Chapter 603: Where on Earth Is It?

The breakfast sent up by the hotel was exceptionally delicious, which strengthened Shen Yibin’s resolve to find the hotel’s head chef and learn some of his techniques. After breakfast, he took Hah’Er and the Bald Qiang couple downstairs. The tour boat for East Dongting Lake was ready, and the captain was already waiting at the dock. However, a small dispute arose just before they boarded.

“Sir, our hotel’s tour boats generally don’t allow pets. We’re worried they might fall overboard. And you’ve brought a panda, of all things… If something were to happen… we couldn’t possibly take on that responsibility!” The guide was clearly nervous. If there was some kind of accident, the hotel would be in serious trouble.

“It’s fine. This little guy loves to splash around in the water. Even if he falls in, he’ll be alright.” After some more explanation, Shen Yibin finally managed to bring Hah’Er aboard.

The tour boat moved slowly, gliding across the surface of Dongting Lake. Standing at the bow, Shen Yibin gazed out at the scenery. To his left were vast wetlands where countless migratory birds, like white storks and cranes, strolled and foraged. To his right was the boundless expanse of Dongting Lake. He scanned the horizon from side to side but couldn’t spot the island he was looking for.

‘So, where exactly is Jun Mountain? How come I can’t see it?’ Jun Mountain was one of Dongting Lake’s most famous landmarks. Legends of Ehuang and Nvying joining their husband in death, Emperor Qin sealing the mountain, Han Wu shooting a flood dragon, and Liu Yi delivering his message were all said to have originated here. In Jin Yong’s martial arts novels, Huang Rong had even fought Yang Kang here for the leadership of the Beggars’ Sect.

Shen Yibin hadn’t originally planned on visiting Jun Mountain, but he changed his mind after eating the Junshan Silver Needle Chicken Slices yesterday. ‘I have to get Maphario to go up there and see if he can find any Junshan Silver Needle Tea seeds, right? Once I find them, I can plant Junshan Silver Needle Tea trees in the garden. Then, when I have time, I can visit the origins of other top-tier teas like West Lake Longjing Tea and Wuyi Mountain’s Dahongpao. I could create a miniature garden of China’s famous teas right in my courtyard, just to make all sorts of tea eggs. How great would that be?’

“Mr. Shen, Jun Mountain is in South Dongting Lake. We’re in East Dongting Lake right now,” the guide on the boat explained, holding back a laugh. “If you’d like to go, our hotel can make arrangements, but I’m afraid it won’t be possible today.”

Whoops. He had been so focused on researching Dongting Lake’s animal population that he hadn’t paid attention to such details. How embarrassing. Shen Yibin’s face instantly grew hot, but he quickly composed himself. ‘This is fine, too. Today, I’ll just focus on finding that animal. After this is settled, we can take a trip to South Dongting Lake.’

“We’ll worry about that after this tour,” Shen Yibin said, pulling out his phone to open the Pet Radar. He adjusted the map’s scale. The position of the orange dot didn’t seem to have changed much. After comparing his location with the dot’s, he gave the captain an order. “Head southwest for now. I want to go check things out over there.”

“Mr. Shen, the main attractions in East Dongting Lake are these wetlands. There’s not much to see to the southwest,” the guide couldn’t help but advise. “We’ve already mapped out the most optimal sightseeing route. Why don’t you stick to our proposed itinerary?”

“No thanks, I just want to take a look over there. We can see this area on the way back,” Shen Yibin said. He couldn’t very well tell them he was going there to catch a pet.

“Alright. Since you insist on going, there are a few things I should remind you about. The environment there is a bit more complex, and not many tour boats go that way. It carries a certain degree of risk, you see?” The guide was used to all sorts of difficult guests. The hotel’s policy was to satisfy Shen Yibin’s needs as much as possible, so he couldn’t insist, but some things had to be said upfront.

“Yes, I understand. If any danger arises, I’ll follow your instructions.” ‘Heh, so this little guy is hiding out in a secluded spot, huh?’ Instead of being alarmed, Shen Yibin was delighted. ‘This way, it’ll be much less trouble for me to catch it. As long as there are no outsiders, the guide and captain probably won’t say anything.’

The tour boat carved an arc on the lake’s surface and headed in the direction Shen Yibin had pointed. The journey took a long time. Dongting Lake was the second-largest freshwater lake in the country, a far cry from the small lakes in Yunzhong. It wasn’t until around noon that Shen Yibin finally neared the location of the orange dot.

The scenery along the way gradually became dull. Hah’Er sat listlessly on the deck, having long since lost the initial novelty of being on the lake. The Bald Qiang couple clung to the railing, seeming to ponder whether they should gnaw through it and go for a swim. Being on the boat was just too boring.

“Mr. Shen, how about we stop the boat and have some lunch?” After getting Shen Yibin’s approval, the captain stopped the boat. Shen Yibin borrowed the fishing net on board and scooped up a few fish. After the guide and captain confirmed there were no protected species among them, he deftly started a fire and began to cook.

Shen Yibin’s cooking skills received unanimous praise from the guide and the captain. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Yibin asked them to introduce him to the hotel’s head chef, and the two men confidently promised they would.

After a short rest post-lunch, the tour boat continued onward according to Shen Yibin’s instructions. It chugged along slowly for another half hour and finally reached the location of the orange dot. By this time, they were near an unnamed islet in the lake. The orange dot was located between the boat and the islet. The water here was already very shallow, only about two meters deep, and so clear you could see straight to the bottom.

Leaning on the railing and looking down, the orange dot should have been just two or three meters in front of him, but Shen Yibin couldn’t see a thing. There were some fish and shrimp swimming in this patch of water, but the orange dot remained completely still. The target this time probably wasn’t one of them.

‘What on earth could it be?’ Shen Yibin had the boat move a little closer, until it was almost directly above the orange dot. The fish and shrimp below saw the boat approaching and quickly scattered. Shen Yibin checked the Pet Radar again; the orange dot was still in the same spot, completely ignoring their threatening presence and remaining motionless.

‘What’s going on? Could the radar be broken?’ Shen Yibin was completely baffled. ‘My eyes are getting sore from staring, but there’s clearly nothing in this water!’

It seemed he wouldn’t find anything by just looking from the boat; he would have to get in the water. Fortunately, Shen Yibin had considered this possibility beforehand and had the hotel provide two diving suits. The guide also had a diving instructor’s license.

With the guide’s help, Shen Yibin put on the diving suit and jumped into the water. He sank slowly to the lakebed, his feet touching the mud and sand. He then switched on his underwater flashlight and began searching the bottom, inch by inch.

On the boat, the Bald Qiang couple watched Shen Yibin enter the water, then they too leaped in. Hah’Er poked his head over the side to watch them, looking like he wanted to join in on the fun as well.