Chapter 637: Is This Really a Professor from Gotham University? (Part 2)

Upon arriving at the hotel, the three of them originally intended to set off directly for the beach, then rent a boat and head out to sea to search for that isolated island.

As for why they didn't just fly there by plane, firstly, although Arthur knew someone was stranded on an isolated island, he did not know the specific location of that island; the schools of fish could not convey such detailed information.

Secondly, when a plane is flying in the air, it is quite far from the ground, and there are many island groups nearby, making it difficult to judge which one is their destination. Moreover, when Arthur is in the air, because he is not in contact with the seawater, he cannot listen to the information brought by the ocean, so the efficiency is not as high as searching by boat on the sea surface.

Therefore, after the group landed in Coast City, they prepared to take a boat out to sea. Hal contacted an old friend of his and found a decent boat. However, when he returned to deliver this news, he also brought another regrettable piece of news: he was afraid he wouldn't be able to participate in this rescue mission to the isolated island.

"The friend I found is a cousin of my father's. I hoped he wouldn't tell my parents that I was back, but in the end, they found out anyway. They want me to go home." The expression on Hal's face was somewhat complex; clearly, there were family reasons for why he had left Coast City in the first place.

Tomato Novel

"My parents feel that my job as a test pilot is too dangerous, so they forced me to change jobs..." Hal took a deep breath and said, "Or, I can't exactly call it forced, it's just that the pressure they put on me was too great, and I had no other choice."

"Indeed, I have always been the black sheep in our family. My cousins all chose very stable professions, and they are all local to Coast City. When they heard I wanted to be a pilot, they thought I would be transferred to Washington or even sent to the battlefield, so they firmly disagreed."

In the hotel room, Hal took out a cigarette and lit it, saying as he smoked, "My mother cried several times, and I argued with my father several times. In the end, I compromised because I know they love me very much and don't want me to take risks..."

Arthur leaned against the bed and said, "My dad thinks the same way. He feels that fishing out at sea is dangerous and the income is low; it's not even as good as being a taxi driver in a big city. He almost wanted me to go with his friend to Kansas to be a farmer."

Arthur's slightly reminiscent tone also stirred up Hal's emotions. Arthur said, "It is precisely because he is a lighthouse keeper who has seen too many fishing boats sink in the ocean and knows the ferocity of the sea that he doesn't want me to become one of those who are swallowed up."

"Then will you persist?" Hal asked.

"I don't know. When Professor Schiller first told me he wanted me to go to college, I had an instinctive aversion. It wasn't an aversion to college, but... I don't really want to go to a big city. I feel that the people there aren't good enough, and there are too many things I don't understand." Arthur lowered his head and sighed, saying, "I know some people might call me a coward, say that I'd get used to it, or that others have gone through the same thing..."

"But that makes me feel unhappy. Even if I can only be a fisherman in Blüdhaven or inherit my father's profession as a lighthouse keeper, I want to stay in Blüdhaven and live with the friends and neighbors I'm familiar with, instead of going to a metropolis to pursue some career ideal."

Schiller looked at Arthur. His temperament was actually quite similar to Clark's now; both were people from small places, with a kind of simplicity showing through their bones. Sometimes, when that simplicity was overdone, it seemed a bit foolish.

However, Clark was always full of passion and drive, working hard to adapt to his life at Metropolis University, possessing the energy to overcome all difficulties. But Arthur, perhaps because the lighthouse keeper who taught him—his father, Old Curry—was an overly gentle person, did not have that much passion and instead seemed more content with the status quo.

"This is actually not a bad thing, Arthur. It's impossible for everyone in this world to stay in a metropolis, and it's impossible for everyone to be an elite white-collar worker. Someone has to be a fisherman, someone has to be a lighthouse keeper."

"God gave you a different kind of talent, perhaps precisely so that you can perform these professions and help those fishermen who might be swallowed by storms." Schiller brought out a set of rhetoric about the chosen ones, but this happened to strike a chord in Arthur's heart. He said, "I feel the same way. I feel that my talent can be used to help those fishermen..."

"The fish in the sea will tell me about the coming weather and will also tell me where sailors have been stranded, so I can go and rescue them."

Arthur and Hal had no intersection, but their life circumstances were somewhat similar. Their parents did not want them to take risks and hoped they could choose a more gentle and stable profession. However, because Arthur's father was a gentle person, he would not force Arthur to choose, while Hal's parents were more assertive and put a lot of pressure on him, hoping he would follow their wishes in choosing a career.

"I can't convince my parents, so I'm a bit afraid to face them now..." Hal lowered his eyelids and said, "I know my neighbors are probably gossiping about them because they have a son who doesn't come home all year round, which is rare here."

"The people of Coast City are deeply proud of this city. They feel that this is the best city in the world, so very few people go to other places to settle down, and I, perhaps, am the only freak."

"No, Hal, you have to go back." Schiller rarely adopted a certain attitude and said, "I think you might get a different answer when you go back this time."

Hal looked up at Schiller, seemingly not understanding what he was talking about. However, he trusted Schiller's professional ability, so after sitting in silence for a while, he stood up, patted his leg, and said, "I'm very sorry, I can't participate in this rescue operation, but I think saving a person shouldn't be beyond your capabilities."

"If you come back, just call my house. Pilot Hal is always on standby." Hal made a gesture unique to pilots and then left. Schiller shook his head as he watched his back.

"Alright, no time to lose, let's set off quickly." Schiller stood up and said, "You said before that you could judge the location of that isolated island in the ocean. You'd better not be exaggerating, otherwise, I won't be able to find where that small island is."

"It's not that I can guide the way, but that the schools of fish can lead the way for us." Arthur followed behind Schiller, walked out of the room, and said, "If I remember correctly, all the schools of fish nearby know this news; they will lead the way for us."

Walking out of the hotel and taking a taxi to the pier, the two saw a medium-sized fishing boat. Although it wasn't considered advanced, it was much larger and newer than the small boat Arthur owned.

A middle-aged man walked over enthusiastically, shook hands with Schiller, patted Arthur on the shoulder, and said to him, "I can tell you're a fisherman, and definitely a very excellent one. Hal is my nephew; I've picked out a pretty good little guy for you, it hasn't been in the water for more than two months."

Arthur walked over to the fishing boat, looked up, and sized it up, saying, "It really is good. I once saw this boat in a fishing magazine. Its speed and endurance are quite good, and it has a large ice hold that I like the most. It's just a pity it's a bit too expensive; I can't afford it."

The middle-aged man took the two of them onto the boat and said, "Can't be helped, the price of new models always goes up when they hit the water. When the new model comes out, maybe the price will drop. Alright, you two go have fun, I wish you a big harvest."

Schiller smiled and shook hands with him. After Hal's uncle left, Schiller said, "It seems Hal's character is indeed good; his uncle was actually willing to lend us such a good boat."

Arthur nodded in deep agreement, stroked the railing on the boat, and said, "This really is a good little guy. You don't see such good boats even in Blüdhaven."

Walking into the cabin, Arthur was even more full of praise. Schiller couldn't understand some of the professional terms he used, but he could tell that Arthur was a boat enthusiast and was particularly knowledgeable about fishing boats. He could talk eloquently about even a small part or the paint used on a component. Schiller asked:

"Where did you learn all this?"

"The most popular things in Blüdhaven are fishing magazines. Whether it's issued by the official Ocean Bureau, various industrial groups, or even fishing magazines from Canada, you can subscribe to them in Blüdhaven."

"Actually, I like reading the magazines issued by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans the most. They like to talk about facts, especially the weather and water quality conditions that are useful to fishermen, unlike these American magazines that compete every day over who caught the biggest fish or where a competition is being held."

Walking into the cockpit, Arthur felt like he was home. Although he hadn't really operated this kind of boat, he had seen the scene in the cockpit countless times in magazines. He hadn't even read the manual yet, but he had already figured out the function of every button.

He started to control the boat to leave the pier, turned to Schiller, and said, "I just saw that there seems to be a fishing rod in the toolbox in the back storage room. You can go and cast a few times; maybe your luck will be better than it was in Blüdhaven."

Schiller smiled and said, "How could it be worse than in Blüdhaven? Back then, I didn't catch a single fish."

Half an hour later, Schiller knew he had been happy too soon. Not only did he not catch a single fish, but he also broke the fishing rod. It could be said that his luck was even worse than fishing in Blüdhaven.

He discovered that he seemed to have no fate with the ocean; he didn't like eating fish, couldn't fish, and always had a feeling of impending seasickness.

Before he had seen the ocean, it wasn't that he hadn't fantasized about becoming a free-swimming fish in the sea, and he even possessed a persona with a fish tail for the lower half of his body because of this. But now it seemed that it was better for that persona to stay in the swimming pool in the room of the Mind Palace. As for the ocean, he'd better forget it.

And after two hours passed, Schiller felt that he had been happy too soon, because he really started to get seasick.

He walked into the cockpit, took a deep breath, looked at Arthur, and said, "Haven't you found it yet? Are you sure the school of fish guiding you isn't directionally challenged?"

Arthur frowned, looked at the fish finder, and said, "The situation is a bit unexpected. The school of fish can only convey general information. They said the target is on the West Coast, but now it seems it's not the American West Coast..."

"Then where is it?"

"It's possible it's closer to Mexico. We are currently sailing towards the equator. Perhaps we might be getting close to the Panama Canal area. I remember there are quite a few islands there too..."

"But I'm a bit seasick." Schiller leaned against the door frame and said. Arthur looked back at him and said, "It's normal. People who haven't been to sea will have some uncomfortable reactions the first time they stay on the sea for such a long time. Just hold on a little longer, we should be there soon."

After Schiller walked out, he asked the Gray Mist in his heart, "Why can't seasickness be adjusted?"

"Because it's not physiological seasickness." The Gray Mist replied with a hint of grievance, "There is nothing wrong with the body. The stomach reaction is a psychological effect. Every time I let the stomach relax, it starts spasming again a few seconds later."

"Psychological effect..." Schiller leaned against the railing, closed his eyes, and entered the Mind Palace. His consciousness had just sunk down when he suddenly woke up. The voice of the Superego came from within his consciousness: "Not allowed in."

"Why not allowed in?"

"I'm on vacation."

"You're actually on vacation?"

"Why can't I be on vacation? Only you are allowed to be on vacation?"

Schiller fell silent, and then he asked:

"How long do you plan to be on vacation?"

"36 days." ===== CHAPTER 638 =====