Axolotl Translations

The large furniture pieces—tables, chairs, wardrobes, sofas, beds—were the first to be moved onto the ship. Gu Mengran had bought everything from the same furniture store, negotiated a bulk price, and arranged for delivery. He also hired four shipworkers to help with the installation.

When it comes to specialized work, it’s best to leave it to the experts. Ships tend to rock during navigation, so all furniture and appliances needed to be securely fixed. The last thing Gu Mengran wanted was to be chasing a runaway sofa across the room during a storm.

Since his grandfather was getting on in years, it wasn’t practical for him to run around town. Instead, Gu Mengran had him stay on the ship to oversee the installation while also reaching out to his old colleagues to help secure a fuel supply through private channels.

Meanwhile, Gu Mengran hopped into his little red electric car and set off on another shopping spree.

TV, refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, water and air purifiers, dehumidifiers, heavy-duty industrial air conditioning for both extreme cold and scorching heat—whether it was necessary or not, he was buying it all as if he were furnishing a luxury home from scratch.

Next came kitchen appliances and fuel.

The kitchenware was easy—a single visit to a large-brand store took care of everything.

Fuel, however, was trickier. Buying too much at once would raise suspicion, so just like when he had stocked up on fresh food, he had to spread out his purchases—picking up gas cylinders and liquefied petroleum gas from kitchen supply stores, fuel depots, and local gas stations, little by little.

By the time he had stockpiled a hundred gas canisters and nearly a ton of coal, Gu Mengran felt completely at ease.

For the most part, the ship would run on electricity. Between the engine’s auxiliary power systems and the wind turbines, there was more than enough to keep things running smoothly. Gas and fuel were only for emergencies—a backup plan, just in case.

With that in mind, Gu Mengran decided to buy a few more generators.

He bought three high-power diesel generators and three solar generators.

Electricity wasn’t a problem now, but in a post-disaster world, drifting on the water would become their new reality. That meant having independent energy sources was a must.

Three years of continuous rainfall would render solar panels practically useless, but what if the sun did come out? Gu Mengran wanted to be prepared. Besides, solar generators weren’t that big, and the panels didn’t take up much space—buying a few extras wouldn’t hurt.

With those errands done, his appointment with Liang Zhao was approaching. Gu Mengran thought for a moment, then set aside another full day to purchase some “less public” supplies and stored them in his spatial inventory ahead of time.

Things like lumber, steel deck plating, cement, rebar, bricks, and lime—all essential construction materials.

Then there was a massive amount of diesel, gasoline, and heavy fuel oil.

His three-million-yuan budget was almost depleted, with fuel costs eating up the majority of it. In fact, his grandfather had to chip in more cash to cover the bulk fuel purchase.

To prepare for potential emergency situations after the disaster, Gu Mengran emptied the last few thousand yuan in his account to buy sleeping bags, tents, 24-hour emergency go-bags, and other survival gear.

Ten days flew by. Most of the supplies were stocked, the furniture and appliances were fully installed, and the Windwing officially moved from the shipyard dock to the Yuntian Port anchorage.

And today, Liang Zhao was finally arriving.

At dawn, the small breakfast shop near their home was packed with office workers rushing to grab a quick meal before work. Gu Mengran barely managed to squeeze out, clutching his bag of soy milk and fried dough sticks, nearly losing a flip-flop in the process.

Two cups of soy milk, two fried dough sticks, and a basket of vegetable buns—all for ten yuan. If he had gone for meat buns instead, he wouldn’t even have had enough to cover the bill.

When he got home, his grandfather was already awake. The moment Gu Mengran stepped through the door with breakfast, his grandfather waved him over from the bedroom doorway.

“Come, come! Help me pack up the bamboo mat and bedding. Oh, and the pillowcases and slippers too—get everything packed up.”

Yesterday, the old man had spent the entire day packing. Every usable piece of furniture, every appliance, every pot and pan had been moved onto the ship. Everything else had been sold for scrap. After decades of living here, the house was now completely empty. From today on, the Windwing would be their new home.

Ever since discovering Gu Mengran’s spatial storage, Grandpa had been treating him like a mobile warehouse, constantly tossing random items into his inventory.

Still hungry, Gu Mengran walked into the room and set the plastic-wrapped breakfast down on the bamboo mat.

“There’s not a single table left in this place. Let’s just sit here and eat first—then we’ll finish packing.”

After thinking for a moment, Meng Gaoyang nodded in agreement. He grabbed a fried dough stick, sat on the edge of the bed, and started eating.

Two grown men, both with big appetites—one fried dough stick was barely enough to fill the gap between their teeth.

Meng Gaoyang smacked his lips after finishing his portion, still craving a few more buns. But when he turned his head, the basket was empty. All that remained on the bamboo mat were a few lonely plastic bags.

Meanwhile, Gu Mengran’s cheeks were stuffed like a hamster’s, munching away while sipping soy milk.

The old man shot him a side-eye, full of resentment. “Were you a starving ghost in your past life? You devoured everything in two minutes!”

“I was hungry,” Gu Mengran gulped down the last bite.

Meng Gaoyang glared at him. “If you’re so hungry, why didn’t you buy more? This isn’t enough for anyone!”

Bingo! That’s what I was waiting for!

Gu Mengran lowered his head, took a small sip of soy milk, and muttered pitifully, “It’s not that I didn’t want to… but, sigh, Grandpa, I’m completely broke. That three million? Gone. Every last cent was spent on supplies. Right now, I don’t even have ten yuan to my name. Should I make you some instant noodles instead?”

“If you’re out of money, just say so! Why act all coy about it?”

Meng Gaoyang laughed, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.

At those words, Gu Mengran perked up instantly and his eyes sparkled with anticipation. He rubbed his hands together excitedly, watching his grandfather’s every move.

A few days ago, his grandfather had admitted he still had around seven or eight hundred thousand yuan left after buying all the supplies.

Gu Mengran had assumed he’d get at least half of that. He had already extended his hand, ready to take the bank card… but instead, something light landed in his palm.

A thin stack of cash.

So thin it couldn’t be more than ten bills.

Gu Mengran’s mouth twitched, but he held back his complaints.

“What? Not enough?”

Meng Gaoyang spread open his wallet and deliberately held it up right in front of Gu Mengran’s eyes. “Take what you need. This is all that’s left anyway.”

Inside were five red bills and a bundle of small change.

Gu Mengran’s head snapped up. “Where’s the rest of the money?”

His grandfather let out a hearty laugh. “You said you weren’t sure what to buy yet, so I held onto it. But let’s be real—once disaster strikes, cash won’t be worth anything. I figured our onboard supermarket looked too empty, so I used the money to buy shelves and stock up.”

“Besides, once we sail out, inspections are inevitable. We can’t exactly leave port with an empty ship, right?”

Gu Mengran: “…I’m screwed.”

Grandpa wasn’t wrong, money would be useless after the disaster hit. But a few days ago, he truly hadn’t known what to buy. Now he did! And this meager thousand-something yuan wasn’t going to be enough.

His grandfather noticed his frustration immediately. “What else do you need to buy?”

Gu Mengran sighed in frustration, ticking off items on his fingers. “Life jackets, inflatable rafts, anchors, mooring ropes, repair tools… I totally overlooked all the essential ship supplies—”

“Are you stupid?” His grandfather burst out laughing. “I’ve spent half my life working on ships. You really think I wouldn’t prepare for this? While you were running around shopping, I already got everything delivered. It’s all on board.”

“For real?”

“Kid, do you really think I’d joke about something this important?”

Hearing that, Gu Mengran’s tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed. “Then… what about the diesel boats? How many did you get?” He looked at his grandfather expectantly.

Diesel boats referred to 5 to 10-meter-long motorboats powered by diesel engines.

The Windwing was sturdy, but after a disaster, things would get chaotic. Having a few extra diesel boats could mean the difference between survival and getting trapped. If things went south, they needed a quick escape option.

His grandfather’s expression stiffened slightly. It was clear he had completely forgotten about that. Under Gu Mengran’s piercing stare, he awkwardly looked away, let out a small cough, and muttered, “Uh… yeah, that might’ve slipped my mind. But didn’t you say you were bringing someone along? Why don’t you borrow some money from him and buy a few more?”

“…Huh?”

Gu Mengran had just taken a sip of soy milk and nearly spit it out.

“Grandpa, I never told him about the disaster! I only said I was hiring him to work on our boat. He hasn’t even set foot on board yet, and you want me to ask for a loan? How is that appropriate?”

His grandfather frowned in confusion. “Isn’t he your good friend? You’re already tricking him into coming along, so what’s the big deal about borrowing some cash?”

Gu Mengran froze mid-sentence.

He had told Grandpa that Liang Zhao was a trusted, important friend. And he had told Liang Zhao that Grandpa was the one who wanted to buy a boat. Now, his half-truths were coming back to bite him.

Still, they had to buy the diesel boats. And Grandpa wasn’t wrong—money would be worthless after the disaster. That included Liang Zhao’s money.

So… might as well bite the bullet and borrow it.

Just as he made up his mind, there was a knock at the door.

Gu Mengran sprang up immediately, shoving the plastic bags on the bed out of sight. After neatly smoothing out his clothes, he set down his soy milk and rushed to open the door.

Just as he reached the doorway, he hesitated. Turning back, he sternly reminded his grandfather, “Grandpa, don’t spill the beans! The boat was your idea, the supermarket was your idea—just stick to the story for now. We’ll tell him the truth once the disaster actually happens.”

His grandfather let out a cold snort. “Fine, fine. I’ll take the blame.”

In the end, all his worries were unnecessary.

Liang Zhao was a man of few words. After stepping inside, he simply greeted Grandpa politely, then stood there silently, like a well-trained soldier. On the other hand, Grandpa took full control of the conversation, bombarding him with questions like he was running a background check.

“Where are you from?”

“How old are you?”

“What made you want to work on a boat?”

Gu Mengran had already told Grandpa most of Liang Zhao’s background before he arrived. But that didn’t stop the old man—he loved to talk and insisted on asking anyway, calling it “just making conversation.”

Liang Zhao might be cool and reserved, but he knew how to show proper respect to elders and employers. Like a model student, he patiently answered every question without a hint of irritation.

As the two of them went back and forth, Gu Mengran felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, terrified that one of them would accidentally spill the truth.

Seeing that time was getting late, Gu Mengran shot Grandpa a discreet look before turning to Liang Zhao. “Did you bring everything, Liang Zhao? Let’s head to the ship first. We’ll sign the contract on board, and from now until we set sail, we’ll be staying there.”

It was normal for crew members to live on the ship, so Liang Zhao had no objections. He gave a slight nod.

Not wanting to give Grandpa any more chances to say something unnecessary, Gu Mengran grabbed Liang Zhao’s suitcase and quickly led him out the door.

But Grandpa wasn’t about to let them leave in peace. He followed closely behind, still chattering away. “So, Xiao Liang, you’re a local then? Does that mean you’ve always worked around Yuntian? What routes did you sail?”

Up until now, Liang Zhao had answered every minor question without hesitation. But this time, at such a simple question, he fell silent. His gaze drifted slightly before finally settling on Gu Mengran’s shoulder.

The silence stretched on as the three of them walked out the door. Even Gu Mengran found it strange and turned back to glance at him.

Finally, Liang Zhao’s throat moved slightly, and he quietly uttered two words—“Yunjing.”

The Yunjing route. Yuntian to Xinjing.

After leaving his hometown, the city where Gu Mengran had spent five years of his life was Xinjing.

Gu Mengran raised an eyebrow in surprise, just about to say something when Grandpabeat him to it. “Huh! I was wondering how the two of you—one from Yuntian, one from Xinjing—ended up as such good friends when you’re miles apart. Guess you must’ve been making frequent trips to Xinjing, huh? Bet you visited him every time you docked.”

Oh, shit.

Gu Mengran’s heart skipped a beat. Just as he was scrambling for a way to steer the conversation elsewhere, Liang Zhao’s brow furrowed slightly. He glanced at Gu Mengran—whether intentionally or not—and repeated, “Good friends?”

It wasn’t clear who the question was directed at.

Grandpa, meanwhile, was focused on setting things up so Gu Mengran could borrow money. He kept going, full steam ahead. “Of course! This rascal’s been talking about you nonstop the past few days—says you’re his best friend in the world, his closest brother. What else was it? Ah, yeah—he even called you ‘brothers for life,’ said you had the kind of bond that can’t be broken.”

For a moment, the air seemed to still.

Liang Zhao’s shoulders quivered slightly, and a low chuckle escaped from deep in his throat. “Is that so?”

Gu Mengran: ………

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