area51novel Chapter 40 The Fleet Transporting Nuclear Reactors
Chapter 40 The Fleet Transporting Nuclear Reactors
It was still dark.
The massive rotor of an armed helicopter churned up the air, and the fuselage slowly approached the ground amidst the vibrations.
The ice shards and snowflakes below flew and splashed in the violent airflow.
After the aircraft finally stabilized, the cabin door opened, and Lu Yi stepped out first. His strong back blocked most of the cold wind before he turned to protect Li Xiaming as he got off.
As soon as they landed, they felt the frozen ground beneath their feet was as hard as iron, and the bone-chilling cold penetrated the soles of their shoes, making their legs tremble.
This is Nantong Port.
It is a shipbuilding and industrial base on the northern wing of the Yangtze River estuary, boasting the most concentrated shipbuilding capacity in Dongda University, and is the largest manufacturing base for emergency conversion and repair of icebreakers.
Looking out, Li Xiaming saw countless shipyards brightly lit, the massive icebreakers casting long shadows under the searchlights, and welding sparks flickering like stars in the cold night.
Li Xiaming had always followed Lu Yi on the railway, and now that he was visiting the port with its dense concentration of shipyards for the first time, he was quite curious.
Just then, he noticed a figure walking briskly against the wind, carrying a flashlight.
The man was about fifty years old, with a face as hard as a rock face etched by the river wind over the years.
When he reached out to shake hands with Li Xiaming, his palm was rough and strong, and you could smell the steel and engine oil.
"Hello, Comrade Li Xiaming, I am Wei Tingsong, the person in charge of this fleet mission."
"Time waits for no one. In order to complete the transport mission before the next cold wave hits, we must call the fleet to set sail at dawn. Let's get on board now."
Li Xiaming nodded and followed. He had met many important figures these days, so even though this person in charge, Wei, was stern and had a powerful aura, he still asked frankly:
"Director Wei, what are the specific plans for this icebreaker fleet? For example, what route will we take, and what is our final destination?"
Wei Tingsong glanced at him sideways, thinking that the organization had instructed him to fully trust this young man in front of him, and to answer any questions about any secret, no matter how high the encryption level.
Although he was surprised by Li Xiaming's identity, he still said as instructed by the organization:
"We will set sail from the Yangtze River estuary next."
As Wei Tingsong spoke, he led the way, pointing towards the winding, frozen river deep in the darkness:
"We went upstream against the current, breaking through the ice, and finally arrived at our destination—Jiangcheng."
"Jiangcheng is located in the central part of the East China Sea, where the Yangtze River's golden waterway and the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, a major artery, intersect."
It is a vital artery radiating across Central China and connecting Southwest China; its status as a transportation hub is irreplaceable.
Wei Tingsong spoke faster, his voice filled with both anxiety and eagerness:
"As long as we can break through this thousand-mile-long icy river and send the fleet to Jiangcheng, we can safely deliver the nuclear reactor into the inland hinterland."
In this way, the final step of Project Zhulong can be successfully implemented, and the people of the whole country can brave the severe cold!
As Wei Tingsong spoke, his gaze fell upon the dock, his eyes reflecting the sparks of life within.
"As for our fleet's plans, Comrade Li Xiaming, it's almost dawn. I'll explain it to you in detail after we board the ship."
Li Xiaming nodded, understanding that Wei Tingsong, as the person in charge, was busy organizing the fleet's departure, so he didn't rush to ask any more questions.
He followed Wei Tingsong toward the edge of the dock.
There, a sturdy icebreaker, converted from a cargo ship, was quietly moored among the ice.
Under the searchlight, Li Xiaming finally saw the appearance of the improved ship.
Its hull lines, based on the original solidity of the cargo ship, have been further strengthened and reshaped.
The changes are most noticeable at the bow.
The streamlined structure, originally designed for riding the waves, has now been welded into a sharp, backward-leaning wedge shape by thick special steel plates, its edges gleaming with a cold light, like a domineering giant axe.
The sides of the ship were fitted with thick armor belts, like the ribs of a giant beast, to resist the lateral pressure of the ice.
The modified propulsion system is visible at the stern, with the propeller and rudder blades protected by special shields.
Li Xiaming stepped onto the gangway, looking around with some curiosity.
He could see countless heavily armed soldiers standing guard on the ship. Clearly, the nuclear reactor, which represented the hopes of countless people, was likely preserved on this ship.
The three men traversed the busy deck and entered the command room located on the top deck of the bridge.
The room was much warmer than the freezing cold outside, but the atmosphere was much more somber.
The screens of various instruments flickered with a pale blue or light green light, and the radar antenna rotated slowly overhead, emitting a low hum.
The air was filled with a faint aroma of coffee, and a lingering sense of urgency, like that before a plan is about to begin.
Wei Tingsong was immediately entangled in various matters as soon as he entered the door.
He had just taken off his heavy coat when his encrypted satellite phone rang.
As he answered the call, he strode toward the huge Dongda Waterway Map table in the center of the command room, his brow furrowed, occasionally tapping on a certain area of the map with his fingertips, communicating with the local person in charge.
Other staff members in the command center were also hurrying around, coming in from time to time to report on the maintenance status of each ship.
Lu Yi stood quietly by the door, picked up his satellite phone to contact the railway bureau, and handled some official business related to the railway.
Li Xiaming silently took on the role of the human cameraman, reviewing the fleet's information and reports.
Then, realizing something, he walked towards the wide, curved observation window in front of the command room.
Li Xiaming looked eastward and saw a gray-white band of light appear on the horizon, which was gradually widening and brightening, with its edges tinged with a golden yellow.
"It's dawn."
As the sky gradually brightened, Li Xiaming's breath hitched slightly.
He saw it clearly.
Outside the ship's window, he could see the scene he hadn't been able to see clearly when he first boarded, due to the darkness of night.
As darkness faded, a vast and silent procession became clearly visible along the winding river.
That was a fleet.
It is a steel torrent composed of more than a hundred temporary icebreakers of varying sizes, all of which have been reinforced and modified.
Based on their ship type and icebreaking capabilities, they are distributed in a staggered manner around the main ship, like a pack of wolves guarding the alpha wolf.
Further away, several cargo ships loaded with supplies and equipment followed closely behind the icebreaker's path.
Then, Li Xiaming felt the hull beneath his feet begin to sway slightly.
Ripples began to appear on the river outside the window, indicating that the fleet was preparing to depart.
At this moment, Wei Tingsong finally finished his business. He sat down in his chair and said to Li Xiaming:
"Comrade Li, is there anything you'd like to ask?"
Recalling the awe-inspiring scene of a hundred warships he had just witnessed, Li Xiaming asked with some excitement:
"Director Wei, why do we need so many ships to transport nuclear reactors?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Tingsong remained silent for a moment before saying:
"Because most of the ships here are salvageable, disposable items that need to be sacrificed."