The engine of the Polaris transitioned smoothly from its hurried roar upon departure to a cruising hum.
The bustling lights of Nassau Port quickly elongated and blurred in the wake of the ship.
In the salon, the large teak dining table remained the nerve center of the ship.
But now, the beer bottles and snacks had long disappeared, replaced by a fully unfolded paper chart covering the northern Caribbean Sea.
Lin Yu'an used a red oil-based marker to fill the chart with intersecting isochrones, backup waypoints, and storm potential path sectors.
This chart, which once guided romantic voyages, now resembled a fiercely contested battle map.
Mike held a steaming hot cup of coffee but didn't drink it, letting the warmth seep through the ceramic cup into his somewhat cold palms.
His gaze, sharp as a hawk, rapidly switched between the radar screen and the pitch-black sea ahead, serving as Lin Yu'an's most crucial lookout.
