With the mechanical insects restoring the Sea Wolf to its original appearance, Nie Yun rested his chin on his hand, contemplating the future of the vessel.
"Where can I find a large ship? Ideally, it should be abandoned. Sunken ships seem like a good choice, but most sizable wrecks have already been salvaged. Where can I find one?"
Suddenly, an idea struck Nie Yun. There is a place with a multitude of sunken ships! The southern sea of the Rabbit Kingdom was once a hub of ancient Asian trade. Ships traveling from Europe and Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, as well as vessels from Southeast Asia and the Americas bound for Guangdong and Fujian, have left behind no fewer than 2,000 ancient wrecks in the area.
In recent years, the Rabbit Kingdom has intensified efforts to recover these ancient wrecks, unearthing numerous treasures such as porcelain antiques and rare national treasures. Yet, many wrecks remain buried in the deep sea, forgotten by history. The Nanhai Nan'ao sea area is renowned for its shipwrecks, having recovered several Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain merchant ships, their overall value incalculable.
Nie Yun navigated the Sea Wolf to this treasure-laden sea area. Given the frequent maritime traffic, the Sea Wolf had already assumed its dilapidated guise. However, Nie Yun faced a dilemma. Although this region should contain numerous wrecks, they lie deep underwater. How could he deploy the mechanical insects there?
After much contemplation, Nie Yun's gaze fell upon the fishing rod leaning against the ship's edge, and a bold idea emerged. He took the rod, transforming the hook at its tip into a small, solid, silver ball according to his will.
"Go!" Nie Yun swung the rod with force, sending the ball, along with the fishing line, soaring a few meters away. It splashed into the water, sending up a small spray. The heavy ball, tethered to a slender silver line, gradually sank into the depths, occasionally surrounded by curious fish.
Eventually, the ball reached the sea floor, stirring up a small cloud of silt. Then, it sprouted six slender spider legs, resembling a small spider, and began its search at the bottom of the deep sea. However, the efficiency of a single mechanical spider was insufficient. Nie Yun frowned and ordered, "Little ones! Reinforcements are needed ahead. Backup team, come forward!"
Following his command, various objects on the Sea Wolf transformed into pools of silvery liquid, flowing down the fishing rod and slender line into the depths. The small spider began to rapidly divide—one into two, two into four, four into eight. Soon, the sea floor was teeming with these mechanical spiders. Many marine creatures scattered in fear, creating a minor commotion beneath the waves.
As thousands of small spiders scoured the seabed, Nie Yun secured the rod to the ship and rested, soaking up the sun to replenish his energy. As the search area expanded, the Sea Wolf's mast, sails, and anchor vanished, leaving only a bare skeleton of the ship behind.
With sufficient manpower on the sea floor, efficiency improved dramatically. Within minutes, the mechanical insects made their first discovery. Nie Yun opened his eyes, a fleeting smile of joy crossing his face.
It was a single-masted sailboat, similar in size to the Sea Wolf and apparently an old vessel from the 1990s. Nie Yun directed the surrounding mechanical insects to search it thoroughly, while others continued to expand the search area.
"Hmm, a decent find. Though it's wooden, there's plenty of iron inside—anchors, iron plates, enough to satisfy the crew. However, this structure doesn't meet the requirements. It's just an appetizer. Keep searching! We need to find the real big one, no matter how deep!"
Despite the considerable number of mechanical insects, the vastness of the sea floor was immense. An hour later, the insects reported another target. Nie Yun's eyes widened in astonishment as he exclaimed, "Holy cow!"
Before him lay an ancient European-style three-masted ship, its hull tilted at a 70-degree angle, partially buried in ancient silt. Coral reefs surrounded it, and without the mechanical insects' exhaustive search, it would have been nearly impossible to find!
After centuries, the ship's hull was covered in seaweed, with marine creatures coming and going, having made their homes within. Several large holes on one side indicated the cause of the ship's sinking.
But the real highlight was that this was an ancient warship! The row of open cannon ports along the hull still revealed some ancient cannons covered in verdigris. Even after hundreds of years, these dark portals stood resilient, narrating tales of past grandeur.
Nie Yun swallowed hard. This was at least a thousand-ton vessel, and more importantly, the cannons inside could provide a substantial amount of iron!
There was nothing more to say—summon the crew and devour it thoroughly! Leave nothing behind!
Countless gleaming mechanical insects swarmed the wreck. On the sea surface, a bare ship frame floated, conspicuously featuring only two things: a person and a fishing rod.
This odd combination attracted several passing ships, and some even approached. A sailor on deck called out, "Hey, mate, are you in distress? Need any help?"
Nie Yun replied with sincere thanks. "No, thanks! I'm fishing for big ones! A thousand tons—takes some time!"
The ship's crew departed, casting curious glances. Day turned to night and back to day. By noon the next day, the mechanical insects had devoured all the iron objects on the ship, increasing their numbers tenfold. Nie Yun found controlling them increasingly strenuous, as solar energy was no longer sufficient for high-intensity operations. He needed to eat a lot to replenish his strength.
As the mechanical insects' energy was depleted again, he had to pause operations, spreading the insects across the sea surface to absorb the intense midday sunlight for recharging. From a distance, it resembled a shimmering reflection on the water, minimizing the risk of detection.
At that moment, Chu Xiaoxiao called again.
"Hello, Nie Yun, the ancient silver coin has been appraised!" Chu Xiaoxiao's tone carried a hint of peculiarity.
"Hmm, how did it turn out?" Nie Yun asked casually, taking a large bite of instant noodles, his hunger overwhelming.
"The appraisal says your silver coin is worth at least 10 million."
"Hmm? What?" Nie Yun, initially indifferent, was struck by sudden realization, causing him to spit out the noodles, nearly choking.
"Cough, cough!" He coughed violently for a long time.
"You... you said how much?!"
"10 million, RMB! At least!" Chu Xiaoxiao replied impatiently, clearly exasperated.
"What?! Just that one measly coin is worth 10 million? Hey, are you trying to exaggerate as a way of repaying my life-saving favor?" Nie Yun asked skeptically.
"I'm not that petty! I'll even show you the appraisal certificate later if you want. You're just incredibly lucky! The coin is called the Double Dragon Longevity Coin. The bat designs on the front symbolize good fortune, as 'bat' sounds like 'fortune' in Chinese. The 'longevity' character on the back implies 'double happiness and longevity'. It was minted by the Guangdong Mint to commemorate Empress Dowager Cixi's sixtieth birthday, and is very rare, unseen on the market for many years. It was worth 1.29 million ten years ago, now appraised at a minimum of 10 million."
"So, my coin is really worth 10 million?" Nie Yun asked, slightly dazed.
Chu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. "Yes! It's worth at least 10 million, and that's just the starting bid."
"Hmm…"
"Hey, what's wrong? Why are you silent?"
"Nothing, just wondering how many bowls of beef noodles 10 million would buy."
Chu Xiaoxiao: "..."