Chapter 31: Returning to Liuli Island

Under the clear moonlight, all the crew members on the Cangyuan ship had red eyes and were panting heavily.

Until now, they all seemed as if they were in a dream.

Sixteen large boxes filled with gold and silver treasures were quietly placed on the deck.

Some were still not at ease and pinched themselves. Feeling the pain, they stared at the treasures on the ground, unwilling to shift their gaze for a moment.

Li Fan didn't actually brag! He really returned with a full load!

However, the extent of this "full load" far exceeded everyone's imagination!

Various jade ornaments, gold and silver, jewels, and other treasures filled the boxes, dazzling everyone.

They had spent half of their lives making a living by fishing at sea. Even in the most beautiful dreams, they had never seen such a surreal scene.

As for Zhang Haobo, his mind was completely blank.

"It's actually true. That guy can really find treasures sunken at the bottom of the sea! Such ability, such ability..."

Having lived on Liuli Island for over twenty years, Zhang Haobo naturally knew that aside from the immortals, there were some ordinary people in the world who possessed incredible abilities. For example, communicating with the birds in the sky, foreseeing disasters in advance, being able to breathe underwater for extended periods, or seeing through lies, in the case of Steward Zhao.

However, these extraordinary individuals were few in number. They were either entrusted with important tasks on various islands or were taken as servants by the immortals and brought to the Island of Ten Thousand Immortals.

They were truly rare to come by.

Unexpectedly, this Li Fan was also one of these extraordinary individuals!

Suddenly, Zhang Haobo thought that Li Fan had recently moved to Liuli Island. Could it be that he had been forced to move here because his original island was destroyed by a disaster? It made sense. He was a newcomer, so no wonder Steward Zhao regarded him highly, even though he was just a new resident!

Everything made sense!

At this moment, Zhang Haobo regretted deeply.

"Zhang Haobo, oh Zhang Haobo, you had a rare opportunity to encounter a benefactor. Not only did you fail to seize it, but you even mistakenly thought that the other party came to steal your little ship fleet!"

The more Zhang Haobo thought about it, the more regretful he felt. He wished he could just slap himself.

"No, I must apologize quickly! Immediately, right away! Such extraordinary individuals are honored guests wherever they go. If he gains power and bears a grudge against my actions from a few days ago..."

Zhang Haobo gave himself a shake and was about to go to Li Fan's room to apologize.

"Huh, is it just my imagination? Why do I feel like these boxes haven't been submerged for long?"

"Weird, we didn't see the sunken ship when we salvaged them."

"It's probably drifted here along the seabed currents, right? Or maybe it was blown up to the sky by the wind disaster and then fell into the sea here?"

"Why worry about all that? As long as these treasures are real."

In the whispers of his subordinates, Zhang Haobo hurriedly left.

In the room, after Li Fan had politely sent Zhang Haobo away, he stretched his weary body.

Naturally, those sixteen boxes of treasures were thrown down by him.

He came alone to a deserted area, unfurled the Taiyan Boat, moved a small part of the treasures he had plundered from Daxuan into the boat, threw them into the sea, and finally sent the signal, allowing the crew of the Cangyuan to come and salvage them.

The boxes were indeed heavy. If it weren't for him constantly practicing the "Cleansing Heart Mantra" over the past few months, coupled with the invisible nourishment of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, his strength wouldn't have increased significantly, and he would probably not have been able to handle it alone.

Even so, after the matter was finished, Li Fan felt like he was falling apart.

"For the first time, I made a big splash. I won't need to throw this much in the future."

Li Fan calculated in his mind.

As for Zhang Haobo...

Li Fan didn't care about him at all.

For Zhang Haobo, the position of the fleet's captain was the foundation of his life. If someone suddenly wanted to snatch it away, it would be strange if he didn't react.

Moreover, the tricks he used were childish to Li Fan.

In Li Fan's eyes, Zhang Haobo simply didn't matter.

He didn't have that kind of importance at all.

In the end, he was just a simple fisherman.

For Li Fan, the fleet he valued was just a small stepping stone in his plans.

"Ants do not know the aspirations of humans," Li Fan shook his head and dismissed the thought, focusing on practicing the Cleansing Heart Mantra.

...

After obtaining the treasure, the Cangyuan no longer fished. They immediately turned the bow and headed back to Liuli Island.

After all, the harvest this time was so significant that the crew wouldn't feel at ease until they safely returned to the island.

Full throttle was engaged, and in just two days, Liuli Island was in sight.

"After returning, let's not dock immediately. Liu San, quietly get into the water and then go to inform Steward Zhao at his residence. Let him personally send someone to count," Zhang Haobo instructed the crew solemnly.

If there were no surprises, they should have the most significant share of the harvest in this expedition.

According to the rules, they were entitled to fifty percent!

When it came to an outsider counting, who could guarantee there wouldn't be any withholding or intentional omissions?

Losing even a little would be deeply distressing for them.

They couldn't trust anyone who wasn't part of their crew.

The crew nodded one after another, watching the routine counting ship approaching the island, immediately becoming alert.

"Zhang Haobo, what do you mean? Not letting us on the ship?"

It seemed that there was some conflict between the other party and Zhang Haobo, and there was a hint of anger in their words.

However, Zhang Haobo didn't pay any attention.

Seeing Zhang Haobo's lack of response, the other person became more mocking, "Judging by your ship's draft, I'm afraid you're returning empty-handed this time. It seems your tenure as a captain is coming to an end. If you really can't make it, come to my ship. I guarantee I won't let you starve!"

The crew of the Cangyuan, hearing their leader being insulted, became furious and was about to retort.

But Zhang Haobo stopped them.

Regardless of what the other side said afterward, Zhang Haobo acted as if he hadn't heard, waiting for Steward Zhao's representative to arrive.

"It seems that Zhang Haobo's ability to hold onto the position of the Cangyuan ship's captain is not without reason. He's not as pitiful as I imagined, but his background and experiences have limited him," Li Fan nodded to himself after witnessing this scene.

The commotion on the dock attracted quite a few onlookers, and people were pointing and discussing the Cangyuan ship.

Fortunately, the standoff between the two sides didn't last long. Soon, Steward Zhao personally arrived with his men.