"Pah! Who doesn't know about your boat? Customers buy it and have to bring it back for refurbishment every now and then!"
"Oh my! Why didn't you tell me that those logs of yours are like rotten wood and will take on water when there's a storm!"
"Bullshit! Those craftsmen under your command can't even draw a straight line, and you dare say they're building a ship? What kind of ship are they building?"
"Ha! I heard that the boat you built for Thera Island last time leaked and nearly drowned the passengers!"
"Nonsense! If you keep saying that, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Unconsciously, the temperature in the pub rose as the quarrel escalated.
The shop owner had to come over to dissuade them many times, fearing that these people would start fighting.
"Stop arguing, stop arguing. You're all big shipyard owners, and each one has its own unique characteristics!"
However, these people don't buy it.
"Then tell me! Whose boat is the best?"
The shop owner was speechless for a moment, and then everyone started arguing again.
Some even boasted that they would first sail their ships to Holy Egypt to trade, and as soon as this was said, they continued to quarrel fiercely.
Now it is no longer a business matter, but a question of who is qualified to show the ship to the Holy Pharaoh first and then let the Holy Pharaoh purchase it.
Just as the argument reached a climax, several ragged sailors hurried into the tavern.
They were covered in salt, their hair was messy, and their faces were slightly tired.
"Boss, get some wine!"
They sat down and ignored the quarrel, but raised their voices slightly when the embarrassed owner brought the wine.
"Boss, do you know what we saw on this trip?"
The shop owner's attention at this time was mainly focused on the ship owners, and he didn't care about these ragged sailors.
"I know. You saw that beautiful girl again. I'm almost getting calluses from hearing you say that."
"I don't have time to chat with you now. Look here, these guys are about to fight."
Of course, it was impossible for these sailors not to hear what the ship owners said; they were deliberately speaking to them.
"Boss, don't you really want to listen?"
"Let me tell you, what I saw this time is more precious than beautiful women and even more precious than gold and silver."
When the shop owner heard this, he just turned his head in disbelief and looked at the person who spoke.
"Is it rarer than women and gold, silver, and treasures?"
"Then you must have seen a ghost?"
"What did you see? Tell me now! You're hesitating like this..."
The shopkeeper waved his hands impatiently, as if shooing away a fly.
"We saw the fleet of Holy Egypt!"
The sailor finally uttered these words.
"I tell you, they have at least a hundred warships, each one larger than any ship we've ever seen!"
"Yes, bigger than this one, bigger than every ship in Athens!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the tavern instantly became quiet.
Everyone looked at each other, not understanding the funny part of this "joke".
The ship owners looked at the sailors, their expressions changing from disbelief to fits of convulsive laughter.
"Haha! Hahahahahahahahaha!"
One of the fat ship owners was the first to react and burst into laughter.
"This kid must be drunk and dreaming! Saint Egypt built its own ship? The sun rises from the west?"
"What you saw was probably a mirage, hahahaha!"
Another ship owner echoed, "That's right! Those holy Egyptians living in the desert can't even tell the difference between the sea and the lake. How can they build a ship suitable for the ocean?"
"Okay, kid, stop scaring us. I know you're just trying to stop us from arguing. Your intentions are always good."
At this moment, the sailor stood up.
"No, my Lords, we saw it clearly!"
"Their ships flew the flags of the Desert and the Nile, and our second-in-command met their holy pharaoh and even boarded their ship."
"Their fleet was massive, even larger than any Greek ship."
"If you had seen it with your own eyes, you would definitely..."
At this moment, the first ship owner slammed the table in anger.
"Bullshit! Someone must be spreading rumors! Who told you these nonsense?"
"Which damn guy spread the news and tried to steal our business?"
"How dare you set your sights on Holy Egypt?"
The sailor simply licked his lips. "We are a caravan from Corinth."
"What I said is what we saw with our own eyes."
However, when the ship owners heard the sailors' words, they burst into laughter again.
"The Corinthians? Those guys will say anything to sell their wares."
"They probably want to make us nervous so they can sell the ships cheaply to those idiots in Holy Egypt!"
"When did you start a shipbuilding business? I tell you, we will never let you, the foxes of Corinth, off with us!"
The sailor frowned now, and he continued to raise his voice.
"Captains, if you don't believe me, you can confront my second-in-command!"
"He'll be here soon anyway, you can..."
The other captain immediately interrupted him and waved his hand.
"Alright, alright, we don't want to hear any of this nonsense. How could Holy Egypt possibly have its own fleet? They don't even know the basics of shipbuilding!"
"Who are you kidding here?"
Another captain echoed, "That's right! We Greeks rule every corner of the Mediterranean, and our shipbuilding technology is world-leading!"
"How could a landlocked country like Holy Egypt suddenly become a kingdom capable of building ships?"
"I think you are really drunk in broad daylight and your mind is not clear."
Seeing that no one believed them, the sailors were too lazy to say anything more. They raised their hands and stepped aside.
"Okay, let's get back to the topic."
The older ship owner took back control of the conversation.
"Regarding the sale of the ship to Holy Egypt, I personally think..."
Another person couldn't wait to chime in: "I think Holy Egypt will definitely choose our ship. I've already designed a blueprint and can carve a portrait of the Holy Pharaoh on the hull."
The argument started again as if the previous conversation had never happened.
They are still full of confidence, firmly believing that Holy Egypt cannot do without their products, still look down on the "backward" African civilization, and are still immersed in the dream of Greek supremacy.
Just then, several Corinthian merchants walked in.
He immediately raised his voice.
"Just keep those junky boats of yours for yourselves."
When the sailor heard this, he turned his head suddenly.
Sure enough, it was the second-in-command of the Corinthian merchant fleet.
He held the heavy purse in his hand, deliberately revealing the holy Egyptian pattern on the purse.
When several captains heard this, they stood up in disdain.
"Who are you calling a wreck?"
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