Chapter 10: The Bonds of Fate

Having gone over the documents repeatedly, Zhang Hainuo couldn't discern much difference, and the long wait was testing the patience of this ambitious young officer.

He wrote a letter to Anna to assure her of his safety, but there were no mailboxes or postal carriers here, so Zhang Hainuo reluctantly put away the documents in his hand and chose a place where a dozen or so crew members were gathered to sit down.

He soon noticed that these crew members weren't chatting; rather, one person was speaking while the others listened intently. They were so engrossed in listening that few noticed their captain's arrival.

The one speaking was named Martinson, the dedicated mechanical repairman on U21. Zhang Hainuo was impressed by him because he was renowned on U21 as a great storyteller. Despite his unremarkable appearance, Martinson seemed to have an endless supply of stories, with the most captivating ones revolving around pirate adventures and pirate treasures.

After listening for a while, Zhang Hainuo realized that he had heard this story before on U21. Admittedly, the extravagant and adventurous lifestyle of the pirates had always fascinated many young people, and the tales of mysterious treasure maps and rumored vast riches were both enthralling and poignant. For centuries, countless individuals had sought the treasures left behind by famous pirates, but unfortunately, most returned empty-handed. It was often the unexpected ones who stumbled upon the treasure...

Standing on the deck of the submarine, gazing out at the sea, Zhang Hainuo couldn't help but think that even if Hessen managed to retrieve valuable items from the shipwrecks this time, they couldn't stay here for too long. The rapid changes in post-war Germany and the increasing influence of the person he was concerned about in the coming years meant they had to seize opportunities quickly. Furthermore, a global economic crisis was looming in eleven years. Zhang Hainuo had already pondered countless times how to leverage this crisis to expand his economic power. Before that economic crisis arrived, Wall Street's stock market would be a paradise for speculators.

Of course, to build a career, one needed money.

Hessen and his crew should still be at sea! Zhang Hainuo thought, wondering about their first target. He hoped the cargo ship they encountered wouldn't be sunk at a depth of a hundred meters!

During the war, the British Navy often tracked German submarines via radio, so Zhang Hainuo and Hessen had agreed not to use wireless communication unless it was an emergency.

As the saying goes, "no news is good news," so Zhang Hainuo could only wait day by day. In the days that followed, Martinson continued to tell stories tirelessly. Due to this, Zhang Hainuo authorized an extra pot of fresh water for him every day. The rest of the crew continued with their activities, playing cards or reading. Each evening, Zhang Hainuo would gather everyone for a brief morale boost.

However, as time passed, the crew's anxiety began to show, and by the seventh day, Zhang Hainuo was starting to worry about the supplies and fuel on U21. Fortunately, in the evening, the lookout post on the hill suddenly signaled: U21 was returning!

The hopeful anticipation eased slightly as Zhang Hainuo began to worry about Hessen's haul this time. If they returned empty-handed, the remaining fuel on U148 would only allow for one more such expedition. The hope wasn't entirely extinguished, but Zhang Hainuo knew it would be their last chance. If they returned empty-handed again, they would have to consider contacting the Turks to sell the equipment and firearms on board in exchange for some oil, but this would significantly increase the risk of exposure!

An hour later, U21 finally appeared in Zhang Hainuo's line of sight. Seeing a large object covered with canvas on the submarine's foredeck, Zhang Hainuo's tense heart finally relaxed – whatever it was, having something was better than nothing.

However, the treasure they salvaged from the seabed seemed too large!

Zhang Hainuo's curiosity didn't last long. As the crew left the submarine, they eagerly welcomed U21. When the canvas was removed, they saw a somewhat rusty but not completely corroded safe.

"It was too sturdy; the welding torch was useless, so we had to bring it back and blow it up!" Hessen explained helplessly as soon as he arrived. He then informed Zhang Hainuo that out of the planned three salvage points, only the last two had opportunities for salvage. They had found a pitiful amount of French silver coins in the first shipwreck and only discovered this large safe in the captain's cabin of the third shipwreck two days later!

"Dynamite? Won't it make too much noise?" Zhang Hainuo looked worriedly at the crew members as they carried the safe, which was about a person wide and half a person tall. Although there were no ships nearby, one explosion might attract unseen enemies beyond the horizon!

"It's simple; we'll wait for a rainy day!" Hessen's answer was straightforward and reasonable.

After some thought, Zhang Hainuo realized there was indeed no better way.

"Be sure to calculate the amount of dynamite properly; don't blow it up entirely!" Hessen joked half-seriously. It was evident that the crew's mood was good because of this large safe. The crew members who waited on the island with Zhang Hainuo speculated about what might be inside the safe.

"Banknotes! A whole box of pounds! There must be millions of pounds!" one crew member optimistically predicted.

"But won't the banknotes get soaked by seawater?" another crew member seemed very concerned.

"Um... I don't think so!" an older crew member on U21 expressed his opinion.

"They might! Why don't you try it with some Deutsche Marks!"

...

Regarding these debates, Zhang Hainuo simply smiled. He remembered that Hessen had sunk the ship with a torpedo, and no crew members had survived. If the safe had originally contained valuable items, they should still be inside! What exactly was inside would be revealed on the day of thunder and lightning!