Divers from various nations eagerly descended to the wreckage of the two ships to salvage what was left behind by Su Jing. However, they only found scraps of worthless items.
As they continued their search, they soon realized that something was off. The ruins appeared to have been emptied, with signs of looting everywhere.
The sediment hole that Su Jing had tasked the Monster Beast Octopus and King Cuttlefish to dig was particularly noticeable, even though Su Jing had attempted to fill it back in.
“What could have happened? Why does it look like it’s already been salvaged?”
“Could the Japanese have acted quickly and taken all the treasures?”
“That’s unlikely. Their technology is advanced, but it’s not possible for them to have done it so quickly.”
The teams from different countries were puzzled. The Japanese and Chinese teams, who had arrived earlier, were particularly bewildered as they found no signs of salvaging when they explored the site.
It was clear that the shipwreck was an ancient one that had not been touched, so how could it have been looted so suddenly? Who did it and more importantly how did they do it?
“Maybe it’s already been emptied?” Ye Bo speculated.
“According to our observations, there are scattered boxes, signs of recent disturbance, and two scattered gold coins. This was clearly a robbery,” Zhou Xixian stated confidently.
“But the Japanese team couldn’t have acted so quickly,” Ye Bo pointed out.
“It must have been taken by them, who else could it be?” Zhou Xixian said with annoyance. This was a waste of time and he was feeling frustrated.
To their surprise, the Japanese team was also upset. A middle-aged man with a beard vented his frustration in Japanese, “What’s going on? How could the shipwreck have been looted? Weren’t you just down there? Did the treasure just fly away by itself?”
“We don’t know, but the signs of recent digging suggest someone went inside,” One of the divers replied.
“Could someone have sneaked in and taken the treasure?”
Realizing that the Chinese team was the first to discover the shipwreck, the Japanese team all turned to them with suspicion.
Despite their disappointment, the teams from various countries did not give up and attempted to salvage again, but ultimately, they found nothing of value and left in anger. The trip was a total failure.
The Chinese team returned home defeated. To their surprise, the Japanese team was following closely behind. At first, the Chinese team thought they were just returning to their own country.
However, after a short while, the Japanese fleet suddenly accelerated and blocked the Chinese team’s path making them realize that something is wrong there.
“What do you mean by this?” Zhou Xixian and Ye Bo asked, their expressions turning serious.
“You took the treasure from the sunken ship, didn’t you?” The leader of the Japanese team spoke in broken Chinese.
“Are you accusing us of taking the treasure from the sunken ship?” Zhou Xixian asked, clearly agitated by the Japanese team’s allegations. “It was your team that first discovered the shipwreck, so why are you now trying to blame us for taking it away?”
The Japanese captain, however, seemed determined to place the blame on the Chinese team. “There’s no need to deny it, I’ve already done my investigation and it’s clear that you took it,” he said confidently.
Ye Bo was also frustrated with the situation. “Even if we did take it, what of it? Why are you so insistent on blaming us?” he asked, his tone growing increasingly angry.
Zhou Xixian and Ye Bo were both upset with the Japanese team’s attempts to place the blame on them. They had not taken the treasure, and they felt that the Japanese team was simply trying to cover up their own actions.
“We were the first to discover the sunken ship, yet you took advantage of the situation and snatched the treasure without giving us a fair share. There’s no justification for that.” Zhou Xixian spoke in a furious tone, as he watched the Japanese captain smile and wave his hand.
The crew members behind him sneered, as they took out their guns. The scene appeared to be more like a pirate attack, rather than a salvaging operation.
The truth was that some high-sea salvaging teams were not very different from pirates in terms of their operations.
The expressions of Zhou Xixian, Ye Bo, and the other members of the Chinese team changed as they faced the aggressive stance the Japanese team took.
While they had brought weapons for protection and deterrence, they did not anticipate having to actually use them. The idea of exchanging shots for a treasure that they had not even retrieved seemed futile and pointless.
However, if they were to surrender and be robbed of their discovery without putting up a fight, it would be a blow to their pride and self-respect. They would be viewed as easily intimidated and willing to give up their hard-earned finds without a struggle.
Such submission would threaten the dignity of their team and leave them without a shred of pride.
The captain of the Chinese team retorted with anger, “Don’t push your limits! Do you really think we’re easy to mess with?”
The Japanese captain sneered, “Ha! Do you dare to open fire with us? Let me tell you, we have already dealt with many pirates and their weapons. If you dare to shoot, you’ll regret it.”
Ye Bo was filled with rage, unable to control his emotions as he stammered, “You…!”
The Japanese captain cut him off, barking out orders with authority, “Shut up! Put your hands on your head and get down on your knees. Let us search your ship, and if we find what we’re looking for, we’ll let you go.”
As the tension between the Japanese and Chinese teams escalated, the Chinese team remained steadfast in their refusal to back down, despite the fact that they were just a salvaging team and not pirates. The situation left them feeling uneasy and uncertain.
Meanwhile, a ship belonging to a team of Europeans and Americans approached the scene, with a group of big men standing on the bow.
The American team leader, a middle-aged man, used a telescope to observe the Japanese team’s confrontation with the Chinese team.
One of the Americans made a cynical remark, “This Chinese team is probably going to be unlucky.” But another responded optimistically, “That’s not necessarily the case. Chinese people won’t submit obediently when they’re in a hurry.”
Despite the fact that both teams could see that the Japanese team was not to be trusted, the Chinese team still seemed to be at a disadvantage, as they were just ordinary salvage team.
The high seas were known to be lawless and many acted recklessly, making it difficult for any laws to be effectively enforced.
The American team leader chuckled, “Wait and see what happens, let’s see if the treasure is on the Chinese ship.” The group of men continued to observe the unfolding events with interest.
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