Chapter 1398: 1395: Whetting the Appetite

Chapter 1398: Chapter 1395: Whetting the Appetite

The reason was simple; it contained all the steps for building seacraft and the principles underlying their design.

Many of the contents were unfamiliar to him, yet they seemed logical, with some being the correct steps for shipbuilding.

He had just flipped through a dozen or so pages when, right at the crux of the issue—how to make the ship carry weight—heavily—the text abruptly ended. Liu Hai felt as if his heart was being scratched by a cat, unbearably itchy.

Without waiting for Chu Jin to speak up, he asked in a hurry, “Young Master Chu, what about the rest of the material? Why is there nothing more?”

“Boss Liu, there’s no need to rush. If I showed you the whole book, wouldn’t I be at a loss?” Chu Jin retorted with confidence and a smile, “Don’t you think?”

Liu Hai was jolted awake by these words. His anxiety turned into regret and indecision. He couldn’t help questioning inwardly; there were many principles in the book that he had never heard of. What if they were incorrect, intentionally fabricated by Chu Jin to deceive him?

But even he couldn’t convince himself of this reasoning. Desperate to know if they might be correct, he wished he could finish reading the final part and give it a try.

Before seeing it, he could restrain himself, but after looking through it, whenever he closed his eyes, the content from the book filled his mind.

However, his memory was not very good. He didn’t remember how to implement some of the principles he couldn’t understand, which only intensified his curiosity.

“Young Master Chu, what do you mean by that?” Liu Hai asked, his voice dry.

Chu Jin was well aware of his reaction and maintained a smile. The book was naturally simplified, and it included principles of shipbuilding, particularly those not yet known in this era. He had only written the outcomes, not the processes—which was precisely why Liu Hai couldn’t recall how to execute the specific principles.

Because he hadn’t written them at all.

“I understand your predicament, Boss Liu. After all, a craftsman’s skills can’t just be given away freely.”

“So, let’s exchange fairly, swap technologies with each other. You learn what we know, and we learn the techniques from your shipyard, helping each other grow. What do you think?”

Although Liu Hai was stimulated enough to be somewhat agitated, wishing he could proceed to the next section immediately, he still retained some rationality. After all, the shipyard was his entire livelihood—he couldn’t afford a single mistake. It took immense self-control not to agree at once.

“I understand what you’re getting at, Young Master Chu. Naturally, it’s a rare opportunity for advancement. It’s just that I have a doubt in my mind.”

“From the content in the book you gave me just now, it would seem that you have mastered more advanced shipbuilding techniques—so why would you need to learn from my shipyard?” As he spoke this, he began to doubt the veracity of the information in the book.

Chu Jin, as if oblivious to his suspicion, replied, “Boss Liu, if you talk like this, you are showing that you’re a layperson. Why do you think Hangzhou has both your Zhou Family and your shipyards? Naturally, it’s because you each possess unique shipbuilding techniques. To make progress, you need to exchange ideas.”

“Our family’s shipbuilding techniques are not bad, but there is one fatal flaw—they lack enough secrecy. The ships built by your shipyard, though small, are superior in safety—and that is what I am after.”

Liu Hai felt a sudden moment of enlightenment upon hearing this.

But he still didn’t agree immediately.

“Young Master Chu, I need to discuss this with my people.”

“You are free to do so, Boss Liu. But let me be frank, I don’t have much time on my hands. If you don’t agree, I’ll have to seek out a partnership with the Zhou Family as soon as possible. However, you can rest assured that, regardless of whom I partner with, I will adhere to basic principles and not reveal any of your shipyard’s shipbuilding expertise.”