Chapter Thirty-Four: The Fishing Harbor

There were not many official members in the fishing team, barely more than twenty in total. But those who left with Qin Zhen numbered at least fifty or sixty. Although only the fishing team members received wages, anyone who came along to help could take home a couple of fish as well.

Looking back, the crowd stretched in a long procession, reminiscent of a gang leader leading his crew through the streets.

They passed by Small Rock Village. Since Li Erniu had moved the villagers to Little Fishing Village, the place stood empty, now serving as a temporary rest stop for Liu Quan and his group. At the moment, the village was deserted; likely everyone had gone down to help.

From a distance, they could see the outskirts of Deepwater Bay. The dense forest had been cut away, exposing a vast open space. Rows of wooden stakes stood upright, forming massive wooden walls that enclosed the entire bay, leaving only a narrow path for entry and exit.

“Heave—ho!”

Liu Quan was leading his men in laying timber over the sea, tying ropes to the logs and lifting them, the bases sunk deep into the muddy water below—this was the foundation. Once the foundation was set, a large platform could be built atop it, forming a dock.

“Brother Liu, busy as ever.”

“Oh, Zhen’s here? Come give us a hand!”

Hearing this, Qin Zhen hurried over with his men to help. By the time they finished setting the foundation, everyone was drenched in sweat.

“Brother Liu, has anything happened these past few days?” Qin Zhen handed him a bowl of water.

Li Erniu had warned that pirates had once landed here. If they had come once, there would be a second time. After the major pirate incursion a decade ago, the Shang Dynasty established a navy along the coast to prevent further raids. In recent years, there had been no large-scale battles, but smaller pirate infiltrations still occurred from time to time.

These damned pirates would come ashore under the cover of darkness, evading naval patrols, slaughtering defenseless villagers! Murder, arson, looting—there was nothing they wouldn’t do!

To Qin Zhen, pirates were even more detestable than mountain bandits.

“What could possibly happen?” Liu Quan gulped down the water and pointed to the distant cliff top. “We’ve got lookouts posted there. If anything stirs, we’ll know right away.” He paused, wiping sweat from his brow. “Besides, it’s been a long time since pirates caused trouble here. I doubt those black dwarfs could get through.”

“Black dwarfs” was their name for the pirates. They weren’t people of Shang, but foreigners—short, dark, and brutish, living on islands in the sea.

In the past, before Shang had a navy, these black dwarfs often raided the coast. But ever since the navy was established and patrols increased, pirate attacks had diminished.

“Still, we can’t be complacent,” Qin Zhen said, handing something to Liu Quan.

It was a repeating crossbow.

He spoke solemnly, “Pick a few trustworthy brothers, just in case.”

“Is that really necessary?” Liu Quan hesitated. He knew well the power of these crossbows. Lately, when Qin Zhen wasn’t working on fishing nets, he was making these weapons. Chen Shu led the village guard into the woods daily to hunt and practice archery—all with repeating crossbows. Every time Liu Quan saw Chen Shu firing those bolts with a flick of his finger, he was full of envy! But now that Qin Zhen was handing one to him, Liu Quan felt rather uneasy.

“These aren’t plentiful. You’re giving us five—will Old Chen’s group have enough?”

As far as he knew, Qin Zhen only had ten crossbows in total. Even the village guard barely had enough. If they handed some out here, what would the village do? After all, the guard protected over three hundred people in Little Fishing Village.

“Your safety is just as important,” Qin Zhen replied, gesturing to the crossbow. “Do you know how to use it?”

“Of course!” Liu Quan deftly nocked and fired an arrow.

“I’ve been itching to try this thing ever since I saw Old Chen using it to hunt rabbits! Every time I asked to borrow one for practice, that old dog guarded it like treasure, afraid I’d break it! Now that I’ve got one, let’s see him act all high and mighty!”

Liu Quan immediately called over four others—all familiar faces from the village, reliable men.

“Good thing Zhen cares about us, bringing crossbows for our protection! Thank him, everyone!”

“Thank you, Zhen!” the four chorused.

“Is that how you address him?” Liu Quan frowned. “Call him Brother Zhen!”

“Thank you, Brother Zhen!” they echoed again.

Qin Zhen couldn’t help but laugh.

After some light conversation and letting Liu Quan catch his breath, he clapped his hands, raised his voice, and started giving orders to prepare for sea.

In the whole village, only Liu Quan and Li Erniu were truly skilled in the water. Deepwater Bay was treacherous and unpredictable. To be safe, only the best swimmers would go first.

Just like before, Liu Quan and his men prepared to launch the logs into the sea. But this time, instead of individual logs, they had lashed several together to form a “raft,” thick ropes nailed between the logs and tied to a large tree onshore, ensuring the contraption wouldn’t be carried off by the waves.

“Zhen, why don’t you stay ashore this time?” Li Han asked worriedly.

Who knew Qin Zhen would want to go into the water as well?

“He’s right, Zhen. You’ve never been in the water since you were a child. Don’t take risks,” Liu Quan agreed. “Who knows what currents and whirlpools are out there? If you really want to fish, let me and Erniu check it out first.”

“Benefactor, this is no joke,” Li Erniu added. “A single misstep could cost you your life!”

But Qin Zhen ignored their concerns, tying a rope around himself with practiced ease.

He could have waited on shore, letting Liu Quan explore first. He could have sat back and let others take the risks while he reaped the rewards. But he wanted the recognition and respect of everyone.

As more people came to Little Fishing Village, doubts about Qin Zhen grew. Outwardly, everyone seemed warm and enthusiastic, but in truth, many respected Liu Quan and Chen Shu more than Qin Zhen. Who would willingly follow a green, untested youth? Especially these tough, hardened men who made their living in unforgiving wilderness!

Qin Zhen said gravely, “I’m part of the fishing team too. I can’t let you take all the risks.”

These words earned him the approval of many present.

“Well said!”

“He may be young, but he’s got guts!”

As the saying goes, to win the respect of real men, you have to be even more of a man than they are!

Besides, before crossing over, Qin Zhen had served as a soldier and could swim. He trained for the triathlon every day. He had faced harsher environments than Deepwater Bay—these little waves meant nothing to him.

Seeing that Qin Zhen was resolute, Liu Quan could say no more. He simply resolved to keep a close eye on him in the water and make sure he wasn’t swept away by the currents.

Usually Liu Quan would shout the command to go, but this time he left the honor to Qin Zhen.

Qin Zhen smiled faintly. Standing on the raft, he looked at the ready fishing team and called out in a loud voice:

“To the sea!”