Chapter 7 Chapter Six

Dr. Saunders sat down to eat his lunch, and when he was done he went back to his bedroom and lay in bed, too hot to sleep.He wondered what was the connection between Captain Nichols and Fred Blake.Despite his stained coarse overalls, the young man did not look like a sailor.The doctor had no convincing reason for this, so he speculated that it was probably because he could not see the sea in his eyes.It is difficult to tell what kind of character this young man was.He spoke with an Australian accent, but was clearly not rude.Judging from his well-bred demeanor, he may have been in school for a few years.Perhaps his friends were running various businesses in Sydney, and perhaps he himself had grown up in comfort and respectability.Just why is he sailing in these deserted waters in a small and broken pearling sailboat with a villain like Captain Nichols?Of course, it is possible that the two of them are partners. The doctor is still waiting to see what kind of business they are doing, but he thinks that their business is not that kind of serious work, probably some shady business.But whatever the hell they were doing, Fred Black was the key.

The doctor was lying naked on the bed, but still sweating profusely.A long bamboo pillow was placed between his legs.The locals put this thing under their legs to relieve the heat.After many people get used to it, even if the weather is not so hot, they have to sleep on it.But for Dr. Saunders, the thing was too much of a hindrance to sit on, so he tossed it aside and rolled over on his back.In the garden around the guest house, in the coconut grove opposite, thousands of insects buzzed.Usually this kind of sound is not disturbing, and if the ear is less responsive, it is generally inaudible.But now, the continuous noise is pulling his nerves, making even the dead wake up.Forget it, don't sleep.Thinking so, the doctor wrapped himself in a native apron and walked out onto the veranda.However, it was as hot outside as inside, and there was no wind at all.He is very tired.His mind didn't rest at all, and continued to run stubbornly. Whenever an idea suddenly flashed through his mind, it was like a dead carburetor that was struggling to run and turned off.He tried taking a shower to cool off the heat, but his spirits were still languid, he couldn't lift his spirits, he was still hot, he was still listless, he was still restless.The balcony was unbearably hot, so he walked into the room again and lay down on the bed. The air under the mosquito net was also still, without a trace of flow.He can't read books, can't think about problems, and can't rest.Time dragged its heavy pace and walked extremely slowly.

He heard a series of footsteps, so he got up and walked out of the room, and saw Cheng Jin's messenger standing at the door.The messenger told the doctor that Cheng Jin invited him over.One morning he had performed a professional and decent operation for Cheng Jin, and now he had nothing more to do for Cheng Jin, but he still put on his clothes and set off for Cheng Jin's residence.Cheng Jin heard that a small sailboat had come to the island, and he was very curious about the purpose of those strangers coming here.The doctor told him that he had spent an hour with the two strangers that morning.In fact, Cheng Jin didn't care much about strangers entering the island, after all, most of the island belonged to him.It's just that Captain Nichols sent a message to Cheng Jin, saying that he wanted to see him.Cheng Jin replied that he was very ill and could not see any guests.Nichols claimed to know Cheng Jin, but Cheng Jin had no impression.Cheng Jin had already heard a detailed description of Captain Nichols, so the doctor's account was of no use.It looked like they were going to be here for two or three days.

"They told me to sail at dawn," Sanders said.He thought for a while, then said, "Maybe they changed their minds when I told them there's no telegraph or radio here." "There's nothing on their little sailboat, just some ballast," Cheng Jin said. "It's all rocks." "Not loaded?" "No." "What about opium?" Cheng Jin shook his head, and the doctor smiled slightly. "Perhaps it was just a pleasant journey," said the doctor. "The captain has a stomach problem and asked me to take a look at it."

Cheng Jin let out an exclamation.Speaking of stomach problems, he remembered.There used to be a captain named Nichols in his schooner fleet, and this was all ten years ago.Later, Cheng Jin fired him because of some quarrels.As for the details of what the quarrel was, why the quarrel started, etc., Cheng Jin didn't mention a word. "He is not a good person," Cheng Jin said. "I should have sent him to jail." Dr. Saunders guessed that their business was probably not a serious business, so it was very likely that Captain Nichols was sure that Cheng Jin would not sue him, so besides the remuneration he deserved, he was greedy for a few more profits .Cheng Jin's face was ugly.He was fully thinking of Captain Nichols now.He'd lost his license because of a dispute with the insurance company, so he was happy to work for employers who didn't require a license.He was an alcoholic, and his stomach was ruined by drinking, and he has been suffering from stomach problems since then.The life he lived was already the best life within his ability.Although he was often on the beach, he was a first-class sailor, so he was often asked to go to sea.But he can't do every job for long, because he can never turn his back on his evil ways and become a reliable subordinate.

"You tell him to get out of here as soon as possible, the sooner the better, damn it." Cheng Jin said suddenly in English, and ended the conversation about Captain Nichols.