Chapter 9

While I was having such audacious thoughts, there was a gaze that looked at me with satisfaction, or rather, a bit of burden.

Captain Lee Hee-young was looking at First Officer Yang Hajeong and me shaking hands and talking with a satisfied expression.

That was when it happened.

< Ding! > The quest window popped up again.

+

<Starting Main Quest (#02)>

Proceed with the main quest according to the scenario.

"There are many people in danger due to the tsunami. Rescue them."

Sub-quest: Rescue People

Clear Conditions: Rescue people in danger from the tsunami

Time Limit: Until the rescue is possible

Reward: Reputation +20, Hidden Quest Completion: ???

Failure: ???

+

Is it starting right away?

While I was checking my status, Captain Lee Hee-young began giving instructions to First Officer Yang Hajeong.

"First Officer, set the course to bypass 500 nautical miles. We'll have to skip the port in Singapore. Contact the navigation team to arrange for the cargo to be unloaded and transferred at the next port."

"Yes."

Hearing the captain's words, I decided to meddle again.

'To complete the quest, we can't turn back.'

Actually, even without the quest, there were things I definitely wanted to do on this voyage.

I approached the captain and shouted loudly.

"Captain! We can't do that."

"Hmm?"

Captain Lee Hee-young opened his eyes wide and turned to me.

"Captain, we can't turn back the course."

"What are you talking about?"

"We need to go back to the planned route. We need to stop at the port in Singapore too."

"What are you saying? Weren't you the one who said we shouldn't go because of the tsunami?"

At the captain's words, everyone on the bridge looked at me.

What is this lunatic saying nonsense again?

They must have looked at me with such expressions.

But what was happening?

Their expressions had subtly changed from before. There was more curiosity about me on their faces.

Perhaps they thought, "Even if he's a lunatic, we might need to listen to him once."

After all, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

I had to live up to people's expectations.

I looked around the crew on the bridge, meeting each of their gazes, and said,

"Captain, we need to rescue them."

"Hmm?"

"What are you saying now?"

"Why is he doing this again?"

I could hear the murmurs of the people.

The captain looked at me and said,

"Third Officer, what do you mean by 'rescue'?"

"There was an 8.5 magnitude underwater earthquake, and a tsunami warning was issued."

"So?"

"In such a situation, other ships must have suffered significant damage, right?"

Actually, this part was different from my previous life's memory.

Was there such a large-scale earthquake?

I remembered the ship suffering from severe storms and disasters, but I couldn't clearly recall if there was an earthquake and tsunami of this magnitude.

However, it was reasonable to assume that the damage would be severe in such a natural disaster.

'The damage might be even greater than in my previous life.'

There was no guarantee that this life would unfold exactly the same as my previous one.

And there was something I needed to do, which I couldn't reveal to the others.

If I succeed in this, I might gain a solid international network, which could be very helpful in saving the shipping company that will go bankrupt in the future.

Determined, I continued looking at Captain Lee Hee-young.

"Captain, isn't this an unexpected natural disaster for Haesin Shipping?"

"That's true."

"Small shipping companies and civilians probably couldn't evacuate in time. There might be ships that suffered significant damage on our route."

"Hmm."

Captain Lee Hee-young was a cautious person who didn't make hasty decisions.

He raised his hand to his chin, a habit he had when deep in thought.

I looked at the captain, who was lost in thought, and added more force to my voice.

"When a captain knows of a ship in distress, they must take all necessary measures to rescue people!"

"…!"

When I shouted this out of the blue, everyone looked at me.

Captain Lee Hee-young also raised his head.

"So, Third Officer, you studied hard in school. That's Article 13 of the Seafarers' Act, right? But do we have a ship in distress that has requested help?"

Captain Lee Hee-young's question was sharp.

What I shouted was indeed Article 13 of the Seafarers' Act.

The Seafarers' Act defines the duties and authority of the captain, who must take all necessary measures to rescue people when they know of a ship or aircraft in distress.

I was trying to remind Captain Lee Hee-young of his duty to rescue a ship in distress.

However, as Captain Lee Hee-young pointed out, our current situation was different. We didn't know of any ship in distress, so the Seafarers' Act didn't apply.

Therefore, strictly speaking, deciding to bypass the area wouldn't mean Captain Lee Hee-young was violating the Seafarers' Act.

But I knew differently.

Of course, in my previous life, our ship didn't end up in distress.

But the problem was with the ships ahead of us.

Some smaller ships were grounded due to the tsunami, and some crew members had to abandon ship and drift until they were rescued.

The captain looked at me and said slowly,

"And since we're near Indonesia, won't the Indonesian navy or coast guard come to rescue them?"

"Probably."

"Are they not more specialized in rescue operations? Wouldn't it be better to wait for them?"

"You're right, but they might be too late."

Actually, they will be too late. And the VIP I want to rescue will be found dead.

The captain continued questioning me.

"Why do you think that?"

"The tsunami caused by the underwater earthquake will cause significant damage as it approaches the coast. The rescue team will have to set sail from the port, and it will take a lot of time to break through the tsunami."

"Aren't we quite far away too?"

"We're not near the coast, so the impact of the tsunami is relatively less."

"But can we still break through the tsunami?"

"We can wait until it calms down, prepare for the rescue, and rest. When it calms down, we can navigate at full speed to the scene."

The captain nodded slightly, acknowledging that my words made sense.

The captain seemed to agree with my opinion but couldn't make a decision right away.

This was not something to be decided emotionally.

The captain had the final say in the operation and safety of the ship he commanded, but he couldn't ignore the interests of the ship's owner, the shipping company.

We didn't know if there were ships in distress, and we couldn't determine if our help was needed.

Haesin Shipping was a private company.

Private companies are fundamentally profit-driven.

For a private company like Haesin Shipping, stopping the voyage to conduct rescue operations was far from a profit-driven activity.

If something went wrong, it could cause unforeseen damage to the company.

Moreover, the area around the epicenter was still not completely safe from the tsunami.

Navigating towards the epicenter would likely put the ship in danger.

I understood the captain's dilemma.

But this was an opportunity worth taking, even for the company's benefit.

Of course, the problem was that only I knew this.

"Captain."

A man approached the captain, who was struggling to make a decision.

It was First Officer Yang Hajeong.

I couldn't help but frown as I looked at him.

"Hmm? Is he trying to ruin a done deal?"

I looked at the First Officer with suspicion. Did he feel my gaze?

First Officer Yang Hajeong glanced at me and then turned to the captain.

"Captain."

"Yes, First Officer. Do you have a different opinion?"

"Let's go."

"Hmm? Where?"

"Let's go to rescue them."

"…!"

"Wow!"

People were surprised. Some gasped, and everyone fell silent.

Ha! Our Hajeong has grown up!

I looked at him with surprise.

I was quite curious about why the First Officer agreed with my opinion.

Rescue (1): We are sailors, after all.

– On the bridge of M.V. Venus

Recalling my previous life, my memories of the First Officer were not particularly pleasant.

I only remembered being bullied for six months on this ship.

However, my view of the First Officer had been changing over the past few hours.

His demeanor felt slightly different from my memories.

Was it because his affection for me had increased?

I thought of the reward I received for completing the quest.

'Has my way of looking at people changed from my previous life?'

Perhaps it had.

The perspective of a Third Officer in his early 20s and a man in his 60s who has experienced life's ups and downs would naturally be different.

Captain Lee Hee-young was also looking at First Officer Yang Hajeong with interest.

It was unusual for him to be so involved.

"Even though the tsunami warning hasn't been lifted, there's no guarantee that the ship won't be in danger even if we prepare to go."

"Yes, Captain, I understand."

"If something goes wrong, it won't just be a matter of writing a report. Of course, I, as the captain, will take the ultimate responsibility."

"Yes. I am also a First Officer. If there's a part I need to take responsibility for, I will accept it."

"An officer who puts the ship in danger cannot be forgiven under any circumstances."

"I understand that as well."

"First Officer."

"Yes."

The captain looked at First Officer Yang Hajeong with a puzzled expression. His face was stiff.

"First Officer, you're up for promotion to captain next year, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"If this goes wrong, it could be a significant blemish on your career. Your peers might get promoted, but you might be overlooked for the captain's position."

"I understand. It's okay."

'What's wrong with this guy? Why is he like this?'

Can a person change so much?

I was still surprised by what the First Officer was saying. He wasn't like this before.

'Did he eat something wrong today?'

Then, the First Officer said something a bit embarrassing.

"Captain, sailors must have seamanship."

"…"

People fell silent at the First Officer's words. He looked around the bridge and continued.

"We are all sailors. When a sailor is in the water, we must go and rescue them without waiting for the military or coast guard."

The atmosphere on the bridge seemed to change slightly.

'Oh… I have to admit, this is true.'

I nodded at the First Officer, who met my gaze.

Perhaps he had a much purer intention than I did, who had some ulterior motives.

'No wonder he joined the ship.'