Chapter 374: Plan to Change the Battlefield

Cooperating with Chen Zetao? Xiao Peng felt his scalp tingling just thinking about the result.

He represents the country!

It’s not that Xiao Peng is unpatriotic, it’s just that this feels like the relationship between a child and his mother: you can’t live without her, but you can’t be too close, right?

If Xiao Peng and Chen Zetao work together, the result may be: 'Dear child, give your New Year's money to your mother and she will save it for you when you grow up', and then you will never see your New Year's money again in your life.

What’s the point of making money by yourself at that time?

Chen Zetao coughed dryly twice. "Why can't you take a joke? Listen to me, I really want this gold. I own a precious metals trading company. I'll take this gold at the market price."

Xiao Peng frowned. "It's not a lot of gold, why do you care so much? Wouldn't it be better for me to continue sending it to the Bank of France?"

"Isn't that a lot of gold?" Chen Zetao exclaimed. "Four tons! You actually said four tons of gold isn't a lot? You're really treating bean buns like dry food!"

Xiao Peng spread his hands and said, "Of course, there are so many treasures under the sea, provided you can find them."

Chen Zetao suddenly lowered his voice and said, "What if I have a company that wants to cooperate with you and work behind you for a bit? If I can do that, I think things at the National Museum will be easier."

Xiao Peng thought for a moment and said, "It seems like there's some business to be done...but..."

"But?" Chen Zetao asked in confusion, "Anything else?"

Xiao Peng shook his head and said, "Brother Chen, you know what? I'm a little confused now."

"Confused? Confused about what?" Chen Zetao asked puzzledly.

Xiao Peng said: "The wealth of the Mediterranean can no longer satisfy me."

"Ah?" Chen Zetao was stunned.

Xiao Peng explained, "I've looked up a ton of information and finally came to the conclusion that while there are many shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, there aren't many shipwrecks of the kind that would have belonged to the rich. Most of them are small merchant ships, often carrying bottles and jars. Ever since I discovered 21 tons of gold, these little things can no longer satisfy me."

"Then where are you planning to go?" Chen Zetao asked.

Xiao Peng said, "I only had this idea after I got the 'Calysop'. I want to go to the South Atlantic Anomaly to take a look."

"South Atlantic Anomaly?" Chen Zetao didn't understand what Xiao Peng meant.

Xiao Peng explained: "This area of ocean between South America, Europe and Africa is called the South Atlantic Radiation Anomaly. Its characteristic is that the magnetic field intensity there is weaker than that of nearby areas, about half the magnetic field intensity of normal areas at the same latitude. It is the largest magnetic anomaly area on Earth."

Chen Zetao spread his hands and said, "I don't understand what you mean, but I can feel it. This means danger, right?"

Xiao Peng nodded. "You're right. It does represent a danger. You can think of the Earth's magnetic field as a protective layer for the Earth. It blocks harmful cosmic rays and charged particles from space, such as X-rays. In that sea area, the magnetic protection is weakened, so space radiation can penetrate the atmosphere. But don't worry, it won't cause much harm to humans. It will cause instrument malfunctions and communication errors to aircraft, satellites, spacecraft, and ships. For example, every time the Harper Space Telescope orbits the Earth and flies here, it automatically shuts off its sensors to prevent damage. Civilian airliners also avoid that area."

"Why do you want to go there when it's so dangerous?" Chen Zetao asked puzzledly.

Xiao Peng smiled. "It's not particularly dangerous, it just affects communications. But I have a large ship now, which is perfect for covert operations. Even if the waves there are much stronger than those in the Mediterranean, our ship can withstand it. In short, with a large ship, we might be able to gain more from exploring there."

"Hiss..." Chen Zetao took a deep breath after hearing this: "I feel like this is not as easy as you said."

Xiao Peng nodded. "It's not that easy. So if you really want to follow me and cooperate with me, a large ship is a must. The winds and waves in the South Pacific are no joke."

"Can you tell me why you want to go to such a dangerous place?" Chen Zetao asked puzzledly.

Xiao Peng replied, "Wealth and honor are sought through risk, aren't they?"

"The question is, is there wealth there?" Chen Zetao continued to ask.

Xiao Peng grinned. "Where was the world's first 'empire on which the sun never sets'? It was Spain! Back then, Spain and Portugal were actively colonizing South America, during the Age of Exploration. Slaves, gems, gold, and silver from South America and Africa were constantly flowing into Europe. They took this very route."

After hearing this, Chen Zetao said, "That means that..."

Xiao Peng waved his hand and said, "Brother Chen, I know what you mean by that there are a lot of valuable shipwrecks there, and that's true. But the sea there is vast, and you can't just rush in like a headless fly. Furthermore, the geomagnetic conditions there didn't change much before 1750; it was only after 1750 that the geomagnetic field weakened. The wind and waves and weak geomagnetic field there also make modern salvage operations more difficult. So, even though there's obviously huge wealth there, few people go there to salvage. Now you understand what I mean when I say that wealth and honor are sought at the cost of danger, right?"

Chen Zetao asked in confusion: "Brother Xiao, I have a question that I'm curious about."

"What's the problem?" Xiao Peng asked.

"From a personal perspective, I don't understand why you'd want to take such a risk." Chen Zetao stated his question: "Your current money is enough to last you ten lifetimes, right?"

Xiao Peng laughed. "I felt so suffocated after coming to the Black Sea this time, but to be honest, when I think about it now, I still find it quite exciting. Maybe it's a common problem among men. They like to pursue a more exciting life. You're right, I'm really not short of money now, but the Mediterranean feels so calm and there's really no challenge. It's better to go to the South Atlantic. But I'm still hesitating now."

"What are you hesitating about?" Chen Zetao asked in confusion.

Xiao Peng pointed at the dock and said, "In the Mediterranean, I can live comfortably in Marseille, and Piraeus Port is one of my bases. But I can't find a place to stay in the South Atlantic. But I'm not in a hurry. It will take at least half a year to prepare for my trip there. You can take your time to think about it."

Chen Zetao nodded: "So what are you going to do next?"

"Rest, check the information, drink champagne and smoke cigars while watching the developments on the Black Sea side. By the way, there is something I want to tell you." Xiao Peng said.

"What's the matter?" Chen Zetao asked in confusion.

Xiao Peng said, "After I return, all the crew members will be on holiday. I won't need them in the short term, and I can't afford to keep so many idle people. I'll just let them go home directly. If anyone doesn't come back, you can't blame me."