Dragon Clan: Lu Mingfei Returns from Japan

Chapter 485 Dive Mission (I)

The sky was blue and the clouds were white. Towering mountain ridges advanced along both sides of the river. The "Moniah" research vessel was cruising slowly on the river at a speed of 15 knots. Its underwater propellers created ripples on the river surface.

It was raining yesterday, but today the river is calm. Kassel Academy has naturally considered the time of this mission. The weather forecast shows that there will be no rain in the next two weeks starting from today. This kind of clear weather is more suitable for underwater operations.

Lu Mingfei stood on the deck holding the railing. The early spring river breeze was split by the moving hull, and it blew against his face, feeling chilly and bone-chilling.

Professor Reemans' voice in the headset was filled with the sound of electricity: "We are about to arrive at the coordinates of the 'Eye of Kuimen'. Prepare to enter the decelerated cruise. The third mate and the carpenter will stand by at the bow and prepare to anchor."

No one knows why modern workboats still have positions called carpenters and coppersmiths. This is probably a historical legacy from the days of wooden ships. However, the main job of modern carpenters is to measure ballast water and regularly check doors, windows, lifeboats and other equipment.

The anchor sank to the bottom of the river with a metallic rolling sound. Lu Mingfei returned to the front cabin, waiting for Professor Mans to issue the order for the diving operation.

His eyes looked towards the porthole and fell on the scenery of the river and the mountain bank not far away.

Kuimen.

For most people, the name Kuimen is a little difficult to pronounce, but most people are actually familiar with Kuimen. The pattern printed on the back of the 10-yuan RMB is the scenery of Kuimen.

In fact, there was no Kuimen thousands of years ago. The high mountains we see on both sides of the Qutang Gorge were originally the same mountain range called Qiyao Mountain.

There is a saying that the Sichuan Basin was a big lake many years ago, which was called the West Sea in ancient times. It was here that Dayu controlled the flood. Later, Dayu led people to drill through the Qiyao Mountain, divert water to the east, and drain the Bashu Sea, forming today's Kuimen.

This statement is of course just a legend. From a geographical point of view, given the topography of the Sichuan Basin, a giant lake 400 meters above sea level, its super water pressure would naturally break through the mountains, forming a pipe burst phenomenon and splitting Kuimen.

The place where the "Bronze Plan" is being implemented seems to be only a dozen kilometers away from here, Lu Mingfei thought to himself.

Professor Mans clapped his hands in front of him and drew Lu Mingfei's attention.

"Okay, boys, let's wait until after the mission is completed to enjoy the scenery. If the mission is completed quickly enough, we can even travel on the Yangtze River on the Moniach for a few days."

Professor Mans looked around at the students in the cabin. Ye Sheng, Aki, and Selma all looked solemn, but Lu Mingfei, who was probably performing underwater operations for the first time, seemed quite relaxed. Perhaps this was the calmness of an S-level student?

“Everyone seems to be in good shape.”

Professor Mans nodded in satisfaction, then patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder: "I hope you can adapt to underwater work with Aki as soon as possible...You can change into your diving suit now."

The four people were divided into two groups, A and B. Ye Sheng and Selma in Group A both had some experience in underwater operations; Group B consisted of Jiude Aki and the newbie Lu Mingfei.

The crew helped Lu Mingfei put on a special diving suit.

The equipment for this mission was all made by the Equipment Department. The specially made diving suits were made of the most advanced technology, fully enclosed nano materials, and could withstand 15 atmospheres of pressure.

The carbon nanotube lifeline on the back of the diving suit also integrates the function of a data cable. The people in the equipment department said that the space elevator in Liu Cixin's science fiction novel uses this material.

The high-concentration oxygen tanks made with alchemical technology behind them can support their activities at a depth of 100 meters for more than an hour.

Lu Mingfei and Jiude Aki stood side by side under the side of the boat, and in front of them stood Ye Sheng and Selma from Group A.

As the "dive" command sounded from the headphones connected to the lifeline, Ye Sheng and Selma flipped over the side of the boat in unison and fell into the water. Their graceful postures reminded Lu Mingfei of the dolphin show he had watched with Liu Miaomiao at the aquarium.

"Group B will dive after Group A has been diving for twenty minutes." Professor Mans' voice came from the headset.

Lu Mingfei understood the reason for this arrangement. Group A was not only the main group to carry out the mission, but also his pathfinder group. People who lacked underwater operation experience might consume more oxygen than normal due to nervousness and other reasons.

In order to prevent accidents, Ye Sheng and his team first took spare oxygen cylinders and placed them on platforms every few dozen meters in the "Eye of Kuimen". At the same time, they set up a guide rope for Lu Mingfei to guide the direction of his dive.

I imagined that standing on the side of the ship and waiting for twenty minutes would be a long time, but it was actually quite fast. It didn't feel like very long before I heard Professor Mans' instructions through the headphones.

"Group A has reached the target depth of 100 meters as planned. Group B can prepare to dive."

Lu Mingfei stepped onto the side of the boat and subconsciously glanced at Yaji beside him. As if noticing Lu Mingfei's gaze, Yaji turned her head and a gentle smile appeared on her pretty face behind the transparent mask.

"Don't be nervous. Diving is actually quite fun. Just treat it as playing a game." The comforting voice of Shude Aki came through the headphones.

"I'm not nervous..."

Lu Mingfei always felt that the feeling of being treated as a younger brother was quite strange... After all, if one took into account the psychological age, he might be a few years older than Yaji.

At the same time as the "dive" sound was heard, Lu Mingfei and Aki fell into the water from the side of the boat at the same time.

Looking from the boat, the water in this section of the river is so clear and dark green that you can almost see the fish swimming at the bottom of the river.

In fact, after diving into the water, you will find that the visibility of the river water is extremely low, the water is turbid, and there are floating objects everywhere. Everywhere you look is a rich dark green. The spotlights above your head can only penetrate less than 5 meters underwater.

As the needle on the pressure gauge gradually climbed upwards, the water pressure felt in the eardrum became greater and greater, like a balloon that was blown up to its limit and ready to burst at any time.

Fortunately, the diving suits produced by the equipment department immediately released a high-pressure gas mixed with helium and oxygen and pressed it into the inside of the diving suits, helping them balance the pressure difference between the inside and outside, making Lu Mingfei immediately feel that the pressure inside the eardrum was reduced a lot.

"50 meters."

Aki Shude reports to Professor Mans on their current diving depth.

"Yes, the time is a little shorter than I expected. You should be able to see the guide rope and spare oxygen tanks left by Ye Sheng nearby."

"I saw it." Shude Aki nodded and replied.

There is limited oxygen underwater. In order to save oxygen, divers will try to keep the number of words short every time they communicate with the boat.

"Okay. Ye Sheng and his team have already dived to 120 meters as planned. There are already several different cave forks there. You and Lu Mingfei can adapt to the situation at 50 meters first, and then proceed with the subsequent tasks depending on Lu Mingfei's situation."

Jiude Aki was about to reply when Lu Mingfei's voice suddenly came from the headset.

"Don't worry, professor. I'm in good condition and can continue diving as planned." Lu Mingfei said.

"Really? Mingfei, you don't have to force yourself. We still have plenty of time to complete our mission. Norma said this is your first deep dive, and your first task is to adapt to the underwater working environment." Professor Mans said.

"Don't worry, Professor. I'm not forcing myself. I understand the condition of my own body."

Lu Mingfei's sonorous tone made Professor Mans a little hesitant.

Logically speaking, this was Lu Mingfei's first deep dive, and out of protection for the S-level students, he should have let Lu Mingfei adapt to the depth of 50 meters first. But Lu Mingfei was very confident in his physical condition and was sure that he could continue the mission.

Every second underwater is precious. After only a moment's thought, Professor Mans gave his reply:
"I understand. You are allowed to continue diving, Aki, keep an eye on Lu Mingfei's performance at all times. If any unexpected situation occurs, contact the ship immediately. We will use a lifeline to pull you back."

"Got it." Aki Jude replied. The communication in the headset was temporarily interrupted. Aki Jude blinked in the mask, signaling Lu Mingfei to follow him. The two swam to the underwater stone platform where Ye Sheng and Selma left the oxygen tanks, replaced the first oxygen tank, and then dived deeper along the guide rope.

The pressure gauge showed a depth of 60 meters. The visibility underwater was even lower. The two people could only observe each other's position through the spotlights above their heads to make sure that the distance between them was always within a safe range of one meter.

Lu Mingfei saw a dark mass appearing under their feet, like a black hole in the universe, which even swallowed up the light from the spotlight.

"It's the 'Eye of Kuimen'."

Shude Aki floated in the water and whispered:

"To be precise, this is the real entrance to the 'Eye of Kuimen'. Although the sonar measurement shows that the depth of the Eye of Kuimen may be more than 300 meters, the top 60 meters are still under the river surface. Now we have reached the entrance of the 'Eye of Kuimen'. The part below is the real cave diving, and the terrain in the cave will be much more complex and narrow than before. Lu Mingfei, are you sure there is no problem with your physical condition?"

“No problem.” Lu Mingfei answered in Japanese, his tone as relaxed as if he was asking him whether he could continue playing StarCraft.

Catching the spotlight above his head, he could barely see the expression of Shude Aki in the mask for a moment, and then he heard the girl's silver bell-like laughter coming from the headphones.

"Well, you are in really good shape. It seems that the professor underestimated you." Shude Aki said, "Then let's continue diving. Hold my hand and we will descend naturally."

The two held each other with their hands, relaxed their bodies naturally, and slowly descended along the guide rope placed by Ye Sheng. The shape of the cave inside was indeed as narrow and complex as Aki said.

In order to prevent their diving suits from being torn by the uneven rock walls around them, they could only hold each other tightly in an embrace-like posture.

In such a dark, dark and dangerous place, it is impossible for them to have any improper thoughts. The only thing that can support them to continue diving is their full trust in each other.

All they could hear in their headphones was the sound of each other's deep breathing, as they were using deep breathing to resist the external pressure.

As the diving depth continued to decrease, high pressure symptoms appeared again in their eardrums.

In this situation, the spotlights above their heads had basically lost their lighting function, and the visible range was less than one meter. Their only function was to allow Lu Mingfei and Jiude Aki to confirm that the other party was still there, and let them know that they were not alone.

It seemed like a century had passed in silence. The voice of Aki Shude rang out in the earphones: "Junior brother, you are very skilled in adjusting your breathing. Do you dive often?"

Lu Mingfei certainly couldn't often play diving, a sport full of bourgeois sentiments, but he was indeed very skilled in diving.

When the "Bronze Plan" to kill Dragon King Norton was implemented, the academy conducted a school-wide selection. His performance in diving training was unexpectedly good, second only to Caesar, Zero and Nono, and even surpassed Chu Zihang.

In the subsequent three-month diving training conducted by the academy, Lu Mingfei's performance was always among the best. Otherwise, the academy would not have allowed him, a freshman, to carry out the Three Gorges mission.

However, he had participated in the "Bronze Plan" and so on, so these things naturally could not be told to Shude Aki. It would be even more difficult to explain if he told them.

Lu Mingfei made up an excuse: "Oh... I learned diving with my father in Hawaii."

Jude Aki uttered "Oh" softly, not sure if she didn't understand Lu Mingfei's joke, or if the darkness and depth of the cave made her mentally on high alert and she had no time to think about what Lu Mingfei said.

After diving for a while, Lu Mingfei suddenly whispered, "It's the end."

"Is it the end?" Jiude Aki was stunned.

"Well, I think I touched the metal knot that Senior Brother Sheng left for us on the guide rope."

Lu Mingfei said, "Didn't the professor tell us before we dived? When we reach the bifurcation point, Ye Sheng and his team will install a knot on the guide rope as a mark. This means that we have descended to a depth of about 120 meters and reached the first bifurcation point in the 'Eye of Kuimen'."

Aki naturally remembered what Professor Mans said...but what surprised her was that she was the team leader in this diving mission, and Lu Mingfei was a member. The mission was supposed to be for her to take Lu Mingfei to get used to underwater operations.

But in this situation, she always felt as if the two people's identities had been reversed, as if Lu Mingfei was the one dominating her.

Shude Aki lowered his head, allowing the light from the spotlight above his head to shine quickly down at him.

The spotlight could only illuminate a pitifully small area. However, with the dim light, Aki still saw a small area where people could stand. It was not clear whether it should be called the ground or a platform. It was only the size of two bricks. Around the platform were several natural deep holes formed by water erosion.

The reason why Aki could tell that it was a cave was because the light from the spotlight shone into it without any feedback, like a black hole that could swallow all light.

The guide rope left by Ye Sheng and Selma, as well as the lifelines on their bodies, were swallowed by one of the caves, proving that the two were still carrying out their diving mission.

"This is Shude Aki. Captain, we have arrived at the fork of the 'Eye of Kuimen' and the estimated depth is 120 meters. Please instruct the next steps." Aki reported the situation to the ship through the headset.

It was obviously more difficult to transmit information underwater. It was a few seconds later that Lu Mingfei received a reply in his headphones. The sound was accompanied by a slight "sizzling" sound of electricity.

"Moniach, read in. Report your oxygen consumption."

Aki glanced at the scale on her oxygen meter:

“我已经消耗了差不多四分之一的氧气了，单瓶氧气可供我们在100米的水下使用60分钟。在60米的地方我们更换过一次氧气。气压越大耗氧量越大，从50米下潜到120米的位置，我预计我们一共花了30分钟时间。”

"My oxygen is almost used up a quarter." Lu Mingfei looked at the count on his oxygen meter.

"How is your physical condition?"

"Everything feels normal at the moment." The two replied one after another.

"Yes. This is Lu Mingfei's first time participating in underwater operations. Being able to dive to a depth of 120 meters is already beyond our expectations. Professor Guderian and I agree that you can return first, rest for a while, and then make a second dive. Of course, this is just a suggestion, and the specific decision is up to you."

"Mingfei, what do you think?" Jiude Aki looked at Lu Mingfei and asked. She knew that Lu Mingfei's physical condition was the key to whether they should return the original route or continue diving.

This mission might really be related to the secret of a certain Dragon King, but if an S-level student encounters an accident, it would also be an unpredictable loss for Kassel Academy.

Just imagine if the academy lost its principal Ange or vice-principal Night Watcher, the entire world of mixed-bloods might be thrown into turmoil.

"Don't force yourself. The exploration of the cave's internal structure is not our team's responsibility. Safety is the top priority for all mission operations." Shude Aki reminded again.

Professor Reemans' voice in the headset was also silent. Like Aki, he was waiting for Lu Mingfei's answer.

Lu Mingfei's reply was straightforward, with a silent smile on his young face under the mask: "Don't worry... there's still plenty of oxygen. Wouldn't it be a pity to return like this? Besides, I really want to travel on the Yangtze River on the Moniach for a few days."

Jiude Aki knew that Lu Mingfei was talking about the cake that Professor Mans drew for them in the morning, and he also smiled.

"So your choice is..." Professor Mance asked.

"Well, keep diving." Aki replied.

……

(End of this chapter)