DipNovel Chapter 21 Going to Sea
Chapter 21 Going to Sea
After accepting Aning's invitation, Wu Xie immediately went to the hospital to pay Pan Zi's medical expenses and instructed Wang Meng to take good care of the shop.
The fat man was busy contacting channels to sell the jade and agate pieces from the Lu Palace, as well as finding a reliable buyer for the hot potato jade burial suit. He was so busy he barely had time to breathe.
Three days later, news came from Aning that the boats and equipment were ready and that they should immediately set off to meet at a remote private dock in Fujian.
The fat man's shipment had reached a critical stage, and he couldn't leave for the time being. The group agreed that the fat man would finish his work and then fly to a port along the route, where the ship would make a brief stop along the way, and then pick him up.
Wu Xie and Qin Yuan packed their simple luggage and embarked on their journey to Fujian.
When they arrived at the so-called private dock, the sight before them chilled Wu Xie to the bone.
What was moored at the dock was not a modern exploration vessel at all, but an old fishing boat that looked quite old! The paint on the hull was peeling, and there were rust marks in many places. The ropes on the mast also looked a bit messy, and the whole boat had a sense of being weathered and dilapidated.
"This...this is your world-class equipment?" Wu Xie pointed at the fishing boat, his lips twitching as he looked at A Ning and Zhang Tu Zi, who were already waiting at the dock.
Baldy Zhang immediately chuckled and stepped forward, patting Wu Xie on the shoulder: "Hey, Wu Xie, don't judge a book by its cover! This boat looks old, but we've modified the engine and navigation system; its performance is absolutely reliable! Besides, this kind of boat is inconspicuous, making it convenient to travel! Come on, come on, let's get on board!"
Qin Yuan wasn't surprised at all; it was perfectly normal to use such inconspicuous ships for this kind of operation in the gray area.
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Wu Xie had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.
The boat quickly left the dock and entered the vast sea. At first, Wu Xie was still somewhat intrigued by the scenery at sea; the azure sea and soaring seagulls were breathtaking. But after a while, he grew tired of it, and with the boat rocking, he gradually felt dizzy, so he crawled into the cramped cabin assigned to them to sleep.
Qin Yuan remained on the deck, leaning against the ship's railing, feeling the salty sea breeze. His gaze occasionally swept over A Ning, who was directing the crew at the bow, and Zhang Tu Zi, who sat in the corner seemingly dozing off, but whose breathing remained steady.
After much hesitation, he finally opened his phone's camera and took a selfie, flashing a peace sign. As for why a balding man with a few strands of hair fluttering in the wind was highlighted in the lower right corner, Qin Yuan explained that he was just a passerby who had wandered in by mistake.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky gradually darkened, and the once calm sea began to foam abnormally. The wind also picked up noticeably, making the cable ropes howl.
"The weather's about to change!" the experienced old captain exclaimed gravely, looking at the dark clouds gathering in the sky.
Soon, a fierce wind, carrying large raindrops, lashed down! The previously gentle waves instantly turned into raging torrents, and the small fishing boat was violently tossed and turned between the crests and troughs of the waves.
Wu Xie was awakened by the violent shaking and scrambled out of the cabin, just in time to see a wave crashing onto the deck, carrying his backpack, which was outside, towards the side of the ship! He cried out in alarm and tried to grab it, but was knocked back by another wave.
"Secure everything! Everyone back in the cabin! Hold on tight!" the captain shouted hoarsely as the crew busied themselves on deck, securing supplies and equipment with ropes.
Qin Yuan grabbed Wu Xie, who almost fell, and pushed him to a sturdy mast: "Hold on tight! Don't move!"
The storm grew stronger, the sky was pitch black, and only the occasional flash of lightning illuminated the hellish sea. Giant waves crashed against the ship one after another with a deafening roar, and seawater kept pouring onto the deck.
Just as everyone was busy saving themselves and fighting the storm, a pale white lightning bolt tore through the darkness!
In that brief moment of light, the shadow of a ship suddenly appeared in the surging waves not far from their fishing boat!
The ship was old-fashioned, its hull badly damaged, its mast broken, and its sails tattered and hanging loosely. The entire ship was shrouded in an eerie, hazy mist, rising and falling silently with the waves, like a floating coffin!
"Ghost...ghost ship!" a crew member cried out in terror, his voice sounding particularly mournful amidst the wind and waves.
This sudden and bizarre sight made the already tense atmosphere even more suffocating!
Just then, a huge wave crashed in at a tricky angle, causing the ship to tilt violently! Wu Xie, who was clinging to the mast, and A Ning, who was securing the ropes, both slipped at the same time. With screams, they were thrown directly over the ship's side and into the dark, icy sea!
"Innocence!"
"Miss Aning!"
Chaos erupted on the ship!
"Quick! Save them! Throw lifebuoys!" the boatman roared.
However, the waves were too big, and the two people who fell into the water were tossed about in the waves and were instantly swept a distance away, and the direction... seemed to be towards that strange ghost ship!
Qin Yuan's eyes narrowed! He vaguely remembered that there were sea monkeys on this ghost ship. If Wu Xie and A Ning went up, they would probably suffer.
Without a second thought, he quickly removed a rope with a grappling hook from the secure supply area, aimed at the ghost ship, and with a sudden burst of strength, threw the hook toward the ship's side!
With a soft "click," the hook firmly caught the wooden railing of the wrecked ship opposite.
Qin Yuan tightened the rope, tested its stability, and prepared to climb over to rescue the person.
"What are you doing! Are you out of your mind?!" Seeing this, the boat captain rushed over to stop him. "That's a ghost ship! You can't go there! It'll bring bad luck! Come back!"
Just as the boat captain was about to grab the rope and pull Qin Yuan back, Zhang Tuzi, who had been sitting in the corner seemingly stunned by the storm, suddenly moved.
He seemed to clumsily get up, but his footing deftly slipped, placing him precisely between the boatman and Qin Yuan. He frantically grabbed the boatman's arm with one hand, while his other hand seemingly unintentionally pressed on the boatman's wrist as he reached for the rope. He cried out in alarm, "Boatman! Hold on! Hold on! The waves are too big!"
His blocking and pressing, seemingly without any method, perfectly blocked the boat captain's movements, preventing him from advancing for a moment.
Qin Yuan turned around and met Zhang the Bald's eyes, which had instantly regained their clarity and composure behind his gold-rimmed glasses. Their gazes met, and everything was understood without words.
Qin Yuan's lips curled into a faint smile as he lowered his voice and teased, "Advisor Zhang, why don't you come along to play the hero and rescue the damsel in distress? Maybe Miss Aning will look at you in a new light."
Zhang the Bald immediately put on that greasy smile again, pretending to be stupid and loudly saying, "Huh? What did you say, Comrade Qin? The wind is too strong, I can't hear you! Oh dear, it's too dangerous! You have to be careful!" But he held the boatman's hand and showed no intention of letting go.
Qin Yuan said no more, knowing that with him watching the rope and holding off the captain, he was safe. He took a deep breath, his hands moving in swift motion like a monkey, braving the wind and rain, and with a few light leaps, he landed steadily on the deck of the gloomy, dilapidated ghost ship along the rope that was violently swaying in the waves!
Beneath their feet lay damp, rotting wooden planks, and in their ears came the howling of the storm and the sickening groans of the planks. Wu Xie and A Ning were not far away, seemingly struggling to climb out of the flooded deck.