290. Pohnpei Island

Under normal circumstances, it is impossible for a person to drown themselves. When the head is submerged to a certain extent, the body will instinctively struggle and thus get out of the water.

Therefore, it takes a lot of strength to hold someone's head down and drown them, because that's when a person's struggle is at its strongest.

However, Captain Gustav drowned himself by holding his own head down.

This is really bizarre.

Lu Ban did some more research and found that among those who experienced the Starship incident, the proportion of mental illness, self-harm, and suicide was quite high. Some experts believed that the oppressive atmosphere at the time led to the development of mental illness. Some victims' families also organized protests, trying to obtain more compensation from the cruise ship's owner. Some were found to be fraudsters faking mental illness after examination, which made the whole thing even more confusing and uncertain.

As for the rumors about the ghost ship, they started circulating some time ago. Lu Ban found some suspected film and television materials, photos, etc., but some of them looked fake and were photoshopped. Others were hard to tell whether they were real ghost ships or just disguised photos of the Starship.

The legend of the ghost ship is popular mainly because the Stars incident has too many suspicious points, and it has not attracted much attention in itself.

The film production is continuing smoothly. During this time, in addition to studying film, Lu Ban has also taken the opportunity to learn about the culture, beliefs, history, and geography of the areas surrounding the Pacific Ocean.

Pohnpei Island, located in the Western Pacific north of the Solomon Islands, is a volcanic island. On the island are the Nan Madol ruins, dating back 7,000 years. These ruins are composed of huge basalt columns, each weighing between five and fifty tons. At that time, it would have taken 600 years just to quarry such columns, and at least 1,000 years to transport and build them. It is hard to imagine how these structures were completed.

After all, this structure, whose construction difficulty is close to that of the pyramids, was not located in the vast desert of the Egypt kingdom, but on a small island. The lack of manpower alone made construction extremely difficult.

Furthermore, among these sites, there are architectural remains dating back to 200 BC. The newer buildings were constructed on the remains of these structures, and the architectural styles of the two are very different, seemingly originating from two completely different civilizations. However, according to the records on the island, only the Saudeler people ever lived there.

According to local legend, the megalithic structures on these islands originated from a powerful sorcerer who could manipulate objects, causing these giant stones to fly here and automatically form the structures.

In a documentary from the 1990s, researchers tried various modern methods, but all failed to move these megaliths. There were even stories of soldiers who broke into the tombs in the ruins during wartime, only to die the next day.

In short, the island itself is quite mysterious, so it wouldn't be surprising if something happened there.

In early July, all universities and colleges began their summer vacation, but the business hours of Jiangcheng University Back Street remained unchanged. There are several residential areas nearby, and even without students, the residents of the neighborhoods often come here to spend money, which is enough to support the business owners' operating costs.

Moreover, there are still some students staying on campus, so it's not exactly deserted.

Every year around this time, campus ghost stories start to circulate again. Fortunately, this year, Jiangcheng University's graduation went smoothly, unlike last year when a student committed suicide by jumping off a building.

Lu Ban packed his things, sent messages to a few acquaintances, especially asking Qin Tiantian to keep an eye on everyone and tell them not to work too hard, and then arrived at Jiangcheng Airport.

The weather in Jiangcheng in July is already very hot and humid; it's hard to imagine life without air conditioning.

Feng Yu was wearing a sea-colored dress, looking no different from the other tourists at the airport who were about to go on vacation. Whenever this happened, Lu Ban would forget that she wasn't human.

Where is your luggage?

Lu Ban asked.

"Your luggage has already been checked in. You should hurry up and get your boarding pass too."

Feng Yu pointed to the area for checking in luggage and getting boarding passes.

Lu Ban put his luggage into the machine.

The young lady at the check-in counter had a smile on her face, but when she saw the X-ray in the security check, her smile suddenly froze.

"What's this?"

She pointed to a long rod-like object in Lu Ban's box.

"This is a crowbar."

Lu Ban answered without hesitation.

Why bring a crowbar when traveling?

The young woman was taken aback and blurted out a question.

"Can't I put this in my suitcase for carry-on?"

Lu Ban glanced at the list of prohibited items on the sign above his head and confirmed that there was no crowbar.

"Uh, no, that's not it."

The young lady suspiciously checked Lu Ban Lu Ban in, and then stared at his departing figure for a long time.

Lu Ban and Feng Yu chatted as they walked toward the boarding gate.

When going through security, Lu Ban threw his backpack into the security scanner, took off his coat, put his phone and other items in the basket, and walked up to the security staff.

drop--

The machine in the security guard's hand beeped; it was the metal buckle on Lu Ban's belt.

Just as he was about to let Lu Ban go, he caught a glimpse of the X-ray image on the security screening machine.

In Lu Ban's backpack, besides the usual changes of clothes and chargers, there was also a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument).

"Suona?"

He was puzzled.

However, since musical instruments are not prohibited items, he did not ask any further questions.

There are no direct flights from Jiangcheng to Pohnpei Island. You need to transfer in Jiangcheng to Guam, and then transfer again to Pohnpei Island, which requires three transfers. In addition, there are only three flights a week from Guam to Pohnpei Island, which is quite rare.

Therefore, facing a long journey, Lu Ban decisively chose first class.

For just an extra six thousand yuan, you can enjoy the highest level of service, which is very cost-effective.

The first-class cabin also has a VIP lounge, where Lu Ban enjoyed a light meal and checked the weather.

"The weather has been sunny the whole way, so it seems we're in good luck."

Typhoons in the southwestern Pacific mostly occur from November to April of the following year, which is the opposite of the situation in the Northern Hemisphere. In July, the Western Pacific should theoretically be sunny and mild.

"I hope so."

Feng Yu didn't eat anything, whether it was because her wound hadn't healed or because she simply found the food greasy.

Anyway, Lu Ban was thinking, "Why not take a bite if it's free?" so he took a little bit of everything.

Thanks to the clear weather, the plane checked in on time, and the two boarded the plane, traveling from Jiangcheng to the island nation, and then transferring from the island nation to Guam.

First class is relatively quiet and offers more personal space. Compared to economy class, where even sitting down feels cramped, first class allows you to lie down and even take a shower – it's truly a luxury.

After having lunch on the plane—a rather sumptuous Japanese meal— Lu Ban prepared to take a short rest.

But just as he lay down and closed his eyes, Lu Ban heard Feng Yu from next door sneak into his private room.

Something's not right on the plane.

Feng Yu's voice was very soft.

*

Please vote for me! Please give me your monthly tickets!