With this in mind, Sules decisively headed up to the deck to look for Adolph.
That guy was notoriously lazy—whenever there wasn’t work to be done, he could always be found lying on the deck, basking in the sun.
There was no way she’d be wrong about where to find him.
Sure enough, Adolph was drinking on the deck. Sules walked over, grabbed a wooden crate, and sat down next to him.
“What do you think of the crew members on our ship?”
Adolph shot Sules a lazy, indifferent glance and replied, “They’re all just ordinary people.”
Sules rolled her eyes at him, a little speechless, and decided to offer a bribe.
“There’s still one bottle of Chateau Grape wine left on my ship. Think carefully before you answer.”
Adolph’s eyes brightened a little. After a moment’s thought, he answered, “Claire’s a good-natured old guy, Annabella’s an idiot, Shan Mu’s a block of wood, Ryan Laide… well, he’s the perfect complement to an eggshell.”
His assessment of Ryan Laide made Sules pause in mild surprise, but this wasn’t the time to discuss those two.
She got straight to the point.
“What about Xiao? What kind of person do you think he is?”
Adolph’s eyes sharpened, and he glanced at Sules with meaning, finally understanding the real reason she’d come to him.
After thinking for a moment, he replied lazily, “A hesitant, indecisive merchant.”
Sules’ lips curled into a faint smile.
Adolph’s opinion matched her own—she also thought Xiao was indecisive.
If he weren’t, how could he have kept those crew members who once threatened to go down with him?
In fact, if Sules were in his shoes, she would have left those crew members out in the storm that very night, instead of letting them live and waste money.
Employees like that were completely unnecessary to keep.
“So, if I want to keep him, what should I do?” she continued.
Adolph let out a sly chuckle.
“Getting that wine out of you really isn’t easy.”
He set his bottle down, shifted into a more comfortable position on the folding bed, and finally said, “If you can’t cut decisively, chaos will follow.”
Just eight words, but they rang with a certain iron-blooded resolve.
As soon as he finished, he pulled his straw hat over his face, and his muffled voice came from beneath it.
“When I wake up, I expect that bottle to be standing right next to me.”
It was clear he had no intention of answering any more questions.
Sules shrugged and stood up, already satisfied.
When smart people talk, only a few key words are needed.
Adolph’s words fit perfectly with her own thoughts, only strengthening her resolve.
She dusted off her hands and ordered Shan Mu to bring that bottle of wine to Adolph.
Then, she made her way alone to Xiao’s ship.
***
She’d visited the other ship enough recently that everyone was used to it.
No one made any special effort to greet her anymore, though she could still feel some eyes lingering on her.
Sules casually asked a crew member, “Where’s Xiao?”
The sailor pointed behind him.
“In the captain’s cabin.”
Sules nodded and walked toward the captain’s cabin.
She planned to give him one last chance—after all, if possible, she preferred not to resort to underhanded tactics.
As soon as she reached the outside of the cabin, she heard voices from inside.
Eavesdropping was always a good way to gather information, and Sules didn’t have much of a conscience about it.
She quietly pressed her ear against the door and listened.
“What do you think we should do next?”
That voice was familiar to Sules—it was clearly Captain Xiao. It sounded like he was discussing the next steps with his crew.
The others must be the first mate or the boatswain.
Soon, another man’s voice chimed in.
“No worries. When the time comes, just beg that woman a little. Women are usually soft-hearted; she’ll probably give you some funds to leave with.”
That was the boatswain’s voice.
Hearing this, Sules instinctively frowned.
Although he hadn’t said anything truly outrageous, she could still sense a hint of sexism in his words.
Besides, she was a captain herself, and she hadn’t exactly kept her name a secret.
“That woman, that woman”—what was that supposed to mean?
Then, a new male voice spoke up.
“Yeah, Seven’s right. Xiao, you absolutely can’t stay. We just need to squeeze a bit of money out of that woman and leave. Staying behind is a dead end!”
Sules realized—ah, so the captain’s faction was holding a little secret meeting.
Xiao said, “I don’t want to stay, either. Those crew members aren’t on our side anymore. When the time comes, the three of us will leave, and let the others do whatever they want.”
The boatswain sounded dissatisfied.
“You’re still too soft-hearted, if you ask me. Those heartless bastards should’ve been sent straight to hell to atone to the Sea God! But you insisted on saving them.”
Xiao replied, “Well, they’re still lives. Anyway, forget about them. Speaking of Captain Sulia, I think she’s got a promising future. She’s got a steadiness that doesn’t match her age…”
He hadn’t finished when the first mate cut him off.
“You’re not thinking of staying, are you? Let me tell you, women are already at a disadvantage on this brutal sea. There’s no future following her. If you choose to stay, the two of us won’t be sticking with you.”
The boatswain immediately echoed, “Yeah, if you stay, you can face those crew members alone. We’re not about to become someone else’s lackeys.”
Xiao let out a bitter laugh.
“Alright, alright, I never said I was staying. Still, it’s best to stay on good terms with her.”
The boatswain, Seven, sneered, “What’s the point of dealing with a woman? Don’t tell me you’ve taken a liking to her, and that’s why you’re dithering like a woman yourself?”
Sules had heard enough.
She let out a cold laugh and sauntered away.
Since those two were so detestable, there was no need for her to hold back with her plan.
***
Back on deck, Sules made a round among the crew, searching for the one who’d first said he wanted to go down with the captain that night.
That one was clearly the most impulsive, and the least attached to Captain Xiao.
“Jack, is it? That’s your name, right?”
Jack looked a bit flattered and nodded.
“Yes, I’m Jack. Captain Sulia, did you need something from me?”
Sules nodded and smiled kindly.
“No need to be nervous. I just wanted to ask about things. After observing for a few days, I’ve noticed the atmosphere on your ship isn’t so great. Some of the crew…”
She trailed off, glancing at Jack, before continuing, “Actually have a lot on their minds. I was originally thinking of keeping all of you, since more hands means better efficiency. But now I’m a bit hesitant, so I came to see what’s really going on.”
Her expression was so obvious that Jack immediately misunderstood her intentions, just as Sules had hoped.
He blurted out angrily, “Is someone trying to sow discord? Is it that old guy, Seven?”
Sules pressed her lips together, not answering. But her reaction only confirmed Jack’s suspicions.
He hurriedly protested, “Captain, don’t listen to him. He just doesn’t want to see us do well. Seven and Captain Xiao are in cahoots—they just want to kick us out of the crew.”
Sules said, “Don’t worry, I haven’t made up my mind. I’m just checking the situation. To be honest, I still have some extra crew with nowhere to go, so out of the ten people on your ship, I’m only planning to keep a maximum of seven.”
“Seven?”
Jack’s face lit up, and he immediately recommended himself.
“Captain Sulia, you can see for yourself—Xiao and those two have been sticking together for ages, and they’ll never obey you. Why not just kick them out and keep the seven of us?”
Sules looked a little troubled.
“But… I actually value ability more. If they became the boatswain and first mate, it means they’re competent. And the ship does need a captain, so if possible, I’d rather keep them.”
Jack frowned, looking anxious.
He knew very well that both the boatswain and first mate were stronger than the rest of them—one reason Xiao valued them so much.
With Sules unwilling to exclude those three, the seven of them really were at risk.
After all, who wouldn’t want more capable crew members?
Even if Jack was unwilling, he had to admit it. Compared to Xiao’s trio, he was indeed weaker.
Sules watched his changing expression and nodded in satisfaction.
But when Jack looked back at her, she quickly put on an apologetic face.
“Sorry, I just needed someone to talk to. I’ve wasted your time, haven’t I?”
Before Jack could reply, she continued, “Forget it, I guess I’ll have to make this decision myself. Go on, get back to work. I’m leaving.”
With that, she turned to leave, only to “accidentally” mutter to herself, “If only there weren’t so many people on this ship…”
Jack’s eyes flickered as he heard this, his gaze shifting uncertainly, as if he were hesitating, or perhaps brewing up a storm.
What he didn’t know was that, as Sules turned away, the hesitation on her face had vanished, replaced by a smile of utter confidence.
That’s right, everything she’d just said was on purpose, all to intensify the conflict among the crew.
When it comes to business strategy, you have to strike at your opponent’s weakness.
And Xiao, that old fox’s weakness, was clearly his indecisiveness.
That was why Adolph had said, “If you can’t cut decisively, chaos will follow.”
Since Xiao had failed to deal with the dissenters on his ship in time—especially the more dangerous ones—he would now have to face the consequences they might bring.
Jack was the “consequence” Sules had carefully selected for Xiao.
Her words had already made Jack realize that he was now in competition with the others.
And among them, those three who didn’t get along with him had a huge advantage.
In this situation, what would someone as impulsive as Jack do?
Especially after hearing her final words—would it inspire a new line of thinking?
In any case, she had only scattered the seeds Xiao had handed her.
What fruit they’d bear, who could say?
All that mattered was that it had nothing to do with her.