Chapter 30: The Deep Sea Hides No Treasure

"Boss, you've been captain of the Cangyuan for nearly ten years, how can you just give it up like that!"

"My life was saved by you, Boss. If they want to drive you away, I, Liu San, will be the first to refuse!"

"Exactly!"

"Why don't we just toss him into the sea to feed the fish once we set sail? It's completely normal for someone to die out on the open ocean anyway!"

The crew was in an uproar, and for a moment, Li Fan had truly become the enemy of everyone on board.

The man raised his hand to calm the crew: "Calm down, everyone, calm down! While I know you all think highly of me, Zhang Haobo, the Cangyuan is, after all, Steward Zhao's property, and we are all just working for him. Now that Steward Zhao says he wants to replace me, what choice do I have?"

It would have been better if he hadn't said that; as soon as Zhang Haobo spoke, the crew became even more enraged.

Their eyes turned red, and they glared at Li Fan with murderous intent.

Li Fan sneered inwardly.

The petty schemes used by this man named Zhang Haobo naturally did not escape his notice.

On the surface, he was praising Li Fan, but in reality, he was inciting the crew's distrust of him.

On the surface, he was speaking for Li Fan, but in reality, he was stirring up the crew's dissatisfaction.

On the surface, he was expressing his own helplessness, but in reality, he was hoping the crew would unite against Li Fan.

Feigning compliance while working against him from the shadows, hm?

These were nothing but tricks Li Fan had played out long ago.

With no trace of fear on his face, Li Fan walked up to the crew, held his head high, and said loudly: "If you don't trust me, surely you can trust Steward Zhao's judgment? Furthermore, we are about to set sail, so just watch my methods! I certainly won't let you all down."

Li Fan's voice was resonant, momentarily drowning out the noisy discussions of the crowd.

Seeing Li Fan's extraordinary Aura, the crew was suppressed for a moment, and no one stood up to refute him.

Li Fan didn't give them a chance, either. After bidding them farewell, he took the lead and entered the cabin alone.

He left behind a group of crew members staring at each other in confusion and a grim-faced Zhang Haobo.

The crowd whispered among themselves.

"Could that kid actually have some real skills?"

"Maybe… it could be true. Steward Zhao's eyes are incredible; he basically never misjudges anyone."

"I don't think he looks like an ordinary person either."

…

"What 'finding treasure every time we set sail'? I don't believe it!"

"He clearly pulled some strings because he wants to steal my position as captain of this fleet! Does he think I don't know that?"

"Anyway, he's already made big claims, so I'm going to watch and see how you handle the fallout!"

Zhang Haobo seethed with hatred in his heart. Seeing his subordinates so easily swayed by Li Fan's few words, he was even more furious.

"Set sail! Head out to sea!"

He barked angrily.

The Cangyuan moved without wind, sailing out of the harbor and heading toward the vast ocean.

Over a hundred large ships from Liuli Island also scattered one after another, heading toward their respective designated sea areas.

The Cangyuan did not rely on wind or manpower, but instead relied on a set of miniature arrays powered by Spirit Stones.

The ship was also equipped with a Spirit Locator. When traces of Luli Fish were discovered in the nearby waters, the Spirit Locator would issue a guide.

But the ocean was vast, and the range of the Spirit Locator was limited.

Therefore, it required highly experienced crew members to first find the general area where the schools of fish appeared.

In ordinary years, the activity locations of Luli Fish schools were relatively regular, often making them easier to catch.

But if they encountered rampant storms and the fish schools migrated, all previous experience became useless.

They could only search for a needle in a haystack and rely entirely on luck.

And the Cangyuan's luck did not seem to be very good.

Over half a month had passed, and apart from catching some ordinary fish schools and finding some conventional marine minerals, there had been no significant harvest.

Not only were the crew members all looking glum, but even Zhang Haobo began to feel anxious.

After all, there was a penalty for coming in last this time.

Compared to other jobs on the island, the work of a crew member out at sea carried less risk and offered greater rewards.

No one wanted to lose it just like that.

"The island's regulation is to return within a month. With only this much caught, it's possible we really will have the least harvest. We can only hope for a turning point in the coming days. May the Immortal Masters bless us."

Zhang Haobo looked at the calm, deep ocean, feeling helpless.

Just then, he heard footsteps coming from behind him.

Turning his head, Zhang Haobo saw Li Fan walking toward him.

"What, you're finally willing to come out of the cabin? If you hadn't still been coming to get food every day, I would have thought you died in there."

Since setting sail, Li Fan had stayed in his room and never communicated with anyone.

Zhang Haobo was in a bad mood and was even less inclined to give him a pleasant look.

Li Fan didn't mind his impudence, but instead gazed out at the distant ocean with a grave expression.

He just stood there without saying a word.

Seeing Li Fan's strange behavior, Zhang Haobo felt uneasy. He also looked in the direction Li Fan was gazing, but saw nothing; the sea surface was completely normal.

Yet Li Fan's expression grew increasingly profound.

But he remained silent throughout.

After a long while, Zhang Haobo could finally endure it no longer and asked: "What are you looking at?"

Li Fan was startled. He turned back, his face full of annoyance, and glared at him.

"What are you acting all mysterious for?!" Zhang Haobo felt a bit guilty but still forced himself to ask aggressively.

"I need a small boat!" Li Fan didn't answer him, but turned his head away and said in a deep voice, "I've seen treasure!"

"What…" Zhang Haobo was a bit confused at first.

"What!" But immediately after, he reacted quickly and exclaimed, "You're not joking, are you?!"

"Quick, prepare a small boat for me. I see the jewelry under the deep sea shining with brilliance, waiting for me to salvage it," Li Fan said in a low voice.

Zhang Haobo was hesitating, but then heard Li Fan say another sentence.

"The opportunity is fleeting. The brilliance of the treasure is fading. I am about to lose its location."

Zhang Haobo immediately snapped to attention.

"Quick! Prepare the boat!"

The Cangyuan was equipped with a few small boats, generally used for exploring narrow shipping lanes or probing dangerous, unknown waters.

And only after the small boat was lowered and Li Fan drove it away alone did Zhang Haobo suddenly come to his senses.

He didn't know why he had suddenly lost his head and believed Li Fan's words just now.

Seeing treasure buried under the deep sea?

How is that possible?

Just as he was about to say something, he heard Li Fan's voice calling out from afar.

"Don't follow me! Wait for my signal!"

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

"You're too noisy! It's easy to interrupt my vision!" Li Fan replied.

Zhang Haobo's mouth twitched, but recalling the scene just now where Li Fan glared at him, he felt that perhaps the other party wasn't lying.

Time passed, and two hours had already gone by since Li Fan drove the boat away alone.

"Is it possible he ran off on his own?" A crew member looked longingly in the direction Li Fan had left and couldn't help but ask.

"What kind of stupid talk is that? The ocean is vast, and he didn't even bring dry rations; where could he run to!" Zhang Haobo scolded his subordinate. Just as he was about to say more, he saw a red signal flare light up in the distant sky.

"Quick! Sail the ship over!" Zhang Haobo ordered in a hurry.

The Cangyuan operated at full power and soon arrived at the location of the signal.

Li Fan was seen standing on the small boat, looking exhausted.

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

Zhang Haobo and his men looked at each other, not knowing if it was true or false.

After a moment, Zhang Haobo gritted his teeth and said fiercely: "Go into the water! Cast the nets!"

Amidst everyone's skepticism, one box, two boxes…

A full sixteen boxes of gold and silver jewelry were slowly salvaged.