Read Novel Full Chapter 556: The Large Transport Ship Is Missing
Chapter 556: The Large Transport Ship Is Missing
Jiang Ning opened the waterproof bag and found a remote sensor inside.
Without a doubt, it was used to open the fire seed containers.
And the password? It was actually her birthday.
It must have been set before the land sank.
There were multiple copies of the remote sensor and password, all in the hands of high-ranking military officials.
Jiang Ning suddenly felt a little impulsive. She wanted to know what was inside the Fire Seed Containers in her space.
So, she went ahead and did it.
She pressed the sensor, entered the password, and the sturdy, heavy Fire Seed Container unlocked.
Inside, there seemed to be a massive machine.
Jiang Ning rummaged through it for a while before finally noticing the words engraved on the machine: Seawater Desalination System.
It wasn’t particularly large, but it was more than enough for a base with tens of thousands of people.
The base was near the coast, but the water quality wasn’t great. The harsh climate also bred countless bacteria, making it easy to get sick if someone accidentally drank contaminated water.
Not just people— even the land was affected.
The alkaline wasteland left by desertification made farming extremely difficult. It couldn’t retain soil or lock in moisture, leading to a vicious cycle of degradation.
Gu Tinglin looked relieved. “Anning, with this, we’ll have an oasis soon.”
Seeing his smile, a warmth spread through Jiang Ning’s heart. “I’ll bring it back.”
The next morning, Doudou held back her reluctance and worries, forcing a smile as she saw them off.
The wolf-hearted dog refused to stop pawing at them, unwilling to let its caretakers leave.
Gu Tinglin and Shu Xueqing also came to send them off. “Stay safe and come back soon.”
Jiang Ning wasn’t great with emotional words, so she simply gave Gu Tinglin a hug.
The two of them drove to the dock, picking up a few teammates who were on foot along the way.
By the time Jiang Ning arrived, the rest of the team had already gathered. There were 14 people in total, each carefully selected for their exceptional skills.
They could operate transport ships, submarines, planes, and even tanks. These were not just ordinary soldiers. They were elite, capable of reaching for the moon and diving into the deepest oceans.
Jiang Ning felt both admiration and respect.
Oh, and one more thing—the transport ship was equipped with a helicopter.
Rong Sanshao and the soldiers on duty saluted them as they departed. “Come back safely.”
Xu Kaitai assigned two team members to the nuclear-powered submarine, while Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen took charge of the 2688. The rest boarded the transport ship and set off for their destination, 500 nautical miles away.
Gu Tinglin had sent people there before, and according to the records of the container numbers, the boxes were all filled with seeds.
Given their current conditions, they couldn’t lift the containers, and opening them underwater was too difficult. If the seeds got soaked in seawater, they would be ruined.
Xu Kaitai’s submarine led the way, with the transport ship following at a steady pace.
Everyone handled their own lunch, but they gathered for dinner on the submarine.
As the team captain, Huo Yishen enthusiastically offered, “I’m a decent cook. Let me show off a little today.”
Having grown accustomed to military life, most of the team was reserved and restrained.
Xu Kaitai, however, was relaxed. “Not just anyone gets to taste Captain Huo’s cooking. We’re on a mission, but there’s no need to be so tense.”
Hearing that, the team loosened up a little. Two female team members even volunteered to assist Jiang Ning with the meal preparation.
Despite having only five dishes for fourteen people, the portions were generous, and they ate while chatting.
After dinner, two male teammates took care of the dishes, and they all agreed to take turns cooking and cleaning from then on.
They talked for a while longer before preparing to return to the transport ship—only to find that the ocean was completely empty, save for the wind and waves.
That massive transport ship… was gone!
Everyone was stunned. A ship of that size couldn’t possibly have been stolen, but during that time, both captains and Jiang Ning had stepped out.
They exchanged bewildered looks before heading back.
When they returned, Xu Kaitai showed no surprise at all. “It’s late. The captain has already turned in for the night. Pick your rooms and don’t forget to wake up for the shift rotation tomorrow morning.”
Before the mission, everyone had speculated that salvaging the Fire Seed Containers from the seabed was unrealistic. If it were possible, the base wouldn’t have waited until now.
However, the mission was highly classified, and the department only reported directly to the commander.
They were all around the same age, and while they had their suspicions, years of military life and natural disasters had tempered their characters.
Without needing to say anything, they tacitly agreed to find their quarters and rest.
The outside quickly fell silent, but inside the room, Huo Yishen remained alert. “You rest first, I’ll keep watch.”
Jiang Ning didn’t refuse and rested her head on his lap.
Huo Yishen smiled knowingly and gently tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.
The next morning, breakfast was already prepared—simple sweet potatoes and potatoes.
Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen ate casually, as if nothing had happened.
After a night of contemplation, the team members had also calmed down and greeted each other as usual.
They were under the direct command of the higher-ups, and sending the leader’s daughter and son-in-law on this mission only proved that it was beneficial to the base—both publicly and privately.
No matter how unbelievable something seemed, the truth would eventually come to light.
Covering a distance of 500 nautical miles, the submarine took over a day to reach the first coordinate point in the afternoon.
According to sonar scans, the seabed was over 100 meters deep, with relatively mild variations in elevation.
The area was vast, and with the uneven terrain, the submarine had to circle the coordinates for more than two hours before detecting something.
The depth was less than 200 meters, requiring professional diving equipment.
Xu Kaitai, along with Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen, decided to dive down and take a look.
One of the more experienced team members recognized Jiang Ning’s high-end diving suit—worth millions—and silently thought, Damn, that’s impressive.
With ropes secured, the three of them dove into the water and swam toward the detected location.
The rest of the team worked together—some monitored the underwater operation, others stood guard, and a few remained in the submarine’s control room.
The deeper they swam, the darker it became.
Jiang Ning switched on the floodlight on her helmet, regulated her breathing, and kept descending.
Xu Kaitai led the way, while Huo Yishen covered the rear.
A hundred meters on land wasn’t far, but underwater, it was a different story. The deeper they went, the greater the pressure became. Once they passed a certain depth, every additional meter felt unbearably difficult.
The floodlight illuminated a massive, angular object. The three of them exchanged hand signals and quickly swam over.
It was undoubtedly the Fire Seed Container, but the exterior was covered in mud and seaweed.
The water pressure was too intense. Staying any longer would be unbearable, and they had no time to clear it off completely.
Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen exchanged glances before simultaneously reaching out to touch the Fire Seed Container.
And then—just like that—the massive box disappeared into thin air.
Xu Kaitai, who witnessed it, nearly choked on seawater, but he reacted quickly.
The three of them swam back up.
On the way back, they passed an underwater rock covered in thick clusters of seaweed.
Xu Kaitai hesitated briefly, then swam over and yanked off a handful.
As soon as they surfaced, the team hurriedly pulled them aboard. The other member anxiously asked, “Did you find the Fire Seed Container?”
Seeing Huo Yishen remain silent, Xu Kaitai answered, “Yeah, it’s secured.”
The rest of the team was left speechless.
Zhang Li, one of the female team members, reacted quickly. “Captain Xu, that seaweed you grabbed looks pretty good. Can we eat it?”
Xu Kaitai wasn’t sure. “Seaweed is highly nutritious, and it’s growing well. It shouldn’t be contaminated by the ancient virus, so I wanted to bring some back to test.”
With crops struggling due to climate disasters and fish cakes lacking sufficient nutrients, if seaweed proved edible, it could help ease the food shortage.
Everyone’s eyes lit up, as if they had discovered a new world.
With how chaotic the world had become, was the sudden growth of seaweed a sign that the environment was finally improving?