33: Chapter 33 SS-Rank Crew Member! An Incredible Title

“Uh...” Chen Fan's old face flushed red.

He had been overheard whispering behind someone's back.

“Ahem, I was just thinking that we have enough supplies now, so whether we dual cultivate or not isn't really important.”

Jiu Jiu tilted her head, a half-smile on her face. “Oh? Is that so?”

“Of course.”

“Hmm, I was actually planning to give it a try later, but since it's not needed, then forget it.”

Jiu Jiu nodded solemnly and turned to walk back toward the forest.

“Wait, no, that's not what I meant. If you want to, that's fine too.”

Chen Fan was stunned for a moment, then immediately chased after her.

“That won't do. A real man keeps his word.”

“...”

Looking at Chen Fan's speechless expression, Jiu Jiu's eyes curved into crescent moons.

She turned around and walked into the forest without looking back.

Seeing her like this, Chen Fan realized she was just teasing him.

He pursed his lips and followed along, feeling bored.

There were 21 chests in total: 17 white, 3 yellow, and 1 blue.

The process was simple for the two of them; Jiu Jiu would pick up a chest and hand it to Chen Fan, immediately triggering the Hundredfold Cash Back.

However, Chen Fan's mind was not on the treasure chests, and his gaze, filled with unexplainable meaning, drifted toward Jiu Jiu from time to time.

After about 30 minutes, all the chests had been collected.

Jiu Jiu, unable to handle Chen Fan's intense gaze, ran to the shallows as if fleeing.

“There's less than ten minutes left, I need to go back to the boat.”

However, as soon as she reached the shallows, she froze...

“Can you... can you take me over there?”

Jiu Jiu covered her forehead, determined to learn how to swim once she got back.

Chen Fan smiled, opened his arms, and held Jiu Jiu.

He swam all the way to the sailing boat's ladder before letting go.

After returning to the sailing boat, Jiu Jiu let out a long sigh of relief.

Not daring to meet Chen Fan's intense gaze, she lowered her head, waved her hand, and steered the sailing boat toward the whirlpool.

Just before she was about to disappear, she turned her head back and gave a mysterious smile:

“Next time, maybe it's possible.”

“Besides, me wearing this outfit of Vase's isn't impossible either.”

As she finished speaking, the sailing boat dived into the whirlpool.

Chen Fan's heart pounded a few times, and just as he stepped forward, the whirlpool vanished into nothingness.

Stunned for a moment, Chen Fan gritted his teeth:

“Stinky woman, daring to tease me.”

He could almost hear the sound of teasing laughter coming from where Jiu Jiu had disappeared.

This stinky woman must have done it on purpose!

Chen Fan thought viciously.

However, this woman was a bit too clever for her own good.

In the dungeon, seeing Vase wearing the same clothes, and seeing how they fit so perfectly, she must have guessed the general situation.

He shook his head, suppressing the flutter in his heart.

Chen Fan left the island without any hesitation.

In the cash-back package, 1700 white treasure chests were sitting quietly, but he currently only had 1498 white keys.

“Open white treasure chests!”

A flash of white light, and 1498 keys instantly disappeared.

[Obtained: Wood x3.]

[Obtained: bamboo x10.]

...

[Obtained: white key x50.]

[Obtained: yellow key x6.]

Among a pile of useless supplies, six yellow keys were actually hidden.

This surprised Chen Fan for a moment.

It seems that higher-level keys can be opened from treasure chests!

Thinking of this, he impatiently opened the yellow treasure chests again.

[Obtained: cloth x5.]

[Obtained: steel x1.]

...

[Obtained: blue key x1.]

It's here!

Chen Fan's expression stirred.

The supplies obtained from the yellow treasure chests were just cloth, steel, and the like, all of which he already had.

To activate higher-level supplies, it should depend on treasure chests of blue level or higher.

Now, he had one blue key!

Chen Fan immediately ran to the bathroom and carefully washed his face.

“Open blue treasure chest!”

A flash of light blue light passed, and the blue treasure chest began to shake slightly.

A moment later.

[Ding!]

[Obtained rare material: Rare Mineral Cluster x1.]

Chen Fan's mouth curved upward.

It seems his luck is good, getting it in one shot.

He picked up the Rare Mineral Cluster and observed it for a moment, finding no description.

The light blue glow represented its rarity.

“Not bad, probably something to be used later.”

He nodded slightly, and Chen Fan thought of a possibility.

First Hundredfold Cash Back, then opening the treasure chests, would provide a greater margin for error.

After all, with 100 chests, something good is bound to appear.

But if it's like this, hitting it in one shot, then it's undoubtedly more cost-effective to have them open the chests first, and then apply Hundredfold Cash Back.

In this way, keys could be saved significantly.

While pondering, the group chat began to scroll rapidly.

“Finished upgrading! My boat is so big!”

“I've finished upgrading too, what about you guys?”

“I'm done.”

“Mm-hmm, I'm done too.”

“Can you guys not talk like that!!”

“It seems a large sailing boat can Recruit 50 Crew Members.”

“That's right, but we don't have money, what should we do.”

“Oh my, an S-Class Crew Member actually costs 10,000 gold coins! What are we going to do?”

“Sigh, who told us to be poor.”

Just as he opened the group chat, Chen Fan heard the sarcastic voices.

Looking at his 840,000+ gold coins, he said angrily:

“Who are you pointing at? This young master has plenty of money. Get in line! This young master will dote on you one by one!”

After thinking for a moment, Chen Fan formulated a strategy.

For S-Class, a captain and a navigator are must-buys, and he also needs to buy a Sharpshooter.

As for the other Sailors, since they are just there to do dirty work and die, E-Rank Sailors like his own are enough...

Thus, he traded 35,000 gold coins to each of The Five Women.

“Three S-Class: captain, navigator, and Sharpshooter. Fill the rest with E-Rank Sailors. The extra money can be used to trade for high-level supplies.”

After thinking about it, he also traded 1k bamboo and 1k Wood to them to use for trading high-level supplies.

“Wow, thank you Brother Fan!”

“Good brother, you are so good to us!”

“Thank you... Brother Fan.”

“Why is Sister Jiujiu thanking him so unnaturally? Could it be...”

“Go away, go away, don't make trouble, girl, go buy the Crew Members quickly.”

Watching the group chat fall silent again, Chen Fan's eyes flickered,

“After you've bought them, remember to ask your S-Class Crew Members if they drink alcohol.”

This trick is a small technique to determine whether a Crew Member has intelligence.

If they don't have intelligence, they will refuse.

Upon hearing this, The Five Women, although not knowing why, did as he said.

“They said they don't drink.”

“Same here.”

“Same.”

“...”

Chen Fan was silent for a moment, having a guess in his heart.

Could it be that only the first Crew Member of the same type purchased possesses intelligence?

Thinking of this, he opened the system shop.

Scanning for a moment, his finger stopped.

“SS-Class!?!”

At the end of the interface, two SS-Class Crew Members appeared, with a price that reached a terrifying 100,000 gold coins!

[SS-Class Captain: Chris.]

[SS-Class Musketeer: Kadel.]

Rubbing his eyes, Chen Fan confirmed he hadn't misread it.

He immediately opened the group chat.

“What is the level of the most expensive Crew Member in your shops?”

Vase instantly replied:

“S-Class.”

“Mm.”

Chen Fan replied perfunctorily and looked at the shop again.

After only a moment of hesitation, he decided to buy these two SS-Class ones.

There was no other reason; if the S-Class ones were already this strong, how could the SS-Class ones not be?

As for gold coins?

Heh...

[Gold coins spent: 100k.]

[Purchase successful: Captain Chris.]

[Gold coins spent: 100k.]

[Purchase successful: Musketeer Kadel.]

Two beams of light flashed, and a moment later, two figures, one tall and one short, appeared on the deck.

Just as the two appeared, the system prompt sounded again.

[Captain Chris has awakened, triggering the unique title: Fleet Leader.]

[Fleet Leader (White) Lv1: The player can control one additional main ship.]

The prompt had just finished.

Chen Fan's eyes widened sharply.

“What the f*ck!?!”