"We need to find a ship that can go to the Storm Sea, preferably the largest kind of ship."
As soon as they left the previous shipyard, Wang Zhifan said to his companions, Chen Ming and the others.
"Indeed, they say the bigger the ship on the sea, the safer it is."
Chen Can, who wore glasses, understood Wang Zhifan's consideration and immediately nodded in agreement.
"But those ships we saw just now didn't look small either, they're much larger than the fishing boats from my hometown."
The youngest, Chen Ming, said somewhat confusedly. In his view, the sailboats produced by the previous shipyard were already large enough to carry them out to sea.
"Ah Ming... comparing sea ships to river ships is too absurd. The winds and waves at sea are incomparable to those on rivers. For safety's sake, we must find the largest tonnage ship possible, or we'll be in trouble if something happens on the Storm Sea."
Chen Can glanced at his brother with some exasperation.
After the three finished their discussion, they returned to the port and began to search for shipmasters recruiting passengers to gather more information.
The dock was still bustling, with various sailboats coming and going without pause, and the shouts of different shipmasters filled the air.
"Dragon Head Harbor! Dragon Head Harbor! Those going to Dragon Head Harbor, come here! We're setting sail soon!"
"Those who booked for Queen's Harbor, come here! We are the only ship going to Queen's Harbor this month! Miss it, and you'll have to wait another month!"
"Princess Harbor! Princess Harbor! Only one chance a day! Miss today, and it's gone!"
...
Wang Zhifan and his companions walked through the noisy dock towards a shipmaster who had just finished shouting and was drinking water.
This shipmaster had very keen eyes and quickly noticed the three of them approaching, even recognizing them.
He put down the water bag he had just finished drinking from, raised his hand to wipe his mouth with a fine cotton sleeve, and shouted loudly at them:
"Have you three found out where that island is? Want me to sail and take you there!"
He said this with a mocking tone, as if he was finding amusement in their quest.
"We did find it; the island is in the Storm Sea. Why don't you take us there?"
Wang Zhifan wasn't bothered by the mockery and casually countered.
"The Storm Sea? I wouldn't go to that godforsaken place! Even though my ship is sturdy, it can't withstand the deadly storms!"
The man immediately shook his head, indicating he wasn't going to continue bantering with Wang Zhifan.
But Wang Zhifan didn't plan to let him off easily and proceeded to ask him more questions, slipping a Silver Coin into his hand.
"Do you know where there's a ship heading to the Storm Sea? We really need to go there."
Seeing the serious expressions on Wang Zhifan and his companions' faces, the shipmaster, fingering the Silver Coin just given to him, fell into thought. He furrowed his brows, touched his forehead with his left hand, and then answered:
"You've got me there... although I've been in the passenger ship business for ten years, I've never heard of a passenger ship that specifically runs towards the Storm Sea. Maybe the smuggling ships run by pirates might sail such routes... I suggest you ask at a larger port; bigger merchant ships sometimes undertake annual long voyages, their routes might pass through the Storm Sea Region..."
After listening to the shipmaster, Wang Zhifan and his companions weren't surprised, having anticipated that this port wouldn't have ships heading to the Storm Sea, so Wang Zhifan asked him to recommend some larger ports.
"If you're heading to a large port, Queen's Harbor is definitely the largest; it's the empire's biggest sea port. But it takes a month's sea journey from here to there. The largest nearby sea port I recommend is Princess Harbor, which is more than three times the size of ours, and reaching there takes just three days..."
The shipmaster recommended all possible large ports, quickly giving Wang Zhifan and his companions a clear idea, and they turned to privately discuss their options.
"Fan, spending a month to get to another port is too long, and then searching for a ship to the Storm Sea and finding the Forbidden Fruit Island there might take half a year. I suggest we go to Princess Harbor."
Chen Can promptly suggested to Wang Zhifan, as a first-time player, finding it unacceptable for a quest to take half a year or more.
"I actually think the same; spending a month just to find a ship is a bit too torturous. Let's check out Princess Harbor first."
Wang Zhifan quickly decided on the matter.
Subsequently, they prepared to find a passenger ship heading to Princess Harbor, but before they could take many steps, a somewhat familiar group of people appeared.
Leading this group was a red-skinned, shifty-eyed NPC, the same one who had asked them for money some time ago. Behind him was a tall young man whose attire looked nothing like the local residents of this world, followed by several others similar to him. They were the very players who had caught Wang Zhifan and his companions' attention at the start of this quest.
"Fan, that red-skinned guy's teamed up with them; it looks like they're heading to board a ship."
The sharp-eyed Chen Ming noticed their purpose as soon as they arrived at the dock.
"Perhaps this guy really has some intel."
Seeing this, Chen Can was also a bit curious.
However, before Wang Zhifan could comment on the scene, the leading tall young man in the approaching group locked eyes with Wang Zhifan and, from a distance, shouted:
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