After Cai Qian proclaimed himself king, his following swelled to its zenith, posing a genuine threat to Taiwan's security.

Gao Zhuang spoke at length: If this were merely an ordinary pirate band, the Qing court's concern would only extend so far. However, for Cai Qian to dare claim kingship and openly rebel naturally exceeded the court's limit of tolerance. Upon hearing the news, the Qing immediately dispatched the naval forces of both Fujian and Zhejiang provinces for suppression.

During the following three or four years of maneuvering, both sides saw victories and defeats. But Cai Qian’s subordinates were, after all, from pirate origins. After fighting for several years, seeing the overwhelming might of the Qing court, thoughts of retreat arose, leading to internal division. Moreover, with control over just one county, it was ultimately impossible to stand against the combined forces of two provinces’ officials. Cai Qian’s strength waned with every engagement, until he was finally outnumbered.

As he spoke, Gao Zhuang sighed slightly: During the final siege, his flagship developed a leak in the hull, making escape impossible. Unwilling to surrender, he ignited the cannons, sinking his own vessel, and perished in the sea with his wife, children, and followers. In this manner, the Cai Qian pirate conglomerate was annihilated, but his surviving subordinates, after a period of absorption, formed new pirate factions.

However, the new pirate forces grew wiser; they dared not utter slogans like "Overthrow the Qing, Restore the Ming." It wasn't until the late Qing dynasty, observing the weakening grip of the imperial court, that they once again became rampant.

Gao Zhuang shook his head and let out a soft breath: Speaking of it, the primary goal of the Ming and Qing pirates wasn't always outright plunder, but smuggling. Unfortunately, most of the major smugglers at the time were local gentry and even naval officers. Seeing others encroaching on their business, they naturally resorted to force to eliminate them. People who weren't pirates to begin with were often forced into piracy.

"Isolationist policies and unfair distribution of profits naturally breed disaster," Wang Guan agreed, nodding, then laughed, "You seem incredibly knowledgeable about this matter. Are you suggesting Cai Qian might have left behind some treasure?"

"Something like that."

Gao Zhuang chuckled and honestly admitted, "While researching shipwreck data, I overheard someone mention this matter by chance, so I took the opportunity to look into it thoroughly."

"Treasure ship, what treasure ship?" Tao Dou asked, startled.

"Dredging sunken ships from the seabed."

At this point, Gao Zhuang explained casually: "The nature of our work is dedicated to salvaging underwater wrecks. The process is incredibly tedious and demanding..."

Perhaps this was why Gao Zhuang understood Tao Dou’s implication but didn't answer directly. Even if Tao Dou wanted to work on the boat, if he couldn't endure the hardship, Gao Zhuang couldn't offer him special treatment. Better to simply not respond, to avoid showing favoritism that might incite discontent among his crew.

The reason the crew willingly followed Gao Zhuang wasn't just because he was loyal and remembered his brothers even after achieving success; it was because he conducted himself with remarkable fairness and impartiality, earning their respect and fostering strong cohesion. If he couldn't even manage clear rewards and punishments, morale would scatter, and leading the team would become impossible.

Tao Dou didn't fully grasp this principle, but hearing that Gao Zhuang salvaged shipwrecks, his mind immediately conjured images from news reports: reports of tons of gold and silver hauled from wrecks, or priceless artifacts and porcelain recovered from sunken vessels. These real-life examples were the direct motivation spurring many people toward shipwreck recovery.

To this, Tao Dou was certainly unable to resist the temptation; as his mind wandered, saliva nearly dripped from his mouth. If he hadn't retained a sliver of self-control, he likely would have lunged forward right then to kneel and cling to Gao Zhuang’s leg.

"Cai Qian was annihilated; there shouldn't be any treasure passed down," Wang Guan commented with a smile. "As for his shipwreck, that could be something to search for. The problem is that after more than two centuries, the wreck must be buried under seabed sediment, making it no easy find."

"I have no intention of looking for his wreck," Gao Zhuang replied, shaking his head. "I was merely curious and wanted to understand the background."

"Um..."

Just then, Tao Dou suddenly spoke up, "Actually, it might not be impossible to find his ship..."

"What?"

For a moment, Wang Guan and Gao Zhuang froze, slightly puzzled by his meaning.

"I mean, someone might actually know the whereabouts of Cai Qian's sunken ship."

Tao Dou hesitated, then hardened his resolve, speaking with gravity: "To be frank, my ancestors in the Tao family were once forcibly taken to serve as pirates. Only after the pirate group was defeated did they manage to flee back here..."

Instantly, Wang Guan and Gao Zhuang exchanged glances, their eyes filled with skepticism. This was too far-fetched—talking about pirates, and then Tao Dou blurts out this "secret history." It was genuinely hard to believe.

"It's true."

Sensing their doubt, Tao Dou became anxious. Suddenly remembering something, he quickly added, "You've seen that dragon painting, haven't you? It depicts the Sea Dragon King. According to my grandfather, Cai Qian specifically commissioned it when he declared himself king. When the government forces were surrounding them, my ancestor saw the situation was dire, fled secretly, and took the painting with him."

"He hid on the island for over a decade. Only after things completely calmed down did he settle down, marry, and have children. During that time, he considered selling the painting for money, but worried it was taboo, so he never spoke of it, passing it down generation after generation," Tao Dou vowed solemnly. "It is an heirloom; otherwise, why would my sister be so anxious about it, even willing to pay to redeem it?"

"Really?"

This explanation sounded somewhat plausible. After all, even a meticulously fabricated lie wouldn't usually fit together so logically. For a moment, the two men began to believe him.

"Of course, it's true." Tao Dou raised his hand to the heavens and swore an oath: "If I have deceived you in the slightest, may I... remain a pauper for my entire life."

It was clear that this oath was profoundly "venomous" to Tao Dou, given that he was deeply dissatisfied with his current situation and longed to change his poor family circumstances. However, changing one's plight required either working diligently until achieving success, or daydreaming constantly about windfalls from the sky. Unquestionably, Tao Dou belonged to the latter group. Judging by the fact he dared to dine and dash when short of money, his character... was genuinely suspect. For this very reason, no matter how severe Tao Dou's oath sounded, Wang Guan and Gao Zhuang remained only half-convinced; they couldn't offer full trust. This was only human nature, not unfair.

After a moment of thought, Wang Guan smiled: "Do you really know the location of the wreck? Can you lead us there? If we find the wreck and salvage anything, we can cut you in on the proceeds."

"Uh..."

At this opportune moment, Tao Dou chuckled awkwardly and hesitated, "It’s not that I know, but rather that my father... Such classified information would certainly have been passed down to him before my grandfather died."

"Oh."

Wang Guan felt a wave of disappointment instantly. After all this, it turned out to be just Tao Dou's speculation, not concrete knowledge. If he lacked Wang Guan's composure, he might have burst into curses. Wanting money was understandable, but fabricating stories was another matter entirely.

"It's absolutely true!" Tao Dou insisted urgently. "When I was little, I often saw Grandpa studying the painting. When I asked what he was doing, he said he was searching for treasure. If you don't believe me, go ask my dad; he definitely knows the details."

That sounded marginally more reliable.

"We’ve walked around quite enough," Wang Guan murmured, turning to his companion. "Shall we head back?"

"Good idea," Gao Zhuang agreed, a hint of anticipation in his eyes as well.

"Really, I'm telling the truth..." Believing the two were unconvinced, Tao Dou emphasized his point, practically wishing he could cut open his chest to show them his heart.

Wang Guan and Gao Zhuang smiled. They didn't say they disbelieved him, but naturally, they wouldn't immediately declare their belief either. Such a claim couldn't be taken at face value based solely on Tao Dou's words. However, they also didn't outright dismiss it, hoping the story might indeed be true. Their silence was merely a ploy to prompt Tao Dou to present more evidence.

After a few defensive statements, Tao Dou suddenly understood: "Let's go back, let's go ask my dad. He definitely knows some inside scoop..."

As he spoke, Tao Dou led the way. Not long after, they returned to the Tao residence. As soon as they stepped into the main hall, Tao Dou asked straightforwardly, "Dad, do you know about the pirate king Cai Qian?"

"What?" Tao Tao was startled, looking utterly perplexed. "Why are you asking about him?"

"Do you know or not?" Tao Dou urged. "Give me a clear answer."

"Of course, I know," Tao Tao replied casually. The moment his words fell, Tao Dou turned back excitedly. "Brother Gao, see? I told you he must know something!"

"Know what?" Tao Tao was also confused at this point. "About Cai Qian? Well, I do know a bit..."

"That's good enough," Tao Dou rushed on. "Then where is his sunken ship?"

"What sunken ship?" Tao Tao blinked in confusion. "Where would a sunken ship come from?"

"Cai Qian's sunken ship, of course," Tao Dou frowned. "Dad, stop hiding it. Before, we lacked the capability, so even knowing the exact location wouldn't help us salvage it. But things are different now. Brother Gao specializes in this. He’s an honest man; if we tell him the information and recover the wreck, he certainly won't forget us when it comes to sharing the spoils..."

"Salvaging a shipwreck?"

At this, Tao Tao looked genuinely astonished, then shook his head. "Douzi, I don't know where you heard this nonsense, and you must be crazy for wealth, to think I know the location of any shipwreck. But I can tell you clearly now: I've never heard anything about a sunken ship."

"How could you not know?"

Tao Dou became agitated and blurted out, "When I was little, Grandpa told me! Our family’s ancestors were pirates, and after they were defeated by the government, they surrendered and became common folk. But before surrendering, fearing extortion from the officials, they buried their gold, silver, and treasures..."

"Did your Grandpa really say that?" Tao Tao was stunned. "How come I've never heard of this?"

"That was just a made-up story."

Just then, Tao Li walked out, sneering, "I was there too. He was pestering Grandpa to go out and play, but Grandpa didn't want to move, so he just invented a story to distract him. I never thought he'd actually believe it..."