Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 662: 402, Set sail!_2 Chapter 662: 402, Set sail!_2 On the deck, someone had to operate the crane; two people pulled up the crab cage, and someone sorted the King Crabs into the hold.

If four people could not be assembled, there would really be no need to set sail.

Zhang Jian fell silent, he might not be able to find any other crew members, having Qing Chen here, he shouldn’t give up.

After all, with Qing Chen included, their manpower was already stretched thin; they could not even take turns to rest.

But Zhang Jian still said earnestly, “No, I’m tempted, but I cannot take you to sea and risk it. You don’t know what you’ll face, but I do. Prolonged exhaustive work could kill you at sea.”

Qing Chen thought for a moment, “What if I call another crew member, and both of us just take the base salary?”

Zhang Jian was stunned for a moment, “That… might actually work.”

The next second, Qing Chen pulled out his phone and made a call, “Hurry up, let’s get on the boat together.”

Zhang Jian stood rooted to the spot in a daze; more than ten minutes later, he saw a girl in a lightweight hoodie and a beanie, carrying a small bag, walking toward them.

Qing Chen said with a smile, “Let me introduce you, this is Yangyang, my friend. She’s also willing to join us in the King Crab fishing.”

In fact, when Qing Chen decided to come overseas to complete the third life-and-death challenge, he had already thought of making Yangyang his Protector.

The dangers faced by a Knight weren’t just from nature but also from the human heart.

Qing Chen knew he was being targeted, so it probably wasn’t too much to find a Protector at this time.

After all, his mentor Chen Jiazhang had been deliberately sabotaged during a challenge, forcing Chen Jiazhang to abruptly reverse his Reverse Breathing Technique, cutting off his path to becoming a Demigod.

Yangyang had arrived at Schiphol Airport a day earlier; even the black plastic bag that assisted Qing Chen in disguising his escape in the restroom, she had hidden there in advance.

Before departing, Qing Chen had specifically reminded her to take a flight. Whenever possible, to avoid walking and not delay important matters.

Fortunately, Yangyang had followed his instructions.

However, Zhang Jian was completely flabbergasted. Could such a frail-looking girl truly serve as a crew member?

A high school dropout like Qing Chen, a frail-looking girl—had his vessel, the Arctic, truly fallen to such a state?

Zhang Jian asked, “You two aren’t study-abroad students here for a life experience, are you? You don’t have work visas either.”

Yangyang said with a grin, “Does that matter? If we’re just taking the base salary, we might as well be considered tourists on the crabbing boat.”

“But you two…”

Yangyang said seriously, “I have a second place in a sailing competition and have crossed the Indian Ocean solo. I’m a bit better than Qing Chen here. I know what we will encounter in the Barents Sea, so don’t worry.”

Qing Chen turned to look at the girl with surprise, wondering why she started to downgrade him.

Nevertheless, the girl seemed to be in a great mood; after a long journey, she fancied a trip and immediately agreed after receiving the call from Qing Chen.

Zhang Jian silently sized up the young man and woman before him, feeling this year’s crabbing season was filled with absurdity.

He mulled for a long time, finally saying, “Alright, the first trip at sea will be about 7 days. If the two of you can’t endure the hardships on board, you can leave when we return to port the first time.”

Typically, the crabbing season lasts 15 days and doesn’t extend beyond a month.

Crab boats will set out for multiple trips, returning only when their holds are full.

The Arctic’s quota is 300,000 pounds, and its hold capacity is 150,000 pounds, so they would return to port once to unload, replenish fuel and fresh water, and then set sail again.

Last year, however, the Arctic had a meager harvest, with just two trips yielding 70,000 pounds of King Crab, barely covering the fuel costs.

This year, Zhang Jian spent 400,000 euros on ship repairs. After his father’s death, a significant inheritance tax was due, and even the 180 crab pots were rented, for 15 days, and had to be returned on time.

So, Zhang Jian had no way out.

He had to take a gamble this time.

This was also why the other captains were squeezing him out, trying to snatch his quota.

Qing Chen looked at Zhang Jian, “By the way, what about the other crew members?”

In the two days waiting for the season to begin, somehow the word spread that this time the Arctic had hired a high school dropout and a female crew member.

Soon, the sailors at the port were all abuzz with laughter, who would use a female crew member to catch King Crab?

The work on a crabbing boat is intensely strenuous and cruel; not many women can withstand such tasks.

In the pub, many started betting on how many King Crabs the Arctic would haul in that year.

Some said it would be the same as last year, 70,000 pounds.

Others said it might be even less than 50,000 pounds.

Everyone believed that Zhang Jian might not even recoup the fuel costs this year, let alone afford the rental for the crab pots.

Resorting to a pair of 17-year-olds as crew members meant Zhang Jian really had no other options.

It seemed at the end of this crabbing season, Zhang Jian could only file for personal bankruptcy.

From start to finish, no one thought Qing Chen and Yangyang could lend much help on the boat.

…

…

Just before the day the season was about to start, a Turkish Airlines Boeing aircraft landed at Schiphol Airport.

In first class, He Jinqiu stood up and stretched.

The flight attendant warmly said, “Mr. He, please take the shuttle prepared for first-class passengers to exit the airport.”