Faced with Wu Xian's question, Lan Hao Tian cursed silently in his heart:
"Damn it! What the hell is this 'seeing the future' nonsense? What kind of damn luck is this? I just barely set sail, and I run into two lunatics like this."
Taking a deep breath, he tried his best to stay calm before speaking.
"You… do you even believe the crap you're saying? Because I don't. I've heard the exact same words once before."
As he spoke, he shot a glance at Shui Xin Ling. Meeting his gaze, she looked away.
But Wu Xian didn't seem the least bit awkward. Scratching his head with a confused expression, he muttered,
"But I really do remember it that way…"
Lan Hao Tian was momentarily stunned. The guy in front of him didn't look like he was lying. Still, he couldn't bring himself to believe it—after all, she had warned him to be cautious of this person. He thought to himself:
"What should I do now? If he's not with the Empire, then having him on our side could be a huge advantage. But how do I convince him?"
As he pondered, his eyes settled on Wu Xian's face—handsome, sure, but with a kind of simpleminded honesty that bordered on stupid.
After some thought, he decided to paint a glorious picture. He said,
"Do you have a home?"
"I'm at home right now," Wu Xian replied without hesitation.
The corner of Lan Hao Tian's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
"Goddammit, this guy really might be an idiot."
"Alright, let me rephrase—do you want to come with me?"
"If I go with you, what do I get out of it? Is it more fun than sleeping?" Wu Xian asked curiously.
"Sleeping? Are you kidding me?" Lan Hao Tian cursed again in his head but forced himself to stay calm.
"Going with me will be the most exciting thing you've ever done. Right now, we're still short on people, but it won't be long before we shake the world to its core. You'll witness things that have never appeared in the history of mankind. Just think about it—the things you'll see, the things you'll do—it'll be beyond thrilling. All of it will be way more fun than sleeping, I promise you."
Lan Hao Tian grew more enthusiastic the longer he spoke. The dream he painted got bigger and shinier by the second, like a delicious pie hot out of the oven. Wu Xian couldn't help but start fantasizing about a future filled with glorious absurdity—like peacefully sleeping in the middle of a battlefield while everyone else fought around him.
His eyes lit up at the thought.
"You guys are pirates, right? Then from now on, you're my captain. You point east, and I'll walk west. You say attack, I'll go take a nap."
Lan Hao Tian was just about to celebrate the first part, but by the time Wu Xian finished, his mouth twitched violently.
"What the hell does that mean?!" He cursed inwardly. "Is this bastard saying he'll do the opposite of everything I command? Then what the hell do I even need him for?"
Despite feeling utterly frustrated at Wu Xian's ridiculous attitude, he decided to let it slide. After all, having Wu Xian on his side was still better than letting him fall into the hands of the Empire.
"Ha ha ha ha…" Shui Xin Ling, watching from the side, burst out laughing. She had to admit—Wu Xian was absolutely not normal. Compared to him, she felt downright sane.
"Hmph! What are you laughing at?" Lan Hao Tian huffed.
Still chuckling, she replied with a mocking tone,
"I'm just laughing because the first crew member of my dear comrade here is an incredibly honest person. That's a good trait, isn't it?"
Wu Xian nodded vigorously.
"Yes, yes, exactly! I'm a very honest man!"
Lan Hao Tian's face darkened further. Inside, he was screaming.
"You mean you weren't joking?! So you're really going to do the opposite of everything I say from now on?!"
Even so, a strange feeling in his gut told him that if he ever gave a truly foolish order, Wu Xian wouldn't go against it—he'd probably follow it to the letter.
"Please, both of you, give me a break," he muttered, exasperated. "Let's just hurry up and get to Coral Island."
With that, he grabbed the oars and began rowing with everything he had. He felt like if he talked to Wu Xian any longer, his brain might actually explode.
Meanwhile, Shui Xin Ling glanced sideways at Wu Xian.
'He looks so honest… Even a bit slow-witted, she thought. But how in the world did he disable my Heavenly Eyes? Could it be that he has already… I see. If that's true, then chances are, he isn't some high-ranking officer from any empire.'
At that thought, Shui Xin Ling almost completely let down her guard around him.
…
Not long after, their boat approached the harbor of Coral Island.
Lan Hao Tian squinted toward the docks and asked,
"Wait… Are they seriously charging a fee up ahead?"
Shui Xin Ling took a glance and nodded.
"Yeah, I see a toll station at the pier."
"But we don't have any money," he said plainly.
"So what?" she replied with a shrug. "If they charge us for docking, we'll just borrow the port from them. It's not a big deal."
Wu Xian, growing curious, joined the conversation.
"What do you mean by 'borrow' exactly?"
"We're pirates," she explained casually. "When we need something, we borrow it."
He frowned, clearly confused.
"But borrowing means returning it… right?"
Shui Xin Ling gave a half-nod, half-shake, then answered,
"Well… yes and no. We do return things, but not like ordinary people. A pirate's privilege is borrowing things indefinitely. So if we feel like returning it, we will. If not, we won't."
Wu Xian nodded enthusiastically, as if he had just learned a groundbreaking life philosophy.
Meanwhile, Lan Hao Tian stared at the sea, a storm cloud forming over his thoughts.
"Will people really rise up and follow me to overthrow the empires one day? Is this what I'm left with—a guy who's obsessed with 'borrowing' things and a woman who just robs people openly? Damn it… I better cut back on the whole borrowing thing, or how the hell am I supposed to lead a revolution with no credibility?"
No matter how he looked at it, placing his hopes for a better future on pirates felt incredibly unreliable. Then again, in this age, anyone who stood against the Empire was labeled a pirate anyway… So maybe being a pirate wasn't entirely without opportunity.
By now, the three of them had reached the dock. A harbor guard walked up and said,
"How long do you plan to keep the boat docked?"
"We're not exactly sure," Lan Hao Tian replied. "Could be a few days, could be quick."
"Is that so?" The man scribbled something onto a clipboard, then continued,
"That'll be 100 credits. Pay before docking."
"Ah… We don't have any money," Lan Hao Tian said bluntly.
The guard's face instantly turned colder. He sneered and replied,
"Then I suggest rowing your boat away from the harbor and swimming to shore. We don't let anyone dock here without paying the fee."