“Eh?” Frank Grant and the two sea scavengers stopped at the same time. My body suddenly felt light, and I was puzzled. I looked up at the object—it turned out to be a silver dollar. One of the sea scavengers next to Frank Grant let out a surprised sound, grinned from ear to ear, chased after it, grabbed it, tossed it into the air and caught it, then examined it closely while saying, “Tsk tsk, interesting, it was hidden pretty well.”

I stared dumbfounded at the silver dollar, knowing for sure it couldn’t have come from me. Then, another series of clinking sounds rang out as several more silver dollars rolled onto the ground. A man was standing not far from us, and I happened to see the last silver dollar in his hand drop to the ground.

Now Frank Grant and the others realized what was happening, let go of me, and walked over to the man. Maybe unsure of his intentions, Frank Grant sized him up, and, surprisingly, spoke rather politely: “Friend, how should I address you? What’s the meaning of this?”

The man looked to be about thirty, very tall, with ordinary looks and clothes, but he seemed quite strong—no less robust than those sea scavengers who spent years at sea. Standing before Frank Grant and the others, he was not at all intimidated. His face was expressionless, looking very cold and stern. My first impression was that he must have served in the military. But most importantly, he was a stranger to me—I was sure I didn’t know him, and I wondered why he would stand up for me.

When he heard Frank Grant’s question, the man frowned slightly and said, “My name is Samuel Reed. I was lucky enough to board the Fuchang, and I shouldn’t meddle, but this young man doesn’t look like a human trafficker. Why make things so hard for him?”

Frank Grant had been quite polite to Samuel Reed before, probably because he couldn’t figure out his background. But as soon as he realized the man was speaking up for me, his face darkened: “So you’re saying we’re deliberately making trouble for him? Hmph.” He dragged out the cold snort on purpose. Lying on the deck, I was terrified, afraid he might suddenly lose his temper.

Samuel Reed didn’t seem to care about his threat. He glanced at the silver dollars scattered on the ground, then looked up and said calmly, “Friend, you’re just after money—why go so far as to harm someone? Throwing someone overboard just as the ship sets sail is hardly a good omen. It’s not easy for any of us to make this long journey; I’m just hoping for some good luck.” With that, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, turned, and walked away, giving me a deep look before he left.

The two sea scavengers had already picked up the scattered silver dollars and handed them to Frank Grant. He watched Samuel Reed’s departing figure thoughtfully, but in the end did nothing. He turned, squatted in front of me, and waved the silver dollars in front of my eyes until I felt uneasy under his gaze. Only then did he speak: “I really underestimated you, pretty boy. Remember, now that you’re on the Fuchang, you’d better behave yourself.” With that, he stood up and ordered, “Shrimp, go to the fish hold and tell those idiots to stop making trouble. If anyone causes trouble again, throw them into the sea!”

I struggled to get up and protested, “I really am a good person, you’ve wronged me.”

“A good person?” Frank Grant looked at me with contempt. “Whoever Heaven dislikes is a ‘good person.’” With that, he shouted, “Get lost, don’t be an eyesore here!” He left without looking back.

As he walked away, Annie helped me up and said gently, “Are you alright?” My feelings were complicated for a moment. All the grievances I’d suffered, the humiliation of my innocence, the unfair treatment—all surged up at once. I stood there stiffly, my nose stinging, my throat feeling as if it were blocked by a stone.

Annie sighed softly and patted my back to comfort me. After a moment of shared sorrow, Annie asked, “Who was the person who saved you? Didn’t you say you boarded the ship alone?”

The sea breeze blew against me, and only then did I realize that the commotion had left me drenched in cold sweat. Now I felt chilly all over. Thinking again of Samuel Reed, I shook my head and said, “You might not believe it, but I really don’t know him. Maybe, like you, he’s just a good person.”

Annie nodded. I looked at the crowd, but the man was nowhere to be seen.

We supported each other as we walked toward the cabin. There was no water on the ship to wash my face, but at least my wet clothes had dried in the wind. The blue Zhongshan suit I was wearing was made for me last year by Uncle, who had asked Taylor Ford to help. Sadly, things had changed—Uncle had abandoned me and run away, and Taylor Ford’s tailor shop had long since been bombed by Japanese planes.

I lifted my clothes to wipe my face. Annie helped brush off the salt crust left by the seawater on my body, then suddenly said, “Brian Carter, it’s all my fault. If not for me, those two villains wouldn’t keep haunting you.”

I shook my head and said, “Don’t say that. If you hadn’t paid those five silver dollars for me, I wouldn’t have even gotten on the ship, not to mention you begged Frank Grant to save me from the sea.”

Looking at the kind and beautiful Annie, I finally felt that maybe this escape to the South Seas wasn’t entirely without gain. As I thought this, Grace Carter suddenly came to mind, but the thought flashed by, and Annie had already reached out to gently touch my forehead. “Look at that big bump on your head. I’ll help you put some medicinal wine on it later.”

I nodded and said, “I’ll go thank my benefactor first. Wait for me to come back.”