Chapter 65 Determining the Direction

The situation was dire, and reality was harsh.

Yet, life had to go on.

Han Ning tried his best to push down the heavy weight pressing on his heart. The most urgent task right now was to get this "Chaser" sailboat fully operational.

For the remainder of the time, he protected Xu Ming as they conducted a carpet search across the docks.

Along the way, they encountered awakening squads from the resort hunting for treasures in the dock area more than once.

Whenever these people ran into Han Ning, they chose to back away without exception.

Some, upon seeing Han Ning arrive, reluctantly put down the tools they had just found.

Others left immediately with their companions without saying a word.

Han Ning was somewhat surprised, guessing that President Wu must have issued some kind of order.

Time slipped away, and a whole day passed.

During this time, small groups of monsters tried to approach this area on more than one occasion.

Each time, they were jointly beaten to death by the group.

The tuna and the coral monster were dead, making this area temporarily safe.

Not only Han Ning and Xu Ming, but the awakeners across the entire Biyun Resort had no time to rest.

During this period, a group of weaker awakeners, who had barely awakened not long ago, came over from the direction of the resort.

Their numbers grew from just over twenty to nearly forty people, all throwing themselves into the search for boats and spare parts at the docks.

After all, Han Ning and Xu Ming were only two people; no matter how much they took, they could not possibly take all the materials in the entire dock.

Finally, as Han Ning dragged the last few barrels of sealed diesel onto the sailboat, the entire lower deck and the deck space were packed almost to capacity.

Most of the deck was stacked with dozens of oil barrels of various sizes, emitting a strong smell of diesel.

The engine room was crammed with boxes of various metal parts, bundles of cables, spare canvas ropes, water pumps and filter elements dismantled from other ships, and several intact solar panels.

The hooks on the bulkheads were covered with life jackets, fire axes, and emergency lights.

The entire lower cabin resembled a bloated and cluttered warehouse, with almost nowhere to step, leaving only a narrow gap barely wide enough for one person to pass through leading to the engine.

This method of cargo loading severely violated navigation safety protocols, but given the emergency, there was no other choice.

Xu Ming had just finished repairing the diesel engine shortly before, and had also gone out with Han Ning to find equipment parts.

By now, he was so exhausted that he leaned against an oil barrel, panting heavily, his face covered in a mixture of grease and sweat forming black grime.

After all, he was an ordinary human without the formidable physical constitution of an awakener.

Han Ning desperately wanted to turn him into an awakener, but currently, apart from continuously nurturing him with the blessing of nature, there seemed to be no other relatively safe method.

As for Yu Na, she acted like a quiet little secretary the entire time, following closely by their side without speaking or leaving.

……

"Take a rest for a moment, look how exhausted you are." Han Ning took a bottle of clean mineral water from his waterproof pack and handed it to Xu Ming.

"Huhu~ Thank you, Boss." Xu Ming took the cap off with trembling hands and gulped the water down greedily.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a low roar from Ice Cake echoed from the deck.

Han Ning and Xu Ming exchanged glances and immediately walked up to the deck.

Through the thick fog not far away, the vague silhouettes of numerous boats of all sizes began to appear.

They varied in size and shape, including monohull sailboats, catamarans, and even several relatively sturdy small fishing boats and speedboats.

A rough glance revealed no less than fifteen or sixteen of them.

At the lead was the Leopard 40 catamaran that Xu Ming had previously discarded.

President Wu was standing at the bow, waving continuously at Han Ning and the others.

"Good grief... Have they scavenged every usable boat in the entire mooring area?"

Xu Ming smacked his lips.

"It seems they planned this all along, organizing a group of maritime industry professionals just waiting for this moment."

"Mr. Han Ning!" President Wu's voice carried through the fog.

"Which direction do you plan to leave from? Can we go together?"

After witnessing the dead coral cluster, Han Ning still decided to circle around the outer perimeter of the dock, taking a wide turn to enter the city from an undeveloped area of Bailu City.

The dead coral sea was hundreds of meters away from here, and navigating within a hundred meters along the dock would keep them out of the coral zone's range.

The city had not yet been completely submerged, and plenty of supplies remained inside, so there was no need to rush away in a panic.

Seeing that Han Ning remained silent, President Wu continued in a loud voice: "Would you like to come over to our side to discuss the departure plan?"

Hearing this, Han Ning told Ice Cake and Yu Na to protect Xu Ming on the boat, then took a leap, casting a vine mid-air that wrapped around the railing of the catamaran.

The vine contracted continuously, pulling him onto the deck.

Han Ning nodded slightly: "President Wu, I plan to circle around the outer perimeter of the dock."

Since he was unfamiliar with the terrain around Bailu, he intended to cooperate with President Wu and the others.

"What a coincidence. We just had an internal discussion and also agreed that circling the outer perimeter to enter the city is feasible. We are planning to enter from the direction of Dashicun Village."

President Wu smiled. "Shall we go together?"

"Alright," Han Ning agreed straightforwardly. "Maintain a safe distance, and send a boat to lead the way."

"Great! With your joining us, we have absolute confidence!"

President Wu's voice carried a hint of excitement.

"Everyone listen up! Ah Cai, your vessel, the Windbreaker, will lead the navigation at the front. The target is Dashicun Village to the southeast. Maintain formation, move out!"

With the order given, the entire fleet seemed injected with vitality.

The roar of engines, the creaking sound of sails being hoisted, and the muffled, excited cheers of the people intertwined, shattering the dead silence of the mooring area.

Han Ning returned to his own boat and said to Xu Ming:

"Old Xu, it's all up to you now."

"Understood!"

Xu Ming nodded firmly, strode toward the steering wheel, and placed both hands steadily on the cold metal disc.

"Ice Cake, go to the bow and watch for underwater threats!" Han Ning commanded through their mental link.

"Roar!"

"Yu Na, protect Old Xu."

"Mm."

"Weigh anchor!" Xu Ming shouted in a deep voice.

Although there were only a few of them on board, the procedure was still meticulously followed.

Acting as a temporary sailor, Han Ning stepped forward to operate the hydraulic anchor winch.

"Hoist the mainsail! And the jib!" As soon as Xu Ming finished speaking, he ran over himself, slowly pulling up the massive white mainsail and jib folded along the mast.

The weather-beaten canvas flapped violently in the fierce wind, producing a dull, billowing sound.

Then Xu Ming hurried back to the steering station, turning the wheel while feeling the changes in water current and wind pressure.

"Full left rudder! Adjust heading to 135 degrees southeast!"

The massive hull of the "Chaser" turned on the water surface, its bow slowly pointing toward the southeast.

Turbulent waves beat against the bow, easily cleaved aside by the sturdy titanium alloy guard plates.

"Auxiliary power, engage!" Xu Ming pressed a button on the control panel.

A muffled roar came from the lower engine room.

"Power output is stable!" Xu Ming felt the vibration beneath his feet.

"The mainsail is catching the wind well, the angle is perfect. Boss, we're good to go."

Han Ning stood beside Xu Ming, his molten gold eyes piercing through the thick fog, locking onto the relatively open waters ahead.