Chapter 664: Viking Pirates’ Treasure Land
The atmosphere in the room became even more awkward. You want these girls to say they won't eat meat anymore, but you want them to stop using bags, high heels, and makeup? Just kill them!
Bo Ke coughed twice and spoke: "Mr. Xiao, what are you going to Sweden for in a few days?"
Xiao Peng said, "It's okay to tell you now. When Abby came here just now, she gave me some information related to this matter. You know Barents, right?"
Several people at the scene shook their heads.
Abby answered the question again: "Willem Barentsz was a famous Dutch navigator. With the support of the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce, Barents devoted his life to exploring the Arctic Ocean and the Northeast Passage of Eurasia. The Barents Sea is now named in his honor. Xiao, am I correct?"
Xiao Peng snapped his fingers: "Yes, it's him!"
Marlene felt a sudden pang of discomfort after hearing this. Compared to Abby, the gap between her and him was truly enormous. Just now, she didn't know about 'squalane,' and now she didn't know about 'barents.' How could she be such an idiot compared to Abby?
Xiao Peng, you're such a fool! Why don't you ask me if I know anything about Stanislavsky, Brecht, and Mei Lanfang? I understand the three major theatrical performance systems. Otherwise, you could ask me about makeup, costumes, and so on.
Xiao Peng had no idea what he was thinking, so he continued, "Barents probably died in 1597. In 1596, Barents led a fleet to travel from the Arctic to East Asia, which is what we now call the 'Arctic Route'. However, the voyage was not smooth. When near Bear Island, his ship was separated from two other ships by floating ice. Later, when they were in Novaya Zemlya, the ship was destroyed by floating ice, and he and a group of sailors were trapped on Novaya Zemlya. They were trapped on Novaya Zemlya for eight or nine months, relying on burning the decks of the ship for warmth and hunting for a living. Many people died on Novaya Zemlya. In the second year, they made a raft to escape and were later rescued by Russians at the southern end of Novaya Zemlya. It's a pity that Barents finally survived until he was rescued, but died on the way back."
"Are you looking for the Barents treasure?" Boko became excited after hearing this.
Xiao Peng shook his head and said, "No, no, no. Abby just said that all of Barents's voyages were supported by the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce. Barents himself wasn't a wealthy man. Furthermore, his fleet at the time was mostly exploration vessels, sailing out, not returning, so they couldn't have held much wealth. In my words, they were ships 'not worth salvaging.'"
"Then why do you still want to go?" Boko asked puzzledly.
Xiao Peng explained, "Barents is the spiritual symbol of the Dutch 'Sea Coachman.' When they were stranded on Novaya Zemlya, despite extremely difficult living conditions and a lack of supplies, they actually had their cargo in the hold of their ship, which contained the medicines and supplies they needed. Yet, they left it untouched. This act established the Dutch merchants' global reputation. Back then, when merchants from around the world visited China, they wouldn't kneel before our emperor, but the Dutch did. They were true businessmen. And Barents became the epitome of the Dutch merchants' emphasis on reputation."
"Nearly 300 years later, in 1871, Norwegian fishermen discovered the remains of Barentsz's former hut on Novaya Zemlya. Inside were a pot, a bell, and a musical instrument pot. Most importantly, they found Barentsz's diary, in which he recorded his sailing adventures and the difficult winters he endured on Novaya Zemlya."
"Wait!" Abby interrupted Xiao Peng. "As far as I know, only half of the diary was found. It only records the Barents' and their difficult life on the island. However, they didn't touch the cargo on the ship, so this half of the diary is still a best-seller in the Netherlands today."
Xiao Peng nodded. "The information your father gave me is the other half. It tells of other things, like the mutiny on the ship. Do you think the two missing ships were really separated by the ice?"
"Mutiny?" Everyone became interested.
Xiao Peng nodded and said, "They encountered Nordic Vikings. To be more precise, there were already pirates on their ship. Whether they were Norwegian or Swedish is unknown. After all, Norway and Sweden had not yet separated at that time, and Barents was still very prestigious. The crew at that time felt that killing Barents would bring bad luck. After all, they all made a living at sea, right? So in the end, two ships followed the pirates, and one ship, Barents's ship, continued on. Then Barents was stranded on Novaya Zemlya."
Xiao Peng took a sip of champagne and said, "Here's the problem: Barentsz was actually captured on a pirate island. According to his diary, the wealth on that pirate island, called 'Stinky Armpit,' was comparable to the 'Treasure Island' in the novel. He said he was taken to the pirate leader's cave. Although the cave should be dim, it was as bright as day against the backdrop of gold, silver and jewelry! The golden axe made of gold and silver blinded Barents' eyes. William wanted me to find this 'Stinky Armpit.'"
Felix said, "Master, it's been four or five hundred years, hasn't it? Who can guarantee that this island really exists? Even if it still exists, who can guarantee that the treasure on it is still there? And do you think this name is credible? 'Stinky Armpit'? How could a pirate call his island that rubbish?"
Xiao Peng explained, "Actually, the name is quite fitting. Most of the Vikings of the time were descendants of the Vikings. According to Viking religious beliefs, all humans, male and female, emerged from the stinky armpit of a giant. So, modern humans have inherited this trait from their ancestors, and that's why they all have 'stinky armpits.' Luckily, I'm a yellow person and don't have this problem... otherwise, it would be really disgusting to think I also emerged from a stinky armpit."
After hearing Xiao Peng's words, everyone showed envy. The body odor problem of white and black people was a major problem that troubled 99.99% of them.
"Then how did humans come into being in your religious mythology?" Yasmin asked.
Xiao Peng spread his hands and said, "We have yellow skin, so naturally we came from the yellow earth. In our creation myth, we were all molded from yellow mud."
Marlene said angrily, "That's why you're so slow!"
Abby asked, "William asked you to look for the wealth on this Golden Island? Felix is right. Even if you find the 'Stinky Armpit' wealth, it would be long gone. What are you looking for?"
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