Chapter 410 Of course I can give it to you
"Soil sample?" Xiao Peng was stunned. "Where do I get it?"
Douglas said hurriedly, "I've seen your video. You showed Xu Xingde and his friends' room in it, and there were petri dishes inside. There should be soil samples in there, and that's what I want. I wonder if Mr. Xiao can meet my requirements?"
"Of course!" Xiao Peng nodded without thinking.
Douglas breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt a twinge of regret. If he had known Xiao Peng was so easy to talk to, would he have resorted to using Xiao Peng's boat to cause trouble? He was beaten up and then sent to the police station for a lecture. At his age, he had to endure this kind of suffering. It was truly something his uncle could tolerate, but his aunt couldn't!
But he secretly felt happy in his heart. These local tycoons are really idiots! I wonder what these soil samples mean! In the eyes of scientific researchers, they are priceless treasures!
As the world's largest oceanographic center, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has no shortage of research equipment. However, they also have their own problems: after all, the research institution is too large and has too many departments, and there is fierce competition for resources among them.
They had no shortage of submersibles. The entire Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution boasted at least a dozen submersibles of various types! However, these submersibles were all in the thousand-meter range, with only one capable of diving to three thousand meters: the infamous "Alvin." Unlike China, which had one submersible capable of diving to 4,500 meters, one at 7,000 meters, and one at 10,000 meters.
This is also due to the different research directions of the two countries. The United States is currently vigorously developing AUVs, or autonomous underwater robots. The research direction of the United States is mainly related to the military. Compared with manned submersibles, untethered autonomous underwater robots are more convenient for military use.
However, this type of AUV has higher technical requirements, and its R&D and manufacturing costs are far higher than those of HOV.
The most advanced AUV in the world is the 'Poseidon' AUV developed and manufactured by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. It can be remotely controlled at a depth of several thousand meters and can also run into the deep sea to automatically perform tasks.
The combined R&D costs of this AUV are higher than those of an aircraft carrier, making it the crown jewel of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
However, this AUV had a bad ending. In 2014, it disappeared while exploring the Kermadec Trench in New Zealand. The fragments of the submersible were later found floating on the sea surface.
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution spent two years collecting the debris of these submersibles floating on the sea! They had to make sure that no piece of debris fell into the hands of others.
The excessive expenditures devoted to developing the Poseidon have left the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in a difficult position in its deep-sea research. They'd be lying if they didn't envy China's rapid production of deep-sea submersibles. While they've always been a distant leader in deep-sea exploration, China is now overtaking them at a breakneck pace.
Especially after learning that they had recently sent another submersible to the Mediterranean, they were really anxious. Previously, they had not put their energy into this area due to concerns about their relationship with France. Now that China has entered, it is too late for them to react. Now they are thinking about how to catch up with China's progress in the Mediterranean.
The best way is to directly obtain the exploration results from China, such as those seabed soil samples. If they have better discoveries on this, they can directly surpass China!
But he really had no idea how to get the soil sample. He went to Huaxia and was directly turned away. So he turned his attention to Xiao Peng.
They considered seeking help from the CIA, but the idea was rejected outright: the individuals aboard Xiao Peng's ship had connections to the Chinese military, including skilled personnel. Discovering CIA involvement could easily lead to international conflict. Douglas ultimately decided to personally intervene, turning the matter into an "academic issue" so that even if caught, it wouldn't be a major issue.
Moreover, based on his understanding of the Chinese, they like to leave room for maneuver when doing things. Since he is still considered a "marine research expert", Xiao Peng would never directly tear his face apart. However, he was wrong. Before he even saw Xiao Peng, he was beaten to the ground and sent to the police station.
Didn't they think this matter could be solved so easily? Just walk over to Xiao Peng's house and tell him and they'd achieve their goal? If they had known this would happen, they wouldn't have even bothered to go to the Calypsope.
"Mr. Xiao? When are we going to get the samples?" Douglas asked hurriedly.
Xiao Peng grinned. "How can someone as distinguished as you go and get it yourself? I have to bring it to your door!"
"No need to bother!" Douglas was delighted. Xiao Peng looked like a smart young man, but he turned out to be an idiot!
Xiao Peng waved his hand and said, "It's settled. I have to deliver it to you personally. So, I'll contact the acrylic manufacturer now."
Douglas was confused. "Mr. Xiao, what did you say? Who should I contact? The acrylic manufacturer? Why would I contact them?"
Xiao Peng explained, "It's an honor for you to find me. How can I just give you a sample of something so important? It has to be done with ceremony! Just like you sent me the lunar soil, I'm going to break it up into small pieces of about one gram each, then seal them in acrylic. I'm also going to make this a public announcement with the media. Let the whole world see that we Chinese are giving you Mediterranean seabed soil."
Douglas's smile froze. How could they possibly make such a big deal about this? Let the whole world know that the Americans were demanding seabed soil from China? Wouldn't they have any dignity left?
"Mr. Xiao, why make such a big deal out of such a small matter?" Douglas said, "How about this, you name a price, and I'll buy yours, right?"
Xiao Peng shook his head like a rattle. "No! Absolutely not! This is a big deal! If there's a problem with the authenticity of the soil sample, wouldn't that be troublesome? Would it be like what happened in the Netherlands, where you lose face? Rumors can kill people these days! I don't want to get caught up in this incident."
Douglas was completely helpless after hearing Xiao Peng's words. He really didn't know how to respond. This was all the despicable behavior of the Americans.
In 1969, the three astronauts of Apollo 11 visited the Netherlands and were welcomed like heroes. During that time, American Ambassador William Middendorf gave a piece of "moon rock" to former Dutch Prime Minister Drees. When Drees passed away in 1988, his children donated the rock to the Rijksmuseum of the Netherlands. Over the years, it has been the most popular exhibit in the Rijksmuseum of the Netherlands.
After being exhibited there for more than 20 years, stone experts from the Free University of Amsterdam identified the stone and found that it was just an ordinary petrified wood.
The Americans are embarrassed by this matter. A conspiracy theory that has been dormant for decades has resurfaced.
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