"Boss, you've been captain of the Cangyuan for nearly ten years! How can you just hand it over like that?!"
"You saved my life, Boss! If anyone tries to drive you out, I, Liu San, will be the first to object!"
"That's right!"
"Why don't we just toss him into the sea to feed the fish once we're underway? People die on the open ocean all the time!"
Outrage surged across the deck. In an instant, Li Fan had become public enemy number one.
The captain raised a hand to placate the crew. "Calm down, everyone, calm down! I appreciate how much you all think of me, Zhang Haobo, but the Cangyuan ultimately belongs to Manager Zhao. We only work for him. Now that Manager Zhao wants to replace me, what choice do I have?"
Had he kept silent, things might have cooled down, but Zhang Haobo's words only stoked the crew's fury.
Their eyes grew bloodshot, glaring at Li Fan with murderous intent.
Li Fan sneered inwardly.
Naturally, the petty tricks played by this man named Zhang Haobo had not escaped his notice.
On the surface, he praised Li Fan, but in truth, he was inciting the crew's distrust toward him.
On the surface, he spoke up for Li Fan, but in truth, he was fanning the flames of resentment in the crew's hearts.
On the surface, he lamented his own helplessness, but in truth, he was rallying the crew to band together against Li Fan.
Feigning compliance while secretly undermining him, using an appearance of loyalty to oppose his appointment—these were tricks Li Fan had mastered and discarded long ago.
Showing not the slightest trace of fear, Li Fan walked before the crew. He lifted his head and spoke in a clear, ringing voice: "If you don't trust me, do you also doubt Manager Zhao's judgment? Besides, our voyage is imminent. Just watch how I handle things! I certainly won't let anyone down."
Li Fan's voice boomed across the deck, drowning out the noisy clamor of the crew.
Seeing his commanding aura, the crew was momentarily subdued, and no one stepped forward to contradict him.
Li Fan gave them no chance to recover. Offering a brief farewell, he turned on his heel and walked alone into the cabin.
Behind him, the crew stood staring in bewilderment, leaving Zhang Haobo with a darkened face.
The men began whispering among themselves.
"Could that kid actually have some real skill?"
"Probably... maybe it's true. Manager Zhao has a sharp eye; he almost never misjudges a person."
"He didn't look like an ordinary fellow to me either."
...
*What nonsense about finding treasure on every voyage? Like hell I'd believe that!*
*He obviously pulled strings to steal my position as captain! Does he think I don't know?*
*Go ahead and talk big. I'll see how you clean up the mess when you fail!*
Zhang Haobo seethed with secret resentment. Watching his men being completely swayed by just a few sentences from Li Fan, his anger flared even hotter.
"Set sail! Head out to sea!" he barked.
Moving without the aid of wind, the Cangyuan glided out of the harbor and into the open sea.
More than a hundred large ships from Liuli Island also dispersed one after another, heading toward their respective designated sea territories.
The Cangyuan relied neither on the wind nor on oars. Instead, it was driven by spirit stones powering a miniature formation.
The vessel was also equipped with a spirit beacon, which would provide guidance whenever traces of liuli fish were detected in the surrounding waters.
Yet the ocean was vast, and the range detectable by the spirit beacon was limited.
Experienced crew members were therefore needed to first locate the general areas where the schools of fish gathered.
In normal years, the movements of the liuli fish followed a predictable pattern, making them relatively easy to catch.
However, when a wind calamity wreaked havoc, scattering and migrating the fish, all past experience was rendered useless.
Under such circumstances, one could only search for a needle in a haystack, relying entirely on luck.
And the Cangyuan's luck did not seem particularly good.
More than half a month went by. Aside from hauling in a few ordinary schools of fish and locating some standard marine mineral ores, they made no significant gains.
Not only were the crew members gloomy and downcast, but Zhang Haobo was also growing anxious.
After all, finishing in last place carried a punishment.
Compared to other work on the island, serving as a ship crewman carried relatively low risk and offered substantial rewards.
No one wanted to lose such a livelihood for nothing.
"The island's rules require us to return within a month. With only this meager catch, we might very well end up with the worst haul of all. We can only hope for a turnaround in the next few days. May the immortal master protect us," Zhang Haobo muttered helplessly as he stared at the calm, deep sea.
Just then, he heard footsteps approaching from behind.
Turning around, Zhang Haobo saw Li Fan walking toward him.
"What's this? You're finally willing to step out of your cabin? If you hadn't been taking your daily food, I would've thought you died in there."
Ever since they had put to sea, Li Fan had remained inside his quarters, never interacting with anyone.
In a foul mood, Zhang Haobo showed him no courtesy.
Li Fan paid no heed to his insolent tone. Instead, he gazed into the distant sea with a grave expression.
He simply stood there in silence.
Unnerved by Li Fan's bizarre behavior, Zhang Haobo looked in the direction he was facing, but saw nothing out of the ordinary; the sea was completely calm.
Yet Li Fan's expression grew increasingly solemn.
Still, he remained completely silent.
After a long while, Zhang Haobo could finally endure it no longer and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Li Fan started, then turned around, glaring at him with a face full of frustration.
"What are you playing at?!" Zhang Haobo demanded, feeling somewhat guilty but maintaining a tough front.
"Give me a small boat!" Li Fan did not answer his question. Instead, he turned his head away and spoke in a low, solemn voice, "I see treasure!"
"What...?" Zhang Haobo was confused at first.
"What?!" But realization struck him immediately after, and he cried out, "You can't be serious!"
"Quickly, prepare a boat for me. I see jewels gleaming beneath the deep sea, waiting to be salvaged," Li Fan said gravely.
As Zhang Haobo hesitated, Li Fan added another remark.
"The opportunity is fleeting. The radiance of the treasure is fading. I am about to lose its location."
Zhang Haobo jolted to his senses.
"Quick! Prepare the boat!"
The Cangyuan carried several small boats on board, typically used for exploring narrow waterways or scouting dangerous, unknown waters.
Only after the boat was lowered and Li Fan had rowed off into the distance did Zhang Haobo suddenly snap back to reality.
He didn't know what had possessed him to buy into Li Fan's words in the heat of the moment.
Seeing treasure buried beneath the deep sea?
How could that be possible?
Just as he was about to shout something, Li Fan's voice drifted back from afar.
"Do not follow me! Await my signal!"
"Why?!" Zhang Haobo could not resist shouting back.
"You're too noisy! You'll disrupt my sight!" Li Fan called out.
The corner of Zhang Haobo's mouth twitched, but recalling the furious glare Li Fan had just directed at him, he wondered if the man might actually be telling the truth.
Time slipped by. Two shichen had passed since Li Fan had rowed off alone.
"Could he have run off on his own?" a crew member asked, staring helplessly in the direction Li Fan had gone.
"Don't be stupid! In this vast, open sea, without any dry rations, where could he possibly run?" Zhang Haobo snapped at his subordinate. Just as he was about to say more, a red flare lit up the distant sky.
"Quick! Steer the ship over!" Zhang Haobo barked out the order.
The Cangyuan pushed ahead at full power and soon arrived at the location of the signal.
They found Li Fan standing aboard the small boat, looking exhausted.
"The treasure is right here!" he told everyone.
Zhang Haobo and his crew exchanged bewildered glances, unsure whether to believe him.
After a moment, Zhang Haobo gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Dive into the water! Cast the nets!"
Amidst the crew's skepticism, one chest, two chests...
A full sixteen chests of gold, silver, and jewels were slowly hauled up.
Chapter 30