American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 344 Revealing Terrifying Talent (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
Captain Mike tossed a thick, stiff sail to Lin Yu'an, the rope whistling in the wind as it landed precisely at his feet.

"A weighing knot, sailors use it to save lives and to hold everything together. Raven should have taught you how to tie it. Now, tie one for me."

Lin Yu'an nodded. In the theory class, he not only listened to Raven's explanation, but also simulated the 3D structure and winding path of the knot in his mind more than a dozen times.

He picked up the rope without hesitation, his fingers flying across the paper, “The rabbit comes out of its burrow, goes around the big tree, and then goes back into its burrow…”

In just five seconds, a perfectly shaped tassel was formed in his hands.

Captain Mike, who had been crossing his arms, subconsciously lowered them, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The novice's predicament that he had anticipated did not occur at all; his speed and standard were already comparable to those of a seasoned captain.

The live stream chat was filled with amazement.

Holy crap! It's already done? I didn't even see the moves clearly!

[Three seconds! I just blinked! Anzi, are you cheating?!]

[Is this really the first time? Really? I don't believe it!]

Just then, Raven's voice drifted over from the dock.

"Not bad speed, Lin. But 'not bad' isn't enough. Any skilled sailor can do it with both hands. How about something a little more challenging?"

Lin Yu'an looked up at her, a hint of interest also igniting in his eyes: "For example?"

“For example… in an emergency,” Raven’s voice was tinged with laughter.

"Imagine you need to hold onto the ship's mooring rope tightly with one hand to prevent yourself from being swept overboard by the waves, leaving you with only one hand to perform rescue or securing work."

"So, are you okay with a one-handed knot?"

This requirement is completely beyond the ASA 101 syllabus.

Captain Mike frowned, feeling that his daughter's request was a bit too demanding. He was about to speak when Raven stopped him with a look.

[Here it comes! Raven's one-handed challenge!]

[One hand? I have a bold idea!]

[Hey upstairs, stop being so audacious. Be more practical and save up 10,000 yuan for a trip to Southeast Asia.]

Looking at Raven's provocative gaze, Lin Yu'an not only showed no fear, but instead laughed.

He untied the knot in his hand and then neatly put his left hand behind his back.

“I haven’t tried it,” he said frankly, “but I can give it a shot.”

He didn't start immediately, but instead ran a high-speed simulation in his mind again. He broke down the movements of both hands, replanned the path of each hand, and calculated the sequence and angle of force exertion by the fingers.

This process took him less than five seconds in his mind.

Then, he moved.

The camera in the live stream was fixed on his right hand, where the rope was seen winding, turning, and weaving between his fingers and wrist in a dazzling manner.

His movements didn't look like he was tying a knot; they looked more like a magician performing elegant close-up magic.

Ten seconds later, he stopped, and a perfectly formed and secure weighted knot appeared in his hand!

This time, Captain Mike's expression was no longer one of surprise, but rather one of blankness, and he even subconsciously rubbed his eyes.

On the dock, Raven's smile froze. She took off her sunglasses, her blue eyes filled with disbelief.

She originally just wanted to give this genius student a taste of his own medicine and let him know how profound the field of navigation is, but she never expected that he would actually accomplish a small miracle right in front of her!

"You... how did you do that?" Her voice held a hint of surprise. "There are many ways to play with one hand, but the one you used... I've never seen it before. It looks more efficient."

Lin Yu'an untied the knot and then, in front of everyone, slowly and deliberately demonstrated it again: "I just optimized the hand movements in my mind and found the most suitable path for exerting force with one hand."

"Optimize in my mind?" Raven murmured, repeating the phrase as if her worldview had been shaken.

Can a classic knot that has been passed down for hundreds of years be optimized in a few seconds? Is this something a human can do?
Seeing her shocked expression, Lin Yu'an decided to provoke her a little more.

He shook the rope in his hand and asked with a smile, "So, Coach Raven, are there any more difficult challenges? Like... a hand-held weighted knot with your eyes closed?"

"puff--"

Captain Mike nearly spat out the mouthful of water he had just taken a sip of. He stared at Lin Yu'an as if she were a monster.

Raven was amused by his question. She put her sunglasses back on, concealing the turmoil in her eyes, but her voice returned to its cool and sassy tone:

"Alright, Mr. Monster, you've passed the rope test. I'd like to see if your optimized brain can save you some effort once you're on the winch!"

This conversation brought the atmosphere in the live stream to a fever pitch.

[A stunning comeback! Anzi pulled off a major stunt! Even Teacher Raven was helpless against him!]

[Although, this couple is just too adorable! Don't you guys think so?]

[@Alia, sister-in-law, come quick! There are people shipping this couple here!]

Captain Mike looked at the young man before him, then at his daughter on the dock who was speechless with shock, and couldn't help but let out a low, hearty laugh.

He was now completely convinced that this guy named Lin Yu'an was no ordinary person. The lessons to come would probably get even more interesting.

Captain Mike seemed quite pleased to see his daughter humiliated, his smile widening, but he remained stern: "Next lesson, winch operation."

He pointed to the metal discs on either side of the cockpit, his expression turning extremely serious again: "These are the ship's power amplifiers."

"It uses the principles of leverage and gears, allowing you to pull with the force of a single finger, creating a force powerful enough to tear a canvas."

"But it's also a finger crusher; every year, beginners get their fingers caught in it due to improper operation. So, give me 200% focus!"

He personally demonstrated the movement, his technique as precise as a textbook: "Look carefully! The sail line must be wound clockwise around the winch at least three times!"

"Too little friction will cause slippage; too much friction will cause it to jam under pressure. We call it damned folding!"

"Never put your hands near the angle between the rope and the drum! Use your palms, not your fingers, to generate power!"

He instructed Lin Yu'an to begin practicing. Lin Yu'an wrapped the rope around the winch handle and began to turn it forcefully. A tremendous resistance was encountered.

"Push harder! Where's your strength?!" Mike growled in his ear. "Imagine you're battling a Category 10 storm! You don't even have enough strength to tickle a woman!"

Lin Yu'an gritted his teeth, the well-defined muscles in his arms bulging instantly, and he steadily and rhythmically increased the speed of the winch rotation. The winch made a "click-clack" sound.

Holy crap! Those arm muscles! He's got incredible boyfriend potential!

[That's a real unicorn arm! It's brimming with power!]

[It seems like Lin Shen could just pull it by hand instead of using a winch...]

"Stop!" Mike suddenly shouted.

Lin Yu'an stopped immediately.

"Now, release it. Remember, never untie the rope directly from the winch! The immense tension will instantly snap your wrist!"

"The correct method is to slowly release the rope from the automatic lock, feel the tension with your hand, and then release it little by little!"

Lin Yu'an carefully operated the device following his instructions.

Raven chose the most comfortable position, leaning against the cabin wall, one of her long, shapely legs stretched out casually, completely bathed in the scorching Florida sun.

Her honey-colored skin, protected by sunscreen, had a healthy, moist glow, as if the light itself was flowing gently along the lines of her firm calf muscles.

Her other leg was bent, the bare toes lightly touching the helmsman's seat. This posture created a dynamic and striking image of her hips and legs!

Her simple white T-shirt fluttered slightly in the sea breeze, clinging to her flat stomach and shapely back.

She saw that Lin Yu'an was using brute force to struggle against the winch, and a smile appeared on her lips.

She slowly took off her sunglasses, her blue eyes shining like the clearest seawater in the sunlight, with a hint of amusement as if she were watching a good show.

She spoke, her voice not loud, but it reached Lin Yu'an's ears clearly:

"Lin, I saw you were using brute force. The winch has two settings, did you notice?" Lin Yu'an was taken aback and stopped what he was doing. He looked down and carefully examined the winch handle's connector and rotation mechanism.

Mike remained silent, watching with interest. This was another topic beyond the 101 outline.

Lin Yu'an turned the handle forward and backward a few times and immediately felt the subtle difference when the internal gears switched.

"Clockwise rotation is high speed, less power but faster speed. Counterclockwise rotation is low speed, slower speed but more power." He drew the conclusion instantly.

“Absolutely right!” Raven’s voice was full of praise. “A smart sailor knows how to use different gears to conserve energy.”

"Now, try using a low gear. You'll find that the pulling force that made you grit your teeth just now is as easy as walking a dog."

Lin Yu'an immediately switched to rotating counterclockwise, and sure enough, the resistance was greatly reduced, allowing him to continue tightening the rope almost effortlessly.

“That’s not all,” Raven continued her off-site instruction. “Did you hear the ‘click’ sound from the winch?”

As Lin Yu'an turned the winch, he listened carefully, trying to connect the sound with the mechanical structure. "It should be the sound of the ratchet and pawl meshing. It allows the winch to rotate in only one direction, preventing the rope from reversing under the enormous tension."

“So here’s the question,” Raven asked her ultimate question, “what if your winch gets tangled and jammed right now?”

"Under immense tension, you can neither loosen the rope nor tighten it further. Yet you must immediately loosen the sail to cope with a sudden strong wind. What should you do?"

This is a very advanced emergency response problem.

The chat in the live stream fell silent; everyone was stumped by the question.

Captain Mack looked at his daughter on the dock in surprise; he hadn't expected Raven to raise such a tricky question. It was a question that would make even a seasoned sailor's palms sweat.

Lin Yu'an fell silent, looking down at the complex mechanical device, his mind racing.

He connected the theories Raven taught him, the operations Mike taught him, and his own observations of the mechanical structure.

A few seconds later, he slowly spoke: "I will use another rope to tie a Prussian knot or a sling knot on the rigging that is under stress."

"Then, take the other end of this new rope and lead it to another available winch on the ship or a sturdy enough ram's horn knot."

"Then use the force of the second winch to transfer the tension of the sail line, instantly releasing the force from the first jammed winch. This way I can safely untangle the tangled rope."

After he finished speaking, the entire dock fell into an eerie silence.

After a brief pause, the chat in the live stream went completely wild.

What the hell did I just hear? Is this some kind of gibberish? I recognize each word individually, but when they're put together, I can't understand a thing!

[Prussian knot? Pike knot? Shifting tension? What's all this fuss about?]

I think I understand what Qian Xuesen meant when he said, "Even the dumbest student can't learn calculus."

On the dock, Raven's expression was beyond shock. For the first time, her usually confident smile was replaced by blank stare.

The question she raised was an elective topic in the ASA 106 (Advanced Coastal Cruise) course, which she herself learned during a real crisis.

Lin Yu'an, through theory and observation alone, deduced a textbook-perfect answer in just a few seconds!

Captain Mike's blue eyes, which had seen countless people, were fixed on Lin Yu'an, filled with scrutiny and entanglement, but also with a hint of appreciation as if he were looking at a peerless gem.

For the first time, a great deal of doubt arose in his mind about this student.

From quickly absorbing complex principles in theoretical classes to identifying ropes flawlessly at the dock, and then to that incredible one-handed knot just now.

The important thing is that this crisis solution, which even veteran sailors have to think about for a long time, is now completely beyond the scope of what talent can explain.

This is not a learning curve for a beginner! It's more like an experienced sailor with thousands of nautical miles of sailing experience... pretending to have amnesia!
Mike quickly considered in his mind: Scout Braun was a shrewd businessman. Would he hire an actor to stage a story of how a genius was made for a project?
Absolutely! This kind of thing is not uncommon in this industry, driven by the desire for traffic and buzz.

His gaze involuntarily drifted to his daughter on the dock—Raven, his most prized sweetheart.

Another, more alarming suspicion began to surface in Mike's mind.

He had seen too many young people like Lin Yu'an—handsome, rich, and seemingly polite.

Then, using learning to sail as the most elegant excuse, they spend a lot of money and specifically request the best instructor, but their real target is the girl next to the helm, whose skin is tanned to a honey color by the sun.

Could this guy be after Riven?!
All of this today, including that amazing one-handed knot and theoretical deduction, was just a peacock display to show off his extraordinary abilities to Raven? He'd seen this kind of tactic many times before!
In an instant, Captain Mike's eyes turned cold and wary.

If that's the case, he would not hesitate to stop the course and let this self-important rich kid know that the sea in Fort Lauderdale is not his family's swimming pool!

But... Mike dismissed this idea in his mind.

He recalled every detail of the morning, and Lin Yu'an's eyes had always been unusually focused.

When answering Raven's questions, there was not a trace of ulterior motive, no flattery, no boasting, and not even any unnecessary social emotion.

This kind of pure focus cannot be faked.

So, only one last, and most unbelievable possibility remains—that everything he said is true. It really was his first time sailing!
If this is true...

Mike's heart skipped a beat! It wasn't doubt, but a suppressed surge of joy and excitement!
If this is true, then what he witnessed today was the birth of a once-in-a-century, no, a legendary nautical genius!
This is a top-tier gem, unpolished and yet capable of stunning the entire maritime world!
Involuntarily, a name that was like a god in the world of sailing came to mind—Peter Burling.

That quiet assassin from New Zealand, that current legend who won gold and silver medals at the Olympics, and then, at the age of 26, led the Emirates of New Zealand to reclaim the Copa America from the Americans, and successfully defended the title four years later.

Mike had watched all of Peter Burling's match videos; the young man's face never showed any extra expression, as calm as ice.

But his understanding of the ever-changing wind, water flow, and opponents' movements on the field, as well as his exquisite control of that monster-like hydrofoil racing boat, reached an inhuman level.

Many people say that Berling's brain is a supercomputer built for sailing competitions.

Today, the young man named Lin Yu'an in front of me has shown a talent in "learning ability" and "theoretical deduction" that is very similar to that of the legendary Peter Burling!

Even in certain pure computational abilities, he surpasses them! Bai Ling's talent was honed through countless competitions.

Lin Yu'an, on the other hand, was like a program that had just been activated, skipping all the experience accumulation process and going straight to the core of the problem!

Mike could almost imagine that if this young man were given a year or two to accumulate enough sailing experience... no, it wouldn't even take that long!

At his learning speed, it might only take a few months before he's on the stage of the world's top sailing competitions!

Copa America...

This word, representing the highest honor in sailing, flashed through Mike's mind like lightning.

He could almost see Lin Yu'an piloting a hydrofoil monohull, flying over the water at speeds exceeding 50 knots, competing against world-class teams like Peter Burling's Emirates Team New Zealand and Team Ineos from the UK!
That scene made Captain Mike's blood boil!

He decided to trust his professional judgment and the young man's insight. He would treat him like a rough gem and polish him to perfection!
Under Mike's strict guidance, Lin Yu'an spent more than an hour completing the remaining dock drills one by one.

By the time he had secured the last rope to the dock with a perfect ram's horn knot, he was sweating profusely. It was nearly noon.

"Alright, that concludes the morning's static exercises." Mike glanced at his watch, his tone filled with undisguised approval.

“Your learning ability and physical fitness have exceeded my expectations. But all of this is just learning traffic rules in the parking lot. This afternoon, we will actually be on the road.”

Just then, Raven, carrying a picnic basket, nimbly walked over from the dock and easily jumped onto the boat.

She had changed out of her smart coaching outfit and put on a simple bikini, which made her look even more youthful and energetic.

“Lunchtime, gentlemen.” She opened the basket, which contained sandwiches, fresh fruit salad, and several bottles of chilled energy drinks.

She handed the food to the two men, then chose a sheltered spot on the ship's side to sit down, her long, honey-colored legs dangling casually over the water against a backdrop of shimmering blue sea.

The live stream camera captured a close-up shot at just the right moment, and the scene was as beautiful as the cover of a vacation magazine.

The barrage of comments exploded instantly.

[Holy crap! Raven looks absolutely stunning in casual clothes!]

[Those legs! That waist! That honey-colored skin! I'm totally smitten!]

Ahhh, this scene! Sunshine, beautiful women, sailboats, the sea! Everything I've ever dreamed of!

[Screenshot taken! New phone wallpaper available!]

It's so good to be rich! Damn it, why don't I have this kind of life?!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(I've been quite busy at work lately, so the update schedule hasn't been consistent. Please understand!)
(End of this chapter)