Phi-Fic Chapter 1285
Chapter 1285
"It seems we brought out far too few corals," Qi Mingyu said. "The submarine's hull is quite large; this amount of corals is simply not enough to build a complete temperature-controlled layer."
Mu Mu frowned upon hearing this: "But we've already filled the collection box. We didn't expect it to be so useful..."
“So I have to go back.” Zhou Shuwan looked up, her eyes clear.
"I remember the coral reef's habitat very well, so the route is correct. Now that we've figured out their patrol patterns, we can move another batch and see if we can find anything else useful."
Qi Mingyu nodded in agreement, but a hint of concern still lingered in his eyes.
"Although those two patrol submarines have left, who knows if there will be additional patrols dispatched at the last minute? It takes time for us to travel back and forth, so we need to minimize the risks."
"Don't worry, I can sense it." Zhou Shuwan stood up.
They have been waiting for an hour since they spotted the patrol submarine, and they haven't noticed any other activity, which means their patrol intervals are indeed more than an hour.
Mu Mu, who was also on patrol at the Huaxia base, couldn't help but complain: "Their patrol intervals here are way too long! Back home, the patrol intervals are at most twenty minutes."
Qi Mingyu pondered: "This is the deep sea, with giant sea cliffs and coral reefs as natural barriers. Very few teams can still sail far after the apocalypse. Not to mention, there are even fewer forces that can still have submarines and operate on the seabed for long periods of time."
"It's quite possible that their unit hasn't encountered any risks while stationed here for so long, so they've naturally become less vigilant, and it's not surprising that their patrol intervals are long."
Mu Mu thought about it and agreed.
If they hadn't accidentally wandered into this area, they would never have discovered this semi-submersible base hidden behind the sea cliffs.
This place is so well hidden that it's practically flawless; any other faction would probably not feel the need for frequent patrols.
What a uniquely advantageous location!
Mu Mu's hidden desire resurfaced!
"There's one more question before we set off." Qi Mingyu looked at Zhou Shuwan, his tone becoming more serious. "What if something unexpected happens along the way, such as encountering a patrol or equipment malfunction, and we can't get back here in time?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shuwan suddenly laughed: "It seems I'm not the only one eyeing the things in the base!"
Qi Mingyu, on the other hand, was quite frank, nodding with a smile: "Since we've run into them, let them suffer a little loss, and we can take advantage of it. There's nothing wrong with that!"
“Don’t worry, this is the only way we can leave this area.” Zhou Shuwan nodded. “Besides, I noticed something interesting when I was observing those two patrol submarines just now.”
"what?"
Mu Mu frowned as well: "I only saw that it was a dark gray submarine, and I didn't think there was anything special about it."
“To the naked eye, it doesn’t look like anything special, but actually,” Zhou Shuwan explained earnestly, “their submarine hulls are coated with a very special gray metal, unlike those of ordinary military submarines.”
This was a vague feeling she had.
Qi Mingyu was taken aback, then instantly realized: "You mean, they've already synthesized a new metal using the mucus from coral polyps?"
"Most likely." Zhou Shuwan nodded, her tone certain. "The mucus of coral polyps can regulate temperature. They knew this a long time ago, and they've gone even further than we have."
"Even when we were dirt poor, we still managed to develop boiling point alloys. Not to mention that they were on a military base established before the apocalypse, so they had all the basic research equipment."
"They found a way to extract substances from the slime and fuse them with certain metals to synthesize a new substance, which they then plated onto the submarine's hull."
Qi Mingyu continued, "In this way, their submarines can freely switch between boiling water and deep-sea low-temperature environments without the need for additional temperature control equipment."
"Correct!"
This discovery caught the attention of both Qi Mingyu and Mu Mu.
They originally only intended to use coral polyps to build a temperature-regulating layer, but they never expected to be able to utilize the properties of mucus in this way.
If we could master this technology for synthesizing metals, it would undoubtedly be a huge boost for the Huaxia base.
Because Zhou Shuwan "saw" more and "saw" farther than them, she said very frankly, "I just sensed the movement of a metal processing plant inside their base."
"I know nothing about metallurgy. I only know the location, but I can't tell the difference between their equipment and the metallurgical plant in our base, nor do I know what the key synthesis steps are."
"It's alright, as long as we can find the key materials or relevant information, that's fine," Qi Mingyu asked. "Can you bring those things out?"
"I should be fine after two more days of rest." Zhou Shuwan assessed her condition. "So we have to come back this time. We need to bring some weapons and also get our hands on these technology-related things."
Mu Mu clenched her fist excitedly: "And their submarines! You said there were more than a dozen? If we can steal a few back, our base's naval strength will increase dramatically! And their hulls are coated with that special metal, it's like finding a treasure!"
"Stealing a few is indeed feasible." Zhou Shuwan's lips curled into a smile.
"Their submarines are all moored in the dock area of the base, where the security is not very tight. If we find the right opportunity, we can take them away quietly."
"However, this matter needs to be considered carefully. Let's solve the immediate problem first, and then take action when we get back."
The three of them discussed in hushed tones, becoming more and more excited as they talked.
Mu Mu initially thought it was really unlucky that they had been dragged to this sea area thousands of miles away from home for no reason!
But now I feel more and more that this is probably an opportunity given by God.
As the three were talking, Mu Mu suddenly remembered something, and her expression changed slightly: "That's right, oxygen!"
"Our round trip wasn't short. Is there enough oxygen in the submarine? We spent quite a bit of time testing the temperature just now, and with all this back and forth, we might run out of oxygen."
His words immediately made the atmosphere in the cabin more serious.
The submarine's oxygen reserves are limited, and we hadn't anticipated so many follow-up actions when we set out.
Now, returning to the coral colony via the same route, coupled with the time that may be required, oxygen levels are indeed a major concern.
"It's alright! That's enough for us to make a trip back. We'll see how things go then. Besides using the American submarines, I also have enough oxygen tanks in my storage space. That should be enough for us."
"That's true." Mu Mu relaxed.
The sister's space is their greatest logistical support.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get ready to go."
He was even more anxious than his sister and brother-in-law, and sat in the passenger seat: "Sister, sit down and rest for a while, brother-in-law and I will drive."