Chapter 228 Oceanic Quest !
Chapter 228 Oceanic Quest !
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[ " Master, " ] Bawang addressed his superior with a hint of anticipation, [ " what do you desire of me? " ]
Liu Yong wasted no time responding, cutting to the chase with a sense of urgency. [ " The supposed experts erroneously deduced the sea area we tirelessly combed through last time. It turns out it wasn't the actual crash site of the plane. " ]
Upon hearing this, Overlord couldn't contain his frustration. [ " What kind of **** experts are they? They couldn't even determine the crash location correctly, and it wasted days of my efforts. " ]
Liu Yong intervened, trying to offer a potential solution. [ " I stumbled upon an intriguing article on the Internet that presented an analysis suggesting the crash site of the plane should be in the southwest area of the YD mainland. " ]
Liu Yong then explained the deductions outlined in the article, elaborating on the specific location within the sea area.
Bawang's spirits were suddenly revitalized. During the previous search, despite days of tireless endeavours, he failed to locate any wreckage from the crashed plane on the seabed. With bated breath, he expressed his determination. [ " Master, I will set off immediately and find the crashed plane without fail. " ]
[ " Very well, go forth, and I shall eagerly await your news, " ] responded Master Liu Yong.
Bawang firmly grasped its colossal spear and embarked on its journey again, heading towards the sea area Liu Yong had mentioned. Despite spanning hundreds of nautical miles, Bawang arrived in just two hours.
Upon reaching the designated sea area, Bawang commenced a thorough and unwavering search.
This particular sea area differed significantly from the one previously explored. The water depth was relatively shallow, ranging from tens to hundreds of meters.
The seabed exhibited a primarily even terrain, allowing abundant light to penetrate the depths. Under these favourable conditions, Bawang's extraordinary vision proved invaluable, enabling it to see distant objects.
However, a hindrance presented itself in the form of abundant seaweed. In certain areas, vast underwater forests emerged, with seaweed growing to extraordinary heights of over ten or more tens of meters.
And now, Bawang found itself in such a grand seabed forest where a dense seaweed obstructed its sight. Patiently, it combed through this submerged forest, slowly surveying the surroundings.
The underwater forest revealed its stunning beauty and grandeur as the sun's rays filtered through the sea. There were moments when Overlord was tempted to pause and appreciate the ethereal scenery.
On the other hand, after more than ten days of swift sailing, the "Blue Whale," a colossal salvage ship belonging to the Global Shipping Group, finally arrived in the area speculated by the experts.
To be precise, the ship was passing by rather than arriving. Overlord had meticulously searched this sea area before but found no trace of the plane wreckage, rendering any search efforts by the "Blue Whale" unnecessary.
The "Blue Whale" destination coincided with the sea area currently under Bawang's exploration.
In close proximity, one could spot various warships, search and rescue vessels, helicopters and low-flying fixed-wing aircraft engaged in the investigation.
[ "Captain, take a look. That appears to be a search and rescue ship from country M. They've come a long way to be here, " ] alerted one of the crew members aboard the "Blue Whale."
Following the YD government's reward announcement, the search and rescue ship from country M swiftly arrived at the designated area. They had reached the location a day earlier, slightly preceding the "Blue Whale."
The two ships were situated merely a couple of hundred meters apart. The Country M vessel was actively conducting search operations, presumably deploying submarines to scour the seabed.
Upon noticing the presence of the "Blue Whale," the crew aboard the Country M ship turned their attention towards it, clearly intrigued by its immense size.
[ " Look, Jack, their boat is quite sizable, " ]
remarked a middle-aged foreigner with blond hair and blue eyes, expressing a hint of disdain. [ " Size doesn't matter; what's important is finding the plane wreckage, " ] he added dismissively.
The Captain of the country M search and rescue ship, endowed with a prominent nose, peered through binoculars at the "Blue Whale" and echoed the sentiment with a hint of superiority. [ " Hmph, we possess the most experience and advanced equipment on board. We shall be the first to discover the plane wreckage, not those Yan people. " ]
On the "Blue Whale," due to the short distance between the two vessels, crew members also closely monitored the actions of the Country M ship.
[ "Captain, it seems they are prompting us," ] remarked Ren Ziquan, who had also spotted the ship's actions through a telescope, his response devoid of concern. [ " Pay no mind to these clowns; we will undoubtedly be the ones to find the plane wreckage, not them. " ]
Without halting its course, the "Blue Whale" continued its journey, heading towards the sea area where the plane was presumed to have crashed.
After a while, an official helicopter from the YD National Search and Rescue Center, bearing the inscription "YD National Search and Rescue Center" on its fuselage, approached and signalled its intention to land on the "Blue Whale."
The colossal ship boasted a helicopter hangar and two helipads for takeoff and landing. Presently unoccupied, these landing bays awaited the arrival of the search and rescue helicopters still housed within the hangar.
[ " Captain, they have requested permission to land on our vessel, " ] reported one of the crew members.
Ren Ziquan waved his hand affirmatively. [ " Grant them permission to land. " ]
He surmised that the YD National Search and Rescue Center helicopter likely aimed to collect information. After all, the "Blue Whale" was a colossal ship, far surpassing the capabilities of smaller search and rescue vessels.
Shortly after that, the helicopter landed smoothly, and several individuals disembarked. Gal, a YD National Search and Rescue Center official, led the group.
Ren Ziquan, as the Captain, took the initiative to step forward and shake hands with Gal, engaging in introductions. Garr, representing YD, cordially welcomed large vessels like the "Blue Whale" to participate in the search.
However, it was a formal exchange, lacking genuine enthusiasm—merely a professional courtesy. Basic information regarding the "Blue Whale" was exchanged, and an overview of the ongoing search work was provided. Contact details were shared, and Gal and his team departed on the helicopter, swiftly leaving the scene.
The entire encounter lasted at most five minutes.
Observing the departing aircraft, the chief engineer said leisurely, [ " Old Ren, the other party seemed rather aloof. I expected them to be more cordial, considering that we are here to assist and join the search efforts. " ]
Ren Ziquan paid little heed. [ " No matter, it's understandable. Perhaps they suspect our motives lie solely in monetary gain. " ]
Indeed, their lack of enthusiasm and their businesslike demeanour suggested such reservations.
As they traversed through the sea area, the "Blue Whale" arrived at the actual crash site of the plane the following day, commencing the search operation.
Meanwhile, Bawang had been diligently scouring the area for two to three days. Despite extensive seaweed patches resembling underwater forests, the illumination remained adequate, allowing Bawang to maintain a brisk search pace.
At this moment, Overlord found itself exploring a vast underwater forest filled with towering seaweed, reaching heights of tens of meters. The water depth in this region was around 70 to 80 meters. Overlord skillfully glided and swam through the underwater forest, occasionally employing its giant spear to clear away obstructing seaweed and improve visibility.
Although some algae ensnared Bawang, it effortlessly disentangled itself and paid little attention to the hindrance.
After thoroughly searching the expansive underwater forest, Bawang emerged from within, greeted by an unobstructed view. The giant seaweed that had characterized the area was absent, replaced by coral clusters, low-lying seaweed, and vast stretches of sandy seabed.
[ " Hey, that object in the distance appears to be the wreckage of an airplane! " ]