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Chapter 990: Chapter 869 The Blood-Stained Treasure (Subscribe please!)
The submersible hovered beside the sailing ship.
The surrounding environment was also fully displayed on the big screen.
Being the deep-sea bottom,
there were few fish, and it was eerily silent; one could only imagine how thick the layers of silt were after billions of years of accumulation. It wouldn’t be surprising if a person were to step on it and sink halfway into their body.
"Quick, search inside and see if there’s anything good," Tang Qing excitedly ordered.
For the first time,
he was personally involved in excavating a sunken ship.
If there was nothing inside... that would be truly disappointing.
However,
there still was the pleasure of seeking the unknown, just like gambling and tomb-robbing, this thrill was exhilarating.
Subsequently,
under Tang Qing’s command, a ten-centimeter diameter circular hatch on top of the submersible slowly opened, and a three-pronged mechanical tentacle extended out and reached into the large breach in the sunken ship.
In such deep waters,
it was utterly unsuitable for extravehicular activities.
This mechanical tentacle perfectly replaced manual labor, with the tentacle reaching into the interior of the sunken ship, its built-in ultra-high power underwater spotlight illuminating the inside brightly.
This mechanical tentacle, extendable up to fifty meters, boasted a path memory functionality, allowing it to move freely forwards and backwards within the cabin. It could also rotate 180 degrees, making it highly suitable for rescue and exploration operations.
Besides that,
this kind of tentacle also had a broad market prospect and would be an important revenue-generating project in the future.
Staring at the footage continuously sent back to the screen,
Tang Qing saw nothing but numerous barrels and cannons, already covered with a thick layer of silt and seaweed, creating a messy scene where many items were indistinguishable.
Tang Qing did not dwell on this,
and commanded the mechanical tentacle to look elsewhere.
...
An hour later,
as he gazed at the harvest list displayed on the screen,
a smile formed on Tang Qing’s face.
Thankfully,
the trip hadn’t been in vain. Though it was a warship, this type of three-masted sailing ship was a Dutch improved model that could carry a large cargo. It was usable both as a warship and a merchant vessel.
Therefore,
this ship
could be classified as an armed merchant ship.
This time,
there wasn’t a large amount of gold or silver. This route, between the Americas and Africa, was typically used for transporting slaves, and one of the cabins was filled with bones clearly differing from those of Westerners.
None of these African slaves
escaped.
All were locked at the bottom of the cabin. Moreover, a large quantity of ivory was discovered inside the cabin, but it had corroded beyond recognition and lost its value. However, it was the crew’s rooms that gave Tang Qing a pleasant surprise.
These crew members went to Africa for trade,
not just for wages, but for extra earnings. One trip could earn them the equivalent of two to three years’ worth of wages. Indeed, in the rooms of various crew members and the captain, many valuable items were found.
Items like gold were common,
but the most precious was a chest of various gemstones in the captain’s safe. Their value wasn’t much, only about ten million RMB, but as a sign of an auspicious start, it was not bad. If there had been nothing,
an entirely empty ship,
that would have been truly vexing.
These ’blood-stained treasures’ were all piled up in the submersible’s lower cabin.
Not just the valuables, but the items with clear historical features found inside the cabin were also brought back. Perhaps they would be useful in the future; these were important historical ’materials’.
Checking the time,
Tang Qing selected a sunken ship location nearby and directed the submersible there. The salvage ship overhead also headed towards that spot. The deep sea submersible’s lithium battery could only last for twenty-four hours of continuous use.
Time was up and it needed to return to the ship to recharge.
Fortunately, due to breakthroughs in battery technology, these lithium batteries used graphene, which allowed for very quick charging, taking only a few minutes.
...
Over half an hour later,
they arrived at the second sunken ship location.
It was a medium-sized sailing ship,
also used for transporting slaves. The bounty was not as plentiful as before since this was a fully commercial ship mainly for carrying slaves, spices, and some precious wood. These goods, after soaking for so long, had long lost their value.
...
Three hours later,
after salvaging the fifth sunken ship,
Tang Qing felt that his trip was not in vain today; he suddenly took a liking to this treasure-hunting feeling, not for the treasures themselves, as the total value of the loot had not yet exceeded 20 million RMB.
It wasn’t worth his excitement.
What intrigued him was
the thrill of not knowing what surprise the next moment might bring.
He had decided.
He would come to play often in the future.
...
Back in his room,
the sky over Shanghai was beginning to brighten.
Huaxia
was welcoming a new day.
Humming a tune,
Tang Qing happily took a bath and then crawled into bed. This morning, both of their classes were in the second period, not starting until after ten; on such a wonderful morning, there was nothing more comfortable than holding one’s wife.
"Tangtang, is it daylight already?"
Lin Jiaxue, stimulated by this, groggily opened her eyes and prepared to get up, only to feel a wave of weakness throughout her body. Although she had gotten used to it and her physical fitness wasn’t bad, capable of sprinting a hundred meters without getting winded,
facing Tang Qing’s abnormal stamina,
she simply wasn’t on the same level.
Especially as Tang Qing’s variety increased, each time requiring many energy-consuming positions, the exhaustion was tremendous; by now, her legs even felt a bit weak. However, after they finished breakfast and she replenished her energy, she quickly recovered.
"It’s Tuesday today; we can go later," Tang Qing’s hand started to become restless.
Lin Jiaxue gave Tang Qing a charming glance.
The message was clear without saying a word.
In the early morning, both men and women have their desires.
Tang Qing flipped over.
Before breakfast,
he added another meal.
...
Just after nine,
they had both eaten breakfast, dressed themselves, and hand in hand, they left the house.
They did not ride an electric bike; in the Shanghai summer, the humidity was extraordinary, and the sun was scorching, making them sweat after just a short walk outside. Tang Qing might not have minded, but had they ridden the electric bike, Lin Jiaxue’s clothes would have been drenched in sweat before they reached the University.
Wearing two layers,
still close-fitting clothing for the girls.
The heat at this time is something that men who only wear a loose T-shirt cannot imagine.
The Mercedes-Benz slowly stopped at the entrance to Shanghai; by then, the students had all finished their classes. Seeing the combination of Tang Qing and Lin Jiaxue, although it was a common sight, every time was still hard not to take a few more glances.
Men looking at beautiful women,
and women looking at handsome men.
The two of them had already become ’celebrities’ at the school.
Just having started University,
they were so high-profile with their ’flaunting of wealth.’
Whether it was luxury car pickups or the ’romance of the rich young master’ with an electric car, it was enough to make many boys and girls green with envy, and every time they saw the couple, many people felt the urge to be reborn.
All are human,
yets someone’s lives vary so greatly.
......
(The following is free)
PS: I just wanted to be lazy yesterday, and went to the cinema alone to watch Zhang Zifeng’s new movie.
And then I felt... I’ve grown old.
But the movie was quite good; the two siblings in it were very mischievous, just like my sister, often teasing and joking with each other. It’s just that my sister has gone to University now and I seldom see her. I haven’t seen her at all this year.
She’s working a summer job at her school during the summer vacation, alas... That’s why I describe Qin Shiqi so much in the book; I really miss the old times. If she marries far away in the future and I only see her once a year, it would be somewhat distressing.
I hope readers who have sisters cherish the time you spend together.
