The ship's captain, Old Jia, the chief engineer, Su Tianming, and the deck officer, Wan Guo San, each wore a triumphant expression, their eyes gleaming with anticipation of reaching the pinnacle of their lives.
"This approach is quite impractical; gold is too heavy and not worth much."
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at me.
With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Old Jia motioned for me to approach. As I drew near, he grabbed my ear, a sharp pang of pain shooting through me, causing me to instinctively tilt my head and extend my neck.
"What did you just say?" he demanded.
"Ouch, it hurts," I winced.
With a forceful kick, Wan Guo San struck my buttocks.
"Are you out of your mind? Your butt scabs haven't even dried yet, and you dare to speak arrogantly here? Get your ass back to bed," he barked.
As they turned to leave, Su Tianming suddenly halted me. "What did you mean by your earlier words?"
"The underwater artifacts and treasures are essentially tributes from provincial officials to the court, meticulously selected. Each piece is invaluable, far surpassing the worth of gold," I replied.
Su Tianming gazed at me, lost in thought.
Approaching with water still dripping from his ears, He Huan asked, "What's your background? You seem quite knowledgeable."
Realizing I might be exposed, I quickly fabricated a reason, "I used to accompany my uncle on trips to collect antiques in the countryside. Just talking nonsense."
Each person has their own expertise; these men are fishermen, essentially outsiders to the antique trade. After a brief discussion, they opted to heed my advice, promptly adjusting their strategy to maximize profits, akin to a wise old lady picking only the ripest persimmons.
As night fell, the deck was laden with "spoils of war."
We meticulously sorted these items like we would our catch, matching large bowls with smaller ones, large cauldrons with smaller ones, and even framing the jade artifacts and gold, silver, and copper Buddhas in several boxes.
The scene was truly mesmerizing.
Duan Huairen muttered, "These are exquisite! Even the most mundane item here could fetch a hundredfold."
Jiang Erwa also envied, "Such opulence! Even gold bars and coins pale in comparison. Truly audacious, treating money as mere dirt."
"Enough chatter. Be cautious, and if anyone breaks anything, I'll make them pay with their lives," Old Jia warned, brandishing a stick and pointing it at us.
In the days that followed, the salvage operation proceeded intensively. Increasingly, priceless treasures emerged from the depths, and everyone was in a state of frenzied excitement, as if infused with the vigor of vitality.
Amidst our anxiety, He Huan led the diving team, resurfacing almost every hour with more artifacts. With Old Jia stationing men to guard the artifacts round the clock, our chances of pilfering were practically nonexistent.
In a hushed tone, Wang Xiaoliang confided in me, "Du, I've acquired the key to the control handle for the crane. When should we make our move?"
With moisture clinging to his moustache, Duan Huairen fretted, "Guangting, waiting idly is not an option."
Jiang Erwa remained silent, leaning against the railing, drawing on one cigarette after another.
After two days of agonizing waiting, opportunity finally presented itself on the third day.
"Man overboard! Man overboard! The deck officer is down!"
Driven by insatiable greed, Wan Guo San had already sounded the alarm on his underwater air tank. However, he failed to surface in time and, during his ascent, suffered from "the bends." When pulled aboard, he was already incapacitated.
With no high-pressure oxygen chamber on the fishing vessel, we watched as Wan Guo San succumbed before our eyes, his tongue lolling out, his mind likely affected by cerebral damage.
Yet, lured by immense profits, no one displayed a shred of sorrow or remorse as Wan Guo San's body was cast back into the sea, promptly resuming the salvage operation.
The cruel and avaricious nature of humanity was laid bare as these men, driven nearly to madness, continued their frenetic pursuit.
Shortly thereafter, another incident occurred. The ship's chief engineer, Su Tianming, discovered that the compressor had malfunctioned. Lacking spare parts, repairs were necessary but would take one to two days.
Unable to refill the air tanks, all the tanks were depleted, halting the salvage operation.
After a brief discussion on-site, considering everyone's exhaustion, we took the opportunity to recuperate while awaiting Su Tianming's repairs to the compressor before resuming operations.
That evening, Old Jia, in high spirits, enlisted several hands to assist in the kitchen. Chef Lao Huang prepared a feast of fish and meat, accompanied by fine wine and delicacies, uplifting the spirits of the entire crew, dispelling any lingering misfortune.
Unexpectedly, Su Tianming called me over to join them for a drink, extending a bit of hospitality.
Standing at the gangway, Jiang Erwa was engaged in conversation with someone. I motioned for him to come over, and he obliged.
"Is something the matter?"
"Old Jiang, keep an eye on Duan and Guangting, make sure they don't overindulge. We still have important matters to attend to."
"Don't worry, I've got it covered. Everything will be fine. You should head back up now."
Jiang Erwa reassured me with a friendly pat on the back.
Recollections of Chen Duyu flooded my mind—back in the Yongling underground palace, he jestingly offered me his services if he were a woman, promising comfort and care. He even gave me a playful tap on the buttocks. I wonder how he's faring now.
Shaking my head, I ascended the gangway.
"Come in, close the door, and have a seat," Su Tianming instructed, nudging a stool toward me with his foot.
Four of us were present: Old Jia occupied the main seat opposite the door, while Su Tianming and He Huan sat on either side, leaving me to take a seat by the entrance.
Although the door was shut, the sea breeze slipped through the crack, sending a chilly sensation down my spine.
Old Jia raised a toast, and we all took a sip.
Su Tianming raised his glass to toast me individually before explaining their intentions.
As the saying goes: bystanders watch the spectacle, while insiders understand the intricacies.
They summoned me to help discern the true value of the items and prevent us from being exploited like leeks.
Honestly, I wasn't entirely knowledgeable; I only knew these items were valuable, and I eyed them like a dog gazing at the stars, relying solely on guesswork.
But one thing was certain—these folks were greedy, insatiable. Exploiting this fact would make things easier.
It's common knowledge that Emperor Qianlong had a penchant for collecting, amassing treasures spanning thousands of years throughout his lifetime.
The first wave was plundered by the Eight-Nation Alliance.
The second wave was pilfered by officials of the Internal Affairs Department and eunuchs.
The third wave was transported to Taiwan by the Kuomintang reactionaries.
What remained was what we had now.
Just imagine how valuable those artifacts must be!
Astounding figures!
After listening to my analysis, all three of them widened their eyes in astonishment.
"What do you mean? Are you saying these treasures are even more impressive than those in the Forbidden City?" Su Tianming asked incredulously.
I nodded and said, "They're simply incomparable. It's like comparing a Toyota Corolla to an Audi."
"Damn, really?" He Huan exclaimed, coughing in disbelief.
Old Jia served me a crab and said, "After this is done, I'll give you a hundred thousand."
Hearing this, I wanted to curse him out loud. A hundred thousand sounded like a lot, but it was practically worthless. Despite thinking this, I thanked Old Jia profusely.
After drinking for a while, everyone started feeling a bit woozy.
He Huan stopped Su Tianming from drinking further, saying repairs to the compressor needed to be done overnight, and drinking too much would hinder the process.
Su Tianming paid no heed, insisting there was no rush and that he wanted to enjoy the night without returning sober.
The two of them began to argue, banging on the table.
"He Huan, you're called a bosun, but in my eyes, you're no better than a biscuit," Su Tianming taunted.
"If you dare say that again, you surname Su," He Huan retorted, gripping the bottle tightly.
He Huan clenched his teeth and raised the bottle.
Tensions escalated, and just as things were about to erupt, Old Jia quickly intervened, urging everyone to calm down.
Su Tianming splashed his drink on the table, then walked out with his biscuit, bringing the quarrel to an end.
Leaning over the ship's railing, I cleared my throat and vomited, expelling everything from my stomach, before heading off to find Duan Huairen and the others.