Chapter 31: Returning to Liuli Island Fully Loaded

Chapter 31: Returning to Liuli Island Fully Loaded

Under the cold moonlight, the crew of the Cangyuan all had bloodshot eyes and were breathing heavily.

Even now, they felt as if they were in a dream.

Sixteen large chests filled with gold, silver, and treasures sat quietly on the deck.

Some still couldn't believe it; they pinched themselves, and only after feeling the pain did they stare at the treasures covering the deck, unable to tear their eyes away for even a moment.

"That Mr. Li actually didn't boast!"

"He really could help everyone return fully loaded!"

"It's just that the extent of this 'fully loaded' far exceeds everyone's imagination!"

The chests were filled with an array of jade, gold, silver, and jewelry, dazzling everyone who saw them.

They had spent half their lives fishing at sea, and not even in their wildest dreams had they seen such a fantastical scene.

Zhang Haobo's mind was completely blank.

"It's actually true. That guy really can find treasure sunken on the seabed! This kind of ability, this kind of ability…"

Having lived on Liuli Island for over twenty years, Zhang Haobo naturally knew that apart from Immortal Masters, there were some ordinary Mortals who possessed various incredible abilities.

For example, some could communicate with birds in the sky, some could predict disasters in advance, some could hold their breath for long periods and swim deep under the sea, and others, like Manager Zhao, could see through a person's true nature.

But such gifted individuals were few and far between; they were either entrusted with important tasks on various islands or taken as servants by the Immortal Masters to the Ten Thousand Immortals Island.

They were truly rare to behold.

Never did he expect that this Li Fan would also be such a gifted individual!

Zhang Haobo suddenly realized that Li Fan seemed to have just moved to Liuli Island recently; could it be that he was forced to relocate here because his original island was destroyed by a storm? No wonder Manager Zhao looked at him differently, despite him being a new resident!

Everything made sense now!

Zhang Haobo was filled with regret at this moment.

"Oh, Zhang Haobo, Zhang Haobo, you had a rare opportunity to meet a benefactor, and not only did you fail to seize it, but you also ridiculously thought he was here to steal your tiny fleet!"

The more Zhang Haobo thought about it, the more he regretted his actions, wishing he could just slap himself twice.

"No, I must go and apologize! Immediately, right now! Such a gifted individual is an honored guest wherever he goes; if he gains power later and holds a grudge against me for my past actions…"

Zhang Haobo shivered and hurried toward Li Fan's room to beg for forgiveness.

"Huh, is it just my imagination? Why do I feel like these chests don't look like they've been soaked for very long?"

"It is strange, we didn't see any shipwreck when we were salvaging them."

"Maybe they drifted here along with the deep-sea currents? Or perhaps they were swept into the sky by a storm and then fell into the sea here?"

"Why bother thinking about it? As long as these treasures are real, that's all that matters."

Amidst the whispers of his crew, Zhang Haobo hurried away.

In the room, after Li Fan pleasantly sent Zhang Haobo away, he stretched his tired body.

Those sixteen chests of treasure were naturally thrown down by himself.

He had sailed alone to an uninhabited area of the sea, deployed the Taiyan Boat, moved a small portion of the treasures he had scavenged from Great Xuan out of the boat, threw them into the sea, and finally sent out a signal for the Cangyuan crew to come and salvage them.

The chests were truly heavy; if not for the fact that he had been practicing the Mystic Yellow Heart Cleansing Mantra every moment over the past few months, combined with the invisible nourishment of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, which had greatly increased his strength, he might not have been able to manage it alone.

Even so, after it was done, Li Fan felt as if his whole body was falling apart.

"The first time, one must make a strong impression, so a bigger display is needed. In the future, I won't need to throw so much," Li Fan calculated in his mind.

As for Zhang Haobo… Li Fan didn't take him to heart at all.

For Zhang Haobo, the position of ship captain was his fundamental means of survival in this life. It would have been strange if he hadn't reacted when someone suddenly tried to seize it.

Moreover, the tricks he used were so childish and laughable to Li Fan.

If it were Li Fan, he would have chatted and laughed with the other person for the first dozen days or so while hiding his true intentions. Once they reached the depths of the ocean and the target's guard was lowered, he would have quietly slipped into the room under the cover of night and killed them with a single strike.

Then, he would have thrown the body into the vast sea, leaving no evidence.

Even with the supernatural ability to find treasure, he was still a newcomer to Liuli Island with no Foundation. Before any real proof was obtained, who would truly tear their face off with a captain who had dozens of loyal subordinates just for an outsider, and a dead one at that?

Taking a step back, even if Manager Zhao were truly determined to punish him, it would only mean losing the position of captain.

One must know, there was no such thing as a life for a life on Liuli Island.

What the Immortal Masters needed was simply for Liuli Island to steadily pay its tribute of supplies.

Therefore, in Li Fan's view, there was simply no reason not to take action.

It was a pity that Zhang Haobo was not him, Li Fan. He simply lacked that kind of resolve.

To put it plainly, he was just a simple fisherman.

The fleet he valued so much was, for Li Fan, merely a small stepping stone in his plan.

"How can a swallow understand the ambitions of a swan?" Li Fan shook his head, cast the thought to the back of his mind, and calmed his heart to diligently practice the Mystic Yellow Heart Cleansing Mantra.

Having obtained the treasure, the Cangyuan no longer went fishing. It immediately turned around and headed back to Liuli Island.

After all, the harvest this time was so great that the entire crew could not rest easy for a single day until they returned safely to the island.

With full speed, it only took two days before Liuli Island was in sight.

"After we return, do not dock yet. Liu San, you quietly go into the water, then go to Manager Zhao's residence and notify him, asking him to personally send people to take inventory," Zhang Haobo solemnly instructed the group.

If there were no accidents, their harvest should be the largest among the fleets that went out to sea this time.

According to the rules, they were entitled to a fifty percent share!

If outsiders took the inventory, who could guarantee that there wouldn't be any skimming or intentional undercounting?

They would be heartbroken if even a little was missing. If it wasn't their own people, they couldn't rest easy.

The crew nodded one after another, and seeing the ships approaching from the island for the routine inspection, they immediately became vigilant.

"Zhang Haobo, what is the meaning of this? You won't let us board?"

The other party seemed to have a conflict with Zhang Haobo, and their words contained a hint of anger.

Zhang Haobo, however, ignored them entirely.

Seeing that Zhang Haobo didn't react, the other party mocked him even more: "Looking at the draft of your ship, I'm afraid you returned empty-handed this time. It seems your days as captain are numbered. If you really can't make it in the future, just come to brother's ship. I guarantee I won't let you starve!"

Upon hearing their leader being insulted, the Cangyuan crew became furious and were about to retort.

But they were stopped by Zhang Haobo.

Afterward, no matter what the other side said, Zhang Haobo pretended not to hear and just waited for Manager Zhao's people to arrive.

"It seems there is a reason why Zhang Haobo can sit firmly in the position of captain of the Cangyuan. He is not as unbearable as I imagined; it is just that his background and experience have limited him," Li Fan couldn't help but nod after seeing this scene from the shadows.

The anomaly at the pier attracted quite a few onlookers, who pointed at the Cangyuan.

Fortunately, the standoff between the two sides did not last long; soon, Manager Zhao arrived in person with his men.