298: Maiden voyage of the Second Ice Sea

May 20, 8:00 AM, Waigaoqiao Terminal, Shanghai Municipality.

The morning mist had just dispersed.

At the mouth of the Huangpu River in May, the humid air was mixed with the scent of seawater and engine oil. Seagulls circled at low altitude, occasionally letting out one or two sharp cries.

The "North Star" was quietly docked at its berth.

This was a 50,000-ton ice-strengthened cargo ship, 220 meters long, 32 meters wide, with a full-load draft of 12 meters. The bow was painted a striking red—a reinforced structure specifically designed for ice-breaking, capable of continuous navigation through 0.8-meter thick ice.

On both sides of the hull were huge white logos:

Left side: Xingchen emblem—a burning seed, with "STARFIRE" in English below.

Right side: Russian text "Полярная звезда"—North Star.

On the deck, 46 containers were neatly arranged like soldiers in formation. Each container was printed with different logos and serial numbers:

Xinghuo Chip: 14 containers, light blue, numbered XC-001 to XC-014. Inside were the core equipment for the 28-nanometer chip production line—lithography machines, etching machines, and thin-film deposition equipment. Total value: $320 million.

Xingchen Power: 12 containers, dark green, numbered XP-015 to XP-026. Inside were semi-solid battery materials and production line equipment. Total value: $210 million.

Xingchen Heavy Industry: 10 containers, gray, numbered XH-027 to XH-036. Inside were the Heavenly Work Extreme series of CNC machine tools and supporting cutting tools. Total value: $180 million.

Xingchen Communications: 6 containers, white, numbered XT-037 to XT-042. Inside were 5G base station equipment and core network equipment. Total value: $120 million.

Xingchen Materials: 4 containers, silver, numbered XM-043 to XM-046. Inside were third-generation advanced high-strength steel and composite material samples. Total value: $40 million.

Total: $870 million.

This was the first batch of goods delivered for the "100 Billion Big Order" signed between Xingchen and Russia.

There were no red carpets, no flowers, no high-level leaders.

There was only a simple podium, one Xingchen flag, and one Russian flag.

Ma Jun, President of Xingchen Logistics, stood next to the podium. He was forty-eight years old, wearing a dark blue suit, his hair cut very short, and his face tanned black from years of working at the docks. He had started as a frontline dispatcher and worked his way up to this position, possessing an instinctive sensitivity to every ship and every container. He joined Xingchen Logistics this year as president.

Russian Consul General in Shanghai, André Dupont, stood beside him. He was fifty years old, in a dark gray suit with gold-rimmed glasses, the image of a typical professional diplomat. But his expression was not as formulaic as usual; it carried a trace of undisguisable solemnity.

Behind them stood forty-six crew members.

Standing at the very front was Captain Chen Haisheng, fifty-two years old, not tall, but standing straight. His dark blue captain's uniform was washed somewhat faded, and the four gold stripes on his shoulder boards glimmered in the morning light. His face was roughened by the sea wind, and there were deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, but his eyes were very bright, like two navigation lights that never went out.

Behind him was First Officer Liu Yuanhang, forty-five years old, also in uniform, but younger than Chen Haisheng, with a look of eagerness in his eyes.

Further back were the Chief Engineer, Second Officer, Third Officer, Boatswain, Helmsman, Oiler, Chef... forty-six people in total.

There was no grand ceremony, only a simple group photo.

Ma Jun walked up to Chen Haisheng and held his hand: "Old Chen, I won't say much about the significance of this voyage. You know it better than I do."

Chen Haisheng nodded without speaking.

Ma Jun continued: "On the Russian side, the '50 Years of Victory' is already waiting for you in the Bering Strait. A nuclear-powered icebreaker, 35,000 tons, 75,000 horsepower, capable of clearing a path through 3-meter thick ice. Follow it, and there won't be any problems."

Chen Haisheng finally spoke, his voice low: "President Ma, what about the Americans?"

Ma Jun was silent for two seconds: "The 'Roosevelt' carrier strike group entered the Barents Sea yesterday. They claimed it was 'routine training'."

Chen Haisheng's brows furrowed slightly.

Ma Jun patted him on the shoulder: "The Russians have already dispatched the peter the great—a nuclear-powered cruiser, 25,000 tons, carrying Granite anti-ship missiles. They will escort you the entire way."

He paused: "Old Chen, you've been running ships for thirty years, what kind of wind and waves haven't you seen? This time is the same."

Chen Haisheng looked into his eyes: "President Ma, I understand."

He turned and faced the crew: "Board the ship."

The ship's whistle blew long and loud.

The "North Star" slowly left the berth. Two tugboats, one on the left and one on the right, pushed it toward the channel.

On the dock, the crowd seeing them off gradually became smaller. Ma Jun and André Dupont stood together, watching the ship's shadow move away.

André Dupont said in a low voice: "Mr. Ma, this ship carries more than just $870 million worth of cargo."

Ma Jun nodded: "I know. It's the Arctic Sea Route for the next twenty years."

"The next twenty years." André Dupont repeated, "I hope we can both see that day."

The "North Star" had already sailed out of the Yangtze Estuary and entered the East China Sea.

Chen Haisheng stood in front of the bridge, hands behind his back. Ahead was the open sea, with a few fishing boats passing by occasionally, sounding their horns in tribute.

First Officer Liu Yuanhang stood beside him, checking the navigation system.

"Captain, heading 035, speed 18 knots. Everything is normal."

Chen Haisheng nodded.

Liu Yuanhang hesitated for a moment and asked: "Captain, you've been running ships for thirty years, which trip was the hardest?"

Chen Haisheng was silent for a while and said: "1996, running the Cape of Good Hope. A storm, force 12, waves 15 meters high. The ship almost capsized."

"What about compared to this time?"

Chen Haisheng turned his head and looked out the window. On the horizon, a few white clouds were moving slowly.

"This time is different. This time it's not nature going against us, it's people."

Liu Yuanhang was stunned for a moment: "The Americans?"

Chen Haisheng did not answer. He just looked to the north.

There, dark clouds were gathering.

The satellite phone rang.

Chen Haisheng picked it up; it was Ma Jun's voice:

"Old Chen, just received news. The American 'Roosevelt' carrier strike group entered the Barents Sea yesterday. The Pentagon said it was 'routine training'."

Chen Haisheng frowned: "Where are they now?"

"They are in the middle of the Barents Sea, about 200 nautical miles from the intersection of your planned route. They are waiting for you."

Chen Haisheng was silent for a moment: "What do the Russians say?"

"The Northern Fleet has entered combat readiness. The peter the great is rushing to the Barents Sea. The '50 Years of Victory' has also increased speed and entered the ice-breaking standby area early."

Chen Haisheng: "Understood."

Ma Jun's voice became low: "Old Chen, if the Americans make a move..."

"They won't." Chen Haisheng interrupted him, "They only dare to intimidate."

"How do you know?"

Chen Haisheng looked at the sea outside the window: "Because they are afraid of losing lives. We are not."

He hung up the phone. Chen Haisheng turned to Liu Yuanhang: "Notify all crew members to enter Level 2 combat readiness. No one is allowed to act alone, and the deck is off-limits at night."

Liu Yuanhang was stunned: "Captain, we are a merchant ship..."

"Now it's a warship." Chen Haisheng said, "A warship without guns."