An unknown storm sent the Yangtze Estuary II to the riverbed, where it lay entombed for over 150 years. Now, threading 22 arc-shaped beams through the wreck is like threading a needle through dense fog. The project stalled several times; every step forward was an extreme test of skill and perseverance. Battling from high summer to late autumn, through three typhoons, eight cold fronts, 892 individual dives, and 2,230 hours of underwater operations—when the first mast pierced the river’s surface, we finally touched the boundary of time. Yet the real mystery has only just begun to surface.
