051 The princess spoke

"Skinny Monkey, is something bothering you?"

Wang Xiaoliang hesitantly replied, "I, I want to borrow your phone to call my mom. Once the ship reaches the high seas, we can only use satellite phones. The captain doesn't allow us to contact our families unless it's necessary."

"That's no problem at all."

I handed my phone to Wang Xiaoliang, and he took it and left.

After a while, Wang Xiaoliang returned, his eyes red, and he handed the phone back to me.

"What's wrong?"

"My mom said someone sent her 5,000 yuan today. Was it you?"

"It's nothing. If you ever have difficulties, just let me know."

"I... I'll pay you back."

Here's what happened: After breakfast, I called Shi Jingxia and asked her to find Jin Shiqing to obtain Wang Xiaoliang's bank account number. I transferred 5,000 yuan into it.

After lunch, as I was emptying the leftovers into the garbage bin, I inadvertently found some broken pieces of porcelain. I picked up a few and suddenly remembered something.

The fragments in my hand looked similar to those Duan Huairen used to press against Jin Shiqing's neck, but I wasn't sure. So, I took them to him to confirm.

Duan Huairen clicked his tongue, "Oh man, I'm as blind as a bat. It would be great if Mr. Zhang were here."

Realizing his mistake, he patted his mouth and said Zhang Ling was also knowledgeable. I took a photo and sent it to Zhang Ling as an MMS.

After about fifteen minutes, I received a notification on my phone. Zhang Ling had replied.

Unable to identify the vessel, but from the patterns and glaze, I initially concluded that these porcelain fragments spanned the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties and were all fine pieces from official kilns. No, I should say they were all top-notch.

I fell into contemplation. What could this mean? I racked my brains, but still couldn't make sense of it. I remembered one person, Skinny Monkey.

Skinny Monkey was sharpening a knife on the deck, polishing it until it gleamed. He tested the blade with his thumb, sharp as a razor.

"Take this. Use it for casting nets and cleaning squid."

He handed me the knife, handle first.

"Thanks."

Skinny Monkey began sharpening another knife. I rolled up my pants and squatted next to him.

"You still haven't answered my question."

Skinny Monkey turned his head and whispered, "The reason we're casting nets here is because there's a sunken ship below."

I was shocked to hear this.

Skinny Monkey explained that they accidentally salvaged some fragments last time. Someone recognized them, and after inquiries, they consulted an authoritative expert in Beijing, suspecting it might be a ship carrying cultural relics sunk by the Eight-Nation Alliance.

When the Eight-Nation Alliance captured Beijing, they pillaged and plundered, committing atrocities and looting countless cultural relics worth an estimated 100 billion RMB.

To this day, it remains a pain in the heart of every Chinese person.

If there really was a sunken ship below, the treasures inside might be worth billions.

I asked in astonishment, "Is the information reliable?"

Wang Xiaoliang shook his head. "I overheard the chef mention it accidentally. A lot of information comes from him."

Ship boss Lao Jia emerged from the wheelhouse and stood at a high vantage point, scanning the surroundings.

I tapped Wang Xiaoliang on the shoulder and said, "Very well, you're occupied, I shall take my leave."

The revelations made by Skinny Monkey mirrored those of Zhang Ling. It appears that the purpose of the Jiyu 0825's expedition is not solely the clandestine transport of the remains of Princess Yuanmingyue and the Terracotta Warriors of Yuwen Tai, but also entails the retrieval of precious artifacts from a sunken vessel.

The following afternoon saw the commencement of the net casting operation. The initial haul went smoothly, with Wang Xiaoliang estimating a cargo of approximately five to six tons, all unloaded onto the deck for sorting.

A pungent aroma of fish permeated the air.

Various marine specimens filled the deck, exhibiting frenetic movements. Octopuses clung tenaciously to limbs, expelling ink at the slightest disturbance. Crabs paraded with imposing claws, while the shimmering belt fish resembled gleaming swords, creating a scene of vibrant chaos.

Never before had I witnessed such an abundance of marine life, leaving both Duan Huairen and myself somewhat overwhelmed.

Observing everyone engaged in sorting, we attempted to emulate their actions, yet we couldn't help but feel like tigers attempting to grasp the wind.

Duan Huairen, accustomed to navigating ancient tombs without flinching, found himself yelping as crabs pinched his hands repeatedly. It was a sight to behold.

"Fetch a few individuals to open the hatch to the refrigerated hold," Duan Huairen declared, beckoning us to follow him. Four of us proceeded accordingly.

Upon lifting the hefty iron cover, we peered below to find the hold lined with a colorful fabric. A gust of wind dislodged the fabric, revealing two securely nailed crates within.

Old Jia kicked Wang Xiaoliang's buttocks lightly. "Skinny Monkey, you two, go down and cover the items."

Descending the ladder, a chill enveloped me, prompting an involuntary shiver.

After re-covering the fabric, I peered through the gaps in the wooden planks and beheld a woman floating in a container – none other than Princess Yuanmingyue.

Likely due to the low temperature, the formaldehyde solution had begun to form white flocculent precipitates, resembling a multitude of insects wriggling in the water.

As the vessel swayed, Princess Yuanmingyue suddenly turned her head towards me, slowly opening her eyes and moving her lips as if to convey her discomfort within.

The scene was undeniably horrifying, and I found myself startled, collapsing onto the ground.

Duan Huairen emerged, fixing me with an intense gaze, to which I nodded in response.

"Hey, hurry up! What's taking you so long?" Old Jia's rebuke jolted me back to action.

"Nothing's wrong, just slipped accidentally," I hastily replied, wiping the cold sweat from my brow.

With a determined effort, I approached the handwheel and turned it forcefully, opening the hatch to the refrigerated hold. It felt as though I had descended into an icy abyss.

The sorted fish were deposited into large green crates and hoisted into the hold one by one using the crane. Wang Xiaoliang and I maneuvered the forklift to transport the fish into the refrigerated hold.

The remaining miscellaneous fish and shrimp were unceremoniously dumped onto the fabric covering.

However, apart from these, no clues related to the sunken ship were found.

Undeterred, Old Jia ordered the casting of a second net, yet once again, no valuable discoveries were made.

Old Jia, He Huan, and Chief Engineer Gou Tianming, along with Deck Officer Wan Guo, conferred and concluded that they may have misjudged the location, as the fishing boat had already moved from its original position when the fragments were discovered, indicating a time discrepancy.

Undaunted, the Jiyu 0825 continued its journey.

Finally, a breakthrough occurred on the second day.

The net indeed yielded numerous cultural relics – porcelain, bronze, silver, and gold artifacts, mostly fragmented and deformed. Additionally, several wooden rods resembling scrolls, covered in a layer of grayish mud, were discovered. Holding them felt slick and slimy.

Old Jia promptly organized a team to package the intact artifacts and took them to the captain's cabin.

Without delay, the casting of the second net commenced.

Duan Huairen and Jiang Erwa tugged on the thick ropes, suspended from the net reel. As the net was gradually pulled up, an unexpected incident unfolded.

The net had hooked onto something, and despite the winch's groans, it stubbornly refused to budge. Eventually, with a sudden jolt of the vessel, the net was torn open.