with a grim face.

Looking at the radar, the military ship stood there motionless. Brother Ma mused, “Lao Liu, could it be that the warship is on some secret mission? Let’s continue and stay calm. Boss has already smoothed the way on Wanghai land for us. If anything changes, they will definitely notify us beforehand.”

At this very moment, Brother Ma made a decision that would push himself and the entire Eastern Sea Group towards the abyss.

As the oil tanker steadily approached, the destroyer was prepared. The spotlight hanging on the command tower lit up, illuminating the surrounding sea area as if it were daylight. At the same time, a high-power speaker blared out.

“We are the Huaxia Navy; please halt for inspection.” The words were repeated a few times, and then the destroyer slowly moved towards the oil tanker.

At this moment, everything on the oil tanker was in chaos. Brother Ma panicked when he saw the giant military ship, 100 meters long, under the glaring spotlight. His face showed a fierce expression as he yelled, “Brothers, grab your arms! It’s a fight to the death, one of us is sure to die. This time, it seems we can’t escape it. But, we’re men who make our living at sea, if death is certain, let’s make sure we take one down with us!”

There was no shortage of weapons on this smuggling ship. Lin Zhengxing’s men were as armed as a military team. Alone they had four submachine guns in hand. Besides the regular sailors and professionals, everyone else was a desperado.

Fired up, they pulled out their weapons from the cabin bulkhead. Lai Lao Liu, the one who first suggested stopping, now stood by the window, firing a string of bullets towards the navy ship.

His shooting accuracy was non-existent and his bullets merely sparked against the steel hull of the naval vessel. Upon witnessing this, Nie Jiamin took the situation seriously, looked at his soldiers and said in a grave tone, “The perpetrators on the other side are a bunch of desperados. This is a battle. Be careful. Such a motley crew shouldn’t stand a chance against our well-trained soldiers. Let’s move!”

As the destroyer slowly closed in on the tanker, Nie Jiamin didn’t wait for the ship to steady itself. A group of soldiers rushed forward, like a pack of wolves. His well-trained soldiers, with their designated roles, quickly suppressed the enemy.

Nie Zhenbang was also fully armed. Turning to Nie Jiamin, he said, “Second brother, take action quickly.”

To the well-trained military duo, Nie Zhenbang and Nie Jiamin, these rabble-rebels were not worth any attention. In less than two minutes, they had broken into the cabin.

Snap! Snap! Bullets whizzed past, followed by anguished cries. Many hands were injured, and weapons drop onto the deck.

Nie Zhenbang, with a stern expression, looked at these desperadoes lying on the ground without any mercy. He decisively commanded, “Second brother, arrest them all and interrogate them overnight. The rest of you, search the ship.”(To be continued. If you like this novel, please vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)