"This book? Every bookstore sells it…" Mayor Wallis said with a hint of confusion, taking the book from Jiang Hai.
It was a fairly common esoteric book titled The Secret of Nazi Madness.
The book explored fringe theories from World War II, particularly involving Germany. Two of the most talked-about conspiracies were featured in it. The first was about the Aryan Underground City—a supposed subterranean refuge built by Germans under the Antarctic ice after the war. This city was said to house the elite of the Germanic people. Allegedly, the United States even sent a fleet to investigate the region after the war but aborted their landing operation due to mysterious resistance, rumored to be from the surviving German elite.
Whether any of that was true remained unknown. Still, the legend of the Aryan city remained a popular topic on both TV and the internet.
The second legend took place in the Tibetan region of China. Due to sensitivities around the topic, the book only gave a vague overview.
According to the myth, there was a hidden cave in Tibet known as Shambhala—believed to be the axis of the world. The cave was said to house a boundless source of energy. Jiang Hai wasn't sure what kind of "energy" it referred to, but he figured that if things like martial arts or inner strength didn't exist in reality, then much of what was written had to be fantasy.
Still, what truly caught Jiang Hai's attention were the illustrations. Both the depiction of the Aryan city and the Shambhala cave included a strange emblem—a dragon-shaped badge—identical to the one he had seen in the Ancestral Dragon Cave.
"What is this all about…?" Jiang Hai muttered, his heart far from calm as he flipped through the pages.
Wealth was no longer Jiang Hai's top priority. While it mattered, what concerned him more were his golden finger and the mysteries tied to his life. Staring at the badge in the images, he furrowed his brow deeply.
"If you want to read it, just take it. It's not worth much," Mayor Wallis said with a smile, noticing Jiang Hai's engrossed expression. He shrugged casually.
Jiang Hai didn't hesitate. Though he could easily buy another copy, he was eager to read it immediately. Still, he remembered why he had come.
"Uncle Wallis, I actually came to talk to you about something," Jiang Hai said, putting the book aside.
Seeing that Jiang Hai meant business, Mayor Wallis sat up a little straighter.
"I want to expand my manor," Jiang Hai continued. "Both the grassland and the fisheries—I need more space."
Hearing this, Mayor Wallis fell into thought.
"Well, the sea area all the way to Cod Bay falls under Winthrop's jurisdiction," he said. "And as you know, the local fishermen don't practice aquaculture, so most of that area is unclaimed. You can buy it, but the price will be higher than before—the town has grown a lot. As for the land…"
He shook his head, a little regretfully.
Land was harder to come by. Winthrop might be small, but it had a dense population, and being close to Boston meant every piece of land was accounted for. Most of it was already used for farms or horse ranches.
"I understand. I'll take as much ocean area as you can sell. As for the land, I'll leave it to you, Mayor. Ask around—see if anyone's willing to sell. If they are, we're all neighbors here. I'll offer a fair price."
Mayor Wallis nodded. Jiang Hai's development plans were good news for the town's tax base.
After some more discussion, Jiang Hai left the office—not to return home, but to sit in his car and delve deeper into the two books he'd brought along. He carefully studied the content, fixated on the emblem. It looked exactly like the one he saw in the Ancestral Dragon Cave. If it really was the same… then maybe, just maybe, these places weren't entirely fiction.
The book claimed the origins of the Aryan City dated back to December 1946, shortly after World War II. The U.S. had emerged as the new world power and was still uncertain about the death of the German leader. The body recovered wasn't conclusively verified, and suspicions remained.
In that same year, a U.S. naval expedition reported unusual activity in Antarctica. In December, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal dispatched a fleet of 40 vessels and aircraft. This included the flagship Olympus, the aircraft carrier Philippine Sea, seaplane tenders, submarines, destroyers, icebreakers, tankers, and transport ships.
The fleet carried over 1,400 sailors and three dog sled teams for exploration. The mission was documented by the U.S. Navy, later adapted into a film called Secret Earth.
A ground team constructed a base called Little America—an improvised airfield built on ice that allowed six R-4D aircraft and two seaplanes to operate. They used Antarctica's brief summer to conduct aerial and ground surveys. Although they discovered unusual saltwater lakes beneath the ice and suffered one fatal crash (resulting in three deaths and six injuries), they found no solid proof of a hidden city.
Like many books of its kind, this one was filled with enticing but vague accounts. Jiang Hai had loved such mysteries as a child, but now, reading as an adult, he saw the logical flaws. Still, the emblem kept gnawing at him.
He lay half-reclined in the car for hours, nearly finishing the book. But in the end, there was no conclusive evidence—just rumors and speculation.
Then, his phone rang, dragging him out of the book's shadowy world.
He rubbed his temples and glanced at the caller ID. It was Edward Anderson.
Outside, the sky had dimmed. Time had slipped by—it was almost five o'clock, their agreed meeting time.
After confirming Edward's location, Jiang Hai replied, "I'm on my way," then started the car and headed for Sea Warriors, the bar where they had planned to meet.
When he arrived and parked, he entered the bar to a lively scene.
Sea Warriors was bustling. Dozens of rugged-looking men were gathered, drinking beer and whiskey, laughing loudly and slapping each other on the back. Edward Anderson stood out even in this crowd, and Jiang Hai spotted him immediately.
Edward was clearly the center of attention.
The gathering was all because of him.
After all, most of these men weren't coming for the money. Jiang Hai's manor didn't offer extraordinarily high wages—but it offered something more valuable: security and future prospects.
"Hey, boss!" Edward called out, waving when he saw Jiang Hai squeeze through the crowd.
At once, all eyes turned toward Jiang Hai. Everyone in the bar looked at him with eager curiosity.
These were the people hoping to join Jiang Hai's crew.
Feeling a little awkward under their scrutiny, Jiang Hai smiled and made his way to Edward's side.
"Let me introduce you," Edward said cheerfully. "This is Al Mond—best sailor I knew before I left. Naval hero. Haha—and the owner of this fine establishment. Al, meet Jiang Hai, my boss."
Jiang Hai extended his hand to the older man—a white-bearded veteran with a prominent belly and white hair. Despite his rugged appearance, Jiang Hai thought he looked more like a businessman than a sailor.
Al Mond had indeed been introduced before. He served as a navy major during World War II and captained a destroyer—the very one that had been converted into the Sea Warriors bar.
After retiring, he returned to civilian life and entered the hospitality business. And clearly, he was thriving. Not like Jiang Hai, who'd struck it rich with the help of a golden finger—Al had built everything through decades of hard work.
They exchanged pleasantries, but since Al's only purpose was to meet Jiang Hai, he left shortly after, leaving Jiang Hai and Edward to begin the real business: recruitment.
Edward had already reviewed the candidates. Living in the same area, he knew their strengths and weaknesses well. He wanted the best—elites only.
Still, one never knew unless you asked. Soon enough, people began lining up.
The first to approach was a towering man, over two meters tall. Though it was still cold in April—only a few degrees at night—he wore just a T-shirt and denim jacket, his muscles bulging visibly beneath.
He had a solid physique, glowing with health. A good sign.
"Hey, Edward. I heard you're recruiting. Think I'm a fit?" he asked with a hint of nervousness, despite his impressive build.
Edward glanced at him, then grinned.
"I knew you'd come, Bill. Welcome aboard," he said warmly, reaching out to shake hands.
Bill Zepheniah was stunned. He hadn't expected to be accepted so quickly. He turned toward Jiang Hai, slightly dumbfounded.
"You're welcome to join us," Jiang Hai said with a smile, surprised by the swift decision but trusting Edward's judgment. If Edward were going to betray him, he would have done it long ago—not now.
Seeing Jiang Hai extend his hand, Edward felt a wave of pride and gratitude.
He realized that he'd spoken too soon—he should've let Jiang Hai take the lead. But his boss had been gracious, which only made Edward respect him more.
"Boss," Edward said quickly, "his name's Bill Zepheniah. One of the best cowboys around. I tried to recruit him before, but he went to Europe with some French firm. Didn't expect him to return now."
From his appearance, Bill looked like everything Edward claimed—a top-notch sailor, capable of piloting all kinds of fishing vessels. While he couldn't fly a plane, he was excellent with machinery and operations. Judging by his size alone, his strength rivaled Harriman Fells—making him a dependable asset on dangerous waters.