Chapter 171: Chapter 170: Putting Out to Sea

Feng Shan returned to the log cabin after the sea trial.

Frank was packing his bags with his new girlfriend, ready to leave. He asked with a wide smile.

"Hey, princess. Want to come crabbing with us tomorrow? Get a taste of a real man’s life."

"Dude, do you think I’m an idiot?" Frank rolled his eyes.

’Everyone knows that fishing for deep-sea crab in the Bering Sea means, on average, one Crab Fisherman dies every seven days. You have to work twenty-one hours a day. What’s the point of earning more money if you’re not alive to spend it? I, for one, cherish my life.’

"I’ve already booked a flight back to Fairbanks. The air on this island is just too humid. Kailinda can’t even show me her new swimsuit."

Frank held up a swimsuit that looked like it was made of just a few strips of fabric. His new girlfriend casually took it from him and held it against her body to model it.

’You call *that* a swimsuit?’

Feng Shan was at a loss for words. "You two should just get going. Don’t ruin my good mood."

"When are you heading back to the Crown Territory? Those tourists still haven’t left!" Frank said, picking up his suitcase with a grin.

"In a few days. I’ll head back after one trip for snow crab!" Feng Shan said with a wave of his hand.

A car horn honked outside.

"We’re off!" Frank said, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend’s slender waist and leaving the cabin without a backward glance.

Feng Shan watched them get into the car. He was long used to these intermittent farewells. He went back inside, sat by the window, and took out his phone while admiring the sea view.

Nash and Wawa had been gone for about three days now.

’I wonder how things are going.’

He called Chief Bird.

It connected after a few rings. Feng Shan heard a strange SLURP SLURP sound from the other end, followed by Chief Bird’s voice.

"Man, why do you always call at the most critical moments?"

Feng Shan sighed to himself. ’What a bunch of weirdos I’m surrounded by.’ "How about I hang up? I can give you three minutes."

"Three minutes? Are you insulting me?" Chief Bird said, his tone full of dissatisfaction. "But on to business. You’re incredible. You managed to find the killer for a two-year-old murder case. What’s your secret? You know, I’ve got dozens of cold cases just like that, with no leads."

"It’s all thanks to God’s guidance. If you can’t solve your cases, you just aren’t devout enough." Feng Shan joked, trying to change the subject. ’If I let Bird get started, he’ll end up asking me to investigate cases for him.’ "So, what happened to that person?"

"Just as you said, we handed him over to Poynette Village to be dealt with."

What?

’Handed over to Poynette Village?’

’I never said that.’

’Wawa must have made that decision herself.’

Feng Shan didn’t expose the lie. He exchanged a few more pleasantries with Chief Bird and then hung up.

’The main culprit has been caught. As for the other two accomplices, the Inuit should have their own ways of finding them.’

’In that case, my part is done.’

Feng Shan got up and went into the kitchen, where he found a bag of bread. Since he was heading out to sea crabbing early the next morning, he had a simple dinner and went to bed early.

...

「Early the next morning.」

It was pitch-black outside. A howling wind swept across the Bering Sea, and raindrops hammered against the windows.

The sea, stirred by the wind, churned violently, its roaring waves and the lashing rain weaving together into a furious symphony.

’Perfect weather today.’

After finding a raincoat in the storage room, Feng Shan sat in the living room to wait for Alvin.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

A series of urgent knocks echoed.

He pulled open the door. Alvin stood there, his expression placid as rain streamed continuously down his raincoat.

"Boss, are you ready?"

Feng Shan nodded and stepped out of the cabin.

The Pickup Truck was filled with the same crew members who always hitched a ride. The lucky ones had snagged seats in the back, while the unlucky ones could only squat in the truck bed, letting the rain beat down on them. The crew, however, seemed used to it, chatting and laughing as they normally would.

"Breakfast, Boss!" A crewman handed him a sausage sandwich and a can of beer.

Feng Shan thanked him, took the breakfast, and began to eat.

The Pickup Truck drove all the way to the Merchant Fishing Pier. The pier was exceptionally busy; other Crabbing Boats were also setting out today, planning to get one last haul in before the Gray-eyed Snow Crab season ended.

According to Alvin, the water temperature in the Bering Sea had risen this year, causing a massive, sudden die-off of snow crabs. The 3,450-ton quota issued by the Fish and Game Department was less than halfway met, and many boat owners had lost their shirts.

Fortunately, this trip for the River Beach was just a trial run. They weren’t focused on the results, but mainly on testing the boat’s performance in preparation for the official season.

Smaller Crabbing Boats were docked next to the River Beach, looking like tiny figures huddling against a giant.

Rain pattered against the hulls, making a crisp sound.

The waves were too high in the morning for the smaller Crabbing Boats to leave port. Their captains and crews could only wait at the pier for the wind and waves to calm down before heading out.

The crews of these smaller boats looked on with envy, their gazes fixed on the River Beach.

They’d heard the ship had a sauna, private quarters, and even a proper dining room and kitchen. The other captains, however, just muttered all sorts of foul curses under their breath about the River Beach.

Alvin parked the Pickup Truck near the pier. The crew members who had arrived earlier were taking shelter from the rain under the eaves of a factory. When they saw their captain, they all gathered around.

Feng Shan was wearing a raincoat, so the crew didn’t recognize him at first.

"First Mate, roll call! If they’re not here, they’re not coming," Alvin shouted, standing in the rain.

A burly man stepped forward, took out a roster, and began calling names. All thirty crew members were present.

Hearing the crew’s strong responses, a sense of pride welled up in Alvin.

’He had handpicked every one of them. They all had extensive crabbing experience and a professional attitude. He could trust them not to cause any trouble on board.’

"All aboard!" Alvin turned and strode toward the boat.

The crew of thirty-plus men moved as one, their presence like a surging wave. Wherever they went, dockworkers and other sailors stepped aside to make way, looking at the team with envy, wishing they could be a part of it.

They boarded the River Beach.

The crewmen went to their stations, and Feng Shan followed Alvin to the wheelhouse.

"Boss, you should take the captain’s chair," Alvin said, pointing to the single seat in front of the helm. Feng Shan just smiled and shook his head. "You’re the captain. Don’t mind me."

Seeing Feng Shan’s firm refusal, Alvin didn’t press the issue. He took the captain’s chair and began issuing orders to the First Mate.

"Check the engine room."

"Check communications and navigation."

"Check firefighting equipment and lifeboats."

"Copy that!" the First Mate responded, picking up the ship’s intercom to relay the captain’s orders.

As confirmations came back from each station over the intercom, Alvin hit the ignition.

The water churned at the stern of the River Beach. After a moment, the massive hull began to move. Under the watchful eyes of everyone on the pier, the ship turned to face the fierce winds and giant waves, heading out into the Bering Sea.

Standing in the wheelhouse, Feng Shan couldn’t help but feel a surge of nervousness as three-meter-high waves crashed against the River Beach, one after another.

However, the River Beach’s axe-shaped bow was like an unstoppable Sharp Blade, cleaving through the waves with ease.

Each collision with a wave produced a tremendous sound, sending water spraying out to either side of the bow in a V of white foam.

Despite the surging waves, the River Beach’s hull was surprisingly stable. Although it rocked and swayed, from Alvin’s perspective, it was no different from walking on a flat road.

Feng Shan held onto a grab rail, watching Alvin calmly control the River Beach, and nodded to himself in approval.

’I definitely hired the right man for the job!’

’Now, let’s see how he is at catching crabs.’

The River Beach pressed onward, cutting through the wind and waves. On the main work deck, crew members tethered by safety lines busily prepared the crab pots, stuffing bait bags with minced cod, herring, and sardines.

They entered a stretch of sea where the wind and waves were relatively calm.

Alvin handed the helm over to the First Mate and led Feng Shan to the radar navigation display, pointing to a curved area on the screen.

"This is a deep-sea fjord called Wraith Bay. It’s a resting point for migrating Gray-eyed Snow Crab, so most Crabbing Boats drop their pots here. I plan to set our pots just before Wraith Bay; we might be able to intercept a whole cluster of them."

"You’re the captain, it’s your call. But I have to ask, why don’t we use equipment like detectors and sonar to find the snow crabs? Wouldn’t that make fishing easier?"

Hearing this question, Alvin’s expression changed. He glanced at the First Mate, who was focused on steering the ship, then pulled Feng Shan aside.

"Boss, you can’t say things like that out loud."

"Why not?" Feng Shan asked, looking puzzled.

"When you’re crabbing in Alaska, the Fish and Game Department strictly prohibits using that kind of equipment in the Bering Sea. Sonar, especially, emits sound waves that can interfere with the behavior of marine life. For animals that rely on sound to navigate or communicate, that interference can be fatal."

"To protect marine life and the ecosystem and avoid causing unnecessary harm, the Fish and Game Department has banned the use of sonar detectors in all Bering Sea crabbing operations."

Alvin paused for a moment before continuing.

"Besides, snow crabs have peculiar habits. Their movements aren’t fixed, and they often hide in complex underwater terrain like reefs and sea grass. Detectors and sonar aren’t very accurate at pinpointing crabs in that kind of environment anyway."

"So how do you find them? It’s all based on experience?" Feng Shan hadn’t expected to get such an advanced Crabbing Boat, only to have to rely on the most primitive fishing methods.

Alvin nodded. "A crabbing boat is completely reliant on the captain’s experience. By observing the marine environment, the currents, the weather, and other factors, and combining that with years of knowledge, he can make an educated guess about where the crabs might be. Of course, it’s possible to be wrong."

"That’s why crabbing in the Bering Sea is both the most expensive and the most profitable fishing industry. A single trip can make you a millionaire, or it can leave you buried in debt."

"Alright, Captain. I’ll defer to your arrangements," Feng Shan said, deciding not to meddle anymore.

’Professional matters should be left to the professionals. My backseat driving will only cause trouble for the River Beach.’

’And as for what *I’m* good at...’

’...that would be Witchcraft.’

Just as Alvin left the wheelhouse to go inspect the crew’s progress with the crab pots on the work deck, Feng Shan approached the Totem Wooden Statue to communicate with it.

’The Fire Seed within the Totem Wooden Statue has no consciousness of its own. It is simply a Fire Seed, bound to obey the commands of the main tribe’s Fire Seed and the Witch.’

Feng Shan placed a Breathing Technique Spell into the Totem Fire, commanding it to use the least amount of Soul Power possible to release the Breathing Technique and attach it to the crab pots before they were dropped into the sea.

The Fire Seed flickered faintly, as if in response to Feng Shan’s command.

Faint wisps of the Breathing Technique, powered by Soul Power, flew from the Totem Wooden Statue and precisely attached themselves to each and every crab pot on the deck.

To anyone else, the crab pots were just cold, steel cages. But in Feng Shan’s eyes, each one now shimmered with the faint glow of Soul Power.

’As soon as they’re dropped in the sea, an endless stream of snow crabs will find their way into the pots.’

...