The sun is setting in the west, and the spring sunshine is shining on a port in Shanghai.
Mountains of containers are neatly arranged on the dock, reflecting the light.
Giant ships of 10,000 tons, or even hundreds of thousands of tons, are crowded in the port, waiting to set sail.
Wang Luo is a crew member and former crew member. He has been unemployed for two years and now makes a living by delivering food.
However, he still yearns for the sea, although the life of a sailor is actually very boring. He cannot surf the Internet as he wants. He can only surf the Internet when he is in port or when the satellite signal is good.
But he still liked this job, and he enjoyed climbing up the ladder step by step, from third mate to second mate and then to first mate.
He hopes to be a captain one day, and finally have a ship that is completely his own, and he can take his brothers to swim in the sea. Just like in the Age of Discovery, this is the romance of men.
He was already very close to this day. He had enough qualifications. He was taking the exam for the captain's certificate and had passed the exam. However, no shipowner would ask him to come on board.
After delivering the meal today, he rode an electric donkey to the port terminal. He looked at the piles of goods and the crowded ships, with a look of hope in his eyes.
At this time, a middle-aged man in his thirties with a weathered face walked up to him and asked, "Young man, do you want to get on the boat?"
"Of course I have. I have been a crew member for more than 7 years. I am about to be qualified as a captain. It's a pity.
The Age of Vitality has begun, sea monsters are breeding, causing chaos everywhere, shipping is declining, and there are too few opportunities. Wang Luo shook his head and sighed, pointing to the rows of giant wheels in the distance.
"Yes, these giant ships would rather stay in the port and grow moldy than dare to take a dip in the sea. In the past, humans regarded the sea as a place to conquer, but now they regard it as a fearful road." The middle-aged man sighed.
"There is no way, no wonder they, you know, even a powerful warship is helpless when faced with the unpredictable sea monster." Wang Luo looked very understanding. It seems that although he has left his navigation position, he still has an understanding of the shipping situation. Very concerned.
"He's helpless? That's not entirely true, right?" The middle-aged man seemed to be defending the situation above.
"I say this somewhat casually. Yes, various naval powers have been changing the configuration of warships for a long time. In addition to conventional weapons, it has become a rule for cultivators to board ships. But how high is the manpower cost for cultivators?" Wang Luo continued to sigh, "A mission costs 300,000 U.S. dollars per person in two or three days. How can an ordinary merchant ship afford it? It can take as short as ten days or as long as one month to transport goods. The profit is not enough to pay off the cultivators. Salary... It’s better to be a cultivator. Crew members like us don’t have much salary, and a captain of a big ship can only earn 30,000 to 50,000 yuan a month.”
"Haha, you have to know how difficult it is for a cultivator to cultivate. It requires qualifications and resources, and the training cycle is much longer than that of a captain." The middle-aged man smiled slightly, "But recently there is a "Nine Transformations" circulating on the Internet. "Jindan Jue" does not require qualifications, but requires hard work. Have you practiced it before?"
When Wang Luo was about to answer, he suddenly hesitated. He shook his head and said, "Oh, those common people on the Internet should have no cultivation value, right? I didn't waste time. I'll look at other people's progress first."
The middle-aged man shook his head and smiled when he heard this, and didn't ask any questions.
Wang Luo felt guilty, so he used words to cover himself up: "Now there is a navy escort, but the cost of dispatching the navy is higher. It can only escort large batches of sea ships, transporting in-demand supplies and strategic supplies. The current sea trade model is By gathering a large number of sea-going ships at once, and then concentrating on escorting them for trading, we can barely maintain the appearance of trade."
"Haha, it seems you understand it very well. Yes, in the past, the model of one or two ships or even a dozen ships sailing out for trade has long been unsustainable. Entering the sea is like a sheep in a tiger's mouth, and a meat bun fighting a dog." The middle-aged man nodded.
"Isn't that so? I remember that during World War II, when Germany's maritime wolf tactics were rampant, the Allied maritime military transportation adopted centralized batches, centralized escort, and reduced the number of transportations to reduce the probability of encountering wolves. Just like this , the efficiency is too low, and many commodities are seasonal and not suitable for private shipping." Wang Luo, as a sailor who aspires to be a captain, is obviously familiar with the history of maritime transportation.
"Yes, the young man saw it correctly. What do you think if we don't use these warships and use other escorts instead?" said the middle-aged man.
"Something else? You mean, the hero flying around in the sky? It's hard for him to take care of things at sea, right? I've seen many reports of sea monsters causing trouble. Often, in an instant, a huge ship will be destroyed. Being pulled into the bottom of the sea by them, even if the hero came in a hurry, he could only look at the ocean and sigh." Wang Luo sighed.
"Haha, it won't happen in the future. We have enough early warning mechanism, which can at least delay those sea monsters who are causing trouble for more than 10 minutes. With this time, the hero can come and subdue these monsters." The middle-aged man unconsciously said Showing off his breath.
Wang Luo didn't notice the change in the other party's tone, and suddenly said in surprise: "In this way, wouldn't it be able to greatly reduce security costs? Many shipowners can afford it? Can I get on the ship again?"
"Haha, young man, if this matter is to be successful, we need to work together. I, Xie Dong, the leader of the outreach team of the Truth-telling Office, I see that your heaven is full and your bones are amazing. This important task of maintaining the calm of the ocean will have to fall. It's on you… "
"Uh, uncle, what you said seems very familiar." Wang Luo couldn't laugh or cry when he heard this.
Xie Dong coughed, took out his ID, showed it to him, and said: "Classmate Wang Luo, according to the truth about China, we will handle Order No. 35. Every citizen of China is obliged to respond to the call. Now, I You are officially recruited to join the Maritime Security Force."
Wang Luo immediately straightened his expression, stood at attention, and said loudly: "Obey the order."
"Yes, come with me." Xie Dong nodded and walked ahead with his hands behind his back.
Wang Luo followed closely and stopped using eDonkey.
Xie Dong was very satisfied. Before looking for Twelve Claws, he was recruiting people. There was only one condition, and that was to have real feelings for the sea and a real yearning for the sea, instead of treating it as a cornucopia or a sky. ladder.
This is an age of vitality, and the importance of mind is extremely important.
He believes that sooner or later, the sea will give birth to spirituality, and whoever is really close to it will receive great rewards.
Therefore, he did not cast a net from the truth bureau, but recruited people from society.
And this Wang Luo, with his ability to recognize people and the conversation just now, already knew that the other party was a die-hard ocean fan and had a special affection for the sea, and not just regarded being a crew member as a job.
At this time, the setting sun shone on the two of them, casting long shadows.
Xie Dong turned to look to the west with a smile on his face. The sun was setting in the west and rising in the east. The new day would be better.