Phi-Fic Chapter 1265
Chapter 1265
Hydrothermal vents on the seabed continuously spew out various minerals, which, after being tempered by high temperature and pressure, form many rare metals.
These minerals are crucial to the base.
They can be used to make boiling point alloys, and may even lead to the discovery of new substances, providing new directions for scientific research.
However, compared to collecting minerals, their primary task on this trip is to raise hot spring fish.
“I’ve reviewed the submarine’s test data. It can operate without problems in boiling water,” Qi Mingyu said in a low voice. “However… diving to the deep-sea hydrothermal vents is quite risky.”
Zhou Shuwan looked out the window, and through the thick glass, she could see the vast, milky white sea outside.
She sighed softly, but her tone was firm: "No matter how great the risk, I have to go."
The chill in the cabin hadn't dissipated yet when Zhou Shuwan got up and put the ice bucket into her spatial storage.
"It's time to go." She changed into her air-conditioned uniform.
Qi Mingyu was already dressed and was bending down to tie his boot laces.
Mu Mu leaned against the door frame, her hands in her pockets, her face expressionless, but she didn't say much.
He knew what his sister was thinking; she took him to the cockpit only because she was afraid he would take advantage of a moment when no one was looking to cause trouble for Lin Wei.
He scoffed and followed behind the two men.
The three walked through the narrow corridor and arrived at the cockpit.
Captain Ma was frowning as he stared at the obscured sea ahead when he heard footsteps and turned around: "Dr. Zhou, Captain Qi, you've arrived."
"Captain Ma." Zhou Shuwan walked over, her gaze also fixed on the distance. "At the current speed, we've only covered a little over twenty nautical miles in three hours, which is slower than we planned."
"Yes!" Captain Ma sighed. "The ocean currents in this area are too turbulent, and there are also reefs. We dare not sail fast. If we hit a reef, our ship will probably sink immediately."
The environment in Thailand was harsh, and the soldiers had no experience navigating the Boiling Sea!
In addition, the surrounding area is full of whirlpools and reefs, so the speed is naturally not fast.
Zhou Shuwan didn't speak, but pointed ahead: "Go this way, bypass that group of reefs. Although it's a few nautical miles away, the ocean current is calm, which will help us speed up."
Captain Ma trusted Zhou Shuwan completely and immediately nodded, "Okay, we'll do as Dr. Zhou says!"
"Yes!" The helmsman immediately turned the steering wheel.
The ship rocked slightly and headed in a new direction.
Qi Mingyu glanced at Zhou Shuwan and saw that she was completely focused on guiding the ship's course.
He smiled and patted Mu Mu on the shoulder: "Come on, come with me on patrol."
Mu Mu nodded and followed Qi Mingyu out of the cockpit.
It's almost their turn to work!
About half an hour later, Zhou Shuwan's gaze fell on the distant horizon, and her pupils contracted slightly.
However, her movements were very small, and no one around noticed anything unusual about her.
Almost half an hour later, the monitor suddenly exclaimed, "Captain! Look over there!"
His sharp voice shattered the tranquility of the cockpit.
Everyone's eyes turned to the direction he was pointing, and they all gasped in shock.
On the sea ahead, countless shipwrecks floated densely.
The larger one is over ten meters long, resembling a section of a ship's hull that has been forcibly broken off.
The smaller ones are only the size of a palm, probably fragments of ship planks.
The wreckage was of various colors; some was dark gray steel, some was rusty brown, and some even had traces of blue paint remaining.
The waves crashed against the wreckage, making a clanging sound.
Some of the wreckage still had tattered canvas hanging on them, swaying in the sea breeze like broken flags.
What is most shocking are the markings on the wreckage.
Instead of the Chinese characters commonly used at their base, it was a string of crooked letters.
Some of the letters have been eroded by seawater and are now blurred, with only a few incomplete outlines vaguely discernible.
Some still had traces of paint, as if they had been painted with red pigment, which stood out starkly against the gray and white sea.
Zhou Shuwan's heart sank suddenly.
She recalled the wreckage she had found on the shore before, with the same letter markings and the same signs of corrosion.
At the time, Qi Mingyu guessed that another group of humans lived in the unknown sea.
In retrospect, this guess was correct.
The construction techniques used to build these remains were extremely sophisticated.
The welding techniques used on these ships were so advanced that they were top-notch, even before the apocalypse.
"These ships..." Captain Ma's voice trembled slightly, "...where did they come from?"
Over the years, he had witnessed countless shipwrecks, but he had never seen such a large-scale group of wreckage.
No one answered.
The cockpit was deathly silent, with only the roar of the engine and the sound of the waves crashing in the air.
Captain Ma immediately ordered all patrol teams to intensify their patrols.
Allow the maintenance and research personnel who were still outside to enter the room.
It's not safe outside anymore!
The command was executed immediately.
Lin Wei and Xiao Xue were testing various data of the high-temperature coating when they suddenly heard an alarm and immediately went to the cockpit.
At the same time, they also learned about what was happening.
Unexpectedly, Lin Wei's face showed no panic or fear, but rather an undisguised excitement.
Through the porthole, her eyes gleamed as she stared at the wreckage as if it were a priceless treasure.
Zhou Shuwan was slightly taken aback.
Captain Ma was also somewhat surprised, not understanding what she was so excited about, and asked in surprise, "Team Leader Lin, what's going on...?"
"Captain Ma, look!" Lin Wei pointed at the wreckage, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"The hulls of these ships! Although corroded, the remaining parts have a very special texture!"
"Our base's second-generation high-temperature coating can only withstand temperatures of over 100 degrees Celsius, and its corrosion resistance is very poor."
"But the fact that these materials still leave some residue after prolonged immersion in boiling water shows that their performance is far superior to ours!"
"And the structure of these ships! Look, the hull frame uses a honeycomb design. This design can reduce the weight of the hull and enhance its resistance to pressure!"
"Our ships all use traditional beam structures, which are easily deformed in the high-pressure environment of the deep sea!"
"If we can thoroughly study the technology behind these wrecks, we can achieve breakthroughs in our third-generation high-temperature coatings and even new ship hull structures!"
Everyone's eyes lit up instantly.
Yes!
They only considered the potential threats posed by the wreckage, forgetting that behind it might lie the technology they desperately needed!