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墨書 Inktalez
About ten minutes later, we returned to the shore. We hurriedly took the two injured divers to the nearest hospital. As I had expected, the diver who was bitten by the shark had his left leg amputated. The doctor even mentioned that if we had arrived just ten minutes later, he might not have survived.
The other diver was in better condition, with only a fractured rib and some superficial wounds. He would recover after some rest, but the psychological impact on him was significant. He declared that he would never work in this field again. It was understandable; most people would find it hard to forget such an experience for a lifetime.
Once they were stabilized, I bandaged my injured arm and left the hospital with Shunzi. The rest was up to Lao Chang regarding compensation; whatever needed to be done would be handled by him. It was no longer my concern.
Just as I stepped out of the hospital, I received a call from Jiao Ba. He wanted to meet me at a café on Seaside Road. I wasn't sure what he wanted, but I told Shunzi and hopped on my motorcycle, heading toward Seaside Road.
Jiao Ba was the first friend I made when I arrived here. He was the one who introduced me to becoming a sailor. He was no ordinary person; he was one of the few renowned tomb raiders known as "Mojin Xiaowei." To put it bluntly, he was a grave robber, and not just him—his father and grandfather were also in the same line of work. His family had been tomb raiders for generations.
According to him, his great-grandfather was a famous tomb raider during the late Qing Dynasty in Guangdong, known as Jiao Si. This legendary figure supposedly had "wind-listening ears," allowing him to hear the wind, rain, and thunder, using his acute hearing to locate ancient tombs—a rare talent indeed.
To enhance his reputation in this field, Jiao Ba adopted the name Jiao Ba as his nickname. In today's world, being a grave robber is tough; the government has tightened its grip on such activities. Relying solely on tomb raiding is no longer viable; one could easily end up arrested by the police.
So this guy opened an antique shop on Nanhu Road, specializing in buying and selling artifacts from various dynasties. One thing I particularly admired about him was his ability to identify items from any dynasty that passed through his hands. He could discern authenticity at a glance—he truly had a knack for it.
Our friendship began quite coincidentally five years ago when I first arrived in this city and was desperately searching for work. I encountered him while he was being chased by five or six thugs wielding sticks. Unable to stand by and watch, I intervened and saved him, which led to our friendship.
Later, I learned why those thugs were after him: he had sold a counterfeit Qing Dynasty artifact at the price of an authentic one to a local gangster. Once discovered, they sent people after him for revenge. If I had known that was the reason he was being attacked at that time, I probably wouldn't have bothered to save him.
After about five minutes, I arrived at the café and parked my bike before walking inside. Upon seeing me, Jiao Ba waved enthusiastically. With a smile, I approached and sat down, asking, "You called me so early—what's up?"
Jiao Bayi flashed a lewd smile and said, "You can't just come to see me when there's nothing going on. It's been a while since we last met, buddy."
"If you have something to say, just say it. If not, I can leave; I've got things to do." It wasn't that I was busy, but I was tired. That recent bout of life-and-death struggle had drained a lot of my energy.
Seeing me stand up to leave, he quickly grabbed my arm and said, "Wait, wait! I definitely have something to discuss. Let's eat and talk." He called over the waiter, ordered two cups of coffee, and asked for some snacks. This guy rarely treated anyone; he was notoriously stingy. Why was he being so generous today? It probably meant there was no good news. I kept quiet, waiting for him to speak first.
Once the food arrived, he took a sip of his coffee and asked, "Brother Yi, how have you been? Oh no, what happened? You’re hurt?"
"It's nothing, just a minor injury. What can you do? Same old story, no changes," I replied while munching on my food.
Jiao Ba glanced at me and said, "Bro, I have a job opportunity. Not sure if you're interested?"
"Just spit it out; no need to beat around the bush with me." Sometimes his roundabout way of talking annoyed me. Others might tolerate it, but I couldn't.
Seeing that I was getting impatient, Jiao Bayi dropped the pretense and said directly, "Alright, alright! Here’s the deal: there's an Ocean Vessel that urgently needs sailors. I think you'd be a great fit and I'd like to recommend you."
"Are you kidding? You know I've quit being a sailor long ago." This guy was really pushing it; he knew I had left that line of work.
Jiao Ba grinned mischievously and said, "Brother Yi, this time it's different. If you agree to go out to sea, you'll be making this amount every month." He gestured with his hands; the figure he indicated was substantial—several thousand dollars each month. As the saying goes, people die for wealth; birds perish for food. I was indeed tempted.
"Come on! Are you pulling my leg? Is there really such a good deal?" I still had my doubts; such high wages were probably unheard of nationwide.
Jiao Bayi looked serious and said, "You can trust me; I wouldn't dare deceive you! I've even brought the contract." He casually opened his briefcase and pulled out a document to hand it to me.
I took a closer look at the document; it was indeed a contract, though a simple one. It briefly outlined the job responsibilities and salary, which was quite tempting. I couldn't help but ask, "Lao Ba, are you putting in so much effort for some benefit?"
Jiao Bayi replied with a serious expression, "Oh my Brother Yi, what benefit could I possibly have? I just want you to earn more money! You work so hard every day for so little; it makes me uncomfortable to see."
I almost laughed; when did this guy start thinking about others? But one thing was certain: this was genuine. He wouldn't dare deceive me. With such a generous reward, there had to be brave souls willing to take the plunge. With such high pay, I had no reason to refuse! Besides, ships can't sink forever! For a better life, I had to go. "When do we set sail?"
Seeing my attitude, Jiao Bayi took out a pen and said, "As long as you sign the contract, we'll head out to sea next month."
I thought for a moment and replied, "If I'm going out to sea, I need to bring someone with me."
"It's Shunzi, right? No problem; bring him along," he said in a tone that suggested he knew me well.
He was right; it was indeed Shunzi. After all these years of partnering together, I had grown accustomed to having him by my side. Shunzi was bold and meticulous; he often thought of things I wouldn't. I smiled at him and casually signed the contract. Little did I know that once I left, returning wouldn't be so easy...
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