The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 57

Lin Qianqian smiled faintly and remained silent.

After a moment's deliberation, Chairman Wu issued the order:

"Everyone, stay put, remain vigilant, clear out the remaining monsters, and wait for Mr. Han Ning to return! Without him, it would be too dangerous for us to venture further into the berth area."

Although everyone was anxious, they also understood the implications. Everyone had clearly seen the fighting power that Han Ning and Xue Bing had just displayed.

They had to suppress their excitement and build a makeshift defense line using some half-submerged containers and building debris, while remaining vigilant about their surroundings.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Just ten minutes later.

Wow!

Waves rippled on the water behind them, and a figure perched on the back of a snow cake, like a sea patrol demon, broke through the water.

This person was Xu Ming.

The spiritual energy emanating from the snow cake dispelled the surrounding fog, and Xu Ming, being an ordinary person, was not harmed in any way.

His face was a little pale, clearly startled by the increased swimming speed of the snow cake.

Everyone else was invigorated when they saw Han Ning return.

Chairman Wu, swaying his weak body, quickly jumped from the debris into the water, his tone respectful: "Mr. Han Ning, you're back! And who is this?"

Han Ning had already noticed that Chairman Wu and his group hadn't moved an inch since he left, all eagerly waiting for his return.

He found it amusing, but didn't feel much emotion. These people treated him as their savior, so why shouldn't he treat them as bait? It was just a mutual exploitation.

"my friend."

Han Ning replied casually,

"Let's go, Yu Na, come to me."

Yu Na glanced at Lin Qianqian, but saw that the latter did not react.

Then she obediently ran behind Han Ning.

She enjoyed a life of luxury with Han Ning, and her closest friend Lin Qianqian tacitly agreed. Compared to Chairman Wu and others whom she was less familiar with, she naturally preferred to be with Han Ning.

"You're in charge of protecting Lao Xu. Xuebing, go ahead and clear out the monsters that are getting closer."

"Old Xu, come and help me choose a boat."

"Is everything clear?"

Han Ning spoke to the small group of two people and one lizard.

"Mmm!" "Ouch!"

A bright blue halo enveloped Xu Ming, providing him with double protection.

Han Ning and others took the lead and headed to the dock area.

The main force then slowly began to move.

Xu Ming was a sailor by trade and was a good swimmer.

As he swam, he squinted, trying to make out the boats hidden in the mist.

"Boss, Chairman Wu, look!"

He pointed to the nearest white-hulled vessel, a sleek, streamlined ship, and rattled off the model and specifications of the moored vessel in rapid succession.

"That's the 'Bluewater 46' monohull sailboat, about 14 meters long, with a fiberglass hull and an auxiliary diesel engine."

"This kind of boat is designed for long voyages. It has good stability and relatively reasonable space. If it can be started, it is definitely a good choice."

"However... judging from its waterline, the lower decks may be flooded and need to be inspected."

Chapter 62 The Ship of Dreams and the Ship of Reality

Then, his gaze shifted to a larger catamaran beside him:

“That’s the ‘Cheetah 40’ catamaran. This one is better. It has a catamaran structure, and its stability under normal conditions is far superior to that of a monohull. It’s also quite fast. It has a large deck area, making it comfortable to live in. It also has auxiliary power. It has a shallow draft, so depending on its location, it’s less likely to be damaged.”

"The downside is that it can't withstand too much wind and waves."

He then pointed to a larger ship in the distance, more luxurious in appearance, but clearly listing more severely and with damage to its hull:

"That... looks like a custom-made large luxury yacht, estimated to be 30 meters long, with an all-aluminum alloy hull and luxurious facilities. The damage is too severe; the hull is cracked, making repair almost impossible. In addition, it is most likely a hybrid diesel and electric power plant, so we can choose to abandon it."

"And over there, there are several small fishing boats and speedboats. They are fast and agile, but their range and ability to withstand wind and waves are too poor to be suitable for long voyages. They can only be used as auxiliary boats."

Look, this is called professionalism.

Han Ning remained silent and listened quietly.

Xu Ming spoke quickly, pointing constantly to different ships as if he knew them intimately:

"That half-sunken ship, judging from its outline, looks like a small coastal cruise ship, not small in tonnage, but it's completely two-thirds sunk, beyond saving..."

"Wait a minute! Boss, look at the innermost one, the one near the breakwater corner."

Xu Ming's gaze fell on the limit of his field of vision.

A ship is floating, partially obscured by a half-submerged crane and container wreckage.

The boat was entirely dark blue, and its design was unlike that of a typical leisure sailboat or yacht; instead, it appeared more rugged and practical.

The hull is relatively intact, although it is covered with dirt, but the angle of inclination is not large and the waterline is clearly visible.

"It's... a modified version of the 'Explorer' series ocean trawler!"

"If you don't consider the power, this kind of ship is perfect for the present."

"We need to consider power. We can't find a large amount of diesel, and electricity is also uncertain," Han Ning replied.

"Uh, I know all that, boss, please let me finish."

Xu Ming turned to Han Ning excitedly:

"I've seen similar ships at ship shows before. The hull is sturdy and durable, with excellent wind and wave resistance. It has a moderate tonnage, around 300 to 500 tons, and the draft isn't very deep."

"Most importantly, it was originally designed for harsh sea conditions and long-term operations. Its power system is usually very reliable, it has a large fuel reserve, it has its own seawater desalination equipment, and it also has complete refrigeration tanks and storage space."

"Looking at its superstructure, it has clearly been modified, with the driver's cab raised for better visibility, and additional communication antennas installed..."

"Even if you don't choose it, the equipment on the ship can still be very useful."

Listening to Xu Ming's detailed and knowledgeable introduction, Han Ning asked directly:

"Old Xu, given our current situation, which type of ship do you think is the most suitable?"

Xu Ming wiped the rain off his face and answered seriously:

"Boss, it depends on your specific needs."

"If you're looking for speed, agility, and easy access for quick relocation or exploration, then those monohull or catamaran sailboats that are a dozen meters or so long are a good choice, such as the 'Bluewater 46' or the 'Cheetah 40'. They are relatively easy to handle, have a shallow draft, are not easy to run aground, can sail using wind power, and have little dependence on fuel."

"If you're looking for cargo capacity, stability, and long-term survivability, the Explorer converted fishing boat is definitely the best choice."

"It is large in tonnage, robust and durable, can withstand strong winds and waves, and comes with its own seawater desalination equipment and a large amount of storage space. It is simply a mobile fortress."

"The disadvantages are also obvious. It is large and has a relatively deep draft, making it easy to run aground or hit obstacles when navigating in the waters of urban ruins."

"Fishing boats generally have low decks, making them quite dangerous. At the same time, starting them requires a lot of fuel, which we have a hard time getting now."

Han Ning thought for a moment and said:

"The ship I need should be sturdy enough to withstand wind and waves, and even the impact of some monsters."

"The space needs to be large enough to hold the supplies we need, and ideally there should also be a place for me to grow crops."

"As for power..."

"Given the lack of fuel, it seems that sailing is the only solution?"

Of course, Han Ning had another idea he didn't mention.

That is to use animal companions, contracting several giant aquatic animals that swim in the water.

Then cultivate some incredibly strong vines, or collect some ropes that can pull the boat, so that creatures can pull the boat and other monsters in the water can serve as their food source, making the most of the environment.

However, this plan is still in the conceptual stage, as he cannot find suitable organisms.

In short, we must take things one step at a time. First, we need to find a safe haven before we can talk about anything else.

"Old Xu, based on this standard, which one do you think is the most suitable?"

Xu Ming poked at the water's surface, scanning the boats that were faintly visible in the mist, his mind racing, filtering out options that didn't meet Han Ning's requirements.

The boss's demand is no less than his desire for a vibrant, multicolored black.

Since it belongs to...

He had a headache.

Xu Ming said after careful consideration:

"Uh... Boss, to be honest, it's hard to find this kind of ship in civilian ports."

"You need both a large space and a lot of cargo capacity, and you also need to be fast. This is inherently contradictory. Warships can do both, but warships rely on fuel power, and what we lack most right now is energy."

"Those luxury yachts, with their beautiful and sturdy aluminum alloy hulls, are severely damaged, beyond repair, and consume a lot of oil, so we gave up on them."

"The 'Explorer' trawler is a converted vessel with a large tonnage, robust build, and huge interior space. Its biggest problem is that it is too heavy."

“With a deep draft and high resistance, even with sails fully extended, the speed will definitely not be fast. In complex waters like this, the maneuverability is too poor, and it is easy to run aground or hit obstacles. I just mentioned the deck problem as well.”

Despite the cold weather, Xu Ming felt himself sweating.

He touched his head again and said, "Let's keep swimming and see."

"Okay." Han Ning knew that his request was very demanding, so he didn't make things difficult for Xu Ming.

The three men and one lizard carefully searched for a suitable boat along the dock line.

When they arrived at the south side of the dock.

Xu Ming's head kept turning, and his gaze fell on a ship. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

He lightly touched the surface of the water with his finger, pointing in one direction: