pdf-ebookys Chapter 1280
Chapter 1280
"However, these are military-grade alloys, similar to, or even more advanced than, the materials used in our submarines. Before the apocalypse, only a few military ships and submarines used this material."
Qi Mingyu's tone was very certain.
"Sister, should we keep going?" Mu Mu suddenly asked after a brief silence.
Given the current situation, there is a high possibility of man-made danger ahead.
They are not afraid of natural disasters, but they are afraid of man-made disasters.
Zhou Shuwan and Qi Mingyu exchanged a glance and nodded: "Continue driving forward, slow down, and pay attention to the surrounding environment."
Qi Mingyu reduced the submarine's speed to a minimum, almost gliding slowly.
As the submarine drew closer, they discovered other metal debris.
On some of the wreckage, although most of it was covered by sea mud, some blurry letters and numbers could still be made out.
Zhou Shuwan was taken aback, and then she thought of the two batches of remains they had discovered before.
Upon closer inspection, these remains appear to be made of the same material as the ones we saw earlier.
Could it be that those wreckages came from such a distant place?
This discovery shocked all three people inside the cabin.
Could it be that the other human bases they initially suspected were actually located here?
Qi Mingyu looked at the sonar display, then looked ahead and stopped the submarine: "Three kilometers ahead!"
As the beam of light slowly swept across the front, a huge silhouette gradually appeared in the darkness, causing the three people inside the cabin to hold their breath simultaneously.
Only then could they barely make out the huge building that Zhou Shuwan had sensed long ago.
It was a huge semi-submersible structure, with an elliptical main body and most of the hull submerged hundreds of meters underwater.
The main body of the structure is made of high-strength alloy and is dark gray in color, almost blending into the darkness of the seawater.
If it weren't for that orange-red light, it would have been impossible to discover it.
What's even more astonishing is that the outer layer of this enormous structure is completely covered by a thick biofilm, composed of the fluorescent microorganisms and dead corals they discovered.
The biofilm is several meters thick, and the microorganisms on it are constantly wriggling and secreting a large amount of green film, which completely wraps the entire structure.
The green membrane gleamed faintly under the searchlight, blending seamlessly with the surrounding fluorescent clouds to form a natural camouflage, allowing this massive structure to blend perfectly into the deep-sea environment.
"What is this...?" Mu Mu was very surprised.
“It’s a giant floating platform.” Qi Mingyu’s voice was somewhat solemn.
"This is military-grade equipment from before the apocalypse. I never expected that someone would convert it into a base."
"Look at its design. The 100-meter-deep seawater can insulate it from the boiling temperature of the sea surface, and the outer biofilm cools and resists corrosion. It's practically tailor-made for this deep sea."
"They dismantled the wrecked ship's power core and converted it into a nuclear reactor," Zhou Shuwan said softly, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"They also use the energy from deep-sea hydrothermal vents to cultivate algae as a food source. The base has a complete ecological cycle system and is fully self-sufficient."
"There are many people inside, all of them foreigners."
Qi Mingyu's expression grew even more serious: "It seems that this is the other human base we suspected before. They hid the base in the basin of this giant sea cliff, using the cold springs and biofilms as cover to avoid being noticed. The metal debris we found earlier must have been carried there by ocean currents."
Indeed, since they were swept here by ocean currents, the two groups of wreckage they discovered must have been brought to their side by ocean currents in the opposite direction.
No wonder Zhou Shuwan tried to sense her surroundings several times but found nothing.
It turns out that this group of people lived so far away from them!
Mu Mu's voice was very low, with a hint of unconcealed worry: "Sister, aren't we standing too close? If we just stop like this, won't they notice us?"
Zhou Shuwan slowly shook her head, but still said, "Let's move back two kilometers first, and put all the equipment into silent mode."
“The magnetic field in the sea is very chaotic right now, which will affect the accuracy of their detection equipment. As long as we don’t make any noise, we will most likely not be detected, but it’s always better to be cautious.”
Qi Mingyu immediately understood.
With fingers moving rapidly across the control panel, the submarine's propulsion system emitted only a faint sound, like water flowing over rocks, as it silently receded backward.
The surrounding darkness grew even deeper.
The searchlights had long been turned off, leaving only an orange-red glow from the platform, casting a blurry halo in the seawater and concealing the submarine's shadow in deeper darkness.
The submarine retreated another two kilometers until the outline of the platform ahead became blurred.
Qi Mingyu maneuvered the submarine, slowly entering a rocky area.
The rocks here are mostly dark gray, almost blending into the color of the submarine's hull.
He made a few minor adjustments to the direction, wedging the submarine between two massive reefs.
From the outside, it looks like part of the reef, and there is no abnormality visible to the naked eye.
Qi Mingyu breathed a sigh of relief: "The rocks here can block some of the sound wave detection, and with the magnetic field disorder, even if they scan this area, they will only think it is an ordinary group of rocks."
Silence fell over the cabin for a moment, with only the clear sound of seawater crashing against the rocks and the submarine's hull reaching the ears.
Zhou Shuwan kept staring ahead, her brows slightly furrowed, seemingly deep in thought.
After a long while, she slowly spoke: "Do you think we can use these people to get back safely?"
Mu Mu was also thinking about this, but shook her head, her tone serious: "We don't know if they are friend or foe. What if we go up to them and get attacked as enemies? It's too dangerous."
Qi Mingyu looked thoughtfully at Zhou Shuwan: "You mean the coral microorganisms they use for protection?"
"You all saw the outer shell of that semi-submersible structure just now. It relies entirely on that biological membrane to cool down and resist corrosion, thus avoiding the boiling water environment."
"Perhaps we can do that too."
Mu Mu looked up in surprise, following his train of thought: "Brother-in-law, do you mean to let these coral microorganisms cover the entire hull of our submarine and form a biofilm?"
"Yes. This way, the submarine can withstand the high temperatures and corrosion from the outside, and we can go back as soon as possible."
They have no shortage of fuel.
Zhou Shuwan had enough fuel in her space.
So once the boiling water environment, the only thing limiting their travel, is eliminated, they can go home.
Mu Mu also became excited: "Then that means we can set off soon!"