New Pacific Petroleum is a company that forms part of the New Pacific Federation with the New Pacific Chamber of Commerce and New Pacific Bank. She is headquartered in Yaesu intersection in Tokyo, occupying the 5th to 11th floors of an 11-story building. An unusual phone call was made to the secretary's office on the 11th floor at 2:30 pm on October 1st.At that time, a young man's voice said to the operator: "Please call the president's office." The operator transferred the call to the secretary's office as usual. The person who answered the phone was a secretary named Sachiko Endo.

"Hello, this is the president's secretary's room." Sachiko responded with a gentle yet sophisticated tone. Next to it, a telegraph switchboard was rattling. "I have something to ask your president." A young man's voice came from the other end of the phone. "Because the president is going now, please tell me if you have anything to do." Sachiko replied professionally, thinking that the other party's voice was very young, so it shouldn't be a very important matter. "Who are you as the president?" The voice of the other party seemed to be angry.

"I'm Sachiko Endo from the secretary's office, who are you?" Sachiko flipped through the memo with one hand, picked up a ballpoint pen and was about to write it down.However, the other party did not say his name, but said: "Please tell your president about something." "If there is something important, I will definitely convey it." "Is it important? There is nothing more important." "Please tell me about yourself." "What is the name of the giant oil tanker, the Yangping, and it belongs to your company?" "yes."

"Now, that Yohii is supposed to be on its way back after loading oil in Saudi Arabia, right?" "What happened to that ship?" Sachiko asked again with a puzzled look on her face. Generally speaking, the content of the phone call to the president's office is uncertain.Most are business calls, however, this one is nothing like that. "Better check it out!" the man yelled.Sachiko felt as if she was about to be swallowed by that momentum, so she quickly put down the microphone and asked the room manager Tanahashi, "Do you know the schedule of the Yohei?"

Tanahashi swayed his fat body, and turned Biao to Sachiko: "I know, what's the matter?" "Just now I called to say that I need to confirm whether the Yangping is on its way back after loading oil in Saudi Arabia." "Who is calling?" "It's a young man, but he didn't say his name. It's an important matter, so let's confirm it anyway." "Why do you want to know about that kind of thing!" Tanahashi tilted his head while looking at the schedule on the table, "Yohei, on September 27, will leave the port after refueling in Las Tanura. Scheduled Arrived at the Xiren base in Kyushu on October 12."

Sachiko had picked up the phone again at this time, and while listening to Tanahashi's director, she told the man. "Understood." The man said on the other end of the phone, "Then, from now on, I hope you must tell the president what I said. Today!" "What's the matter?" "I put a bomb on the Yohei, it will explode soon!" "What?" Sachiko couldn't help screaming.The high-pitched voice actually attracted more than a dozen members in the room to cast their eyes on her. "It's better for you to tell your president what I said within today. Tell him that I have installed a bomb on the Yangping, and it will explode soon. That's enough. Tomorrow morning, I will come again contacted you."

"I said, hello, hello! Hello—" Sachiko called out in panic, but the other party had already hung up the phone.She put down the phone, gasped for breath while facing the shed bridge with a bloodless face, and said: "The man on the phone said that he planted a bomb on the Yangping, and it will explode soon." "Bomb?" Tanabashi called out, his face suddenly changed.But soon, his expression calmed down again.Said: "That guy, I'm afraid he is playing a prank." "However, I just think his tone is very serious." "But why don't you think about it? The giant oil tanker sails non-stop between Japan and the Persian Gulf. Therefore, it should not be possible to install bombs during the voyage. And the bomb may be a time bomb. If you say it can be set Isn’t there a timing device for more than 12 hours now? The Yohei sailed for more than 20 days after departing from Japan, and it took 5 days to leave the port from Ras Tanura. If a time bomb is installed, he will How can it detonate?"

"However, I don't think it's a prank anyway." Sachiko's face was still pale. "Okay then. Call the police station first. Because even if it's a prank, it's illegal." After 20 minutes, the Totsugawa Police Department of the First Search Section of the Metropolitan Police Department rushed over after communicating with his subordinate Kamei. "I think it was a prank, but..." Tanahashi said to Totsukawa, wiping the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.This obese Tanabashi is the kind of person who would still say that the heat has not dissipated even in late autumn, and he often sweats.

Totsukawa turned to look at Sachiko Endo and asked, "Is it you who answered the phone?" "yes." "Do you think it's a prank, too?" "No." "Then why do you think it's not a prank?" Totsukawa looked at Sachiko with a smile.Probably because he was very interested in the so-called intuition that a rational professional woman like her would trust. Xingzi couldn't answer for a while, and she hesitated to say: "If you only play pranks, and use intimidation and threats, it seems too much. And the person on the phone seems to be someone else. I don't care about it, just yelling that he planted a bomb and it's going to explode. That's why I—"

"I see. Besides, did that man say anything else?" "He also said he would call tomorrow morning." "What is he going to ask for?" Totsukawa muttered to himself, then shifted his gaze to the head of Tanahashi, and asked, "Can you tell me something about the Yohei?" "That's easy," Tanahashi took out a thick company yearbook from a drawer in the office, and placed it in front of Totsukawa. "The company owns five large oil tankers, and the Yohei is just one of them." Tanahashi said while turning to the page with the color photo of the Yohei.

"Look here, it's a 300,000-ton ship. It's usually called a giant tanker, but we call it that." "Then what would happen if the ship exploded?" "In the case of an empty ship, it just sinks. But if it explodes on the way back when it is full of oil, then it is a serious problem. Especially, if it explodes in the Strait of Malacca, it will really matter. Ruined." "If you put it that way, I still remember that after the Japanese tanker ran aground in the Strait of Malacca, it did cause international problems." "It's a 230,000-ton oil tanker that is a little smaller than the Yangping. If the Yangping causes another explosion in the Strait of Malacca and oil flows out, it will definitely cause international problems. Not only will it be demanded In addition, when oil tankers pass through the Strait of Malacca in the future, they will probably be subject to strict controls.” "What date did the Yangping pass through Malacca?" "Judging from the contact record sent by the captain this morning, it is said that it will be two days later, that is, the morning of October 3. This is the time when we are scheduled to enter the Strait of Malacca. Mr. Police Department!" "What's up?" "Do you think this is just a prank?" "I can't say exactly what happened. But what I already know is that the call was made. Once the Yangping entered the Strait of Malacca, there was no way to recover. That's all." Tanabashi nodded while wiping his sweat, stood up and stood up. At that time, the huge Yangping, with a total length of 347 meters, was filled with 370,000 cubic meters of oil, and sailed towards the Strait of Malacca in the Indian Ocean at a speed of 16 knots. Due to the time difference, the sun in the tropics was still shining directly above the Yopei. There are only 33 crew members operating the tanker, which is bigger than that high-rise building.This is because the degree of automation of various parts of the ship has been quite advanced.Today, sailing 6,200 nautical miles is no longer an adventure.Although the waves in the Indian Ocean are very rough, as long as you are on this giant oil tanker, you can hardly feel any shaking.If the previous train drivers were trapped in the smell of fuel and the noise of the engine, then on this Yohei, the crew only needs to monitor the instruments in the clean control room.Because all the work is only waiting for people to press a button, and the machine will help people to complete it.Even while the boat is moving, the autopilot will constantly correct the course. The crew is scattered across the floors of the seven-story bridge.Since everyone gathers in the cafeteria except for meal time, everyone is scattered in their respective responsible areas at other times, so even if they walk around on the ship, they hardly meet people. Each crew member is assigned a hotel-style three-room suite.Because they couldn't get together to talk, some crew members even suffered from neurasthenia. If the degree of automation is more advanced, it is possible to reduce the staff to less than 33 people.But it is said that this is already the limit.The main reason is that people will ask such questions: If you reduce it further, can people still bear this feeling of loneliness? When it comes to watch, two people on the top deck of the bridge and two in the engine room make a total of four, which is enough to keep the giant tanker under sail.The rest can rest as they please. Because there was a radio call from New Pacific Headquarters that there might be a ticking time bomb on board.Captain Yoshizawa immediately called Nakanishi's first-class navigator over.Captain Yoshizawa, 52, has served on destroyers during the war.After the destroyer was sunk in the South Pacific, he drifted for a day and a night.So he didn't look too alarmed by the wireless call from corporate headquarters. "What do you think?" Yoshizawa asked the 39-year-old Nakanishi.Although he is only 39 years old, he is a man who has dealt with Kai for 15 years. "I think it's probably a prank." First-class navigator Nakanishi turned his clean-shaven face and replied. "What's the reason?" "Although I don't know what kind of bomb there will be, but if it is to be installed, it will probably be a time bomb. Could it be that the bomb was detonated by radio waves from Japan? I don't think so. It is so far away, I think it is unlikely. From this point of view , presumably an ordinary timer. But it's a little hard to believe that there are more than 12 hours of timers." "The company's headquarters also said that. Therefore, I also think it is probably a prank. However, this ship is carrying 370,000 cubic meters of oil, and it is not afraid of 10,000 or just in case. Please tell everyone for me, put the oil in the cabin Check it again, thank you for your hard work." "Anyway, everyone is really bored. Maybe you will be happy if you have something to do." First-class navigator Nakanishi showed his white teeth.Grinning.As soon as he walked out, Yoshizawa himself stood up and began to check the captain's cabin. In a large glass case, there are some small puppets side by side.This is his collection.If there is no hobby that can be used to relax, it is unbearable to endure this monotonous sailing life. The glass cabinet was also opened and looked at.In addition, the drawers of the desk, the back of the sofa, the shredded basket, and the bottom of the bed were also checked. However, nothing that looked like a bomb could be found anywhere. About two hours later, the first navigator Nakanishi returned. "The ship was searched everywhere, but no bomb was found." Nakanishi reported clearly. "Everyone has worked hard. Sure enough, it was still a prank." "The only thing left is the oil tank. It hasn't been checked yet." "There shouldn't be a problem there," Yoshizawa said. "Forget it, please sit down." Yoshizawa ordered Nakanishi.He handed a cigarette to Nakanishi who was sitting on the sofa, and said: "If the prisoner wants to install a bomb, he can't do it when the ship is moored outside the Xiru base in Kyushu. During the process of loading oil, not only we were present, but the other side's army was also on guard. Moreover, during the voyage from Kyushu to Ras Tanura, the oil tank was also checked after cleaning. If a bomb was placed in the oil tank, at that time Should have found out." "It makes sense." First-class navigator Nakanishi said with a smile. Tankers must clean their oil tanks during voyages.After the high-pressure water is sprayed, the oil firmly adhered to the oil tank is washed away.Indeed, if a bomb had been installed in the oil tank, it might have been discovered at that time. Captain Yoshizawa called from the radio room: "Please connect me to the company headquarters immediately. All places in the ship have been checked, and the report says no bombs were found." After making the phone call on the ship, Yoshizawa said to the first-class navigator: "There are really people in the world who make such irresponsible and prank calls." "yes." "Now I suddenly want to enjoy the sea breeze. How about going to the deck with me to see the sea!" The next day, at 9 am.The Totsukawa Police Department has arrived at the secretary's office of the New Pacific Oil Company. The criminals under him not only installed a recording device in the listener who received the threatening call yesterday, but also asked the telephone company to help find out the source of the call.There was no tension in the room, however.Because the report from the company's Yangping ship yesterday said that no bombs were found. Therefore, the next thing to do is to arrest the guy who made the prank call. As soon as the preparations were done, Totsukawa said to Sachiko Endo, "If the man from yesterday calls, delay as much as possible." Although Sachiko nodded and said, "Yes," she couldn't help calling, "Mr. Police Department." "What's up?" "Is it really a prank?" "Do you still think it's not a prank?" Totsukawa felt a little funny, looking at her and said. "yes." "Why? The Yopei has already replied that there are no bombs. It's already like this. Why do you still think it's not a prank?" "That is what I thought." "That's really interesting. Tell me why?" "No particular reason. Just the man's voice on the phone." "Doesn't sound like a prank caller?" "yes." "You seemed to say the same thing yesterday." "Yes. But just a little bit of that feeling." "Maybe sometimes, women's intuition can see through the truth of things unexpectedly." When Totsukawa was talking, the phone in front of Sachiko rang. Sachiko glanced at Totsukawa briefly, and was urged by him to answer the phone. "This is the president's secretary's office." Sachiko replied with a slightly higher voice than usual.At the thought of making a break, I may feel extra excited. "Did you tell the president for me?" A young man's voice asked.It was the man's voice from yesterday. Totsukawa's face became tense, because he couldn't tell if it was a prank call or not. "Yes." Sachiko replied. "Does the president believe it?" "The president thinks it's likely that you're making a prank call." "This is by no means a prank call." "But, did you really plant a bomb on the Yohei?" "It is indeed. If you don't believe me, then the Yangping will explode after entering the Strait of Malacca. If the full oil is on fire, I don't know when it will burn." "However, on the Yohei..." "I contacted the Yohei by radio, and asked them to check the cabin?" "The report replied that there was no bomb." "Did you think it would be installed in such an easy-to-find place?" The man on the other end of the phone let out a soft laugh. "If you really planted a bomb, what was your purpose?" Sachiko said calmly. "It goes without saying that the purpose is for money." The man said. "Tell your president to have a million dollars ready. Preferably in $100 bills. As soon as I get the million dollars, I'll tell you where the bomb is. Get me a million dollars immediately U.S. dollars, and I'll call back later." "Hey, hello—" Sachiko called a few times, but to no avail.Because the other party has hung up the phone very rudely. "I only know that it is a public telephone under the jurisdiction of the Yodobashi Telephone Office." The criminal under Totsukawa conveyed the investigation results from the telephone office to him. Totsukawa nodded silently, rewinded the tape recorder and listened to it again. It was the voice of a man in his twenties or eighteen.Although his tone was a bit rude, he didn't seem inferior, and seemed to be quite cultivated. "What do you think?" Totsukawa looked up at Chief Tanahashi.After lighting the pipe, Tanabashi said with a smile, "No matter how I think about it, I think it was just a prank. The report was also sent to say that every corner of the cabin on the Yohei was searched, and no bomb was found. I don't think there will be such a fool anywhere, who will pay so easily when others threaten him?" "Didn't you say that someone planted a bomb on the tanker?" "You're mistaken, it wasn't an oil tanker before. Someone wanted to blow up the gas station chain in the company. If there is any difference, they asked for 5 million yen that time." That was indeed true, and the prisoner was quickly caught in Nagoya.The prisoner is a college student.But from the start he had no intention of blowing up the gas station. "But I don't think it's clear that he's lying." "why?" "It's intuition. And I noticed that he said that we should prepare US dollars. Normally, it's just Japanese yen. But he specifically asked for 1 million US dollars in his words. So I feel that this is not just a prank. " "But, Mr. Police Department, if what the man on the phone said is true, where is the bomb likely to be planted on the ship?" "Can outsiders plant bombs on the Yohei?" "If it is possible, the captain also said that it is only during the time when it is moored at the Xiren base in Kyushu. Because it is a non-stop voyage to Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia. It is absolutely impossible to install it during the voyage. possible." "Would it be possible to plant a bomb during the oil reloading at Ras Tanura?" "It's difficult, because since the Middle East war, the security over there has been very strict. At the oil base, if anyone suspicious approaches, they will be shot and killed immediately. And when sailing from here, they will I don’t know where to load the oil. The reason why I say this is because the tankers in the Persian Gulf are very crowded. If the anchorage is full, then of course it will move to the place where there is an anchorage. Take the Yangping as an example Right. It was originally scheduled to be in Kagok, Iran, but it was changed to Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia during the flight. Therefore, it is naturally impossible to wait there." "I see. In other words, the prisoner must have installed the bomb at the Xiren base in Kyushu." If it was installed. "That's true, but I don't think that's possible," Tanahashi said confidently. Totsukawa stared at the world map hanging on the wall. "Why? Just because no bombs were found on board?" "Does it mean that it is impossible to imagine a timer device for more than 12 hours?" "yes." "However, it is not impossible to make a timer device for more than 12 hours. If you spend some time, I think it is possible to make a timer device for 48 hours, or any number of days." "I know that. But on the phone, the man only said that it would explode after entering the Strait of Malacca." "That's indeed a good thing to say." "Because the explosion was going to be made in the Strait of Malacca on the way back, the prisoner had to set the time for the explosion in the Strait of Malacca on the way back when the bomb was installed on the Yangping ship in the Xilu base." "That's as it should be. At least roughly." "Yes, it takes about 16 days to reach the Persian Gulf, and it takes about 24 hours to fill oil. Then, if you add the estimated number of days to the Strait of Malacca when you return, you can indeed calculate the number of days. But, Mr. Police Department, I also said just now Well, in the Persian Gulf, oil tankers from all over the world are very crowded. It is not uncommon for more than a dozen oil tankers to wait at sea. In this way, it should be unpredictable when we arrive there. Once, although the Yohei was lucky, it only waited for two days, but the Yaesu ship had to wait for six days. On the other hand, in the Strait of Malacca, it can pass in one day if it goes well. In this way, the prisoners have to wait in the Isn’t it impossible to create an explosion in the Strait of Malacca?” "I see." Totsukawa agreed. As Director Tanabashi said, after arriving in the Persian Gulf, it is impossible to set the time for the explosion in the Strait of Malacca because the number of days required is uncertain. From this point of view, the so-called explosion in the Strait of Malacca in that guy's words is probably nonsense, just a threat of mystery. However, the guy's voice was full of confidence. "Where did that confidence come from?" The third call from the man was at 2pm that day. This time, Manager Tanahashi answered the phone instead of Sachiko Endo. "I already understand what you said. It's just a prank call with an unwarranted threat." Tanahashi accused unceremoniously. "What are you talking about?" The man's voice became hideous. Tanabashi coughed intentionally and said, "Your words must be lies." "So you're saying, you don't feel the need to pay $1 million?" "For prank calls, you won't throw a penny. If what you said is true, how can you create an explosion after entering the Strait of Malacca? Tell me about the method first. Is it sending radio waves from here? Is it true? Do you think it is possible to blow up the Yohira, which is six thousand nautical miles away, with radio waves?" "Hehe..." The man suddenly seemed to laugh happily. "Is there anything funny?" "There's no need to think of that stupid way." "Then a timing device?" "It's a timing device." The guy's laughter came out again from the phone's microphone. "After arriving in the Persian Gulf, you don't know the number of days you will be waiting at sea. How do you set up the timing device if it is going to explode?" Tanqiao asked, and the other party also considered the issues that Tanqiao considered. "Then, are you talking about how to blow up the Yangping in the Strait of Malacca? If it works, I can give you a million dollars, but if it doesn't work, I can't give you a dollar." "Okay then. But I can only give you a hint, because the bomb I planted is a U.K.C bomb." "U.K.C?" "Don't the people in the oil company know about U.K.C?" The guy laughed like he was mocking a fool. Tanabashi panicked all of a sudden, and said repeatedly: "It's not that I don't know U·K·C." "Now that you know it, that's enough. If you figure it out, prepare 1 million US dollars immediately. You need to use 100-dollar bills. It's 2:15 p.m., so there should be time to go to the bank. I'll contact you tomorrow morning." "What's the use of U·K·C?" "Think about that kind of thing for yourself. I don't want to be detected. I hang up." "Hung up." Tanahashi said with a shrug towards Totsukawa, holding the microphone in his hand. Scouting still didn't work.The directions he managed to catch were nothing more than public telephones under the jurisdiction of the Setagaya Telephone Office.The other party called from a different place. Totsukawa asked Tanabashi with an unhappy face, "What does that guy mean by U·K·C?" After thinking for a while, Tanahashi said, "Instead of asking me to explain, it might be better to ask an expert to explain." So he called a director of the oil tanker department named Matsuki over the company's internal phone. Matsuki, male, has sailed for many years as the captain of a large oil tanker. He is not tall but has a strong body. He is 53 years old. Matsuki replied seriously to Totsukawa's question: "The so-called U·K·C means Under Keel Cleerance." "That is to say, the space under the bottom of the boat?" "That's right. The reason why U.K.C suddenly became a problem is because in the Strait of Malacca, after the Japanese tanker ran aground, the oil flowing out polluted the sea water. You can understand that strait if you look at it , has relations with three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Among these three countries, Indonesia has the toughest attitude. When the Japanese tanker had an accident, it even demanded that the Japanese tanker be excluded from the Strait of Malacca. Therefore, the Japanese government and The maritime industry hastily negotiated with these three countries, and finally reached a resolution, which is the so-called U·K·C regulation. The Strait of Malacca is not only narrow in width, but also a very shallow strait. It is very dangerous. Therefore, both Indonesia and Malaysia require that the clearance from the seabed to the bottom of the ship must be more than 4 meters, while Singapore requires 2 meters, and our country maintains that 2 meters is enough for safety. Due to the differences between each other, the final The resolution stipulates that U·K·C is 3.5 meters." "That is to say, after being fully loaded with oil, tankers with too deep draft should be prohibited from passing!" "That's right. It is said that when the U.K.C is less than 3.5 meters, it must reduce the amount of oil loaded before it is allowed to pass through the Strait of Malacca. Because, especially for a huge tanker like the Yangping, when it is full of oil , the draft will definitely become very deep.” "When the boat sails past, the clearance is high because the tank is empty and the draft is shallow. But when it comes back, it becomes a problem." "That's right." Pine nodded.Tanahashi's face suddenly changed, Tanahashi looked at Totsukawa worriedly and said, "Could it be that the prisoner on the phone meant—" "Exactly. I think that guy's intention is the gap between the bottom of the Yopei ship and the bottom of the Strait of Malacca. It probably means that the bomb has been set so that it will explode when the gap becomes a few meters below. In the past, even if it passed through the Strait of Malacca, it would not explode." As soon as Tojinchuan's words fell, the entire secretary's room suddenly fell into an inexplicable silence.Everyone seemed to be afraid of making any noise, so they stopped talking and just looked at each other in private. At this time—— "What a bastard!" Suddenly, Tanabashi shouted, "If the 370,000-ton Yohii explodes in the Strait of Malacca, can you imagine what will happen?" "What will happen?" Totsukawa asked calmly. Tanahashi looked at Matsumoto, and Matsumoto said calmly: "This must be the same as the Strait of Malacca hitting a rock, and the Yohira will burn for about a month. I think during this period, the Strait of Malacca has to be closed like this. Compared with the Strait of Malacca at that time In terms of losses, it will be a big problem for Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore to take a tough attitude. It is likely that the navigation of giant oil tankers will be banned forever." "What would happen to all the giant tankers in Japan if that happened?" "Probably we have to pass through the Lombok Strait to the east of Bali. In that case, the number of sailing days will increase by three days. According to my calculations, the result of not being able to pass through the Strait of Malacca should cause the entire oil industry to reach an annual high of about A loss of 24 billion yen. Of course, the price of petroleum products will also increase accordingly. Therefore, the right to navigate the Strait of Malacca must be secured no matter what.” "Then is the detailed information about the Straits of Malacca complete?" "I only know some general information about the Strait of Malacca. Its total length is about 800 kilometers, and the narrowest part is about 4 kilometers. It is said that the depth of the water at the shallowest place is only 21 meters, but the exact figure is not known. Very clear." "However, I have read that the Strait of Malacca is the lifeline of Japan. It is surprising that there is no detailed data on the Strait of Malacca." "In fact, it is because there is no way to do it. In 1974, it is said that the S number ran aground because it hit a reef that was not marked on the nautical chart. Therefore, it was proposed that Japan raise funds and the three coastal countries provide assistance to map Malacca. Plans for shipping lanes. But not yet implemented." "The water depth is only 21 meters, which is really a problem." "And there seem to be two places. I mean the place at a depth of 21 meters. That section is also the narrowest section in the strait." "I see, so how many meters is the draft of the Yopei?" "It's 18 meters with a full load of oil." "Please wait a moment." Totsukawa stared straight at Matsumoto and said, "If the draft is 18 meters, and the shallowest part of the Malacca Strait is about 21 meters deep, then U·K·C is 3 meters, not 3.5 meters Is it below?" "um, yes." "In that case, wouldn't it be a clear violation of the regulations?" "Yes, but in the case of a large tanker like the Yopei, to reduce its draft by one meter, it is necessary to reduce the loading of about 15,000 tons of oil." "But you should also be obliged to obey the rules, right?" "Yes, therefore, when passing through the section with a water depth of 21 meters, we have to wait for the timing of the high tide, which is given by the captain. Because the high tide can be regarded as ensuring that the U·K·C is 3.5 meters." It's like walking a tightrope.Totsukawa was very surprised. It was really shocking that the oil transportation route, which was known as the lifeline of Japan, was so dangerous.But after all, if you don't try this kind of thing, you won't experience it. "How strong is a giant tanker like the Yohei?" Totsukawa asked Minister Matsumoto. "Your question is not very clear." Matsumoto said, "Because the cargo loaded is dangerous oil, the design is fully considered to prevent danger." "However, I always feel that when those oil tankers run aground or collide, oil spills can easily occur. What is the structure of the bottom of those ships? Is there a double bottom hull made to prevent danger?" "No, the tanker's bottom is a single-layer bottom structure, and the double-bottom hull is only the engine room." "Why not make them all double-layer structures?" When Totsukawa asked, Matsumoto shook his head and said, "Please think about the purpose of oil tankers. Especially large oil tankers. The purpose of oil tankers is to transport large amounts of oil quickly and safely. transportation. Assuming that the entire ship is made of a double-layer structure, it will be too heavy and uneconomical. However, we say that the partition wall is designed to divide the oil tank into several. Even if one of them is damaged, it can still Take care of the other tanks so they don't leak out." "Even if there was an explosion or fire on the bottom of the ship, would this partition work?" "Maybe it's not that effective. Because if there is a fire or something, once the loaded oil burns, the high temperature of the violent combustion will even melt the steel. If the oil in the other oil tanks leaks, it will also ignite." "How many oil tanks is the Yangping divided into?" "Looking vertically, it is divided into three parts: the left, the right, and the center. According to the use of the partition wall, it is divided into 5 parts horizontally, so the Yangping should be divided into 15 oil tanks." "Very few." "Because less is more economical." "However, in terms of safety, the more oil tanks there are, the higher the safety should be, right?" "That's right. But tankers are tools that move according to the laws of economics." "Are there no regulations to ensure safety? I'm asking about the structural aspects of tankers." "In other words, if you can decide for yourself, the less partitions you make, the more economical it is?" "As long as no one is going to plant any bombs, the current Yohii is strong enough." Matsumoto shouted as if a little annoyed. Tengqiao, who was silently listening to the conversation between the two, interrupted at this moment: "Mr. Police Department, do you really believe that the prisoner planted a bomb?" "It might be better to take it as a fact." Totsukawa replied, "If the bomb is installed on the bottom of the ship, no matter how hard you search in the ship, you probably won't be able to find it. The bomb is pre-installed with a radio wave transmitter. Radio waves are emitted from the bottom of the sea, and they are reflected back when they hit the bottom of the sea. In other words, as long as the time is set in advance to be less than a few tenths of a second, the detonating device will be triggered. This should be possible. And from what Mr. Matsumoto said just now, we We also know that the bottom of the tanker is a single-layer plywood structure, because it is relatively fragile, so it can be said that the prisoner has a good reason to install bombs there." "Bastard!" Tanqiao cursed, "Yangping, it will enter the Strait of Malacca tomorrow morning. It is almost impossible to change direction after entering the Strait." "So how about postponing entry into the Straits of Malacca until the matter is cleared up?" "But what if the man told a lie?" "There is no other way, let's contact the Yangping. Tell them to slow down, but when will the Yangping wait? Anyway, it has 370,000 cubic meters of oil." "Those, we have to let that guy tell us." The Yangping in the Indian Ocean received an order to reduce the speed from the current 16 knots to 10 knots.Besides, if what the guy on the phone said is true, then this is beyond what the head of the secretary's office can handle.President Wakamiya, who was only 55 years old, drove back as soon as he received a call to report the situation to him.In his prime of life, he is a practical man. Totsukawa explained the situation. 若宫默默地听完之后，说道：“如果说我做点什么能帮得上忙的话，我将很乐意去做，无论什么都行。” “我想让社长您务必协助我们。”十津川说。 若宫屏气定神地听他讲下去。 “明天上午，再有电话打来。我们想让您来接那个电话，您作为社长来接电话的话，我想犯人也会更加相信您一些。目前，我们只想从犯人那里问出事实真相来。” “然后，您是说要我们按照要求支付100万美元吗？” “如果您能那样做的话，那真是谢谢您了，我很高兴能有一天逮捕犯人归案。” “为什么必须支付那么大的一笔钱呢？” “为了洋平号的安全着想，也为了能抓住犯人。” “不付钱就不能抓捕犯人了吗？” “您有三种可以采取的方案。” "What is it?" “第一，把犯人的话仅仅当成是恶作剧来看，指示洋平号通过马六甲海峡。” “那也太危险了。” “第二，让船迂回到龙目海峡，这种情况下也没有必要给犯人100万美元。” “龙目海峡？” “不过，从龙目海峡通过是否绝对地安全就不清楚了。” “为什么呢？那个海峡即使是浅水区水深应该也有个七八十米吧，空隙应该是足够了。” “可是，空隙到多少的时候，会发生爆炸这一点可不知道。要是在龙目海峡有尚未发现的暗礁，洋平号会不会爆炸就不得而知了。” “那么，你说怎么办才好呢？”若宫社长紧锁着眉头，注视着十津川。棚桥则忧心忡忡地注视着社长。 十津川思考着，不经意地把视线移到了电话机上。 “一时还没令人满意的办法，还是只好应犯人的要求交易。” “你是说给他100万美元吗？” “我们一定会再夺回来的。像洋平号这样的巨型油轮要是爆炸了，那种情况下的损失，请您考虑一下。” “令人头痛啊。”若宫抱起胳膊，陷入了沉思。若宫沉默了一会儿，忽然松开手叫了一声：“棚桥君。” “既然是炸弹安装在船底，那么叫船员他们在印度洋上停船，难道不能把炸弹给拆掉吗？” 棚桥室长“啊”地叫了一声，很是不解地摇了摇头。 而是十津川来代为回答说：“总之，这大概办不到。” "why?" “第一，因为不知道那炸弹是什么样的装置，如果笨手笨脚地去拆，万一爆炸了怎么办？再说，那洋平号上配备有潜水工具吗？” "No, no." “那样的话，可就无法作业了。装满石油之后，吃水照理说是船下沉了18米。在18米的深度下，你说必须把炸弹拆除而只靠自由潜水那种作业是不可能完成的。” “无论如何也只能和犯人交易吗？”若宫无可奈何地摇了摇头说。 “希望您能协助。” “可是，你说，你对我们大家说说看，安装在船底的炸弹怎样才能够解决呢？就算可以解决，你认为犯人拿到100万美元之后会告诉我们解决的方法吗？万一给了他100万美元之后，我们却被告知没有办法解决，那时候如何是好？” “犯人应该有某个解决的方法，如果没有的话，他也不会来索要100万美元了。”十津川说。 若宫把身体深陷在沙发中，像是很难下决心的样子。闭着眼睛沉思了起来。忽然，他张开眼来，语气很干脆地说了起来：“没办法了。就按你说的，接受犯人的要求吧。但是，你们可务必为我们再夺回那100万美元啊！” “我们保证全力以赴。那么接下来，能够准备好100万美元吗？” “我们公司因为海外贸易比较多，到明天上午，应该能够筹齐。” 第二天，也就是10月3日的上午10时，一个装有一万张百元美钞的行李箱放在了社长室的办公桌上。 上午11时，犯人的电话打来了。 若宫提起话筒，沉着应答道：“我是社长若宫。” “那，那真是，”那家伙好像很开心地说：“既然劳驾社长您亲自出面，总算是肯认真地考虑我说的话了吧。100万美元准备好吗？” "Ready." “那么拿着那些钱到印度尼西亚银行东京支行去。” “怎么是印度尼西亚银行呢？” “没错，然后把100万美元存入巴厘岛上的登巴萨市内的葛甲马答大街上的阿萨姆商会。再重复一遍，请笔录一下，是巴厘岛登巴萨市葛甲马答大街。阿萨姆商会是家在印度尼西亚银行登巴萨支行拥有账户的公司，汇款人不写新太平洋公司，最好署个人名。接下来，我把这个人名报一下。东京市新宿区左门街4号XX地址太田坦卓也。如果按我说的办，洋平号就能安然无恙地通过马六甲海峡。” “当真洋平号能够安全地通过马六甲海峡吗？” “我们可是那么约定好了噢。” “但是，我们还不能相信你。我们还是担心你在船的底壳外面安装炸弹。” "what do you mean?" “不管我们用什么办法，要将那个炸弹在海上拆除是办不到。如果我们汇给你100万美元，到头来你却说什么无能为力的话，那该怎么办？这可就和绑架案一样，你把洋平号上37万立方米的石油和33名船员当成人质，如果不能换回他们的安全，这100万美元赎金可不能付给你。” “那么好吧。”那家伙说。 正在听的十津川总算有点放心了。 因为对方作出的让步出奇地干脆。 Why is this so?十津川正在左思右想的时候，犯人又接着讲了起来：“正如你所说的，炸弹是安装在船的底壳外面的。” "Sure enough." “在炸弹上我置入了电波发射装置，以每分钟发射一次的频率发射电波。如果那个电波的往返时间在一定的时间以内，就会触发起爆装置。也就是说，如果一旦U·K·C过时的话，就会引起爆炸。洋平号如果装满37万立方米的石油进入马六甲海峡，炸弹一定会爆炸的。” “那要怎么做才能防止爆炸呢？” “刚才不是说好了吗？洋平号一旦安然无恙地通过马六甲海峡，就要按我的要求汇过去100万美元，看到那边收到那笔钱，这样你们就没事了。” “好吧。就这么说定了。先说防止爆炸的方法吧。” “炸弹安装在距离船首20米的船底。” “是20米么？” “洋平号上应该装有无线电发射装置吧。” “当然安装了。” “把电波调节到150MH２，把电波发送到海水中去，是海中距离船首20米的位置。如果那么做的话，由于组装在炸弹上的电波发射装置受到干扰，就不会触发起爆装置了。那样一来，即使经过马六甲海峡也不会发生爆炸。” “150 MH２对吧？” “是的，波长可不能搞错哟。” “你是说就靠那种办法就能保证没事了吗？” “我可只要100万美元而已。洋平号一旦通过马六甲海峡，可不要忘了汇100万美元过去噢。” 电话被挂断的同时，龟井刑事火速出发了。他是为了调查犯人所说的在新宿区的左门大街的所谓名叫太田垣卓也的人。 电话的反向侦测这次也没有奏效。若宫社长放下话筒之后，半信半疑地看着十津川。 “你怎么看吧？你觉得犯人讲的是真的么？” “我想不是在撒谎。” "why?" “因为我还找不出破绽来说那是假话。要是企图炸掉洋平号，先装好炸弹后，大概就不会声张了，也不会打电话过来。而今洋平号就要进入马六甲海峡了。如果爆炸燃烧的话，肯定会造成国际争端的，这绝对错不了。而他却特意来告诉我们那些，可能因为他只想要那100万美元吧。由此看来，我才认为犯人所说的话，不是谎话。” “你能保证是这样么？” 十津川被若宫这么一说，只能苦笑道，“那个判断恐怕是该由身为社长的您来做的吧？是否相信犯人，按照犯人的方法使洋平号通过马六甲海峡，或者是让它迂回到龙目海峡。还有，是不是在某个地方卸掉些石油让吃水深变浅一些，或是下别的什么样的命令。这些恐怕都是应该由您来判断决定的吧？” “知道了。棚桥君，你先赶紧联络洋平号。” “要做什么呢？”棚桥眨了眨眼睛。 “都到这时候，难道还不下决心吗？按照犯人告诉我们的办法去做！” 棚桥飞跑出去之后，若宫竟也一脸落魄地望着窗外。十津川朝着他的背影问道：“新太平洋石油公司和印度尼西亚有贸易吗？” 若宫回过头来说：“我的公司也买印度尼西亚的石油。而且，新太平洋商社和印度尼西亚还有贸易往来。” “所谓的登巴萨市内和阿萨姆商会你有没有什么印象？” “没有啊，完全没有。” “那么所说的大田垣卓也这个名字呢？” “也没有。”若宫左右摇了摇头。 棚桥回来了。 “和洋平号上的吉泽船长联络过了。” “船长说什么了没有。” “5小时之后，就将进入马六甲海峡了。他们应该会用犯人所说的办法通过的。” “预定用多长的时间通过马六甲海峡呢？” “船长说大概花费28小时。” “还是什么事都别发生才好。”就连若宫社长也已是一副面无血色的面孔。 赶到了新宿左门大街的龟井刑事给十津川打来了电话。 “左门大街，相符的住址和人都不存在。”龟井刑事用略带东北口音的声音报告道。 由于和预计的情形一样，十津川并没有特别的失望。 “果然还是没有人。”他只说了这么一句。 “接下来怎么办呢？” “犯人完全是胡说八道。我看根本就没有新宿区左门大街。有劳你辛苦一趟了，能否给我打探一下左门大街一带的情况？从二十五六岁到三十岁左右的男性中和印度尼西亚有某种关系的都找出来。虽然我说的可能过于含糊了一些，但还是请您帮我把那样的人查出来。”十津川指示说。 正如他自己所说的，虽然这是项有些含糊的工作，但是对绰号叫“龟先生”具有东北人特有的坚持到底的性格的龟井刑事来说，他或许会有些什么发现。 十津川回了警视厅一趟。事态不到洋平号通过马六甲海峡那一刻也许不会再起波澜。这个案件，报纸上还没有登载。警方虽然有点压制这个案件，但更主要的是因为这个案件和若宫社长说的一样，很像是绑架案件。 当地时间10月4日上午6时20分，洋平号一面往右遥望着芮梅答暗岛尖端，一面驶入了马六甲海峡。然后要历时约28个小时，到新加坡海上才走出马六甲海峡。说到紧张，与其说是洋平号上的全体船员，倒不如说是新太平洋石油公司总部的若宫社长他们才对，若宫、棚桥等人把总部的11层总公司的社长室挤得像个罐头一样，时时刻刻倾听着从洋平号发来的无线电联络信号。 随着离新加坡海越来越近，马六甲海峡也越来越狭窄起来，暗礁也越来越多。社长室里所有的空气都随之越来越紧张而凝重。 到了5日早上，通过巴伐罗礁灯标的消息传了过来。这个灯标是立在新加坡海上岩礁上的灯塔，是由日本援助建造的。 如果从这里过去，不久就通过海峡到达中国南海了。从无线电话里听到了洋平号的吉泽船长的声音在报告：“已经平安抵达中国南海了，没有出现异常情况。” 十津川警部从棚桥室长那里得知洋平号平安通过马六甲海峡之后，再次赶到新太平洋石油公司。 原来若宫社长那愁眉不展的脸，尽管那时是理所当然的，但眼前却明朗了起来。 若宫把十津川领进社长室后边笑边说：“谢谢你给我们做了那么多辛苦的工作。不过，这下子全部解决了。洋平号一抵达鹿儿岛的喜人基地，希望请你派专家去拆除炸弹。如果安装了炸弹的话。” “你那是什么意思？”十津川留意到若宫那副乐观的表情，思忖了一下说。 “我也和洋平号的船长用无线电话谈过了。说什么船底下安装了炸弹什么的，你不觉得这不过是犯人在虚张声势吗？” “但是，洋平号是按照犯人的办法，一面发射150MH2的电波一面通过马六甲海峡的才对。” “的确是那样做的没错，但是什么事也没有发生。是因为遵从犯人的指示去做的，结果这炸弹从一开始就根本不存在。你不是也没搞清楚么？” “我是认为安装了炸弹的。” “既然你那么想，就随你的便。总之，不管是哪种情况，马上就要彻底解决了。这之后，你们警察说起来也不过是抓捕犯人而已了。尽早把犯人缉拿归案吧。” “也就是说，那100万美元你不打算汇往印度尼西亚银行里了？” 十津川这么一问，若宫小声地笑着说：“你真是的。既然洋平号都已经平安通过了马六甲海峡，为什么事到如今还非得听从犯人的要求呢？” “可是，若宫先生！”十津川用很坚决的表情，正视着对方。“你当心到时候犯人是不会这么轻易地善罢甘休的。” “你到底在当心什么呢？”若宫拿起一支雪茄，点上火，不解地看着十津川。 “从打电话的手法来看，犯人决不是个傻瓜。”十津川仍然面色严峻地说道。 “就那点本事，连我也知道。就因为这个家伙威胁新太平洋公司，你才这么说的吧。” “要是那个家伙事先计划让洋平号平安通过马六甲海峡的话，那么他也应该很清楚新太平洋石油公司也许不会支付这100万美元，因此他既然肯这么轻易地告诉你们通过的办法，则应该还有什么手段才对。” “你怕是太劳累了吧？”若宫笑了起来。“说不定是对方胆子太小，一下子就招架不住了，只好把通过的办法供了出来。我们不是也可以这样认为吗？” “你是说他胆小吗？” “因为我们所显示出来的坚决态度，使犯人胆怯了。比如飞机劫持案件之后，才明白唯有以果断的态度来杜绝这类案件这一条路可走。这一点你也应该知道吧。我们这次就是以强硬的态度要求犯人，如果他不告诉我们通过马六甲海峡的方法，绝对不会给他那100万美元。结果犯人不是乖乖地招出了方法了么？” “所以不管怎样，你都觉得没有必要再付那100万美元了？” “这还用说。要是我们一遭人恐吓就屈服妥协，轻易地给他100万美元，我们岂不是要被世人所耻笑？而且还不仅仅是这些，我想恐怕还会诱发同类案件的发生，因此我认为没有必要支付那100万美元。” “你还真是过于乐观了。”十津川不安地说道。这时棚桥神色紧张地闯了进来。 “社长，好像还是那个男的，又打电话来了。” 若宫似乎有些不耐烦地说：“已经结束了。就给我告诉他，我是不会给他那100万美元的。” “可是对方说想让社长您亲自接电话。” “那你就先给我好好应付一下吧。” “我也一起去听听。”十津川边说边扯住棚桥的胳膊，迈步向秘书室走去。对方的出现，不管怎么说都是让人有些担心的。因为洋平号通过了马六甲海峡之后到现在，如果犯人已经完全失去了手中的王牌，就不必特别地担心了，但是怎么看都不会觉得是这种情况。 “应付时请小心，不要刺激对方。”十津川嘱咐棚桥说。 棚桥点了点头后，提起了搁在办公桌上的话筒。 “社长有要事在身，不能来接电话了。因此由我来转达你的事情。” “洋平号平安通过了马六甲海峡吗？” “嗯嗯，今天早上9时30分，已经通过了马六甲海峡抵达了中国南海。” “那太好了。当然你们可要记得把100万美元按照我指定的方式汇入印度尼西亚银行东京支行去。要是稍稍耽搁一点你知道会有什么后果么？” “不行，可以说我们从没有过那种打算。” “你说什么？！”犯人突然嚷嚷了起来。 棚桥用另一只手掏出手帕一面擦着头上的汗，一面说：“我是说我们没有打算支付给你100万美元。这是公司的意思。” “你们这位社长不是说好如果我告诉他通过马六甲海峡的办法，他就会支付100万美元的么？” “但是，情况不一样。社长很明确地交待过，我们不会付款的。” “的确，很像是新太平洋石油公司的所作所为。”犯人忽然在电话那头“呵呵”地笑了起来。 犯人也许在为威胁没能得遥，而有些恼火，不过紧接着，可以听出犯人的口气很快冷静了下来。 “我早就知道。随便违约还真是你们新太平洋石油公司的家常便饭。我一想到你们很可能会违约，因此事先做好了对策。” “对策？”棚桥看了十津川一眼，而就在那一瞬间，他眼中浮现出一丝从未有过的不安的神色。 “不错，是对策。好吧，我再给你们一次机会。现在马上按我指定的方式汇100万美元。先用电信电话以最快的速度汇过去。只有当我确认那边阿萨姆商会收到100万美元之后，我才会告诉你们洋平号平安归港的方法。” “你在说什么呢？洋平号可已经通过马六甲海峡了。” “这我知道。可我根本就没有打算在马六甲海峡炸掉它。也没有打算让新太平洋石油公司遭受什么损失。但是濒临马六甲海峡的马来西亚、新加坡和印度尼西亚可不会甘心吃亏的。” “可是，你不是说过，打算利用U·K·C来引爆安装在船底的炸弹吗？” “炸弹是真家伙没错。” “那么，有什么地方不对么？” “说什么安装了电波发射装置不过是随便讲讲玩玩的。根本就没装那玩意。也就是说，在通过马六甲海峡的时候，根本就没有利用U·K·C来引爆这么回事。我本打算让你们按照我的要求交出100万美元，等我确认那边收到之后，再告诉你们事实真相的。但是，若宫社长提出要在洋平号平安通过马六甲海峡之后，再付100万美元。可是无论是谁也猜不到，他这个提议真是糟糕透了。因为如果在船通过马六甲海峡之前，我手上若没有王牌，你们是不会愿意支付100万美元的。我之所以会同意是因为这种一眼就能看穿的花招正是我想得到的效果” “你在说什么？先讲清楚点！” “洋平号恐怕是照我所说的，一边发射150MH2的电波，一边通过马六甲海峡的，对吧？” "Yes, that's right." 棚桥这么一说，犯人好像很开心地大声笑了起来，然后他说：“这可真令人愉快！好吧，这么说吧，我在安装的炸弹上是安置的定时装置，在那个装置上我设置为一旦接受到150 MH2的电波，就启动定时装置。” “你说什么？”这次是棚桥大叫了起来，眼镜后面的眼中流露出的是一丝惊慌失措。 十津川眼神一怔，才意识到，对手果然是个本领非几的家伙。 “很有趣吧。炸弹的定时装置竟然是你们起动的噢。” “你该不会又在说谎吧？” “你的声音是不是在发抖了？要是认为我在说谎，那你们置之不管也行啊。不过，用不多久，洋平号就会在中国南海上爆炸焚烧了。” “你稍等一下，我去和社长商量一下。” “那样的话，一个小时之后，我再打来。到那时，你们可要把话讲明白。” “真是精妙的反制对策啊。”十津川心想。其实，他觉得这名犯人并不友好，而且其犯罪行为尤感憎恶，但是犯人懂得利用新太平洋石油公司那边的对策，反行其道进行反制，真是精妙的手法。 让新太平洋石油公司自己来启动定时装置的手法，对他们而言，可谓是个极大的讽刺。