93: Chapter 93 The Land of a Thousand Islands, Two Shipping Routes

Jiang Chen piloted the small fishing boat to the front of the cargo ships to rendezvous with the Weilong Destroyer.

The captain of the Weilong Destroyer was a forty-year-old middle-aged man. He wore a blue naval uniform, his eyes were bright and piercing, and he stood tall and straight. He was currently in the command room, using the radio to discuss route options with Jiang Chen.

"The destination of this escort mission is Darwin City in Australia."

"Currently, there are two standard routes."

"The first is to head east into the Pacific Ocean, then sail south toward Australia, and travel one hundred miles west to reach Darwin City. The total distance is approximately 16,056 kilometers, with an estimated travel time of five to six days. Counting the return trip, it will take about half a month!"

"This is the route the cargo ships used previously, though it is quite long."

"The second route is much shorter and takes less time."

"That is, we would first head south along the southern sea, then turn east, and travel along Indonesia to reach Darwin City more quickly."

Captain Wei Changcheng discussed this with Jiang Chen.

Although he had escorted cargo ships many times to places like North America and Western Europe and was very experienced, he did not look down on the small fishing boat at all, given that it was dispatched by the Naval Department Base.

After all, he had witnessed the scene where he chased pirates and opened fire. Such a brave and battle-hardened person was definitely worthy of respect!

After listening to Captain Wei Changcheng's analysis, Jiang Chen pondered for a moment and then replied.

"Naturally, we should choose the shorter route."

"Captain Wei, do you have any concerns?" Jiang Chen asked.

Logically speaking, the sooner the mission is completed, the better. Why would he hesitate!

Captain Wei Changcheng explained: "You might not know this, but because the first route is close to the Pacific Ocean, not only do our country's aircraft carrier formations appear from time to time, but the aircraft carriers of the United States also appear, so pirates generally dare not show up on the first route."

"But the second route is different."

"Although the second route is shorter, it is entirely sandwiched between the islands of Indonesia."

"Indonesia is known as the Archipelago Nation. The entire country has thousands of islands, countless in size. Although the sea area is much larger than that of Malacca, there are too many islands, so neither our country nor the United States patrols here very often."

"Because even if there are pirates, they can turn around and hide among the islands, and it is difficult for a destroyer to pursue them." Captain Wei Changcheng shook his head.

These islands were not ownerless territory; they were inhabited by indigenous Indonesians. Moreover, the pirates in the Indonesia region were adept at weaving between islands and engaging in guerrilla warfare. Even if cargo ships were damaged, it was often impossible to seek redress.

Therefore, most of the ocean-going cargo ships from the Dragon Kingdom heading to Australia chose the first route. Given that only one destroyer and one fishing boat were dispatched for escort this time, theoretically, the first route should be the preferred choice.

"Is this mission urgent?" "If it's not urgent, then half a month it is." Jiang Chen asked.

Captain Wei Changcheng said: "This batch of industrial products is mainly used to exchange for a scarce mineral in Australia. This mineral is for the military factories. Recently, the military factories have been working overtime to the point of exhaustion, and some mineral resources are in short supply, so we need to rush them back."

"The Ministry of Oceans gave us a timeframe of half a month, but Commander Tang also said that if we can be faster, we should try to return as soon as possible."

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow; it was actually mineral resources prepared for the military factories! Then there could be no delays.

He made an immediate decision and voted: "Then I choose the second route!"

"Are you sure? Actually, I also wanted to choose the second route, but I was mainly worried about encountering pirates and delaying the schedule." Captain Wei Changcheng said.

"I'm sure!" "Alright! Do you want to take the lead or follow behind?" "I prefer the back." "Very well!"

Captain Wei Changcheng also sent a radio message to Zhang Dayong. [Manager Zhang, this is the Weilong Destroyer. The official route has been sent; please follow it throughout the entire journey!] [Additionally, please divide the thirteen cargo ships into two columns, maintaining a distance of five nautical miles between them.] [The destroyer will be at the front, and the pearl river 888 will be at the rear.] [Repeat!]

At this moment, the cargo ships were fully prepared, waiting for the order from the escort fleet.

Upon receiving the radio message, Zhang Dayong raised an eyebrow. The one protecting the rear was actually a small fishing boat. He sighed and replied. [This is the Deep Blue Ocean Group Cargo Ship No. 1, the route has been received!]

As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining dozen or so cargo ships were divided into two columns, separated by about five nautical miles. As the cargo ships began to move, the Weilong Destroyer led the way at the front. Meanwhile, the stationary pearl river 888 quickly fell into position behind the 13th cargo ship. He started the fishing boat and began the escort mode.

... On Cargo Ship No. 1. After Zhang Dayong had the cargo ship started, he silently put on a military-green helmet and a military-green bulletproof vest, and even placed his ID card against his chest.

"Manager Zhang, isn't that a bit extreme?" A subordinate who was going to sea for the first time was so scared that his legs went weak after seeing Zhang Dayong's actions.

Zhang Dayong chuckled: "Why do you think sailors' wages are higher than those on land?" "Besides scurvy, boredom, shipwrecks, and thalassophobia, there are man-made disasters like pirates; heaven knows when they might appear." "Don't stay in the country for too long and think that this planet is everywhere peaceful and that life-and-death struggles won't happen." Zhang Dayong said calmly to his subordinate while checking his bulletproof vest.

The poorer the place, the more desperate criminals there are. Especially in recent years, as the Dragon Kingdom's foreign trade has developed rapidly, cargo ships worth billions of dollars often sail on the open sea. When such valuable cargo ships pass through places where the per capita monthly salary does not exceed 500 RMB... one can imagine what the people on the shore are thinking. At such times, only a large enough caliber of cannon fire can deter the other side.

The subordinate listened, trembling, and quickly put on a bulletproof vest. However, after thinking about it, he asked suspiciously. "If we really encounter pirates strafing us, these bulletproof vests and helmets feel insufficient; our faces and necks would turn into hornet nests in a minute." "Who said it was to bulletproof you? It's for leaving a whole corpse." "..."

The subordinate was almost wetting himself. "I'm joking, just teasing you." Zhang Dayong patted his subordinate on the shoulder to lighten the mood, "The pirates in the Indonesia region are not quite the same as those in Somalia; they aren't as simple and brutal."

"How are they different?" The subordinate asked curiously. Zhang Dayong gazed out at the sea and said slowly. "The ones in Somalia are tougher; they like frontal collisions, are good at Gatling gun strafing, and prefer quick victories. Basically, they grab what they can and run. If they can't grab anything, they slip away!" "The ones in the Indonesia region are not like that; they like to engage in guerrilla warfare and sabotage." "Sometimes they don't steal things; they just like to block you, throw tear gas onto your cargo ship, and harass you." "Moreover, on the archipelago in the Indonesia region, there is an ancient legend about a Pirate King." When Zhang Dayong said this, his face turned a bit pale. It seemed he was remembering some unpleasant memories.