Chapter 1010 Awa Maru (II)

The Awa Maru had been attacked by American torpedoes or shells several times, but there was no major damage, but this time after being attacked by torpedoes, it only took three minutes to sink in the sea, which couldn’t help but make people feel puzzled.

Later, some people once analyzed, is the Awa Maru ship equipped with a large number of military explosives, torpedo is just a fuse, but the truth is how, with the tons of huge ship sank to the bottom of the sea, and become confused.

But one thing is recognized, that is in the Awa Maru ship, loaded with a large number of precious cargo, has been confirmed to be 40 tons of gold, 40 boxes or so from Southeast Asia, as well as China’s looting of jewels and artifacts.

There were also large quantities of industrial diamonds, 12 tons of platinum, 3,000 tons of tin ingots, 3,000 tons of rubber, and thousands of tons of rice, and even today, the value of these treasures is staggeringly high and almost incalculable.

Later, western countries provided the camera information when the Awa Maru ship sailed away from Singapore, and the images shown on it showed that the Awa Maru ship was loaded with tons of gold on the pier, all of which were loaded into iron crates, and carried onto the ship on the shoulders of Japanese soldiers one by one by one crate, as well as many extremely valuable cultural relics, which also confirmed the astounding wealth on the Awa Maru ship.

Due to the Awa Maru sunk in our territorial waters, according to the international law of the sea regulations, Awa Maru shipwreck belongs to China’s sovereignty, any country and individual without the approval of the Chinese government, are not allowed to enter China’s territorial waters within the salvage operation, only the Chinese government has the right to Awa Maru salvage.

In the late 1970s of the last century, the United States, Britain, Germany, France and many other Western powers, have put forward to our government to come to the salvage or joint salvage request with our country.

At that time, however, China refused these requests, and in early May 1977, the Ministry of Transportation and the Navy jointly set up a salvage operation site command, and the relevant departments issued a message and a navigational warning announcing the salvage of the Awa Maru shipwreck in the Niushan Sea.

This news alarmed the world because many countries thought that China was simply not capable of carrying out the salvage of the Awa Maru, but as it turned out, most of the hull was salvaged after more than two years of hard work by thousands of military personnel as well as staff.

At that time on the wreckage of the tin ingots, rubber, mercury, niobium-tantalum, mica, photochemical glass and other materials were recovered a total of 5,418 tons, with a total value of more than 50 million yuan, in addition to the recovery of the Japanese bones 368, by the Red Cross Society of the Shanghai Municipality of China to return to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

But the ship’s most valuable gold, platinum and diamonds, but no trace, in addition to the camera data show the precious cultural relics, also failed to salvage.

For decades, the whereabouts of this wealth has become a mystery, although there are many people and organizations and even grave robbing gangs with various names in this sea salvage, but never found, really is sinking into the sea without knowing the end.

“Teacher, at that time those gold really didn’t salvage it?”

Zhuang Rui was also familiar with this history, but he always wondered in his heart, was it due to the specific political factors of that meeting, after salvaging these things were not announced to the outside world?

“I was involved in that salvage from start to finish, and no gold was found.”

Professor Meng’s eyes were a little misty, seemingly recalling that salvage operation more than thirty years ago, and his mouth went on to say, “In fact, that salvage work was incomplete, and the two major technologies at that time, the deep-diving technology and deep-water de-sludging, were not up to snuff. According to the survey at that time, about 10,000 cubic meters of silt buried the vault, the bridge, the staterooms and the crew cabins and the engine room, and the divers could not reach those locations at all.”

Professor Meng was skeptical about the so-called salvage success, and had written a letter questioning it, but in that special era just after the Reform and Reform, Professor Meng was unfortunately put on a big hat, and was thrown into the Qin City Prison for more than a year of review.

So just now in the hearing to restart the “Awa Maru” salvage thing, Professor Meng’s face is not good, but the old man is still open-minded, and things have been more than thirty years, and did not continue to dwell on it.

“Professor Meng is right, at that time, for technical reasons, was not able to completely salvage the Awa Maru good, but now the Awa Maru salvage work had existed technical problems have been resolved. After the efforts of our Ministry of Transportation, the state has also approved this salvage, after our research and the approval of the higher-ups, it has been decided that this salvage will be carried out by Professor Meng as the chief commander.”

Although Vice Minister Yu was not involved in the salvage work back then, he still knew about what happened to Prof. Meng, and at that moment, he spoke out to explain, and this position of Chief Commander, also had the meaning of appeasing Prof. Meng in it.

“Hey, Minister Yu, I have a question.”

Zhuang Rui listened to feel not quite right, opened his mouth and said: “According to the words of Minister Yu, this salvage operation is the national behavior, that and I have nothing to do ah! What do you want me to do?”

Not Zhuang Rui students low consciousness, really is his luxury salvage ship out of the sea for a day, that is like a clamor to throw money out of this little benefit of things, Zhuang Rui is not to do it!

And the country is not out of money, alone these civil servants eat and drink money a year to spend tens of billions of dollars, not to mention salvage a “Awa Maru” ship, is to fish up ten are no problem.

“Xiao Zhuang, this kind of thinking …… cough ……”

Vice Minister Yu heard Zhuang Rui’s words, instinctively took up the official voice, only halfway through the words, only to remember that others are not system people, they and he said this, simply not the right way.

And Zhuang Rui is not an ordinary businessman, as long as Zhuang Rui does not break the law, want to pin down Zhuang Rui in other places, Yu Vice Minister has neither the courage nor the ability to do so, do not see that this is just a small matter of salvaging a sunken ship, so that Ouyang Lei personally ran to?

“It’s like this, Xiao Zhuang, you also know that the geography of Fujian waters is not very good, especially now in September and October, it is the typhoon season, if the tonnage of this salvage ship is small, it certainly won’t work.”

Vice Minister Yu put on a posture of talking with Zhuang Rui, then said: “Our country does not have such a large tonnage of salvage ship, if the temporary build, at least need to spend a year or two of time, but also to spend a large amount of national funds, and Xiao Zhuang you happen to have such a ship, we think we can still cooperate!”

Originally, according to the Ministry’s decision, it was prepared to rent or even use Zhuang Rui’s luxury salvage ship free of charge, but Vice Minister Yu saw that Zhuang Rui didn’t seem to be so nice to talk to, coupled with Ouyang Lei’s sudden arrival, this is why he temporarily used the word “cooperation”.

“Cooperation? Well, this approach is good, in fact, should have long been with the private sector to cooperate, through commercial operations, self-financing, risk-sharing, state approval, profit-sharing form, to complete this work, I have previously submitted this proposal to the relevant departments, but ……”

Professor Meng, after hearing the words of Vice Minister Yu, even expressed his head in agreement, due to the complex environment of the Fujian waters, the seabed silt accumulation, no one dare to guarantee that the salvage will be successful, with this cooperation method of salvage as Professor Meng said, it can maximize the reduction of losses, and depress the risk.

“This …… this, what Professor Meng said is ……”

Vice Minister Yu heard Professor Meng’s words, but was dumbfounded, in accordance with their original thinking, this matter is the Ministry of Transportation plus the Navy collaboration to do down, simply did not think of letting the private sector to participate.

Just Professor Meng this proposal out, if he vetoed the words, I’m afraid that Zhuang Rui will not buy, this will be in the vice minister is quite a bit of riding the tiger not the feeling.

Originally was thinking of using Zhuang Rui salvaged the Song Dynasty shipwreck opportunity, and then more influential Awa Maru shipwreck treasure salvaged, aggravate the work of the Ministry of Transportation, but did not expect this trend a little not his dominant.

“Minister Yu, let’s do what teacher said! The specific matters can find my lawyer to talk about.”

Zhuang Rui also see a little bit of Yu Vice Minister’s heart, the teacher gave himself a ladder, of course he wants to climb up, deliberately want to let the Ministry of Transportation to eat a dumb loss.

“Uh …… Xiao Zhuang, this matter …… I have to go back to the ministry meeting to study it again, the specific how to cooperate, I will contact you then!”

When the state and private cooperation to salvage shipwrecks, it has not happened before, Yu Vice Minister at this moment also dare not take a big responsibility to agree to, to know, sometimes not to achieve results is for no fault, but stabbed the basket, then the trouble can be big.

However, the officialdom in the people are best at is drag the word trick, Yu vice minister is more proficient in this way, he would like to put this first to stall, as for the future to do not do, that there is still to be “research”.

“Okay, let’s put it this way! I still have a meeting, so I’ll take my leave first.”

Ouyang Lei, who had been sitting next to him without saying anything, stood up, and after shaking hands with Prof. Meng and the others, he turned back when he walked to the door and looked at Vice Minister Yu and said, “Minister Yu, sometimes you have to broaden your mindset when doing your job, and this cooperation isn’t something that can’t be accepted, and it’s best to implement this as soon as possible, and the Navy will fully assist at that time. ”

Ouyang Lei is naturally very clear about the Dao in the officialdom, see out of the meaning of the vice minister wants to drag, in the dying time and help Zhuang Rui, point Yu vice minister a sentence, the weight of his words is not light.

“Don’t worry! Chief Ouyang, after I go back, I will immediately suggest the minister to convene a meeting of the Standing Committee to discuss and study it, and set a tone for this cooperative salvage.”

Vice Minister Yu was full of bitterness at the moment, he dared to drag Zhuang Rui, but he didn’t dare to fool Ouyang Lei, it seems that the first precedent of this cooperation with the private sector to salvage a shipwreck is going to happen in their term.