Chapter 1379: Cutting Begins
Ma Xiao said in shock, "Boss! This is the VIIC. There's only one left in the world! Aren't you here to salvage this VIIC?"
His shock was not without reason.
Although many VIIC submarines were built, very few remain. Those that need to be dismantled have been dismantled, and those that need to be unloaded have been unloaded. Currently, only one VIIC submarine remains in the world!
The VIIC they salvaged, though sunken, was intact and a truly remarkable collectible, a treasure especially for military enthusiasts.
Xiao Peng was very relieved after hearing what Ma Xiao said. This meant that when he talked to Chen Cheng and others that day and asked them to keep it secret, no one told anyone about it.
However, if everyone sees what's inside the submarine, then the secret won't be clear anymore. We have to get the word out about the treasure hidden on George Island!
Lying is so tiring. To cover up one lie, you have to lie countless times, and you have to lie until you believe it yourself before you can deceive others...
Xiao Peng said, "Damn, Ma Xiao, can you be a bit discerning? It's just a VIIC, right? I'll go to Kiel and buy it and put it up for viewing."
The world's last VIIC-class U-boat is located in the port city of Kiel in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, one of the three states in the German Union. Xiao Peng even visited Kiel when the Union was first established.
Xiao Peng had a reason to go to Kiel: Kiel's shipbuilding industry was second to none in Germany. During World War II, Kiel was the most developed shipbuilding center in Germany. German naval warships and U-boats were all born there.
During World War II, Germany did something else crazy: U-boats were needed for the Black Sea campaign. So what did Germany do? They built the U-boats in Kiel, disassembled them, and shipped them by train from the Atlantic coast to the Black Sea coast. Once there, they were reassembled and deployed, transporting all the parts for thousands of kilometers!
This German is really stubborn!
The VIIC submarine in Kiel, numbered U-995, was also a submarine that suffered many disasters: it was seriously damaged by a bomb right after it was built. After it was finally repaired and sent to Norway, it was attacked by anti-submarine aircraft and damaged again. After it was finally repaired, it had just destroyed several cargo ships and Germany was defeated before it became a training boat for the Norwegian Navy. However, this also saved it from the fate of being dismantled, making it the only VIIC-class submarine preserved in the world.
However, the submarine was not treated well. It was placed on the seashore near the German Naval Museum in Kiel, exposed to the wind and sun every day. Anyone who traveled to Kiel could see the submarine, and it was not considered a good thing at all.
Xiao Peng said he wanted to buy this submarine...
Well, that's a bit difficult! He's just bragging - I guess the Germans can't sell it!
"Boss, do you really want to destroy this submarine?" Ma Xiao asked.
Xiao Peng nodded: "Am I kidding? Quickly give me some suggestions on where to open it!"
Ma Xiao pointed at the PDA in front of Xiao Peng and said, "Boss, look here."
"Here?" Xiao Peng had never expected that Ma Xiao's finger was pointing at the side of the submarine. "Is this the ballast tank? Wouldn't it mean opening two layers of armor?"
Ma Xiao nodded and said, "Boss, no matter how old this submarine is, it's still a military vessel. They have to consider its water pressure resistance and bulletproof armor. If they want to open it, they have to find its weaknesses. It's relatively weak here."
"Then why are you still standing there? Cut it!" Xiao Peng said.
"Really?" Ma Xiao repeated it again.
"Open it!" Xiao Peng ordered, "Yang Zhibin, this is quite dangerous. You have experience, so you should lead the team! Be sure to pay attention to safety!"
Yang Zhibin got off the winch and assigned the work to someone else, then said, "Boss, leave it to me!"
What Xiao Peng didn't expect was that Yang Zhibin's cutting work had not been completed for more than 20 hours!
In fact, even though Ma Xiao had made sufficient preparations, he still underestimated this old German submarine.
Just like Ma Xiao said himself, there were no computer chips in that era. The internal operation of the submarine relied on manual operation of various instruments and machines. The pipelines inside the submarine were as complicated as a spider web. Xiao Peng and his team didn't know what these lines were used for. It was very dangerous to cut them rashly. What if there was an explosion or some harmful gas was produced? That would be too dangerous. Therefore, the cutting project progressed very slowly and the risk factor was also high. Xiao Peng asked Hua Chong from the "Luna" to come over. He and his two old partners Yang Zhibin improved work efficiency together!
"Boss, can you come to the cockpit?" Xiao Peng was still paying attention to the hole in the boat when Ma Xiao's voice suddenly came from the intercom.
Xiao Peng frowned slightly. What could not be said on the intercom?
"I'll be there right away." Xiao Peng turned off the intercom and gave Hua Chong and Yang Zhibin a few more instructions before going to the cockpit. "Ma Xiao, what's wrong?"
Ma Xiao replied, "Boss, the weather radar shows a high-pressure air mass approaching us. At this rate, it will arrive in two and a half hours at most. The wind speed is estimated to be between level eight and ten."
"Hmm?" Xiao Peng frowned slightly. Force 8 to 10 winds would normally be a piece of cake for either the Luna or the Calypso, but this was the Arctic! Any wind meant a blizzard, and it could even move the ice. And with a submarine hanging alongside them, the danger level was sky-high!
"Boss, what should we do?" Ma Xiao asked Xiao Peng.
Xiao Peng's brows knitted together. After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Notify Hua Chong, Yang Zhibin, and the others working on the submarine to return to the ship immediately! Disconnect the submarine, stop the salvage operation, and evacuate this area!"
Ma Xiao was shocked after hearing this. "We're not going to salvage it? Boss, if we put the submarine down and the ice blocks this sea area, we don't know when we can salvage it! If... I mean, if the news of this submarine gets out, it will be a problem whether we can salvage the ship in the future."
Xiao Peng nodded in satisfaction. Ma Xiao also considered the issue of leaks. However, he continued, "Ma Xiao, money is more important than life. You're not following me to risk your lives! Brothers, return the same way you left! Do as I say, stop the salvage operation, and evacuate! Also, inform Chen Cheng of my orders!"
"Yes!" After hearing this, Ma Xiao picked up the walkie-talkie on the table and prepared to give orders!
As soon as he picked up the intercom, Hua Chong's voice came from inside: "Boss! The submarine bulkhead has been opened! It's full of boxes, barrels and other things!"
Xiao Peng was stunned at first, then burst into laughter: "God has made me rich! Stop wasting time and get everything out of the cabin!"
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