Read Novel Full Chapter 570: Underwater Ruins
Chapter 570: Underwater Ruins
Aside from those on duty, everyone was chatting about the changes at the base.
“Sister Ning, the government and military departments are already recruiting, and they are selecting a site to build a seawater desalination system.”
“That’s not all. I heard excavators are being sent to dig for coal, and fabric is now available in the base’s store. If anyone needs it, they can use points to buy it.”
“We brought back so many seeds last time. The base can definitely expand its farming operations.”
In short, everyone was looking forward to this mission. They hoped to bring back as many supplies as possible that would be useful for the base’s construction.
However, expectations were one thing—reality was another.
The first set of coordinates led to waters over 4,000 meters deep. Even a nuclear submarine couldn’t reach it, let alone ordinary humans.
Right from the start, they hit a dead end. It was like having a bucket of cold water dumped on them.
“It’s fine. We still have more chances.”
The team tried to comfort each other, but deep down, they all knew—those Fire Seed Containers, collected through countless efforts, would likely remain buried in the deep sea forever. Unless the world itself changed drastically, they would never resurface.
The disaster had already been devastating enough. No one wanted to go through it again.
But the frustration wasn’t over yet.
The second one had also fallen into deep waters—this time, at an impossible depth of over 6,000 meters.
Surely, the third one wouldn’t be as unlucky?
12,000 meters!
At this point, everyone’s patience was wearing thin. Was this some kind of joke from the heavens?
The fourth one was slightly better—only 600 meters deep.
But it’s still out of reach for ordinary humans.
The fifth one was around 300 meters.
It was the last stop for this mission and the shallowest one.
But even with diving suits, they still couldn’t reach it.
Jiang Ning had been relatively composed throughout the mission, but even she couldn’t remain indifferent now.
They couldn’t return empty-handed.
Gu Tinglin hadn’t said it outright, but she understood. No one who climbed to the top ranks of the military was foolish.
All of this effort—he was clearly trying to support his daughter and son-in-law.
Of course, development was important, but there was a big difference between the base’s growth and someone’s personal future.
It had been twelve years since the disaster. Many had lost their families, but they were still only in their fifties or sixties. They had trained capable subordinates.
Adopting a foster son or forming close ties wasn’t an issue, especially for those with children.
If Gu Tinglin had children from the start, things might have been different—people would have had time to adjust. But suddenly bringing someone in out of nowhere?
If they were useless, people might have ignored them. But instead, they stood out, drawing all the attention.
There would always be those who couldn’t sleep at night, and with a little provocation, frustration would only build.
She couldn’t return empty-handed and give anyone the chance to criticize Gu Tinglin.
But there was no way to reach 300 meters underwater.
Jiang Ning wondered if there was another way to retrieve it.
She couldn’t help but think of the lasso game, when she used to tie up Doudou and Coke with ropes and bring them back to her space.
What if she lassoed the Fire Seed Container?
Jiang Ning shared her idea with Huo Yishen.
With no better options, they had to give it a try.
The three of them suited up and dove to their limit. Jiang Ning pulled out an iron wire from her space, tying a hook to the end. Using an underwater scope, she aimed for the Fire Seed Container and lowered the wire.
The wire wasn’t heavy, but it was over a hundred meters long. The water currents and pressure made it difficult to hook onto the container.
Huo Yishen and Jiang Ning worked together while Xu Kaitai gestured from the side.
“Lower it… lower… keep going…”
After more than ten minutes without success, their stamina was running out fast.
“A bit to the right—yes, right! Ah, missed…”
“Left, now left! Yes, yes, pull harder—ah…!”
The repeated attempts went on and on, with no idea how many times she had tried. Just when she was exhausted to the point of almost losing faith, it felt like she had finally hooked something.
Jiang Ning quickly pulled the container into her space.
She managed to secure it, but the underwater pressure was too strong. As soon as the Fire Seed Container entered the space, it crashed down with a bang.
Her medicinal field! Jiang Ning wailed in her heart.
She really couldn’t move anymore, and the three of them hurriedly pulled the rope.
The team members were waiting anxiously. When they received the signal, they immediately pulled them up together. “How are you?”
The three were too exhausted to speak.
The others helped them remove their diving gear. “Do you need an oxygen tank?”
After resting for half an hour, their bodies finally recovered.
Seeing her complexion return to normal, Zhang Li finally dared to ask, “Sister Ning, did you retrieve the Fire Seed Container?”
Jiang Ning nodded.
The group cheered excitedly. “Sister Ning, Captain Huo, Captain Xu, you’re incredible!”
Once the excitement passed, they didn’t dare disturb them further. “Hot water and towels are ready. Take a shower and rest—we’ll handle everything else.”
Huo Yishen slept for several hours. Moving carefully so as not to wake Jiang Ning, he gathered the team for a meeting.
They had only retrieved one Fire Seed Container this time. Should they return to the base or proceed to the next mission?
The team had no objections. After all, Jiang Ning was the one retrieving the containers— they were just assisting, and even holding the reward felt a little embarrassing.
“Can Sister Ning handle it physically?”
Zhang Li, concerned, frowned as she analyzed the situation. “Before the natural disaster, the ocean’s average depth was over 3,000 meters. We don’t know the exact current depth, but it shouldn’t be too different. Still, the retrieval success rate isn’t very high.”
The other team members shared the same thoughts. What were the chances that the next mission would have waters shallower than 300 meters?
Xu Kaitai remained determined. “We discussed the average depth of the ocean before forming the team. The base needs Fire Seed Containers. Even if there’s only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, we have to try.”
Huo Yishen furrowed his brows slightly. “We’ll continue, but we can’t rely solely on the Fire Seed Containers. Other resources are just as important.”
By the time Jiang Ning woke up, the meeting had already ended.
The next day, Jiang Ning deployed 2688. The two submarines worked together to search for additional resources.
Two days later, the nuclear submarine sent a sonar signal to 2688, reporting a massive industrial obstruction on the seabed. The depth made it suitable for retrieval.
2688 approached to investigate and it seemed like the remains of a city.
The entire city had collapsed and was now submerged underwater.
At a depth of just over 100 meters, Huang Mao’s team took the lead, diving in for a manual survey.
Half an hour later, they resurfaced.
Jiang Ning’s guess was right—it was an underwater ruin.
There were many large tanks inside, and they were likely oil storage tanks.
Based on the coordinates, this used to be an oil-producing country, a country where oil was cheaper than water.
Huang Mao and the others must not have been wrong.
The ruins were vast. What they had seen was just the tip of the iceberg.
Since the waters here were relatively shallow, there was a chance that oil remained inside.
Even if there wasn’t, retrieving the tanks and melting them down as scrap metal would still be worthwhile.
Jiang Ning shared the same thoughts. “Alright, let’s bring them up and see.”
Ruins were dangerous, so they needed to watch out for each other.
Jiang Ning stored both submarines, and the entire team entered the water.
The currents in this area were calm, and the water was remarkably clear. Sunlight filtered through, creating shimmering reflections.
Among the murky silt, massive storage tanks were scattered. Schools of fish and shrimp swam around luxury cars. Broken walls and collapsed buildings lay in ruin… and among them, skeletal remains.