Chapter 9

When Lando arrived on the deck, he was not particularly surprised to find that the group of sailors was nearly drunk—this was quite a remarkable thing, as about fifteen minutes earlier, this same group had been boasting confidently about their drinking capacity and fine taste in alcohol. Now, they were swaying unsteadily at the top of the lookout, excitedly beginning to discuss Raymond's girl.

I have already said no—uh—gurgle—

... ...

In such weather, the personnel on duty at the observation tower should be fully alert and attentive

Rand stared expressionlessly at his reflection in the water for a moment, with a high nose bridge, a bright forehead, and red lips and white teeth, not perceiving himself as someone who was about to be rejected

Just as Lando, with a dark expression, was preparing to kick each of these unreliable loudmouths into the sea from the lookout tower, a crisp sound of "pa" was heard, followed by a clear sound from the sea as if something had been thrown into the water

Sailor A: "However, it's quite hard to say. I heard that woman loves to gamble and has lost a lot of money. Captain Grace mentioned this by chance some time ago, and the boss seemed to have a look of disgust on his face— I think that woman is not far from being dumped."

... ...

Sailor B: "I really want to see what the boss's girl looks like, but unfortunately, he is too good at hiding her—someone who can tame our boss must be quite extraordinary"

He suddenly turned around and, without any warning, locked eyes with a pair of dark green pupils that appeared almost black under the moonlight. At that moment, the other person was holding up a bottle of wine high in the air, and the posture looked as if, if Lando turned his head just a second later, the bottle would come crashing down on the back of his head

Rando stood quietly beneath them for a while, his complexion shifting from red to white, then to black, and finally back to white. For a moment, he could not comprehend what a group of men gathered together fantasizing about another man having seven rounds in one night meant—moreover, who the hell told them that he would howl like a fool, wrapping his legs around Raimundo's waist, demanding another round when he was happy

While the young man with black hair squatted in front of the wine barrel admiring himself, behind him, the three duty-bound water hands had emptied the wine bottles they brought from the lookout tower. At this moment, they were giggling and beginning to steer the conversation towards inappropriate topics, specifically revolving around Raymond. They were joyfully fantasizing about how their first mate could tame his "young, fair-skinned, beautiful, and soft-waisted 'little wildcat'" in various ways.

Randall lowered his head to look at his hands

Randor paused, lifted the lid of the wine barrel beside his feet, and leaned down to carefully examine his face in the moonlight—young and beautiful with fair skin, a soft waist was essential, no large breasts, black hair and black eyes.

Sailor B: "Really? I said, who would dare to leave such a mark on the boss!"

The young man with black hair instinctively raised his head to look at the three individuals standing on the lookout tower. At this moment, it was not just a matter of being fully alert; two of the three duty sailors were already leaning against the railing of the lookout tower, their eyes half-closed in slumber. The other sailor was half-hanging over the railing, standing tall with his chest out, one hand raised high in a pose reminiscent of a statue of a goddess, but the rum bottle that had been tightly gripped in his hand was now nowhere to be found.

"You are the one who is short," Xiao Jieluo put down his hand and glanced sideways at Lando, "I was bored alone in the warehouse, so I came to find you for a drink"

However, Lando saw it

The sound that Lando just heard was likely the noise made when he threw the bottle into the sea, as the glass bottle struck the surface of the water.

Sailor C: "Hehehe, I know, I know. Let me tell you, I heard that the boss's girl is quite sexy, young and beautiful with fair skin, a soft waist, and a chest like a ball, with waves crashing. I heard she is a rare beauty with black hair and black eyes, tsk tsk tsk!"

Sailor A: "I heard that the boss's girl is a wild little cat; whenever she's unhappy, she bares her teeth and wants to go against him. Did you see the scratch marks on the boss's neck? I heard they were made by his girl!"

"I was just about to ask you what you are doing," Lando raised an eyebrow and looked at the frightened little Jero. "What are you sneaking around behind me for in the middle of the night? Holding that bottle up so high, if it weren't for the fact that no one else on the ship is as short as you, I would have recognized your shadow. Right now, you are already sticking to the stern over there."

Xiao Jieluo ran away, causing the entire deck to tremble with the sound of his footsteps. The young man with black hair hastily removed the bottle of wine from his mouth, his breath reeking of alcohol. He was momentarily stunned, and his first reaction was: Damn it, it's over!

... ...

The young man with black hair sighed, knowing in his heart that he would likely have to perform some duty tonight as a watchman. Just as he was about to step towards the lookout tower, a figure silently appeared behind him. The small figure moved like a cat, making no sound at all. If he hadn't forgotten about his own presence on the deck at that moment, he might have successfully sneaked up behind Lando.

Randall was momentarily taken aback as he leaned over the ship's railing, only to discover that the sea fog was quite thick tonight, rendering visibility nearly nonexistent just a few meters away. Those with some knowledge of navigation are aware that such foggy conditions are often the most prone to unexpected accidents. Under the cover of the dense fog, both the rocky coral areas that could cause ships to run aground and the ruthless pirates who would stop at nothing to seek profit could pose significant threats to the fleet.

Xiao Jieluo listened to the black-haired young man with a serious expression, yet he showed no sign of fear at all. Instead, he smiled and leaned closer to him, playfully nudging his waist with his elbow and said, "What’s the harm in taking a sip? Come on, come on!"

The young man with black hair suddenly widened his eyes and reached out to grab the bottle of wine that was being poured into his mouth. However, he did not expect that little Jero, with his small arms and legs, had surprisingly strong grip. Lando attempted to push him away twice but was unsuccessful—until the slick and sweet wine was poured down his throat, filling more than half the bottle, at which point the other party finally let go and ran away laughing heartily

"Still drinking?" Lando raised a finger and pointed at the tops of their heads, "Look at this group you’ve incited; they’re already drunk. Are you still trying to drag me down with you? If the S.S. Chiz hits a reef tonight, tomorrow we’ll just stare at each other while being tied up and thrown into the sea by Raymond to feed the sharks."

The young man with black hair suddenly turned his head, seemingly startling the person who had been stealthily following him. The latter let out a startled cry and took a step back, clutching his chest as if to complain like a wronged party: "What are you doing! You suddenly turned around and scared me!"