After Shen Feng discovered that two European psychics were approaching, he immediately became vigilant and sped back to the ferry. He informed Qin Kewei of the situation and also notified Gong Changfa, asking him to hide anything that needed to be hidden. In reality, there was nothing that truly needed hiding; all that was required was for everyone to keep their mouths shut.
"The European with the mustache is coming, the one who can cause earthquakes. Everyone be careful!" Shen Feng said to Gong Changfa.
Upon hearing this news, Gong Changfa was very confident. This was because he had already had Qin Kewei hide the meteorite underground. Qin Kewei had also left a marker in the seabed, a stone shaped like a cross. Beneath the cross was the meteorite buried under mud. The cross was small, only about a meter long, and ordinary people would not notice this marker.
Even if someone saw the cross, they would likely only marvel at the artistry of nature.
"These people are probably going to search our ship. They suspect we found the meteorite. It's fine, let them search. Let them come!" Gong Changfa said with a smile.
At the same time, Xu Huwei also used his psychic abilities to overhear the conversation from afar. He then said, "These two are discussing that after they arrive here, one will stall for time while the other uses sonar to scan the seabed. Afterward, they will inspect the ship together. However, I've heard it all."
Shen Feng almost forgot about Xu Huwei's abilities. This guy was like a super-sensitive ear, capable of capturing all nearby sound waves, making him perfect for eavesdropping on people's private lives.
Furthermore, it was Xu Huwei who overheard Shen Feng secretly hoarding his spoils.
Gong Changfa pondered for a moment and said, "Later, we'll cooperate with these two as much as possible to play along. During this time, we'll wait for Yan Jing to send the container. In the meantime, we can use the 'crossing the sea under camouflage' tactic to stall for time. During this period, we'll continue to stir up trouble and get North America and Russia to fight!"
"Your plan is insidious, but I like it," Shen Feng said, seeing no issue with it.
Afterward, Gong Changfa gathered everyone on the deck of the warship. Yun Laizhe shook a bell to prevent others from eavesdropping and then revealed his plan of 'crossing the sea under camouflage.' The strategy was to create as much of a spectacle as possible, pretending to be diligently searching for the meteorite by salvaging in different sea areas every day, thereby dispelling any suspicions.
Everyone agreed with Gong Changfa's plan. At this moment, Xu Huwei was finally relieved. Yun Laizhe's constant ringing of the bell was torturing his mind. Listening to the incessant jingle in his ears was like having over a hundred people playing "Ten Sides Ambush" in his head, making him feel an urge to kill.
"I'm going to the observation deck to sleep. Don't disturb me!" Freed from the ordeal, Xu Huwei finally had some peace. After the meeting ended, he immediately headed for the observation deck, put on his sunglasses, and then lay down on the ground to sleep.
Even though he said he was sleeping, Xu Huwei couldn't truly fall asleep. His ears were passively receiving information. Even if he didn't want to hear others' voices, he would inevitably hear them. This was a drawback of his abilities; he couldn't filter out unimportant information.
Half an hour later, Andorf arrived at the warship with Natalie. At that moment, a voice from the ship called out, "Password! Bright moonlight before my bed!"
Andorf had no idea what this password meant, and he couldn't even speak Chinese. He could only explain in English, "We are psychics from Europe. We heard that you have a ferry, which previously sailed from Australia to North America. My relatives are on board, so I wish to pay my respects. Please grant permission."
After thinking for a long time, Andorf decided to use the excuse of mourning relatives to board the ship. Once on board, he would find a way to inspect various parts of the ship.
Natalie was also quick-witted. Taking advantage of the moment, she placed her hand in the seawater and released ultrasonic waves to scan the seabed. The water depth in this area was over three thousand meters, as it was a sea basin, with the deepest parts reaching over four thousand meters. However, sound travels at about 1,400 meters per second in seawater, so scanning the seabed would only take about four to five seconds.
After Natalie performed her ability, she scanned the seabed with ultrasonic waves but found no trace of a large meteorite. The seabed appeared very flat.
At this point, Gong Changfa's voice came from the ship. He said in English, "The ferry is on the other side. Although it's tied to us, we each operate independently. You can go to the other side and find Shen Feng."
Andorf wanted to stall for more time and continued to find an excuse, "Please understand our difficulties. Natalie, who is with me, prefers flatter and taller ships. We hope to board from your side."
"Then you may come aboard," Gong Changfa said, not preventing them and agreeing immediately.
At this moment, Natalie had also scanned this area of the sea and then shook her head, whispering, "No."
Seeing that Natalie couldn't find the meteorite, Andorf's suspicion did not lessen. He thought to himself, "Could it be hidden on the ship? That's not impossible! These people entered the Sea of Silence before us, so perhaps they've already salvaged it and brought it aboard."
Subsequently, Andorf led Natalie onto the warship. Psychics were milling about on the deck. The most eye-catching item on the ship was the stove. The stove was made of brass, and the tables, chairs, and benches had been dismantled and used as firewood. Hot pot noodles and luncheon meat were being stewed on the stove, with frozen vegetables casually sprinkled on top. The aroma was irresistible.
Andorf glanced at the ferry on the side. The warship and the ferry were connected by a raft, but they were not truly integrated. Of course, for the psychics present, a distance of a few meters was nothing; they could simply jump across to the other ship. The raft seemed almost redundant.
"The meteorite is most likely on the warship. Let's search the ferry first," Andorf thought to himself.
Then, Andorf had an idea and said directly, "I've heard that the facilities on Chinese warships are exquisite. I personally admire Chinese culture and wish to learn more about it. Please allow me to visit some parts. When I return home, I'll have more to boast about."
Andorf found it most troublesome to figure out how to get others to readily agree, because anything others valued would not be easily shown to outsiders. In the end, Andorf thought of a way. He had long heard that Chinese people enjoyed hearing flattery, and as long as they heard kind words, they would be satisfied. Therefore, he stated plainly that he admired Chinese culture and hoped to witness its various cultural styles.
Gong Changfa found it amusing inwardly. He thought, "Does he really think I'm a fool who loses his way after hearing a couple of nice words? However, I'll indulge him!"
At present, what Gong Changfa needed most was his 'crossing the sea under camouflage' strategy. He warmly welcomed the guests and said, "Let's go. I'll show you what cultural heritage is. Every part of this ship has its significance. If you want to visit, you've come to the right place. I guarantee you'll understand the importance of culture. North American ships are not like this; they have no culture, so there can be no cultural heritage on board!"
As he spoke, Gong Changfa led them into the cabin. The other psychics found this amusing and thought, "I didn't expect the captain to be so skilled at talking nonsense. He can even fool foreigners now."
As they walked, Gong Changfa began his explanation: "Andorf, come and see this. Pure steel stairs, a total of twelve steps. What do they symbolize? Of course, the twelve zodiac animals. Walking on these stairs is like stepping on the ladder of culture. This floor has twenty-four rooms, representing the twenty-four solar terms. Do you know them? If not, you can't appreciate the depth of this culture. Look at the kitchen. Do you notice the Feng Shui layout? It's a place that gathers and retains wind. Look at the lighting. The sunlight shines in through the windows, illuminating most areas of the kitchen. When the windows are opened, the stale air in the kitchen is quickly refreshed. What is Feng Shui? This is Feng Shui!"
Gong Changfa didn't care about the specifics. Facing this foreigner who couldn't even speak Chinese, he just made things up. As long as he could take this foreigner on a tour of the warship, everything would be over.
Andorf, however, was not listening to Gong Changfa's nonsensical explanations. He was observing the various conditions inside the cabin, not missing any blind spots, and casually saying, "Yes, you're right. Chinese culture is profound and extensive. It's a blessing from God that I can witness it firsthand. Please continue."
Thus, Andorf was both acting and observing various parts of the ship, hoping to find any trace of the meteorite. Gong Changfa knew that the other party was acting, but he didn't care. He played along with the act. The 'camouflage' in 'crossing the sea under camouflage' meant creating as much of a spectacle as possible, preferably making it known to everyone. Only then could the ultimate means be revealed at the crucial moment.
Unknowingly, the two arrived outside the warehouse. Natalie followed behind. Her method of detection was simpler; she only needed to release ultrasonic waves to scan every corner. Nothing could hide from her abilities.
"What's inside here?" Andorf asked.
Gong Changfa explained, "This is a warehouse. However, these ships are currently carrying the remains of many deceased soldiers. They set out in the summer to come here to salvage the meteorite but died in the Sea of Silence. The warship we are standing on was previously operated by them."
"I wish to pay my respects to them. May I?" Andorf asked.
Andorf was unwilling to overlook any corner of the warship, so even a warehouse filled with remains, he wanted to see.
Gong Changfa knew that the other party was someone who wouldn't give up until they saw results. At this point, he could only let the other party in to look, otherwise, they wouldn't give up. So, he opened the warehouse door and let them enter. The ground of the warehouse was neatly laid out with the bodies of deceased soldiers, covered with canvas. Beneath the canvas were the faces of skeletons.
The climate at sea changed drastically, and the South Pacific was already hot and humid, making it impossible to preserve the bodies. Therefore, when Gong Changfa arrived on the warship of the Divine Realm, he only saw skeletons in their uniforms. In the end, he could only collect these remains and place them in the warehouse, hoping to send them back to their hometown for burial if there was an opportunity.
After entering the warehouse, Andorf first opened the canvas covering the remains. He finally discovered that after searching the entire ship, he couldn't find any evidence of the meteorite.
Andorf was unwilling to believe that his assumptions were wrong. He became obsessed and looked at the remains, thinking to himself, "I heard that bones are hollow. Could the meteorite have been ground into powder and stuffed inside?"
Thus, Andorf raised his hand to smash downwards, preparing to break a few bones.
However, at this moment, Gong Changfa grabbed Andorf's wrist, his expression displeased, and said, "My comrades have already passed away. I do not wish for their peace in death to be disturbed. Do you understand?"
At this point, Gong Changfa was also somewhat angered. "I've already given you plenty of face by letting you see all parts of the ship, and yet you want to insult these soldiers' remains? That's too much. Now, Gong Changfa grabbed Andorf's wrist. With a slight exertion of his psychic abilities, a violent particle stream could enter the opponent's body and kill them instantly.
Andorf, with his wrist grabbed, also realized that he was too fixated on his previous assumptions. Perhaps the meteorite was truly not on this ship. Moreover, if Andorf wanted to make a move now, he could simply use his psychic abilities to kill Gong Changfa directly.
"Perhaps I was mistaken in my assumption. Even if Chinese psychics entered the Sea of Silence earlier, they still found nothing," Andorf thought to himself.
Therefore, Andorf immediately smiled and said, "You misunderstand me, my dear friend. My actions just now were merely to brush the dust off them. I didn't expect to offend you."
"Not at all, it was just a misunderstanding," Gong Changfa said, releasing his hand and smiling again.