e-booksonline Chapter 283 Going to Sea
Chapter 283 Going to Sea
To immerse yourself in Chapter 284, "Setting Sail," please click here.
On Friday, Han Kexin had already made ample preparations. After Qin Xiaochuan and Guo Shiyi met up at the villa from school, they drove together with Han Kexin and Zhou Bin to the estuary of the neighboring city of S. They would take a boat to Fanli Island the next morning.
They didn't arrive at the estuary until the afternoon. The four of them were starving. After putting their luggage in the hotel, they had a hearty meal in the restaurant downstairs.
After dinner, Zhou Bin was busy discussing the next day's sea trip with the boat rental intermediary. Since the other three had nothing to do, Guo Shiyi suggested going for a walk on the dock to get some fresh air. Qin Xiaochuan naturally had no objections, and Han Kexin also said that it would be a good opportunity to share the information she had gathered with them.
It is now the golden autumn season, and the weather still carries some residual heat. The evening sun shines on the sea, making the sea appear incredibly vast. A series of damp, salty sea breezes blow against your face, making you feel refreshed.
The fishing boats moored on both sides swayed gently with the waves, their hulls rubbing against the rubber crash pads, making a rhythmic "gurgling" sound. The chains and ropes clanged against each other. The air was filled with the unique aroma of salty sea breeze mixed with diesel and fishy smells, a smell that was unique to the fishing port—it had both the wildness of the sea and the comfort of everyday life.
As soon as they arrived at the pier, Guo Shiyi was busy taking pictures. She first took a few selfies, and then pulled Han Kexin to stand with their backs to the sea in the light and shadow of the sunset, and asked Qin Xiaochuan to take pictures of them.
Qin Xiaochuan held his phone and took pictures of the two of them one by one.
Guo Shiyi stood out against the gray pier in a bright yellow waterproof jacket, while Han Kexin wore sunglasses and a black windbreaker. Her tall figure cast a long shadow in the twilight, and her shoulder-length black hair was gently swayed by the sea breeze.
Looking at the two people in the camera lens, one youthful and lively, the other proud and aloof, they seemed to have a strange compatibility when standing together, making Qin Xiaochuan feel that this trip was truly a delightful experience.
The three walked and walked until they reached a relatively secluded and quiet place. Although the docks were bustling with activity, in the twilight, they appeared unusually peaceful from a distance.
Han Kexin faced the sea, leaning against the wooden railing, gazing at the horizon in a daze. Qin Xiaochuan bought three cups of tea from a nearby shop, handed her one, and said, "Didn't you say you had some information to tell us?"
Han Kexin took the green grape jasmine tea from Qin Xiaochuan, smoothed her hair from her forehead, and said, "Actually, it's nothing. I just wanted to tell you that Fanli Island is an island with international disputes, and it's also a world-famous island known as the Devil Island."
"Devil's Island?" Guo Shiyi's interest was immediately piqued, and she quickly asked, "Why is it called Devil's Island? Is it because there are some terrifying demons inside?"
"It's not clear whether there are demons or not. The reason it's mysterious and terrifying is that there are records from the Tang Dynasty that the island is shrouded in white fog all year round, making it difficult for humans to see its entire territory. Not only that, a large number of ships that pass by the island disappear without a trace, so ships avoid it."
Han Kexin took a sip of jasmine tea and continued, "In modern times, because Fanli Island is located in an internationally sensitive area, the government could not directly explore the island's secrets. However, many curious adventurers went to the island to explore, but everyone's fate was the same - they never returned. Fanli Island's infamous reputation became even more widespread, so now, this island has become an internationally recognized forbidden island."
Guo Shiyi suddenly shuddered involuntarily and said nervously, "If that's the case, then there might be ghosts on that island, right?"
Qin Xiaochuan knew she was always terrified of ghosts, even screaming when watching horror movies, so he teased her, "Didn't you say you were very brave? Are you scared now? Do you regret coming along?"
"I don't regret it at all." Guo Shiyi pouted and said stubbornly, "So what if there are ghosts? With Sister Kexin here, I'm not afraid of anything."
Han Kexin continued, "Although Fanli Island has a bad reputation, it attracts many desperados every year because of the large number of shipwrecks that have been destroyed there, and because there are rumors that there are many treasures on the island. Pirates, mercenaries, foreign explorers, all kinds of people are there. We need to be careful when we go there this time."
"It sounds like it's going to be a great adventure," Qin Xiaochuan said casually.
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The harbor was shrouded in an indigo mist before dawn. The steel hull of the "Hailong" swayed gently with the tide, and the mooring lines groaned as they hit the bollards.
"It's really spectacular." Guo Shiyi looked at the behemoth in front of her with shining eyes and couldn't help but say excitedly, "This is my first time sailing at sea. I hope I have a good experience." As she spoke, she took out her phone and started taking pictures.
A deep laugh echoed from the cockpit. Captain Liu, sporting a thick beard, leaned out and said loudly, "If this is your first time at sea, the experience might not be very good." His uniform epaulets were stained with coffee, but his calloused hands were adjusting the electronic chart with astonishing precision.
"Uncle, why do you say that? Could it be that we'll encounter a storm at sea?" Guo Shiyi asked curiously.
"Because you're very likely to get seasick on your first time at sea." Before the captain could even reply, Han Kexin had already revealed the reason.
"It seems this young lady has experience at sea," the captain said with a smile.
Han Kexin did not answer, but adjusted her sunglasses and walked proudly onto the deck.
The captain didn't mind, and just smiled awkwardly as he watched Han Kexin's retreating figure.
Guo Shiyi clearly felt awkward, so she quickly asked, "Captain, approximately when will we arrive at Fanli Island?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, we should arrive by noon tomorrow. But that's Devil's Island, and I can't guarantee that nothing will go wrong." Although the captain's words were frightening, his tone was relaxed, giving the impression that he was indifferent to life and death.
"Has the uncle been to that island before?" Guo Shiyi asked curiously.
"What good person would go to that godforsaken place?" the captain shouted. "But speaking of which, it seems to have gotten quite lively there lately."
"Why do you say that?" Qin Xiaochuan couldn't help but ask.
The captain glanced at Qin Xiaochuan and said meaningfully, "Several groups of people have been looking for ships to go there these past few days. With an explorer's keen intuition, I feel that something must have happened there, otherwise I wouldn't have taken this job with you."
Qin Xiaochuan and Guo Shiyi exchanged a glance. They both knew that the people the captain mentioned were definitely related to Zhuang Yihu's conspiracy of the Blood Witch Clan.
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