Coconut

After Bo Yunjian left, Chen Miemie began fiddling with the pumice box and the rubber bag.

Compared with the bulky pumice box, he preferred the rubber bag, which could be carried close to the body.

Dentist looked as though she wanted to say something but couldn’t quite bring herself to.

“What is it?” Chen Miemie noticed her hesitation.

“Chen Miemie, I have to warn you. According to the latest clues provided by Miss Bo, you’ll have to go to the area around the fissure at the bottom of Hailing. The place is already surrounded by layers of defenses and has become a hotbed of trouble. Your identity is rather sensitive, so going there may attract unwanted complications.”

“Huh? Isn’t she your temporary employer? I didn’t expect you to take a different side from her.”

Dentist shook her head. “As you said, she’s only a temporary employer. Of course I have my own position. You’re my employer now, and you’re going to a dangerous place. As a guide who’s already tied to you, do you think I can just run away? I’m only looking out for myself.”

“That’s not the only reason, is it?”

“That’s right. Actually, Miss Bo’s investigation has caused quite a stir, and the higher-ups all know about it. In the past, if she wanted to investigate the cause of her father’s death, that would have been perfectly reasonable. No one would have objected.

“But circumstances are different now. To put it bluntly, Miss Bo is investigating for personal reasons, and the current situation won’t allow that.

“She wants to search for more clues around the fissure, which means she’ll have to venture into every corner of it. The place is already extremely fragile. If she causes any damage inside, then…” Dentist sighed. “No one wants her to continue.

“The Tidal Palace has explicitly ordered her to stop, and has also more or less refused to let people from the Blacktide Merchant Association join the defenses around the fissure.”

“I think Bo Yunjian is someone who cares about the bigger picture. She doesn’t seem like the type who would cause trouble.”

Dentist hesitated for several seconds. “I’m not that familiar with Miss Bo, so I can’t see through her heart. But based on the limited contact we’ve had, I believe she’s a good guild leader who genuinely cares about the city.”

Chen Miemie knew what Dentist was hesitating over. Being a good person in the broader sense didn’t conflict with harboring an almost obsessive personal motive. Perhaps Bo Yunjian considered her investigation nothing more than a minor probe, with manageable risks and no possibility of causing harm.

“Don’t worry. From now on, the investigation will be my own business. I won’t drag you into it.”

The matter itself was difficult enough, and it was obvious that several different factions might become involved. Chen Miemie wasn’t afraid, but Dentist was all alone. There was no reason to drag her into this mess.

Dentist let out a sigh. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I can’t escape either. You’re underwater—wherever you go, don’t you need me to guide you?”

Chen Miemie thought about it and realized she had a point.

“All right, Dentist. Since things have already come to this, even if you claim later that you have nothing to do with me, no one will believe you. Why don’t you just come work for me?”

Dentist’s heart lurched. “The ‘you’ in ‘come work for you’—you mean…”

Chen Miemie gave her a beaming smile. “Exactly what you think I mean.”

Dentist was two meters tall, yet she sprawled across the sofa like someone who had lost all hope.

“Did I just board a pirate ship?”

“Not yet,” Chen Miemie consoled her. “We’re still discussing it. This isn’t some bandit stronghold. Joining is entirely voluntary.”

Dentist knew perfectly well that she wasn’t facing a choice at all.

She sat up straight and spoke with great seriousness. “I’m free to do as I please, and I don’t have any real attachments. But there’s one thing I’d like to ask first.”

“Go ahead.”

“If I join you, what will I have to do? Are you going to seize Foamwave Harbor?”

“Hm? You care about what happens to Foamwave Harbor?”

“Of course. I grew up here. This is my hometown.”

“What if the answer is yes? What if we are going to seize it?”

Dentist fell silent.

Chen Miemie spoke unhurriedly. “Dentist, my answer is no. I told you from the beginning—I’m only here on vacation. I have no interest in this place.”

“All right, then I’m in.” Dentist smiled.

Chen Miemie shook his head. “You really don’t think things through. You should have wanted me to give you a definite answer.”

Dentist didn’t understand. “Why?”

Chen Miemie turned toward the beautiful view beyond the balcony, his gaze seemingly reaching far into the distance.

“Because seizing the city presupposes that the city will still exist. If it’s destined to sink to the bottom of the sea, what difference does it make whether we seize it or not?”

Looking at Chen Miemie’s solemn expression and feeling the imposing presence he radiated, Dentist stared blankly and said, “Chen Miemie, I understand what you mean. But the direction you want to watch should be the direction of the fissure, right? You’re looking the wrong way. It’s in the opposite direction.”

“Ah!”

Chen Miemie’s lofty image shattered in an instant.

It was nearly noon by the time Chen Miemie and Dentist left.

A-Lin was eating lunch at the front desk.

Chen Miemie leaned over for a look and was stunned. A-Lin was eating an enormous plate of scallops. What a luxurious meal.

“A-Lin, why have you picked all the scallop meat out and piled it to one side? Are you planning to pick it all out first and then eat it in one giant mouthful?” Chen Miemie found A-Lin’s way of eating very strange.

A-Lin blinked. “No. I only eat the shells. I don’t want the meat.”

Chen Miemie was shocked. “I’ll let the fact that you eat scallop shells slide, but why throw away the meat?”

“Because I don’t like it. It’s like how some people eat bird eggs but only eat the whites and throw away the yolks.”

Dentist burst out laughing beside them. “A-Lin and I became friends at first because we liked eating together. He loves eating shellfish shells, while I eat the meat, so we can share a meal without wasting anything.”

Chen Miemie narrowed his eyes. “And then you split the bill?”

“What is ‘split the bill’?”

“It means each person pays half the cost of the meal.”

“Of course. There are two of us eating, so naturally we each pay half.” Dentist spoke with complete justification.

“You’re quite the ‘good’ friend.”

The first restaurant Dentist took Chen Miemie to was called Coconut Graveyard.

Looking at the dozen or so gigantic coconuts on the beach before him, each one about the size of a small room, Chen Miemie was deeply suspicious.

“Dentist, this is a place to eat. Why would it be called ‘Graveyard’?”

“What’s so strange about that? Every dish here is related to coconuts. The restaurant uses hundreds or even thousands of coconuts every day. The owner says that the happier people eat, the more coconuts die, so he named the place that.”

Dentist had reserved a table in advance and led Chen Miemie straight into one of the enormous coconuts.

It was a real coconut. The inside had been hollowed out and converted into a room. The walls were white—made of pure white coconut flesh—and the moment the door opened, a rich coconut fragrance wafted out.

Chen Miemie nodded. The surroundings were quite pleasant.

There was only one table in the coconut room. The table and chairs were made of coconut wood, while the bowls were small coconut shells. Everything was made from natural materials.

Before long, the owner came over to take their order.

Chen Miemie stared at the owner expressionlessly, while inwardly he was rolling around in disbelief. He had merely forced himself to keep his facial expression under control.

The owner of the restaurant was a bouncing Big Coconut.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Dentist! You’ve brought a new friend to visit us today. I’ll treat you to a dessert—‘Coconut Milk Cool Delight.’” Big Coconut hopped onto the corner of the table, brimming with enthusiasm.

Dentist glanced at Chen Mie Mie. “Then shall I order some of the house specialties?”

Chen Mie Mie nodded. “You decide.”

Dentist turned to Big Coconut. “Bring us a full Coconut Family Feast, and show us your finest handiwork. This guest is someone special.”

“You got it.”

Big Coconut bounced off to get things ready.

“This is a high-level Mystic, isn’t he? What’s an expert like that doing running a restaurant?” Chen Mie Mie asked curiously.

“This senior is called Coconut. He can rapidly cultivate coconuts of all kinds. Even experts have their own hobbies. To him, running this restaurant is his true profession.”

Before long, a group of little coconuts worked together to carry over a large pot and several small plates.

The main course was coconut chicken.

It occupied the largest space in the center of the table.

The chicken was fresh and tender, with a light coconut fragrance. It looked both delicious and healthy.

In the blink of an eye, Dentist’s table—which had originally been set for only two—had gained a third diner: a roast chicken, and one that looked very familiar to her.

Chen Mie Mie gestured for her not to be surprised.

“Dig in. We’re all friends here, so don’t be shy. This is Bobo. I promised I’d bring it along to try the food, too.”