300: Chapter 300 Breaking Through the Ice

May 25, 4:00 AM, at the entrance of the Bering Strait.

Ahead, it was no longer open sea, but an endless expanse of ice.

Three-meter-thick multi-year ice covered the entire entrance to the strait like white armor.

The ice surface was covered in cracks and pressure ridges—ridges formed by the ice sheets compressing each other, with the tallest reaching five or six meters.

Without an icebreaker, any merchant ship would be frozen here, never able to escape.

The '50 Years of Victory' began to accelerate.

Its nuclear reactor was running at full power, and the steam turbines emitted a low roar. Seventy-five thousand horsepower was transmitted entirely to the propellers.

The bow rammed onto the ice.

The massive weight pressed down on the ice, creating a deafening crash—a contest between steel and iceberg, a struggle between humanity and nature.

The ice was cracking. White fissures spread outward like a spiderweb.

The '50 Years of Victory' backed up, then rammed onto the ice again.

Once, twice, three times.

With every impact, the ice cracked a little more.

The 'Polaris' followed closely behind, moving along the broken ice channel. In the cockpit, everyone could hear the deafening sound of the hull grinding against the ice—creak, creak, rumble—the sound of steel being compressed.

Chen Haisheng stared at the navigation screen.

The cursor on the screen was moving slowly, crossing that virtual line—

65 degrees 58 minutes North latitude, 168 degrees 58 minutes West longitude.

The narrowest point of the Bering Strait.

It was also a route that no merchant ship in human history had ever traversed in May.

5:30 AM, a loud bang.

The hull vibrated violently, as if shoved by a giant hand.

Chen Haisheng swayed and grabbed the dashboard to steady himself. "What happened?"

First Mate Liu Yuanhang lunged for the dashboard. "The bow hit a piece of submerged ice! An underwater section!"

"Damage report?"

Liu Yuanhang's fingers flew across the keyboard, calling up sensor data from various parts of the hull.

Three seconds later, he reported, "Watertight compartments are normal; no water intake. But there is a dent in the bow, about thirty centimeters deep."

Chen Haisheng gritted his teeth. "Slow down, maintain course. Notify the '50 Years of Victory'."

Over the radio, Sokolov's voice came through, carrying a hint of concern:

"'Polaris', I see you've slowed down. Can you still move?"

Chen Haisheng took a deep breath. "The bow is damaged, but we can still move."

Sokolov: "Good. Stay close to me, there are only twenty nautical miles left."

The '50 Years of Victory' adjusted its course and continued breaking ice.

The 'Polaris' followed closely behind, swimming stubbornly like a wounded whale.

The sun was low on the horizon, and the slanted light turned the ice field into gold.

Golden ice, golden sea, golden sky.

The whole world was plated in a layer of warm light, but the temperature was minus fifteen degrees.

Chen Haisheng stared at the navigation screen.

The cursor was passing through the narrowest point of the Bering Strait.

The numbers were jumping.

66 degrees North latitude. 169 degrees West longitude.

First Mate Liu Yuanhang suddenly pointed ahead. "Captain! That is..."

On the horizon, it was no longer a narrow strait, but an endless ice field—north, further north, all the way to the North Pole.

The Arctic Ocean.

Chen Haisheng's hands were trembling.

He had been sailing for thirty years, having traveled the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, South China Sea, Sea of Japan, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea... but he had never sailed the Arctic Ocean.

Today was the first time.

"We... we made it in."

The 'Polaris' passed through the Bering Strait and officially entered the Arctic Ocean.

In the cockpit, everyone cheered.

Liu Yuanhang hugged the helmsman, the helmsman hugged the second mate, and the second mate hugged the third mate. Some cried, some laughed, and some knelt on the ground to thank the heavens.

Chen Haisheng leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Three seconds later, he stood up and walked to the helm.

"From now on, every step is history," he said, his voice hoarse but firm. "Continue forward."

The cheering grew louder.

The next morning at 7:00 AM, Vladimir Sergeyevich stood in front of the window in his office at the Kremlin.

Outside the window was the Moskva River, with scattered floating ice still on its surface. In Moscow in May, spring had just begun.

The phone rang.

He picked it up; it was Sokolov's voice:

"Mr. President, the 'Polaris' passed through the Bering Strait and entered the Arctic Ocean at 6:18 AM on May 25th, Beijing time."

Vladimir Sergeyevich was silent for three seconds.

Then he said, "Connect the call to the 'Polaris'."

The satellite phone rang.

Chen Haisheng picked it up and was stunned—what came through the receiver was a male voice with a Russian accent, speaking in English:

"Captain Chen, this is Vladimir Sergeyevich."

Chen Haisheng's hand shook, and he almost dropped the phone.

"Mr... Mr. President?"

Vladimir Sergeyevich's voice held a smile: "Captain Chen, congratulations. The 'Polaris' has made history—the first merchant ship to enter the Arctic Ocean in May."

Chen Haisheng tried to steady his voice: "Thank you, Mr. President. Without Russia's escort, we wouldn't have made it."

Vladimir Sergeyevich: "The Americans wanted to stop you, but they couldn't. Because this is our backyard."

He paused, his voice becoming serious: "Captain Chen, please convey this to Mr. Su Chen: From today on, the Arctic Ocean is no longer just a chessboard for Russia and the United States. The flag of Xingchen also flies over this icy sea."

Chen Haisheng: "I will certainly convey it."

Vladimir Sergeyevich: "Continue sailing. I wish you a smooth journey."

The call ended.

In the cockpit, everyone stared at Chen Haisheng.

Liu Yuanhang asked cautiously: "Captain, was that..."

Chen Haisheng put down the phone and looked out the window.

"The President of Russia," he said. "He called personally to congratulate us."

The cockpit fell silent.

Then the cheering erupted again.

The good news was transmitted back to the Xingchen Headquarters command center, where the big screen displayed the real-time position of the 'Polaris'—66 degrees North latitude, 169 degrees West longitude, on the edge of the Arctic Ocean.

Everyone was cheering.

Lin Wan walked to Su Chen's side and handed over a tablet: "Global shipping stocks just opened. Maersk is down eight percent, COSCO Shipping Holdings is down six percent, and the Suez Canal Authority is down twelve percent."

Su Chen nodded: "Normal. With the Arctic Sea Route opening, the monopoly of the Suez Canal is over."

Gu Xinghe asked: "Maersk and COSCO Shipping Holdings have both sent urgent requests, wanting to purchase our 'Arctic Navigation System'."

Su Chen thought for a moment: "Sell it. But don't sell the most advanced version. Give them the civilian version, enough for summer navigation."

"And what about winter?"

Su Chen smiled: "Winter is our exclusive season."

He looked at the 'Polaris' on the big screen.

That ship was sailing toward waters humanity had never reached in May. There were still three thousand nautical miles ahead before reaching Murmansk.

But the hardest part was already over.

In the 'Polaris' cockpit, Chen Haisheng stood in front of the window.

Ahead was an endless ice field. The sky was gray, the ice was white, and only the channel broken by the bow was deep blue water.

Liu Yuanhang walked over and stood beside him.

"Captain, do you think someone will be there to welcome us when we reach Murmansk?"

Chen Haisheng smiled: "Yes. All of Russia will welcome us."

"Why?"

"Because we have proven one thing—the Arctic Sea Route is not a fantasy, but technology shining into reality."

He patted the steering wheel: "Continue forward."

The ship's whistle blew long and loud.

The 'Polaris' cleaved through the ice and sailed north.

Behind it was the Bering Strait. Ahead was the Arctic Ocean.

Further ahead was a route humanity had never reached in May.