Chapter 8: Squad Command

"Also, in case we stumble upon a treasure, we should get our share. Then we won't have to worry about food and drink at that time," Shunzi said with an excited expression, as the earlier unease seemed to have vanished.

I glanced at her, and her gaze was also fixed on me. I was well aware that this private salvage vessel would not be equipped with many advanced instruments. This time, it would be quite an adventure. Damn it, since the beautiful woman has spoken, if I delay any further, it would seem too ungrateful of me. If I am to die, then so be it; I will go all in.

Since you believe in me, very well, I shall agree.

I am at a loss; let her be. "When will the salvage begin?"

This old fellow spoke for over twenty minutes without a hint of fatigue, truly deserving of the title of expert

"Am I the one in charge? Aren't you the one in charge?" I asked casually

I thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let everyone prepare. I need underwater lights, diving suits, oxygen tanks, and a speargun"

"I see, Yi Ge, why do I feel like there will be danger this time?" Shun Zi said uneasily

Old Mai then gathered the other sailors together and announced the purpose of this voyage. When he mentioned the plan to salvage the sunken ship, everyone except for Shunzi and me began to buzz with discussions, and there were even voices of discontent. After all, working in deep water is an extremely dangerous task.

We are not joking with you. Jiao Ba also mentioned that you have extensive underwater experience and can assist Old Mai. Moreover, our equipment is limited, and most tasks have to be completed manually, so this is very important

I glanced at him and said, "Aren't they all the same? There are dangers in going out to sea, whether it's for long-distance voyages or not. For the sake of money, we must continue."

Old Man Mai directly handed the difficult problem to me. I stepped out of the crowd and stood in the middle, saying, "Hello everyone, I am Jin Zhongyi, temporarily in charge of this salvage operation. I hope we can cooperate happily..."

"No problem, I will arrange it for you right away, Mr. Mai. I will leave this to you for now." After Jenny finished speaking, she went to prepare the items

"Wow, you little punk, you think you can boss us around? Have some decency," the big guy said to me with an arrogant expression, pointing at my chest with his hand.

I observed others saying, "You may express your opinions, but I hope you can respect others"

Jenny finally revealed a smile on her face, a very sweet smile. I looked at her and asked, "I really don't understand, your family is already so wealthy, why do you still want to salvage sunken ships"

After the crowd had quieted down, he continued, "I told you before coming here that you must know how to dive, as there may be underwater operations. This is something you all agreed to. Furthermore, I don't care what you think, but I must tell you that such a high salary is not given for nothing. If everyone performs well, there will be additional bonuses after this voyage. Think about it, what is your purpose for going out to sea..."

Shunzi and I returned to the deck, where the other sailors were chatting idly. I lay on the deck looking at the sky, and Shunzi sat down beside me and asked, "Yige, why are they waiting until evening to salvage?"

At that moment, Jenny and Jiao Ba, along with a few others, pushed over a small cart filled with diving equipment. Jiao Ba, with a look of admiration on his face, gave me a thumbs up, indicating that they must have witnessed my earlier actions.

"Zhongyi, come here for a moment," was the voice of Old Mai. I stood up and looked over; he and Jenny were standing at the cabin entrance.

After he finished speaking, the person named Heizi shouted loudly, "Come on, brothers, it’s dangerous everywhere, so we might as well make some money. " With his words, the others also responded enthusiastically.

"Little Ma Pi, can you damn well dive?" Before I could finish my words, someone in the crowd cursed at me.

"It was me who said that, what do you want?" A tall man stepped out, speaking with a strong Shandong accent. He had a robust physique, his skin was bronzed all over, and he approached me with a fierce expression, glaring at me.

What does this old fellow want from me? I got up and walked over, asking, "Mr. Mai, is there something you need?"

Old Mai adjusted his glasses and said, "Loyalty, I just discussed with Jenny and the others, and we hope that you can command a portion of the personnel for this salvage mission."

Old Man Mai said, "We will start immediately. According to the navigation chart, there is a sunken ship directly below our current position."

Do you really understand me? If I were to give the wrong orders, I cannot bear that responsibility. I am speaking from the heart; I have never salvaged a ship before. If I were to lead a portion of the team, I would indeed feel a bit apprehensive.

Old Mai waved at me again, "Zhongyi, come here for a moment"

Jenny replied calmly, "Books are not just for money, but for the family"

"There are too many sailors, and I can't manage them all by myself. Just help me share the burden," he said, patting me on the shoulder

I patted him on the shoulder and said, "Rest more, there will be plenty to do soon." In truth, I also felt uneasy; salvaging a sunken ship, I had no idea what kind of ghastly things we might encounter. The seabed is, after all, an eternally unknown world

Upon seeing the scene was a bit chaotic, Old Mai immediately raised his voice and shouted, "Everyone, please be quiet and listen to me first"

I feel a bit of anger inside; isn't this just too disrespectful? "Who just said that? Step forward and let me see you," I said, scanning the crowd.

As soon as he finished speaking, I let out a furious roar, swiftly raised my right arm, and delivered a powerful punch to his left cheek. The force of my blow was substantial, and with a resounding "bang," it knocked him flat onto the deck. He struggled for a moment but did not get back up.

Finally, Old Mai said, "This salvage operation will be directed by me and Jin Zhongyi, so Zhongyi, please say a few words to them as well"

Seeing this, Mai Lao surprisingly said nothing. At that moment, two sailors came over and hurriedly helped the big man up. He glared at me with a pair of furious eyes, but ultimately did not dare to say anything more.

Wow, I just insulted you, you little scoundrel, damn it

I calculated the number of people, and there are a total of 12 sailors. Then, Captain Mai began to command this operation. He divided the personnel into two teams, each consisting of six individuals. He and I each led a team, and each team was further divided into three groups, with two people in each group for underwater operations. Each team had three lights and three spearguns.

I coldly snorted and said, "In the Celestial Empire, salvaging sunken ships without permission is illegal, and everything salvaged must be turned over. To avoid inspections, we can only work at night, unless we are outside the waters of the Celestial Empire"

"Why are you cursing at me? Give me a reason." I looked up at him and asked, this guy was almost a head taller than me, at least 1.9 meters.

"Try cursing again, will you?" I clenched my fists and looked at him coldly

We quietly await the arrival of dusk, as the sun gradually sets. The sunset casts a golden hue upon the surface of the sea, and looking into the distance reveals a vast expanse of gold. The sea breeze has picked up, and we now find ourselves alone in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by nothing but the boundless sea. This endless ocean inevitably stirs a slight sense of tension within. Occasionally, some seabirds fly across the sky, while the boat gently sways.