Everyone looked.
The voice belonged to US Navy Vice Admiral Wilson.
Although it was a multi-person online conference.
The attendees could still see the dissatisfaction on Vice Admiral Wilson's face.
There was no reason for this man, in his fifties, with a full beard, resembling a pirate captain from an anime, to be otherwise.
As a high-ranking military official.
The command of the multinational joint military exercise had fallen to Vice Admiral Tommy, who was in charge of weapons development.
Any normal person in the Navy would feel indignant and unwilling.
Of course.
As an aside.
Vice Admiral Wilson, with his beard, bore a striking resemblance to Colonel William, who had been escorted back to the mainland by three military helicopters a few days ago.
Yes.
He was Colonel William's biological father.
The organization of the joint military exercise had been stripped away.
His son had worked tirelessly at the research center military base for half a year, only to have his efforts co-opted.
Whether out of public duty or personal feeling, it was strange for this bearded Navy Vice Admiral to be in good spirits.
Seeing Wilson speak up.
Everyone turned their curious gazes to him.
"I am saying, Meng Hao is extremely important to the United States; there is no disagreement on this, right…"
"For now, let's put the accountability aside. In the field of research, Meng Hao is indeed a genius to have developed and manufactured a submarine…"
"However, from a military perspective, this was an unwise move…"
Those who reached the high echelons of various US departments were all shrewd individuals.
Naturally.
This included Wilson.
Without uttering a single word about Meng Hao's escape being related to his son William's lack of supervision, he directly or indirectly questioned Vice Admiral Tommy.
"What we need to do now is to find Meng Hao in this vast ocean and bring him back!"
"After all, no matter how much of a genius he is, he couldn't have developed a nuclear submarine in just over four months. Based on my judgment, it's at most a conventional submarine…"
"Moreover, the underwater currents around Australian waters are extremely complex. To leave undetected from the seabed, he would certainly take the route through the most complex underwater areas. Thus, within a straight ten-kilometer radius, traveling underwater and avoiding visible reefs, unseen strong currents, and other hydrological conditions would require at least forty to fifty kilometers, or even more."
"From the time Meng Hao was discovered missing to now, it's only been a little over an hour. Logically, this kid should be within fifty kilometers of the coast."
Indeed.
Wilson was quite astute.
As a professional Navy Vice Admiral.
What he said and inferred was entirely consistent with the actual situation.
Everyone attending the meeting nodded in agreement with Wilson's statement.
Indeed.
The most important thing right now was to find out where Meng Hao had gone.
Besides, thousands of ships and countless fighter jets were already stationed in the waters near Australia.
Even in a vast sea area spanning over a thousand kilometers, finding Meng Hao was not an impossible task.
Of course.
Everything depended on acting quickly.
"I believe Vice Admiral Wilson is absolutely correct."
"The immediate priority is to find Meng Hao."
"If it's just a conventional submarine, our massive fleet will definitely be able to find Meng Hao."
"The reason Meng Hao slipped away stealthily was his fear of being discovered, hence his continuous communication silence."
"If Meng Hao is not found, it would pose a great danger to the United States."
"…"
Seeing that almost everyone supported Wilson.
Vice Admiral Tommy became anxious.
He had just announced that a military exercise would be conducted in a designated sea area, with the primary intention of intercepting the Chinese dual-carrier fleet.
Now, he had to retract his words.
What,
Was he expected to go back on his word?
Moreover.
From what he saw online.
The emotions of the ordinary American public had been stirred up.
If the policy for the military exercise were to change suddenly now, he would likely be heavily criticized.
"Vice Admiral Tommy."
"I know what you are thinking."
"However, at present, we must prioritize the national interests of the United States."
Those present.
Were they not all old foxes?
Spinning a thread from their hair would reveal it to be hollow.
Seeing Vice Admiral Tommy's fluctuating expression, almost everyone could guess his true thoughts.
However.
It was Vice Admiral Wilson who articulated his inner turmoil.
After all.
Vice Admiral Wilson of the Navy had been sidelined from the joint military exercise earlier, and he was the one who suffered the most losses and was most affected.
Furthermore.
Vice Admiral Tommy, that old fox, had been too blatant in his actions.
Wilson's own son, William, had been sent to the research center military base for prestige.
As a result.
Vice Admiral Tommy, in order to pave the way for his own son,
Had managed to have William transferred away.
Four to five months of hard work had been credited to Bruce.
In the context of Meng Hao not having any accidents, Wilson could only swallow his grievances in the face of such double-co-option.
But now.
The situation had changed.
Meng Hao's sudden disappearance.
This would have a significant impact on the reputation and credibility of the entire United States.
If the true reason for Meng Hao's disappearance was due to the US forcibly abducting him.
And if the evidence of Meng Hao's supposed defection from China and joining the US side was fabricated information leaked by Vice Admiral Tommy on behalf of the US.
Then.
Things would become truly serious.
Vice Admiral Tommy.
His expression shifted uncertainly.
"Your son William spent four to five months at the research center military base; how come he didn't discover Meng Hao secretly building a submarine?"
"If Meng Hao has truly escaped, your son William will bear primary responsibility and must face a military tribunal."
Facing Vice Admiral Tommy's immediate attempt to shift blame.
Wilson gave a cold laugh.
He seemed to have anticipated this move from the other party.
"I said earlier, now is not the time to pursue accountability. However, if you, Vice Admiral Tommy, insist on making an issue of this, that's fine too. We can discuss it thoroughly!"
"My son was properly in charge of the research center military base. You suddenly intervened, and for your son to take over, you had our William transferred. If you put yourself in his shoes, was that a decent thing to do… Therefore, your son Bruce is now the highest-ranking official at the research center military base."
Good heavens.
Wilson was truly enraged.
Although everyone in the higher ranks knew.
That Bruce was Vice Admiral Tommy's illegitimate son.
However.
They were all high-ranking officials, and there was no need to make a scene and fully expose this open secret.
But Wilson, disregarding all of that, directly stated the truth.
Besides being genuinely angered, it seemed to carry some other implication!