93: Chapter 93 Departure for Donghu Island

Hu Tian chuckled, "Your mentor is a bit stubborn."

"Tell me about it,"

Zhou Waner also laughed, "But his experience is truly seasoned. There are some things I can't be sure about, but he can judge them at a glance. However, for this ceramic jar, I just feel something is off. The glaze is too bright, and the 'fire' has not completely faded."

"Take a photo and send it to me; I'll take a look for you."

"Alright, I'll send it to you as soon as I get back."

The phone call lasted nearly forty minutes, and it was only when Zhou Waner mentioned she had to go to a meeting that the two finally hung up.

Hu Tian tucked his phone into his pocket, just as he arrived back at the hotel.

After going upstairs, he organized the items he had purchased into his System Space, packing them into waterproof boxes by category: food and water in one box, spare tools and ropes in another, and diving equipment in a separate box, with the first aid kit and signal flares placed right on top for easy access.

Once finished, he sat down at the table and opened his phone to check the weather forecast for the next few days.

According to the weather app, it was sunny today with Force 3 winds and good visibility.

Conditions would be similar tomorrow; cloud cover would increase in the afternoon, but the wind would remain within a controllable range.

The day after tomorrow, things would become more variable. The air pressure would drop, and wind speeds were expected to rise to Force 5 or 6. Sea conditions would change significantly, making it unsuitable to stay in the open sea for too long.

He mentally mapped out the timeline. Setting off tonight was the safest option; it would allow him to gain an extra half-day to work near the island, but he must return before the afternoon of the day after tomorrow to leave enough time for the journey back.

On his nautical chart software, he had already marked the coordinates for Donghu Island. The straight-line distance from the departure pier to the destination was about ninety nautical miles. Based on the cruising speed of the rented yacht, it would take seven to eight hours if things went smoothly. He would need to be extra careful while sailing at night and keep the navigation on the entire time.

He roughly plotted the route on the map, avoiding known shallow areas, and mentally reviewed his contingency plans for the trip. Only after confirming there were no obvious omissions did he put his phone down.

His phone vibrated; it was the photos sent by Zhou Waner.

Hu Tian picked up his phone and tapped to view them.

There were seven photos in total, taken from comprehensive angles: front, side, base, rim, inner wall, and one specifically focused on a magnified section of the glaze.

She had always been meticulous in her work and knew exactly what he needed.

He flipped through the photos one by one, squinting slightly.

In the first photo, the front view, the shape of the vessel was regular. The belly of the jar was bulbous, the mouth was constricted, and the shoulder line was smooth and rounded. From the silhouette, there were no major flaws, and if one didn't look closely, it would be easy to be fooled by its overall imposing presence.

But as soon as the second photo, the side view, appeared, he frowned.

The thickness of the vessel wall was uneven; the shoulder was relatively thick, while the belly thinned out somewhat abruptly. The body of a Hongwu Imperial Kiln piece emphasized heaviness and stability, with a regular distribution that should not exhibit such an obvious, abrupt transition.

The close-up photo of the glaze made the issue even clearer. Zhou Waner's description of the 'fire not having completely faded' was accurate. The glaze color had a kind of floating luster that was unnaturally bright. The texture of a genuine Hongwu glaze should appear deep, possessing an understated, moist quality, not this kind of gloss floating on the surface.

He looked at the photo of the base the longest. The four-character mark 'Hongwu Nianzhi' had thin strokes and a slightly cramped arrangement. Hongwu Imperial marks usually featured bold, powerful characters with vigorous brushwork. This mark looked more like a later imitation—the shape of the characters was there, but the strength was missing.

He synthesized these details in his mind and basically came to a conclusion.

He picked up his phone, opened WeChat, and sent a message to Zhou Waner.

"I've seen the photos. Let me talk about a few points—this is just for reference, as I haven't seen the actual object, and this is only a preliminary judgment based on the images."

"First, the vessel wall is uneven in thickness. The side view shows that the transition between the shoulder and the belly is a bit rigid. The body of a Hongwu Imperial Kiln piece has uniform standards, and this doesn't quite fit."

"Second, you've already discovered the issue with the glaze—the 'fire' has not faded. A genuine Hongwu glaze is deep, not a floating luster. This brightness and texture are closer to the characteristics of mid-to-late Qing Dynasty imitations."

"Third, the characters of the base mark are problematic. Hongwu Imperial marks have bold strokes, whereas this mark has weak brushwork. The character shapes are correct, but the strength of the brushwork is off; it looks like it was traced, not written."

"Overall, I'm inclined to believe this is a Qing Dynasty folk kiln piece imitating the Hongwu style. I wouldn't rule out that it came from a kiln specializing in making imitations between the late Qing and the Republican period. The craftsmanship isn't bad, but it's not an authentic piece."

"Your mentor said the clay is from an old pit; that statement itself isn't wrong. Imitation kilns indeed use old pit materials. Good materials don't mean it's an authentic piece; these two things are not contradictory."

"It was right to have him provide a testing report. When judging items of this caliber with the naked eye, even the most seasoned experience needs data to support it."

After sending the message, he placed his phone on the table, flipped through those photos again, and paused on the close-up of the glaze for a moment.

Zhou Waner's eye for this was actually already quite accurate.

The light outside the window slowly pressed westward, and the shadows stretched out.

He leaned back against the chair, closed his eyes to rest for a while, and mentally rehearsed the trip several times. He had repeatedly confirmed the coordinates of the Treasure Hunting Radar before setting off. The target was near the underwater reef area to the southeast of Donghu Island, at a depth between fifteen and twenty meters, which was within the range for diving operations and did not require additional deep-diving equipment.

He had also cleared out his System Space in advance to ensure there was enough capacity to store the recovered items.

Time passed neither slowly nor quickly amidst these repeated rehearsals. When he checked his phone again, it was already 4:20 PM.

He stood up, gathered his room card, checked the room item by item to ensure nothing was left behind, and then called the front desk to check out.

The receptionist was a young woman who verified the checkout information and returned his deposit. The process was smooth, and it was settled in less than three minutes.

Hu Tian pulled his luggage to the parking lot, moved it into the trunk in batches, checked everything one last time, closed the car door, set the navigation toward the pier, and started the engine with a low rumble.

The pier parking lot wasn't large, but there weren't many people there at this time of day. He found a spot along the edge, parked, turned off the engine, and glanced at the time—4:48 PM, about ten minutes early.

He wasn't in a rush to get out. He adjusted his seat back, sat quietly in the car for a while, and mentally went through the itinerary for tonight one last time.

At 4:58 PM, he opened the car door and stepped out.

The wind at the pier was a bit stronger than during the day. The smell of the sea mixed with the scent of diesel. The sun had lowered, dyeing the sea surface into a vast expanse of dark orange, with waves rising and falling.

He walked toward the yacht rental docking area he had agreed upon that morning. The boat owner was already there, crouching by the edge of the deck, checking something. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and nodded at him.

"You're right on time."

"We agreed on five o'clock."

Hu Tian stepped onto the gangplank. "How is it? Is everything ready?"

"The fuel is topped up. Come over and take a look."

The boat owner took him from one end of the boat to the other. The fuel tank was full, the freshwater tank was half-filled, and he opened the toolbox to show him: hammers, wrenches, spare fuses, and emergency leak repair materials were all there. Additionally, there was a roll of thick hemp rope placed by the edge of the deck, which the boat owner said was a favor and wouldn't be charged extra.

Hu Tian moved his personal belongings onto the boat, carrying the waterproof boxes into the cabin one by one and securing them in place. He placed the diving equipment separately near the cabin door for easy access.

The two signed the handover documents, and the boat owner handed him an operation manual, pointing out several key switches and explaining them one by one. His tone was crisp and to the point, without any wasted words.

"Check the coolant before starting the engine; you need to have that habit. After leaving the port, remember to report your departure on Channel 16; the port authority will have a record."

"Understood."

Hu Tian folded the documents and put them into a waterproof bag. "Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"That's it."

The boat owner stopped on the gangplank and turned back to add, "Watch out for that wind the day after tomorrow; don't be stubborn and try to push through it."

"Understood."

The boat owner nodded, turned, and walked away with a steady gait, without looking back.

Hu Tian stood on the deck for a moment and scanned his surroundings. A few lights at the pier had already turned on, and twilight was spreading from the horizon toward this side. The temperature in the air was a few degrees lower than during the day.

He walked into the cockpit, turned on the navigation system, entered the destination coordinates, and waited for the system to lock on. At the same time, he started the VHF radio, tuned it to Channel 16, and pressed the talk button.

"Port Authority, this is yacht Yue G-XXXX, requesting departure. Destination is the waters near Donghu Island, estimated return time is the afternoon of the day after tomorrow, over."

The port authority replied quickly, confirming the boat number and destination, and reported the current wind direction and a precaution. Hu Tian replied "Received," turned down the radio volume, and set it to standby mode.

The navigation positioning was complete, and the route appeared on the screen. A blue line extended from the pier all the way to the southeast, ending at the coordinate area he had marked. The estimated travel time was seven hours and forty minutes.

He checked the coolant again—it was normal—and the engine status lights were all green. He gripped the helm firmly and slowly pushed the throttle. The boat emitted a low vibration, the propeller churned the seawater at the stern, and white spray pushed out from both sides.

The yacht slowly pulled out of the berth, left the pier, and headed toward the outbound channel.

The port lights slowly receded toward the stern, and the color of the sea surface grew deeper, changing from orange to dark blue, and finally into a thick black. Only the lights at the bow illuminated a pale white area of the waves ahead.

Hu Tian pushed the throttle to cruising speed, stabilizing the boat speed at about twelve knots. The roar of the engine turned into a stable low-frequency vibration inside the cabin, mixing with the rise and fall of the waves under the hull, like some kind of rhythmic pulse.

He adjusted the seat angle, placed one hand on the helm, and kept his eyes switching between the navigation screen and the sea ahead, going through the situation at Donghu Island in his mind once more.

The map coordinates were extremely precise; the target object should be in the underwater reef area next to Donghu Island. Combining this with the nautical chart, the bottom terrain in that area was complex, with lush coral reef development. Historically, there were records of several shipwrecks, and it was precisely this kind of terrain that easily retained sunken objects.

He was not impatient; going out to sea was not something that could be rushed. Favorable weather, sea conditions, and physical stamina were all indispensable. He kept his pace steady, let the boat follow the navigation, and kept himself alert in the cockpit—that was enough.

The night wind crept in through the gaps in the side windows, carrying a salty, fishy dampness. The stars on the sea were much clearer than on land; without light pollution, the outline of the Milky Way was faintly visible, pressing down on the distant horizon and reflecting faintly against the dark light of the water surface.

The bow broke through the waves, heading all the way to the southeast.