Chapter Summaries

Lu Ao recovered from hauling up thirty-nine gold nuggets and Song Zhou put them away while caring for him. The next morning Song Zhou made Stonefish congee, and Lu Ao happily admired the gold before suggesting they celebrate with a good lunch.

• Lu Ao said he still wanted to raise fish despite finding so much gold, and Song Zhou soothed his exhaustion until he returned to human form.
• Song Zhou carried Lu Ao inside to bathe, then stored all thirty-nine nuggets in the crew dormitory while Lu Ao fell asleep in the tub.
• Song Zhou carried the sleeping Lu Ao to bed, and Lu Ao woke the next morning to the smell of Stonefish congee that Song Zhou had caught that morning.
• After breakfast, Lu Ao inspected the gold and told Song Zhou the boat's waterline looked higher because of its weight.
• Lu Ao said he was happy with the gold and suggested they eat something good for lunch to celebrate.

Lu Ao spent the day inspecting the gold he and Song Zhou had salvaged, while their fleet sailed on. That evening, Lu Ao and the others discovered a large group of boats poaching sharks nearby and watched the slaughter from a distance.

• Song Zhou went to pilot the boat while Lu Ao stayed in the cabin to inspect their gold.
• Lu Ao spent the morning and afternoon checking the gold and calculating how its sale could fund an island hotel, Marine Ranch, and future travel.
• In the evening, Lu Ao smelled blood and found a stretch of sea stained pink; Song Zhou suspected shark poachers were ahead.
• Lu Ao contacted the fleet, and the boats slowly approached the bloodied sea to investigate.
• Lu Ao and the fleet saw dozens of boats trapping sharks in nets, spearing them, cutting off their fins, and throwing their bodies back into the sea.

Lu Ao and the fleet witnessed armed poachers slaughtering sharks in international waters, but retreated after the poachers threatened them with guns. The fleet sailed away and discussed the demand for shark fins and shark-derived products as the source of the killing.

• Lu Ao and the other captains saw the sea stained red as poachers hauled up and killed sharks on a massive scale.
• A captain from Lu Ao's fleet confronted the poachers, but a blond man pointed a pistol at them and warned them not to interfere.
• A bearded man told the blond man to ignore the fleet and continue hunting, and the blond man fired a shot into the fleet's deck.
• The captains retreated beyond the poachers' firing range, then turned their boats away from the bloody waters.
• The fleet discussed the slaughter over the radio and blamed demand for shark fins and cosmetics made with Squalane.

Lu Ao and the other travelers debated whether to report the shark poachers, but they chose to leave without involving the authorities. Lu Ao and Song Zhou stayed behind to attack the poachers, and Lu Ao struck first under cover of a sudden storm.

• Lu Ao explained that shark liver squalane drove demand for shark products as the fleet debated whether to report the poachers.
• Lu Ao announced that they would not report the poachers, and the boats sailed away through the night.
• Lu Ao told Song Zhou he planned to deal with the poachers, and Song Zhou agreed to go with him once the other boats were farther away.
• Lu Ao summoned clouds that brought heavy rain and darkness over the poachers' brightly lit fleet.
• A drunken poacher noticed the rain and was stabbed from behind by Lu Ao, who asked whether to kill him.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou searched the poachers’ ship, removed its weapons, and discovered a hidden vault containing twenty-six boxes of plundered valuables. They took the treasure away and planned to lure the pirates over so they could face consequences.

• Lu Ao chose to leave the unconscious man to the law and followed Song Zhou to the lower cabins.
• Song Zhou teleported away the weapons and ammunition while Lu Ao searched the ship.
• Lu Ao found a concealed steel vault, and Song Zhou melted a hole through its door despite its alarm.
• Song Zhou opened the vault’s boxes, revealing a vast collection of valuables from different places and eras.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou decided to take the boxes and lure the pirates over afterward.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou cleared the poachers’ fleet of its treasure and weapons, then revealed the theft by firing a shot. Lu Ao attacked the poachers’ ship in Dragon Form, and as it began to sink, the other vessels rushed to rescue its crew.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou searched all thirteen ships and moved seventy-seven chests of collectibles to the Anomalous Personnel Affairs Regulatory Agency.
• You Li admired the recovered artifacts and offered to buy or trade for them, but Lu Ao postponed deciding what to do with the treasures.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou returned to the ship and fired a gunshot to draw the poachers to the emptied secure room.
• After the poachers discovered that the fleet’s treasures and weapons were gone, Lu Ao transformed into Dragon Form and battered their ship until it split and began sinking.
• The poachers found their lifeboats missing as the other ships hurried over to rescue them.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou destroyed the poachers’ boats, and Interpol arrived after several captains reported them. After the flotilla rested, Song Zhou took the mentally exhausted Lu Ao back to the Anomalous Personnel Affairs Regulatory Agency, where You Li discussed the collectibles and reported sales of gold nuggets.

• Song Zhou sliced the poachers’ boats apart, leaving their crews stranded in the water as Lu Ao watched.
• Several captains admitted over the public channel that they had called the police, and Lu Ao told Interpol the flotilla had found shark poachers.
• Interpol rescued the poachers, arrested wanted criminals among them, collected evidence, and let Lu Ao’s group continue after questioning the captains.
• The flotilla stopped for the night, and Song Zhou comforted the mentally exhausted Lu Ao before taking him back to the Anomalous Personnel Affairs Regulatory Agency.
• You Li reported that the group had brought back 3,516 collectibles, including 503 unique pieces, and said he had sold three gold nuggets for more than twenty million.

Lu Ao and You Li discussed selling the Pine-and-Crane Painting and organizing a large donation for marine conservation. As Lu Ao’s fleet continued north toward Delion Island and the Arctic Circle, Song Zhou prepared to return to the regulatory agency while the sea fog began to clear.

• You Li offered to buy Lu Ao’s Pine-and-Crane Painting, and Lu Ao agreed to sell it for five million yuan.
• Lu Ao asked You Li to find trustworthy marine conservation organizations because he and Song Zhou planned to donate about a hundred million yuan.
• You Li suggested establishing their own marine conservation organization and offered to help recruit a professional manager.
• Lu Ao’s fleet anchored in thick sea fog, and the group waited for visibility to improve.
• Lu Ao reviewed the route to Delion Island, noted that the fleet was approaching the Arctic Circle, and added to his travel notes.
• Song Zhou said he would return to the regulatory agency, and Lu Ao noticed that the sun had come out and the fog would soon clear.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou sailed through thinning fog with their fleet, then paused to investigate a small island after Lu Ao sensed something nearby. The chapter ended with Lu Ao eager to steer closer and discover what was in the water.

• Song Zhou left to visit the regulatory agency, while Lu Ao stayed behind to steer the boat.
• When Old Dai suggested the fog was clearing, Lu Ao waited for the fleet to move before following from the rear.
• Song Zhou returned with meat buns and soy milk, and Lu Ao told the fleet they would slow down to eat.
• Lu Ao spotted a small island, and he and Song Zhou anchored nearby to check it out.
• Lu Ao sensed something in the direction of the island and hurried through breakfast so he could steer the boat closer.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou landed on an island and found Marine Iguanas basking on the rocks and nesting on the beach. Lu Ao sensed something familiar among the nests and, as the protective lizards rushed toward them, suggested giving their eggs life force to calm them.

• Lu Ao steered the boat toward the island, where he and Song Zhou spotted black Marine Iguanas on the rocks.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou landed and watched the Marine Iguanas flee into the sea, swimming with their powerful tails.
• Lu Ao sensed something calling to him from a beach covered in Marine Iguana eggs, and he and Song Zhou walked past the nests without touching them.
• Several Marine Iguanas rushed toward Lu Ao and Song Zhou to protect their eggs, so Lu Ao proposed giving the eggs life force to calm them.

Song Zhou guided Lu Ao in releasing his aura, and Lu Ao discovered he could shrink his Dragon Form to a tiny size. The chapter ended with Lu Ao climbing into Song Zhou’s palm, still unsure how to change back.

• Lu Ao struggled to figure out how to calm the Marine Iguanas near their eggs, and Song Zhou told him to release his aura.
• Song Zhou guided Lu Ao’s energy, and Lu Ao’s Dragon Form shrank from over forty meters to just over twenty centimeters.
• Lu Ao kept shrinking until he was only a little over forty centimeters long, then panicked when he could not change back.
• Song Zhou reassured Lu Ao and offered him his palm, and Lu Ao crawled into it.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou followed a mysterious call out to the sea and found a gleaming white Dragon Egg. The egg awakened and moved in Lu Ao’s arms, and they prepared to return while checking whether any others were nearby.

• Lu Ao sensed a call and guided Song Zhou toward the sea.
• Lu Ao recognized a radiant white egg as a Dragon Egg and examined it with Song Zhou.
• The Dragon Egg trembled, warmed up, and sprang toward Lu Ao’s hand.
• Lu Ao caught and hugged the moving egg, while Song Zhou steadied him and suggested they return to discuss it.
• Lu Ao wondered whether other Dragon Eggs were nearby and looked over the beach.

Song Zhou and Lu Ao found a lone Dragon Egg on an island and brought it back to their boat. Lu Ao fed it life force during the journey, and the egg settled warmly against him before he carried it to their bedroom.

• Song Zhou asked Lu Ao to search the island for another Dragon Egg, but Lu Ao found none.
• Song Zhou explained that the Dragon Egg might have been left behind when the Dragon Clan died or departed, then marked a coordinate before they left the island.
• Lu Ao watched the Marine Iguanas return to incubating the remaining eggs, then carried the Dragon Egg into the cabin.
• Song Zhou suggested feeding the egg life force, and Lu Ao gave it small amounts until it seemed full and pushed the energy away.
• Lu Ao felt the egg breathing, then carried it to the bedroom and planned to secure it with blankets.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou discussed whether they were ready to raise the Dragon Egg they had found, and agreed they would take their time while keeping it with them. The lively egg followed Lu Ao around the vessel, and Song Zhou sensed that its occupant was aware but not yet fully developed.

• Lu Ao soothed the Dragon Egg until it fell asleep, then returned to the cockpit with Song Zhou.
• Lu Ao admitted he felt panicked about becoming a father, but said he wanted to raise the Little Dragon; Song Zhou agreed they would raise it properly if they chose to.
• Lu Ao refused to send the unhatched egg to the Anomalous Personnel Affairs Regulatory Agency, worrying that being boarded there could traumatize it.
• The Dragon Egg woke, bounced over to Lu Ao, and stayed close to him throughout the rest of the voyage.
• Lu Ao noticed the egg had grown soft and warm, and Song Zhou said its occupant could interact with them but was not fully developed yet.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou took their unusually clever, clingy egg ashore on Delion Island, where a marine conservation organization unexpectedly invited Lu Ao to a banquet. The chapter ended with Lu Ao wondering why they had invited him, while Song Zhou looked at him.

• Lu Ao grew accustomed to the egg and prepared food, medicine, clothes, and a room for its birth.
• When the fleet reached Delion Island, Song Zhou suggested carrying the egg ashore in a backpack, and the egg eagerly agreed.
• Song Zhou used a spell to get the egg past customs, and Lu Ao and Song Zhou took a taxi to their hotel.
• A local marine conservation organization called Lu Ao and invited him to a banquet, asking him to reply before midnight.
• Lu Ao wondered who had recommended him, and Song Zhou looked at him as he said he was not famous in China.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou discussed Lu Ao’s online fame and considered an invitation to a marine conservation event. After Lu Ao accepted, they took the Dragon egg to the Marine Ranch, where it woke in the sea and floated on the surface.

• Song Zhou told Lu Ao that his photos circulated widely online, and Lu Ao asked why Song Zhou had allowed them to remain there.
• Lu Ao reviewed an invitation from an internationally known marine conservation organization and became interested in its Search for the Lost Whale event.
• Lu Ao agreed to attend the event and planned to leave the Dragon egg with the Anomalous Personnel Affairs Regulatory Agency for one night.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou teleported with the sleeping Dragon egg to the Marine Ranch, where a wave soaked it and woke it.
• The Dragon egg grew excited at the seawater, and Lu Ao released it to play; it floated on the surface instead of sinking.

Lu Ao watched the Dragon Egg play with an Orca and a pod of Dolphins in the Marine Ranch, then inspected the flourishing Kelp beds. Song Zhou warned that Weng Qian might overharvest the Kelp if left in charge, while the ranch continued to thrive.

• Lu Ao watched the Dragon Egg ride the waves until an Orca arrived and mistook it for a toy.
• The Orca balanced the Dragon Egg on its snout and tossed it into the air, but neither was hurt and both enjoyed playing together.
• A pod of Dolphins joined the Orca in passing the Dragon Egg around, and Lu Ao eventually let them continue when he saw how much fun they were having.
• Lu Ao followed the creatures as they chased the Dragon Egg around the Marine Ranch until they dispersed near evening.
• Lu Ao inspected the Marine Ranch and found extensive Kelp growth supporting shellfish and fish around the reefs.
• Lu Ao suggested Weng Qian and the others could harvest the Kelp, but Song Zhou warned that Weng Qian might take too much and damage its continued growth.

Lu Ao gave a speech on marine conservation at a charity gathering, where a vice president invited him and Song Zhou to see a mysterious gift on a beach. After collecting the dragon egg from You Li, they prepared to visit the beach that afternoon.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou gave the tired dragon egg to You Li after it fell dormant again.
• You Li told Lu Ao that the marine charity organization he had asked her to establish had been approved, and Lu Ao left the egg with her while he went to write his speech.
• Lu Ao spoke about coral, the ocean, and marine conservation at a charity gathering, and the audience applauded enthusiastically.
• The De Leon Island Marine Conservation Organization's vice president praised Lu Ao's speech and invited him and Song Zhou to see a mysterious gift on a beach.
• Lu Ao agreed to visit the beach that afternoon and arranged to collect the dragon egg from You Li around lunchtime.
• You Li returned the dragon egg and reassured Lu Ao that it had behaved well while staying with her.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou followed Fred to a beach, where they found a rotting Blue Whale. Fred explained that the whale had been treated and that island residents had voted to leave it there, though the reason for doing so remained unexplained.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou took the Dragon egg back to their hotel, and Song Zhou said it was tired but still healthy.
• Fred drove Lu Ao and Song Zhou to a beach, where Lu Ao recognized the foul smell as coming from a dead animal.
• Lu Ao discovered a rotting Blue Whale lying behind warning tape and felt distressed at the sight.
• Lu Ao asked Fred whether the whale might explode, and Fred said it had been treated to prevent gas buildup.
• Fred told Lu Ao that residents had considered the environmental effects and voted to leave the Blue Whale on the beach.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou learned that the Blue Whale had starved after swallowing plastic and fishing nets, and that its body had been preserved as a lesson in marine conservation. As they prepared to leave after the egg in Lu Ao’s backpack began moving, it cracked, leaving him unsure whether his son was hatching safely.

• Rayford and Fred explained that the Blue Whale had starved to death with its stomach and esophagus packed with plastic and nylon fishing nets.
• Fred said the residents had voted to leave the whale in place as a reminder and had turned its death into educational material.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou noticed the egg in Lu Ao’s backpack growing restless and decided to return to the hotel early.
• The egg cracked as Lu Ao headed for the roadside, and he feared that the little dragon inside might not survive.