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...
At night, the stars scattered their light and the waves glistened.
The little houseboat, following the direction of the lighthouse, headed to Maro Town's harbor along with many adventurous ships.
The old lighthouse keeper waved at Chen Qi.
Looking up, Chen Qi thought of the first time he returned to Maro Town.
The ramshackle houseboat moored at the Maro Town dock, creaking.
Chen Qi placed the Deep Sea Water Elf No.1 on his shoulder and then disembarked at Maro Town's harbor.
Now was the time to return.
Chen Qi walked on the small dock path, looking around.
He hadn't noticed the changes in Maro Town when he had returned last time.
With the Crack Tide, Shell Country's officials had built defense facilities and a weather tower in Maro Town, and the keen-nosed merchants didn't miss this opportunity, starting to buy up a large number of shops in Maro Town.
Today, Maro Town was no longer the same, this island, once home only to fishermen and miners, and shunned by countless people, now gathered outstanding adventurers from inside Shell Country and even from abroad.
Chen Qi walked forward and noticed the surprising addition of a 'weapon store', 'Moonstone City Hunter Association Branch', and 'potion shop' near the dock.
Merchants and adventurers chatted boisterously on the dock.
Chen Qi perked up his ears.
Two merchants, one tall and one thin, were conversing.
"The Ghost Ship robbed our merchant vessel, we must deploy the Hunter Group to take back everything that belongs to us!"
"Take back everything, you don't know, when the Ghost Ship faced the Golden Canary Trading Company's ship, they even circled the merchant ship singing songs."
The devastation wrought by the Ghost Ship made both men heave a long sigh.
"Alas... if it continues like this, even the nearby sea routes won't be safe, why don't we find a new trade route, like some dangerous sea areas, such as that White Tree place."
"Shut up, do you know the tragic White Tree incident with the black rabbit? Just wait, there's a shipwright from the Steam Hand Company who, supposedly, can build ships that surpass the speed of the Ghost Ship."
"Forget it, let's not think about these troubling matters. Did you hear that, today's bonfire party in Maro Town has invited many renowned chefs!"
The Ghost Ship, new trade routes, a shipwright from Steam Hand...
Chen Qi shook his head secretly.
Under the influence of the Crack Tide, even the nearby sea was not that peaceful.
I advise you not to go to the White Tree... Chen Qi couldn't bother to rest, he quickened his pace towards the center of Maro Town, to the bonfire evening.
In the center of Maro Town, an open-air banquet had already been set up, accommodating over five hundred people judging by the number of tables.
Such a grand feast would never have been held in Maro Town in the past.
Chen Qi looked around for Teacher An's whereabouts.
However, before finding Teacher An, he spotted the slick mayor of Maro Town first.
The mayor of Maro Town was discussing land rental with a major merchant.
The mayor had spent his life fretting over his children's affairs, married a wife two heads taller than him, and worked hard to earn money, all to establish a family lineage like those nobles.
But to his surprise, the money he had worked for his entire life was overshadowed by the profits from the Crack Tide.
Now with money in hand, the mayor planned to find a tall woman with genetic mutations for his son, Little Maro, to improve their family's genetics and set their lineage on the path of mutants!
This was the fastest and most cost-effective route to creating a great family!
Seeing Chen Qi, the mayor excused himself from the major merchant and approached:
"Long time no see, Qi, I heard you've become a famous chef, a super chef!"
Chen Qi smiled:
"No, my rise to fame is mainly thanks to the White Dove Times' coverage; my cooking skills are still far from those of a true master."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the mayor admired Chen Qi even more upon hearing he was heading to the Crack Sea.
Suddenly, the mayor remembered he had an unwed daughter and asked curiously:
"Is that so, Qi, are you interested in settling down in Maro Town?"
The mayor's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Although Chen Qi hadn't attended an academy, in his view, Chen Qi's talent was only slightly below An's.
If Chen Qi were to settle in Maro Town, with his current fame, he would definitely revive Maro Town's reputation with a popular restaurant, attracting even more tourists!
Settle down? There's no talk of settling down in this era, the wave is king! Chen Qi shook his head:
"I have no intention of settling down for the time being, by the way, Mr. Mayor, do you know any merchants in the luxury goods business?"
Compared to traveling to Moonstone City to sell the cloud fluff, going directly to the mayor was also a good option.
Rejected... the mayor sighed:
"Indeed, you and An are the same, people who can't settle down... Wait, luxury goods business?"
"While sailing the Crack Sea, I was extremely lucky to get a bit of Hai Yunduo's cloud fluff."
"What?"
"Hai Yunduo's fluff."
"Cloud Roe sheep's wool!"
The mayor looked at Chen Qi with a suspicious face.
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The bath product made from the cloud wool of Hai Yunduo could turn dark, tanned skin into fair, delicate skin that seemed like it could be easily broken with a gentle blow, and it was safe and pollution-free.
That was the precious bath product his wife had been longing for, so he knew quite well the qualities of Hai Yunduo's cloud wool.
Such an item was indeed a rare treasure!
"Where did you get the supply channel from?"
Although there weren't many capable young people in Maro Town, those who were capable were ruthlessly efficient... The mayor of Maro Town thought for a moment and said,
"Cloud wool is popular anywhere. I'll try my best to help you find some, but these merchants are shrewd. Without a sufficient supply, they might drive a hard bargain."
The mayor of Maro Town introduced him to several merchants' information.
Chen Qi noted down this information. After tonight, he would be able to sell all the cloud wool from Hai Yunduo and earn at least four million Shell Coins.
"Qi, Qi..."
At that moment, An's voice came from behind him.
"Cough cough, someone's inviting me for a drink. I'll go and drink with An's father and show this tavern owner what a real 'King of Drinks' is!"
The mayor of Maro Town coughed twice and immediately took his wine glass to another part of the banquet, shamelessly looking for An's father.
Chen Qi turned around and there was An.
She had her hair tied in a side ponytail, with a few strands casually falling beside her ears, adding a touch of cleverness and languor.
Wearing a white lace dress adorned with delicate cloud patterns, it was very simple yet radiated a unique charm.
So she does have other clothes... Chen Qi remarked to himself.
An was typically a workaholic, a real grind, without the time to dress up carefully; she mostly wore her school's battle mage robes.
In her wardrobe, there were at least ten identical mage robes.
Chen Qi rubbed his hands together, preparing to showcase his cooking skills.
"An, where's the kitchen? I'll go and meet the chefs here!"
An didn't respond but looked him up and down like a curious cat, scanning Chen Qi from top to bottom, left to right, like a professional doctor.
Then she put up her finger with a serious expression,
"Dark circles, bloodshot eyes, Spiritual Power in disarray, signs of a cold, and just yesterday, you encountered a Ghost Ship and a big storm! And just now, you were still discussing business with the mayor of Maro Town!"
"Not only that, but you also didn't get a good sleep before heading out to sea to Moonstone City today!"
Ah? Chen Qi felt a bit dazed by An's barrage of words.
Then, An lifted her head and spoke with a lowered voice,
"Continuous travel leads to continuous stress, and too much stress can be deadly, Qi! What you need now is rest, lay aside your thoughts and get a good rest!"
Get a good rest... Chen Qi touched his shoulder, suddenly feeling a wave of fatigue sweeping over his body.
The constant traveling had indeed worn him out.
He had just not realized it until now.
As Chen Qi listened to An's nagging, he suddenly remembered another nickname for her—Mom An.
Though An's expression was often like that of a cold robot, in reality, she was very adept at observing others.
Chen Qi demanded,
"So, there's no need for a chef from Water Elf Restaurant at the banquet tonight? But you clearly said today's banquet needed a chef."
An, however, had called him over even though there was no chef work obviously needed.
Ah? An suddenly got stuck. She didn't know how to respond,
"Today... last minute... we found a few master chefs, Qi. You've barely come back from the dangerous Sea Demon Gorge; you should just enjoy the good food."
An's voice was faltering, robotic, unsure of how to respond.
"..."
Chen Qi looked around; the tables were laid with delicious dishes, aromatic and inviting.
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Indeed, he wasn't in need of money for cooking now.
Moreover, he had been too busy lately, like a player constantly moving forward.
Taking a break to enjoy some good food once in a while might be a nice option.
Chen Qi stretched out his stiff body,
"Alright then, thanks for your concern, Teacher An."
At that moment, An inexplicably blushed,
"It's what I should do, I have no other inten... tenti... ons... um..."
She suddenly realized she was stammering and hurriedly patted her face with her hand, turning her cheeks crimson as she explained,
"Cough cough, besides making sure you rest well, oh right, tonight's banquet in Maro Town also includes a famous shipwright!
If you have the chance, you might approach the shipwright to commission a ship!"
A shipwright? Chen Qi followed An's gaze to the center of the banquet.
There, a middle-aged man with unkempt facial hair was seated. He wore light armor and had a look of melancholy.
Chen Qi was slightly startled.
This man was also a member of the Ice Demon Pirate Crew, someone who didn't like humans.