Chapter 78 Storm
The sun is shining brightly and the sea is calm.
There were a few scattered clouds floating in the distance, and the rest was a vast expanse of clear blue sky. It was a beautiful day with wind and sunshine.
The people on the research vessel also had a rare moment of leisure, as the previous phase of the research mission had ended and the new phase had not yet begun.
People gathered in groups of three or four on the deck, or chatted under the awning, or took a leisurely walk, admiring the scenery above the sea.
cab.
The deputy captain, in charge of the research vessel's daily operations, stared at the dashboard with a relaxed expression. Sun Jianping, still holding the small wine flask, sat by the porthole, taking a sip from time to time.
Time passed slowly. Suddenly, a fleeting data on the dashboard caught Sun Jianping's attention.
He walked over and stared at the data for a long time without saying a word.
After a long while, he said, "Huo Tao, get me the weather data for the past 24 hours."
Vice Captain Huo Tao was a little puzzled: "Master, what's wrong?"
"Give it to me first."
Huo Tao retrieved the relevant data.
On the screen, data such as air pressure, humidity, wind speed, sea surface temperature, radar echo map, etc. are densely packed together.
Huo Tao also watched intently. After a long look, he shook his head and said, "It's all normal. The weather should continue to be good."
He had ample basis for this assessment, as the data hadn't changed much from before. Furthermore, the weather warning system, trained on big data, hadn't issued any alerts or raised the risk level.
Sun Jianping's brows slowly furrowed.
He closed the data and opened the sea chart again. After observing it for a while, he decisively pointed to a small island about 200 nautical miles away.
As early as the peak of human civilization, it was already an uninhabited island. Now it is even more deserted.
"Go here."
Sun Jianping's tone was solemn and full of unquestionable authority: "I remember there is a natural harbor there."
Huo Tao's tone was full of surprise: "What are you doing there?"
Sun Jianping raised the wine jug and took a sip: "The storm is coming."
"storm?"
Huo Tao's expression was startled. He subconsciously glanced out the porthole. The sea remained calm. He checked the weather map but found no signs of an impending storm.
"Master, this..."
"Do as I say."
His tone was firm and unyielding. Huo Tao paused and said, "Yes."
Sun Jianping walked over and decisively pressed the alarm. In an instant, a shrill alarm sounded throughout the research vessel.
Whether people were chatting, taking a walk, or resting, they were all stunned.
Sun Jianping's voice came over: "The storm is coming, our ship will rush to the nearby islands for refuge at full power.
From now on, everyone must immediately take action and follow their responsibilities to secure items and repair equipment in their respective areas. Afterwards, all non-essential personnel must return to their dormitories and are not allowed to leave.
Repeat, the storm is coming..."
People looked at each other in confusion.
Although it was somewhat puzzling and there were no signs of an approaching storm, people still followed Sun Jianping's instructions.
The research vessel then turned and headed towards the island.
Several hours passed quickly. The people trapped in the dormitory looked out the window at the sea, which was still calm.
Discussions began to rise quietly. Some people in the group chat began to complain.
but……
As the research vessel continued to move forward, it was as if some magic was suddenly cast between heaven and earth. A group of dark clouds quietly swept in from afar, and the sky suddenly darkened.
At some point, waves two or three meters high had already surged onto the sea surface, and crackling raindrops began to fall from the sky.
As the wind and rain grew stronger, even the research vessel weighing over 10,000 tons began to shake.
The storm is coming.
The complaints in the group chat quietly disappeared.
In the cab, Huo Tao looked at his master with admiration: "How did you figure that out?"
Sun Jianping took a sip of wine and said calmly, "Experience."
Huo Tao still looked bewildered. Sun Jianping sighed and pointed to the data on the weather map. "The air pressure had been slowly dropping the day before."
"But the drop was so small that it cannot be used as a basis for judgment."
"Indeed. But when you add in the other meteorological indicators, you see, humidity is starting to increase, sea surface temperature is dropping, and wind speed is starting to change..."
Sun Jianping explained in detail: "Especially the data from the radar echo map. Look, the shape and speed of these clouds..."
Huo Tao's vision gradually became clearer.
Each of these changes in weather data was so small that they didn't trigger alarms in weather warning systems. But taken together, they signaled something was afoot.
It takes keen insight to perceive these changes, consider them holistically, and accurately judge what they mean. Obviously, I don’t have these abilities at this stage.
Sun Jianping took a sip of wine and sighed, "Huo Tao, Master is getting old. These seafaring jobs will eventually be handed over to you young people."
Although Huo Tao is 52 years old this year, he was born through the "thawed embryo" method, just like Zhou Cheng, Liu Yu and others. In the eyes of people who believe in natural birth, he is still considered young.
"Today, few people in the world are willing to sail, and our civilization does not have much demand for ocean voyages.
But I thought...someone has to master this skill in case of emergency.
What if, one day, we humans have a way to deal with disasters, but no one knows how to use it when we need to sail on the ocean? That would be a huge waste of time..."
Huo Tao's expression gradually became serious. He stood in front of Sun Jianping, straightened up, and saluted: "Master, don't worry, I will learn seriously."
"Um."
Sun Jianping nodded, turned around and looked at the sea outside the porthole which was gradually becoming turbulent, and the solemnity on his face became even more intense.
Before the storm reached its peak, the research vessel finally entered the natural harbor.
Although there are also strong winds and heavy rain here, according to weather detection and radar detection, the storm outside the harbor is even more severe.
Looking at the inky sky and the angry sea, people's hearts were filled with gratitude.
"Thankfully, Captain Sun acted decisively and brought us here to hide. If he had been a step later, the consequences would have been disastrous."
"Exactly. Look outside, the wind and waves are so strong that even our boat, no matter how big it is, can't withstand it."
…
Time passed quietly. Sun Jianping did not take a rest, but stayed in the cab, closely monitoring the changes in weather data.
It was already late at night, and the violent storm was still going on outside.
Sun Jianping suddenly put down the wine jug heavily, as if he had made up his mind.
"No, we can't stay here any longer. We have to go."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
