Volume 3 Hello, Eri Chapter 229 Breath of the Deep Sea (Part 2)
Yuan Zhisheng led the Caesar team and boarded the elevator to the upper floors under the protection of Crow and Yaksha. Lu Mingfei's ears were filled with the buzzing sound of the rotating fans. The smell of sea water was everywhere in this huge building. The entire platform would rise and fall with the waves. Even walking on the flat surface paved with steel plates felt like walking on a soft slope.
In comparison, although you also have this feeling when you board the ship, when you stand in the cabin, you will not have the idea that you are surrounded by the sea and will fall at any time, because you cannot see that the Sumeru pedestal will not invest in additional construction in unnecessary places. The higher go, the thinner the platform becomes, and in the end only steel bones are left.
"Will this platform be blown away by the waves?" From the moment Lu Mingfei stepped onto the Sumeru throne, the only thing left in her mind was uncertainty.
"Don't worry. There are a total of 16 anchors fixing this floating platform to the seabed. The stability is quite reliable. If the waves are big enough, the drainage valve below will open to relieve the thrust of the waves," said Yuan Zhisheng.
They arrived at the top of the Sumeru throne. Standing here was like standing at the Peninsula Hotel overlooking Tokyo. The surrounding floating platforms were filled with men in combat uniforms of different colors. The sea breeze blew their hair close to their scalps, but everyone's steps were as firm as their faces and they did not change their expressions. It seemed that everyone was an ancient Japanese general who would open their eyes and face the last moment of the crisis even though there were mountains collapsing and tsunamis approaching.
"So many people? Does the logistics team need to be so large?" Caesar asked.
"You can think of this as the Japanese way. Everything is a war, and there is always a surging river behind us. We are always ready to fight to the death. Retreating will lead to our death." Yuan Zhisheng said, "We all guess that it may be a vicious force above the four great monarchs. Any preparation will not be redundant. You only need to dive in and complete the most core work. You can leave the rest to us without any worries."
Crow La fired a blue flare into the sky, and people in blue combat uniforms responded in unison. The helicopters parked on the tarmac began to warm up and prepare for takeoff, and the staggered searchlights covered the surrounding sea for several kilometers.
"The ones wearing blue combat uniforms are from the Wind Group. Their job is to monitor the entire sea area from the air and drive away irrelevant ships. If anyone wants to sabotage a deep dive, the Wind Group will kill them on the spot without my permission." Yuan Zhisheng said.
It can be seen that the Sheqi Eight Clans are well prepared for today's operation, but even so, the Wind Group's goal actually includes clearing out traitors. Shouldn't those who gather here be fighters trusted by the Sheqi Eight Clans?
Lu Mingfei suddenly thought of Yuan Zhinv and the Meng Gui Clan he claimed to represent. Even if a team of thousands of people was carefully examined, it would still be difficult to ensure that it was foolproof. Since Yuan Zhinv knew that Yuan Zhisheng would take action soon, it meant that there must be a considerable number of spies among the Eight Snake Families. It was possible that there were people from the Meng Gui Clan among those present, so the existence of the Feng Group was necessary.
Red flares were launched into the air, and the floating platforms opened the gates of the dock. The water police ships moved up and down on the sea. In addition to the twin machine guns on the bow, each ship was also equipped with additional mines and individual missiles.
"The ones in red combat uniforms are the fire group. Their mission is fire alert. The weapons on the ship have been modified and carry an extra torpedo, so the firepower is sufficient."
Green flares were launched into the sky, and faint lights flashed in succession in all directions, like falling stars. It was the Lin team deployed in the distance using searchlights to respond to Yuan Zhisheng's call.
"The people wearing green combat uniforms are from the Lin Group. They are deployed outside the Xumi Seat. The ship is equipped with underwater monitoring equipment and climate monitoring equipment. If the weather deteriorates to a dangerous level, they will warn us in advance to terminate the operation."
"Finally, we have the Mountain Group. This highest platform where we are is the Mountain Group, and I am fully responsible for it." Yuan Zhisheng stepped on the steel plate under his feet. "The job of the Mountain Group is to directly provide support to the submersible. During the entire process of your dive, the Mountain Group will float here. No matter how strong the wind and waves develop, we will not move an inch and be ready to welcome you back at any time. This is the meaning of the Mountain Group, immovable as a mountain."
"It looks like they are going to go to war." Chu Zihang's simple comment was the common thought of the trio, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"Anything related to the dragon race is a war that cannot be relaxed." Yuan Zhisheng said, "There are still 30 minutes left before the scheduled time. The technicians of the Rock Flow Research Institute will complete the final inspection of all equipment within 30 minutes. These 30 minutes are free time for you. You can chat or take a nap. But my suggestion is to go to the bathroom. There is really no space to build a toilet in the submersible."
The Trieste was floating in the sluice gate of the dock, and the Q-version sulfur bomb was mounted on its side. Even in such a place, the people from the Rock Flow Research Institute were still busy around the Trieste in their white coats. It seemed that for those who do scientific research, they would not be themselves without their white coats, and they didn't care even if their white coats would be blown up by the sea breeze.
Caesar walked into the group of people and loudly communicated with the technicians in his half-baked Japanese mixed with Chinese and English. Lu Mingfei vaguely heard a few words, all of which were relatively professional descriptions. It seemed that Caesar was asking about the operation of the Trieste. Neither she nor Chu Zihang had read the brick-like operation manual. As the captain, Caesar made a promise, but it was also his first time. Lu Mingfei could even imagine that this guy stayed up for at least half the night yesterday to familiarize himself with the operation manual, and left the parts that he did not fully master until today to ask in person.
In this respect, Caesar and Chu Zihang are actually very similar. On the surface, they both look like glamorous guys, as if they were born to be so awesome. In fact, they have always made great contributions behind the scenes, but they just haven't let others know.
Someone patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder from behind. When Lu Mingfei turned her head, she suspected that it was a technician looking for her. The moment she saw the other person's face, she reached for the floating light on her waist and prepared to draw her knife, but the other person had anticipated her reaction. A diving knife was silently pressed against Lu Mingfei's abdomen to prevent her from acting rashly.
"I told you we would meet again." The girl in black combat uniform smiled. She was a member of the mountain group. She gently pushed Lu Mingfei's hand back to its original position so that her posture would not look so tense.
No one noticed anything unusual here. There were many lights on the Sumeru pedestal, but they could not cover all the darkness. Many places were blind spots. Everyone was busy with what they were supposed to do and had no time to pay attention to other things. To a few people passing by at a distance, it seemed that Lu Mingfei was just standing very close to a member of the mountain group and having a close conversation.
"Why are you here?" Lu Mingfei stared into the girl's eyes. They had met before at the Chicago Opera House. If it weren't for the earthquake, perhaps all the people present together would not be a match for Xiyue. She didn't expect that this guy would appear in Japan, and even at the exploration site related to dragon embryos.
"This matter is very complicated. I have many identities and positions. If all these are added together, it is inevitable that I appear here. But I don't have that much time to explain to you. If I stay here for too long, the Wind Group will suspect me." Xiyue smiled and continued to approach Lu Mingfei, raising her eyebrows to indicate that there were still eyes of the helicopters in the sky. "I have to admit that I am a bad guy, but now the bad guy is here to discuss cooperation matters with you. I hope you can listen to me carefully."
"What if I don't listen?" Lu Mingfei said coldly.
"You have no choice. Even if you run away now and scream for everyone to attack me, I can overturn all six platforms in the blink of an eye. The thousands of people here and your mission will be ruined."
"You're so cruel." Lu Mingfei gritted her teeth. She knew that Xiyue was not bluffing. This guy was a real wizard who had used many water-based words. The power of these words would be magnified exponentially in the sea. Even if he just created a whirlpool nearby, it would be enough for the Sumeru Throne to suffer.
"I know the whole process of your mission very well. Dive deep into the trench and use a bomb to eliminate the hatching dragon embryos." Xiyue whispered in Lu Mingfei's ear, "I have no control over these things, and I won't hinder you. I just need you to do one thing for me. If you help me, then I will help you a little. The things below are not as simple as you think. With me here, you have a chance to return safely."
"What do you want me to do ?" Lu Mingfei asked.
"Five minutes." Xiyue said, "I need you to help me get five minutes. The time node is after you find the target location that needs to be bombed. Only you can do this because you are also a member of the diving team. I don't care what method you use to convince your teammates, you must find a way to delay them for five minutes when they are about to drop the bomb, and then let them drop the bomb, that's enough."
"Five minutes is enough for you to take the embryo away, and you still say it won't interfere with our mission?"
"No, what you want to blow up is not the same thing I want. You will know when the time comes."
"If you fail, we won't have to pay for you, right?"
"You just need to do what I say. I have a way to dive with your submersible, so don't think you can deceive me, because I can see what you see. The deeper the seabed is, the more it is my territory. I want you to live or die. This is an absolutely worthwhile deal." Xiyue said, "One thing you don't need in exchange for the lives of the three of you."
"The person who wanted to kill me in the past now tells me that he wants to save me... It feels so absurd that even a sow would climb a tree..."
A hint of coldness flashed across Xiyue's eyes, and she pushed Lu Mingfei's blade forward slightly. The combat uniform could prevent attacks from the spiritual realm, but it could not prevent a slash from someone like Xiyue.
"It's just a joke! I didn't mean to say you're a sow! I'm just born with the attribute of a big mouth. The more nervous I am, the easier it is to lose control of my mouth!" Lu Mingfei quickly surrendered. She realized that Xiyue was really angry. "I accept your request!"
"Deal then, I'll keep an eye on you from above."
Xiyue turned the blade and put it into the sleeve of the combat uniform, then turned around and left quickly. The searchlight of the Wind Group had just swept here and stayed for a while. At first, Lu Mingfei was a little skeptical when she heard Yuan Zhisheng say that the mission of the Wind Group was to prevent sabotage, but now she had to believe that this was the right choice. Xiyue could successfully get into this team, so who could guarantee that there would be no other people involved?
"You look a little strange."
Chu Zihang followed Xiyue right after she left, looking at Xiyue's back, holding Murasame in his hand, looking murderous.
"Who is that? He looks familiar." He said. Lu Mingfei happened to be standing under the shadow cast by the crane arm, so he couldn't see the man's face clearly.
"It's Yabuki Sakura, Yabuki Sakura!" Lu Mingfei was quick-witted and quickly pushed out an acquaintance to block the wind. Xiyue also had a long high ponytail and looked exactly like Yabuki Sakura most of the time. She was about the same height as well. "She's here to fill in some of the missing items for me!"
"Oh." Chu Zihang did not ask any further questions. Communicating with him was that simple. If he realized that you didn't want to talk anymore, he would shut up.
"The boss is really a social nerd!" Seeing that Chu Zihang still seemed a little suspicious, Lu Mingfei began to change the subject, "No matter where he is, there are always a group of people around him."
"He likes that feeling, teamwork, sweating profusely, and feeling that he is very important among a group of people." Chu Zihang looked at Caesar's back. He was laughing and giving a thumbs up to pat someone in a white coat on the shoulder.
"You know him well."
"He knows me well too. After all, we are rivals."
"This is the first time I've heard you admit that Caesar is your rival!" Lu Mingfei's eyes lit up. "Before, it was only Caesar who made unilateral and high-profile announcements, but you always accepted his challenge silently, competing with him in various ways, and were taciturn. So how did you two get entangled with each other? Because the positions of Lionheart President and Student Council President don't match up, do you have to compete for students?"
"No, I was just a freshman when I first met him, and it was all about a can of cold beer," said Chu Zihang.
"So petty?"
"After the physical training that day, everyone wanted to have a drink. It just so happened that there was a problem with the winding mountain road recently, and the supplies from outside hadn't been delivered for several days. The shelves in the college store had long been cleared out, leaving only a can of beer that we found in the freezer. Caesar and I approached the shelf at the same time and reached for it."
"...It sounds like a comic book plot. I thought the origin of your ill-fated relationship should be more epic." Lu Mingfei curled her lips, "Did you fight?"
"No, Caesar looked down at me and said that if I gave him the beer, he would give me his treasured Bordeaux. I ignored him because I was the first to reach out, and Caesar didn't look like an old, weak, or child who needed to be polite, so I took the beer. Later, I had the opportunity to compete for the Lionheart Guild President, and slowly I started to get in touch with Caesar more and more. It was at this time that I realized he wanted to compete with me. According to Lancelot, Caesar's original words were that he had never seen such a cocky freshman, and he probably thought everyone should give him face."
"Ha! It turns out that he has always had his chuunibyou. He's just like the campus gangster villain in Japanese comics! He should get rid of the whole crew cut! Brother, your comic image should be a messenger of justice, with a pair of droopy eyes that make you look at everyone with displeasure, walking with a hunched back, and the first thing you say to someone when you meet is something fierce?" Lu Mingfei was so happy that she slapped her thigh. Many people on campus had guessed how Caesar and Chu Zihang came to be against each other. They didn't expect that the answer was just a bloody incident caused by a can of beer. So they got to know each other better, and then they disliked each other more and more, and seemed to be confronting each other in every aspect .
