"Boss, you've been the captain of the Cangyuan for nearly ten years, how can you just let it go like that!"
"My life was saved by you, Boss. If they want to drive you away, I'll be the first to disagree!"
"Exactly!"
"Why not just throw him into the sea to feed the fish once we're out there? After all, it's not unusual for someone to die at sea!"
The crew was in an uproar, and for a moment, Li Fan had become the common enemy of all.
The man tried to calm the crew with his hands, "Calm down, everyone, calm down! Although I know you all think highly of me, Zhang Haobo, the Cangyuan is ultimately the property of Steward Zhao, and we're just working for him. Now that Steward Zhao wants to replace me, what can I do?"
It would have been better if he hadn't said anything, but as soon as Zhang Haobo spoke, the crew became even more enraged.
Their eyes turned red, glaring at Li Fan with murderous intent.
Li Fan sneered inwardly.
The little tricks used by this man named Zhang Haobo did not escape his eyes.
On the surface, he praised Li Fan, but in reality, he was stirring up distrust among the crew towards Li Fan.
On the surface, he spoke for Li Fan, but in reality, he was inciting dissatisfaction among the crew.
On the surface, he expressed his helplessness, but in reality, he hoped the crew would unite against Li Fan.
Feigning compliance while secretly opposing, waving the red flag to oppose the red flag.
These were just old tricks Li Fan had long since mastered.
With no trace of fear on his face, Li Fan stepped forward, raised his voice, and said, "If you don't trust me, do you not trust Steward Zhao's judgment either? Besides, with the seafaring imminent, just watch my methods! I will not let you down."
Li Fan's voice was loud, momentarily drowning out the noisy discussions.
The crew, seeing Li Fan's imposing demeanor, were momentarily suppressed, and no one stood up to refute him.
Li Fan didn't give them a chance, bid them farewell, and stepped into the cabin alone.
He left behind a group of crew members staring at each other and a sullen Zhang Haobo.
The crew whispered among themselves.
"Could it be that the kid really has some skills?"
"Maybe... it might be true. Steward Zhao's eyes are quite discerning, rarely making mistakes."
"He doesn't seem like an ordinary person."
...
"Every time he goes to sea, he finds treasure? I don't believe it!"
"Clearly, he used connections to snatch the captain's position from me! Do they think I don't know?"
"Anyway, he's already boasted. I want to see how he handles it!"
Zhang Haobo harbored resentment, looking at his subordinates who were easily swayed by Li Fan's words, feeling even more frustrated.
"Set sail! To the sea!"
He shouted angrily.
The Cangyuan moved without wind, leaving the port and heading into the sea.
Over a hundred large ships from Glass Island also dispersed, heading to their designated sea regions.
The Cangyuan didn't rely on wind or manpower but was driven by a set of miniature formations powered by spirit stones.
The ship was also equipped with a spirit guide, which would signal when traces of Glass Fish were detected in the nearby sea.
However, the vastness of the sea limited the range the spirit guide could sense.
Thus, experienced crew members were needed to first locate the general area where the fish schools appeared.
In ordinary years, the activity locations of Glass Fish schools were relatively regular, making them easier to catch.
But if a storm ravaged the area, causing the fish schools to migrate, all previous experience would be useless.
It would be like finding a needle in a haystack, relying entirely on luck.
And the Cangyuan's luck seemed to be lacking.
More than half a month had passed, and aside from catching some ordinary fish schools and finding some common sea minerals, there were no significant gains.
Not only were the crew members all frowning, but even Zhang Haobo was growing anxious.
After all, there was a penalty for being last this time.
Compared to other jobs on the island, the work of the seafaring crew was less risky and more rewarding.
No one wanted to lose it in vain.
"The island's rule is to return within a month. We've only caught this much this time, and we might indeed have the least harvest. We can only hope for a turnaround in the coming days. Immortal Master bless us."
Zhang Haobo looked at the calm and deep sea, feeling helpless.
Just then, he heard footsteps approaching from behind.
Turning around, Zhang Haobo saw Li Fan walking towards him.
"What, you finally decided to come out of the cabin? If you hadn't come out for food every day, I would have thought you died in there."
Since setting sail, Li Fan had stayed in his room, never interacting with anyone.
Zhang Haobo, in a foul mood, didn't bother to hide his displeasure.
Li Fan ignored his rude remarks, instead gazing at the distant sea with a solemn expression.
He stood there silently, saying nothing.
Zhang Haobo, unnerved by Li Fan's strange behavior, looked in the same direction, but saw nothing unusual; the sea was perfectly normal.
Li Fan's expression grew more profound.
Yet he remained silent.
After a long while, Zhang Haobo couldn't bear it any longer and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Li Fan was startled, turned back with a face full of regret, and glared at him.
"Why are you acting all mysterious?!" Zhang Haobo felt a bit guilty but still forced himself to question.
"I need a small boat!" Li Fan didn't answer him, instead turning away and speaking in a deep tone, "I see treasure!"
"What..." Zhang Haobo was initially confused.
"What!" But he quickly reacted, exclaiming, "You're not joking, are you!"
"Hurry, prepare a small boat for me. I see jewels shining beneath the deep sea, waiting for me to retrieve them," Li Fan said solemnly.
Zhang Haobo hesitated, but then heard Li Fan say,
"Opportunities are fleeting. The treasure's glow is dimming. I'm about to lose its location."
Zhang Haobo immediately snapped to attention.
"Quick! Prepare the boat!"
The Cangyuan was equipped with several small boats, typically used for exploring narrow channels or probing dangerous unknown sea areas.
As the small boat was lowered and Li Fan sailed away alone, Zhang Haobo suddenly realized.
He didn't know why he had impulsively believed Li Fan's words.
Seeing buried treasure beneath the deep sea?
How could that be possible?
Just as he was about to say something, he heard Li Fan's distant shout.
"Don't follow me, wait for my signal!"
"Why?" Zhang Haobo couldn't help but shout back.
"You're too noisy! You'll disrupt my vision!" Li Fan replied.
Zhang Haobo's mouth twitched, but recalling Li Fan's earlier glare, he felt that perhaps the other party wasn't lying.
Time passed, and it had been two hours since Li Fan left alone.
"Could he have run away?" A crew member, watching the direction Li Fan had gone, couldn't help but ask.
"Don't talk nonsense, the sea is vast, and he didn't bring any provisions, where could he run to!" Zhang Haobo scolded his subordinate, about to say more, when he saw a red beacon light up in the distant sky.
"Quick! Sail over there!" Zhang Haobo hurriedly ordered.
The Cangyuan powered up fully and quickly reached the signal's location.
There, Li Fan stood on the small boat, looking exhausted.
"The treasure is right here!" he told everyone.
Zhang Haobo and the others exchanged glances, unsure if it was true.
After a moment, Zhang Haobo gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Dive! Cast the net!"
Amidst the crew's skepticism, one chest, two chests...
A total of sixteen chests of gold, silver, and jewels were slowly retrieved.
(End of Chapter)