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墨書 Inktalez
I turned to glance at him, and he seemed to share my thoughts. Mai Lao gave me an impression that was not only profound but almost unfathomable; he was a person shrouded in mystery, seemingly hiding many secrets.
At first, he struck me as a middle-aged man in his forties with a doctorate, but as time went on and events unfolded, the abilities that Mai Lao inadvertently revealed left me astounded, especially during the incident with the Sting Horse Colt when his sudden appearance took me completely by surprise.
However, I couldn't definitively conclude that he was the Cat-Eyed Man in Black. Yet, upon reflecting on every moment he had saved me, each instance was nothing short of heart-stopping.
This man resembled a mysterious tarot card; I could only see its back but not its front. When the card is turned over, he could either be 'The Sun' or 'The Moon.'
Images of everyone flashed through my mind: Mai Lao, Jenny, Shunzi, myself, and Jiao Ba. Aside from us, there were three sailors left on the ship, two helmsmen, and two Maintenance Workers.
The likelihood of the helmsmen and Maintenance Workers being involved was almost nonexistent since they never participated in our affairs. They remained completely detached, only occasionally chatting during meals in the mess hall. I deemed them unlikely suspects.
The three sailors came from various places. One was named Mantou, a short and slightly chubby young man under five feet six inches tall, around thirty years old. He had a knack for smooth talking and often joked with Jenny and Li Xin, always wearing a lecherous grin.
He claimed to hail from a small town in the south but didn’t specify which one. However, his Mandarin was impeccable—almost devoid of any dialect—so I couldn’t discern where he was truly from.
The second sailor was named Changshan; he was of Korean descent from Yanbian in Jilin. A man in his thirties with dark skin and tall stature, he appeared quite thin and frail. He spoke little; aside from discussing serious matters, it was rare to see him engage in laughter or casual conversation—he was a man of few words.
Yet his underwater skills were impressive; after the Flying Fish incident, he ranked just below Mai Lao and me among the sailors. He remained calm in tense situations; I rarely saw him pale with fear. During the two instances when sailors expressed their desire to leave, he didn’t utter a word—seemingly indifferent to their departure or stay.
Lastly, there was Big Guy from Shandong. He seemed honest and sincere—at least that’s how I perceived him now. Big Guy had a physique similar to that of the man in black; both were tall and robust. However, he lacked any aura of menace. It is said that skilled individuals can conceal their killing intent; after all, no thug has their name tattooed on their forehead.
Currently, the sailors demanded not to go back to sea again, but they hadn’t mentioned leaving immediately. Were they waiting for an opportunity? Or did they have other plans?
Upon careful consideration, it became clear that everyone who was still alive had their suspicions. Although there were only a few of us left, identifying who the Cat-Eyed Man in Black was and who the Ninja Black-Clad Person was would be quite challenging.
The only thing we could ascertain for certain was that these two individuals in black were definitely at odds with each other, and it was only a matter of time before they confronted one another. Additionally, it seemed that the Cat-Eyed Man in Black did not intend to kill us; if he had wanted to, the 'Misty' fragrance could have easily taken my life. I couldn't help but wonder why he chose not to act on that.
"Hey, Brother Yi, I'm talking to you," Jiao Ba said, shaking me as I remained silent for too long.
"Easy now, I’m still injured. You suspect Mai Lao is the Cat-Eyed Man in Black? I’ve thought about that too, but have you considered this: Mai Lao has saved us several times. If he were one of those black-clad men, why would he go to such lengths to help us? Why risk his life for us? It doesn’t quite add up," I replied, recalling my previous doubts but feeling confused by Mai Lao's unwavering loyalty.
"So what if he saved you? I saved you too! Remember how timely my shot was?" Jiao Ba grinned widely.
Suddenly, another thought struck me. "Hey, Lao Ba, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I almost forgot—where did you get that gun the other day?" I recalled how Jiao Ba had fired a gun at the female corpse on Bearded Man's fishing boat.
"Oops, slipped my tongue! Haha! Actually, it was left for us by Bearded Man..." Jiao Ba said with a mischievous smile after making a gesture with his hands.
Seeing his expression made it clear; during our last trip to move things from Bearded Man's fishing boat, Jiao Ba had casually taken a small box containing weapons. Inside were several imitation military handguns that he had hidden under his bed. During our operation that night, he had grabbed one for self-defense without expecting to actually use it at such a critical moment.
"You son of a gun! You have a weapon and didn’t even think to share one with me? I almost got killed because of you! I really want to slap you two times," I exclaimed, feeling frustrated due to my injuries; otherwise, I would have kicked him.
"Haha, come on! I just forgot in the heat of the moment. Once you're better, I'll make sure you get one," Jiao Ba said as he put an arm around my shoulder and gave me a hearty pat.
Just then, Mai Lao pushed the door open and walked in. "What are you two chatting about so happily? Listening to some tunes? Loyalty and Righteousness—how’s your injury doing?"
"Oh, nothing much—just some idle chatter. I'm feeling much better now. Mai Lao, what brings you here?" I smiled at him. This Old Man still looked vigorous and strong as ever.
"Jenny told me you were awake, so I came to check on you and discuss our next steps," Mai Lao said as he took a seat across from me.
The situation was quite simple. As Jiao Ba mentioned earlier, the Nautical Chart had reached its final destination, and we needed to decide what to do next. Jiao Ba and I had already discussed it and decided to propose our plan to Mai Lao: we should explore the wreck site, whether or not there was anything there, we had to give it a try.
After hearing this, Mai Lao replied, "Well, that's all we can do. I thought we would have some gains this time, but I didn't expect things to turn out like this. It's really disheartening to think about it. Not only did we lose someone, but we also came away empty-handed. You almost lost your life too; it's truly a case of misfortune coming in waves." Mai Lao rarely showed such a weary expression, furrowing his brow as he adjusted his glasses.
"Let's not dwell on it, Mai Lao. It's all in the past now; you shouldn't blame yourself. Since we've come this far, we can't turn back," I said firmly, reflecting my true feelings.
"Yes, we'll eventually find what we're looking for. For now, you should focus on resting. Once you're healed up enough, we'll head out to sea," Mai Lao said before standing up to leave.
I quickly called out to him, "Wait a moment, Mai Lao. I heard from Shunzi that the other sailors are feeling unstable and are refusing to go back out to sea?"
Mai Lao paused and replied, "That's right. After Scarface died, Big Guy told me they were unwilling to go back out. But we'll still need them for what's ahead. Loyalty and righteousness are important; when you have some time, please talk to them for me. Jenny thinks so too."
I nodded and said, "Don't worry, Mai Lao. I'll do my best."
"Take care of your injuries. If you need anything, just let me know. I'm heading back now." With that, Mai Lao turned and left...
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