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Under the cold moonlight, all the crew members of Vast Distance had bloodshot eyes and were panting heavily.
Even now, they all felt as if they were in a dream.
Sixteen large chests filled with gold and treasure were quietly placed on the deck.
Some still couldn't believe it, pinching themselves to feel the pain before staring at the treasure on the deck, unable to look away for a moment.
Mr. Li hadn't been exaggerating!
He had indeed brought them back laden with treasure!
However, the extent of this "laden" was far beyond everyone's imagination!
The chests were filled with all sorts of jade artifacts, gold, silver, and jewels, dazzling everyone.
They had spent half their lives fishing at sea, and even in their most beautiful dreams, they had never seen such a fantastical scene.
Zhang Haobo, meanwhile, was in a daze.
"It's really true, that guy actually found treasure sunken at the bottom of the sea! This kind of ability, this kind of ability..."
Having lived on Jade Island for over twenty years, Zhang Haobo naturally knew that besides Immortal Masters, some ordinary mortals also possessed various incredible abilities.
For example, the ability to communicate with birds in the sky, the ability to predict disasters, the ability to hold one's breath for long periods and swim in the depths of the sea, or the ability like Manager Zhao's to see through people's true intentions.
But such extraordinary people were few and far between. They were either entrusted with important tasks on various islands or taken to Myriad Immortals Island as servants by Immortal Masters.
It was rare to encounter them.
He never expected that Li Fan would also be such an extraordinary person!
Zhang Haobo suddenly recalled that Li Fan had only recently moved to Jade Island. Could it be that his original island was destroyed by a storm, forcing him to relocate here? No wonder Manager Zhao treated him differently, even though he was a new resident!
Everything made sense!
But Zhang Haobo now regretted it bitterly.
"Zhang Haobo, Zhang Haobo, you had a rare chance to meet a benefactor, and not only did you fail to seize it, but you even foolishly thought he was coming to snatch your small fleet!"
The more Zhang Haobo thought about it, the more he regretted it, wishing he could slap himself.
"No, I must go and apologize immediately! Such an extraordinary person would be a distinguished guest anywhere. If he holds a grudge after gaining power..."
Zhang Haobo shivered and hurried to Li Fan's room to apologize.
"Hmm, was it just my imagination? Why do these chests seem like they haven't been submerged for long?"
"Strangely, we didn't see any sunken ship when we salvaged them."
"They must have drifted here with the underwater currents, or maybe they were swept up by the storm and fell into the sea here?"
"Why worry so much? As long as the treasure is real, that's all that matters."
Amidst the whispers of his crew, Zhang Haobo hurried away.
---
In the room, after Li Fan dismissed Zhang Haobo with a pleasant expression, he stretched his tired body.
The sixteen chests of treasure were indeed thrown by him.
He had sailed alone to a deserted sea area, unfolded the Great Derivation Boat, and moved out a small portion of the treasure he had plundered from Great Xuan, throwing it into the sea. Finally, he released a signal for the Vast Distance crew to come and salvage it.
The chests were genuinely heavy. If it weren't for the months of practicing the Xuanhuang Purifying Heart Spell and the nourishment from the heavenly and earthly essence, his strength would not have increased so much, and he might not have been able to handle it alone.
Even so, after finishing the task, Li Fan felt as if his whole body had fallen apart.
"First time, I made a big splash. Next time, I won't need to throw so much." Li Fan thought to himself.
As for Zhang Haobo...
Li Fan didn't even give him a second thought.
To Zhang Haobo, the position of fleet captain was the foundation of his life. If someone suddenly came to snatch it, it would be strange if he didn't react.
Moreover, the tricks he used were so childish and laughable to Li Fan.
If Li Fan were in his shoes, he would have spent the first few days chatting and laughing, hiding his true intentions. Then, when they were deep at sea and his guard was down, he would quietly sneak into his room at night and kill him with one blow.
He would then throw the body into the vast sea, leaving no evidence.
Even if he really had the ability to find treasure, he was still new to Jade Island and had no roots. Without solid proof, who would really confront a captain with dozens of loyal subordinates over a dead outsider?
Even if Manager Zhao really decided to punish him, the worst that could happen would be losing his position as captain.
On Jade Island, there was no such thing as a life for a life.
What Immortal Masters needed was only for Jade Island to steadily supply resources.
So, in Li Fan's view, there was no reason not to act.
Unfortunately, Zhang Haobo was not Li Fan.
He lacked the courage.
In the end, he was just a simple fisherman.
The fleet he valued was merely a small stepping stone in Li Fan's plans.
"How can a sparrow understand the aspirations of a swan?" Li Fan shook his head, put it out of his mind, and settled down to practice the Purifying Heart Spell.
---
With the treasure in hand, Vast Distance stopped fishing and immediately turned back to Jade Island.
After all, with such a huge haul, the crew could not rest easy until they safely returned to the island.
With full speed, it took only two days to see Jade Island on the horizon.
"Once we return, don't dock immediately. Liu San, you quietly go underwater and inform Manager Zhao, asking him to send people to inventory the goods himself," Zhang Haobo instructed the crew solemnly.
If everything went as planned, their fleet would have the largest haul this time.
According to the rules, they would get fifty percent!
If outsiders did the inventory, who could guarantee that there wouldn't be any deductions or intentional omissions?
Even a small loss would be heart-wrenching.
They couldn't trust anyone else.
The crew nodded in agreement, becoming wary as the routine inspection boats approached the island.
"Zhang Haobo, what do you mean? Not letting us on board?"
The other party seemed to have a grudge against Zhang Haobo, and his words were laced with anger.
Zhang Haobo ignored him.
Seeing no response, the other party mocked, "Judging by your ship's draft, you probably came back empty-handed. Looks like your days as captain are numbered. If you can't make it, come to my ship. I'll make sure you don't starve!"
The Vast Distance crew, hearing their leader insulted, were furious and ready to retort.
But Zhang Haobo held them back.
No matter what the other party said, Zhang Haobo pretended not to hear, waiting for Manager Zhao's people to arrive.
"It seems Zhang Haobo has his reasons for being the captain of Vast Distance. He's not as incapable as I imagined, just limited by his background and experiences," Li Fan observed from the shadows, nodding in approval.
The unusual scene at the dock attracted many onlookers, who pointed and gossiped about Vast Distance.
Fortunately, the standoff didn't last long. Soon, Manager Zhao arrived with his people.
(End of Chapter)