“ lǎo dà ， nǐ dāng zhè cāng yuǎn hào chuán zhǎng kuài shí nián le ， zěn me néng shuō ràng jiù ràng ！”
“老大，你当这沧远号船长快十年了，怎么能说让就让！”
"Boss, you've been the captain of the Cang Yuan for nearly ten years. How can you just give up now!"
“ wǒ zhè tiáo mìng dōu shì lǎo dà nǐ jiù de ， yào gǎn nǐ zǒu ， wǒ liú sān dì yí gè bù dā yìng ！”
“我这条命都是老大你救的，要赶你走，我刘三第一个不答应！”
"I owe my life to you, Boss. If you want to kick me out, I'll be the first to object!"
“ bù rú děng chū hǎi le jiù bǎ tā rēng dào hǎi lǐ qù wèi yú ， fǎn zhèng dà hǎi shàng sǐ gè rén zài zhèng cháng bù guò le ！”
“不如等出海了就把他扔到海里去喂鱼，反正大海上死个人再正常不过了！”
"How about we throw him overboard into the sea and let the fish eat him? It's not uncommon for someone to die at sea."
chuán shàng qún qíng jī fèn ， yī shí jiān ， lǐ fán yǎn rán yǐ jīng chéng wéi le quán yuán gōng dí 。
船上群情激奋，一时间，李凡俨然已经成为了全员公敌。
The crew was in a heated discussion on the ship, making Li Fan seem like everyone's enemy.
nà hàn zi yòng shǒu ān fǔ chuán yuán ：“ lěng jìng ， dà jiā lěng jìng ！ suī rán zhī dào dà jiā dōu hěn kàn de qǐ wǒ zhāng hào bō ， dàn cāng yuǎn hào bì jìng shì zhào guǎn shì de chǎn yè ， wǒ men yě dōu zhǐ shì wèi tā mài mìng de ér yǐ 。 rú jīn zhào guǎn shì shuō yào huàn rén ， wǒ yòu yǒu shén me bàn fǎ ne ？”
那汉子用手安抚船员：“冷静，大家冷静！虽然知道大家都很看的起我张浩波，但沧远号毕竟是赵管事的产业，我们也都只是为他卖命的而已。如今赵管事说要换人，我又有什么办法呢？”
The man named Zhang Haobo tried to calm them down. "Calm down, everyone! Although I know you all hold me in high regard, Cang Yuan is Mr. Zhao's property. We're just working for him. What can I do if he says we need a new captain?"
bù shuō zhè huà hái hǎo ， zhāng hào bō cǐ yán yī chū ， chuán yuán men yù fā fèn nù 。
不说这话还好，张浩波此言一出，船员们愈发愤怒。
His words only made the crew angrier.
fēn fēn hóng le yǎn ， yòng yù shā rén de yǎn guāng dèng zhe lǐ fán 。
纷纷红了眼，用欲杀人的眼光瞪着李凡。
They glared at Li Fan with murderous eyes as their eyes turned red.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng lěng xiào 。
李凡心中冷笑。
Li Fan sneered inwardly.
zhè míng jiào zuò zhāng hào bō de nán zi shǐ de zhè xiē xiǎo shǒu duàn ， zì rán méi yǒu táo chū tā de yǎn jīng 。
这名叫做张浩波的男子使的这些小手段，自然没有逃出他的眼睛。
Zhang Haobo's little tricks were obvious to his eyes.
biǎo miàn shàng shèng zàn lǐ fán ， shí zé shì jī qǐ chuán yuán duì lǐ fán de bù xìn rèn 。
表面上盛赞李凡，实则是激起船员对李凡的不信任。
He praised Li Fan publicly while secretly sowing distrust among the crew.
biǎo miàn shàng wèi lǐ fán shuō huà ， shí zé shì jī qǐ chuán yuán men xīn zhōng de bù mǎn 。
表面上为李凡说话，实则是激起船员们心中的不满。
He spoke for Li Fan, but in reality, he was stirring up dissatisfaction.
biǎo miàn shàng sù shuō zì jǐ de wú lì dǐ kàng ， shí zé shì xī wàng chuán yuán men lián hé qǐ lái duì fù lǐ fán 。
表面上诉说自己的无力抵抗，实则是希望船员们联合起来对付李凡。
He pretended helplessness, hoping the crew would unite against him.
yáng fèng yīn wéi 、 káng zhe hóng qí fǎn hóng qí me 。
阳奉阴违、扛着红旗反红旗么。
It was like carrying a red flag and fighting under it.
bù guò shì xiē tā lǐ fán wán shèng xià de dōng xī 。
不过是些他李凡玩剩下的东西。
These were just old tricks that Li Fan had played before.
liǎn shàng háo wú jù sè ， lǐ fán zǒu dào zhòng chuán yuán miàn qián ， áng shǒu gāo shēng shuō dào ：“ zhū wèi xìn bù guò wǒ ， nán bù chéng hái xìn bù guò zhào guǎn shì de yǎn guāng me ？ kuàng qiě zhè cì chū hǎi zài jí ， qiě kàn wǒ shǒu duàn biàn shì ！ dìng rán bú huì jiào dà jiā shī wàng 。”
脸上毫无惧色，李凡走到众船员面前，昂首高声说道：“诸位信不过我，难不成还信不过赵管事的眼光么？况且这次出海在即，且看我手段便是！定然不会叫大家失望。”
With no fear on his face, Li Fan stepped forward to the crew. "If you don't trust me, do you still trust Mr. Zhao's judgment? Besides, we're about to set sail, so let's see what I can do!"
lǐ fán shēng yīn hóng liàng ， yī shí jiān jiāng zhòng rén cáo zá de yì lùn shēng dōu gài le guò qù 。
李凡声音洪亮，一时间将众人嘈杂的议论声都盖了过去。
Li Fan's voice was loud and clear, drowning out everyone's chatter.
chuán yuán men kàn jiàn lǐ fán qì shì fēi fán ， yī shí jiān jìng bèi yā zhì zhù ， méi yǒu rén zhàn chū lái fǎn bó 。
船员们看见李凡气势非凡，一时间竟被压制住，没有人站出来反驳。
The crew was momentarily silenced by his presence, no one daring to argue back.
lǐ fán yě bù gěi zhòng rén jī huì ， dào le shēng gào cí hòu ， jiù xiān xíng yī bù ， gū shēn jìn rù le chuán cāng zhī nèi 。
李凡也不给众人机会，道了声告辞后，就先行一步，孤身进入了船舱之内。
Without giving them a chance, Li Fan said his goodbyes and entered the cabin alone.
liú xià le yī zhòng dà yǎn dèng xiǎo yǎn de chuán yuán hé yī liǎn yīn chén de zhāng hào bō 。
留下了一众大眼瞪小眼的船员和一脸阴沉的张浩波。
Zhang Haobo, looking gloomy, and the rest of the crew stared at each other.
zhòng rén xiǎo shēng yì lùn 。
众人小声议论。
"Does that kid really have some skill?"
“ nán bù chéng nà xiǎo zi zhēn yǒu liǎng bǎ shuā zi ？”
“难不成那小子真有两把刷子？”
"He might... He seems like he has something up his sleeve. Mr. Zhao's eyes are sharp; he rarely makes mistakes."
“ yīng gāi …… kě néng shì zhēn de ba 。 zhào guǎn shì nà yī shuāng yǎn jīng kě bù dé le ， jī běn méi yǒu kàn zǒu yǎn de shí hòu 。”
“应该……可能是真的吧。赵管事那一双眼睛可不得了，基本没有看走眼的时候。”
"I don't think he looks like an ordinary person."
“ wǒ kàn tā yě bù xiàng gè pǔ tōng rén 。”
“我看他也不像个普通人。”
...
……
……
"Every time we go out, there's supposed to be treasure? I don't believe it!"
“ shén me měi cì chū hǎi dōu néng zhǎo dào cái bǎo ， lǎo zi cái bù xìn ！”
“什么每次出海都能找到财宝，老子才不信！”
"It was just a favor to get me the position of captain! Don't you know?"
“ míng míng shì tuō le guān xì ， xiǎng yào qiǎng duó wǒ zhè chuán duì chuán zhǎng wèi zhì de ！ dāng wǒ bù zhī dào ？”
“明明是托了关系，想要抢夺我这船队船长位置的！当我不知道？”
"In any case, I'll see how things play out!"
“ fǎn zhèng dà huà yǐ jīng shuō xià ， wǒ dǎo shì yào kàn nǐ zěn me shōu chǎng ！”
“反正大话已经说下，我倒是要看你怎么收场！”
Zhang Haobo seethed as he watched his subordinates who had been duped by Li Fan's words.
zhāng hào bō xīn zhōng àn hèn ， kàn zhe bèi lǐ fán jǐ jù huà jiù piàn de qī yūn bā zhuǎn de shǒu xià men ， gèng shì qì bù dǎ yī chù lái 。
张浩波心中暗恨，看着被李凡几句话就骗的七晕八转的手下们，更是气不打一处来。
"Set sail! Head for the sea!"
“ kāi chuán ！ chū hǎi ！”
“开船！出海！”
He barked orders.
tā nù hè dào 。
他怒喝道。
The Cang Yuan moved without wind, heading towards the open ocean. The Lustrous Isle sent over a hundred ships to their designated areas.
cāng yuǎn hào wú fēng ér dòng ， shǐ chū gǎng kǒu ， háng xiàng dà hǎi 。
沧远号无风而动，驶出港口，航向大海。
The Cang Yuan relied on a miniature magical array and spirit stones to navigate, while spirit guides indicated the presence of lustrous fish nearby.
liú lí dǎo yì bǎi duō sōu dà chuán yě xiān hòu sàn kāi ， bēn xiàng gè zì huà fēn de hǎi yù 。
琉璃岛一百多艘大船也先后散开，奔向各自划分的海域。
However, with such vast waters, the range of the spirit guide was limited.
cāng yuǎn hào bù kào fēng lì ， yě bù yòng rén lì ， ér shì kào zhe yī tào wēi xíng fǎ zhèn ， yǐ líng shí qū dòng 。
沧远号不靠风力，也不用人力，而是靠着一套微型法阵，以灵石驱动。
Thus, experienced crew members had to find where the fish might be first.
chuán shàng hái pèi yǒu líng yǐn ， dāng fù jìn de hǎi yù fā xiàn liú lí yú de zōng jì shí ， líng yǐn biàn huì fā chū zhǐ yǐn 。
船上还配有灵引，当附近的海域发现琉璃鱼的踪迹时，灵引便会发出指引。
In ordinary years, the lustrous fish's movements followed a pattern and were easier to catch. But during times of severe storms or migrations, all previous experience was useless.
dàn dà hǎi guǎng kuò ， líng yǐn suǒ néng gǎn zhī de fàn wéi yǒu xiàn 。
但大海广阔，灵引所能感知的范围有限。
The Cang Yuan seemed unlucky.
suǒ yǐ xū yào jí fù jīng yàn de chuán yuán ， xiān zhǎo dào yú qún dà zhì chū mò de fàn wéi 。
所以需要极富经验的船员，先找到鱼群大致出没的范围。
After half a month, they had only caught some common fish and found regular sea minerals with no significant treasures.
ruò shì xún cháng nián fèn ， liú lí yú qún de huó dòng dì diǎn jiào yǒu guī lǜ 。 wǎng wǎng bǐ jiào hǎo bǔ lāo 。
若是寻常年份，琉璃鱼群的活动地点较有规律。往往比较好捕捞。
Not only did the crew look gloomy, but Zhang Haobo himself felt anxious.
dàn ruò shì yù dào fēng zāi sì nüè ， yú qún qiān xǐ ， zé yǐ wǎng de yī qiè jīng yàn dōu méi le yòng chǔ 。
但若是遇到风灾肆虐，鱼群迁徙，则以往的一切经验都没了用处。
After all, there would be consequences for those who failed to return within a month.
zhǐ néng dà hǎi lāo zhēn ， quán kào yùn qì le 。
只能大海捞针，全靠运气了。
Compared to other work on the island, this job was low-risk, high-reward. No one wanted to lose it.
ér cāng yuǎn hào de yùn qì sì hū jiù bù zěn me hǎo 。
而沧远号的运气似乎就不怎么好。
"According to the rules, we should return in a month. We've only found these few things, so maybe we're among the least fortunate. Let's hope for a turn of luck."
dà bàn gè yuè guò qù le ， chú le lāo shàng le xiē xún cháng yú qún ， zhǎo dào le xiē cháng guī hǎi kuàng zhī wài ， jiù méi yǒu shén me tài dà de shōu huò le 。
大半个月过去了，除了捞上了些寻常鱼群，找到了些常规海矿之外，就没有什么太大的收获了。
Zhang Haobo looked at the calm sea and felt helpless.
bù jǐn chuán yuán men quán dōu chóu méi kǔ liǎn ， lián zhāng hào bō xīn zhōng yě dōu jiāo jí qǐ lái 。
不仅船员们全都愁眉苦脸，连张浩波心中也都焦急起来。
Just then, he heard footsteps behind him.
bì jìng zhè cì zuì hòu yī míng shì yǒu chéng fá de 。
毕竟这次最后一名是有惩罚的。
Turning around, Zhang Haobo saw Li Fan approaching.
hé dǎo shàng de qí tā gōng zuò xiāng bǐ ， zhè chū hǎi chuán yuán de gōng zuò fēng xiǎn xiǎo ， shōu yì dà 。
和岛上的其他工作相比，这出海船员的工作风险小，收益大。
"Why are you finally out of your cabin? I thought you were dead in there after all these days without food."
shuí yě bù yuàn yì jiù zhè me bái bái diū le 。
谁也不愿意就这么白白丢了。
Since setting sail, Li Fan had stayed in his room, never interacting with anyone. Zhang Haobo's bad mood made him even more grumpy.
“ dǎo shàng de guī dìng shì yí gè yuè nèi fǎn háng 。 wǒ men zhè cì jiù lāo dào le zhè diǎn dōng xī ， bǎo bù zhǔn hái zhēn shì shōu huò zuì shǎo de 。 zhǐ néng xī wàng jiē xià lái de jǐ tiān néng yǒu zhuǎn jī le 。 xiān shī bǎo yòu 。”
“岛上的规定是一个月内返航。我们这次就捞到了这点东西，保不准还真是收获最少的。只能希望接下来的几天能有转机了。仙师保佑。”
Li Fan ignored the insult and stared at the distant sea, a serious expression on his face.
zhāng hào bō kàn zhe píng jìng shēn suì de dà hǎi ， xīn zhōng wú nài 。
张浩波看着平静深邃的大海，心中无奈。
He stood there silently.
jiù zài zhè shí ， tā tīng dào le bèi hòu jiǎo bù shēng chuán lái 。
就在这时，他听到了背后脚步声传来。
Zhang Haobo, feeling uneasy, followed his gaze but saw nothing out of the ordinary. The sea was calm.
zhuǎn guò tóu qù ， zhāng hào bō kàn dào le lǐ fán cháo tā zǒu lái 。
转过头去，张浩波看到了李凡朝他走来。
Li Fan's expression grew darker.
“ zěn me ， nǐ zhōng yú kěn chū chuán cāng le ？ yào bú shì měi tiān hái zhī dào ná shí wù ， wǒ hái yǐ wéi nǐ sǐ zài lǐ miàn le ne 。”
“怎么，你终于肯出船舱了？要不是每天还知道拿食物，我还以为你死在里面了呢。”
But he remained silent.
zì chū hǎi hòu ， lǐ fán jiù yì zhí dài zài zì jǐ de fáng jiān lǐ ， cóng bù gēn rén jiāo liú 。
自出海后，李凡就一直待在自己的房间里，从不跟人交流。
After some time, Zhang Haobo couldn't take it anymore and asked, "What are you looking at?"
zhāng hào bō xīn qíng bù hǎo ， gèng shì duì tā méi shén me hǎo liǎn sè kàn 。
张浩波心情不好，更是对他没什么好脸色看。
Li Fan turned around, looking annoyed. He glared at him.
lǐ fán méi zài yì tā de chū yán bù xùn ， ér shì tiào wàng zhe yuǎn chù de dà hǎi ， yī liǎn níng zhòng 。
李凡没在意他的出言不逊，而是眺望着远处的大海，一脸凝重。
"What kind of trickery is this?!" Zhang Haobo felt a bit guilty but still demanded an answer.
tā jiù nà me zhàn zhe ， yě bù shuō huà 。
他就那么站着，也不说话。
"I want a small boat!" Li Fan didn't respond to the question. Instead, he turned and said gravely, "I saw the treasure!"
zhāng hào bō kàn dào lǐ fán guǐ yì de biǎo xiàn ， xīn zhōng fā máo ， yě cháo tā kàn de fāng xiàng wàng qù ， jié guǒ shén me yě méi kàn dào ， hǎi miàn shí fēn zhèng cháng 。
张浩波看到李凡诡异的表现，心中发毛，也朝他看的方向望去，结果什么也没看到，海面十分正常。
"What...?" Zhang Haobo was initially confused.
lǐ fán de biǎo qíng què yù fā shēn chén 。
李凡的表情却愈发深沉。
"But wait! You're not joking, right? !" he quickly realized and shouted.
dàn tā què shǐ zhōng yī yán bù fā 。
但他却始终一言不发。
"Quickly, get me a small boat. I see jewels shining deep in the sea waiting for me to retrieve them," Li Fan said firmly.
guò qù le xǔ jiǔ ， zhāng hào bō zhōng yú rěn shòu bú zhù ， wèn dào ：“ nǐ kàn shén me ne ？”
过去了许久，张浩波终于忍受不住，问道：“你看什么呢？”
Zhang Haobo hesitated but then heard Li Fan say, "The opportunity is fleeting. The treasure's light is dimming. I'm losing its location."
lǐ fán yī jīng ， huí guò tóu lái ， mǎn liǎn de ào nǎo ， duì tā nù mù ér shì 。
李凡一惊，回过头来，满脸的懊恼，对他怒目而视。
Zhang Haobo snapped out of it.
“ zhuāng shén nòng guǐ zuò shén me ？！” zhāng hào bō yǒu diǎn xīn xū ， dàn hái shì qiáng chēng zhe zhì wèn dào 。
“装神弄鬼做什么？！”张浩波有点心虚，但还是强撑着质问道。
"Quick! Prepare a boat!"
“ wǒ yào yī sōu xiǎo chuán ！” lǐ fán méi yǒu huí dá tā ， ér shì zhuǎn guò tóu qù ， yǔ qì shēn chén dì shuō dào ，“ wǒ kàn dào cái bǎo le ！”
“我要一艘小船！”李凡没有回答他，而是转过头去，语气深沉地说道，“我看到财宝了！”
The Cang Yuan had several small boats for exploring narrow passages or testing dangerous unknown waters.
“ shén me ……” zhāng hào bō xiān shì yǒu diǎn mí hū 。
“什么……”张浩波先是有点迷糊。
When the small boat was launched and Li Fan set off alone, Zhang Haobo finally realized what he had done.
“ shén me ！” dàn jǐn jiē zhe tā hěn kuài fǎn yìng guò lái ， shī shēng jiào dào ，“ nǐ méi kāi wán xiào ba ！”
“什么！”但紧接着他很快反应过来，失声叫道，“你没开玩笑吧！”
He wondered why he had believed Li Fan's words so easily.
“ kuài ， gěi wǒ bèi yī sōu xiǎo chuán 。 wǒ kàn dào shēn hǎi xià de zhū bǎo zhèng shǎn yào zhe guāng huī ， děng dài zhe wǒ qù dǎ lāo 。” lǐ fán chén shēng shuō dào 。
“快，给我备一艘小船。我看到深海下的珠宝正闪耀着光辉，等待着我去打捞。”李凡沉声说道。
Seeing treasure buried deep in the sea?
zhāng hào bō zhèng zài yóu yù ， què yòu tīng dào lǐ fán shuō le jù 。
张浩波正在犹豫，却又听到李凡说了句。
Impossible!
“ jī huì shāo zòng jí shì 。 zhēn bǎo de guāng máng zhèng zài biàn dé àn dàn 。 wǒ kuài yào shī qù tā de fāng wèi le 。”
“机会稍纵即逝。珍宝的光芒正在变得暗淡。我快要失去它的方位了。”
Just as he was about to say something, he heard Li Fan's distant voice.
zhāng hào bō lì mǎ dǎ le gè jī líng 。
张浩波立马打了个机灵。
"Don't follow me. Wait for my signal!"
“ kuài ！ bèi chuán ！”
“快！备船！”
"Why not?" Zhang Haobo shouted back.
cāng yuǎn hào shàng shì bèi yǒu jǐ sōu xiǎo chuán de ， yì bān shì yòng lái tàn suǒ xiá zhǎi háng dào 、 huò zhě shì tàn wēi xiǎn wèi zhī hǎi yù de 。
沧远号上是备有几艘小船的，一般是用来探索狭窄航道、或者试探危险未知海域的。
"You're too noisy! It might distract me!" Li Fan replied.
ér děng dào xiǎo chuán fàng xià ， lǐ fán dú zì yī rén jià shǐ yuǎn lí ， zhāng hào bō cái tū rán xǐng wù guò lái 。
而等到小船放下，李凡独自一人驾驶远离，张浩波才突然醒悟过来。
Zhang Haobo's lips twitched but recalled the stern look Li Fan had given him earlier and thought maybe he wasn't lying.
tā yě bù zhī dào ， gāng cái zěn me huì nǎo zi yī rè ， jiù xìn le lǐ fán de huà 。
他也不知道，刚才怎么会脑子一热，就信了李凡的话。
Two hours passed since Li Fan left in his boat.
kàn jiàn mái zài shēn hǎi xià de cái bǎo ？
看见埋在深海下的财宝？
"Could he have run away alone?" one of the crew members asked, staring at where Li Fan went.
zěn me kě néng ？
怎么可能？
"Don't be ridiculous. The sea is vast; he can't go anywhere without food!" Zhang Haobo cursed under his breath and was about to say more when he saw a red signal flare up in the distance.
zhèng yù shuō xiē shén me ， què tīng dào lǐ fán yuǎn yuǎn de hǎn huà shēng 。
正欲说些什么，却听到李凡远远的喊话声。
"Quick! Head that way!" Zhang Haobo ordered.
“ nǐ men bú yào gēn guò lái ， děng dài wǒ de xìn hào ！”
“你们不要跟过来，等待我的信号！”
The Cang Yuan sped towards the location of the signal.
“ wèi shén me ？” zhāng hào bō rěn bú zhù gāo hǎn wèn dào 。
“为什么？”张浩波忍不住高喊问道。
Li Fan stood on his small boat, looking exhausted.
“ nǐ tài chǎo le ！ róng yì dǎ duàn wǒ de shì xiàn ！” lǐ fán huí yìng dào 。
“你太吵了！容易打断我的视线！”李凡回应道。
"There's the treasure!" he announced to everyone.
zhāng hào bō zuǐ jiǎo chōu le chōu ， dàn shì huí xiǎng qǐ gāng gāng lǐ fán duì zì jǐ nù mù ér shì de yí mù ， sì hū jué de yě xǔ duì fāng méi yǒu shuō jiǎ huà 。
张浩波嘴角抽了抽，但是回想起刚刚李凡对自己怒目而视的一幕，似乎觉得也许对方没有说假话。
Zhang Haobo and his crew exchanged glances. They were unsure if it was real.
shí jiān liú shì ， jù lí lǐ fán dú zì jià zhōu lí kāi yǐ jīng guò le liǎng gè shí chén 。
时间流逝，距离李凡独自驾舟离开已经过了两个时辰。
After a moment, Zhang Haobo gritted his teeth and said, "Jump in! Throw out the nets!"
“ tā yǒu méi yǒu kě néng yí gè rén pǎo le ？” shǒu xià chuán yuán yǎn bā bā kàn zhe lǐ fán lí qù de fāng xiàng ， rěn bú zhù wèn dào 。
“他有没有可能一个人跑了？”手下船员眼巴巴看着李凡离去的方向，忍不住问道。
In their half-belief, they pulled up chests, two chests... sixteen chests of gold and jewels.
"Boss, you've been the captain of the Cang Yuan for nearly ten years. How can you just give up now!"
"I owe my life to you, Boss. If you want to kick me out, I'll be the first to object!"
"Yeah!"
"How about we throw him overboard into the sea and let the fish eat him? It's not uncommon for someone to die at sea."
The crew was in a heated discussion on the ship, making Li Fan seem like everyone's enemy.
The man named Zhang Haobo tried to calm them down. "Calm down, everyone! Although I know you all hold me in high regard, Cang Yuan is Mr. Zhao's property. We're just working for him. What can I do if he says we need a new captain?"
His words only made the crew angrier.
They glared at Li Fan with murderous eyes as their eyes turned red.
Li Fan sneered inwardly.
Zhang Haobo's little tricks were obvious to his eyes.
He praised Li Fan publicly while secretly sowing distrust among the crew.
He spoke for Li Fan, but in reality, he was stirring up dissatisfaction.
He pretended helplessness, hoping the crew would unite against him.
It was like carrying a red flag and fighting under it.
These were just old tricks that Li Fan had played before.
With no fear on his face, Li Fan stepped forward to the crew. "If you don't trust me, do you still trust Mr. Zhao's judgment? Besides, we're about to set sail, so let's see what I can do!"
Li Fan's voice was loud and clear, drowning out everyone's chatter.
The crew was momentarily silenced by his presence, no one daring to argue back.
Without giving them a chance, Li Fan said his goodbyes and entered the cabin alone.
Zhang Haobo, looking gloomy, and the rest of the crew stared at each other.
"Does that kid really have some skill?"
"He might... He seems like he has something up his sleeve. Mr. Zhao's eyes are sharp; he rarely makes mistakes."
"I don't think he looks like an ordinary person."
...
"Every time we go out, there's supposed to be treasure? I don't believe it!"
"It was just a favor to get me the position of captain! Don't you know?"
"In any case, I'll see how things play out!"
Zhang Haobo seethed as he watched his subordinates who had been duped by Li Fan's words.
"Set sail! Head for the sea!"
He barked orders.
The Cang Yuan moved without wind, heading towards the open ocean. The Lustrous Isle sent over a hundred ships to their designated areas.
The Cang Yuan relied on a miniature magical array and spirit stones to navigate, while spirit guides indicated the presence of lustrous fish nearby.
However, with such vast waters, the range of the spirit guide was limited.
Thus, experienced crew members had to find where the fish might be first.
In ordinary years, the lustrous fish's movements followed a pattern and were easier to catch. But during times of severe storms or migrations, all previous experience was useless.
The Cang Yuan seemed unlucky.
After half a month, they had only caught some common fish and found regular sea minerals with no significant treasures.
Not only did the crew look gloomy, but Zhang Haobo himself felt anxious.
After all, there would be consequences for those who failed to return within a month.
Compared to other work on the island, this job was low-risk, high-reward. No one wanted to lose it.
"According to the rules, we should return in a month. We've only found these few things, so maybe we're among the least fortunate. Let's hope for a turn of luck."
Zhang Haobo looked at the calm sea and felt helpless.
Just then, he heard footsteps behind him.
Turning around, Zhang Haobo saw Li Fan approaching.
"Why are you finally out of your cabin? I thought you were dead in there after all these days without food."
Since setting sail, Li Fan had stayed in his room, never interacting with anyone. Zhang Haobo's bad mood made him even more grumpy.
Li Fan ignored the insult and stared at the distant sea, a serious expression on his face.
He stood there silently.
Zhang Haobo, feeling uneasy, followed his gaze but saw nothing out of the ordinary. The sea was calm.
Li Fan's expression grew darker.
But he remained silent.
After some time, Zhang Haobo couldn't take it anymore and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Li Fan turned around, looking annoyed. He glared at him.
"What kind of trickery is this?!" Zhang Haobo felt a bit guilty but still demanded an answer.
"I want a small boat!" Li Fan didn't respond to the question. Instead, he turned and said gravely, "I saw the treasure!"
"What...?" Zhang Haobo was initially confused.
"But wait! You're not joking, right? !" he quickly realized and shouted.
"Quickly, get me a small boat. I see jewels shining deep in the sea waiting for me to retrieve them," Li Fan said firmly.
Zhang Haobo hesitated but then heard Li Fan say, "The opportunity is fleeting. The treasure's light is dimming. I'm losing its location."
Zhang Haobo snapped out of it.
"Quick! Prepare a boat!"
The Cang Yuan had several small boats for exploring narrow passages or testing dangerous unknown waters.
When the small boat was launched and Li Fan set off alone, Zhang Haobo finally realized what he had done.
He wondered why he had believed Li Fan's words so easily.
Seeing treasure buried deep in the sea?
Impossible!
Just as he was about to say something, he heard Li Fan's distant voice.
"Don't follow me. Wait for my signal!"
"Why not?" Zhang Haobo shouted back.
"You're too noisy! It might distract me!" Li Fan replied.
Zhang Haobo's lips twitched but recalled the stern look Li Fan had given him earlier and thought maybe he wasn't lying.
Two hours passed since Li Fan left in his boat.
"Could he have run away alone?" one of the crew members asked, staring at where Li Fan went.
"Don't be ridiculous. The sea is vast; he can't go anywhere without food!" Zhang Haobo cursed under his breath and was about to say more when he saw a red signal flare up in the distance.
"Quick! Head that way!" Zhang Haobo ordered.
The Cang Yuan sped towards the location of the signal.
Li Fan stood on his small boat, looking exhausted.
"There's the treasure!" he announced to everyone.
Zhang Haobo and his crew exchanged glances. They were unsure if it was real.
After a moment, Zhang Haobo gritted his teeth and said, "Jump in! Throw out the nets!"
In their half-belief, they pulled up chests, two chests... sixteen chests of gold and jewels.