Chapter 30: Deep Sea Does Not Hide Treasure

"Boss, you've been the captain of the Cangyuan for nearly ten years. How can you just abandon it like that?"

"You saved my life, Boss. If they try to force you out, I, Liu San, will be the first to refuse!"

"Exactly!"

"Why don't we just throw him overboard to feed the fish once we're at sea? It's perfectly normal for someone to die out here anyway!"

The crew was incensed, and in an instant, Li Fan became the public enemy of everyone on board.

The man calmed the crew with a gesture. "Calm down, everyone! I know you all think highly of me, Zhang Haobo, but the Cangyuan is Steward Zhao's property, and we're simply working for him. If he wants a change, what can I do?"

Zhang Haobo's words only fueled their anger. Their eyes turned red, glaring at Li Fan with murderous intent.

Li Fan sneered inwardly. The petty tricks employed by this man, Zhang Haobo, certainly did not escape his notice. On the surface, he was praising Li Fan, but in reality, he was inciting the crew's distrust. He appeared to be defending Li Fan, but was actually fanning the flames of the crew's dissatisfaction. He feigned helplessness, but his true aim was to rally the crew against Li Fan. It was a classic case of feigned obedience, or using the system against itself. These were merely old tricks Li Fan had long since grown tired of.

Showing no fear, Li Fan walked up to the crew, held his head high, and declared, "If you don't trust me, do you also not trust Steward Zhao's judgment? Besides, the voyage is imminent. Just observe my methods; I assure you, I won't disappoint anyone."

Li Fan's voice was clear and strong, immediately quieting the noisy chatter of the crew. Seeing Li Fan's commanding presence, the crew was momentarily subdued, and no one dared to contradict him. Without giving them a chance to react, Li Fan bid them farewell and walked alone into the ship's cabin. He left behind a bewildered crew staring at each other, and a grim-faced Zhang Haobo.

The crew began to whisper among themselves.

"Could that guy really have some tricks up his sleeve?"

"Maybe... maybe it's true. Steward Zhao has an incredible eye; he rarely makes a mistake."

"He doesn't look like an ordinary person to me either."

Zhang Haobo seethed with resentment, and the sight of his crew, easily swayed by Li Fan's few words, only infuriated him further. He thought to himself, "Finding treasure every time we set sail? I don't believe that for a second! He clearly used his connections to snatch my captaincy of this fleet! Do you think I don't know? Well, he's made a big promise; I'd like to see how he delivers!"

"Set sail! We're heading out!" he roared.

The Cangyuan moved effortlessly without wind, sailing out of the harbor and towards the open sea. Over a hundred large ships from Liuli Island also dispersed, heading towards their respective designated sea areas.

The Cangyuan relied neither on wind nor human power, but rather on a miniature magic array, driven by spirit stones. The ship was also equipped with a spirit compass, which would guide them when traces of Liuli fish were detected in nearby waters. However, the ocean is vast, and the spirit compass's range of perception was limited. Therefore, highly experienced crew members were needed to first pinpoint the general whereabouts of the fish schools. In normal years, the Liuli fish schools' movements were quite predictable, making them relatively easy to catch. But if a storm raged and the fish schools migrated, all past experience became useless. It became a shot in the dark, entirely dependent on luck.

The Cangyuan's luck, however, seemed to be running low. More than half a month passed, and apart from catching some common fish and finding a few regular sea minerals, their haul was unremarkable. Not only were the crew members all looking glum, but Zhang Haobo also grew increasingly anxious. After all, there was a penalty for coming in last this time. Compared to other jobs on the island, working as a crew member at sea carried less risk and offered greater rewards. No one wanted to lose it without a fight.

"The island's rule is to return within a month. With this meager haul, we might very well have the smallest catch. We can only hope for a turning point in the next few days. May the Immortal Master bless us." Zhang Haobo gazed at the calm, deep sea, a sense of helplessness washing over him.

Just then, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning his head, Zhang Haobo saw Li Fan walking towards him.

"Well, look who finally decided to emerge from the cabin. If you weren't still taking food every day, I'd have thought you died in there."

Since the voyage began, Li Fan had stayed in his room, never socializing with anyone. Zhang Haobo was in a foul mood and gave him a cold look. Li Fan disregarded his rudeness, instead gazing out at the distant sea with a solemn expression. He just stood there, saying nothing. Li Fan's strange behavior unnerved Zhang Haobo, who also looked in the direction he was staring. Yet, he saw nothing; the sea surface appeared perfectly normal. Li Fan's expression, however, grew even more profound. But he remained silent.

After a long time, Zhang Haobo finally couldn't bear it anymore and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Li Fan was startled, turned his head, his face contorted with annoyance, glaring at him.

"What are you doing, playing these mysterious games?!" Zhang Haobo felt a slight unease but forced himself to challenge him.

"I need a small boat!" Li Fan didn't answer him directly. Instead, he turned his head and said with a deep intensity, "I've seen treasure!"

"What...?" Zhang Haobo was momentarily bewildered.

"What?!" But then he quickly understood, exclaiming, "You're not serious, are you?"

"Quick, prepare a small boat for me. I see jewels gleaming under the deep sea, waiting to be salvaged," Li Fan stated in a deep voice.

Zhang Haobo was hesitating, but then he heard Li Fan say something else. "The opportunity is fleeting. The treasure's glow is fading. I'm about to lose its exact location."

Zhang Haobo instantly snapped out of his hesitation. "Quick! Prepare the boat!"

The Cangyuan was equipped with several small boats, typically used for exploring narrow channels or scouting dangerous, uncharted waters. Only after the small boat was lowered and Li Fan had sailed away alone did Zhang Haobo suddenly realize what had happened. He couldn't fathom how, in a moment of impulse, he had believed Li Fan. Seeing treasure buried in the deep sea? How could that be?

He was about to voice his doubts when he heard Li Fan's voice shouting from a distance. "Don't follow me, wait for my signal!"

"Why?" Zhang Haobo couldn't help but shout back.

"You're too noisy! You'll easily interrupt my concentration!" Li Fan retorted.

Zhang Haobo's mouth twitched. Yet, recalling Li Fan's previous glare, he strangely felt that perhaps the other man wasn't lying.

Time passed; two hours had elapsed since Li Fan had departed alone in the small boat.

"Could he have just abandoned us and run off?" a crew member asked, anxiously watching the direction Li Fan had taken.

"Don't be ridiculous! The ocean is vast, and he's alone without provisions. Where could he possibly go?" Zhang Haobo snapped at his subordinate. He was about to add more when he spotted a red beacon glowing in the distant sky.

"Quick! Get the ship moving!" Zhang Haobo commanded urgently.

The Cangyuan engaged full power and quickly reached the signal's location. They saw Li Fan standing on the small boat, looking exhausted.

"The treasure is right here!" he told everyone.

Zhang Haobo and his crew exchanged bewildered glances, uncertain whether to believe him. A moment later, Zhang Haobo gritted his teeth and declared fiercely, "Get in the water! Cast the nets!"

To everyone's skeptical amazement, one chest, then two chests... A total of sixteen chests filled with gold, silver, and jewels were slowly brought to the surface.