Chapter 2: The Call from the Sea

June 2007, Germany, Heidelberg.

What does summer mean?

Scorching sun, high temperatures, air conditioning, ice cream, and long vacations?

As another scorching summer arrived, tens of thousands of students studying at this famous university had their own plans. Working not only eased the burden on their families but also provided valuable experience, making it the preferred choice for most students. However, for some senior students, especially those like Zhang Hainuo who planned to return to their home country immediately after graduation, there might not be another opportunity to explore the various countries of Europe like this in the future!

In the blazing summer sun, under the scorching rays, this German land was equally hot. Between his homeland in the East and this economically developed foreign land, Zhang Hainuo's feelings undoubtedly leaned towards the former. However, like most military enthusiasts, especially World War II enthusiasts, he had a special affection for this land. Clad in a white short-sleeved T-shirt, denim shorts, and a pair of canvas shoes, he walked the streets filled with rich classical style, reminiscing about his life over the past few years, a feeling of complexity washing over him.

Unconsciously, Zhang Hainuo arrived at a familiar old shop. This so-called old shop was a place where second-hand goods were displayed and sold, but unlike people's imagination of a place with old items piled everywhere, this shop, under the careful management of its owner, gave off more of an antique store vibe, a store with a unique flavor but not particularly high class.

It was this small shop that truly introduced Zhang Hainuo to Germany, providing him with an in-depth understanding of the country's modern history. It was neither a simple history of glory nor as melancholic and regretful as some people imagined, but rather a combination of both.

Since his second month in Germany, most of Zhang Hainuo's leisure time had been spent here—fortunately, he had obtained a stable, long-term, and decently paid part-time job from the owner, Hansen. Hansen, 56, was a native German, and like most German men of his age, he was not particularly well-endowed in terms of hair and had a large beer belly. Interestingly, Hansen shared the same surname as the notorious Hermann Goering, but he disliked being addressed as Mr. Goering by others.

"Just call me Hansen! And, there's no relation between our family and that Goering from the Third Reich, it's just a coincidence that we share the same surname!"

That was how Hansen introduced himself the first time Zhang Hainuo met him. Later, he learned that Hansen was also a military enthusiast. Although he himself did not approve of the two wars Germany initiated in the last century, nor did he agree with the various extreme Nazi ideologies, especially the racial policies, whenever he talked about the weapons, tactics, spirit, and some battles and campaigns in German military history, he even appeared more professional than the history professors at the University of Heidelberg.

"This is the most prideful collection of our family!"

Hansen liked to say this. He was referring to a naval officer's command saber used in the German Navy. It was said to have been "acquired" by his father when he collected old goods and scrap metal after the war. Later, experts identified it as the saber of Vice Admiral Stranto von Graf, who had served as the captain of the famous "Seydlitz" battle cruiser and participated in the famous Battle of Jutland! But how this saber ended up in civilian hands, even the experts couldn't explain, as countless houses were destroyed in the Allied bombings at the end of the war, and casualties among civilians and military personnel exceeded a million. Perhaps the descendants of this admiral were not spared either.

"Welcome! Please feel free to pick out any items you think you need!"

When he heard the door open, Hansen, who was checking the accounts at the cash register, did not immediately look up.

"Hi... Hansen, it's me! What's wrong, another discrepancy in the accounts?"

Zhang Hainuo smiled as he walked up to the cash register. This affable shop owner had a very obvious weakness— he wasn't particularly good at arithmetic. According to him, he often failed arithmetic tests even in high school. Whenever Zhang Hainuo, an economics major, was around, Hansen would simply hand over all the accounts to him. When Hainuo asked if he wasn't afraid of Hainuo embezzling as a part-time shop assistant, he always chuckled, "I can see through a person's soul beneath their appearance, whether it's beautiful or ugly, and you, you're a traditional Easterner who values integrity like life!"

For such a somewhat absurd explanation, Zhang Hainuo could only smile. Indeed, he was not the type to take petty advantages. As his mentor had said, "Economics students, most abhorrent is to utilize their knowledge to deceive and cheat in their work. I don't want to see any one of you spending your best years in a prison!"

Hearing Zhang Hainuo's voice, Hansen finally looked away from the screen of the cash register.

"Oh, it's Hainuo! You're just in time. This week's accounts... sigh, it's a mess again!"

"Hansen, settling accounts once every two weeks naturally makes it prone to errors! It would be better to reconcile at the end of each business day, but you always..." Zhang Hainuo shook his head good-naturedly. He knew that Hansen always rushed off to drink and chat with his old friends without fail after closing time, leaving no time for daily reconciliation.

Hansen spoke in a self-deprecating tone, "Reconciling accounts every day would be the death of me! Well, Hainuo, don't say so much nonsense. Come over and help me with the calculations!"

"Alright then!"

Zhang Hainuo had done these accounts hundreds of times over the past few years, so it was as easy as pie for him.

"I'll leave it to you, Hainuo!"

With a happy smile, Hansen walked to the back room, leaving Zhang Hainuo to it. After familiarizing himself with the chaos of Hansen's accounts, Zhang Hainuo sometimes furrowed his brow and sometimes wore his trademark smile at the corner of his mouth. After setting down the bottle of mineral water, Hansen didn't say much either, inspecting his "collection" alone in the not-so-large room:

A piano that was 70% new, two old grandfather clocks, several pairs of semi-old wooden tables and chairs, some used electrical appliances, a dozen or so vases of different materials and shapes, three large cabinets of old books and a few long rows of old records, as well as some items that could be considered antiques—medals, badges, commemorative medals, old coins, and some yellowed scrolls and certificates, etc. Various instruments and picture frames hung on the walls, and several large barrels of miscellaneous items were placed in the corner against the wall.

Half an hour later, Zhang Hainuo finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

"OK! Mr. Hansen, the accounts up to the end of yesterday have been sorted out. Excluding the cost of goods and some labor costs, your earnings for last month were 5,760.50 euros, hehe, more than twice the average income level in Germany!"

"Just another deal in antiques!" 

Hansen turned around with an indifferent expression. With both his children pursuing their own careers in big cities, and his spouse having passed away, he only needed to support himself. Income, whether more or less, didn't hold much significance for him at this stage of life. Enjoying life leisurely was his sole purpose, and as for wealth, he could easily convert his collection of medals and awards into stacks of banknotes if he wished. In earlier years, there were offers of over a million Marks for his prized war sword, but he refused without a second thought.

Zhang Hainuo felt grateful to this uniquely tempered old man. Not only did he provide him with a stable part-time job, but he also made him feel a warm affection in this distant land. Of course, Zhang Hainuo also learned rich historical knowledge from Mr. Hansen. If he hadn't studied economics back home, Zhang Hainuo even thought about switching to history because there were so many fascinating things in it.

*Ding... Ding... Ding...*

The clock across the room chimed timely. Zhang Hainuo suddenly remembered that he had already purchased his train ticket to Berlin. His journey would start from the city that witnessed numerous historical events, and then onto Prague, Vienna, Rome, Athens...

"The train departs in an hour, I need to rush to the station now! Mr. Hansen, see you next month!"

As Zhang Hainuo was about to pick up his luggage, Hansen stopped him.

"Hainuo, take this!"

Hansen took out an envelope from under the counter.

Perplexed, Zhang Hainuo accepted the envelope and opened it to find a stack of Euro banknotes.

"This... Mr. Hansen, I can't accept this! You've already paid my wages, and today I helped you voluntarily. It's free!" Zhang Hainuo hurriedly pushed the envelope back to Mr. Hansen.

"Take it, Hainuo!" Hansen suddenly wore a serious expression. Having known him for several years now, Zhang Hainuo understood that once Hansen put on this expression, no one could change his mind. The best course of action now was to accept the envelope obediently.

"You're an honest and hardworking lad!" Hansen placed the beer can he was holding on the counter. In a soothing tone, he said, "Consider this as an extra reward from an employer to his employee, or consider it as assistance from an old friend to you. It's not much money, but I hope you'll have a great summer! If you have the chance, go diving in Crete, the sea there is so blue, and the underwater world is something you've never seen before. It's filled with endless secrets!"

"Endless secrets..."

Zhang Hainuo shouldered his bag and waved goodbye to Mr. Hansen with a smile. At this moment, he didn't truly understand the meaning behind those words.

*******************

Two weeks later, Greece, near the waters of Crete Island.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the sea conditions today are perfect for diving, but I still hope everyone remembers our three basic principles: firstly, don't go to places that are too deep and dark; secondly, avoid places with too many seaweeds and rocks; thirdly, you must return to the surface within an hour of going underwater! Does everyone remember?"

The beautiful Greek tour guide with a gorgeous face and a well-toned body was the most popular figure on the boat. She reminded the dozen or so tourists from different countries on board in fluent English. Despite having practiced diving equipment and basic knowledge for two days indoors, when it came to actually going into the sea, the guide and staff still patiently repeated the technical points and precautions several times.

On this small boat, most of the tourists, including Zhang Hainuo, who was fully geared up, were excited for their first diving experience. Although the weight of the oxygen cylinder on his back wasn't enough to immobilize him entirely, it still felt a bit oppressive on Zhang Hainuo's shoulders, which had seldom done physical labor. Wearing a diving suit, a specialized snorkel, and a large diving mask made him feel both excited and slightly uncomfortable.

After checking the equipment on everyone, the sturdy-looking crew member signaled the beautiful female guide that everything was ready. Subsequently, led by a crew member, the tourists one by one descended into the sea in a manner reminiscent of penguins diving for prey.

Though their posture lacked grace, the moment they entered the water, Zhang Hainuo felt an unprecedented sense of comfort. The cool sea water made him feel incredibly refreshed from head to toe. His facial and hand skin, not covered by the diving suit, felt the coolness from the sea more intimately. After a few seconds, his eyes adjusted to the light below the sea, and at the moment he saw the underwater world clearly, Zhang Hainuo finally understood Mr. Hansen's often-repeated words: the seabed was indeed a fascinating world!

Before long, all the diving tourists, including Zhang Hainuo, had reached the bottom of the sea. After counting the numbers, the crew member who went down first made a gesture of "follow me," and then led the way towards the depths of the sea. Zhang Hainuo glanced around and found himself surrounded by other tourists underwater. Feeling more at ease, he didn't mind whether his underwater movements were clumsy, and followed the crew member towards the deep sea.

The real underwater world might not have the same good lighting and colors as on TV, but the sense of reality one experienced being there was incomparable. Though the seabed, at over 20 meters deep, was somewhat dim, the various corals and fish of different sizes still excited the group of tourists. Each one of them touched and observed everything around, even a rock half buried in the seabed could pique their interest, because most of them had heard stories about the treasures of the sunken ships in the Aegean Sea. Regardless of whether they came specifically for those elusive treasures, everyone hoped to find something, even if it was just a coin or a fragment.

While the diving tourists enjoyed the adventure under the sea, the beautiful female guide and the captain, who had a face full of stubble and wore a captain's hat but sported a floral shirt and beach shorts, also enjoyed the rare leisure time on the boat.

"Would you like to have a drink in my cabin?"

The captain, now in his forties, spoke with a demeanor that didn't quite match his age, his eyes full of teasing, constantly lingering between the slender legs, slender waist, and the unexpectedly sexy collarbone of the female tour guide, occasionally regretfully pausing on the slightly low twin peaks.

"Someone will be up in half an hour!"

The young female guide said, while deftly removing the hairpin from her hair, letting her curly brown hair cascade like a waterfall over her delicate back. Without a doubt, in this enchanting seascape, in the presence of the two alone, such a move was extremely seductive to a man.

"It's okay. Since the weather is so good today, let them play a little longer! I can mix you a cocktail to drive away your fatigue for the day!"

The captain's left hand was already quite restless at the waist of the female guide, and the guide didn't resist either. The two of them tacitly walked into the lower deck.

They were so focused on each other that neither noticed the faint black line on the horizon.

After taking underwater photos for the tourists, the leading crew member signaled that everyone could freely move around nearby, as this area of the sea at this season wouldn't have any terrifying marine creatures like sharks, jellyfish, or large octopuses.

The tourists, who had gradually adapted to the underwater environment, naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity. Some picked up rented underwater cameras and camcorders to capture what interested them, while others embarked on their own underwater treasure hunt.

Among these people, Zhang Hainuo seemed to lean towards the latter, perhaps influenced by Mr. Hansen. He was now very interested in historical artifacts buried in the mud. As for the few staff who went underwater with him, they were now watching the happy tourists closer to the surface. Their task was to ensure the safety of everyone and bring them back on board when the activity ended.

Before long, the dozen or so tourists dispersed within an area of tens of meters. The most people gathered around a more obvious protrusion, but to their disappointment, it wasn't the wreckage of a ship but a purely natural underwater rock.

At first, Zhang Hainuo was cautious and followed a sturdy and skilled swimmer among the tourists. However, something faintly reflecting light from the sea surface attracted his attention not far away. Moreover, it seemed farther than he had estimated. Unconsciously, he began to lag behind the main group.

At this time, the sea surface was undergoing a rapid change, but Zhang Hainuo was completely unaware. He was holding a flashlight and trying to dig through the soft mud on the seabed. Gradually appearing in front of him was a spherical object on top and cylindrical at the bottom, resembling the tip of an enlarged scepter, covered in thick encrustations with no discernible patterns or inscriptions, but it appeared to be made of some kind of metal.

Zhang Hainuo pulled hard, but the thing didn't budge, and it seemed there was still a long section buried in the mud. What was this thing? His curiosity was driven by his great desire for knowledge. So, he continued to dig around the mud with all his effort.

On the sea surface, the waves grew bigger one after another, and the boat was swaying more and more worryingly. After a few lightning flashes, a loud thunder resounded across the sea, and pea-sized raindrops poured down like a deluge. The captain, the guide, and the tourists who had already boarded were helping to pull up those who had just surfaced. When the last crew member gasped and climbed aboard, the guide counted and found that four people were missing!

In desperation, three staff members with scuba gear had to dive back into the water to search for the remaining unlucky ones.

In fact, at the moment when the thunder sounded, Zhang Hainuo on the seabed finally realized that something was wrong. Even with the beam of the flashlight, he could only see a few meters away. Under these circumstances, he made an immediate decision in his mind: he must abandon this new discovery and return to the boat!

However, to his surprise, Zhang Hainuo found himself unable to float up no matter what he did. The scepter-like object was emitting a mysterious blue light in the darkness. Suddenly, a sensation like being electrocuted spread all over his body, and Zhang Hainuo immediately lost consciousness...