83: Chapter 83 A Global Discussion

The news that Deep Blue Nation, or rather the original Tuvalu islands, had grown nearly forty times in area overnight was like a true tsunami, sweeping across the globe.

The first to explode were the scientific community and professional media.

The homepage headline of Nature magazine read: "Geological Miracle or Data Anomaly? A Record of a South Pacific Island Nation's Growth."

The article was filled with confusion and excitement, citing the views of multiple geologists who claimed that such a large-scale, relatively gentle, and rapid overall uplift of the seabed almost defied existing plate tectonic theory models and required a completely new geodynamic explanation.

A marine geologist from the University of Hawaii bluntly stated in an interview: "It's as if someone gently scooped up a large area from the seabed with a spoon, leaving the surrounding area almost undisturbed. We may need to re-examine the crustal stress state of the region, or... consider whether there are geological processes we have yet to understand."

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) urgently mobilized multiple Earth observation satellites to scan the region repeatedly.

High-resolution image comparisons showed astonishing changes in the outlines of the nine atolls.

Funafuti atoll had expanded several times over, some originally narrow reef flats had connected into one, and new sandbars and rocks had emerged from the receding seawater.

The original lagoon area had shrunk, but new, more complex waterway systems had appeared.

The Scientific American website posted satellite comparison images marked with shocking area figures, with the caption: "Overnight, the Map is Redrawn: The Rebirth of Deep Blue Nation."

The BBC's documentary channel even began preparing an urgent special program, tentatively titled "Rise of the Abyss: The Transformation of Tuvalu," attempting to interpret this event from multiple perspectives, including climate change, geological wonders, and human migration.

The reaction in international political and strategic circles was equally intense.

The Economist's commentary headline was: "Deep Blue Nation Grows Larger: A New Pawn in the South Pacific?" The article analyzed that the land area had jumped from a negligible 26 square kilometers to 1,000 square kilometers; although still small, its strategic significance was now completely different.

This meant greater potential for construction, a more solid foundation for a military presence, and richer prospects for offshore resource development.

"President President Chen Ran suddenly holds a card of considerable weight. Is this new land for building a free trade zone, a scientific research base, or... military facilities? Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and even the more distant China, all have to re-evaluate the weight of this emerging nation."

The Wall Street Journal approached it from an economic perspective: "Deep Blue Nation's Territory Surges, Potentially Spawning a New Wave of Blue Ocean Investment?"

The article listed the $2.9 billion in auction revenue President Chen Ran had just secured, speculating that he might invest this huge sum into infrastructure construction and resource development on the new territory, and reminded investors to pay attention to related sectors such as shipping, building materials, and environmental protection technology.

"The key is whether he is willing to open up investment opportunities to international capital, and how."

The media and politicians in Australia and New Zealand had a much more complex reaction this time.

Previously it was ridicule and vigilance, but now there was more disbelief and a faint sense of unease.

An editorial in Australia's Sydney Morning Herald wrote: "Our neighbor has grown up; is this a blessing or a curse?"

The article acknowledged that a more stable Deep Blue Nation with more land might be more in the regional interest than a Tuvalu that could be submerged at any time and generate a large number of climate refugees, but it also worried that the unknown technological background and rapid rise might bring new uncertainties, calling on the government to strengthen contact and understanding while closely monitoring its movements.

In a current affairs commentary program on New Zealand television, a former diplomat frowned and said: "One thousand square kilometers still doesn't sound large, but think about it, how many facilities can it accommodate? If President Chen Ran really has mastered some marine or geological technology we don't know about and uses it for... then the balance of power in the entire South Pacific may need to be re-examined. What we need now is dialogue, not simple accusations or neglect."

The US think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies released a brief assessment titled "The Geopolitical Implications of the Deep Blue Nation Geological Event," arguing that this matter had greatly enhanced the physical presence and potential strategic value of Deep Blue Nation.

The policy orientation of the President Chen Ran government and its relationship with major powers would become key variables affecting regional stability, and it suggested that the US government adopt a more proactive and pragmatic engagement policy.

Within China, public opinion was boiling over again, but the tone was mainly one of amazement, pride, and expectation.

The top five trending topics on Weibo were all related to Deep Blue Nation: #Deep Blue Nation Territory Surges#, #President Chen Ran's Country Grows Up Overnight#, #What Kind of Geological Miracle is This#.

"My god! One thousand square kilometers! It used to be the size of a few soccer fields, and now it's almost catching up to some counties?"

"Did Brother Ran... go out and pick up a big gift package? Or did a gold mine suddenly grow in his own backyard?"

"To the person above, this is called national destiny! It shows that Deep Blue Nation is blessed by heaven and is destined to rise!"

"The point is, this place is now run by our own people! With a larger area, we can do more things! Building ports, airports, developing tourism, conducting scientific research... just thinking about it makes me excited!"

"Am I the only one concerned about what happened to the original coral reefs and fish? With such a large earthquake and seabed uplift, the ecological damage must be very serious, right?"

"Wake up, you moral crusader above. National security and development come first. Besides, didn't President Chen Ran do coral reef restoration before? Maybe he was prepared long ago."

"Waiting for Brother Ran to develop the new territory! Can we fly directly to Deep Blue Nation for tourism in the South Pacific later? Is it easy to get a visa?"

"Do you guys think this earthquake... is really completely a natural phenomenon? The timing is too coincidental, right? Just after making a fortune at the auction and receiving equipment from China?"

"It's terrifying to think about... but if it's true, then Brother Ran's background is deeper than we thought..."

Official media reports were relatively restrained, focusing on scientific interpretation and condolences for the people of Deep Blue Nation, but between the lines, they also revealed concern for the development prospects of a friendly neighbor.

President Chen Ran sat on the ship returning to Deep Blue Nation, scrolling through the overwhelming news on his tablet, his expression calm.

The public reaction was within his expectations, and even a bit livelier than he had anticipated.

He closed the news page and opened the system interface.

In the technology list, the [Technology for Rapid Recovery of Island Soil Soaked in Seawater for Long Periods], which he had previously redeemed for 1,000 points, was flashing with a usable shimmer.

With a thought, he chose to use it and specified the application range as the approximately 974 square kilometers of newly added land in Deep Blue Nation.

[Confirming use of Technology for Rapid Recovery of Island Soil Soaked in Seawater for Long Periods on the target area.]

[Technology is taking effect...]

[Effect: Special soil conditioner will act on the new surface through groundwater infiltration and airborne particle diffusion guided by the system, neutralizing salinity and alkalinity, introducing beneficial microorganisms, and optimizing soil structure. Salt-tolerant pioneer plant seeds will germinate and settle on the new land as a priority through natural means such as ocean currents, birds, and wind. Ecological restoration process loaded into the Deep Blue Nation environmental monitoring system. Estimated time for initial results: 30-60 days; significant improvement time: 6-12 months.]

Very good, the land problem was starting to be solved.

But what about the water?

The seawater around the new land must be murky due to the violent seabed disturbance and sediment churning, and it was rich in various substances churned up from the deep sea. In the short term, it was not suitable for the survival of most marine life and would also affect water quality and aesthetics.

He had considered this problem before.

He continued to look through the technology list and quickly found the target: [Regional Marine Water Quality Targeted Improvement and Ecological Buffer Technology].

Redemption price: 1,000 points.

Effect: Can perform gentle physical and chemical regulation on seawater in the designated sea area, rapidly settle suspended matter, promote the decomposition or transformation of harmful substances, establish a balance of microorganisms and nutrients conducive to the recovery of local coral reefs and fish, and form an invisible ecological buffer zone. The improvement effect is strictly limited to the target sea area and does not affect the external high seas.

This was it.

President Chen Ran confirmed the redemption.

[Points - 1,000. Remaining points: 7,370 - 1,000 = 6,370 points.]

[Regional Marine Water Quality Targeted Improvement and Ecological Buffer Technology has been redeemed. Apply immediately to the approximately 910,000 - 950,000 square kilometers of the Deep Blue Nation exclusive economic zone? Note: The area is too large, and the full-range effect speed will be slow. It is recommended to apply it to the areas around major islands and key ecological zones first.]

President Chen Ran thought for a moment and did not choose full-range application.

Firstly, the area was too large, and the effect would be discounted and slow; secondly, he also needed to leave some areas for natural recovery as a control and buffer.

[Confirm application. Technology is taking effect... The effect will gradually appear. It is expected that the turbidity of the target sea area will drop significantly within 7-15 days, and basic ecological indicators will begin to recover.]

After doing all this, President Chen Ran leaned back in the ship's cabin seat and breathed a sigh of relief.

The ship was sailing at sea; it was a medium-sized passenger-cargo ship rented from Fiji.

The airport runway in Funafuti must have been damaged in the earthquake and could not handle takeoffs and landings, so he had flown from Hangzhou to Fiji and then transferred to this ship to head to Deep Blue Nation.

Besides him and a few Hammer Team Members, there were also Wang Xiaopang on the ship, as well as the first batch of about fifty overseas Chinese professionals arranged by the system who had gathered from nearby islands, covering fields such as civil engineering, marine environment, medical care, basic education, and administrative management.

Wang Xiaopang was leaning against the railing on the deck, excitedly pointing at the horizon where the sea met the sky, talking to someone who looked like an engineer.

The satellite phone rang; it was Chen Yan.

"Brother! Brother! Where are you? I saw the news! There was an earthquake where you are! And it was so severe! Are you okay? Is everyone on the island okay?" Chen Yan's voice was fast and urgent, with a crying tone.

"Xiao Yan, don't panic, I'm fine, we are all very well."