Chapter 726 - 459: I’m Not Asking for Your Opinion
The nuclear submarines circled the seabed, equipped and configured more excellently than during the last exploration.
The speed of movement, size, and the detection equipment they carried had all been improved.
All at the world’s top level.
Even higher.
Wang Ye speculated that surrounding countries had invested significant funds to improve the technology of nuclear submarines, specifically for exploring the Mariana Trench.
But none of this concerned him, because no matter how advanced the nuclear submarines, they were still as slow as turtles compared to the subsonic-moving Megalodon beneath the sea.
What caught Wang Ye’s attention the most was that each nuclear submarine carried two nuclear torpedoes.
As the name implies, a nuclear torpedo is a combination of a nuclear bomb and a torpedo. This underwater weapon was born from the Cold War-era military race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, making it one of the most lethal weapons in human history.
Unlike traditional torpedoes, nuclear torpedoes not only utilize their own explosives to attack targets but also leverage the immense explosive energy of their nuclear warheads to deliver a devastating blow to enemies.
The principle of nuclear torpedoes is simple: use the enormous heat generated by nuclear reactors to heat seawater into high-temperature, high-pressure steam, propelling turbines to create thrust.
Russia’s "Poseidon" stands as a representative weapon of this kind. Dubbed the "Doomsday Weapon" by Western media, this deep-sea behemoth’s main feature is its nuclear propulsion system.
This system grants it virtually unlimited endurance, enabling it to reach speeds of over 100 knots, which translates to roughly 185 kilometers per hour, with a range exceeding an astounding 10,000 kilometers, sufficient to launch an attack from Russian coastal waters directly on the United States mainland.
What is even more dreaded is its destructive power. The nuclear torpedo wields power comparable to a nuclear bomb and can move at high speeds underwater. The nuclear warhead carried by "Poseidon" has a yield of up to 100 megatons of TNT,
equivalent to the two-million-ton "Trident II" submarine-launched ballistic missile, capable of destroying a vast city and triggering a catastrophic tsunami.
And now, these nuclear submarines each carry two such nuclear torpedoes as they dive.
This means there could potentially be a total of two hundred nuclear torpedoes present.
A single nuclear torpedo is enough to destroy an entire city. The combined power of two hundred nuclear torpedoes is simply unimaginable. Even the physically formidable Megalodon would likely stand no chance against even a single nuclear torpedo. Let alone the Megalodon, even Wang Ye himself might find survival unlikely under the joint assault of so many nuclear torpedoes.
"The surrounding countries haven’t given up on continuing to explore the Mariana Trench yet, have they."
Wang Ye’s expression grew increasingly sullen.
This was understandable, as in the eyes of everyone,
Wang Ye’s immense strength was likely due to the relics in the depths of the Mariana Trench.
Since Wang Ye could become so powerful, they thought they could too.
As the long-term world hegemon, they certainly wouldn’t be content to be suppressed by Wang Ye like this.
So continuing to struggle was reasonable.
But in Wang Ye’s view, their actions were tantamount to digging their own graves.
Because if the Crystal Cluster Veins deep in the Mariana Trench were forcibly collected without specific methods, it would lead to a large amount of crystal debris entering the seawater, causing the entire marine ecosystem to undergo forced mutation. At that time, large sea creatures like Blue Whales, Killer Whales, Sharks, and Giant Squid would become extremely aggressive, possibly even attacking coastal nations.
What’s more, with nuclear torpedoes in play,
if they aim a nuclear torpedo at the Crystal Cluster Vein, it would inevitably result in the entire vein shattering into debris.
Such massive energy leaking into the entire ocean would likely bring consequences enough to destroy the entire Earth.
"They truly court death." Wang Ye furrowed his brows and continued moving toward the Mariana Trench.
If possible, he didn’t want to be involved in the petty squabbles between nations.
But if their actions threatened his safety and interests,
that would be a different matter altogether.
Though Wang Ye was strong now, he had not completely left Earth. To destroy Earth, and ruin the remaining Extraterrestrial Crystal Cluster, would be to encroach on his interests.
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At this moment, the hundred nuclear submarines were patrolling near the sea, while countless helicopters hovered overhead, seemingly formulating tactics,
Below, at the directive, the hundred nuclear submarines had submerged into the ocean, searching for signs of the Megalodon.
But because the sonar system couldn’t detect the Megalodon, they had already been delayed here for nearly two hours without finding any trace of the creature.
The scientist named Matthew was also standing in a helicopter, looking down at the calm ocean.
His eyes showed a hint of hesitation.
A moment later, he asked an officer beside him, "I’m sorry, may I ask, will this operation really not be discovered by Wang Ye?"
The officer shook his head and said, "Don’t worry, this is a covert mission, nobody knows we’re here, not even Wang Ye. You already knew this, didn’t you?"
"I always feel that Wang Ye is already aware of our actions..." Matthew hesitated slightly.