Waterproof Equipment

9:00 a.m.

There was a knock at the door.

Loop opened it. “Chen Miemie stayed up late last night and only just got up. He’s still washing up. Come on in.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Loop, Chen Miemie’s traveling companion.”

Dentist stared at the unfamiliar woman in front of her, feeling both puzzled and wary.

Although Dentist was a full-time guide for the Black Tide Travel Agency, her relationship with the agency—and with the Black Tide Chamber of Commerce behind it—was merely that of a business partner.

Yesterday, after leaving the Firefly Inn and returning home, she had just sat down at her desk to prepare a Fifteen-Day Fat Sheep Guide for Chen Miemie when she unexpectedly received a message from the Black Tide Chamber of Commerce. President Bo Yunjian wanted to see her.

Strictly speaking, she was a freelance adventurer, not a subordinate of the Black Tide Chamber of Commerce. But now that she was affiliated with the travel agency and making a living off them, she naturally had to respond to the young lady’s summons.

The meeting had come very suddenly. The last time she had seen the young lady was half a year ago, when she joined the travel agency.

She hurried to the headquarters of the Black Tide Chamber of Commerce.

It was a building called Black Tide Hall.

Someone was already waiting for her at the entrance. The moment they saw her, they took her inside without a word.

Reception hall.

A cup of freshly prepared black tea sat on the table, steam drifting from its surface.

Bo Yunjian was seated on an ornate sofa, flipping through a stack of documents.

“Miss,” Dentist said as she approached the sofa.

Bo Yunjian rose and gestured toward a sofa nearby. “Dentist, please sit. I called you here today because there’s something extremely important I need to entrust to you.”

Dentist took her seat. She naturally knew the matter was important. The sudden summons, the urgency of the attendant at the entrance, and the young lady of the chamber’s blunt opening all indicated that something major—and pressing—had happened.

Bo Yunjian clapped her hands.

A man dressed in a butler’s uniform approached and handed Dentist a stack of documents.

He was the Auctioneer, the Bo family’s butler. He had served the family since the time of Lord Bo.

“These are Chen Miemie’s records. Take a look first.”

Dentist nodded. But the moment she opened to the first page, her hand trembled.

She quickly flipped through the second, third, and fourth pages, finishing more than a dozen pages in short order. Her breathing grew increasingly labored. After reading the final page, she took a deep breath.

“Would it be possible for me to decline this assignment on the grounds that I’m not qualified to guide him?” she asked tentatively.

Bo Yunjian simply watched her in silence.

“All right, I understand. Miss, please save me.” Dentist was a fairly imposing woman, yet she actually looked as though she was about to burst into tears.

“Dentist, there’s no need to be so pessimistic. I had you read the records so you could understand Chen Miemie’s past behavior and avoid offending any taboos. In reality, you’re only his tour guide. Just do your job properly.

“Eight-Clawed Governor contacted me as well just now. He instructed us to make sure this honored guest is treated well. Just take him around and let him enjoy himself.”

Dentist hesitated slightly. “When you say my job as a guide… you mean I don’t need to gather intelligence or try to recruit him or anything like that?”

“No. You’re not good at those things. I called you here partly to tell you that Chen Miemie is important, and partly to remind you to watch your own safety.”

Dentist thought back for a moment. “From what I’ve seen of Chen Miemie, he seems quite easygoing. I haven’t noticed anything dangerous so far.”

High-ranking mystics generally trusted their own instincts.

Bo Yunjian shook her head.

“You didn’t read the records carefully enough. They mention that Chen Miemie himself isn’t dangerous, but strange creatures from a large number of new species may appear around him at any time. If you notice any ‘companions’ suddenly appearing by his side, it would be best to stay on your guard.”

Dentist returned to the present.

“Hello, Loop. How about I wait for Chen Miemie downstairs?”

“It’s fine. Come in and sit for a while.”

Loop opened the door all the way.

Dentist entered with a heart full of unease.

Aside from the addition of Loop, nothing in the apartment seemed unusual. Everything was just as it had been when she viewed the place yesterday. Yet her state of mind had changed, and she now saw the room completely differently. She couldn’t shake the feeling that some terrifying creature capable of devouring anyone might be lurking in every corner.

Chen Miemie emerged from the bathroom.

He was wearing fuzzy little lamb pajamas, making him look utterly harmless—almost adorably absent-minded.

“Dentist, you’re here early. Have you eaten?” he asked, perfectly at ease.

“I have, I have.”

“What do people in Wavefoam Harbor usually eat for breakfast? Recommend something.”

“Well, we have plenty of seafood here. For breakfast, mackerel dumplings, seafood noodles in gravy, shrimp-paste cakes, and seabird egg custard are all excellent choices.”

Chen Miemie’s eyes lit up as he listened, looking as though he wanted to try them all.

On a table not far away, however, the roast chicken trembled every time Dentist mentioned another new species, as if it were growing angry.

After Chen Miemie finished washing up, he continued yawning. Dentist found it a little strange.

“Didn’t you sleep well last night?”

Chen Miemie nodded.

“Yeah, a little. I suppose I’ve discovered that even beautiful scenery has another side to it—one you have to endure.

“I realized that even on the fourth floor of this City of Water, the air is still incredibly damp. The humidity is heavy, and it takes some time to get used to the sound of the waves rising and falling at night.”

“Haha, that’s true. You’ll get used to it. We’re still inside the city, after all. A lot of people from inland areas get on an ocean-going vessel and immediately become so seasick they feel dizzy and vomit nonstop.”

“Hopefully I won’t suffer from that. What’s the plan for today?”

“I put together a proper itinerary yesterday. For the first three days, we’ll visit some of the more distinctive places in the city. Then, over the following week, we’ll gradually venture outside the city and out to sea. Today, we’ll go to the Ring-City Birdway during the day, then visit the Pearl Night Market in the evening.”

Chen Miemie heard two unfamiliar names, but didn’t ask any further questions. He wanted to preserve a little of the novelty and see everything with his own eyes once he got there.

He made another request. “Is there any equipment in the city that I can carry around to store things in—something that won’t let the contents get wet if I take it underwater?”

“Of course. There are two mainstream options. One is called a ‘pufferfish pack.’ It’s flat when empty, but when it’s full, it looks like a pufferfish with its belly inflated. The other is a ‘sea bamboo tube.’ The first holds a bit more, while the second is relatively sturdier.”

Chen Miemie knew at once that neither mainstream option had much capacity.

His tycoon instincts took over. “What about non-mainstream options? I don’t care about value for money. I only want the best.”

If this had happened yesterday, Dentist would have been delighted to encounter such a fat sheep and immediately taken him on a shopping spree.

Unfortunately, in the space of a single day, she had become a completely different person. Her heart remained utterly unmoved, and she had no desire whatsoever to fleece him.

“There are also options that are both expensive and excellent. There are two of those as well.

“First, a ‘floating-stone box.’ It’s made from a special kind of floating stone found in the sea. This stone floats instead of sinking when thrown into the water. The center is hollowed out and polished into a lid. Once closed, it fits together perfectly, and even after being submerged for a thousand years, not a trace of moisture will get inside.

“Rubber bags” are made from the intestines of a rare sea beast. After being thoroughly washed, scraped thin, and dried in the sun, they become sheets of elastic hide. The hide is then cut open and sewn into bags, with the mouths secured using cords made from fish whiskers. Anything stored inside is protected from water and pressure; the bags can’t be crushed underfoot or split when dropped.

Both types are extremely expensive. Not only that, their capacities vary greatly from one to another. If you want the best quality, they’re very difficult to buy directly.”

Chen Miemie, the fabulously wealthy man, hurriedly asked, “Then where can we buy them?”

“The Blacktide Chamber of Commerce, the people behind the travel agency.”