Chapter 302 The Ocean Dog Comes to Help Xia Zhining stood on the deck of the patrol boat, the sea breeze already carrying a salty and fishy smell.
Looking for a "witness" from three years ago? That person must be a long-lived "resident".
Before coming here, Xia Zhining already had someone in mind to ask: seagulls, whose lifespan is ten to fifteen years, and some can live for twenty or thirty years.
Once they reach adulthood, they generally settle down and live in one particular sea area.
—The perfect maritime intelligence station!
Xia Zhining and the coast guards on the patrol ship brought out their "hard currency": golden and crispy fries that were still slightly steaming, and tender cod cut into small pieces with snow-white flesh.
What's even more ingenious is that she then placed a square, transparent acrylic dome on the deck, like a mini display case.
Then, they put all the fragrant food in at once, and then connected the hook and rope to make a makeshift seagull trap.
"Boss Crow, now it's up to you to build your influence!"
The Boss Crow understood immediately, puffed out his chest, cleared his throat, and let out a piercing cry towards the sea:
[Dinner's ready! Two-legged deck, all-you-can-eat fries and cod! First come, first served!]
It even deliberately imitated the urgent and cheerful tone of a seagull's cry, just like an overly enthusiastic street tout.
Soon, a noisy "ooh ooh" sound came from the horizon.
A "white cloud" is rapidly approaching—
Those were the seagulls summoned by the aroma and the boss's shout of "Dinner's ready!"
They swooped down, their target the irresistible pile of delicious food on the nail plate.
But just as the first batch of "vanguard" fry were about to touch the fries—
"Clatter".
Xia Zhining pressed gently, and the transparent acrylic cover was fastened tightly.
Several seagulls' beaks slammed against the hard, transparent cover with a "thud," and they were met with a closed door.
The other seagulls frantically flapped their wings around the enclosure, their small eyes fixed on the food that was so close yet out of reach, their cries both anxious and aggrieved:
[It smells delicious! It's right in front of me!]
[Open! Open it now!]
[Give us food! Right now! Immediately!]
The crow strolled leisurely to the edge of the enclosure, its bright black eyes watching the flock of ravenous gulls scratching their heads, and deliberately spoke slowly:
There's no such thing as free fries. Want some? Sure. Trade me some information.
Xia Zhining first distributed some samples to the eager "great gulls".
Each one contains a small piece of fries or a piece of cod the size of a fingernail.
"Alright, we can't just take the meal tickets for nothing."
Xia Zhining held up a large printed picture of the ship "Haiji 173". "First, help me identify whether there was a ship that looked like this around here three years ago... um, was it circling or stopped in a rather unusual way?"
The seagulls craned their necks to get closer to the picture, and after just one glance, they started chattering excitedly:
[This kind of ship? Very common! They're always at sea!]
[It's metal-cased, white, and tall!]
“That’s right, that’s it.” Xia Zhining nodded, her voice patient. “But the ship we’re looking for, ‘Haiji 173,’ had an accident here three years ago. There were three coast guard officers on board… who never made it back.”
She briefly described the bizarre aspects of the accident.
As the seagulls listened, they pecked at the food in her palm. Gradually, their little heads stopped shaking so eagerly and turned to her in unison, their beady black eyes filled with focus.
As noisy and talkative seabirds, seagulls love to hear gossip and stories.
Especially those with a suspenseful element, they are even more captivating and unable to leave.
The story abruptly ended at a crucial point.
When the seagulls heard that the story was stuck at a crucial point, they became so anxious that they stamped their claws on the deck, flapped their wings, and chattered incessantly.
[Oh my god! How can the story only be half told! What exactly happened to these three people? Tell me the rest!]
Xia Zhining helplessly spread her hands: "...And then, that was it. We still don't know the truth."
"Who is the murderer? What exactly happened that night... The sea fog was too thick and the waves were too big, erasing too many traces."
[I'd already gotten out of bed, and this is what you're going to tell me?!]
[Urgent! I'm so anxious I don't even feel like pooping!]
[It's like finding the best-tasting fish, taking just one bite, and then being swept away by a wave! So frustrating! So incredibly frustrating!]
[I declare this to be the most suspenseful gossip I've ever heard in my life! Without a doubt!]
They circled around her, their little eyes wide open, full of accusations that she wouldn't leave until she finished telling the whole story.
Their anxious, angry, and curious expressions resembled those of a group of viewers who had been following a drama to a crucial episode only to have their internet suddenly cut off.
Xia Zhining looked at the group of listeners who were jumping around anxiously and couldn't help but laugh: "Don't worry, the rest of the story will depend on your help to find it."
She pointed to the vast sea: "You are the original residents here, and you are most familiar with this sea."
"Could you please ask the marine animals that have lived here for a long time if anyone saw this ship on that night three years ago? What happened to it?"
Upon hearing that they had become "key players," the seagulls immediately puffed out their little chests, overflowing with a sense of responsibility:
[Leave it to us! We'll find out the truth right away!]
[Please save some fries for us! We'll get back to you with news!]
[Brothers, get moving! We have a cold case to solve!]
As soon as he finished speaking, the flock of seagulls scattered in all directions, as if spreading out an intelligence network in the sky.
They not only search for themselves, but also call out to their kind from near and far:
[Hurry! It's urgent! Help me find a witness from three years ago! The reward is fries and cod!]
Soon, the entire sea area became lively, with white figures shuttling back and forth and chirping everywhere.
An unprecedented "sea surface eyewitness search" has been officially launched.
Before long, several smooth silver arcs suddenly leaped up on the distant sea surface, accompanied by a crisp and melodious "chirp chirp" sound.
Three dolphins chased each other like playful children, cutting through the waves as they went.
They leaped lightly out of the water, drawing silvery arcs along the side of the boat, the water droplets refracting tiny sparkles in the sunlight.
[I heard they need us here?!]
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