ebookland Chapter 1287
Chapter 1287
The four submarines had indeed reached the coral reef area.
Once the submarine was brought to a stop, seven or eight people wearing diving suits came down, carrying four boxes.
Zhou Shuwan suddenly realized that they weren't there on patrol, but rather, like them, to collect coral polyps.
These seven or eight soldiers, dressed in special diving suits, carried a huge sealed box in pairs, while the other person held a peculiar instrument, slowly approaching the rock wall where coral polyps gathered.
The instrument in his hand was cylindrical with a round probe at the top. He aimed the probe at the coral reefs on the rock wall and pressed the button on the instrument.
Soon, the instrument emitted an extremely weak sound wave. The frequency of this sound wave was so low that ordinary people could not detect it at all, but Zhou Shuwan was very keen to perceive it.
The coral polyps also sensed it.
Countless coral polyps seemed to have been stimulated, and their originally slow-moving bodies began to move faster.
What's even more surprising is that as the sound waves continue, the coral polyps secrete mucus at a much faster rate. The dark green mucus that was originally just seeping out sporadically is now gushing out like a spring, flowing down the rock wall.
The soldiers had already positioned the opening of the sealed box in the direction of the flowing slime. There seemed to be some kind of negative pressure device inside the box, and the dark green slime was being continuously sucked into the box at an extremely fast speed.
Meanwhile, two other soldiers were operating another very sophisticated instrument.
It was about the size of a sealed box, very bulky, and difficult to move.
Therefore, the two soldiers were operating the submarine right next to it.
As a slight ripple sound arose, the temperature of the surrounding seawater slowly rose, from the original twenty-odd degrees to the thirty-odd degrees, and then to the forty-odd degrees...
As the temperature rises, the coral polyps secrete mucus at a faster rate. The dark green mucus flows into the sealed box like a stream, and the originally empty box is quickly filled to more than half full.
Their data collection methods were far more advanced and efficient than those used by Zhou Shuwan and his two colleagues.
Zhou Shuwan had already figured it out.
These soldiers used specialized equipment to stimulate coral polyps with sound waves and induce them to secrete large amounts of mucus, which ensured efficient collection and allowed them to obtain a large amount of mucus in a short time.
Before long, the four sealed boxes were filled with dark green slime.
The soldiers carefully closed the sealed lid of the box, checked it thoroughly, and only after confirming that there were no problems did they carry the box back to the submarine.
The entire collection process was carried out in an orderly manner and took less than an hour. The efficiency was so high that Zhou Shuwan and the other two hiding in the distance were secretly amazed.
"It seems they have a very thorough understanding of these coral polyps," Mu Mu couldn't help but sigh softly.
Qi Mingyu's expression turned serious: "It seems they not only mastered the technology to synthesize special metals, but their equipment for collecting slime is also so advanced. If we could get our hands on some of this technology and equipment, it would be a huge help to our base."
He's not hiding it anymore; his blatant desire to "rob" is written all over his face.
Zhou Shuwan couldn't help laughing.
Actually, not to mention Qi Mingyu, she herself was also very excited at this moment.
It's proving extremely difficult for them to take the coral polyps away.
Because her space couldn't hold any living creatures, and the submarine was so small, after putting in twenty boxes, there was basically no extra space.
But if she could take away the mucus secreted by the coral polyps directly like the other person did, wouldn't she be able to store a lot of it in her space!
It seems their tasks have increased again!
The three of them waited patiently there.
Finally, the four submarines returned along the same route.
The engine sound, like a muffled rumble of thunder, gradually faded into the distance.
A look of determination suddenly flashed across Zhou Shuwan's face.
"Don't go back, let's follow slowly."
Qi Mingyu paused, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Follow them? What if we're discovered..."
"Don't worry, I'm here," Zhou Shuwan explained in a low voice, her tone reassuring.
“They’ve collected so much slime; they can’t just be storing it. We need to see what they’re doing with it—understanding this technology is crucial for our base.”
“Yes!” Mu Mu immediately agreed, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes. “Before, we only thought about taking the coral polyps away, but now it seems that directly mastering the use of the mucus is more practical. If we are careful and keep a safe distance, we should not be discovered.”
Without further hesitation, Qi Mingyu took a deep breath and slowly started the submarine.
The engine was turned down to its lowest power setting, emitting only a barely audible hum.
Then the submarine, like a nimble fish, silently followed behind the enemy submarine.
Zhou Shuwan remained fully focused on sensing her surroundings, constantly reminding herself: "There's a reef fifty meters to the left front, adjust your course slightly..."
"The enemy submarine is maintaining a steady speed of 15 knots, we maintain 20 knots, and increase the distance by 1000 meters..."
“Good, they didn’t notice anything unusual.”
After a series of close calls, the submarine quickly returned to the reef area it had previously avoided.
Qi Mingyu turned off all non-essential equipment, plunging the cabin into complete darkness, with only the indicator lights on the instrument panel still glowing faintly green.
"They've already entered the base."
Zhou Shuwan's senses followed the four submarines, eventually leading her to the dock where they were moored.
The dock was also made of heavy alloy, and the ground was wet.
The seven or eight soldiers in diving suits carried the sealed boxes and walked along the passageway into one sealed door after another.
There are two guards inside and outside each door.
The guard was fully armed, with a gun at his waist and a bow and arrows on his back.
They seemed to know each other well, and their greetings were delivered in fluent English.
The base is quite spacious, with clearly defined residential areas, warehouse areas, training areas, etc.
They passed through several doors and finally entered an area on the third floor marked "Research Area".
The room was unusually spacious, with cold gray alloy walls and floors, and a faint chemical smell permeated the air.
Several researchers in white coats were already waiting there. The one in the lead was an elderly man with gray hair, wearing thick reading glasses. Zhou Shuwan looked closely and confirmed that the nameplate hanging on his chest read "Dr. Herman".
"Thank you for your hard work, everyone." Dr. Herman stepped forward and said in fluent English, his tone tinged with satisfaction, "The mucus collection went smoothly this time, didn't it?"
The lead soldier removed his diving suit and helmet and responded in English, "Doctor, everything went smoothly. As you requested, we collected samples using sound stimulation and temperature induction. All four boxes are full, and the purity is very high."
Dr. Herman nodded, gesturing for his assistant to take the box.