Night's Nomenclature
Chapter 402: Setting Sail

"Congratulations to North Pole on finding a new crew member! Cheers!"

In the dim light of the Walnut Bar, a captain raised his whiskey, but his tone was strangely playful.

The sailors burst into laughter: "Old John is getting old, the rest on the North Pole are new crew members. He probably can't even throw the grapple hook properly."

Zhang Jian looked at the sailors and whispered to Qing Chen, "Let's find another place to talk. We can discuss your salary and the job."

"Okay," Qing Chen nodded with a smile.

Just as the two were about to leave, a captain named Craig stood up and said, "Wait, this… Qing, my Alps also needs crew. Why don't you join us? You'll definitely earn more than on the North Pole."

The sailors were stunned.

Alps was the crab fishing champion last year, and their crew selection was very strict; they generally didn't use new crew members.

On deck, all the sailors share the risks and Face^[-] waves that can be as high as nine meters or even higher.

Everyone hopes to have an experienced hand by their side when facing danger, as this increases their chances of survival.

After all, this is one of the most dangerous professions in the world.

Craig, in an attempt to undermine Zhang Jian and get his quota, chose to poach his crew. This wasn't a wise move, as Alps was already full, and Qing Chen was a newbie.

But Craig didn't say much. He looked at Qing Chen and said, "You just need to know how to cook, and Alps can give you a spot."

Everyone understood. Craig was trying to spend money to prevent Zhang Jian from getting enough crew, so he couldn't go to sea.

If Zhang Jian sold his quota, Craig would still be making a profit even if he hired an extra person.

But Qing Chen just smiled: "No, I prefer adventure."

Seeing that Qing Chen had made up his mind, Craig stopped talking. He turned to Zhang Jian and said, "Are you sure you want to use this young man? Do you think he has the strength to pull the crab traps on deck?"

Zhang Jian hesitated: "That's none of your concern."

Qing Chen said with a smile: "I'm very strong."

Then he turned and left the Walnut Bar.

Zhang Jian quickly followed.

In the cold wind, Zhang Jian asked excitedly, "How old are you this year?"

Qing Chen smiled: "17."

Zhang Jian was stunned: "So young?"

The physical strength of an adult male usually doesn't fully develop until around 24 years old. 17 years old isn't just about age, it's about whether their energy and stamina can keep up with the pace of a crab fishing boat.

However… Zhang Jian couldn't be picky. He instructed: "There are five of us on board, including you: me, Old John, Neidapu, George, and you. Once on board, listen to Old John's instructions. He will take good care of you… I hope you can hold up."

Qing Chen changed the subject, curiously asking: "Are you Chinese? Do you speak Chinese?"

"I can speak it, but not fluently," Zhang Jian continued in English. "My grandfather settled in Europe in the 1940s and has always been involved in the fishing industry. It was my father's generation that got its own fishing boat, working hard to obtain the license to catch Emperor Crabs, but it might be lost in my hands."

"Don't worry," Qing Chen smiled, "I'll try not to hold everyone back."

Zhang Jian asked: "By the way, which boats have you worked on before? Cruise ships?"

Generally, only cruise ships would hire a crew member like Qing Chen as a waiter. But strictly speaking, this kind of waiter is not considered a sailor.

Qing Chen explained seriously: "Actually, this upcoming crab fishing trip is my first time going to sea."

Zhang Jian, in the dimly lit street outside the harbor, opened his mouth wide, looking at Qing Chen: "What? First time at sea?! You're not kidding, right? Do you know how big the waves are in the Barents Sea? I've seen waves as high as several stories when a 50-knot hurricane hits! You probably don't even know if you'll get seasick. If you do, there's really no one on board who has time to take care of you."

Qing Chen thought for a moment: "Don't worry, I won't get seasick."

At one point, Zhang Jian suddenly felt that when he mentioned the strong waves in the Barents Sea, this new crew member's eyes lit up, as if he was looking forward to it.

It's like saying: Really? That's great!

Zhang Jian said seriously: "Qing Chen, I'm not dismissing you because you don't have experience as a sailor, but I'm responsible for your life. To be honest, I really want to take you on board to make up the numbers, but you'll die at sea. You don't know what we're going to Face^[-]!"

"So?" Qing Chen asked.

"So I can't take you out to sea. Go back," Zhang Jian said, "This isn't suitable for you."

"What if I only take a basic salary and no share?" Qing Chen asked with a smile. "Although I haven't been to sea before, I learn quickly and am willing to work. You should know how hardworking Chinese people are."

Zhang Jian was moved…

The basic salary for a crew member is very low, at least compared to the share.

The biggest cost when going to sea is the boat, fuel, and people. If Qing Chen only takes the basic salary, it's like getting a free worker.

Qing Chen said again: "If I'm on board, I can also do some work. If you don't let me on board, you won't have enough crew, and you probably won't even have the standard four people on deck."

On deck, someone needs to operate the crane, two people need to pull up the crab traps, and someone needs to sort the Emperor Crabs and put them into the hold.

If they can't even get four people, they really shouldn't go to sea.

Zhang Jian fell silent. He probably couldn't find any other crew members. With Qing Chen here, he shouldn't give up.

After all, with Qing Chen, their manpower is very tight, and they won't even be able to take turns resting.

But Zhang Jian still said seriously: "No, although I'm very tempted, I still can't take you out to sea to take risks. You don't know what to expect, but I do. Long hours of tiring work will kill you at sea."

Qing Chen thought for a moment: "What if I can get another crew member, and we both only take a basic salary?"

Zhang Jian was stunned: "In that case… it seems possible."

The next second, Qing Chen made a phone call: "Come quickly, we'll go on the boat together."

Zhang Jian stood there for a moment, and after more than ten minutes, a girl in a thin sweater and a hooded jacket, carrying a small bag, walked over.

Qing Chen smiled: "Let me introduce you. This is my friend Yang Yang. She's also willing to go Emperor Crab fishing with us."

In fact, when Qing Chen decided to come overseas to complete his third Trials of Life and Death, he had already planned to have Yang Yang as his Guardian.

The dangers of the Knight challenge come not only from nature but also from people.

Qing Chen knew he was being watched. At this time, finding a Guardian shouldn't be excessive.

After all, his senior uncle Chen Jiazhang was deliberately sabotaged while doing a challenge, forcing Chen Jiazhang to forcibly reverse the Reverse Breathing Technique, cutting off his path to becoming a Demi-God.

Yang Yang arrived at Schiphol Airport a day earlier. Even the black plastic bag that helped Qing Chen disguise his escape from the toilet was hidden there by her in advance.

Before departure, Qing Chen specifically reminded her to take a plane, to use transportation whenever possible and not walk, otherwise, she might delay a lot of things.

Thankfully, Yang Yang did as he said.

However, Zhang Jian was dumbfounded. Such a frail girl, could she really be a crew member?

A high school dropout Qing Chen and a frail girl. Had North Pole fallen to this point?

Zhang Jian asked: "Aren't you two exchange students here to experience life? You don't have Work visas either."

Yang Yang smiled: "Does that matter? If we only take a basic salary, we can just be tourists on the crab fishing boat."

"But you two…"

Yang Yang said seriously: "I'm the runner-up in a sailing competition and have single-handedly sailed across the Indian Ocean. I'm better than Qing Chen here. I know what to expect in the Barents Sea, so don't worry."

Qing Chen turned his head to look at the girl in surprise. Why did she start comparing herself?

However, the girl seemed to be in a very good mood. After traveling for a long time, she just wanted a trip, and she readily agreed after receiving Qing Chen's call.

Zhang Jian silently looked at the young couple in front of him, feeling that his crab fishing season this year was full of absurdity.

After much thought, he finally said, "Okay, the first trip to sea will take about seven days. If you two can't stand the hardships on board, you can leave when we return to port the first time."

Generally, the crab fishing season lasts 15 days, and at most, no more than a month.

The crab fishing boat will go to sea several times, usually returning to port when the hold is full.

North Pole's quota is 300,000 pounds, and North Pole's hold capacity is 150,000 pounds. So, they return to port to unload once, replenish fuel and fresh water, and then go to sea again.

However, last year, North Pole's harvest was very low, only 70,000 pounds of Emperor Crabs in two trips, just enough for fuel.

This year, Zhang Jian spent another 400,000 euros repairing the boat. After his father's death, there was a large inheritance tax to pay, and even the 180 crab traps were rented, for 15 days, and must be returned upon expiry.

So Zhang Jian had no way out.

He had to gamble this time.

This is also the reason why other captains are pressuring him and trying to snatch his quota.

Qing Chen looked at Zhang Jian: "By the way, where are the other crew members?"

In the two days leading up to the start of fishing, news spread that North Pole had found a high school dropout and a female crew member for this trip to sea.

For a while, the sailors in the harbor were laughing. Who would use a female crew member for Emperor Crab fishing?

The work intensity on a crab fishing boat is too high and too brutal. Few women can withstand this kind of work.

In the bar, many people started betting on how many Emperor Crabs North Pole would harvest this year.

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

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

Everyone believed that Zhang Jian might not even be able to get back the fuel money this year, let alone pay for the rental of the crab traps.

To hire a pair of 17-year-old teenagers as crew members shows that Zhang Jian is indeed desperate.

It looks like Zhang Jian will have to file for bankruptcy at the end of this crab fishing season.

From beginning to end, no one thought Qing Chen and Yang Yang could be of any help on the boat.

…

…

A Turkish Airlines Boeing plane landed at Schiphol Airport the day before the fishing season was about to start.

He Jinqiu in the first-class cabin stood up and stretched.

The flight attendant said enthusiastically: "Mr. He, please use the airport shuttle bus for first-class passengers."

He Jinqiu walked out, stopped after two steps, and smiled at the flight attendant: "By the way, I have a friend in economy class. He'll take the shuttle bus with me."

As he spoke, Zheng Yuandong, wearing a Zhongshan suit, came out from the back of the cabin. He was wearing gloves, covering his Cybernetic Limbs tightly.

As the leader of Kunlun, he naturally didn't have to worry about airport security checks.

Amsterdam didn't have any special rules for Time Traveler entry and exit. Everyone came and went freely. Even He Jinqiu, the leader of Nine Provinces who loved making trouble overseas, wasn't restricted from entering the country…

This is one of the few European countries that didn't restrict He Jinqiu's entry…

He Jinqiu walked off the plane, saying enthusiastically: "Old squad leader, I really didn't expect to meet you on this plane. Don't worry, I won't mind you interfering in overseas affairs. If Nine Provinces and Kunlun could merge, you can interfere as much as you want."

Zheng Yuandong looked at He Jinqiu coldly: "Bad luck."

He Jinqiu didn't get angry. He continued to smile: "Old squad leader, you're also here for Qing Chen, right? You must have heard that people suddenly entered Amsterdam, Netherlands from ShendaiKoshima, so you know he's in danger. But, the two of us are here together, they deserve it. This time, we'll teach North America's "future' and ShendaiKoshima a lesson and let them know what it means to uphold our national prestige."

Zheng Yuandong looked at He Jinqiu: "I'm not very interested in starting conflicts, I just have someone to kill."

He Jinqiu laughed: "Is he the one who's good at creating illusions? You've found him? So, he caused trouble domestically, and Zheng Boss will kill him even if he has to chase him overseas. This sounds amazing. Don't worry, the two of us together, he's as good as dead. Your surname is Zheng, and mine is He, together we are Zheng He's voyage to the West. When Zheng He made his voyage to the West, he…"

Zheng Yuandong looked at He Jinqiu: "Can you be a little cultured? Zheng He's voyage to the West was through the Indian Ocean, not here."

He Jinqiu laughed: "I meant the Atlantic Ocean. No problem."

Zheng Yuandong looked at He Jinqiu: "Where is Qing Chen now?"

"I don't know."

"I don't know?!"

He Jinqiu got on the shuttle bus and was a little unhappy: "I, Nine Provinces, only have three offices in Europe. With so many people in Europe, how can I keep an eye on him? Let alone me not finding him, Shendai and Koshima can't find him either. You don't know, so many people have been looking for him these days, but he hasn't checked into any hotels or made any credit card purchases."

"Everyone has searched all the public places he might go to, tourist attractions, famous restaurants, but this kid has vanished from thin air."

Finding someone is sometimes easy, but sometimes difficult.

Generally, people start by looking for traces, such as UnionPay card consumption locations or places where the person might be.

But at this critical moment, Qing Chen didn't go to any of the places everyone guessed.

It's hard not to question what this guy is here for?!

They couldn't imagine that Qing Chen, who had painstakingly taken a 27,000 yuan first-class cabin here, was actually here to work!

And on the world's most dangerous crab fishing boat!

Which serious Time Traveler would go to work?!

He Jinqiu said: "Now, we can only wait for him to appear. If he doesn't appear, no one will take action."

…

…

At this time, Qing Chen, whom the whole world was looking for, had just arrived at the port where North Pole was docked. He looked up at the newly painted North Pole and thought the blue and white ship was quite pretty.

The upper half of North Pole was white, and the lower half was dark blue, as if wearing a navy uniform.

However, when Qing Chen boarded the ship, he found that the handrails of the ship were a bit worn.

Only when looking at the details of North Pole could one realize that this was a crab fishing boat struggling to survive.

When Zhang Jian saw the two of them, his expression was complicated: "Are you really going to sea?"

Qing Chen smiled: "We're not the type to joke. By the way, where are the other crew members?"

Zhang Jian's expression became even more unpleasant: "Neidapu is on board tying crab traps, Old John just finished drinking and fell asleep in the cabin, George… called and said he wouldn't come. I heard he's on Craig's Alps now."

"Ah? Can you just not come suddenly? We're going crab fishing today. What do we do if someone suddenly disappears?" Qing Chen asked.

In fact, Qing Chen was more worried that if the ship couldn't go to sea smoothly, how would he get to the Barents Sea?

At one point, the teenager even wanted to call Boss He Jinqiu directly to ask for help. He knew that Nine Provinces must have experts here. He had helped during the battle with Shendai and Koshima in Luo City. It shouldn't be excessive to bring them here to make up the numbers, right?

However, if Boss He was brought in directly, North Pole's trip to sea wouldn't be like crab fishing, it would be like whale hunting or killing…

After much hesitation, Zhang Jian finally called Craig of Alps: "I want to sell my quota."

But he heard Craig's arrogant laughter: "If you want to sell it now, I'll take it at half price…"

Before he could say anything else, Zhang Jian hung up the phone with an iron-gray Face^[-].

Zhang Jian looked at Qing Chen and said: "There's nothing we can do now. Even if George doesn't come, we have to try going to sea. Of course, if you feel short-staffed, you can leave now… Of course, if you're willing to stay, I'm willing to void the previous contract and give you some share!"

"It's okay," Qing Chen smiled, "There's a Chinese saying, "Since we're here, let's just do it." Let's go!"

As long as he could successfully reach the Barents Sea, Qing Chen didn't care how many Emperor Crabs he could catch.

Qing Chen carried a long rectangular backpack onto the deck and saw a string of silver crosses hanging at the bow. He asked, "What's that?"

Zhang Jian explained: "A lucky charm. Every captain will prepare many lucky charms to ensure our safety in the Barents Sea… What's in the bag behind you?"

Qing Chen grinned: "This? This is my lucky charm."

Zhang Jian: "…"

Sailors' lucky charms are all strange. Some carry necklaces given by family members, some carry a toy, but Qing Chen's lucky charm is clearly the biggest among all sailors.

That bag must be a surfboard, right, dude!

Zhang Jian felt strange. This teenager wouldn't be going surfing in the Barents Sea, would he?!

After boarding the ship, Old John swayed out of the cabin and said to Zhang Jian: "This trip to sea is because your father saved my life. Remember, don't look for me next year. You can't even find a proper crew member, so why are you still obsessed with conquering the Barents Sea? It belongs to the strong."

Zhang Jian was somewhat embarrassed. He said nothing and went to the wheelhouse, slowly steering North Pole away from the harbor.

Just as it was about to leave the harbor, Alps quickly passed by North Pole, and seven sailors laughed, putting their arms on the deck railing, laughing at North Pole and pointing at Qing Chen and Yang Yang.

Qing Chen stood on the deck and looked at Yang Yang: "That's so pitiful."

Yang Yang smiled: "It is quite pitiful."

At this time, Yang Yang's phone rang. She answered: "Hello, I can't go back now, I'm abroad."

A loud voice on the other side of the phone said strangely: "Wait, when did you run over there? Why didn't you tell your best friend?"

"I'm in Amsterdam, we'll talk when I get back," Yang Yang said.

"What are you doing in Amsterdam?" Yang Yang's best friend asked.

Yang Yang thought for a moment and smiled: "Honeymoon."

Yang Yang's best friend: "???