The Next Day.
9:00 A.M.
The generals at Central Command had finally finished their endless debates, and the formal operational orders were finally issued to the DEVGRU headquarters. Phones of everyone in Alpha and Bravo Teams started ringing simultaneously.
Long Zhan received the orders and immediately hopped onto his motorcycle, speeding like the wind toward headquarters.
He headed straight for the storage room.
Diaz was only responsible for preparing the extra equipment needed; each operator had to prepare their standard mission gear packs themselves. After selecting what they needed, they placed everything in the designated spots.
Diaz would call in some logistics personnel to help transport the gear by vehicle to the airport for loading onto the aircraft.
When Long Zhan arrived at the storage room, Clay—the man who was acting officially for the second time alongside Bravo Team—had already arrived ahead of him.
With his fiery enthusiasm, one could easily imagine just how excited he was now.
DEVGRU followed the "big boys' principle": no one would remind you what gear to bring, nor would anyone require you to bring anything specific.
It was all on you.
If you thought certain equipment was necessary, you brought it to the mission.
If you brought the wrong gear or forgot something, the consequences were your responsibility alone.
Long Zhan opened his assigned storage locker and gazed at the fully packed shelves he had personally organized. He felt like an emperor selecting concubines to favor.
It was an exhilarating feeling!
However…
Having so many "concubines" was undeniably satisfying, but you couldn't bring them all at once.
Since this mission was a VBSS (Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure) operation, the approach wouldn't be a direct assault but infiltration, based on Long Zhan's two years of VBSS combat experience with the SEALs.
He scanned the shelves and already had a detailed plan in mind.
The diver's gear pack was an absolute must; this specialized equipment was essential for underwater operations and efficient infiltration.
The boarding hooks and telescoping poles were being prepared by Diaz.
All that remained was choosing the weapons and tactical gear.
Anyone who had spent time aboard ships knew that, while the deck was spacious, the internal structure was cramped and narrow.
Considering this, Long Zhan immediately ruled out his favorite heavy ballistic vest.
No matter how strong the protection, the heavy ballistic vest's soft armor reached at least NIJ Level IV standard. It had ballistic plates front, back, and sides, plus a bullet-deflecting collar protecting the neck.
It could stop 7.62mm rounds, even from frontal automatic gunfire.
That was why Long Zhan loved it — it was extremely sturdy.
But stronger armor meant bulkier gear; with plates inserted, the vest made the wearer noticeably larger.
Even a slim 100-pound person looked like a bulky strongman wearing it.
Long Zhan himself was a big guy; even without wearing anything bulky inside the ship's confined corridors and doorways, his sheer size made it tight.
If he put on the heavy ballistic vest, he'd have to squeeze sideways through the narrow ship entrances.
Being so clumsy in combat was a huge problem.
He had learned this the hard way on a SEAL mission—forced to stay outside as overwatch because the gear restricted his mobility.
This time, Long Zhan wasn't going to repeat the mistake—he didn't want Bravo Team to have another laughing stock during downtime.
So, he lowered his protection level, opting for a ballistic tactical vest rated Level III, which could only stop 9mm pistol and submachine gun rounds.
This hybrid vest combined ballistic protection and tactical flexibility.
Its smaller profile perfectly suited the confined ship environment.
He also adjusted his weapon choice.
VBSS operations involved narrow spaces, with firefights at extremely close ranges requiring strong suppressive fire. One grenade could reach every corner.
A light machine gun's medium to long-range firepower was useless here.
Moreover, the heavy gun would reduce the shooter's mobility.
The ship's pure steel structure was thick in many areas, making machine gun suppressive fire ineffective; continuous firing often caused ricochets.
One wrong shot could injure teammates.
Most importantly, as the squad's designated machine gunner providing fire support, Long Zhan still needed to fulfill his role and offer timely suppressive fire.
Considering all this, he ultimately chose to bring his new weapon—
The MP5 SD6!
Compared to the other two prepared HK416s, although slightly lighter and shorter, they still didn't fit Long Zhan's large frame well.
Given his build and mission needs, the MP5 SD6 was the best close-quarters weapon.
Its 610mm barrel length allowed agile maneuvering, with an effective range of 135 meters—just enough.
The theoretical rate of fire was 800 rounds per minute, delivering fierce firepower.
It used 30-round magazines providing sufficient endurance.
A fixed suppressor drastically reduced noise.
All these features combined made it a perfect fit for Long Zhan's mission.
If there was any flaw, it was just the sight of such a large man wielding such a short gun—it looked like holding a water pistol.
It looked incongruous, even somewhat comical.
But, well…
In real combat, aesthetics didn't matter; only utility counted.
If it suited you, that was all that mattered.
Since the operation was at night, the submachine gun's accessories needed adjustment.
Long Zhan mounted a red dot sight and an IR laser pointer.
The red dot allowed fast aiming at close range; the IR laser enabled precise targeting at medium distances.
With weapons and gear sorted, all that remained were the miscellaneous accessories.
Items like the tactical helmet, noise-canceling headset, head-mounted night vision goggles, radio, and so forth.
Once Long Zhan had finished selecting his gear, Clay completed his own choices, and veterans like Jason and Ray gradually arrived.
Clay carried a customized short-barrel HK416, further shortening the rifle to suit close-quarters combat.
A standard, unremarkable choice.
Nothing special.
However, when Jason, Ray, and the others saw Long Zhan carrying a submachine gun, they were a bit surprised.
But seeing Long Zhan's large frame, they exchanged knowing smiles instantly.
They understood.
Assault rifles had higher accuracy and greater lethality, undoubtedly better for special operators than submachine guns.
No doubt about that.
But even the strongest people had weaknesses; everyone had areas they weren't best at.
Long Zhan was king in open spaces, but most ship corridors and doorways were less than a meter wide, not friendly to his size.
Choosing a more powerful assault rifle would limit his mobility.
The submachine gun had the vitality and agility to compensate.
It complemented his strengths and weaknesses perfectly—making it the best fit for Long Zhan's VBSS mission.