Chapter 149 Aircraft Carrier Enters Port
Two months have passed in the blink of an eye.
After entering the Mediterranean Sea through the Tusman Strait, the aircraft carrier Udnev passed through the Suez Canal, crossed the Indian Ocean, and after passing through the Strait of Malacca, headed north towards Far Eastern ports.
After passing through the narrow and difficult-to-navigate waterways of the Strait of Tusman and the Suez Canal, for safety reasons, only seven crew members remained on board the aircraft carrier, while the rest disembarked and waited for orders.
The Chinese experts concluded their business trip and, after traveling by ship to the nearest port, boarded a plane to return home. Before departing, everyone was reluctant to leave, taking a group photo on the aircraft carrier and exclaiming as they patted the hull, "What a magnificent ship! Look, all the welding is done by hand; the skill level is incredibly high… When will our country have its own aircraft carrier?"
The Ukrainian experts were also reluctant to leave, not only because they were reluctant to part with the Udnev, but also because of the generous daily subsidies. During their time at sea providing protection, they earned subsidies equivalent to a year's salary, paid in cash without any delays.
An engineer tentatively asked He Changyi, "They are not afraid of the dangers at sea and are willing to live and die with the aircraft carrier. If a shipwreck occurs, it is their fate. So, can we let them stay until the day the aircraft carrier reaches its destination?"
He Changyi was in a difficult position, but eventually gave in to the repeated pleas of the Ukrainian experts and reluctantly agreed that they could go with the tugboat and climb onto the aircraft carrier via the gangway if the carrier malfunctioned.
The Ukrainian experts were delighted, although due to limited space on the tugboat, some of them chose to stay on the poorly equipped aircraft carrier. When they disembarked at their destination, they hadn't showered for more than two months and looked as if they had just come out of a primeval forest.
However, they are indeed very familiar with aircraft carriers. During the two-month voyage, malfunctions were inevitable, but they were resolved in a timely manner without delaying the journey.
The journey was not without its challenges. Sometimes, due to the weather and sea conditions, the winds were strong and the waves were high, causing the aircraft carrier to be tossed about by the waves. In the face of the power of nature, even a 10,000-ton giant ship is nothing more than a large sampan.
Since the aircraft carrier itself has no power and is pulled by tugboats, the cables hanging on both sides of the bow and stern of the aircraft carrier are like kite strings, connecting the Udnev to two tugboats, with a third tugboat on standby.
On one occasion, the aircraft carrier encountered a severe storm with extremely strong winds. All the tow lines snapped one after another, and the Udnev went out of control, heading towards a nearby island. At the critical moment, a Ugandan tugboat risked its life to ram the carrier with its bow, changing its course and slowing it down. The crew took the opportunity to drop a spare tow line and re-secure the tow line, thus preventing the collision.
Navigation is risky; proceed with caution when venturing out to sea.
However, besides natural causes, there are also many dangers caused by human activities.
Although, compared to China, Russia, having squandered its fortunes, is at the bottom of the international hierarchy of contempt among white people, it still retains its prestige even after its death. In addition, its image of actively aligning itself with the West after the collapse of the alliance meant that the aircraft carrier encountered fewer troubles on its return journey.
After all, compared to a living enemy, a dead enemy is always more despised and more readily spared.
But things don't always go smoothly.
For example, when the Udnev passed through the Indian Ocean, Indians from nearby areas rushed over in helicopters and speedboats, like a swarm of buzzing flies, frantically taking pictures around the aircraft carrier.
During the mission, due to its proximity to the aircraft carrier, the helicopter was disturbed by the airflow from the ship's movement. It lost its balance and nearly crashed onto the flight deck. Fortunately, it narrowly missed the carrier, but the helicopter's rotors spun horizontally and it fell into the sea at an angle.
Everyone on the aircraft carrier and tugboat: ...
He Changyi: "...Go retrieve them, call the coast guard rescue team, and—"
Her eyes lit up, and she instructed, "Use the cameras we brought on board to record the entire rescue, and then send them to all the newspapers and media we can contact. Say that we acted out of humanitarian spirit and rescued a helicopter that was harassing the aircraft carrier. Also, give a little科普 (popular science) about airflow disturbances during ship navigation."
The news of the Indian helicopter crash gave the Udnev aircraft carrier a small boost in attention. During the rest of the voyage, fewer helicopters came to watch, and when they did appear, they were only seen from a distance, for fear of following in India's footsteps.
As the Udnev passed through the busy Strait of Malacca, it drew closer each day to its destination, the Far Eastern port.
Meanwhile, the sounds of Zhong Guo's ships were increasingly heard on public channels, and fishermen who went out to sea would often sail around the aircraft carrier's route to watch the rusty behemoth.
"Wow, what a huge ship! Bigger than any warship I've ever seen. No wonder it's called an aircraft carrier. What a pity, such a fine ship is going to be scrapped. What a waste..."
"You've only seen a few warships. The Alliance's aircraft carriers can't compare to the US's. Those are truly impressive; they're terrifying even from afar."
"So what if they've seen the US aircraft carrier? They're just deliberately coming to our territory to scare us. They're full of bad intentions!"
"Sigh, stop arguing. You keep talking about foreign aircraft carriers. When will our country have its own aircraft carrier?"
After these words were spoken, the public channel fell into a brief silence.
Someone angrily cursed, "It's all the fault of the Ukrainian shipyard! I heard that our people had already bought the aircraft carrier, but they went back on their word and sold it to the Eurasian devils instead. They have no shame!"
Some people were hearing about this for the first time. After learning the whole story, they were filled with righteous indignation. Their anger and resentment could be heard even through the radio.
That should have been our aircraft carrier!
"What do you mean 'originally'? That's our aircraft carrier!"
"Why doesn't the government do anything about this? It was one thing when they were far away, but now that they're on our territory, we should just seize them!"
"That's right, once it's here, it should be ours! We need to think of a way, everyone think of something..."
"Everyone, stop for a second. This is a public channel. Let's talk about this privately..."
A compartment inside an aircraft carrier.
The small transistor radio emitted a cacophony of conversations, interspersed with occasional crackling noises from signal interference, filling the small, windowless room to the brim.
"Boss, if I may be so bold, your compatriots seem to have some misunderstandings."
Mikhail wore a baseball cap askew, his short hair sticking out unruly from all sides, and dressed in a fashionable American basketball uniform. He didn't look like a shrewd KGB officer, but rather like a college student worrying about his final exams.
"However, their concerns seem to be valid. After all, we'll be arriving at a Far East port in another week. Are you really going to tow the Udnev into a shipbreaking yard?"
He Changyi extended a finger and gently pressed the semiconductor button, immediately stopping the chaotic noise.
"Misha, do you have any good ideas?"
Mikhail shrugged: "You know, I'm only good at eavesdropping, seduction, assassination, and torture. Oh, and blackmail and coercion. As for how to send an aircraft carrier to China with a legitimate reason—that seems a bit too difficult for me."
He Changyi looked at him with a half-smile, while Mikhail appeared serene and composed, as if He Changyi and Alexei were giving a speech into a microphone during the auction.
"You seem to know a lot, but do you know what I'm going to do?"
Mikhail gave a sly smile, said nothing, and simply inserted his left index finger into the eye of his loosely clenched right fist.
He Changyi praised without reservation: "My dear Misha, the Federal Security Service's dismissal of you is their loss."
Mikhail humbly replied, "I am just a lowly civil servant, boss. I believe you are the hidden gem of the intelligence world."
The two exchanged pleasantries, their faces bearing knowing smiles, everything understood without a word.
Summer weather at sea is like a child's face, changing in an instant. One second it's sunny and clear, the next a strong wind is blowing and large raindrops are falling from the sky.
With strong winds and high waves, the Luzon crew on the tugboat were complaining that the fishermen from nearby Chung-Khoon refused to bring their boats over to do business, preventing them from buying water, fresh fish, and vegetables, and forcing them to make do with the little dry food left on board.
It's strange. Usually, when these fishermen see a big ship passing by, they know business is coming and they'll rush over to sell their goods. Why are the fishermen from Zhongguo going around their fleet instead?
Unbeknownst to the Luzon crew, nearby South Korean fishing boats had already secretly agreed not to do business with them, since these tugboats were trying to tow the South Korean aircraft carrier to Russia. Unable to stop the massive vessel, the fishermen decided to vent their anger in their own way.
However, the Luzon crew had no time to complain at this point. The wind at sea was getting stronger and stronger, whipping up huge waves tens of meters high, like towering mountains, and the aircraft carrier was rocking and swaying among the mountains.
The steel cable connecting the tugboat to the aircraft carrier was sometimes taut and sometimes loose, which was terrifying to watch. The winch made a dangerous creaking sound, as if it would be forcibly torn off the ship at any second.
The Luzon crew were terrified. The rain was so heavy they couldn't open their eyes, and they could only grope for anything around them that could be secured, whether it was a cable or a mast. The tugboat was rocking violently, and sometimes it was even pushed upside down by the waves, with half of its hull exposed.
Having barely escaped back to the cabin, they overheard the Dutch captain yelling into the radio: "No anchor, no port? This is a Category 12 typhoon! The maritime authorities have issued a warning! What? Last time it was also a strong wind? Last time this damned aircraft carrier almost crashed into the island! We were all nearly killed!"
Captain Netherlands, still furious, turned to the Luzon crew and snapped, "Tell all you monkeys to stay away from the mooring lines! Who knows if that aircraft carrier will snap them again... That's not a ship, it's Devil's Island!"
The Luzon crew members nodded in agreement, their faces contorted with resentment as they left the safe bridge. They staggered along the tilting deck, cursing the ship's captain in their hearts. If it weren't for her relentless urging to pass through the waters near Zhongguo in the shortest possible time, the fleet should have sought shelter at a nearby port after receiving the typhoon warning. They could have gone ashore to have some fun instead of risking their lives navigating through the typhoon's vortex!
However, he overlooked one point: even if the fleet is not in a hurry, it will only detour to safe waters after receiving the warning signal, rather than enter the port.
The reason is simple: the Udnev has no power of its own, and the ship's anchor winch is only half-installed, so it can only drop anchor but not raise it. Once the Udnev drops anchor, if there is no external force nearby to help raise the anchor, the aircraft carrier can no longer move.
Before departure, the chief engineer of the Usak shipyard repeatedly emphasized that anchoring should not be dropped under any circumstances unless in a critical situation.
From the Black Sea to the Yellow Sea, the convoy, consisting of three tugboats and the aircraft carrier, remained in motion and unable to enter port because the aircraft carrier could not anchor. Even refueling the tugboats had to be done during the voyage.
After passing through the Strait of Malacca, a foreign tugboat attempted to raise the price, taking advantage of the ship owner's fear of having the vessel seized by the Chinese government, and demanded an exorbitant rental fee of $20,000 per day.
He Changyi didn't tolerate it and directly replaced it with a Zhongguo tugboat. Although the model was old and the ship was over 20 years old, it had plenty of horsepower and fully met the requirements for towing an aircraft carrier.
The replacement of the tugboat and the exchange of the mooring lines were also completed during the voyage.
The last near-collision with the island was because the aircraft carrier was unable to drop anchor and was swept towards the coast by strong winds. Fortunately, a Japanese tugboat risked a collision to avert the crisis.
Now, with another strong storm hitting, it seems like history is repeating itself, and everyone is on edge.
"Quickly, ram it from the side, straighten the Udnev, and make it face the wind on its port side!"
"No, the waves are too big, our boat can't hold up!"
"Cable, watch out for the cable!"
For those on the tugboat, the aircraft carrier is like a steel monster. When all the ships are on the same plane, the sense of oppression from the aircraft carrier is already very strong. At this moment, as the giant waves roll, the aircraft carrier is pushed to the crest of the waves tens of meters high. Even if you tilt your head back to the extreme, you can only see a corner of the majestic and terrifying mountain.
But what's even more terrifying is that when the aircraft carrier tumbles down from the crest of the wave, it looks like it's about to crash heavily onto the tugboat!
"Untie the cable! Leave it alone!"
"We're going to die! We're going to die here!"
"Please, get out of here right now!"
The three tugboats were struggling to hold on, and the aircraft carrier was in no better shape.
To those on the tugboat, the aircraft carrier appeared as a terrifying mountain; to those aboard, the sea seemed to be a series of treacherous peaks. The sky was as dark as ink, and the waves were towering; at that moment, it was impossible to distinguish between the sea and the sky, as if everything around them was pressing in on the aircraft carrier.
The waves surged like fury.
"Miss He, let's go into port! We can't hold out any longer!"
The voice of the Ego tugboat captain came through the walkie-talkie intermittently. He Changyi was soaked to the bone by rain and seawater. The cabin floor was severely tilted, and she had to grab onto something to keep herself steady.
"Can we speed up the process of getting out of the storm's radius? Once we're out of the danger zone, we shouldn't enter the port!"
The Dutch tugboat captain's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "No, it's too late! If we don't get into port soon, we'll all die here! And your aircraft carrier will sink to the bottom of the sea!"
The third tugboat captain also advised, "As long as the aircraft carrier doesn't sink, it will always have a chance to set sail in the future while it's in port. But if the mooring lines break and it loses control, then we'll lose the Udnev for good!"
The crew members on the aircraft carrier stared intently at He Changyi, while Mikhail stood aside with his head down, not uttering a word.
He Changyi's expression was complicated. Urged on by the repeated calls from the walkie-talkie, she finally spoke reluctantly:
"Go to the nearest port... then prepare to anchor."
This day is one that all the people of Bincheng Port will never forget.
Dark clouds obscured the sun, and a fierce wind whipped up towering waves. The sea and sky merged into one, and a gray fog filled the air, resembling a giant oil painting of the apocalypse.
In the depths of the thick fog, the shadow of a strangely shaped giant ship gradually emerged.
The port supervisor on duty asked, "Where did this ship come from?"
The staff weren't quite sure either. The typhoon had weakened the radio signal, and they could only vaguely make out a few words when communicating. They hesitated and said, "It's said that the aircraft carrier that Emirates bought encountered the typhoon at sea and applied to enter the port for refuge."
The person in charge frowned and said, "Isn't this just nonsense? There's no suitable berth for an aircraft carrier of this size here. Forcing it to come in will damage the dock! Tell them right now to stay outside the port and not come in."
The staff quickly tried to call the other party via radio, but received no response for a long time.
The colossal object on the sea drew ever closer to the port. As it got closer, the shadow of the aircraft carrier loomed over the sky, making the tugboats beside it seem almost invisible.
The person in charge frowned deeply, snatched the wireless telephone receiver from the staff member, and shouted to the aircraft carrier and tugboat: "Stop the ship and lower the anchor! There are no suitable berths for you in Bincheng Port!"
However, the aircraft carrier did not stop.
The wind was strong and the waves were high. The waves crashed heavily against the embankment. The giant ship rode the waves and slowly approached the concrete dock with a suffocating sense of oppression, as if it wanted to crush all obstacles in its way.
The staff member on duty on the shore, facing the harbor, instinctively staggered backward. Even from dozens of meters away, the shadow of the giant ship still loomed over him. He stumbled, unable to hold back any longer, and turned to run.
The aircraft carrier continued to move slowly, and only stopped completely just before it was about to crash into the dock.
Everyone at the Bincheng Port Dispatch Center stood up, dumbfounded, unable to believe what they were seeing.
The aircraft carrier that Eguo Company seized from Zhongguo is just sitting there so brazenly in the main shipping lane of Bincheng Port?
The captains of the three tugboats breathed a sigh of relief and slumped behind the bridge. This was the most severe challenge they had ever faced in their careers; the slightest deviation would have caused the aircraft carrier to crash into the dock.
On the aircraft carrier, the best and most experienced pilots at Bincheng Port also breathed a sigh of relief.
He was tasked with a secret mission to guide the aircraft carrier. Although he was grateful for the organization's trust, the organization seemed to have placed too much trust in him, requiring him to guide a 10,000-ton unpowered giant ship into the port during a typhoon.
Although it didn't need to dock at a berth, although three high-powered tugboats were assisting, although the wind and waves near the port had subsided, and although Ms. He told him to go all out and that she would take care of any problems—but that was an aircraft carrier!!!
Even a regular cargo ship that goes out of control and crashes into a dock could cause the dock to collapse and the ship to sink; but if an aircraft carrier were to crash into a dock... he couldn't even imagine the scene. It would be the biggest port accident of the year and even the century, and he would be hung on the pillar of shame. Even if no one knew that he was the one who was navigating, he would not be able to forgive himself.
Fortunately, the combined efforts of three tugboats towed him, and the aircraft carrier came to a complete stop after anchoring, which meant he only narrowly escaped disgrace.
After the typhoon passed, the wind and rain stopped, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the sunlight shone through the cracks in the sky. Fish were jumping and splashing on the deck of the aircraft carrier.
He Changyi stepped out of the cabin, looked at the crowd gradually gathering on the dock not far away, and took out his mobile phone to dial a number.
"General Qin."
She only said four words about the hardships and setbacks she had encountered along the way.
"I have successfully completed my mission."
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Author's Note: The aircraft carrier's arrival in port is the biggest plot device in this story (…
The countdown is on! The main story is almost over, but there's still so much to write for the side stories. I can't wait to write the "what if" scenarios; I've even come up with titles! The bonus side stories will be released seven days after the main story concludes~
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