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Huang protested: ‘It’s a timid response.’ But his opposition was half-hearted: clearly he sensed that the mood of the meeting was leaning towards a compromise.
President Chen turned to Admiral Liu. ‘Do we know where theVu Trong Phungis now?’
‘Of course, Mr President.’ Liu touched his phone and put it to his ear. ‘TheVu Trong Phung,’ he said. Everyone watched him. After a few moments he said: ‘The Vietnamese ship retreated fifty miles south, still within our territory. It’s being tracked by the People’s Liberation Army Navy shipJiangnan. We have video from our ship.’ He looked to the area below the stage and raised his voice. ‘Which of you is the technician managing the images on the giant screens?’ A young man with spiked hair stood up and raised his hand. Liu said: ‘Take my phone and talk to my people. Get the video from theJiangnanon the big screens here.’
The kid with the spiked hair sat at his workstation with Liu’s phone held between his shoulder and his jaw, saying: ‘Yes…yes…okay,’ his fingers flying over the keyboard all the while.
Liu said: ‘TheJiangnanis a multi-role four-thousand-tonne frigate, one hundred and thirty-four metres long, with a crew of one hundred and sixty-five, and a range of more than eight thousand nautical miles.’
The picture on the big screens showed the grey foredeck of a ship, its pointed prow scything through the water. It was the time of the Northeast Monsoon, and the ship rose and fell precipitously in the waves, so that the horizon went up and down on the screen, making Kai feel slightly seasick. Otherwise, visibility was good; a clear day with bright sunshine.
Liu said: ‘These pictures are being shot from theJiangnan.’
An aide returned his phone to him.
Liu said: ‘You can just about see the Vietnamese ship on the horizon, but it’s five or six kilometres away.’
Kai peered at the big screen and thought he could see a grey smudge on the grey sea, but it might have been his imagination.
Liu spoke into the phone. ‘Yes, show us the satellite picture.’
Some of the screens showed a distant aerial shot. The person operating the screens zoomed in. Two vessels were just discernible. ‘The Vietnamese ship is the one at the bottom of the screen,’ said Liu.
Kai looked back at the video feed from theJiangnan. It was closer to its target now, and Kai could see the Vietnamese vessel better. It had a drilling tower amidships. He said: ‘Does theVu Trong Phunghave any armament?’
‘None visible,’ said Liu.
Kai realized they were contemplating sinking a defenceless ship, and he felt a shiver of guilt. How many people would drown in that cold sea? It had been his idea, but he had only wanted to prevent something worse.
Liu said: ‘TheJiangnanis armed with anti-ship cruise missiles, guided by active radar, each with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead.’ He turned to the president. ‘Should I order the crew to prepare to fire?’
Chen looked around the room. Several men nodded.
Kong Zhao said: ‘Isn’t this a bit hasty?’
Chen answered him: ‘It’s now more than twenty-four hours since the drone killed our people. Why should we wait?’
Kong shrugged.
‘I think we’re all agreed,’ Chen said in a sombre voice.
No one dissented.
Chen said to Liu: ‘Prepare to fire.’
Liu spoke into his phone. ‘Prepare to fire.’
The room fell silent.
After a pause, Liu said: ‘Ready to fire, Mr President.’
Chen said: ‘Fire.’
Liu said into the phone: ‘Fire.’
Everyone watched the screens.
The missile flew over the prow of theJiangnan. It was six metres long and it trailed a spurt of thick white smoke. It shot away from theJiangnanat astonishing speed.
