Chapter 146: Key to the New Mech: Deep-Sea

Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM, when Secretary Lin pushed open the door to the Dragon Chant main conference room in a hurry.

Feng Yan was arguing with Wang Hao about the safety standards for "underwater fireworks".

"—So I said, as long as you control the charge and sealing, 'Deep-Sea Celebration Bomb' is completely feasible!" Wang Hao waved a concept map drawn in colorful colors.

"Celebration bomb?" Feng Yan pointed to the thing on the map that looked like a Christmas tree coral.

"The explosive equivalent you designed is enough to blow up a small oil drilling platform."

"Exaggerated! Artistic exaggeration, understand?" Wang Hao stiffened his neck.

"Besides, we can make a 'soft version', the kind that just bubbles colorful bubbles on the seabed..."

"President Feng." Secretary Lin's voice interrupted the "academic discussion" between the two.

"Emergency communication from the State Oceanic Administration, line three."

The conference room went silent instantly.

All the team members who were busy with their own things.

Li Yang looked up from the pile of drawings, Chen Guang paused the data stream analysis, Zhao Kaiyuan put down the energy model, and even Zhao Gong and Li Kui in the corner stopped their low-voice discussion.

Feng Yan walked to the main console and pressed the connect button.

The holographic projection lit up, and an old man with gray hair but a straight back, wearing the uniform of the Oceanic Administration, appeared on the screen, with the busy maritime situation monitoring center in the background.

"President Feng, I am Zhou Haitao, Director of the South Sea Branch of the State Oceanic Administration." The old man spoke very fast.

"Long story short, two hours ago, our 'Explorer No. 7' unmanned deep-sea submersible lost contact while performing a routine scientific research mission in the Zhongsha Trough of the South Sea."

He pulled up a data trajectory map:

"Data transmitted back just before contact was lost shows that the submersible detected high-intensity abnormal metal echoes and intermittent energy radiation readings at a depth of 3,700 meters."

"Coordinates have been marked."

The screen switched to a sea map, and a red dot flickered on the trench topographic map.

"This is not the first time." Director Zhou's voice was deeper.

"Over the past three months, three submersibles from different countries have lost contact in this area, all reporting similar abnormal signals."

"The International Maritime Organization attributed it to 'equipment failure or signal attenuation caused by complex seabed terrain'."

He paused and looked at the camera: "But we don't think so."

"President Feng, we need your technology and equipment to go there and see what is hidden under that seabed."

The conference room was so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.

The deep-sea topographic map on the projection looked exceptionally deep and dark in everyone's eyes.

Feng Yan was silent for three seconds, then opened: "Mission objective?"

"First, we need to find out the cause of 'Explorer No. 7's' loss of contact, and recover or confirm the wreckage as much as possible."

"Second, find out the source of the abnormal signal and evaluate its nature and potential threat."

"Third, if you encounter hostile or illegal activities, collect evidence and report it." Director Zhou's tone was decisive.

"The superiors have approved this joint operation. The Dragon Chant team is fully responsible for technical equipment and frontline exploration, and the Oceanic Administration provides platforms, data, and logistics support."

"Time window?"

"The sooner the better. The number of international research ships in that sea area is increasing, and if it drags on, the water will be muddier."

"Understood." Feng Yan nodded. "Within twenty-four hours, we will submit a preliminary technical plan and a list of requirements."

Communication ended.

The conference room was silent for a few seconds, and then it exploded with a "boom".

"Deep sea! 3,700 meters!" Wang Hao was the first to jump up, his eyes shining.

"How much pressure must there be? 370 atmospheres? My god, if you set off a 'celebration bomb' there, the effect would absolutely..."

"Haozi, tone it down." Li Yang interrupted Wang Hao's brain hole, staring at the sea map.

"3,700 meters, the limit of conventional military submarines is only 600 to 800. We need a brand-new design."

Chen Guang pulled up the detailed hydrological data of that sea area: "Water temperature 2-4 degrees Celsius, salinity about 3.5%, water body has great attenuation to electromagnetic waves."

"Conventional radio communication basically fails at that depth, we also need a brand-new underwater communication scheme."

Zhao Kaiyuan frowned: "Energy system also needs major changes."

"In a high-pressure environment, the heat dissipation and sealing of the 'Dragon Heart' reactor are problems."

"Also propulsion efficiency — the density of water is eight hundred times that of air, our vector nozzle design has to be overturned and redone."

Zhao Gong and Li Kui looked at each other, both of them didn't speak, but their eyes were full of the same worry:

Materials. Deep-sea environment means high pressure, corrosion, low temperature, and possible biological attachment and ocean current impact.

The existing "Dragon Scale" armor performs excellently on the ground and in space, but in the deep sea... it's still an unknown.

Feng Yan clapped his hands, pulling everyone's attention back: "Alright, there are many problems, but this is the significance of our research institute's existence."

"Now, hold a technical breakthrough meeting and clarify the division of labor."

He looked at Li Yang: "Overall design, left to you. Primary problem: what are we going to build to go down there?"

Li Yang took a deep breath, walked to the whiteboard, and grabbed a pen: "My preliminary concept is a 'dual-form' deep-sea operation platform."

He began to outline the sketch: "Form one, cruise body. Streamlined, similar to a large torpedo or small submarine, focusing on efficient long-range diving and rapid arrival."

"Form two, operation humanoid. Deform in the target area, possessing fine operation and limited combat capabilities."

He drew a schematic process of "unfolding" from a streamlined body into a humanoid: "Primary challenge, ten-thousand-meter-level pressure-resistant cabin structure design."

"Cannot simply thicken the armor, that would be too heavy to sink."

"We need brand-new force distribution structures and materials."

"The reliability of the dual-form deformation mechanism under high pressure is also a big problem." Chen Guang interjected.

"Water pressure will compress all moving joints, and any slight instability in sealing will be a disaster."

"So we need redundant design and real-time pressure compensation systems." Li Yang nodded and noted the points.

Feng Yan looked at Chen Guang: "Detection and communication, your field."

Chen Guang pulled up several technical models: "I envision integrating a 'Deep Abyss Eye' system."

"Multi-beam synthetic aperture sonar is responsible for large-scale seabed topographic mapping and coarse positioning of abnormal targets;"

"High-precision lidar performs millimeter-level fine scanning at close range;"

"The most critical is communication—"

He pushed up his glasses: "Must combine underwater acoustic communication with blue

"Acoustic communication has a long range but narrow bandwidth and high latency;"

"Blue-green laser communication has high bandwidth and low latency, but it attenuates severely in water, and the effective range may only be a few kilometers."

"We need to establish a relay network."

"Drone swarm?" Zhao Kaiyuan asked.

"That works, an underwater variant of the 'Insect Legion'," Chen Guang nodded.

"Mechanical jellyfish or eel forms, carrying micro-communication nodes to deploy dynamic relay chains between the mothership/platform and the operational mech."

Wang Hao was already impatient: "And weapons! Operational tools! It's my turn!"

He rushed to the other side of the whiteboard: "I've thought of a few directions for underwater-specific modules:"

"Supercavitating torpedo launchers—using the supercavitation phenomenon to let torpedoes travel at high speeds underwater, so fast the opponent can't dodge;"

"High-pressure water jet cutting arms—used for underwater welding, cutting, or sampling;"

"And sonic shock cannons, non-lethal, but enough to shake some unfriendly underwater machines to pieces!"

"All underwater weapons need to have their fluid dynamics and recoil recalculated," Li Yang reminded him.

"Water isn't air; the recoil from firing a shot could make the mech itself slide back over ten meters."

"I know, I know, I didn't study physics for nothing, Brother Hao!" Wang Hao patted his chest.

Zhao Kaiyuan took over: "Energy and propulsion. The biggest challenge for the 'Dragon Heart' reactor in a deep-sea environment is heat dissipation and pressure balance."

"We need to redesign the core cooling circuit; we might need to use liquid metal or supercritical fluids."

"The propulsion system also needs to change. Vector pump-jet propulsion is better suited for the water environment than our current jet-style ones, but optimizing efficiency under high backpressure is a difficult problem."

Finally, everyone's gaze fell on Zhao Gong and Li Kui.

Zhao Gong set down his thermos and spoke slowly: "Materials. This is the foundation of all design, and also the hardest hurdle."

He walked to the whiteboard and pointed to several key parts on the mech outline Li Yang had drawn:

"Pressure-resistant hull, joint seals, external armor, optical windows, sensor protective covers..."

"Every single part needs to maintain structural integrity and functional stability under ten-thousand-meter-level pressure, low temperatures, and corrosive environments."

Li Kui added: "Our existing most advanced 'Dragon Scale-Abyss' composite armor prototype barely passed the laboratory-simulated ten-thousand-meter pressure test."

"But under long-term corrosion from real seawater and potential biological fouling, its lifespan and reliability are unknowns."

Zhao Gong was silent for a few seconds, then said: "We need a key additive. A special mineral that only exists in the extreme environments of the deep sea—'Dark Crystal'."

"'Dark Crystal'?" Li Yang had never heard the term.

"An amorphous mineral that can only form near deep-sea hydrothermal vents rich in specific metal ions under ultra-high pressure and low temperatures," Zhao Gong explained.

"Its atomic arrangement is extremely special, possessing astonishing compressive toughness and energy dissipation characteristics."

"If we could nanonize it and incorporate it into our composite armor matrix..."

He didn't finish, but everyone understood.

"The problem is, this stuff is extremely rare, and sampling it is incredibly difficult," Li Kui smiled bitterly.

"Known 'Dark Crystal' samples worldwide total no more than ten kilograms, all locked away as treasures in the deep-sea research institutes of major nations."

"Furthermore, it only generates near active hydrothermal vents, where the temperature, pressure, and chemical environment are all extremely harsh."

"For humans to go down is basically a nine-out-of-ten chance of death, and machines are easily lost and never return."

The conference room fell into silence again.

Feng Yan looked at the grave expressions of the team members and spoke slowly: "So, the first step is to obtain 'Dark Crystal'."

"Old Zhao, Li Kui, if you are provided with suitable deep-diving platforms and sampling equipment, are you confident in identifying and collecting it?"

Zhao Gong and Li Kui exchanged a look.

Zhao Gong smiled, a light in his smile that only an old craftsman has when facing a master skill: "I've spent my whole life working with materials; I've touched more metal than some people have eaten rice."

"'Dark Crystal'? As long as that stuff is really as good as the data says, I can smell it through the sample bag."

Li Kui also nodded: "Li Kui and I can design specialized sampling tools."

"The environment near hydrothermal vents is complex, but there are patterns to follow."

"Good," Feng Yan made the final decision.

"Then the first phase mission of the 'Deep Blue' project is very clear."

"First, Li Yang's team will complete the conceptual design and key subsystem technical pre-research for the 'Flood Dragon' dual-form deep-sea mech;"

"Second, Chen Guang, Wang Hao, and Zhao Kaiyuan will complete the feasibility studies for the detection, communication, weapon, and energy subsystems;"

"Third—"

He looked at Zhao Gong: "Old Zhao, Li Kui, you prepare the deep-sea sampling plan."

"The NationalOceanicAdministration has a ready-made manned submersible, the 'Diving Dragon'; I will coordinate to try and get you to dive within a week."

"Dive?!" Wang Hao exclaimed, "Zhao Gong, at your age..."

Zhao Gong glared: "What about my age?"

"My body is much sturdier than you kids who stay up late playing games every day!"

"Deep-sea sampling isn't something you can do just by poking around with a remote-controlled mechanical arm; you have to look with your eyes, feel with your hands, and judge with experience."

"If I don't go, how would you young folks know what's a treasure and what's a rock?"

Li Kui quickly smoothed things over: "I'll go with Zhao Gong, we'll look out for each other. The 'Diving Dragon' has high safety, we have confidence."

Feng Yan looked at Zhao Gong's determined expression and knew he couldn't be persuaded.

Once this old craftsman decided on a path, ten cows couldn't pull him back.

"Then, the division of labor is clear," he concluded.

"This is a brand-new battlefield; for every meter we advance underwater, the difficulty increases by a point."

"But precisely because it's difficult, it's worth doing."

"Old Zhao, your material is the first step, and the most critical one."

"Whether the 'Flood Dragon' can enter the sea depends entirely on whether you can bring the 'Dark Crystal' back."

After the meeting adjourned, the conference room emptied out. But the busyness everywhere had only just begun.

Li Yang dove into the design room, the light from the 3D modeling software illuminating his focused face.

Chen Guang and Wang Hao were squeezed in front of a screen, one writing code and the other drawing exploded-view diagrams, occasionally arguing a few points.

Zhao Kaiyuan had already taken the energy team to start calculating the deep-sea operating parameters for the reactor.

And in the special materials laboratory, Zhao Gong and Li Kui were hunched over a cross-sectional diagram of a deep-sea hydrothermal vent, discussing the sampling plan in low voices.

Various pressure-resistant material samples and design sketches were spread out on the table.

Outside the window, the sky was gradually darkening.

And thousands of kilometers away in the SouthSea, the sea surface under the cover of night was calm and waveless.

But beneath that, in the darkness three thousand meters deep, on the surface of a metal structure half-buried in sediment.

The originally dim indicator light suddenly flickered extremely slightly.

The frequency was exactly the same as the deep-sea signal captured earlier.

As if it were waiting for something.