Chapter 147: Fishing It Out Again?

Not only did Chen Mo receive it, but the radar of the Island Nation also picked up this signal from the seabed. However, the signal was encrypted, and outsiders could not decode the message. What could be confirmed was that the signal originated from a location not far from them, and it was continuous, making it easy for the radar to detect.

“Hai!” Shitou Chuan Ying hung up the phone and turned to his deputy: “Change course immediately. An unknown signal was detected to the east.”

His superiors had already notified him of the specific location of the signal; last time, the Huaxia research team passed by that area. That unknown signal was very likely emitted by the equipment deployed by Legion Ant Company.

The previously salvaged instrument had been damaged, and he had no way of knowing what information the researchers obtained from it.

If this signal was sent by a seismograph, salvaging another one would surely earn him credit again. Although they publicly claimed to look down on Huaxia’s technology, deep down, they knew very well that many of Huaxia’s technologies had surpassed theirs.

Legion Ant Company was a rising newcomer, and no one dared to underestimate this company, despite it being established not long ago.

He was not the only one with this idea. The U.S. military, which was “freely navigating” in the Pacific Ocean, also picked up this signal.

The matter of Legion Ant Company’s seismograph was already widely known.

At that time, the Huaxia research team was conducting investigations in this very sea area. Even if they didn’t believe Legion Ant would succeed, they felt a need to try. If by chance they succeeded and could replicate the device, the significance would be different—after all, it was a high-tech product.

Legion Ant Company had already overtaken many countries and companies in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Such a high-tech company would certainly not use its budget to play this kind of joke.

Even if they couldn’t obtain the earthquake early warning technology, acquiring the undersea communication technology would still be valuable. After all, the ability to transmit signals from the seabed was a communication technology that no other company had mastered so far.

The moment Carter received the signal, he headed straight for the source.

They all knew that the Huaxia research team had deployed more than one device in this area. Since it was international waters, whoever salvaged it could claim it.

Everyone was capable of reneging on promises.

“Brother Mo, the U.S. warship and people from the Island Nation are heading toward the location where the seismograph is emitting signals. They want to salvage the seismograph,” Ink Girl suddenly spoke up in Chen Mo’s office.

“Damn it,” Chen Mo couldn’t help but curse.

Those jerks were getting addicted to salvaging his seismographs. Only six were deployed in the seabed in total. If each one that emitted a signal was discovered and salvaged, his losses would be huge.

After his anger subsided, Chen Mo calmed down. He had to think of a way to deal with this; sitting and waiting would only lead to a raw deal.

“Contact Zhao Min.”

Zhao Min was the President of Legion Ant Company. It was necessary to inform her about such a big matter; otherwise, catching her off guard would cause unnecessary trouble.

“Big Boss, what’s up?” As soon as the call connected, Zhao Min’s tired voice came through.

“I just received a message from the seismograph installed in the West Pacific Ocean. It indicated that an earthquake might occur within the next two hours. I plan to post this news on the official website and wanted to let you know,” Chen Mo said.

“What?” Zhao Min’s voice rose eight decibels, as if she had heard something unbelievable. “We’re still in the testing phase, and the information isn’t confirmed yet. If you recklessly post it, there could be major trouble.”

“I know. I’ll be subtle about it. This message must be posted,” Chen Mo insisted.

“Do you have to post it?” Zhao Min asked.

“Absolutely.”

“Can you tell me why?”

“You’ll understand later. It’s hard to explain clearly right now, but the message must be posted,” Chen Mo said.

Should he tell Zhao Min that the U.S. military and people from the Island Nation were going to salvage his seismograph? That was impossible. The source of the intelligence itself was a huge problem.

“Then be careful and don’t act recklessly. I’ll notify Lingfeng and have the PR department prepare for any public relations issues.”

Posting this message was no small matter. Whether it succeeded or failed, the impact on Legion Ant Company would be enormous.

If successful, Legion Ant Company would become one of the most influential companies globally. If it failed, the company would be ridiculed worldwide. Those were the consequences.

“Don’t worry.”

After hanging up, Chen Mo turned to the computer screen: “Post the warning message on the official website. Remember, be subtle. Remove all direct references to earthquakes and include a map.”

“Okay, Brother Mo.”

To deter the Americans and the Island Nation from taking action, he could hack their navigation systems to prevent them from reaching the location. But that would only address the symptoms, not the root cause. To make them afraid to salvage the equipment, he had to show them the seriousness of the situation.

If they salvaged his equipment, they had to be prepared to face his wrath.

When it came to earthquake early warning, within the country, any individual or unit had to report to the government before issuing a warning, allowing the government to decide whether to release related information. This was to prevent individuals from using such matters to spread rumors and cause unnecessary chaos.

However, he was now posting about the West Pacific Ocean region, which was far away and not within the country, so he didn’t have to worry about these issues.

“Within the next two hours, in the West Pacific Ocean area near latitude 37.5°N, longitude 146.2°E, magnitude 6.0, depth unknown, center unknown.”

A brief message appeared on Legion Ant Company’s official website, accompanied by a map of the Pacific coordinates.

Since this was the first warning, Chen Mo chose to be subtle—at least if nothing happened, it would avoid a lot of trouble.

“Legion Ant Company posted a message; it seems to be an earthquake warning,” reporters who followed the company’s official website saw the message and immediately got excited.

The wording seemed vague, omitting key terms, but it was still quite clear that it was a description related to earthquakes. This was the first time Legion Ant Company had posted a message about an earthquake since announcing the news about their seismograph.

The key point was the timing—two hours in advance.

Two hours were enough to do many things; at the very least, it could save lives.

A single stone stirred a thousand waves.

After the first media outlet reposted the message, almost every media outlet that saw it went to Legion Ant Company’s official website to repost it.

The timing of this message’s release would become a landmark.

If the earthquake actually occurred two hours later, this moment would mark a significant step forward for humanity in predicting earthquakes.

But if it turned out to be a false alarm, Legion Ant Company would likely bear even more criticism.

The message was also quickly transmitted abroad and reported by foreign media. In this era of advanced information, within less than an hour, it was known in various countries.

A single message from Legion Ant Company shook the world.

Only Legion Ant Company dared to boldly post news about an earthquake. Everyone waited with bated breath, especially those countries that frequently suffered from earthquake disasters.

“Hai!” Shitou Chuan Ying put down the phone: “Full speed ahead to the target location.”

Legion Ant Company had posted a message warning of an earthquake within two hours, with the location being the exact coordinates of the signal. He had received information that a U.S. military fleet was in those waters.

Although the Island Nation and the U.S. military were allies, their relationship was not as solid as one might think. If an earthquake actually occurred, it would prove that Legion Ant Company’s technology was truly effective. This seismograph would be a crucial instrument, and his superiors had ordered him to salvage it at all costs.

It wasn’t just Shitou Chuan Ying; the U.S. military was also speeding toward the target waters at full speed.