Chapter 74: Judgment
Sailing on the sea is generally boring. After looking at the unchanging scenery of the sea for a long time, you may even wonder whether you are moving or not.
By this time, the Endurance had been sailing on the sea for more than ten days, and the young people who had no sailing experience had long lost their initial excitement, leaving only boredom and boredom.
And boredom.
"Ah...how long will it take, Laura? I'm getting bored."
A girl with short black hair and Asian appearance was slumped in a chair and asked Laura who was studying some documents nearby.
"I don't know, Samantha. Sailing on the sea is so unpredictable . Besides, what we are looking for is the legendary Yamatai."
Laura raised her head from the documents and replied to her good friend.
Samantha Nishimura, a British-American of Portuguese and Japanese descent, is Laura's college classmate and close friend.
Because Laura was eager to go on an adventure, Samantha soon came to the Endurance to serve as the documentary filmmaker and translator for the expedition for the sake of her good friend.
She believed Laura would discover something and wished she could be there to witness and record it all.
In addition, her identity is also a reason. She grew up listening to her grandmother telling stories about the Queen of Yamatai. Having been influenced by her grandmother, she naturally would not give up the opportunity to find her ancestors.
Combining the two, Samantha joined the expedition.
…
"I know, I know, I'm just complaining." Samantha sighed as she fiddled with her camera.
"Haha, young people just can't keep calm."
A strong old man with white hair and beard walked over with a smile. He was the captain of the salvage ship, Conrad Ross.
After a quick glance, Ross looked at Samantha again and said jokingly, "Little Laura and Little Xia Yu are both studying literature. I don't think they are bored."
"They both majored in archaeology, but I didn't. I studied documentary filming, which is my specialty."
As she spoke, Samantha raised the camera in her hand and pointed it at Ross.
"Come on, Captain Ross, smile, and I will make you look wise and brave."
"Haha, then I'd like to thank you for taking the photo."
Time passed slowly during the boring voyage. After experiencing several insignificant rainy days, Laura gradually unraveled the mystery of the remaining documents.
That was the location of the lost kingdom of "Yamatai". Although she was sure of it, she was not sure whether others would believe her judgment.
After all, she was just a college graduate, but there was a prestigious doctor on board.
James Whitman, an expert in both archaeology and anthropology, received his doctorate from Cambridge University in the UK and has taught at many universities around the world.
He is also the host of the popular archaeological TV show "Whitman's World" and has an extraordinary desire for wealth and fame.
But Dr. Whitman has been unlucky recently, with both his family and career failing, so he urgently needs to find a new and attractive topic.
So he invested all his fortune in this expedition, secretly hoping that the Endurance trip would provide new material for his new show and that the record would bring him a host of sponsors who would curry his favor.
With the presence of this prestigious doctor, Laura didn't know whether others would agree with her judgment, but she was also very sure that her judgment was correct.
"Xia Yu, do you think I should tell everyone about this judgment, or even change our original course?"
The troubled Laura asked her boyfriend beside her, Xia Yu was also studying with her, so she was able to solve the mystery so early.
"Well... Laura, you have studied Yamatai more than any of us. In my opinion, even Whitman is not as good as you. He is just a villain who seeks fame and reputation." Xia Yu put down the document in his hand, looked up at Laura and said seriously.
"You're here again." Laura responded helplessly, "Xia Yu, why do you have such a big problem with Dr. Whitman? I quite like the documentaries he shot."
"I'm generally a good judge of people. That guy will definitely do something inhumane for his own benefit."
In the game, Whitman is a selfish villain. He treats everyone on the ship as "material" for his documentary, and plans to use other people's tragedies to achieve his exclusive revelations.
He even betrayed his companions and joined the enemy, not hesitating to sacrifice others for his own benefit.
It was only after that that Laura saw the true face of the doctor. However, in the later part of the game, Whitman, because of his lack of self-awareness, was eventually hacked into a pulp by the enemy.
Nowadays, because of Xia Yu's obvious dislike for Whitman, Laura doesn't admire Whitman that much and only regards him as a senior in the industry.
After criticizing Whitman, Xia Yu changed the subject and spoke again.
"Laura, you have to trust your own judgment. I believe in you, and Ross and Samantha also believe in you. This is not consolation, but the fact."
"So, be brave and speak out your guesses. We will definitely support you."
Hearing this, Laura was silent for a moment , then nodded and said, “Well…thank you, Xia Yu.”
The brief exchange ended quickly, and the two immersed themselves in the ancient documents again. The boat continued to move forward slowly, with no wind or waves.
The next day, inside the cabin.
Captain Ross and helmsman Green are cheering for their respective teams in front of the radio, and chef Jonah is preparing lunch.
The others were sitting at the square table discussing the voyage. When Laura expressed her judgment, Whitman immediately became dissatisfied.
"Laura, there is no evidence for your judgment. We all value this expedition very much. I even invested my entire fortune in it."
"I know, that's why we should go east instead of west."
Hearing this, Whitman said coldly: "Who would believe it? No one would believe that Yamatai would be so far east. It's not written in the book."
"But the authors of those books never found Yamatai either..." Samantha suddenly interrupted.
As if being humiliated, Whitman said angrily, "I can't risk my reputation for an unfounded hunch."
"But, Xia Yu, Ross and I have discussed that we should not follow in the failed footsteps of our predecessors, Dr. Whitman." Laura explained anxiously.
"Huh? So you mean..."
"It seems that the famous Dr. Whitman is actually a coward with no sense of adventure."
Just when Whitman wanted to say something else, Xia Yu also started to mock.
"You little brat, I am the chief archaeologist on this ship, and I should be the one making the decision." Whitman said with an unpleasant expression when he was ridiculed.
If it weren't for his own show, he wouldn't hang out with this group of people.
"But Doctor, if we continue to go east, we can directly enter the Dragon Triangle, which is our destination."
Laura continued to explain, trying to convince this stubborn nerdy doctor, but Whitman still looked disdainful.
The other crew members were divided into two factions. Some believed that the storm in the Dragon Triangle was too dangerous and it was better not to take risks. Others believed that Laura's judgment had some basis and they could give it a try.
But in the end, it was the old Captain Ross who made the final decision to change the route and head towards the Dragon Triangle in the east.
Sailing towards the unknown land of storm.
