There were many boats docked on that side of the harbor, but all of them were modern boats of varying sizes.
According to Entes, this side of the harbor belonged to a sailboat club, and he even knew one of the managers.
It wasn't that Entes had never come in contact with a sailboat before. It was just that he didn't like those modern sailboats around him. However, he had taken a liking to Zheng Yang's sailboat, which was made entirely of logs and had a rustic feel to it. He insisted that only sailboats like that carried an artistic air and the weight of history.
Zheng Yang's sailboat went into its spot by inertia alone, with another vessel approaching the yacht behind it. There were two people on that other vessel. They were engineers Entes had booked to check and repair the yacht, and they'd been waiting at the docks for quite a while.
Zheng Yang talked with the manager of the docking spot while Entes went to talk with the engineers. Zheng Yang was told that the fee for that spot was 60 pounds per day, and the manager proceeded to recommend maintenance packages and resupply services to him as well.
When he learned that Zheng Yang's sailboat wasn't registered, the middle-aged manager then went on to promote the club's services to Zheng Yang. He even claimed that he would be able to get everything, including boating and qualification licenses, done for Zheng Yang, so long as the latter was willing to give him a small tip. If Zheng Yang was willing to join the club, he would get a further 10 percent discount off said service.
Entes finished making arrangements for the yacht repairs, and the engineers went on to the yacht and checked it out before towing the entire vessel away. It looked as if the yacht would be undergoing an overhaul.
Entes and Balon came over wearing their backpacks and coincidentally overheard the club's manager inviting Zheng Yang to join the club. Entes reminded Zheng Yang right away that he had to pay annual fees to be part of the club, and that the staff member who managed to get him to join the club would get a commission as well.
Zheng Yang took a short-term docking card and a name card from the staff member. He read the information on the card and said, "Alright, Mr. Henry, I'll contact you if I decide to take up your club's service."
With a rather regretful look, Henry watched Zheng Yang shut the doors and windows of the cabin before leaving the dock with Entes and the others.
The docks were brightly lit, and Henry was able to tell that the sailboat was something else altogether. It was just like a suit custom-made by some master tailor. There was just no way mass-produced clothes churned out by machines could ever compare.
From Henry's perspective, the sailboat symbolized rarity, prestige, art, and the added value of being a living legacy of ancient skills and techniques. It was just like how it was with antique cars—every single one of them was a collector's item.
Most of the boats on this side of the harbor belonged to the club, and only a handful was actually privately owned. Most of the club's members, who were mainly of the middle class, didn't have their own sailboats, as owning one meant they would have to pay exorbitant docking and maintenance fees. Instead, they would simply rent a boat from the club when they wanted to have fun out at sea.
The wooden sailboat, which was an old, artistic masterpiece in the staff's eyes, would only be more expensive to maintain than the modern ones around it, and it definitely wasn't less valuable just because it was made of wood.
Zheng Yang, who'd come to register that boat with all his obviously rich friends, definitely wasn't just some ordinary kid. He definitely had to be from some extremely wealthy family to own such a unique boat, and surely had plenty of money to spare.
Henry wanted to make Zheng Yang a VIP member of the club and provide all manner of services to him.
It was an unbelievable misunderstanding.
Zheng Yang's maiden voyage came to a perfect close. The girls returned to the hotel, and Balon left early, claiming that he had something else to do.
Entes took Zheng Yang to buy a satellite phone, and Jordan tagged along excitedly, talking non-stop along the way. Zheng Yang was able to tell from how they talked that they weren't natives of the English Harbor, but were from a larger city inland called Buxton.
All three of them took a car to the store, and it took them less than half an hour to get Zheng Yang a satellite phone, along with a phone number of his own.
The phone that Zheng Yang bought was a smartphone. It had the functions of both conventional smartphones and satellite phones. The phone cost him 5000 pounds. Entes initially suggested that he buy a high-end one that cost 12000 pounds, but Zheng Yang refused right away.
After helping Zheng Yang get a phone, Entes taught Zheng Yang how to apply for a bank account with his smartphone and ID card, which he'd acquired not long after he was born when his parents went to the English Harbor to register his birth, and also how to access the account from his smartphone. After all this was done, Entes then wired the remaining 25000 pounds to Zheng Yang's account.
Zheng Yang now had the phone and the money that Entes had promised. Given that none of the three suggested that they stay around for dinner, they went their separate ways soon enough.
Zheng Yang returned to the docks and bought some street food for dinner.
The sailboat dock was closed off by the management of the sailboat club, but since Zheng Yang had both the short-term docking card and Henry's name card, he was able to return to his sailboat without trouble.
After putting down his things, he sat around, hesitating for a bit, before dialing a number on his satellite phone. He then hung up after a short while.
That satellite phone number belonged to his father from this life. A year ago, he'd asked Hans to try dialing the number every 10 days or so, and he was told that the number could not be reached every single time. But since awakening memories of his past life, this was his first time trying to dial that number himself.
This time was no exception. The number still couldn't be reached.
Zheng Yang then called Hans' number, and it didn't take long for Hans to pick up on the other end of the phone.
"Uncle Hans. It's me, Zheng Yang."
Zheng Yang tried his best to make himself sound more excited. After all, he now had his own satellite phone and even a bank account with 25000 pounds in it.
"Zheng Yang? Oh my… where are you now, you little sh**? We all thought that you'd gone out to sea on your own and had gotten lost!" Hans' said, his voice raised.
Zheng Yang then explained, "I'm at the English Harbor, and I've even made some friends. I'm calling from my own satellite phone, and oh, Uncle Hans, please give me your account number. I'll wire you the money I owe you later."
"My, my, you actually managed to earn some money, eh? Don't tell me that you happened to find a treasure ship or something."
"Not at all, Uncle Hans. I just happened to help someone by chance and got rewarded for it."
"Well, so long as you're not out doing something nasty."
…
Hans didn't refuse. Favors aside, Zheng Yang did actually owe him money. Even though it was just a small sum of about 200 pounds, Hans had a family to care for, after all, and he needed to eat.
As such, Hans gave Zheng Yang his number and happily accepted the boy's payment.
After informing Hans that he was safe and paying off his debt to him, Zheng Yang then ate his street food on the deck, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. At the same time, he started coming up with plans for his boat's renovation.
…
Two figures were zipping down the street about 600 meters away from the docks.
The one in front was a huge dog that was clearly running away. However, it had bloodshot eyes that flashed with ill intentions, and it seemed rabid.
The figure that was pursuing the dog was a lanky young man who looked very pale. His eyes were sunken in, as if he lived a life of dissipation and had worn his body out with sex and booze. However, he was actually as fast as the dog he was chasing. He panted as he chased after the dog, whose collar was connected to the leash he held in his hand.
"Oh my… a rabid dog! Get out of the way!"
"Oh sh**, kill that thing or it'll spread its disease!"
"Whose dog is this? I'm gonna report the owner to the city council tomorrow!"
"Get out, get out, it's heading that way!"
…
The people on the streets were yelling away, but both the dog and the person completely ignored them. The chaser chased while the runner ran, causing quite a scene along the way.
After coming to a road leading straight to the sailboat docks, the dog halted all of a sudden. It turned its head around doubtfully and sniffed in the direction of the dock before turning around and charged towards the dock in a frenzy.