Under the night sky with sparse stars and a bright moon, the unmarked ship sailed in.
On the deck of the bow, several figures stood here.
They all shared a common identity: Genetic Warriors from the Steel Camp of the Jieke Group.
For such a top-secret mission, Genetic Warriors were the most suitable candidates.
Captain Lou Zongcheng of the Genetic Warriors checked their position and walked to the ship's side. With his enhanced vision, he could already see the sandy sludge on the shore in the darkness.
They were currently in the narrowest part of the Malacca Strait, only 2.8 kilometers wide, with 37 sandbars and reefs further obstructing the navigation of the Malacca Strait.
This time, Lou Zongcheng and his Genetic Warriors were here to block this strait canal.
For this, they had prepared a secret weapon.
"Open the discharge port and pour the expanding kelp sludge into the sea."
Lou Zongcheng gave the order. A thick rubber pipe, thicker than a person's waist, was drawn from the freighter. With the operation of the electric pump, the pipe vibrated violently, and a blue viscous substance spewed out into the sea. This was the expanding kelp sludge developed by the Jieke Group.
Under the sea, this expanding kelp sludge began to dilute upon contact with water, and its texture and chemical nature changed.
Meanwhile, several Genetic Warriors opened sacks and threw out a large number of kelp seedlings.
Once these kelp seedlings entered the sea and came into contact with the expanding kelp sludge, they began to grow wildly, rooting directly at the bottom of the sea.
As Lou Zongcheng and his team sprinkled the mixture, the ship moved like a seeding vessel, with the sea as their field, continuously planting kelp.
In less than half an hour, Lou Zongcheng and his team had circled the sea area. The diluted expanding kelp sludge, along with the specially prepared kelp, continued to spread under the influence of ocean currents, growing rapidly throughout the narrow strait region.
After completing their mission, Lou Zongcheng and the others started the ship and sailed to the opposite side of the Malacca Strait, as if nothing had happened.
After the ship left, the kelp in the sea continued to grow. The expanding kelp sludge was more powerful than any fertilizer, and the kelp seedlings grew larger and larger.
In the following days, the kelp grew incessantly, reaching unprecedented heights.
A large ocean-going freighter named Almeda from a Beautiful Country shipping company sailed over. The ship could carry 100,000 tons of cargo and could load and unload 9,500 standard containers, making it a giant on the sea.
In the ship's cockpit, Captain Wilt was holding a cup of coffee while enjoying the sunset.
As a frequent traveler of the Malacca route, Captain Wilt was extremely familiar with the Malacca Strait. It was no exaggeration to say that he could navigate it with his eyes closed.
"It's a pity we can't go through the Kra Isthmus Canal; it would save us a week and allow us to dock earlier. I miss the hot girls at the bar in my hometown."
Wilt complained to his first officer. He was just the captain and had no authority to decide the route—that was up to the company.
"Tell me about it. Blame the Jieke Group for being too greedy. We have no choice but to take the old route."
The first officer nodded in agreement. As sailors, they spent most of the year at sea and were weary of it, eager to return to land and rest.
"Just wait and see. The Jieke Group won't be able to hold out forever. I don't believe they'll just watch as so much shipping profit goes to Temasek over here…"
Wilt was boasting about his insights when an ear-piercing alarm suddenly sounded in the cockpit. The giant ship shuddered, as if something had pulled it, causing everyone onboard to stumble. The ship's speed visibly decreased.
Wilt's head hit the console, leaving a wound on his forehead that bled profusely. But he didn't mind; his first instinct was to look at the control screen, which showed a drastic speed drop and an anomaly with the propeller.
"Boss, the ship's main engine is still running, but the propeller isn't moving. It seems to be jammed by something. I'm troubleshooting the issue now…"
The chief engineer's call came through, reporting the situation to Wilt.
"Damn it, could it be fishing nets or cables? But it shouldn't be! How could there be such things in the Malacca Strait?"
Wilt was puzzled. In all his years navigating the Malacca Strait, he had never encountered such a situation.
The Malacca Strait was an international golden waterway, regularly maintained by the strait management authorities to clear any navigation hazards. Besides, fishing and underwater cable laying were not allowed here.
Wilt couldn't figure it out, but with the current malfunction, he had no choice but to send a message to the nearest Temasek Strait Management Bureau, reporting his situation and requesting assistance.
Temasek's efficiency wasn't high. After several hours, Wilt finally saw the emergency response ship sent by Temasek.
The ship brought two divers who greeted Wilt. After donning their diving suits and goggles, they dived into the sea to check what had jammed the propeller and remove it.
However, as the divers descended and saw the propeller, they couldn't help but widen their eyes in shock.