Volume 1: The Other Shore Chapter 3: An Interesting Person

  (Updated today, recommended!)

  At midnight, on the surface of the sea dotted with starlight, in the bridge of the slow-moving cargo ship Edward, Captain Thomas Lee occasionally picked up his binoculars to search the dark sea. Sometimes people's habits that have been cultivated for many years are hard to change. For Thomas Lee, this old captain who experienced a shipwreck at a young age and waited on a deserted island for half a year before being rescued, he always had the habit of holding onto his binoculars and scanning the sea.

  "Captain! It seems like you're going to be disappointed again today!"

  The loquacious First Mate of the Rox would say as much, of course on the surface, but in private perhaps they'd say "Look! The old man is at it again!", yet they also knew that for the captain, perhaps all he needed was to be able to save one person - a sailor who had met with disaster at sea.

  In response to the lieutenant's nagging, Thomas retorted with a smile.

  "Rocks, you should know that several months ago a big storm occurred here and several ships went missing. Maybe some of the crew escaped to one of the nearby islands! Who knows?"

  "Captain, that was months ago!"

  Rocks shrugged helplessly, his father had told him when he was young that Captain Thomas was stubborn, at first he didn't take it seriously, but after working on the Edward for six years, his father was obviously right.

  "Just as he said in the past, 'The only salvation for Captain Thomas is that he saved a few sailors!'"

  Fifty years ago, when Captain Thomas was still an apprentice sailor, the ship he was on encountered a storm and sank in the ocean. In the end, more than a dozen crew members were stranded on a deserted island, but only he survived. For him, perhaps he needed to repay God by saving people, it was God who let him survive, letting him be rescued by a passing merchant ship, and now, maybe he also believed that God let him live just to save people.

  "As a sailor, when we are navigating, mustn't we rescue all those who encounter sea disasters?!"

  Thomas put down his binoculars and said so in a voice that was barely above a whisper, Roxas spoke up softly.

  "Provided you can find those people!"

  That storm was several months ago, and although the newspapers reported that several small boats were lost, in such a storm, sailors who encountered a shipwreck had no chance of survival.

  While Rox complained, Thomas just shrugged and continued to gaze out at the dark sea with his binoculars, even taking a closer look when he saw the deserted island on the horizon.

  "Huh?"

  There seems to be a bright light on the deserted island, is it... could it be a bonfire?

  "Look, Rox! Over there!"

  Excited Thomas put down the telescope in his hand, pointing at a distant unnamed island and shouting loudly to Rox.

  The captain's shout made Rox take up the telescope and look carefully, and it seemed that there really was... fire on the deserted island! Was it true that someone was there?

  "Roxas, what I said, maybe we'll meet again!"

  Although Thomas sported a thick beard, anyone could see the self-satisfied look on the captain's face as he handed the telescope to Locos beside him.

  "Captain, it might just be a fire caused by lightning!"

  Looking at the faint bonfire light on the isolated island, Lokos said with a bit of helplessness, "It's probably just a bonfire. It's impossible to tell for sure unless we get closer. Maybe this is really all that the captain has been waiting for after fifty years - finally being able to rescue a stranded sailor, and one who was also stranded on the island like him."

  Although he still complained, Rocas repeated the captain's order. On the ship, no crew member could question the captain's order. The captain's order, whether right or wrong, must be unconditionally obeyed. This is a centuries-old tradition and immutable law at sea.

  "Hmm, maybe? Let's give him a signal and see if there's any response!"

  A few minutes later, a faint flame flickered on the distant island's bonfire, which seemed to be a torch. Through binoculars, it appeared that someone was holding the torch and running back and forth on the beach, shaking the torch.

  "See? I told you so, Rox..."

  The moving torch had already clearly and unmistakably told Thomas a fact, that there was indeed someone on the deserted island, a castaway. It was an uninhabited small island, he couldn't even remember its name.

  "Alright! Gentlemen, now listen to my orders, set course 256, proceed at maximum speed..."

  After decades of longing, Thomas finally got his wish today and gave orders with a sense of pride.

  "He saw me, he saw me..."

  As he watched the merchant ship approaching him, tears instantly flowed from Li Zichen's eyes. It had been almost three months since the plane crash, and he had been stranded on this deserted island for nearly three months. Now... he was finally rescued.

  The reality of returning to the civilized world soon made Li Zichen kneel in the sea water, letting the waves hit his body. After the initial excitement, Li Zichen suddenly realized a problem - the treasure!

  One's own treasure!

  They must never know about all this...

  "Hmm, hmm......"

  Just as the thought occurred to him, the sound of a whistle from afar interrupted Li Zichen's thoughts. Thinking that he had to hide himself temporarily, Li Zichen hastily ran towards the beach and directly wrapped the gold and those few bonds in a blanket, even going so far as to tie the blanket tightly with rope.

  Just then, a small boat was lowered from a distant cargo ship.

  "We're here, sir!"

  Sitting on a small boat swaying with the waves, listening to the sailor's somewhat stiff English, Li Zichen saw an old-fashioned cargo ship with rust spots appearing in his line of sight, and that cargo ship was even... still burning coal.

  "Sir, do you need any help?"

  A sailor standing on the deck saw that the person boarding was a yellow-skinned man, was he a savage? Looking again at his clothes, the workmanship of his shirt seemed to be very fine, and he was still wearing a pair of worn-out... um! Leather shoes. After observing carefully, Locks opened his mouth to ask.

  "Are you Japanese?"

  The sailor's words made Li Zichen stunned at first, then he shouted loudly.

  "I am Chinese, thank you for saving me!"

  Chinese? Whether it was Mr. Locks or Captain Thomas Lee, when they heard this answer, a hint of puzzlement appeared on their faces at the same time, and Thomas looked again at the Chinese man in front of him, with his tattered clothes, dark skin, and rugged features. Looking at him, Thomas seemed to see himself fifty years ago, after being rescued.

  What happened to them? Are Chinese people weird?

  "Is it just you?"

  "Yes sir, I'm the only one who survived!"

  When answering their questions, Li Zichen's face showed a faint hint of sadness. He was the only survivor on that plane. Perhaps the subsequent overwhelming reports would call him the luckiest person, who miraculously survived the air disaster. Maybe he still needed to come up with a perfect story and absolutely could not let them find the plane. If they found the plane...

  Just as Li Zichen was thinking about what story he should come up with, the bearded captain Thomas gave him a big hug.

  "Lee, you're safe now. Don't worry, I'll make sure to get you safely to land. You know, decades ago I had a similar experience!... Mr. Locks!"

  After a hug, Thomas Lee enthusiastically pulled Li Zichen's hand.

  "Lee, I think you must be a brave sailor to have survived so long on that deserted island... Ah, I think nothing could be more suitable than a cup of rum to relax with now... Mr. Locks, all right, let's sail according to plan, and I'll invite Mr. Lee to drink two cups."

  Rum? Before Li Zichen could figure out what was going on, he was dragged into the captain's quarters by Thomas. At this time, the wall calendar inadvertently caught Li Zichen's eye.

  “1911！”

  Looking at the calendar, Li Zichen only now remembered that those sailors had some strange attire, and he initially thought it was... Could it be... Looking at the calendar, Li Zichen almost felt his heart trembling, heaven knows, this... isn't April Fool's Day!

  In 1911?

  How is this possible, it's impossible! This must be a joke, maybe they just passed April Fool's Day, or maybe someone on the Thomas ship or among the sailors is playing some kind of prank... But their clothes, thinking about those outfits that only exist in historical photos, for a moment Li Zichen didn't know whether he should believe it or not...

  "Captain Thomas, may I ask what is today's date?"

  When Li Zichen asked this question, he felt that his heart was about to jump out of his throat. Was it fear or anticipation? Or perhaps it was

  "Look at me!"

  Li Zichen's words made Thomas suddenly enlightened, seemingly self-talking, and he who had the same experience would not know that after leaving the deserted island, what people most wanted to know was probably the most accurate time.

  "It's October 4th, 1911 now!"

  What!

  October 4, 1911

  Hearing this, Li Zichen felt a chill run down his spine and almost broke out in cold sweat.

  Now, everything can be explained, why there was this old cargo ship, why there were so many sailors on the ship, why... But why, I am in 1911, I am clearly in...

  A bitter smile full of helplessness appeared on Li Zichen's face, while Captain Thomas Lee seemed to care with a delicate concern.

  "Li, don't worry, no matter how long you leave your family, as long as you return to their side..."

  I wonder... will I be able to live until then? It'll take a hundred years before I can see them again...

  Surprise, calmness, and then later on, holding a cup of wine as if reluctantly taking a sip, the brief change in expression was immediately noticed by Thomas, making him feel that this Oriental person was different from others, without being overjoyed or disheartened, facing disaster and rescue with such calmness. Having had similar personal experiences, Thomas vaguely felt that this Oriental person might not be just a simple sailor, at least his future would not be that of a simple sailor.

  This Chinese man has now piqued his interest, is he a sailor? Taking another close look, the clothes on him although looked a bit tattered, were very clean and well-made, the leather shoes on his feet except for some sea sand, also looked very clean. A person who was stranded on a deserted island could still pay attention to these details, definitely not an ordinary sailor.

  Thomas, who had experienced it himself, knew that even a captain would feel despair in such a situation and could become a "savage" from a civilized person within just a few months, but the man before him was clearly different from most people.

  Li Zichen, who was holding a wine glass and lost in thought, had no idea what the captain was thinking. The clothes and leather shoes were packed in the luggage on the plane, filled with all sorts of clothes, and all that was needed was to find some that fit.

  In the year 1911!

  He downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, let out a sigh, and a hint of joy appeared on Li Zichen's face.

  "Come what may, let's just take it easy!"

  "Would you like another cup?"

  After seeing him finish that glass of wine, Thomas picked up the bottle and asked, this young man is quite interesting!