Canteen

[The Dentist’s] eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“[Ship King], Chen Miemie is talking about an amphibious anomaly. Pay attention—the ship isn’t the point. The anomaly is.”

[Ship King] gestured to indicate that his ears were working perfectly. “He spoke clearly, and I heard him just as clearly.”

“But this is a shipyard. Where would an anomaly come from?”

“There is one here. Outsiders simply don’t know about it.”

[Ship King] then turned to Chen Miemie and explained.

“The anomaly appeared in the shipyard several years ago. It doesn’t like communicating with people and only shows up at night, stealing various parts from the ships. It’s quite powerful, but it runs away the moment it sees anyone. I don’t know where it came from.

“Over the years, it has stolen enough parts to assemble a giant ship. If you can take it away, I’ll be thanking you.”

Chen Miemie’s interest was piqued. “I’ve heard that you’re very powerful, [Ship King]. Even you can’t do anything about it?”

“It is indeed powerful, especially since it only appears at night. When there’s water around, even the fastest ship can’t catch it.

“But after all this time, we’ve figured out its patterns. It’s not as though I’m completely helpless against it. If I set up traps and lay a thorough net in advance, I could seriously injure it.

“However, I love ships. Since it has never hurt anyone, I’ve been unwilling to deal it a heavy blow.”

From those few words alone, Chen Miemie could tell that the short [Ship King] before him was not as simple-minded and rough-hewn as he appeared. In reality, he was rough on the outside but perceptive underneath. Showing even a little kindness toward the anomaly in front of Chen Miemie was a clever way to build rapport.

“Then it’s a deal. If I successfully subdue it, I’ll owe you one.”

Chen Miemie’s words brought a smile to [Ship King’s] face as well.

The anomaly did not belong to [Ship King] in the first place. If it were taken away, it would relieve the shipyard of a troublesome problem. On top of that, he would establish a connection with Chen Miemie and gain a valuable favor. It was a clear win.

“It only appears at night. Recently, it’s set its sights on a batch of composite plywood we’ve just developed. Tonight, I’ll use the new material as bait. That should draw it out.”

Chen Miemie nodded. “As long as it appears, I’ll handle the rest myself.”

It was only four in the afternoon, leaving several hours until nightfall. [Ship King] warmly invited Chen Miemie and [the Dentist] to stay for dinner.

With an imposing air, he led the two of them toward his office in the inner section. Every few steps, he gave the little cape dragging along the ground behind him a dramatic shake.

He commanded great authority here. The shipyard workers they passed all bowed and greeted him.

A row of tall barriers stood between the inner and outer sections, with only a narrow opening. An entire squad of guards was stationed at the entrance.

With [Ship King] personally leading the way, no one naturally dared to stop them.

[Ship King’s] office had been converted from the hull of a medium-sized ship.

When the three of them arrived beneath the “ship house,” they looked tiny standing at its base.

There was no door at the bottom of the ship.

“Come with me. I reach the ship—the ship reaches me.”

[Ship King] swept his cape and stepped into the air.

As his foot came down, an invisible “deck” automatically formed beneath it in midair.

The deck was long and broad enough for more than a dozen people. Chen Miemie and [the Dentist] followed him onto it.

The three of them climbed the ship’s hull step by step, as though ascending a staircase made of thin air.

“This was the first ship of my life. Its name was the [Ayla]. It became impossible to repair a long time ago, so I converted it into my home.”

Chen Miemie studied the ship’s surface. In terms of both materials and equipment, it was indeed inferior to the latest models they had seen earlier.

“This is nice. The ship became your home and has stayed by your side all this time.”

“Haha, that’s what everyone thinks. They all assume I’m clinging to the past. That’s not entirely wrong, but it isn’t the main reason.

“When I was young, I became a captain too early. I was full of pride and acted entirely on my own. I trusted only my own judgment. Even the first mate on my ship couldn’t change a single one of my decisions.

“This ship sank because of one of my wrong decisions. I want to remember that forever. A ship is precious, but the people aboard it are even more precious.”

[The Dentist] also made her living at sea and spent most of her time aboard ships, so she was deeply moved.

“As expected of every truly remarkable person—they know how to draw nourishment from their experiences and lessons.”

[Ship King] did not respond to [the Dentist]. Instead, he turned to Chen Miemie. “You should understand what I really mean.”

Chen Miemie ran a hand along the old railing and turned partly toward the two of them. From this angle, he could overlook the entire shipyard.

“The person at the helm of a ship needs absolute confidence.

“People who think things through carefully are easy to find. People who charge forward fearlessly are rare.

“Whether one is steering a ship, directing the development of a city, or deciding the fate of an entire clan, decisions must be made constantly. How could anyone make so many decisions without ever making a mistake?

“Recognize your mistakes, correct them, make up for what you overlooked, and keep moving forward under the same burden without abandoning your original resolve.

“I imagine that although this ship sank, you successfully rescued everyone aboard. That sunken ship is your pride.”

“Haha, good! As expected of someone who became the representative of a new species while still in a human body. You truly understand me.”

[Ship King] and Chen Miemie met each other’s eyes, and immediately began showering one another with mutual commercial flattery.

Dinner was not an extravagant feast, but a standard crew meal.

[Ship King] took the two of them to the shipyard cafeteria to sample the food served to ordinary shipyard workers.

Three dishes and a soup—two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and a small piece of fruit.

[Ship King’s] arrival caused no commotion whatsoever, showing that he ate here regularly and that his presence had long since become routine.

Chen Miemie ate with great relish.

“Lao Wang, I have to say, your meal allowance is pretty generous. It’s clean and sanitary, and the nutrition is well balanced. You’ve got a conscience, boss.”

[Ship King] had become Lao Wang, and he adapted to the change surprisingly quickly.

“Of course. I have to eat here every day too. If I didn’t make the food decent, I’d be doing myself a disservice. Besides, the Tide Palace covers the expense, so naturally we submit the budget at the highest standard.”

“There’s something I don’t quite understand. Is the shipyard publicly or privately owned? The cafeteria charges everything to the public account, but does the shipyard keep the money from selling the ships it produces?”

“It’s a little difficult to define these days.

“Let’s not go too far back. Two hundred years ago, the shipyard was still a department under the Tide Palace. It ran at a loss every year and couldn’t make ends meet.

“When a new city lord and governor took office, someone took advantage of the fact that they weren’t familiar with the business yet and proposed a rotten idea. They wanted to reduce the shipyard’s scale, lay off workers, and cut wages.

“The director at the time—my predecessor’s predecessor, of course—refused to agree. The two sides nearly came to blows.

“In the end, the new city lord, Ya, accepted my predecessor’s predecessor’s pledge and agreed to let the shipyard operate independently and assume responsibility for its own profits and losses.

“The Tide Palace would cover the basic expenses and provide the basic materials, which the shipyard would purchase at a price slightly above cost. The shipyard would handle the buying and selling of its ships on its own.

“From that point onward, it nominally remained under the Tide Palace, but its internal management and authority over personnel appointments became independent.”

Chen Miemie drained the soup from his bowl in one gulp.

“That director had quite a bit of courage. Once the shipyard entered the market, its initiative and competitiveness must have improved enormously. This soup is excellent. Can I have a refill?”

“Of course. You can have as many refills of the soup as you like.

This time, your guess was wrong. The former factory director’s ‘boldness’ was actually forced out of him by a power struggle. He had long been used to a secure, comfortable life, and when he wanted to fight his way forward again, he had the ambition but not the strength. Back then, the shipyard was running such a deficit that it could barely afford to pay its employees. He stepped down soon afterward.

The shipyard’s true rise came under the factory director who succeeded him.”

Dentist brought Chen Miemie another bowl of soup. She happened to hear that last sentence.

“The previous director really was impressive. Even Chen Miemie praised his skills.”

The cowlick on Chen Miemie’s head wobbled secretly. He hurriedly pressed it down, trying not to reveal his surprise.

Sure enough, Dentist continued on his own.

“Senior Coconut excelled at everything he did. He was brilliant at shipbuilding, and after retiring, he even became a master of Coconut cuisine.”

Chen Miemie could no longer control his cowlick and let it stand straight up like an exclamation mark.

“What? That round little Coconut?”