Navigator: I have a double six-story house

The harbor was crowded with wooden boats rocking in the wind and waves.

The sight of thousands of identical wooden boats lined up side by side was quite amusing.

Wang Yao stood at the ship's side, his hands gripping the railing, his gaze sweeping over the amusing scene.

"Su-zai, out of all these ships, how many can match our strength?"

Su Qing tucked the musket and a money bag into her waistband and covered them with the hem of her coat.

"Keep a low profile and don't say anything unnecessary."

"Isn't this just stating the facts?" Wang Yao shrugged, without any pride on his face.

There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding.

Su Qing walked toward the rope ladder on the ship's side.

"Caution is the best policy."

Wang Yao nodded, a wicked smile creeping across his face.

"Yes, Captain!"

Su Qing ignored him and climbed down the rope ladder.

As soon as his legs stepped off the swaying wooden boat onto the harbor's land, a sleazy figure slipped over and blocked his way.

He was a short man wearing a brown rag robe with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

He had a smile on his face, his already lewd eyes were almost slits, and the two wisps of mustache on the corners of his mouth were thin and curved.

He just stood there in front of Su Qing, without saying a word or making way.

Su Qing knew the other party's purpose.

This guy must be a native of the island, and the reason he blocked the road was for "parking fees".

During the Age of Exploration, ships that wanted to dock at any neutral island had to pay a mooring fee.

This is a rule that every captain knows, a rule outside the system.

The anchorage fee at Midway was the cheapest and fixed, costing only twenty copper coins.

Even a novice captain who has only completed easy difficulty dungeons can figure out this number.

Su Qing naturally wouldn't break this rule, since someone had already tried it and made a mistake.

But he doesn't intend to obediently follow the rules.

Upon meeting this native, a brilliant idea for recruiting crew members immediately came to mind.

He reached into the money pouch at his waist, not counting the coins, because he only pulled out one coin and placed it in the other person's palm.

The native's signature smile vanished instantly.

He looked in his palm and saw a silver coin worth 100 copper coins.

Su Qing gave an elegant and confident smile.

"Sir, I don't know your name yet, but I hope we can become friends."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in the native's narrowed eyes, and with a flick of his sleeve, the silver coin vanished.

"My name is Zloty, and I am a member of the Windbreak Merchant Guild stationed on Midway Island."

He placed his right hand on his chest, bent over steadily, and maintained a posture that was neither humble nor arrogant.

"May I ask how to address this captain? And the person beside you...?"

He glanced at Wang Yao, who had just jumped down from the rope ladder.

"Sir, crew member?"

"Su Qing".

"My name is Wang Yao!"

Ziro nodded, and his previously lewd demeanor actually began to subside.

"Captain Su, would you be interested in coming to the Chamber of Commerce for a cup of hot tea?"

"As friends."

Before Su Qing could even agree, she noticed the changes around her out of the corner of her eye.

The people who were working diligently and orderly on the dock, like ants, had almost all stopped what they were doing.

All eyes turned to Su Qing like a tidal wave.

Wang Yao also noticed those somewhat suffocating stares.

Because of his status as a crew member, he understood the complex emotions behind those gazes.

Surprise, jealousy, greed, and disbelief.

Almost all the crew members present had been there for two or three months or more.

They knew all too well what kind of ugly behavior these natives had.

He appears cheerful on the surface, but in reality, he looks down on everyone and never speaks to any of the crew members.

It's like a cold, inhuman NPC who only knows how to exploit the crew.

But what did they see today?

The locals, who usually ignored them, actually invited a captain to have tea.

Everyone immediately realized one thing.

This captain is definitely not simple!

If only we could board this captain's ship, or...

An undercurrent was stirring within the crowd.

Before long, all the captains and crew members on Midway knew of the arrival of this special captain.

Su Qing ignored the complicated gazes; that was his purpose.

Instead of going to Midway to find a crew member he wants, it's better to let the crew member he wants come to him.

I don't go to the mountain, but the mountain comes to me!

Su Qing maintained a polite smile and nodded to Ziloti.

"Please lead the way."

Zloty's sleazy demeanor vanished completely; he straightened his back and turned slightly to the side.

"please"

Su Qing and Wang Yao strode forward.

Midway Atoll was larger than Su Qing had anticipated.

Walking further in from the dock, there was a cement road lined with various elaborately decorated shops. At first glance, Su Qing thought she had returned to Earth.

He then realized that those senior figures must have gone through quite a bit of trouble.

The vast majority of the staff in the shop are sailors.

However, their faces showed no passion for their work, only numbness and a sliver of remaining resentment.

Turn a corner, and you'll find yourself in a narrow alleyway.

Su Qing could clearly see several emaciated crew members lying in a filthy puddle, their eyes devoid of any light.

They look like they're just waiting to die.

Zloty also witnessed this scene.

"Captain Su, this is not our problem."

"Although the resources provided by our chamber of commerce are not abundant, no one will starve."

"This is their own choice."

Su Qing nodded; he naturally understood.

These people were mostly blank slate crew members without any talent.

Through round after round of applications and rejections, they completely lost their willpower and hope.

I chose to end it this way.

Wang Yao noticed Su Qing's gaze on those people and, fearing he might overthink things, moved closer to her.

There's no need to sympathize with these people.

"Don't forget that one-armed warrior."

"The first group to enter the Age of Exploration also lacked talent and spent five years at Midway Island."

"Finally, I met that legendary captain and became a legendary crew member."

Su Qing nodded; he did not feel sad for those people.

Talent is not everything for success.

It is not impossible to succeed without talent.

As long as you're not dead, do everything in your power to live.

The three of them moved forward slowly, but a considerable crowd gradually gathered along the roadside.

They all came for Su Qing.

Whether they wanted to board the ship or did something else remains unknown.

However, because of the presence of the indigenous man, Zloty, no one dared to step forward.

After all, the last person who provoked the natives was turned into a tomato pizza, but this pizza wasn't delicious and didn't give any experience points.

The three arrived at the end of the main road, where there stood an imposing three-story building with a plaque hanging above the door.

"Wind Breeze Chamber of Commerce"

The four large characters are written with vigorous and powerful strokes.