Chapter 13: The Alcoholic Captain

This is the first-class commercial port in southern Turkey?

Standing on the pier in Antalya, Zhang Hainuo couldn't help but wonder if he had come to the wrong place. After landing far from the port in the dark, it took them six hours to reach the city center, where they used German, English, and sporadic Turkish words to inquire about guides who understood German. Then they went to the Alsalan family, then to the jewelry store to sell diamonds, and now they were finally coming to the port area of this harbor for the first time.

In terms of scale, this port cannot be compared with major ports like Hamburg and Bremen. Zhang Hainuo had been to Hamburg once. Although Germany's overseas transportation was completely stagnant during the war, the numerous large cargo ships and passenger ships anchored there could still evoke the prosperity before the war. Antalya Port, on the other hand, was an open sea port. The entire port area was large, with the port area in the northeast corner as the apex, and the coastline extending outward forming a right angle. However, the actual port area was only a small part of it. Although there were many ships in sight, there were only about fifty or sixty, mostly medium-sized and small ships!

In terms of the modernization level of the port, Hamburg and Bremen might not be comparable to New York, but various cranes, gantries, and huge docks were enough to make people feel the mechanical power brought by the industrial age. The spider-web-like rails and spacious roads also indicated that this was once a bustling world!

In Antalya Port, however, Zhang Hainuo saw cranes and pulleys manipulated by manpower, along with those quaint Islamic-style buildings, which made him feel like he was in another era...

"The war is over. Why aren't these ships leaving port?"

Looking at the eerily calm harbor, Zhang Hainuo asked the local guide beside him.

Alsalan told him that shortly after Turkey joined the war, a Turkish mine-laying fleet laid dozens of mines outside Antalya Port. Later, several British warships attempted to shell the port, but after one of them hit a mine and sank, the British left reluctantly. However, they also laid mines outside the port before leaving. Until now, the mines laid by both countries were still floating on the sea surface. Although sailors and fishermen had found several safe channels through these minefields, ships still needed to be very careful when entering and leaving the port. The only advantage of this situation was that even after Turkey surrendered, British warships only circled outside the port from time to time without actually entering it.

"I see!"

Zhang Hainuo had some understanding of this situation. After all, Hessen, the daring "madman of the sea" had stayed in the Mediterranean area for three years and had some knowledge of the basic situation here. However, he was not very sure whether the Turks and the British would remove their minefields and anti-submarine facilities shortly after the war ended. Therefore, they chose to land far from the port and tried to learn about the port and the activities of the Allied ships in the area from the locals.

Guided by Alsalan, Zhang Hainuo and his team began to inquire about the sale of these ships at the dock. Although the shipowners all claimed that their ships were for sale, their prices were all above 30,000, even for used ships, and the prices of new ships were even more outrageous!

"For such a ship, they're asking for an additional 45,000 pounds! Otto, do you know what this is called in the East?"

After getting off a semi-new steamship, Zhang Hainuo looked very unhappy. Although the money in his hand could buy several such ships, he was not the kind of person who would willingly be taken advantage of, especially since this money was not his alone. Moreover, the serious impact of the mines outside the harbor on maritime trade should make the ship prices lower than usual!

Although Otto was knowledgeable, he lacked knowledge in Eastern culture, so he speculated, "Taking advantage of others' difficulties?"

"No, it's called profiteering!"

Although this phrase was not as straightforward and easy to understand in German, Otto did not inquire further. Instead, he turned to the Turkish guide and asked, "Hey, Alsalan, you must know where we can buy cheap ships, right?"

"Why do you say that, sir?" The Turkish guide blinked and asked.

Otto did not answer him directly but said, "Regardless of which ship we buy and how much it costs, once the transaction is completed, we will pay you a commission of 200 pounds. How about that?"

After a moment of thought, the Turkish guide said, "Follow me!"

At this moment, Zhang Hainuo realized that he had forgotten to pay the Turkish guide the agreed-upon commission, which was one-thousandth of the transaction amount. No wonder this kid had been taking him to see those overpriced ships. He was really a cunning little imp!

After about half an hour, the group arrived at a small pier far from the main dock area. Such piers usually only dock one or two relatively old ships. Compared with the main dock area just now, they lacked some wind protection, so it was obvious that the docking fees here were correspondingly cheaper.

Alsalan asked Zhang Hainuo's team to wait on the pier while he went alone to a slightly old cargo ship docked nearby. From the appearance, this ship was only about twenty meters long, with a rusty chimney located at the front of the ship, below which was a square and unattractive cockpit. Clothes of men, women, and children were drying on the front and rear decks, indicating that the ship's owner's family lived on board.

To be honest, a mediocre port would not have very good ships, so when Zhang Hainuo first saw this ship, he wasn't too disappointed. As long as it wasn't completely reliant on sails for navigation, could carry ten tons of cargo and had a range of over 400 nautical miles, he could make do with it.

After a short while, Alsalan came out of the cabin, followed by a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard and a weary face. Although he was dressed in relatively Western-style sailor clothes, the stains on his white clothes were particularly obvious, and his dilapidated captain's hat on his head looked like that of a drunken sailor.

Zhang Hainuo also saw a woman holding a baby looking towards them from the cabin hatch. That should be the ship captain's wife, a typical Turkish woman who was not particularly attractive to him.

When the other party approached, Zhang Hainuo realized that he had guessed right: this person not only walked unsteadily but also smelled strongly of alcohol.

"For this ship, it's 15,000 pounds!"

Alsalan quoted the price for the man.

"Hey, this ship won't start leaking or anchor after a short voyage, will it?" Although the appearance of this ship did not seem so bad as to affect navigation, Zhang Hainuo was still worried about the ship's condition matching its owner.

Before Alsalan could speak, the ship captain looked at Zhang Hainuo and rattled on.

"He says his Fast Runner has absolutely no problem running, so you can rest assured! But you have to hire him as the captain and allow his wife and children to stay on the ship!" Alsalan explained.

Zhang Hainuo and Otto exchanged glances, both feeling surprised and unwilling. Captain Simon was competent, and Blatz, who could shovel coal into the coal-fired boiler, was also a first-class expert. Although it was completely necessary to hire a local pilot to guide them through the minefield outside the port, they planned to dismiss the pilot from a small fishing village after leaving the port. But hiring such a large family...

"He's the best captain and pilot in this port! Sir, you know that leaving port is very dangerous, and hiring a good pilot is not cheap!" The Turkish guide helped recommend.

"Is he your relative?" Zhang Hainuo stared straight at Alsalan.

"No, sir! I just know Mr. Elgar, but he is indeed the best captain and pilot in this port, and the bravest person here!"

"Once was!" Zhang Hainuo glanced disdainfully at the drunken guy.

"Sir, Mr. Elgar just ran into some trouble in the past two years, so..."

Alsalan wanted to say more, but Zhang Hainuo shook his head, then turned and walked towards the dock.

At this moment, the captain spoke again. After he finished speaking, Alsalan hurriedly ran to Zhang Hainuo.

"He says he can take you anywhere you want, as long as you take his family with you!"

Zhang Hainuo stopped and looked back at the debilitated drunkard. "But how can he prove that he is qualified to be a captain and pilot?"

"Based on his courage and skills to sail in the Aegean Sea in 1915!" Alsalan said with an unusually firm tone.

In that year, not only did the British and French strictly blockade Turkey's western coast, but they also launched large-scale amphibious operations in the Dardanelles with their navy and army.