Chapter 70 High Seas
It was 1977, and everyone was having a very relaxing time in the first few days of the new year.
I caught a lot of seafood at the beach for several days in a row: fresh abalone, plump sea urchins, tender sea fish, and seafood platters that I could never get enough of.
It wasn't until after the fifth day of the Lunar New Year that the call to demobilize was issued.
From the morning onwards, everyone began packing their luggage and sending their belongings to the warships. Once everyone was ready, the ships docked there also began to move.
Xia Ming's team of 14 researchers and 20 conservation personnel were all going to follow the Maria.
Because of what had happened before, Jiang Cong and Huo Sen didn't dare to relax during the entire Chinese New Year period.
Fearing that the foreigners might make a move, on the morning of the fifth day of surveillance, which was the first day of the Lunar New Year, they indeed discovered traces of them sneaking ashore.
They found the footprints in a remote place.
Following the trail, it was discovered that the group had come to the island in the middle of the night to conduct a search, covering almost the entire island as if they were looking for something. Later, some traces were also found fifty meters outside the camp.
Jiang Cong was very angry when she learned of this news.
First, I was annoyed by their cunning; they must have taken advantage of the New Year holiday when the people were a little relaxed. Second, they really did have ulterior motives, but I still had to work with them.
"Captain Huo, we need to be careful from now on. We need to keep a close eye on Elder Xia and Elder Hu."
Compared to that group of people, these researchers are definitely more important.
"Yes, we'd better stay close by and keep up with them once we get there."
Before the two had finished discussing, they heard that Elder Xia wanted to board the Maria again.
They also put all their personal belongings here. The other colleagues got used to it and could choose a room by the window when they went up the stairs to the ship.
On a nearby warship, rows of soldiers stood.
Captain Chen stared intently with a serious expression and piercing gaze.
At the same time, he recalled his words from back then: "Captain Chen, my colleagues and I will be boarding the ship together this time. If any unexpected situation arises during the journey, please put the overall situation first."
Captain Chen didn't know what he was thinking at the time, but he worried about it countless times in private.
These words are really not something a scholar would say, but he admires them greatly!
"Set sail!"
Hululu~
James greeted his helpers with a smile, and his mood was even better after the ship set sail.
"Professor Xia, Professor Hu will need your help again next."
He shook hands with each of them in a friendly manner, his gaze sweeping over them one by one before turning to the ship behind them.
Great news! The underwater babies are here!
Hahahaha, what a treasure!
Xia Ming said a few simple and reserved words, then led dozens of people down to rest and recuperate before continuing their conversation once they reached their destination.
James paid no attention and ordered his men to proceed at full speed, heading straight for the treasure's route.
At this point, the crew of the Maria had almost only one goal: to reach the location quickly and then carry out the salvage operation.
Watching the ship leave a huge splash on the sea as it sped away, the cruiser following behind silently increased its speed, trying to keep up with them as steadily as possible.
Someone immediately reported the news to Captain Chen, who nodded to indicate that he understood.
After everyone left, he discussed the matter with the other responsible persons.
Yes, besides him, there were two vice captains, a political commissar, and a logistics director on board.
Besides Captain Chen, whose words carried weight, the other influential figure was the political commissar.
Political Commissar Liu said with a serious expression, "It seems they are in a hurry. At this rate, they will reach the high seas in just a few days." His brows remained furrowed. "At that time, we will encounter more frictions outside of the Xisha Islands area."
"Hmph, let's give it a try. We brought quite a few weapons with us on this trip."
"You can't say that. Our main task this time is still protection."
"That's not how it works. The stuff is right there. If those Russian fishing nations outside find out, they'll definitely try to steal it. Do you think those foreigners aren't envious? The reason they called us along is precisely because they're afraid of this."
"That's right. Next, the political commissar and I will take charge of military discipline on the ship and be prepared to fight at any time. At the same time, we must also take good care of the remaining 34 compatriots and make sure to bring them back safely after the war."
"clear."
"Of course!"
From then on, a small meeting was held almost every day on the cruiser, with the aim of protecting them under the premise of safety.
Old Xia and the others didn't pay attention to this. Ever since they boarded the ship, they realized that this group of people were really in a hurry.
They sailed at almost twice the usual speed, with a 24-hour break throughout the day.
Sometimes, even strong winds and bad weather cannot stop their progress.
For several days in a row, Xia Ming and Old Hu would visit them every day, and then he would hold a meeting with the team to discuss what to pay attention to next.
On the tenth day after their departure, they were already in the easternmost part of our country's waters, near the northernmost part.
This was calculated by Mr. Hu; it seems we'll be in international waters soon.
Although they had never been to international waters, they had heard of this dangerous area.
The so-called high seas are, of course, public waters, areas not claimed or controlled by any country. How safe can such a place be? Just thinking about it makes you realize how dangerous and chaotic it is.
And they were about to embark on a dangerous voyage aboard this foreign vessel.
And the ship with the red flag flying behind it also came out.
"When we get back, we must tell them about what's happening outside. If anything happens, they must not rush out. This is not like back home. If something unexpected happens, we might not be able to go back."
"Okay, I'll remind them. But is it safe for our ship to come out like this?"
Hu Wenhua was afraid that some people with ulterior motives would find out and stir up trouble internationally, which would then create some bad reputation for him.
"According to Captain Chen, they've already made preparations. If they don't encounter anyone, they'll say they're on patrol by the coastal defense; if they do encounter someone, they'll say they're looking for a missing fishing boat." Anyway, they'll have a story to tell, so they don't care about anything else.
That afternoon, at sunset, everyone stood on the deck watching the ship sail across the last bit of the border.
The subsequent location was no longer within their national waters.
They only found out about this when Captain James sent someone to add dessert to dinner.
After all, there is no reference point in this vast sea area, let alone a stone tablet that says it is the easternmost point of our country.
Before anyone could react, the seawater beneath the boat rippled outwards, sending them even further away.
"You're leaving already?"
One of the comrades said in a surprised tone.
"That's right, this is my first time going abroad. I never imagined I came here illegally."
"Who says otherwise? I never expected we'd have such a thrilling experience!"
They tried to find some humor in their situation, but before they could even calm down, trouble came knocking on their door during dinner that evening.
A capsized fishing boat appeared on the sea at some unknown time, with a lot of cargo and people splashing around on the surface.
Upon seeing this, James on the ship simply ordered his men to go around it, not intending to get involved at all. Hosen, who also discovered the incident, didn't say anything, after all, they hadn't forgotten where this had happened.
But then I suddenly thought of the cruisers behind us. If we could catch up, I wondered if we would run into them.
“Those people do this every year. I advise you not to meddle. No one who appears on the high seas is simple.” Hatcher, who appeared out of nowhere, seemed to sense the kindness of the person opposite him and suddenly spoke in heavily accented Mandarin.
"Um!"
That evening, Hossen told several people in charge about the matter and the speculation.
Old Xia looked haggard, but nodded firmly in his eyes.
"That's certainly how it should be. We can't worry about anything else right now, so let's not concern ourselves with anything else."
"It seems there aren't many days left, so I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on things these next few days." These days, they've been taking turns guarding the area at night, since their safety is their own responsibility.
"clear."
They sailed for another two days from that day, and did not encounter any other ships during those two days.
On the thirteenth, however, they discovered a small boat that wanted to trade with them.
James quickly sent people to make the exchange, exchanging a few bottles of foreign liquor for a large number of extra-large lobsters and seafood.
Compared to the former, this time he was clearly much more skilled.
The onlookers were amazed, never imagining that such a transaction could take place on the high seas. Some even privately questioned why they didn't just rob the place.
Those who knew better reminded them that these people might appear to be fishermen, but who knew if they were doing it part-time?
It's impossible for someone to travel so freely on the high seas!
When Xia Ming heard about this, he asked the captain about it the next day. He learned that those people were indeed fishermen from the area, but they would rob people when they ran out of fish.
On the morning of the 14th, James called over Old Xia and Old Hu, among others.
"Professor Xia, I have received the latest news that two other ocean exploration ships will arrive in international waters in ten days. They will definitely discover our location soon after, and then they will definitely take action."
He had to explain that taking the treasure from the US was no easy task.
I learned that one of the two ships was backed by the hegemonic United States, and the other by a merchant shipping company that claimed to be a joint venture between the British Empire and France.
Xia Ming glanced at Lao Hu first, and saw that he looked back at him.
The group could tell that the captain was really anxious, but to be honest, it wasn't a good solution.
"We should arrive in two more days. We'll confirm the location within five days, and then we have to finish salvaging it before they find it, otherwise we can't leave."
"Is there enough time?"
James's gaze was firm. "Of course there's enough time. Our ship is equipped with the most sophisticated instruments, and we won't have to do what you're doing. We can just go into the water and salvage it. However, you must lend me your manpower so you can familiarize yourself with all the equipment from now on, and then we can take action immediately."
"Professor Xia, don't worry, I will take good care of them."
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