Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Naval Forces of the Harbor

Nan Continent is a gateway city at the southern harbor of the Federation, but despite being a seaport, it is far from bustling. Most trade in Hainan takes place at Wilson Harbor and Xingyu Port in New Newton; few ever venture here. Geographically, its advantages are negligible, and it boasts no particular local products.

It could be said that the ships anchored at this port are mostly ordinary fishing vessels. Guo Lang chose an island near Nan Continent precisely for this reason—the islands in this region hold little strategic or industrial value. Occasionally, a few tourist islands supplement Nan Continent’s income, but overall, there is neither significant commercial nor strategic importance.

Consequently, the stationed military presence here is scant. After the calamity, the major military districts withdrew their forces, and Guo Lang concluded that Nan Continent was abandoned, unlikely to become a strategic priority for a long time to come.

Their group wandered through Nan Continent, visiting the homes of the remaining teammates, but the results were less than ideal. After all, exceptions like David’s family weren’t common, though not all was lost. The team’s demolition expert, nicknamed Big Yellow Teeth, discovered his son hiding in the basement, nearly starved to death. Big Yellow Teeth was so overcome with emotion that he wept openly.

After two days of delays, and confirming that the families of the remaining soldiers had not survived, the group, heavy-hearted, arrived at the port.

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“Colonel Abel!” A sailor in a navy uniform hurried into the inner circle of the lighthouse’s basement near the port.

“What’s happened?” A towering man, nearly two meters tall, dressed in a navy uniform with a colonel’s insignia on his chest, stepped out. Noticing the sailor’s panic, his expression grew grave.

“Troops are approaching!” The sailor’s face showed excitement.

“Really? Where?” Abel’s spirit lifted instantly.

“A few kilometers from the port—they’re closing in. Three armored vehicles, two buses, and plenty of military-grade off-roaders. The armored vehicles bear the Federation’s insignia!”

“Excellent! Damn, we’ve finally got reinforcements!” Unlike Thomas, whose face was always stern, this colonel wore his emotions openly. Hearing of incoming troops, he gleefully slapped the sailor’s shoulder: “Come on, let’s go welcome them!”

Nan Continent, unlike New Newton, had no nuclear power plant nearby. Both electricity and communications were crippled by the second day. Originally, they had professional satellite communication equipment to contact the military, but chaos seized the base and several warships, now crawling with hordes of living dead. Many devices were lost inside, so they could not contact the major military districts, leaving them trapped in the lighthouse.

Fortunately, the lighthouse had emergency supplies, staving off starvation. But their group of surviving sailors numbered nearly a company, consuming resources rapidly. Without further provisions, survival would soon become impossible.

Yet the situation outside was unclear. Their scouts reported that fleeing toward the city posed greater risks.

“Send the signal, arrange the rendezvous!” Abel embraced the communications officer warmly. “You’ve brought us good news!”

Crushed in Abel’s bear hug, the communications officer rolled his eyes—such was their leader’s character!

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“Boss, there’s a flare in the distance—it’s a military signal!” David spoke up. His vision was now three times broader than before; he could distinguish the signal lights’ details across several kilometers without binoculars.

“Yes, I see it!” Thomas turned to Guo Lang, who was driving. “They’re calling us to unite. What do we do now?”

Since signing the contract, Thomas had deferred to Guo Lang, showing remarkable maturity—far more reliable than those school-aged youths or the so-called beauty squads.

“Military?” Guo Lang frowned. If it were a large military force, best to avoid them; after all, Guo Lang’s group was now establishing their own base, preparing to “occupy a mountain as king”—or rather, an island. He hesitated, then asked Thomas, “Are you familiar with the port’s military arrangements?”

“I know a bit.” Thomas nodded, “Nan Continent’s port isn’t strategic, so the navy presence is small—rotating detachments from New Newton’s Eastern Sea Group Army. The usual setup is: one main destroyer, two main frigates, and one main supply ship. Missile boats and submarines are assigned as needed.”

“There are warships?” Guo Lang’s frown deepened. He was a novice in military matters, never having reached the level of wielding large-scale weapons in his previous life. He was but a grassroots nobody, while former overlords had fleets of thousands. Guo Lang mostly fought in low-tech worlds, so his knowledge was limited. But one thing he knew: if Thomas’s warships were still under control, it would be difficult for their group to force their way through.

He glanced at the location of the signal, and dimly saw what seemed to be a lighthouse. Guo Lang paused, uncertain. “Is the signal coming from a lighthouse?”

David and Thomas looked over, surprised, and nodded in confirmation. “Yes, it’s a lighthouse!”

Guo Lang smiled and asked, “Shouldn’t there be a military base around here?”

“Of course. Even if the warships assigned here are few, maintenance and supply require a small base.” Thomas instantly grasped Guo Lang’s meaning. “You think they lost control?”

“Yes, most likely.” Guo Lang nodded. “Normally, the base is far superior to the lighthouse in terms of defense, concealment, and supply. It’s the ideal stronghold. But they’re signaling from a lighthouse several kilometers away—there’s only one explanation: they can’t control the base.”

“So you mean?”

“Let’s rendezvous. I need people, especially combat specialists.” Guo Lang’s smile grew.

In the early days of base building, the most welcome population was the military, for their obedience and combat skills far surpassed ordinary folk. Among the branches, aside from special forces with individual prowess, Guo Lang favored the navy.

In peacetime, which troops had the richest combat experience? Certainly the navy—whether fighting smugglers or assisting police in island sweeps, their real-world action far exceeded other branches. And most vital were Thomas’s warships.

If those vessels were now unclaimed, Guo Lang wouldn’t let them slip away. Early on, submarines had enormous potential, and even after unlocking Nightfall technology, warship materials could be repurposed. Nightfall modifications were far more efficient than building new ships from scratch!

Their group consisted of all-round special forces, but piloting warships was best left to trained naval personnel. Later, detailed operations and maintenance would become even harder. Warship crew assignments were precise: command staff, helmsmen, engineers, sonar operators, repair teams, and regular seamen. Command staff usually included the captain, navigator, chief sergeant, and more. After unlocking new technology, Guo Lang would need such talent in abundance.

“Fire a signal flare—we’ll meet them at the lighthouse!” Guo Lang turned to Alice. “When we’re about a kilometer out, slip inside and assess the situation. Remember, try not to harm anyone. Modern weapons are very dangerous, so keep yourself safe above all, understand?”

“Mm-hmm!” Alice, munching on chocolate, looked up with a smile, her face smeared with a thick layer of chocolate sauce, adorably innocent. Laura hurried to wipe her mouth with a napkin, scolding, “How did you get into the habit of eating sweets every day? It’s bad for your teeth!”

“Oh…” Alice cast a plaintive glance at Guo Lang, who simply ducked his head and pretended not to notice.

Everyone relaxed and laughed. Though the girl’s abilities were formidable, she was still a child, and children always managed to lighten the mood.