American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

Several people were chatting and laughing as they loaded supplies onto the ship.

"How is the ship, Mr. Milyo?"

A middle-aged man with black hair wearing sunglasses put down a box of fish bait and asked enthusiastically.

"Very nice," Zhu Mingyao exclaimed, admiring the pristine white hull and gleaming wooden deck.

“Mr. Gary, you said this ship is fifty years old? I can’t believe it. It looks brand new!”

"Hahaha!" Gary laughed heartily for a long time before finally stopping.

He waved his hands and shouted, chasing away the long-beaked thieves who were sneaking close to the bait box, and took off his sunglasses and stuffed them into his pocket.

"When I first bought it, it wasn't this beautiful..." the man said with a sigh, stroking his neat, short, gray beard.

"At that time, it was covered in dirt from the wind and sun. Gray-green shellfish and seaweed covered the bottom of the ship and even climbed up to the waterline. The paint on the deck had long since cracked and peeled off, and the pale white color looked like the bare bones of a dead person."

Gary patted the gunwale with pride, making a dull metallic thud.

"To get it, I convinced Emily to spend all our savings, and together with Fanny, who had just been discharged from the hospital, the whole family worked together to repair it for two or three months, replacing many damaged parts and installing a large number of modern devices, before this 'beauty' was completely renewed!"

He turned his head, remained silent for a moment, moved his lips slightly, and said sincerely and seriously.

“Sir! You saved my daughter that day, which meant you saved my whole family. For a Sicilian man, nothing is more important than this. I won't say any fancy words of thanks…”

"I can only tell you that from now on, you will be the most honored guest of the Gary family."

As he spoke, the seemingly strong man's throat tightened, and he said with lingering fear, "I simply can't imagine what I would do if I lost Fanny. Her mother would go crazy..."

Seeing the old man lose control of his emotions, Zhu Mingyao felt a sense of empathy. As both are ancient civilizations, Sicilians and Chinese people share very similar family values, and he could understand the other man's feelings to some extent.

"Alright, Mr. Gary, it's all in the past, let's not talk about those troublesome things."

He smiled and changed the subject, gesturing with his eyes:

"You call this ship 'Beauty' because of that?"

Following his gaze, a life-size statue of a woman with her hands raised above her head was pressed tightly against the bow of the ship.

The figurehead is entirely pale white, seemingly made of some kind of high-quality hardwood. The sculpted figure wears a coral crown and a long robe covered in waves, resembling a typical ancient Greek goddess. Although the body is still relatively intact after many years of wear and tear, the face has become somewhat mottled and cracked.

Gary turned around, wiped his eyes, and smiled, trying to brighten up.

"You guessed right, that's definitely one of the reasons."

He picked up a small fishing rod with a hint of excitement and pointed at the figurehead.

“Don’t let old Gary’s current status as a third-rate captain fool you. Back in my days in Sicily, I studied art. I always have good taste and a discerning eye. I could tell at a glance that this woman’s statue was not the original. It’s at least two or three hundred years old!”

He grinned smugly, “The well-preserved antique figurehead alone is worth a good amount of money, enough to offset a significant portion of the purchase price of the ship. I’ve already asked someone to appraise it. Once I get the appraisal certificate after the maiden voyage, I’ll replace it and then find someone to sell it. There are so many celebrities and wealthy people in Los Angeles, surely someone will be willing to collect it.”

"Oh, Dad, you're bragging again. Didn't you ever think that if you had made a mistake back then, our family would have gone bankrupt!"

Two small heads popped out from the cockpit on top, their golden-brown hair gleaming in the sunlight. It was Fanny who had brought her sister to expose their father's secrets.

Gary laughed heartily, stuck out his tongue, and made a face. "That's because I have the blessing of two lucky goddesses! How about Daddy thanks you with a loving hug?"

As he rushed into the cockpit with a seemingly fast but actually slow motion, a burst of laughter and playful antics ensued.

Seeing the family's joyful atmosphere, Zhu Mingyao was also somewhat infected by it, and with a smile, he picked up his backpack and walked over.

……

……

A gentle breeze stirred, ruffling Zhu Mingyao's large, soft cotton T-shirt, making the scorching sun seem less unbearable.

It was peak tourist season at the seaside, and boats of various sizes frequently passed by, fully loaded with guests who were either trying diving or fishing.

The reddish-brown deck was polished to a shine with ship wax, without a single burr. Little daughter Perrin ran around happily, her bare feet making a clattering sound as she stepped on it.

The fishy smell of the sea became less noticeable after a while, and it did nothing to dampen the group's pleasant mood.

Owen, the young man hired as a navigator, is the son of Gary's friend. With his brown hair and dark eyes, he and Fanny are clearly interested in each other. From the moment they board the ship, the two are inseparable, which makes Gary, the old father at the helm, feel both heartbroken and gratified.

Emily, the hostess, pulled out a simple charcoal stove and cooking utensils from the cabin, set up the stall, tied on an apron, and greeted them with a reproachful tone.

"Hey men! If you haven't caught anything on your hooks yet, we'll be relying on Palin's butter cookies for lunch!"

"No, Mom!"

Amid the little girl's lament, a strand of silver thread traced a large arc and drifted back.

"Hehe, looks like you've saved your cookies." Zhu Mingyao winked mischievously, then with a clever flick of his fishing rod, a red shadow at the end suddenly leaped up and jumped into the bucket filled with seawater.

Meanwhile, Owen and Fanny seemed to be making a move as well. The two of them bared their teeth and yelled, working together to hold onto the thick fishing rod, controlling the spool to tighten and loosen, and struggling against the big guy underwater.

"Ha, a Pacific snapper. We can slice it up and grill it later, but it's a bit small."

Lady Emily peered closer at the prey with its spiky back, a mixture of delight and regret in her eyes. She cried out to her husband:

"There are too many tourists nearby, resulting in too few fish. Hurry up and go to your 'secret base'."

Chapter 170 Doubts

"Instructions received, as you wish, madam!"

Gary gave a solemn naval salute, then swung his strong arm in a wide arc, striking the rudder hard to port.

"Ah, be careful!"

A gasp suddenly rang out as a slender black shadow swept across the heads of the crowd, leaving a trail of water droplets.

It turned out that Owen and Fanny had finally exhausted their prey and dragged it out of the sea. In doing so, they used too much force and flung the half-meter-long Golden State Shark high into the sky.

Just then, the sailboat made a sharp turn, and the two lost their footing. Due to inertia, the translucent fishing line twitched half a circle in the air, causing the prey to change its landing position and finally crash heavily onto the white figurehead.

The star shark's slender body got stuck between the goddess statue's raised hands. Its tail thrashed through the air, flailing wildly in vain. The rough edges tore through the supple fish skin, and drops of blood splattered out, dripping down the statue and onto the sea surface.

"Oh, damn it!" Gary quickly turned off the engine, ran out of the wheelhouse with a pained expression, grabbed a harpoon, and with a bitter face, leaned over the bow and carefully chipped away at the Star Shark.

He bent down, widened his eyes, and ran his hands over the statue, carefully checking for any damage.

"Dad, it's not our fault. It's all your fault for turning the wheel so suddenly. Not to mention the fish, Owen and I almost fell!"

Before her father could lash out, Fanny preemptively launched into a torrent of complaints, silencing his rebuke.

Seeing his daughter so protective of her lover, what could Gary do but give an awkward, bitter smile, as if he could already see his "miserable" life after his little darling got married?

Zhu Mingyao, standing nearby, had no time to appreciate the family comedy unfolding before him. He calmly put down his fishing rod, casually strolled over, and while Gary went to fetch water to clean the statue, he focused his mind on his forehead, activating the [Forehead Divine Court] and, in conjunction with the Qi Observation Technique, used both methods to look towards the bow of the ship.

To be precise, it was looking towards that white wooden statue of a woman!

Just as Star Shark's blood was being poured down, he suddenly felt a faint yin energy flash by. The energy was extremely subtle and faint. If it weren't for his superior cultivation techniques and his incredibly sharp spiritual sense, he would have almost thought it was an illusion.

Looking around, apart from the wooden carving on the prow, which was an old object and the most suspicious, there was nothing else that bothered me.

No matter how much he used his supernatural powers to scan the area repeatedly, until Old Gary wiped the fish blood off with water, he still couldn't find the slightest problem.

"That's strange, it's just an ordinary white oak statue..."

Zhu Mingyao grew increasingly suspicious, so he thoroughly searched the entire ship, but could only manage to draw a rough conclusion in the end.

—It is said that many creatures died in the sea and were attracted by the blood energy. By chance, a wisp of multicolored spirit floated up and disappeared in the sunlight. It is similar to the will-o'-the-wisp in the desolate grave.

If it were anyone else, they might have found a reason to convince themselves and turned to leave, but Zhu Mingyao, having experienced the encounter with the perverted vampire Alex in the lakeside cave, was still more cautious even if he didn't notice anything unusual.

As if he had been sitting for a long time, he shook his head, stretched out his arms, and strolled around. In fact, in a place where the others could not see, several beams of spiritual light condensed into runes, deeply seeping into every part of the sailboat and quietly taking root.

Now that his five vital energies are in harmony and he has upgraded the [Maoshan Miscellaneous Yang-Gathering Talisman Scripture] to LV5, Zhu Mingyao can now draw some simple talismans in mid-air without the need for brush and ink. He is only testing his skills now as a precaution.

"Alright, alright, it's past ten o'clock already. Stop fiddling with your broken thing and hurry up and set sail for 'Oyster Bay,' or we'll really be eating cookies for lunch!"

Mrs. Emily took the bucket and rag, urging her husband on.

"Don't panic, raise the sails for help. Trust the great Captain Gary, he'll be there in thirty minutes..."

The propeller started up again, stirring up a turbulent spray of water, which, together with the unfurled triangular sail, propelled the boat forward at full speed, leaving a long white trail behind it.

……

……

In a clear, shallow bay flanked by rocky slopes on both sides, Gary skillfully found a spot away from the reefs.

He pressed the button, lowered the heavy anchor chain, and smiled smugly at Zhu Mingyao.

“Mr. Milton, although this place is inconspicuous, it is a good place for fishing and diving. There used to be an oyster farm in the distance. After it went bankrupt, some oyster seedlings drifted here with the waves and settled down.”

With its numerous reefs and abundant seaweed, it attracts a variety of fish, including octopus, coral shrimp, and crabs, making it a treasure trove known only to veteran anglers at the dock.

If you get tired of playing on the boat, you can take a small inflatable boat to the shallows to collect some oysters and shellfish, which I will then cook into a delicious seafood stew for lunch.

With such thoughtful arrangements, what could Zhu Mingyao say? He gave a thumbs up and went with Fanny and the others to inflate the small boat, ready to have a good time beachcombing.

……

Brownish-red octopuses, vibrant coral shrimp like peach blossoms, dark green and grayish-black oysters...

Gary was right; the seafood here is indeed plentiful. Even if it can't compare to professional fishing grounds, it's enough to easily feed a few tourists.

Three young men and women, with a small child in tow, were playing and splashing in the shallow water when they casually picked up a small bucket full of water.

The freshly caught ingredients were still lively and jumping around. They were taken back to the boat for grilling and stewing. With just a few simple seasonings, they were extremely delicious. Everyone ate with beaming smiles, feeling very satisfied and exclaiming that the trip was well worth it.

The afternoon was spent in this joyful atmosphere until the sun set.

The group was in high spirits, and with the little girl Mary, who was having a blast, pleading softly, they decided to go night fishing on the boat and return the next morning.

As a first-generation immigrant who crossed the ocean from Europe to the Commonwealth with his newlywed wife, and after nearly twenty years as a seaman, the old man had a wealth of experience and many stories to tell. Now, with cans of chilled Budweiser beer in hand, he began to tell his benefactor.

From the customs and scenery of various countries to the furnishings and origins of the ships beneath their feet, the describers vividly described the stories, and the listeners listened with great interest. Before they knew it, the sky was filled with countless stars.

Zhu Mingyao firmly declined the family's offer to give up the master bedroom, then squeezed into the cramped cabin, pulled down the folding soft bed on the wall, and lay down without even covering himself with a blanket.

After an unknown amount of time, a bright moon gradually moved westward. As the temperature dropped and water vapor rose, a thin white mist rose from the sea, hazily enveloping the harbor.

The sailboat swayed gently with the waves, and there wasn't a single light on it. Everyone seemed to have been too tired from playing during the day and had all drifted off to sleep.

The fog grew thicker and thicker, like a veil of gauze, obscuring most of the moonlight and casting faint shadows on the boat.

A sea breeze blew by, causing ripples in the mist and shadows to shift.

The wind stopped and the fog cleared, but that shadow was still trembling!