sinovels Chapter 49 Love and Hate
Chapter 49 Love and Hate
The group followed the winding path through a sparse coconut grove and arrived at the dock outside the fishing village.
The rudimentary conditions here were even worse than Fang Jianqiu had anticipated.
The so-called dock was actually just a few wooden stakes stuck in the shallow water, blackened by seawater, with a few sturdy thick planks laid haphazardly on top.
Several moss-covered ropes were loosely tied to the wooden stakes.
As the waves rose and fell, a few old fishing boats swayed gently on the water, making a creaking sound.
These boats weren't large; they were either modified versions of typical Hawaiian-style canoes or small two-masted sailboats.
The hull was made of corrosion-resistant hardwood, coated with a layer of waterproof tung oil. However, due to years of neglect, the paint had peeled off, revealing the grayish-brown wood grain underneath.
The largest one is only about six or seven meters long and two meters wide.
On the deck at the bow of the ship, there was a pile of messy fishing nets and several repair barrels. Although the mast was still relatively straight, the canvas was covered with patches, making it look like a beggar's patchwork rag.
"Uh... I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Miss Sarah."
Looking at the dilapidated ships, Zhou Liqun blushed and awkwardly scratched his bald head.
"We only have these few ships left now; the better ones were all taken by those Japanese pirates... But don't worry! Although these ships look a bit old and not very presentable, they have a good foundation, don't leak, and are sturdy! We rely on them for our daily voyages, so there won't be any problems!"
He was somewhat worried that the female captain, who seemed to have seen the world and possessed an extraordinary air, would look down on their belongings and even refuse to board their humble little boat.
But Sarah didn't show any disgust or strange expression on her face.
Without uttering a word, she strode towards the largest fishing boat, her long legs encased in leather pants. Her high-heeled boots left clear imprints on the sand.
Seeing this, Fang Jianqiu followed.
Upon reaching the water's edge, Sarah didn't even take off her shoes, stepping directly into the ankle-deep water and onto the ship's side.
Zhou Liqun was initially on tenterhooks, worried that the young lady in high heels might slip and fall into the water.
Sarah lightly touched the side of the boat with one foot, and like a graceful seagull, she nimbly stepped into the fishing boat.
The ship rocked violently due to the force applied.
If it were an ordinary person, they would definitely reach out and grab something to steady themselves.
Sarah, however, stood with her arms crossed and her legs slightly apart, as if rooted to the deck. No matter how the ship rocked, her upper body remained perfectly still, and even her hair was perfectly straight.
This clearly demonstrates the skill involved.
Sarah then turned around, waved to Fang Jianqiu who was still standing on the shore, and smiled radiantly:
"Jianqiu, come on up! This boat is quite stable."
Fang Jianqiu smiled and stepped onto the boat.
While not as elegant as Sarah, as a trained athlete, I still have a good sense of balance.
After boarding, Fang Jianqiu looked around the cramped deck and asked:
"Sarah, what do you think? Is it safe for us to go out to sea on this boat?"
Sarah stretched out her hand to touch the rough mast, then looked at the patched sail, and gave a faint, confident smile.
"Of course you can."
She patted the gunwale, making a dull "thump" sound.
"Although this boat is not fast and not resistant to collisions, it has the advantage of a shallow draft and is agile. It can make good use of its advantages in this kind of near-shore bay."
At this point, she looked at Fang Jianqiu, her smile deepening:
"Besides, with Jianqiu around, as long as it can get us to those bastards' ship, or within firing range, that should be enough, right?"
"Yes, that's enough. It's not just me; you'll have to help out too."
Fang Jianqiu nodded. To him, the ship was indeed just a mobile firing platform.
As long as it doesn't sink and gives him a place to stand and fire, that's enough.
As for the rest, let's talk about his Hextech runes.
Finally, the two disembarked together and returned to shore, where they concluded their conversation with Bald Zhou.
"This is the one." Sarah pointed to the ship they had just seen.
"There's no time like the present. The current winds and waves are just right. Let's set sail this afternoon when the seas are calm. If we're lucky, we might run into those Japanese pirates who are out fishing. We can settle things on the same day and avoid any unforeseen complications."
Seeing the two of them so confident, as if they were going on a picnic, Zhou Liqun's heart was also ignited with excitement.
"Alright! Let's fucking get them!"
He slapped his thigh and said excitedly:
"Then I'll go get some men! Call all the strong men in the village! Even if we don't have guns, it'll be good to bring a few harpoons to help row and make a show of force!"
But before he could even turn around, Sarah ruthlessly rejected his proposal.
"No." The sea queen spoke coldly, giving a reason that, though hurtful, was irrefutable:
"Bringing too many people will only increase the burden. These boats are already small. Each additional person will increase the draft and slow down the boat."
"and......"
She glanced at Zhou Liqun and said bluntly:
"To put it bluntly, those few guys of yours don't even know how to use a gun. In a real naval battle, what can they do besides running around on the ship, blocking our line of fire, and drawing enemy fire to get hit?"
Zhou Liqun opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
"so."
Sarah delivered the decisive blow:
"All we need is someone familiar with this sea area who can guide us and lead the way, and that's all we need to go out to sea with us. Besides you, Brother Zhou, there's no one else who can do that."
After deciding on their strategy, the three of them didn't delay any longer and immediately returned to the fishing village.
Zhou Liqun ran straight back, saying he needed to quickly prepare dry rations and fresh water, and also asked the village women to kill a chicken and prepare a good meal for Fang Jianqiu and the others as a send-off meal before their departure.
As soon as Zhou Liqun, with his bald head, walked away, Sarah's sharp and imposing queen-like aura immediately receded like a tide.
She relaxed her shoulders, and her whole demeanor became languid and alluring again.
Seeing her change of expression as quickly as turning the pages of a book, Fang Jianqiu couldn't help but laugh and ask:
"How does it feel to see the ocean again and be a captain again?"
"Sarah's commanding manner just now was quite a surprise to me."
Sarah stretched out her body with all her might, raising her arms high like a cat sunbathing.
Then, she turned her head and gave Fang Jianqiu a charmingly disdainful look.
"Does Jianqiu like Sarah like that?" She licked her lips, her voice becoming slurred again.
"Hmph, I don't even need to ask. Judging from the look in your eyes just now, you were probably thinking of something naughty again, weren't you? Did you feel particularly horrified to be seen as a queen, trampling you underfoot and issuing commands?"
The two had already been intimate, so Fang Jianqiu didn't bother with any pretense and nodded earnestly.
"Sarah is certainly very attractive, so it's understandable that she might have bad intentions, isn't it?"
Seeing the man's undisguised affection and desire for her, Sarah laughed with immense joy, her laughter shaking uncontrollably.
"Hehe, I really like Jianqiu's honesty."
She moved closer to Fang Jianqiu, took his arm, and clung to him.
"But I've maintained that look for long enough. I'm getting a little tired of having to keep a stern face and scare those stinky pirates every day."
"unless......"
She breathed into Fang Jianqiu's ear.
"Unless Jianqiu can bring me some new fun... like... in the captain's cabin, letting me look at the nautical chart while... hmm?"
......
A remote printing factory in the suburbs of Honolulu.
The roar of the machines was deafening.
A middle-aged man in a suit and tie, with slicked-back hair, stood in the middle of the workshop, holding a sample copy of the Evening Post, and shouting at the workers, sweating profusely:
"Quickly! Everyone, speed up! Use every ounce of strength you have!"
"Hey you! Don't stop! We're running low on ink, add more now! If this batch of newspapers isn't printed, none of us will get paid!"
Around him, several old-fashioned rotary printing presses were running at full speed, making a tremendous noise.
At the end of each machine, newspapers, exuding the smell of ink and printed with shocking headlines and photos of corpses, were produced in an endless stream.
That was the latest issue of the Evening Post that was about to ignite the entire Hawaiian Islands—"Demons and Vampires: The Truth About the Vipeo Massacre."
Meanwhile, the factory gate was already full of horse-drawn carriages.
As soon as the latest batch of newspapers was packed, the newsboys and distributors waiting there rushed to load them onto the truck.
"Extra number! Extra number!"
"The shocking tragedy at the Wipio Plantation!"
"A dozen or so elite cavalrymen were wiped out!"
With the newsboys' innocent yet penetrating shouts, these papers, bearing the bloody truth, are like dandelion seeds, about to be scattered across every corner of Honolulu.
Fang Jianqiu's masterpiece is about to be known throughout the world.
Watching all this, the usually arrogant factory manager felt a mixture of love and hate.
He hated John, the fat bastard from the Evening Post, and Lem, the young reporter who threw a money bag at his chest.
Just thinking about those two guys' arrogant and smug faces made his teeth itch; he wished he could shove the newspaper into their mouths.
Damn it, I don't know where this lousy newspaper got its luck, they actually managed to get this kind of earth-shattering news!
But hatred is hatred.
He glanced at the Double Eagle gold coins that hadn't even been warmed up yet, and then at the newspapers that were flying out like snowflakes.
This is all money!
This kind of exclusive scoop will absolutely drive sales to explosive levels!
Based on the price John just gave, this one deal is worth half a year's worth of his usual work!
Who would turn down money?
Looking at the bustling scene in the factory and listening to the pleasant roar of the machines, the manager regretted not buying more machines back then!
If production capacity doubles again, he'll be counting money until his hands cramp up at home tonight!