At the same time, it is necessary to have eight high-powered tugboats escorting it through the Bosphorus Strait.
Students will return to school on February 28th and officially start school on March 1st.
I thought that with so much groundwork laid beforehand, and with Russia not yet dissolved, this trip to the Black Sea should go smoothly.
All tugboats arranged by our side must be directed by the other side. When passing through the strait, all matters related to navigation safety, equipment, technology, and personnel dispatch and command must be in accordance with the other side's arrangements.
Furthermore, the other party also demanded that a country in the region act as a guarantor.
In response, the authorities intervened multiple times to negotiate with the other side, and the Russian side also coordinated with Turkey.
Later, Greece stepped in to guarantee the passage and leased us the most powerful tugboat available at the time. With the help of various parties, Turkey finally agreed to release the vessel.
The fleet remained on the Black Sea for over a year before finally managing to pass through the Bosphorus, Marmara, and Dardanelles straits.
At this point, a second problem arose: Egypt refused to allow the 106 semi-finished products to pass through the Suez Canal.
Ultimately, the fleet had no choice but to detour more than 8,000 kilometers, enter the Indian Ocean from the Cape of Good Hope, and then pass through the Strait of Malacca to enter my country's territorial waters.
The journey was fraught with obstacles, setbacks, and dangers.
Originally, the superiors wanted Sheng Xiping and some technical personnel to evacuate back to China first, but Sheng Xiping and the others did not shy away from the difficulties and all stayed.
The only saving grace is that the power system on board No. 106 was preserved, which is a huge advantage.
During the voyage, the fleet encountered several severe weather conditions, but ultimately weathered them all safely.
In April 1992, semi-finished product No. 106 successfully arrived at Dalian Port.
The moment they set foot on their motherland, everyone was moved to tears. Two years had passed, and after overcoming numerous obstacles, they had finally returned.
"Xiping, congratulations! You're finally back."
Chief Zhao, Wu Bingzhong, and others were waiting at the port. Upon seeing Sheng Xiping and the others return safely, they immediately stepped forward with smiles to congratulate them.
"Well done, you've done a great job this time." Commander Zhao patted Sheng Xiping on the shoulder with great excitement and said.
"Fortunately, I have not failed in my mission and have lived up to the expectations of the leaders. The mission has been successfully completed."
Sheng Xiping smiled too, a smile that contained bitterness, but even more so joy.
Two years, a full two years! Only those who have experienced it firsthand can truly understand the hardships involved.
Fortunately, the ending was perfect, and all the hard work was worth it.
"Xiping, let's go back and rest for a while."
We've already arranged accommodations for you. Go back, tidy up, wash up, and get some sleep. There will be a celebratory banquet prepared for you tonight.
"Alas, due to special circumstances, we can't hold a grand celebration for you all. We can only prepare some good food to reward you."
Wu Bingzhong came over, gave Sheng Xiping a hug, and explained to him with a smile.
"After the celebration banquet, all personnel who went to sea will be arranged to recuperate at a sanatorium for a period of time."
I'll resume work once I've fully recovered.
Currently, many things cannot be made public, so the news of No. 106's return to China is being kept under wraps.
The entire port is closed today. Except for military personnel, no one else is allowed to approach.
As for recuperation, it's for everyone's benefit.
After being away for so long and experiencing so many hardships and setbacks, everyone is in a very bad mental and physical state and needs to rest and recuperate.
"I understand, it's all for our own good, thank you for your trouble, leaders." Sheng Xiping did not refuse the kindness of his superiors.
To be honest, this voyage at sea took too long. Sheng Xiping felt physically and mentally exhausted, with discomfort all over his body and his mind foggy and dizzy.
He just wants to collapse into bed and sleep until the world turns dark.
"It's good that you're back. Everything will be fine now." Wu Bingzhong patted Sheng Xiping on the back to comfort him.
All the personnel who went to sea left the port together and were assigned to various hotels and guesthouses to stay and rest.
Sheng Xiping and several accompanying personnel were accommodated in a very nice hotel.
After entering the room, Sheng Xiping suppressed his fatigue, took a good shower, cleaned himself from head to toe, changed into his bathrobe, lay down in bed, and fell fast asleep.
He slept soundly until evening, and Sheng Xiping wouldn't have woken up if someone hadn't knocked on the door.
"Hello, Mr. Sheng. These are clothes and shoes specially prepared for you. There is a barbershop downstairs in the hotel. You can go there later to get your hair trimmed and shaved."
When Sheng Xiping sleepily opened the door, the hotel staff greeted him very politely.
"Oh, thank you. Put the clothes on the bed, I'll go downstairs in a bit."
During his time away from home, Sheng Xiping basically just shaved his head and let his hair grow until it was quite long, then shaved it again and that was it.
It's been a few months since my last haircut, and the hair has grown back so long and smug; it really needs a tidying up.
Following Sheng Xiping's instructions, the staff placed the clothes on the bed and then left the room.
The clothes were all prepared, from underwear and socks to shirts, jackets, and leather shoes.
The clothes were clearly made for Sheng Xiping's height, but Sheng Xiping had lost weight these days, so the clothes were a little loose on him.
Anyway, most people wear clothes that are too big these days, so it's okay to dress like this.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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