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墨書 Inktalez
When Jenny saw us arrive, she walked over with a bright smile and said, "Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning! By the way, let me introduce you. This is my partner, Shunzi..." I quickly made the introductions to avoid any awkwardness later.
After they greeted each other, Jenny said, "Let's go! I'll show you around so you can get familiar with the place."
The three of us followed her as she led us from the deck to the cabin, then from the cabin to the Engine Room. We explored almost every part of the ship, except for two cabins labeled Storage Room that we didn’t enter. Overall, the ship was well-structured and built with quality materials; it was definitely a fine specimen among fishing boats.
There were about twenty people on board, including the captain and the First Mate. Jenny was the captain, and the First Mate was an old man who looked to be at least sixty. He wore a pair of reading glasses and had white hair. Despite his age, he seemed quite knowledgeable, giving off a vibe reminiscent of a modern-day professor. He didn’t have the typical fisherman’s aura; he looked nothing like someone who worked in this line of business.
This old man, at his age, still went out to sea without fear of straining his back. It was quite reckless for someone his age to still be working like this! If something happened at sea, it would be quite a situation; I had no intention of getting involved in others' affairs.
Aside from Jenny, there was another woman on board responsible for our meals—essentially the cook. However, she didn’t look like a chef at all. The reason was simple: she was also beautiful. Have you ever seen a beautiful woman working as a cook? Usually, cooks are either too heavy or unattractive; there aren’t many like her.
There were also two Maintenance Workers and two helmsmen—namely the Second Mate and Third Mate. The rest were mostly sailors, including the three of us. Suddenly, I noticed something odd: not only were the crew members unusual, but so were the ship's equipment.
After taking a thorough tour, I realized that this fishing boat didn’t have any fishing nets—not that I could see anyway. Instead, there were many bundles of Steel Wire Rope—dozens of them—and at the stern of the ship, I spotted over ten large Buoys. This only added to my confusion.
How could an ocean-going fishing boat operate without nets? Was there some more advanced method for catching fish? I had only been out of the sailor life for two years; surely things hadn’t changed that much? I knew what those large Buoys were typically used for—they were meant for salvaging Wrecks—but what did they need them for?
Although I had my questions, I kept them to myself because it wasn’t my concern how they operated their equipment. My job was simply to do mine well.
With a loud roar, the fishing boat set sail. Standing at the bow, I watched as the bustling city receded into the distance. Suddenly, I felt a pang of reluctance; being out at sea for too long could be unbearable—a kind of mental strain. I had seen too many people suffer from mental breakdowns after long voyages; I truly didn’t know if this trip would be right or wrong. For just a bit more money, it felt like risking my life.
"Are you feeling a bit reluctant?" A voice broke through my thoughts. Turning around, I saw Jenny gazing ahead with a smile on her face. This girl just kept getting more beautiful; she was truly a sight for sore eyes.
I suddenly realized something: this trip wouldn’t be lonely at all. In previous voyages, it had always been filled with old men who would be gone for a year or more—it was no wonder one could go mad! Thankfully, my temperament was good; now there were women on board—two stunning beauties at that! Not only would we have money to earn, but we also had lovely company. Just thinking about it felt quite enjoyable.
As I thought about this, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "Hey, are you okay? Why are you grinning like that?" Jenny's voice pulled me back to reality.
I composed myself and asked, "Huh? What did you just say?"
"I said, aren't you a bit reluctant?" She shot me a glare.
I took a deep breath and replied, "At first, maybe a little, but not anymore. With beautiful women around, how could I feel lonely?" As I spoke, I raised my eyebrows at her playfully, trying to tease her. Jenny's expression darkened; she looked somewhat upset. Coldly, she said, "Please be more respectful in your words and cut out that lewd behavior." With that, she turned and walked away. Tch, how boring; can't even take a joke.
"Brother Yi, did someone dig your grave?" Shunzi approached with a mischievous grin.
"Get lost. A man like me is just too good for her," I said as I pulled out a cigarette and took a couple of deep puffs.
Shunzi snatched the cigarette pack from my hand and said, "Cut it out. I heard everything from the side; stop pretending."
I shot him a sideways glance and retorted, "Damn it, are you looking for trouble? You’ve learned to eavesdrop now?"
Shunzi just chuckled foolishly without replying. We sat at the bow of the boat smoking, watching the seabirds and feeling the sea breeze while occasionally boasting about our exploits.
Gazing at the vast ocean initially stirred excitement in my heart, but soon it turned into fear. The thrill came from the ocean's expanse, while the fear stemmed from it as well; being out at sea every day while staring at the boundless waters—who could handle that? Especially at night when the ocean seemed like an endless abyss; most people wouldn't be able to bear it...
The fishing boat had been sailing for over six hours. I glanced around and figured we were likely between China's Yellow Sea and East China Sea. At this time of year, there should be plenty of fish here. Shunzi and I were all set to start working at any moment.
However, the boat showed no signs of stopping; it continued to sail on. I was puzzled—there were so many fish here; it was perfect for fishing. Why weren't we stopping? I casually asked a nearby sailor, "Hey buddy, why isn't this boat stopping? We're missing such a good opportunity."
The man was around thirty years old with sunburned skin and a robust physique—clearly someone who had spent a lot of time at sea. He took a drag from his cigarette and replied in a thick southern accent, "Doesn't matter to us; as long as we get paid, where we work is all the same."
I chuckled lightly and chatted with him for a bit. During our conversation, I learned that everyone called him Heizi. He knew most of the other sailors since they had worked together before. He mentioned he came here because of the higher pay but didn't seem to know much about what they would actually be doing. He said they were only told it was offshore work when they arrived—not specifically fishing.
"Aren't we on a deep-sea fishing boat? What else could we possibly do if not fish?" I probed further, hoping to get some more information out of him.
Heizi shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Mapi, do whatever you want. As long as there's money to be made, it doesn't matter whether it's diving or fishing; I can handle it all."
Diving? It seemed unnecessary for fishing. I knew that asking more questions would be pointless; he was a stubborn person. I smiled and offered him a cigarette, choosing not to speak further.
At that moment, Jenny walked out from the cabin and announced, "Dinner's ready, everyone. Let's eat."
It had been the entire morning, yet I hadn't seen Jiao Ba. That guy wasn't on deck; who knows where he had gone to slack off? I couldn't be bothered with him. Lunch was decent today, a good mix of meat and vegetables, with the veggies being quite fresh. This was likely because it was the first day at sea; after some time, such luxury would be hard to come by.
By the time we finished lunch, it was already past one in the afternoon. Shunzi leaned in and whispered, "Brother Yi, don't you think this boat feels a bit strange? We missed so many fishing spots earlier; what's going on?"
I pondered for a moment and replied, "Yeah, I feel that way too. Let's wait and see."
I had a nagging feeling that this trip wasn't just about fishing. Just look at those in charge! None of them seemed competent; none looked like they belonged on a fishing boat! Especially Jenny and that Chef—something felt off about them. Plus, Heizi's comments only deepened my suspicions.
Suddenly, the fishing boat came to a halt. The Old Man with Glasses stepped out and said, "Everyone take a break for now. We'll start working in the evening."
Evening work? What kind of nonsense is this? On previous fishing trips, we worked during the day and rested as much as possible at night. If there were plenty of fish around, then sure, we’d work longer hours. But here we were, idling away the day only to wait until evening to start working—was there something shady going on?
I decided to get some clarity on this situation. I told Shunzi what I was doing and stood up to head into the cabin.
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