Deep Space Wandering Fleet
Chapter 446 - 444: The Sea, Glory, and the Future

Chapter 446: Chapter 444: The Sea, Glory, and the Future

Half an hour later, Zhang Yuan arrived at Giant Stone City’s largest port, Victoria Port, with his four loyal servants.

These four dedicated family servants were all born sailors, led by one named Duncan, who at the age of retirement, found himself forced to come out of retirement to help his young master.

The distant train roared in, bringing with it large quantities of coal and ore, the operation of a city could hardly do without these fossil fuels. According to geological workers’ statistical estimates, the currently exploitable coal reserves on the continent could sustain the whole society for at least 400 years.

years was not long, for Zhang Yuan, who had lived through lengthy years, was merely a short number, short enough to evoke a faint sense of fear within him, even though he might not live to a hundred years in this world. This was probably the prescience that various experiences brought about.

He was eagerly thinking about doing something for this world.

"Giant Stone City is a producer of coal and steel. Transporting local products to other cities and profiting from the price difference between cities is the most basic way to make money. The price of goods varies from one period to another, Earl," said Old Duncan in a soft voice. "If you want to engage in this business, judging the price fluctuations of bulk commodities on various islands is a compulsory course."

Zhang Yuan nodded his head.

There was also a talent market near the port, where a large number of young people gathered. Some captains liked to recruit sailors there, after all, it was a high-risk, high-income industry, and it was not uncommon for those who sailed in the dark for months on end to falter or even go mad.

There was also a smuggler being subjected to flogging. In this society, smuggling was a most heinous crime, requiring physical and mental torment.

Old Duncan took pleasure in watching the scene of the criminal being whipped. He smiled and said, "Earl, these young people are too naive... These smuggling methods are leftovers from our past tricks, hidden compartments in the ship’s hold, transporting goods by body, hehe... If they want to earn more money, they have to use their brains."

Zhang Yuan laughed, "You could come here to find a job in the future, with all your experience in tax evasion."

He glanced briefly, then lost interest.

They saw their own steamer—a vast steel behemoth with fierce-looking cannon barrels that shimmered dully in the gaslight.

Since the entire ship had been borrowed from the Duke, and all the crew was ready-made, naturally there was no need to recruit. Zhang Yuan’s psychological age wasn’t young, but he had never done such a job before, so even if he was clever, he thought he should maintain a humble attitude. It was always good to learn more.

"Earl, although you have purchased the right to use this fleet, I hope that you can plan your voyage in advance. And during the voyage, please abstain from directly managing the crew... It would be best not to bring maids on board, nor to indulge in alcohol, though smoking is fine. We hope you smoke on the deck, especially since we carry coal among our cargo," said the middle-aged captain with a worried look as he first laid eyes on Zhang Yuan.

If it wasn’t for the Duke’s orders, he wouldn’t have wanted this job at all.

He had seen too many offspring of the wealthy embark on ships with enthusiasm, thinking a few months of sailing would be a pleasant experience. Only to find them become neurotic after just three to five days, especially during periods of great stress, these privileged young adults would scream and vent at the sailors...

It was an absolutely suicidal behavior!

Some sailors, once angered, wouldn’t hesitate to kill a noble and then jump overboard to their deaths. After landing, the entire crew would be punished, truly a senseless disaster...

The prohibition against bringing maids was due to the long sailing trips where young sailors had no outlet for their hormones. The presence of women could prove a dangerous temptation and even render the crew incapable of working properly. This was another important reason why women were considered taboo for seafaring.

Zhang Yuan hurriedly said, "No problem, Mr. Duncan will join your crew and take charge of everything. I only wish to learn some sailing knowledge, including astronomy and meteorology, and will not interfere with your work."

"Of course, I also hope you understand that I will be the one paying all the wages."

The captain, listening to Zhang Yuan’s tone, knew he wasn’t the sort of ignorant second-generation rich kid, and Old Duncan was a very famous, highly educated first mate. Though he was of advanced age, there shouldn’t be any significant problems, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Yuan returned to his room, which wasn’t too large, about 30 square meters, but it was still far better than what the others had. This would likely be his dwelling place for a substantial time to come, which made him sigh lightly.

Three days later, after all the cargo had been loaded, the ocean liner sounded its horn "woo woo" as it departed from Giant Stone City.

...

Zhang Yuan was a very polite person, treating everyone with the same courtesy. While his approach might feel distant to those who knew him, to the young, low-ranking sailors, it was as warm as spring itself.

Zhang Yuan would even humbly ask the sailors questions—an earl asking for advice was not something they could simply ignore.

Sometimes, Zhang Yuan would inquire about their lives, whether they had dreams...

Dreams? Of course, there weren’t any. It was good enough just to have a full belly.

"...Are these the kind of shells that attach to the ship?"

"Yes, exactly! These shells are called ’Atianmisi,’ and they like to cling to and corrode the ship’s hull, which can also affect the sailing speed. If left unchecked, they can cause damage to the hull, so we must clean them off every few months. But boil them up, and they make a delicious dish!" explained a sailor who had just emerged from under the water, untying the ropes around his body as he spoke.

"The waves are so large, it must be really tough," Zhang Yuan said softly.

Seafaring across the ocean can actually be quite monotonous, as each day’s scenery is exactly the same. Only when measuring one’s position with the Star Compass does one realize they’ve moved just a tiny bit.

Zhang Yuan couldn’t help but reminisce about his past interstellar travels in Kunlun Mountain, which seemed not too dissimilar to his current journey.

He would often recite bizarre stories to these uneducated sailors, ranging from religious parables to concrete scientific principles.

Though most of it was beyond their understanding, the sailors seemed to find the stories quite fascinating. Meanwhile, the captain and people like Old Duncan always looked intrigued, puzzled as to where this young man had read so many books.

"Do you have dreams, my lord?" asked a slightly educated sailor, both respectfully and curiously. His companions nudged him when he raised the question.

"Isn’t that obvious? To make more money and marry a beautiful wife! The best would be to marry a princess!"

All the sailors burst out laughing.

Smiling, Zhang Yuan said, "Earning money is, of course, a necessity. Without money, nothing can be accomplished. But as for the ultimate direction, the first is towards the field of Science and Technology, the second is Society."

However, every path is challenging...

The first stop was the so-called "Ge Tang City," to be reached in 21 days—a city that produces spices and mushrooms, with a climate slightly hotter than Giant Stone City’s, around 32 degrees Celsius.

Once ashore, all the sailors were instantly engrossed in the church, taverns, gambling houses, and brothels, spending all their newly distributed Gold Coins in no time at all.

The second stop was "Marfa," arrived at in 49 days, where vast amounts of "Sweet grass," a peculiar type of algae, grew. Carried by the warm current from the west, one could easily garner a large amount by simply scooping them up from the water.

Their family’s candy factory was located here.