Chapter 15 Setting Sail

40 barrels of diesel, totaling nearly 7 tons with the barrels, took several trips on two carts to transport them from the oil depot to the cargo ship "Fast" that Zhang Hainuo and his team bought in the afternoon. By the time all preparations such as coal, fresh water, and food were ready, it was already completely dark.

"This is your wage for today!" Zhang Hainuo counted out 10 notes from the thick stack of bills and handed them to the Turkish guide who had been with them all day.

The visibly shorter Turkish youth compared to himself took the money, counted it, and then handed back 5 notes to Zhang Hainuo.

"Sir, it's 100 pounds for the guide fee, 200 pounds for the jewelry store transaction commission, 200 pounds for the ship purchase commission, 500 pounds will do!"

"Plus the 500 pounds I prepaid you, you need to join us for this voyage, otherwise, how can we communicate with that strange captain!"

Though Zhang Hainuo's words left little room for negotiation, his tone was not harsh. The young German-speaking guide carefully put away the 10 banknotes and then asked, tilting his head up:

"Sir, when are you planning to depart? How many days will it take to return approximately?"

"When to depart, you need to ask your captain friend. We not only have to safely navigate through the harbor's minefield but also try to avoid British warships!"

Zhang Hainuo glanced back at the busy Elgar, the "boozy captain." While he was away buying oil, Elgar not only arranged for coal but also procured a set of clean clothes for himself and tidied up his beard and hair, revealing his true appearance: a face with an Asian skin tone and European features, resembling somewhat the people from Xinjiang. Obviously due to years of exposure to the elements at sea, his originally tanned skin now showed a healthy bronze color. With his beard shaved off, he looked no more than thirty-six or seven years old.

"Alright, I'll go ask!" The young guide hurried back to the ship and talked to the captain for about two minutes before returning to Zhang Hainuo's side.

"Mr. Elgar said it's best to wait for fog before setting sail. That way, we're less likely to be spotted by British warships! If you're not in a hurry, waiting for three to five days should be fine!"

"Three to five days?" Zhang Hainuo pondered with his chin resting on his hand. If they returned late, Hessen and the others would surely be worried. So he shook his head, "Tomorrow, we must set sail at the latest!"

The guide dashed back to the ship to communicate with his captain friend. Zhang Hainuo saw the captain shaking his head at first, but after a while, he came down from the ship and walked over to Zhang Hainuo.

The Turkish captain was slim, appearing taller from a distance than Blatz, but in reality, he was just over six feet tall. It was clear he also had a stubborn streak. When he reached Zhang Hainuo, he gesticulated wildly.

"Sir, he says if we don't have fog cover, there's a high chance of being spotted by British warships. If they find Germans and diesel on board, they will definitely seize the ship!"

Zhang Hainuo didn't directly respond to Elgar's words but asked Alsalan, "Didn't you say British warships only come to the harbor every two or three days?"

The guide licked his lips. "Maybe two or three days, maybe one or two days. It's unpredictable! Mr. Elgar has more say in this matter than me!"

Zhang Hainuo didn't pursue further but let him tell Elgar that he was pressed for time, so the earlier they set sail, the better.

Elgar, strangely, looked up at the sky. After almost a minute, he said:

"If you're willing to take some risks, tonight is an opportunity to set sail!"

Zhang Hainuo looked up and saw an unobstructed full moon.

"The moonlight is strong tonight, so the visibility on the sea should be very good!"

When the guide relayed this message to Elgar, the Turkish captain simply said:

"There's a sixty percent chance of setting sail tonight. Waiting for another week will give us ninety percent chance!"

Sixty percent chance?

Zhang Hainuo thought to himself, that was already a decent proportion. Since coming to this world, every operational action he took was a risk. Moreover, according to another probability theory, the chances of encountering the enemy at sea were either one hundred percent or zero.

Before setting sail on the Fast, Alsalan happily went home for a visit. Zhang Hainuo and the others had a meal with roasted meat, bread, fruits, and locally brewed alcohol bought from the street. Elgar didn't hesitate to grab a handful of lamb and two pieces of bread and brought them into the cabin, then came back to eat, alternating between sips of alcohol and bites of meat.

In Zhang Hainuo's impression, Muslim women didn't always hide behind veils and headscarves like Arab women. But since they boarded the ship, Elgar's wife stayed mostly in the cabin they lived in, only faintly heard comforting the children inside.

When buying this ship, Zhang Hainuo originally thought Elgar only had one baby still in diapers, but he was wrong. This seafaring Turkish family surprisingly had four children! At first, they all hid with their mother in the cabin, but as the smell of food spread, they came out one by one like little squirrels. The oldest girl looked to be about five or six years old, with two cute braids tied behind her head. Without saying a word, she looked at everyone eating with her big watery eyes. Zhang Hainuo gave her a piece of lamb, and the little girl happily ran back into the cabin.

The second girl had fairer skin but not quite reaching the level of Europeans. She was just a little shorter than her sister, with her hair scattered, leaning against her father. Elgar quietly asked her something and then took out a big apple from the fruits. The little girl looked shyly at the others before starting to eat slowly.

The third child, a boy with short hair and wearing large shorts, looked to be two or three years old. Zhang Hainuo naturally assumed he was a boy despite being a Turkish child with sparse, yellow hair. He kindly let him sit next to him to eat, and soon, the kid ran to the cabin door to relieve himself. Zhang Hainuo glanced inadvertently and realized he was also a girl!

When everyone was almost full, the guide returned, possibly handing over the money he earned to his grandfather. The tightly guarded small bag was replaced with a large backpack, bulging with who knew what.

Despite his small stature, this kid's appetite was not much worse than Blatz's. He greeted everyone as he came in and began to eat, grabbing a large piece of lamb with his left hand and a flatbread with his right, as if he had just been released from ten years of imprisonment.

"Are all of Elgar's four children girls?" Zhang Hainuo asked in a low voice.

"Uh? Uh!" At this moment, Alsalan seemed like a chipmunk with a large nut stuffed in its mouth, his cheeks bulging roundly, unable to speak, so he just nodded along with "uh uh".

Poor Elgar, the family pressure is really high! Zhang Hainuo thought, perhaps it's because of having four daughters in a row that he's so depressed and resorts to drinking every day? It seems like there's an opportunity to instill in him the idea that having sons or daughters is the same.

After dinner, Simon and the others loaded the last few barrels of diesel into the cargo hold. What was originally a spacious cargo hold was now mostly occupied by barrels of diesel, bags of grain, five goats, and two crates of live chickens. Since the cabins had been "occupied" by Elgar's family, Zhang Hainuo and the others had no choice but to hang a few hammocks in the remaining space. Before setting off, Elgar insisted on draining half of the fresh water from the bilge. Although everyone didn't quite understand why, Zhang Hainuo felt that he must have had his reasons for doing so. Besides, the remaining several tons of fresh water would be enough for the crew on Hessen Island for a while!