These people had been in Antarctica for half a year and were all very homesick. Furthermore, the return journey would take over a month, so they were all eager to get home.
But Wu Bolin had no intention of letting them go, even the members of the scientific expedition who had worked and lived in Antarctica during the summer and were now preparing to go home to rest.
This is because, for him, the members of the scientific expedition team were nothing more than livestock and slaves.
He easily controlled everyone, and from then on, these people would obey his every command, becoming his servants and laborers in his exploration of Antarctica.
What’s even more valuable is that the members of this research team are some of the most knowledgeable about Antarctica. With them on duty, our plans can be twice as effective, so losing even one person would be a huge loss.
Since he was going to abandon the ship, he might as well abandon everyone else. He needed more henchmen to do his bidding, so he could become a local tyrant in the vast, cold Antarctic.
On the other hand, he couldn’t let the Japanese research vessel leave Antarctica. Otherwise, if he needed to leave before winter arrived and couldn’t find a ship capable of breaking through the ice and crossing the dangerous Roaring Forties, wouldn’t that be a hassle?
So he called Matsushita Heikichi and asked him, “How long can your ship stay here?”
Matsushita Heikichi said, “Sailing is no problem. Our supplies can last at least half a year, and our fuel can last more than half a year if we don’t make long voyages.”
“However, if the ship remains here, as the temperature gets colder and the ice-covered area along the coastline widens and the ice becomes thicker, once the ice thickness exceeds the ship’s ability to break through the ice, the ship may be unable to move. If we want to move again, we can only wait for the weather to warm and the ice to melt.”
Wu Bolin frowned and said, “That won’t do. I need you to be on standby on the Antarctic coastline at all times, in case I need you. You’d better think of a way to meet my requirements.”
Matsushita Heikichi said obediently, “That’s easy. I can move the ship out every day as the ice expands, always staying within a controlled ice thickness. This way, we can respond whenever you need a ship. This way, we only need to move a few kilometers each day, and the fuel consumption is not much, so we can continue operating for a long time.”
Wu Bolin nodded in satisfaction, then asked, “Let me ask you, if I ask you to change your plans and not return to Japan during the winter, will the Japanese side contact you immediately?”
Matsushita Heikichi said, “The research vessel we are piloting belongs to the state. If we refuse to obey orders to return home, the state will surely pursue us, and may even send in the army. We will certainly be accused of treason.”
Wu Bolin stroked his beard and clicked his tongue, saying, “This is a problem. You need to think carefully about how to make sense of keeping everyone and this ship in Antarctica.”
Matsushita Heikichi thought for a moment and said, “Well… I can’t think of a good solution either. It would be easy to say we’ll leave a few days later due to unforeseen circumstances, but if we don’t return during the Antarctic winter, there’s no acceptable excuse.”
Wu Bolin asked him, “What if the boat breaks down? What if the boat freezes and we can’t get out?”
“Okay…” Matsushita Heikichi said respectfully, “The government can monitor the research vessel’s location in real time through its positioning system. If we report to them that the vessel is frozen, when in fact we are moving slowly every day to prevent the vessel from freezing, the government will realize that we are lying once they detect it and will definitely send troops to investigate.”
Wu Bolin asked, “If the ship is really frozen, are your troops capable of coming to Antarctica to rescue it?”
Matsushita Heikichi shook his head: “Our ship is the only heavy icebreaker in the country. If our ship really freezes over, the country cannot send any ships to rescue us. Even if we ask the United States for help, it will be too late. By the time their icebreakers arrive after a journey of several decades, the ice will probably be hundreds of kilometers thick. Even the best heavy icebreakers in the United States cannot penetrate. At most, they can only anchor at the outer edge of the ice sheet and assist in the evacuation of personnel.”
Wu Bolin nodded and said, “That would make things easier. You can report back to China that the ship is experiencing mechanical problems and needs repairs. Then, just delay it until the ice freezes. If the ship can’t depart, ask the research team to consult with China. Let’s all be generous and not let your country waste resources trying to rescue it. Let’s all stay here and work hard, and take this opportunity to accelerate Japan’s exploration of Antarctica.”
Matsushita Heikichi naturally obeyed his every order, but this subordinate was also very obedient, saying respectfully, “You just said that the research vessel must be on standby at all times, but if we really freeze the vessel, I’m afraid your needs for the vessel will not be met.”
Wu Bolin sneered, “A small ice barrier might be a problem for your icebreakers, but it’s nothing to me. Your ships are just parked here. If you really need to move them, I can break the ice myself!”
Wu Bolin’s strength was such that it was not difficult for him to split the ice; the difficulty lay in crossing the fierce westerly winds alone without the aid of a support force.
In such an environment, where one could neither fly on water nor tread on water, and could only float on the surface of the water relying entirely on spiritual energy, coupled with towering waves and strong winds of level 11 or higher, even Victoria would not be able to survive.
Therefore, Wu Bolin had to stay on this ship in Antarctica.
Therefore, he immediately ordered Matsushita Heikichi to deliberately delay the loading and unloading of supplies and to delay the departure time as much as possible.
When the departure time could no longer be postponed, and if it was certain that the ship could be repaired, he had to deliberately sabotage the ship’s propulsion system.
By then, the ice would be frozen for several kilometers, or even more than ten kilometers, with a layer of ice more than two meters thick. Even if the ship could be repaired, it would run aground.
Fortunately, the ship had plenty of fuel and supplies, so staying here ensured an uninterrupted supply of electricity, heating, and water.
There’s no need to worry about the research station either. It has a safety margin for supplies, and a significant amount of new supplies have been added this time. Despite the increased number of personnel, the station is certainly capable of handling the workload.
Even if supplies run out later, we can ask Japan to find a way to send supplies by air using military aircraft.
If all else fails, we can ask the research team members to cut back on food and clothing. As long as they don’t die and can still work, that’s fine. After all, Wu Bolin himself doesn’t need to eat.
After making his decision, Wu Bolin ordered Matsushita Heikichi to remain on the ship and carry out his orders.
Then he called Kikuchi Kohei, another member of the expedition team who was fluent in Mandarin, and gave him instructions: “Kikuchi, you are responsible for arranging for all expedition members to return to the research station.”
“Also, starting today, spend three hours every day teaching them Mandarin. Make sure they study diligently, so I won’t have to give you orders alone in the future. Do you understand?”
Polar scientist Kohei Kikuchi bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle and said respectfully, “Don’t worry, I will definitely complete this mission!”