24: Chapter 24 Inspection

Having pushed through immense exhaustion to finish dinner, Li Ming suddenly remembered that after working for extended periods in high-pressure underwater environments, one needed to spend time in a low-pressure chamber. After all, Earthlings weren't Europa superhumans; they couldn't stay underwater for long and then return to normal work.

However, apart from fatigue, he didn't seem to feel anything else unusual... Still, he informed Fujian that he needed to rest.

Fujian agreed. Until they returned to the port, he wouldn't leave his room except for meals and bathroom breaks.

Finally, he had time to properly inspect what was inside the bag he had retrieved.

The Destroyer began its return voyage. Although the ship swayed somewhat, Li Ming, who had slept soundly in bed for a full 14 hours, was already fully acclimated.

After getting up, Li Ming cautiously began trying to open the case.

After summoning the Yellow Chicken safety officer and medical officer to confirm there was no danger, Li Ming carefully opened this waterproof case, which had likely been submerged for half a year yet remained structurally intact.

First were the clothes.

Nothing special—clothes consistent with the era Li Ming lived in.

Although they were unrecognizable due to water damage, Li Ming still determined that the materials of these clothes were at least decent.

The lining contained various daily necessities. Although they all appeared unusable, judging by the materials, their technological level wasn't low.

A modern society? Li Ming wondered, groping around inside the case until he found what seemed to be a computer. However, it had been completely waterlogged and ruined, with almost no chance of any critical components surviving.

Undoubtedly, this might be good news for Li Ming. Assuming he could return to human society one day, he wouldn't be completely out of place due to being too advanced or too backward.

Setting aside the computer and the few electronic devices to be sent to the research center later for evaluation—to see if there was anything referential or any technical details that could be gleaned.

And inside the lining of the case, Li Ming found a safe box that didn't appear to have been soaked through; it seemed to be waterproof.

This small metal box, though noticeably faded, showed no signs of deformation or rot, and its seal was still in good condition.

The only problem was it was locked, and the combination lock was also completely ruined. Li Ming had no idea how to unlock it.

But that was no problem. Li Ming had the Yellow Chicken master cleanly cut open the seal of the box and poured out its contents.

It seemed that apart from what looked like a bank card, there was nothing particularly valuable—just a notebook.

Frowning, Li Ming opened what might be "his" notebook.

——————

"...The terrain shows almost no difference from my memory..." Fujian analyzed the still-intact map. This wasn't found on the Bridge but was dug out from a sealed case in the captain's quarters. Alongside it were some exquisite devices and fabrics.

She had originally intended to report this to Li Ming, but he interrupted, and after bathing and eating, he went to rest due to extreme exhaustion. She hadn't yet told him about her discovery.

Based on her memory, she confirmed that the landmasses on the map matched her recollection perfectly. The only difference was that the nations on the map were completely different from what she remembered.

"The Eden Knight Order Federation and... the Qianhe Empire?" Fujian traced her fingers over the map, pulling out the captain's log in an attempt to find more relevant information.

But the result was destined to disappoint her. In the captain's log, Fujian didn't find much information—only a few religious-related terms and navigation details. A few key points were...

Magic?

Even after careful perusal, there were no further details.

They had also checked the library, but the books inside were completely water-damaged, yielding no more information.

Putting down the notes, Fujian turned to inspect the other items in the safe.

An Iron Cross medal... She hadn't seen this type before; at least, it wasn't from the Iron Blood Duchy. The silver Iron Cross more closely resembled the emblem of the Hospitaller Order from the old era of Malta.

She summoned Z23, and they ultimately confirmed that even in the entire history of the West, there was nothing similar.

This exceeded her expectations. In her memory of the future, she had never encountered these things, nor had any memory related to them—not even in historical museums or confidential historical records.

This feeling of losing control made her vaguely uneasy.

Rubbing her eyebrows, she glanced at the time. After a final check of the safe for any other valuable items, she was drawn to the remaining small objects.

Based on the notes' contents, the exquisite objects she had initially thought were decorative items or luxuries might now hold a new possibility.

Magic artifacts.

It seemed like a rather absurd idea, but having watched some anime, she felt this possibility wasn't entirely far-fetched.

Carefully picking up those implements, the fabric cushioning them below was finely made. Spreading it out revealed a circular pattern that looked like a magic array—or so she guessed; she wasn't entirely sure what it actually was.

After studying them carefully with gloves on, Hu Jian ultimately couldn't determine whether these were magical items or not. She could only temporarily give up the investigation, carefully seal these artifacts away to prevent any accidental activation that might doom the entire ship.

The time was already 11:40 in the morning. Their Commander should be awake by now. In a few more hours, the Destroyer would return to base.

The command room was quiet, with only the Captain Chirp and a few command Yellow Chickens attending to their tasks.

After quietly organizing her things, Fujian took the map, gently opened the door, and left to check if anyone was cooking lunch in the mess hall.

Fortunately, Z23 had prepared lunch. After having Z23 pack a portion for the Commander, she carried the lunchbox to Li Ming's restroom door and knocked softly.

"Commander? I'm coming in."

Li Ming responded from inside. Fujian then opened the door to see tattered cloth and various scattered fragments of what seemed like salvaged junk littering the floor.

And he himself was in the midst of sorting through these things.

"Commander, it's time for lunch." Ignoring the ever-present hygiene issue, Fujian placed the lunchbox on the table. A notebook casually tossed in the corner caught her attention.

"Ah, okay... Didn't I say before you don't need to knock when coming in?"

She didn't answer. Even when sure the other person was awake, barging in unannounced still felt impolite.

The two of them quietly finished sorting through these confirmed useless items. Fujian stored them in her inventory space to be disposed of after disembarking.

Now, she wanted to watch him eat and tell him what he wanted to know.

...

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