Chapter 262 Shia Has a Secret
The howling of the storm pounded in people's eardrums, making them dizzy; huge waves rolled up and splashed onto the deck again and again, knocking down the sailors who were desperately steering the ship. If they hadn't been tied with ropes, they would have been thrown into the sea and swallowed by the merciless ocean.
When a sailboat encounters a storm, it must lower its mainsail. Without the power of the mainsail, it cannot break out of the storm zone. However, if the mainsail is raised, the tall mast and heavy, wet sail cannot withstand the violent wind and rain. It will either break or drag the sailboat into the deep sea.
The Da Yuan No. 1 encountered a storm. Most of the mainsails had been lowered, and only the auxiliary sails were used to adjust the course, struggling against the power of nature. Faced with this great force of heaven and earth, even Qin Mo could not resist.
"Shia, is this what you meant by 'a little storm'?"
Qin Mo stood on the deck, his feet firmly planted as if on nails, but his face was as black as the sky at that moment.
After Qin Mo's fleet set sail from Calicut, it arrived at Goa, a major town on the west coast of India. The accompanying pioneer team recorded valuable information about Goa's location, customs, and culture. Then, the fleet set sail westward, crossing the Indian Ocean to Aden, a port city in eastern Arabia.
A day earlier, Qin Mo felt the sea breeze getting stronger and asked Xiao Xiya, who was very sensitive to wind and waves, if there would be a big storm. Xiao Xiya blinked her big eyes and said it was just a little wind and waves and would not affect the fleet at all.
This morning, however, a storm struck Qin Mo's fleet, putting it in great danger, especially Qin Mo's flagship, the "Da Yuan No. 1".
The "Da Yuan No. 1" is a clipper sailboat with a slender hull. When it encounters wind and waves, it rolls violently from side to side. Although the ship has excellent wind and wave resistance due to its extremely low center of gravity, every time it tilts from left to left and rolls sharply to right, it is terrifying, for fear that it will roll directly onto the waves and never be able to turn back.
Moreover, the freeboard of the clipper fast sailboat is lower than that of other ships, resulting in severe wave intrusion. The large amount of spray surging onto the deck caused great trouble for the sailors who were busy with "operations," which further annoyed Qin Mo.
Seeing Qin Mo's dark face, Xiao Xiya could only timidly say, "I think... this little storm is nothing... I sailed from India to Southeast Asia in a very small boat and experienced much stronger storms than this."
Looking at Shia, who swayed and drifted with the wind but remained firmly on the deck, Qin Mo was speechless. You can control the waves, okay? Your talent makes you like a fish in water in a storm, but your own crew doesn't have that ability and can only tough it out.
"If the boat sinks, we'll all become fish food together." Qin Mo glared at Shia resentfully.
"No, no, if the ship sinks, I'll take you with me and make sure you're safe." Shia laughed heartily, revealing her white teeth, her already budding breasts thumping loudly as she patted them with her little hands.
"Shia, are you hoping our ship will sink?"
"How could that be!...Hehe, no, Qin Mo, don't worry!"
Shia smiled awkwardly and lowered her head in embarrassment. Who could guess what was going on in a young girl's mind?
Looking at the crew members who were fighting the storm, Shia felt very ashamed. They had been very kind and respectful to her. How could she have had the idea of taking Qin Mo away alone?
Shia opened her arms, and an invisible energy wave spread out around the ship, gradually merging with the surrounding sea.
The crew of the Da Yuan No. 1 suddenly felt that the ship's rocking had stopped being so violent, and the waves seemed to have become less turbulent. Looking up, the sky was still as dark as ever, and the wind and rain blowing on their faces were still as fierce as ever. They looked around blankly and finally discovered the source of this strange phenomenon.
The giant waves in the distance were at least three zhang high, fiercely rushing towards the Da Yuan No. 1, but they strangely calmed down not far from the ship's side, just like an angry, crying child being soothed by its mother and gradually falling asleep.
The giant waves no longer pounded against the ship's sides or surged onto the deck; instead, they flowed gently and calmly under the ship, causing the sailboat to rise and fall like a baby's cradle.
Everyone except Qin Mo was stunned. They had always respected Shia because of Qin Mo's status, and also because Shia's loyalty had won them the favor of these straightforward men. But no one had expected Shia to possess such power at sea.
"Raise the sails and head north!"
Following Qin Mo's command, the Da Yuan No. 1 raised its sails and slowly accelerated, stubbornly swaying northward. Giant waves were ahead, but they could never reach the ship, circling around Shia's small body. Within a radius of a hundred feet, the waves seemed to see their king, bowing their heads and surrendering.
Two hours later, the wind and waves subsided, and Shia's face was as pale as paper, but she still stood firmly in place, stretching out her hands to support the peaceful sea.
"Shia, the storm has passed, take a rest!"
Qin Mo gently took Xia's small hand, and the icy temperature made Qin Mo's heart clench with pain.
"Oh! Qin Mo... I'm so tired, so sleepy, why am I... so weak... Waaaaah!"
Shia buried her face in Qin Mo's shoulder and began to cry. Her aggrieved expression softened Qin Mo's heart. He patted her back and said, "You are already very strong. You led us out of danger. This is all thanks to you."
"Waaaah! I can become stronger... I can definitely become stronger."
As the storm subsided, the crew began to busy themselves, trying to get as far away from the eye of the storm as possible, looking for suitable anchorages or safe harbors, and repairing the damage caused by the storm.
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