Phi-Fic Chapter 1078
Chapter 1078
Wang Qian nodded, his eyes lighting up: "Yes! The island is flat and there are no large reefs around, making it perfect for building a mid-air fortress. Although it's not very big, it's enough for our current population to live in!"
He paused, his tone growing heavier: "But... when we went out there were three ships, with 320 people, and when we came back there was only this one ship, with 115 people left. The captain sacrificed himself to protect the ship when it hit a reef..."
The atmosphere around them suddenly became quiet.
Captain Chen patted Wang Qian on the shoulder, his voice heavy: "You've worked hard. We will always remember the comrades who sacrificed their lives."
He turned to Zhou Shuwan's family, his tone becoming lighter, "Now it's all good. With the location of the island, we can plan the construction of the fortress as soon as possible, and we won't have to make everyone risk going out to sea anymore."
Zhong Tiyun nodded repeatedly: "That's great, Captain Chen, our mid-air fortress can begin construction at any time!"
"Yes!" Captain Chen said with a beaming smile.
The captain, who had been hunched over on the ferry just moments before, now seemed to have suddenly become spirited and several years younger.
Zhou Shuwan looked at Captain Chen, who was clearly overjoyed, then at Wang Qian, and then at the distant sea, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Finally, fate intervened...
"Captain Wang, could you tell us about the specific situation on the island? For example, the terrain, the climate, and anything else we need to be careful about?"
Qi Mingyu spoke up at the right time, knowing that now was not the time to be immersed in emotions, and that planning the next steps was the key.
Wang Qian immediately nodded: "Of course! I've drawn detailed maps and survey records. Let's go to the captain's cabin now and try to formulate a construction plan as soon as possible!"
Captain Chen smiled and nodded: "Alright! Let's go discuss it now!"
He took two steps, then turned back to Zhou Shuwan and Qi Mingyu and said, "Dr. Zhou, Xiao Qi, you two come and listen too, and give some advice."
“Great!” Zhou Shuwan was also very curious about the newly discovered island.
She also wanted to hear about the new island as soon as possible, so she didn't refuse. She told her parents and Mu Mu to go back first, while she and Qi Mingyu went to the captain's office together.
The door to the captain's office closed behind him, shutting out the noise on the deck.
A rather rough hand-drawn map was spread out in the center of the conference table, clearly hastily drawn by Wang Qian during his return journey.
He pressed his fingertip on the oval area in the center of the map, his voice hoarse but clear: "This main island is located three thousand nautical miles northwest of the mothership. Its area is about seventy percent of Hope Island No. 2. The terrain slopes gently from north to south, without steep cliffs, making it suitable for building a mid-air fortress."
Then he looked at the few small dots around the main island and said with a hint of regret, “These are rocky islands, most of which will be submerged at high tide. They can only be used as temporary lookout points and cannot be used for living. But the main island has enough space. The existing personnel on our mothership plus the crew of other ships can be accommodated.”
They no longer consider living directly on the island, but instead use the island's terrain to build fortresses in mid-air.
This is a huge project, but because Xue Wuwen informed us of this information a long time ago, the mothership has been in preparation all along.
Technicians have also created construction sketches for the mid-air fortress multiple times.
Captain Chen stood in the center of the conference table, turning his gaze to Zhou Shuwan and Qi Mingyu: "Dr. Zhou, Xiao Qi, you've just returned from a sea voyage and are quite familiar with the surrounding waters. Have you encountered any islands in that area to the northwest?"
His question was veiled, but not entirely veiled.
After all, Zhou Shuwan's navigational abilities are exceptionally sensitive to geographical conditions, a fact that had already been proven during previous voyages.
Zhou Shuwan didn't hide anything, shaking her head and frowning slightly: "No. Our previous routes were mainly concentrated in the east-west direction. Although we have also approached the edge of the northwest sea area, we have not found any islands."