Daomu Biji: The Southern Archives

The Dong residence was a large manor in Xiamen that had a mixture of Western and Chinese-style buildings.

There was a Western-style building at the front gate where the concession’s provisional government was located. A wealthy businessman surnamed Ma had the idea of making it look like a small-scale copy of Buckingham Palace, but it wasn’t very successful. It only roughly looked like it, and now it was covered in vines.

There were three houses in the back that had been renovated, which missionaries had originally bought to be used as orphanages. Since the two sides were connected, the buildings spanned a large area and looked like a haphazard mixture of Chinese and Western styles.

The Western-style building at the front gate had a huge front yard, where giant trees had been planted. There was a fountain outside the front gate, which people could park their cars around.

It was said that Ship King Dong liked the quiet, so there weren’t many servants in the mansion. He also didn’t like to move around much, so unless banquets were going to be held, only the lights in the left and right wings of the Western-style building were on most of the time.

The renovated left and right wings were specially made to resemble the Nan’an, with balconies protruding from them. Zhang Haiyan was now in one of the rooms that had the lights on and Miss Dong was making coffee for him.

The decor in the room was almost the exact same as that of Nan’an. Don't they get tired of it? Zhang Haiyan thought to himself. After getting off the ship and returning home, normal people would definitely hope that their homes would be completely different. This mansion makes people feel as if they’ve returned to the ship again.

“Your father really likes that ship,” Zhang Haiyan said. He didn’t like drinking coffee because he was already very active and didn’t need the caffeine to catalyze himself.

“Ship owners are always particular when it comes to feng shui. The Nan’an is the head ship of the Dong family fleet, and the Dong mansion is also the leader of all shipping businesses in Xiamen. They were designed by the same feng shui master, so both places look similar.” Miss Dong was in her pajamas. When she handed a bunch of melons and fruits to Zhang Haiyan, he began to eat. He hadn’t eaten anything all day, so the sweets helped calm him.

“I thought you would stay outside for a few weeks before coming to find me. I didn’t expect you to come so soon. I haven’t even sorted out my luggage.” Miss Dong sat on the sofa opposite him. “Are your wounds healed?”

“All your ship's doctors are dead, so I had to treat the wounds myself. I don’t think they’ll heal very well.” Zhang Haiyan stared into Miss Dong’s eyes, not at all distracted by her calves and collarbone, which weren’t covered by her pajamas. “I just don’t understand why you weren’t willing to communicate with me on the ship. You waited until we disembarked before inviting me, and—” he handed over the note. “Since you know how to draw this hermit crab, does that mean you’re a friend of mine?”

“I know you have many questions, which I’m ready to answer since I let you come here. You don’t have to be subtle.”

Zhang Haiyan nodded. Miss Dong didn’t seem like a difficult person to talk to. He was just about to start asking his questions, when Miss Dong said, “You’re right. I work for the South Sea Archives.”

Zhang Haiyan hadn’t even closed his mouth when Miss Dong continued, “The South Sea Archives is gone. During your last year in Malacca, it was wiped out. The perpetrator was a southwest warlord named Mo Yungao. He also planned the tragedy on the Nan’an in order to eliminate the South Sea Archives’ overseas influence.”

You’re so straightforward that I didn’t even get the chance to ask my questions, Zhang Haiyan thought to himself.

Miss Dong continued, “For the time being, the two of us are the only agents left in the South Sea Archives. According to the rules, the Archives can be rebuilt as long as there are two high-level agents. But unfortunately, you’re a low-level agent, so in essence, the South Sea Archives no longer exists.”