My childhood friend is in her mature, sophisticated form again today. - Chapter 83

By the time they returned to the office, it was already dusk. Ayou was watering the plants at the entrance, his movements unhurried, as if he were doing something that didn’t require rushing. Seeing the car stop, he placed the watering can on the steps by the door, not coming to greet them, but simply standing by the door waiting. Ahua was perched on the windowsill, her tail drooping, gently brushing against the sill.

“XCMG said those transfer points are a chain.” Lin Jiqiu changed his shoes, sat down on the sofa, and rubbed his sore shoulders. Cheng Ran followed him in and sat down opposite him. “Each segment of the chain has a different function, but they all lead to the same place. To the south, a place that cannot be reached by land.”

“The only way is by sea,” XCMG’s exact words.

“Then the only option is by sea.”

Ah You brought out two cups of tea, placed them on the coffee table, and then stepped aside. He didn’t go back to the kitchen immediately tonight; he stood leaning against the kitchen door frame for a while, as if waiting for something.

“That ship,” Lin Jiqiu continued, “the ship we saw at point seven sailed along the coastline, stopping at those transshipment points along the way. If we can find its southernmost stop, we can confirm the approximate location of the new base.”

Cheng Ran picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down. “I’ve made a rough estimate of the ship’s speed and frequency of stops. If its stay at each transfer point is fixed, then it will take about ten to twelve hours to travel from point seven to the southernmost stop. Based on its speed, the southernmost stop should be within a range of about sixty to eighty kilometers south of the farthest point we’ve found so far.”

“Sixty to eighty kilometers. If you continue south along the coastline, you should be able to find it near the end of the road.”

“The highway does indeed gradually approach the coastline in that section. If the ship docks during the day, we have the opportunity to observe its location directly from the shore.”

Lin Jiqiu picked up another cup of tea and took a sip. “Then let’s continue south. Until the highway forks at the coastline. Let’s see if the highway ends first, or if the ship reaches its destination first.”

Ah You finally spoke. “How long will it take you to prepare for this trip?”

Cheng Ran said, “It will take at least three days. We need to contact ships, test equipment, and confirm whether there are patrol boats around the new base. If the Heavenly Palace Division has set up a perimeter around the new base, we need to figure out the scope and pattern of the perimeter before we get close.”

Ah You didn’t press the matter further. After standing there for a while, he turned and went back to the kitchen. From the kitchen came the sound of the faucet being turned on and off, followed by the clattering of dishes.

For the next two days, Lin Jiqiu didn’t go out. He sat on the sofa looking at the nautical chart, going over the red dots and marked locations again and again. Then he sat at the coffee table, repeatedly reviewing the routes and docking locations calculated by Cheng Ran. He locked himself in a silent concentration, speaking little while eating and even less while looking at maps. Ayou brought the food to the coffee table every day, and after he finished eating, he took the bowl back to the kitchen without lingering. Azuo occasionally brought a message or two about the ship’s status from the counter; he responded briefly and didn’t pursue the topic further.

On the evening of the third day, Cheng Ran came downstairs. He had changed into a dark, thick coat, with a charging cable in his pocket and a tablet in his hand. “The boat is all arranged. It’s not the last one, but a smaller, faster one. It has a shallow draft, making it suitable for docking and also for fast movement in coastal waters. It was recommended by A Zuo’s friend.”

When can we set off?

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Then we’ll leave tomorrow.”

Cheng Ran didn’t say much, turned around and went upstairs again. Lin Jiqiu sat on the sofa, watching the sky gradually darken outside the window. The streetlights were already on, the flower shop was closed, but the lights in the coffee shop were still on. Ahua jumped down from the windowsill, walked to his feet, squatted for a while, then jumped onto the sofa and curled up next to him. He reached out and scratched her chin; she didn’t make a sound, but simply rested her chin on the edge of his palm, leaning against him quietly.

After dinner, he went upstairs to pack his things. He placed his backpack on the bed, zipper open. Inside, he put a change of jacket, a flashlight, spare batteries, a waterproof bag, the folding knife, and a spare charging cable for his communicator. He squatted by the bed for a moment, then stood up, took the coin-sized spare locator from the drawer, and put it in the side pocket of his backpack. He zipped it up, placed it in the corner, and didn’t look at it again. He took a shower, lay down on the bed, and turned off the light.

In the darkness, he stared at the ceiling, not really waiting for anything. A few rays of light from the streetlamp outside shone through the window, casting blurry outlines on the ceiling. After a while, he turned over, pulled the blanket up a little, and closed his eyes.

The next morning, before dawn, Lin Jiqiu woke up. A thin, grayish-blue light still shrouded the outside, and the streetlights were still on, though their glow was much dimmer. When he went downstairs, Ayou was already in the kitchen, a pot steaming on the stove. Azuo stood in the doorway, checking the straps of a waterproof backpack. Cheng Ran sat on the sofa, wearing a dark gray jacket, his trousers stained with freshly dried mud, as if he had just returned from the garage, and a grime stain on his knee.

“The truck is loaded,” he said. “The ship is waiting at the dock.”

Ah You brought out a bowl of porridge and placed it on the coffee table, sprinkled with chopped scallions, and steam rose gently from it. “Eat something before you go.”

Lin Jiqiu sat down to drink his porridge, the hot porridge feeling comforting as it sank into his stomach. He ate neither slowly nor hastily. After finishing, he put the bowl back in the kitchen, then went to the door to put on his coat. Ahua squatted on the shoe cabinet, her tail wrapped around her front paws, watching him change his shoes without jumping down. He bent down and reached out to rub her head; her ears pressed back slightly, then returned to their original position.

“They’re gone.”

“Have a safe journey.” Ayou stood at the kitchen door.

Once in the car, A-Zuo started the engine, and the car drove out of the street. The morning light had already begun to rise from the east, slowly illuminating the outline of the road. The street scene outside the car window gradually changed from buildings to sparse trees and low houses. The highway stretched south along the coastline, with fields on one side and the gradually opening sea on the other, all appearing gray-blue in the morning mist.

After about forty minutes, they arrived at a small fishing port. The port was similar in size to the ones they had seen before—a concrete ramp extended to the water, with several fishing boats and motorboats moored alongside. Fishing nets and buoys were piled on the decks, and the air was thick with the smell of diesel and seawater. The boat Cheng Ran had mentioned was moored in the outermost berth. It was smaller than the previous one, with slightly worn paint on the hull, but the engine cover and handrails were clean. A tall, thin young man was standing at the stern, checking the fuel level in the tank. Seeing them arrive, he lowered the fuel hose and came over.

“Did Brother Liu introduce you?” he asked.

“Hmm,” A-Zuo said, “How long can the boat be used?”

“It depends on how you use it. If you’re just going along the coastline, a day’s drive shouldn’t be a problem.” He glanced at Lin Jiqiu. “Going south?”

“South.”

The young man didn’t ask any further questions, turned around and went back to the ship, lowering the gangway. Lin Jiqiu was the first to board, followed by Cheng Ran, while A Zuo untied the mooring ropes. The ship swayed gently with the waves, and the water stains on the deck reflected shimmering light in the morning glow.

The young man started the engine, the boat shuddered slightly, and began to slowly leave the dock. Fishing boats passed by, their nets not yet fully hauled in; one net, spread out, glistened wetly in the morning sun, like a sheet of white paper laid out.

The sea was calm, with gentle breezes and low waves. The ship sailed south along the coastline at a steady pace. Lin Jiqiu stood at the gunwale, the sea breeze ruffling the hem of his coat. The coastline moved slowly across the horizon, some sections sandy beaches, others reefs, and still others low bushes and rolling hills. The landmarks that had been visible on the map just the day before were now flowing past the ship, receding slowly into the distance.

Cheng Ran came out of the cabin and stood next to him. “At our current speed, we’ll reach the tin shed we saw last time in about two hours. If we sail south for another two hours, we’ll enter a body of water we’ve never been to before.”

What’s in that body of water?

“The nautical chart marks it as an ‘aquaculture area.’ But recent satellite images show that the density of buildings in that area is much higher than that of ordinary fishing grounds.”

“It could be a new transit point.”

“It could also be an entry point.”

Lin Jiqiu shifted his gaze from the shore to the sea ahead. Cheng Ran opened his tablet, pulled up the satellite image of that area, and zoomed in to the maximum magnification. The image showed several regular rectangular outlines, resembling warehouses or dock facilities.

“Whatever it is, we’ll find out today.” Lin Jiqiu looked away from the screen and gazed at the gray-blue sea in front of him. The sound of the bow cutting through the water was faint and continuous, echoing through the ship.

Cheng Ran didn’t reply. The two stood on the ship’s railing, watching the sea gradually widen ahead. The wind was stronger than before, ruffling a few strands of his hair, but he ignored them.

The fishing boats had disappeared behind us; the coastline was still in sight, but the boats were slowly moving away. The trees and rooftops on the shore grew smaller and smaller, until only a gray-green line remained, stretching along the sea surface. No new buildings appeared in the waters ahead; only seabirds occasionally skimmed the surface, leaving thin trails of water that were quickly erased by the waves.