bookrandom Chapter 935 Ancestors, you've run quite far...
Chapter 935 Ancestors, you've run quite far...
Among the members accompanying the mission on this trip, several were temporarily seconded translators specializing in less commonly spoken languages, with an elderly translator surnamed Dong leading the group.
These people, confident in their proficiency in "rare" foreign languages, carried a lot of personal belongings in large bags and revealed a hint of "this long journey may not be quick to return" when they boarded the ship.
After boarding the ship, they regarded the patience and care shown by Deputy Commander Mulan for the sake of the overall situation as weakness and vulnerability.
Translator Dong made several unreasonable demands: first, he complained that the lower cabin he was assigned to was dark and damp, "affecting his mood and inspiration while translating," and demanded to be upgraded to a first-class cabin with portholes.
Later, under the pretext that "translation work is mentally taxing and requires refined meals to replenish it," they demanded to enjoy extra-cost Western-style meals at the cruise ship's restaurants at every meal. Their reasons sounded high-sounding, but they were simply taking advantage of the fact that the mission needed their foreign language skills on this trip.
They were responsible for translating the promotional materials and technical specifications for the groundbreaking "Big Yellow Second Generation" single-board computer. Mulan was extremely cautious; while on shore, she didn't allow the translators access to the core content. Only after the cruise ship entered international waters, surrounded by vast open seas, and after confirming the environment was relatively "safe and controllable," did she distribute the materials and ask them to work overtime to complete the translation.
In addition to English and French, the official languages of the IEC are Italian and Romansh.
Italian is alright, but what the heck is Romansh...?
Therefore, we can only let this group of people slowly work on it.
Perhaps it was Mulan's outstanding, even somewhat delicate, appearance that led Translator Dong and his young student to make a serious misjudgment and harbor many inappropriate thoughts. Although Mulan felt that the previous requests regarding food and lodging were unreasonable, she tried her best to meet them for the sake of the overall work.
She used the little bit of money she had painstakingly saved by selling magazines.
However, human greed always knows no bounds. Just now, that young student of Dong, the translator, dared to suddenly "go on strike" when submitting the translation, citing heavy workload and a depressed mood. He then said to Mulan in a flippant tone, "...Comrade Deputy Commander, if you want me to continue translating in peace, that's fine, unless...you agree to 'become friends' with me and exchange ideas more privately...otherwise, I'm afraid I'm powerless to do this job."
Upon hearing this, Mulan's usual gentle smile instantly froze.
In that instant, the cold glint that flashed in Mulan's eyes was remarkably similar to the sudden sharpness in Jiang Xia's eyes when facing a technical challenge!
In essence, she shares something in common with Jiang Xia, that "silly boy"—she might not care much in normal times, but when her principles and bottom line are touched, her action and decisiveness are terrifying.
Since kind words and preferential treatment cannot earn respect and responsibility, then let's use a language they can understand!
If you can take action, try not to waste time arguing.
And so, this scene unfolded on the deck.
The other end of the cable in Xiaoqiang's hand was connected to that idiot who had spoken rudely and was now "sobering up" in the icy seawater.
Translator Dong and several other "scholars" who also harbored resentment and were eager to make a move were now huddled in a corner of the deck a few steps away, their faces pale and trembling like leaves. They dared not look directly at the deputy commander who was standing by the railing with his skirt fluttering in the wind.
"Gentlemen, the sea breeze is refreshing; it should clear your minds. The data on 'Dahuang II' is a national treasure, not a bargaining chip. The mission must be completed on time and to a high standard. As for other thoughts, you'd better throw them into this ocean. Otherwise..."
She glanced at the figure still bobbing above the waves, "There won't be just one person going on the next 'drive'."
The sea breeze remains the same, and the giant ship cuts through the waves and moves forward.
Mulan ignored the commotion behind her, turning her gaze back to the distant horizon where the sea met the sky. She murmured to herself, as if conversing with someone who was not present:
"See, you don't need to guess people's hearts. Just make them afraid, and that will do."
The incident on deck quickly subsided, and the efficiency of the translation work became exceptionally high from then on.
This minor incident on the cruise ship went unnoticed, yet it subtly revealed the deputy head of the mission's sharp edge.
After all, to take this timeless treasure to the international stage, tolerance alone is not enough; we also need the ruthlessness to "clean house"!
In this respect, Mulan and Jiangxia, though different in their approaches, arrive at the same conclusion.
The sea breeze continued to blow. Xiao Qiang tugged at the rope in his hand, glanced at the sea, and reminded her in a muffled voice, "Big Sister, that thing in the sea seems to be foaming, blowing bubbles like a crab... If it stays in there any longer, it might really become fish food."
"Why don't we pull him up? Otherwise, when we get back to your confinement, I think he'll have enough time to find a husband and finish his maternity leave..." The monkey grinned as he lay on the gunwale.
Upon hearing this, Mulan inexplicably recalled the figure with a cowlick on his head, waving at the dock before boarding the ship—thin yet upright.
A rare blush crept onto her jade-like cheeks, and she unconsciously tilted her head slightly, revealing a touch of girlish charm. She was completely different from the deputy commander who had just ordered the "sea bath."
"The Crown of Flowing Wind? He is the one who wields my sword?"
Mulan asked herself softly, a glint of light in her eyes, then a slight smile appeared on her lips as she hummed a little tune:
"Then I'll walk down the glory path..."
"Bring honor and brightness back."
“There’s no turning back this time…”
The song was soft and gentle, drifting away on the wind.
Mulan lightly touched the deck with her toes, turned gracefully, and like a nimble swallow, silently left the ship's side.
Xiao Qiang, left holding the cable, scratched his head, looking bewildered, and asked his companion, "Uh... what did Big Sister mean just now? It sounded like poetry, and also like a song..."
"What do you mean... If you don't pull him up soon, things will get interesting." The monkey rolled its eyes as it pulled in the rope.
"If the boss comes to her senses and finds that everyone is gone... she'll give you a live demonstration of what it means to 'split the world in a raging storm'!"
……
Just as Mulan was about to continue walking down, she suddenly hummed in agreement.
Her gaze once again fell upon the distant horizon where the sea met the sky, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
The color of the sea and the outlines of the distant islands seemed quite different from the expected sea route to Europe.
According to the original plan, we should be sailing into the central Indian Ocean at this moment, but the coastline in front of us is becoming clearer and clearer, and there is an unfamiliar humid and hot smell in the air.
She turned to the monkey and called out, "Go check the flight map and see where we are now."
After helping Xiaoqiang scoop up the lump, the monkey nimbly disappeared in the direction of the gangway.
About fifteen minutes later, he ran back with a strange look on his face and said in a low voice, "Big sister, I've found out, we...we've run to Sishui!"
"Sishui?" Xiao Qiang, who was helping someone drain water, suddenly looked up, his big, round eyes full of confusion. "My goodness, didn't we go abroad? How did we end up back in our hometown of Jining, Shandong? Is this ship lost?"
Mulan took the nautical chart and almost laughed in exasperation.
The “Surabaya” marked on the nautical chart is clearly Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, and has absolutely nothing to do with that inland county in Shandong.
Hey, don't think the name is strange, and don't ask why such a Central Plains-sounding name would appear in Southeast Asia. It's just what our ancestors gave us!
In the early years, Chinese people from Fujian and Guangdong went to Southeast Asia to make their way in the world. They settled and traded here, and they named this tropical port "Sishui," which has the flavor of their hometown. The transliteration is "Surabaya."
The place name itself is a living fossil of the history of overseas Chinese colonization.
So, when a certain squid held up the scriptures and said that it was their promised land, our big boss interrupted him and he didn't dare to make a sound afterward.
According to their algorithm, tsk tsk tsk...
Whether anyone cried or not, we should all be laughing happily.