Top Secret

Translator: Cinder Translations

--------

"Some people on our ship had already noticed that something was off because the specifications for this escort mission were quite high. Even our unit's internal security department had no authority to inspect it."

"But we had discipline; we only obeyed orders, and we don't listen, speak, or ask about things we're not supposed to know. So, after a simple preparation, our ship set sail."

"But what we didn't expect was..." The woman paused for a moment after speaking these words. "We were sailing on the open sea around dawn, and it was time for the shift to rest. I was passing by a few containers on the deck and was heading back to the cabin to rest when I suddenly heard a sound coming from one of the containers."

"The sound wasn't loud, but it was unusual," she recalled. "It sounded like something sharp was scraping against the metal."

"I don't know why, but I was inexplicably curious and couldn't suppress it. The closer I got to the container, the stronger that curiosity became, and then, I felt an impulse to open it and take a look." She revealed a regretful expression here.

Though she quickly suppressed her emotions, everyone present could tell that something was off.

"What happened next?" someone asked. It was the woman who had been rock climbing earlier.

"By the time I regained my senses, I was already locked up," the older woman sighed. "There was a man sitting across from me, staring at me coldly. I had never seen him before, but he was about 50 years old, dressed in civilian clothes, and had no markings on his shoulder or collar."

"Was he from your ship?"

"No," the woman shook her head. "But I could tell he was one of us, just someone whose rank was much higher than ours. Because shortly after, our captain came in, escorted by two men, and the captain's attitude towards this man confirmed that."

The woman gestured to her shoulders and added, "Our captain has two stripes and four stars."

"Then they asked me some questions, but at that time, I was still groggy and can't remember much."

As to why she couldn't remember, everyone understood.

"Later, I was escorted out by two men, both wearing helmets and dark green goggles. I couldn't see their eyes, but I could feel the coldness of their gaze behind those lenses."

"I was very puzzled as to why so many unfamiliar people suddenly appeared on the ship, but it wasn't until they brought me to the main conference room and passed by the deck that I noticed four deep green containers had been opened, and several people were moving something back and forth. Some were even armed, standing guard."

"They were moving these well-organized wooden crates, some big and some small, but they looked extremely heavy. Sometimes, it took three or four people to move them."

At this point, everyone's gaze became subtle. It seemed like the wooden crates contained weapons or ammunition.

But... this was in international waters.

If they weren't careful, it could lead to big trouble.

What kind of operation would cause such a big commotion? Everyone silently wondered.

"When I was looking over there, one of the guards behind me suddenly pushed me with his rifle butt. I lost my balance and fell, and luckily, I grabbed something nearby in my panic—it was a large piece of dark green waterproof cloth."

"When the cloth was pulled away, what was underneath was a cannon."

"But it wasn't the kind of cannon that shoots shells. Instead, there was a huge four-pronged harpoon sticking out of the barrel, sharp at the tip, and about two meters long."

"A whale-hunting cannon?!" someone exclaimed.

All eyes turned to the small, delicate girl who had remained silent until now.

For some reason, hearing such a heavy, post-industrial steel-sounding thing come from her lips gave it a different weight.

The older woman glanced at her, neither confirming nor denying it, only adding casually, "I'm not sure about the other side, but on this side, there were probably 4 or 5 more cannons covered with dark waterproof cloth."

The previously frivolous young man fell silent, and after a long while, he slowly said, "Your ship's tonnage is no small matter."

"Please continue," Jiang Cheng nodded in acknowledgment.

The woman paused, then continued, "After that, I was brought to the largest conference room on the ship. As soon as I walked in, I noticed that almost all the crew members were there, and each of them looked nervous. The sound of the door opening even startled them."

"The 50-year-old man I saw earlier stood in the most prominent spot, surrounded by armed guards, with more armed people in the corners."

"I looked at the guard beside me and suddenly noticed that his finger was on the trigger, and..." The woman took a deep breath. "He hadn't engaged the safety."

"That man, with a high status, took a brown paper bag from another officer, tore it open, and inside was just a piece of paper. He read the contents aloud and then announced that he was taking over control of the ship."

"All personnel, regardless of rank, were ordered to obey his commands without question."

"From this moment on, the ship was under wartime control. Everyone had to comply with the temporary regulations unconditionally."

"All external communications were cut off. Radio silence was to be maintained throughout the journey, and at night, the ship was under blackout conditions. Key positions had to be manned by at least two people at all times."

"Anyone who violated the rules would be dealt with according to military law!"

The woman was not one to show emotion easily. When she spoke, her tone was calm and clear, with no warmth. She was used to stating facts.

People of that era grew up listening to the passionate stories of their predecessors, so they had an absolute belief in following regulations, even without guns pointed at them.

The woman exhaled, as if giving herself and others a moment to breathe. "Then, he left the captain and the department heads behind, and the rest of us were escorted back to our posts under the watchful eyes of the armed men."

"Next, he took out another document, one related to our current mission."

Now, everyone could see clearly that this wasn't just a simple maritime rescue, but a top-secret military operation.

Given the mission's setup and adherence to wartime regulations, the level of secrecy involved was unimaginable. This order might well have come directly from the capital.

The woman was very cautious with her words. While it seemed like she had revealed a lot, anyone trying to probe deeper into her words would find it difficult to uncover much.

She didn't mention any coordinates, names, or locations. Such a vague, incomplete story could easily be written by any top suspense writer on the internet.

This was a form of protection for both Jiang Cheng and the woman herself.

(End of the Chapter)

---

Read (NS) ahead on (pa treon . com / CinderTL) – Chapter 262.

Early access starts at $1. Your support keeps this going!

$1 for this novel, or two novels for just $5, RDC/FF/MF Tiers. ;)

Translated 4 Series, 1.5K+ Chapters and 1.78M+ Words.