Sea King

On a cloudy day, the Barents Sea appears as an endless black abyss.

No one knows what lies deep beneath their ship.

It may contain a treasure trove of gold coins dating from the 16th to 19th centuries, or it may contain something unknown.

This is why people are afraid of the deep sea... You have no idea what's on the seabed.

But Yang Yang knew.

Although the girl could only sense a depth of 300 meters underwater, that was enough for the crab fishing industry.

Qing Chen thought that if Yang Yang got tired of the world's struggles one day and came to this place to become a captain, she might become a crab fishing captain who ruled the Bering Sea and the Barents Sea.

Looking at ports all over the world, there isn't one that can compete.

Yang Yang looked at Qing Chen and whispered, "Actually, there are life detectors in the Inner World that can detect life within a 300-meter range, but everyone is only thinking about fighting and doesn't think that bringing this thing to the Outer World will be of much use... It's not that it's useless, it's just that it's not as useful as other technologies."

Qing Chen understood what Yang Yang meant. If the crab fishing boats were equipped with life detectors, the king crabs on the seabed would be in serious trouble...

To find out where the crab farms are and where the crabs are active, you only need to use a life detector.

However, when pursuing technological progress, humanity always tends to place a slight emphasis on weaponry, and this is no different even if the Time Walker bring back technology from the Inner World.

At this moment, Zhang Jian had almost steered the North Pole to the sea area that Yang Yang had mentioned.

In fact, Yang Yang couldn't figure out which direction it was either. Her senses were still being affected by the force field, so she was still terrible with directions.

Fortunately, Yang Yang told Qing Chen how many minutes ago they had passed by, which allowed Qing Chen to determine the location of the crab farm.

"Wait, don't drive that way yet," Qing Chen frowned.

"What's wrong?" Old John asked, puzzled.

He scanned the surroundings with his eyes, then handed the binoculars to Old John: "There have been ships following us at a distance. Let's circle around them for a while, but don't lead them to where we're going to put the cages."

Old John paused for a moment. He was the one in charge on deck, and if the new sailors tried to seize power, it would be a very serious matter.

But when he spotted the Alps through his binoculars, he still called Zhang Jian: "Zhang, let's circle around the Alps."

Old John looked at Qing Chen in surprise. The Alps looked like a small white dot in the distance. This boy hadn't used a telescope. How did he find the Alps?

Moreover, Qing Chen's tone made it seem as if he was absolutely certain about where they were going, like there were countless king crabs in the sky.

The crab-catching trip was a bit tense, with the Longtail, Orca, and Alps seemingly surrounding the North Pole.

This menacing posture made Old John somewhat uneasy.

Qing Chen asked, "What would happen if crab fishing boats clashed at sea?"

Old John said with a serious expression, "Someone will secretly go into the sea and cut the ropes on other people's buoys, causing all your crab traps to sink to the bottom of the sea."

Qing Chen was stunned for a moment. "That's it?"

Old John said, "They have plenty of diving suits on their ships, but Zhang Jian didn't prepare a single one for our North Pole to save money."

This means they had absolutely no chance to fight back.

However, after Old John finished speaking, he noticed a clear look of relief on Qing Chen's face.

To be honest, Qing Chen thought everyone would be fighting at sea. If it was just about cutting buoys...

It's still not quite there.

Cutting the buoy is actually a very underhanded tactic that can cause a crab fishing boat to suffer heavy losses. This has happened several times in the Barents Sea, either because a captain slept with another captain's wife, or because the power structure of the crab fishermen in the port was about to be reshuffled.

Qing Chen gazed into the distance at the edge of the vast ocean. "Let's head to our destination. The Alps are gone."

Old John stared in that direction, eyes wide, but saw nothing. "How come I don't see anything?"

Qing Chen gave him a strange look. "They've all left, of course we can't see them."

These words almost made Old John furious!

As the boat rocked, Old John directed Yang Yang to put herring bait into the crab traps, and then directed Qing Chen and Nedup to throw the eight crab traps into the sea one by one.

Nedup kept a close eye on Qing Chen, seemingly afraid that the young man opposite him would slack off when throwing the crabs into the cage.

After all, with a crab trap weighing 680 pounds, Old John used a crane to place the trap onto the launching platform at the edge of the deck. It took two people to attach the buoy rope and then work together to push it down.

If one person slacks off at this time, the other person will expend a lot of energy.

However, what puzzled Nedup was that he seemed to be expending much less effort than before...

Could it be that the crab trap Zhang Jian rented was of poor quality, which is why it was so light?

Nedup glanced at Qing Chen and secretly tried to lift the crab trap by himself... but couldn't.

One pound is approximately equal to 0.45 kilograms. If you don't calculate it precisely, a crab trap weighs about 610 kilograms. That's something an ordinary person can't lift. Otherwise, why would crab fishing boats need cranes?

However, in that moment of distraction, a giant wave crashed in front of him, and Nedup was knocked backward by the wave, landing right on the rope coil.

The crab trap sank rapidly to the seabed, and the coiled ropes were about to entangle Nedup's ankles.

Old John shouted, "Cut the rope!"

Surprisingly, Qing Chen did not do that, and did not even draw the dagger from his work clothes.

Old John was anxious; he knew the serious consequences if the crew didn't do as he was told.

If Nedup were to be entangled and dragged into the sea, he would not survive. In just over ten seconds, the immense pressure on the seabed would kill Nedup.

However, another wave crashed in.

Just as the waves were about to crash onto the deck, Old John clearly saw Qing Chen grab the rope with one hand.

The sinking crab trap was stopped abruptly!

He was stunned for a moment. He grabbed the rope with his bare hands?!

Before Old John could even react, the waves had already crashed onto everyone, making it impossible to see what was happening.

As soon as the waves flowed back into the sea along the deck, Old John, holding onto the crane, immediately looked in Nedup's direction.

Nedup was seen slumped on the deck, with Yang Yang standing beside him.

Just a moment ago, Qing Chen pulled on the rope for a split second, loosening the tight binding around Nedup's ankles.

Yang Yang seized the opportunity to pull Nedup out, and their perfect teamwork saved Nedup's life.

But all of this was covered up by the waves.

Old John looked at Qing Chen again, but the other man wasn't holding a rope, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

"What's going on?" Old John asked, puzzled.

"I don't know either," Nedup said tremblingly. "I thought I was going to fall into the sea, but this girl pulled me out in time."

In fact, when the second wave came, even Nedup himself didn't know what was happening.

Everything happened so fast, and the waves blocked everyone's view.

Old John hesitated for a moment and glanced at Qing Chen. Even if there was buoyancy in the seawater, a crab trap shouldn't be something a normal person could hold with one hand. How much strength would that require? If someone slapped someone with that kind of strength, they could probably kill them instantly.

Old John wasn't sure if Qing Chen had actually pulled on the rope; it was possible that Yang Yang had moved faster.

He was filled with doubt.

Old John turned to Nedup and said, "Are you out of your mind?! Don't you know you can't be distracted on a crab fishing boat? Do you think crab fishermen make money so easily?"

Crab fishing is one of the most dangerous professions in the world, second only to mercenaries in the Middle East.

Its dangers lie in the low operating temperature, the long working hours, and the large waves in winter.

Low temperatures can slow down a crew's reactions, and long working hours can also cause fatigue. Even the world's top e-sports players will make frequent mistakes if they don't sleep for 20 consecutive hours.

In such an environment, facing the worst weather in the world, one could lose their life at any moment.

In the port, many sailors leave due to injuries every year. After the crab fishing season, if someone doesn't die or lose a few legs or arms, it's as if the money earned isn't real.

Old John was silent for a moment, then asked Qing Chen, "Why didn't you cut the rope immediately?"

Qing Chen said, "Zhang Jian said that if a crab trap is lost, it's worth a thousand euros, and he has to compensate the person who rented it to him. Zhang Jian is so poor, he must be heartbroken to lose a crab trap."

Old John said coldly, "Losing crab traps in the Barents Sea is a common occurrence. Sometimes, during stormy weather, sailors can't cast their hooks properly and end up tearing the balloon floats, resulting in the loss of five or six crab traps in one night. Crab traps are expensive, but human lives are more valuable."

Qing Chen smiled and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll definitely cut the rope immediately next time."

Old John picked up the cable phone on the deck. "Captain, we're setting sail. Let's move to the next location."

Zhang Jian asked, "The waves were really big just now, are you alright?"

Old John said, "It's alright."

Everyone's work clothes were battered by the seawater. Although these things are waterproof, seawater still inevitably seeped in through the collar.

But this is nothing to the crab fishermen.

The crab fishing boat set off, and the crew sat in the cabin eating sandwiches.

As he ate, Nedup looked like he might fall asleep at any moment; he was nearing the limit of his body's endurance.

Another unexpected thing happened to Old John. After Qing Chen and Yang Yang finished their sandwiches looking exhausted, they went back to the deck and sat down, watching the waves rolling on the sea.

At one point, Old John felt like the sandwich was a prop in a game, something that could fully revive the crab fisherman after eating it...

"Do you think we'll encounter the stormy weather you're looking for on this voyage?" Yang Yang asked.

Qing Chen smiled and said, "Nobody can say for sure. This Life and Death Trial challenge for the knight depends entirely on luck. Thirty-meter waves are a rare occurrence. Let's just leave it to fate."

"So if you can't wait this time, you'll just keep waiting in Amsterdam?" Yang Yang asked curiously.

"Hmm," Qing Chen thought for a moment and said, "I might encounter something very dangerous the next time I travel through time, so I must improve my strength."

According to the plan of the Qing clan's shadow, the next exchange of Qing Mu with the Kamishiro will most likely not take place in the city.

The Gods will definitely choose a relatively neutral place, and there is a high probability that it will be in Forbidden Zone 065, which is 410 kilometers northeast of City No. 10.

It is not suitable for large-scale military entry there, and most importantly, there is a known rule on 065: once a deal is made, it cannot be broken.

Anyone who engages in shady dealings or goes back on their word after making a transaction here will be executed for violating the rules.

Therefore, outside the Forbidden Zone 065, there was even a production base that turned into a town where many Wilderness People and Federation People traded. After the trade, they agreed to leave from the east and west directions respectively to avoid being double-crossed.

It must be said that humankind always manages to make the most of nature from various angles.

Qing Chen had heard about the small town outside Forbidden Zone 065 from the trending topics on Weibo in the Outer World; it was known as the New Dragon Gate Inn in the Inner World...

Although trading with Qing Mu there seemed safe, Qing Chen still felt something was off.

After all, it's a wilderness, Forbidden Zone, where danger is ever-present.

Six hours later, Old John stood in front of the crane, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and said in a muffled voice, "Qing, throw the grappling hook. We need to pull up the eight probe cages we deployed earlier!"

Zhang Jian gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands in the driver's seat, his palms damp with sweat or seawater, he couldn't tell.

If the scouting cage still can't find a crab colony, it means it needs to move on to the next location, consuming even more fuel.

Qing Chen hooked the float again.

As soon as the crane's ropes tightened, Old John immediately realized what was happening. "We have cargo!"

This is the intuition of an experienced sailor; just by looking at the speed at which the crane pulls up the crab trap, one can tell whether there are king crabs inside.

Now, Old John also became nervous. He looked at the end of the crane, where the taut rope was constantly pulling the crab cage upwards.

Old John was stunned when the crab trap appeared on the surface of the water.

The cage was teeming with king crabs. Nedup stared in disbelief, swearing he had never seen anyone catch so many king crabs in a single cage in his entire life.

Qing Chen turned to look at Old John: "The crane!"

Old John snapped out of his daze and quickly controlled the crane to suspend the crab trap directly above the deck.

Qing Chen untied the rope at the bottom of the crab cage, and countless king crabs fell down.

"Quickly count how many there are?!" Old John said impatiently.

Qing Chen glanced over and said, "132."

Old John froze, then ran to the landline in his bulky work clothes. "Boss, we've found the Golden Crab Field!"

Zhang Jian, in the driver's seat, was stunned. Golden Crab Field?!

What an ancient name.

Legend has it that only a crab farm in the Barents Sea that can catch 120 king crabs in a single cage deserves to be called Golden Crab Field!

Old John roared into the phone, "You're rich! Did you hear me? You're rich!"

After saying that, Old John directed the crew on deck, "Quickly, get the calipers and see how many of the juvenile crabs are substandard!"

Qing Chen happily took the calipers and measured them. The qualified ones were thrown into the warehouse, and the unqualified ones were thrown into the sea. Out of 132 king crabs, only 6 were unqualified.

This is a truly Golden Crab Field!

At this moment, Old John's gaze towards Yang Yang had changed. He was now absolutely certain that this young couple from China possessed the legendary magic!

The other party's claim that they found the place pleasing to the eye was just an excuse; they must have genuinely discovered a group of crabs on the seabed, which is why they directed the crab fishing boats back here.

Otherwise, what a coincidence!

Furthermore, if this girl is so amazing, then it must not have been an illusion for him to see Qing Chen holding onto the rope with one hand!

Thinking of this, Old John's gaze towards Qing Chen changed...

However, before he could think of anything else, a red and black crab fishing boat sped towards him from afar.

"Longtail!" Old John's face immediately darkened. "This is bad. Quickly throw all the king crabs into the cargo hold and pretend we didn't catch anything."

This is Golden Crab Field, capable of producing 132 crabs per cage. It's absolutely crucial that other crab fishing boats not know about it.

Otherwise, the Orca, Longtail, and Alps would definitely come and take over the king crabs here.

As the Longtail rapidly approached, Old John stood nonchalantly on the deck.

A dozen meters away, a middle-aged white man on the deck of the Longtail looked at the empty crab traps of the North Pole and laughed loudly, "Old John, is the North Pole going to have no catch again this year? Why don't you come aboard my ship now and I'll give you a sampan."

Old John snapped, "When I was out crabbing, you were still getting bullied like a snotty kid at school! Get lost, stay away from my probing cage, and don't bring bad luck to us!"

The middle-aged white man looked the North Pole over carefully again, then waved to the rear, signaling the helmsman to steer the ship away.

Before the Longtail had even sailed far away, the middle-aged man said to the sailors behind him, "Attention! The North Pole has found the crab farm!"

One of the sailors remarked in surprise, "Their crab cages are empty."

The middle-aged man sneered, "Didn't you notice that the crab trap has been hoisted to the middle of the deck? It's obvious a trap of king crabs has just been unloaded. Besides, didn't you see how nervous Old John was? He was standing motionless on the deck. In the past, he would have jumped up and sent my mother away! Go radio Fenrir and Craig and tell them there's definitely a crab farm beneath the North Pole!"

On the North Pole, after the Longtail and other ships departed, Old John excitedly directed the crew to pull up the remaining exploration cages.

The second cage contained 113 animals.

The third cage, 119 animals.

The fourth cage, 127 animals...

Not a single cage was empty.

Old John exclaimed with delight, "Right here! We'll set 80 crab traps, spaced 400 feet apart!"

At this point, he was unaware that his poor acting had not fooled the captain of the Longtail at all, and that the Orca and the Alps were on their way.

Qing Chen asked Yang Yang in a low voice, "Are there still many crabs down there?"

Yang Yang silently sensed the situation, wanting to be able to give a precise number like Qing Chen, which would make her seem very impressive.

She counted for a long time but still couldn't figure it out, so she simply replied, "A lot."

Qing Chen: "... Does this answer require a long time to think about?"

Yang Yang said calmly, "I'm a little tired."

Qing Chen didn't dwell on the details. He turned to Old John and said, "Let's put all the crab traps down. I don't think the Longtail will leave so easily. If they come back and play another prank, it might affect the North Pole's revenue."

Old John was about to retort, but realizing something was off about Qing Chen and Yang Yang, he paused for a moment and asked, "Do you think I didn't lie to them just now?"

Qing Chen said earnestly, "The acting was too obvious, the body language was a bit stiff, and the language expression wasn't rich enough..."

Old John was taken aback. Why was he suddenly giving critiques? It was like he was some kind of professional actor.

Before he could make a decision, Qing Chen had already picked up the phone on the deck and said to Zhang Jian, "Zhang Jian, circle around at 15 knots. We need to drop all the crab traps here!"

Zhang Jian was taken aback. "What did Old John say?"

Old John remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Do as he says."

After hanging up the phone, Old John gave Qing Chen a deep look. He wondered when this rookie sailor, who had been ridiculed by everyone in the port, was about to become the backbone of the North Pole.

The North Pole slowly started moving.

Generally, crab fishermen will cast their nets widely, setting 30 crab traps in one spot and then setting another 30 a few nautical miles away, since the number of king crabs in the same place is limited.

After casting the crab trap, go wander around to other places, and come back eight hours later to retrieve the crab trap.

But things are different now. Knowing full well that there's Golden Crab Field down there, they just throw all the crab cages down and don't leave!

Qing Chen's plan was simple: he believed that the Longtail would definitely return, so they would stay here and guard it!

This is their Golden Crab Field!

Night falls.

The deck of the North Pole was brightly lit, and everyone sat in their cabins, waiting for the time to pull up all the crab traps and see what the harvest would be like.

Only Qing Chen and Yang Yang remained standing on the deck, unyielding no matter how the ship rocked.

The North Pole had already anchored, and Zhang Jian finally had a rare opportunity to sit in the cabin and eat something peacefully.

He silently watched the backs of the young couple on the deck, and only today did he realize that these two people... might have something going on.

During the meal, Old John secretly told him a lot of things, which caused Zhang Jian's expression to change when he looked at the two of them.

Who would have thought that these two rookie sailors, who had been ridiculed at the port for two days, would actually lead them to the Golden Crab Field?!

Moreover, Old John said that Qing Chen caught the falling crab trap with one hand... This was a bit too unbelievable, and Zhang Jian was still skeptical at this point.

Just as he was watching the two figures from behind, Qing Chen suddenly turned around and said, "They're here."

Zhang Jian put down his plate and went out onto the deck to look around. "I don't see the ship's lighthouse, John. Is there any activity on the radar?"

Old John replied, "No."

Qing Chen said, "They must have turned off their lights and radar before approaching. They don't seem to have any friendly intentions."

Zhang Jian became nervous.

Then, he watched as Qing Chen stood on the deck, where the wind was biting cold, and took off his heavy work clothes, leaving only a swimsuit and shorts underneath.

"What... what are you going to do?" Zhang Jian was stunned. The other person had already put on a swimsuit inside?!

The next moment, Qing Chen jumped into the icy water without wearing a diving suit or carrying an oxygen tank.

In an instant, Zhang Jian felt like he was watching the DC movie "Aquaman"!

Zhang Jian stammered as he looked at Yang Yang: "He... he!"

Yang Yang laughed in the darkness, "Don't worry, he's fine."

A 6000-word chapter, 12000 words updated today, finally made up for the ones I missed a few days ago... I breathed a sigh of relief.