Unbeknownst to Bering, of course, he had become the prey of a hunter.

A few years of exploration destroyed his body. Suffering from stomach ulcers, he could only hold down his stomach with a dull ache with one hand before he could spare his energy to continue drawing the map.

On the table in the captain's cabin was a 6×10-foot map of the world, with only a few places that were still blank.

There is not much space left for explorers, and when the last blank space traces the coastline, explorers can only go to the moon, to Mars, or even to the outer solar system if they want to leave their names in the memory of all mankind.

In fact, Bering was not very satisfied with the choice of route for this expedition.

For the Russian Empire, the search for a route from Heilongjiang to Japan helped to strengthen the country.

But for Bering personally, as an explorer, his greatest hope is to be able to leave his name on the map of the world in the future.

Like what...... Determine if Asia and the Americas are connected?

There are only two blank spaces left on the table.

One is the mysterious southern continent, where it is believed that there is a vast continent south of the vast Pacific Ocean, which is only inaccessible because of ocean currents and wind directions.

The other is the coast of the Americas, north from California. Is it directly connected to Asia? Or is it across the sea from Asia?

Originally, his dream was to find the mysterious southern continent.

He studied cartography, astronomy and navigation, and worked as a researcher at the Amsterdam Maritime Institute in the Netherlands, hoping to board an expedition ship with a coachman on the sea.

However, the Dutch were interested in gold coins but not much in drawing wider charts.

It wasn't until many years ago that a few Russians, who were considered barbarians by Western Europeans, came to Amsterdam and spent a lot of money to hire a large number of talents.

Bering decided to go in a different direction, no longer looking for the mysterious southern continent, but instead drawing a map from Asia to the northern coast of the Americas.

Most of his expedition were not Russians, and many of them were recruited by Peter in the Netherlands. The first mate's name is Sven Wickhill, which is a standard Swedish surname. Only the vice-captain and some hairy lads of the Russian Academy of Sciences trainee draftsmen, Russians.

During a previous expedition to Siberia, his expedition ran out of supplies.

On the premise of keeping enough horses, Bering cooked the leather boots of his dead teammates to satisfy his hunger, survived the blizzard, and left many of the expedition with serious stomach problems.

Fortunately, this time, a ship was prepared for them in Heilongjiang, and enough supplies were also prepared. Along the way, you can fish and hunt to ensure that the food of the team is enough to survive the long journey at sea.

In mid-May, Heilongjiang has a tendency to melt. As soon as Ling Xun passed, Bering couldn't wait to set sail.

The weather in the north is always cold, and even the sea can freeze, so he has to find Japan before winter sets in. Next year, if you're lucky, you'll be able to follow the northern coastline in search of that fabled route to the Americas.

At the beginning of June, the expedition had already crossed the Ussuri River, and the journey was smooth. Sailing on the river, fresh water is plentiful, and not a single person on board has died so far, which is a good start.

As with every sea ship, there is a cat in the captain's room to act as a ship spirit. The cat that can't swim at all was chosen as the ship spirit, probably because the cat would fight wits and courage with the rats that stole supplies.

The golden tanuki lay lazily on the map, purring and purring, like every day on an adventure: quiet, dull, and boring.

The silence and boredom were interrupted by the sound of the first mate, Wikehill, pushing the door.

"Captain, there are a couple of Cossacks on the shore. Where they shouted, as if to say that they had caught a Frenchman. This Frenchman came from the Americas. ”

This news is like a hunter carefully prepared for his prey. The deer's favorite bitter herbs, the cat's favorite mice, and Bering's favorite American and Asian routes.

Hearing this, Bering stood up excitedly and ran to the deck.

You don't need a telescope to see the "Cossacks" on the bank of the river, waving there.

The standard Cossack uniform, with trousers trimmed with silk thread, carried some flintlock pistols with bayonets, and fur hats, covered the face.

Someone is shouting loudly in Russian, and if you listen carefully, you can hear words like America.

"Dock! Dock! ”

Seeing that it was a Cossack, Bering did not have any alertness, and it was too normal to see a few Cossacks in such a place.

Coupled with the phrase "the French who drifted from the Americas", it is exactly what he likes. If it is true, then perhaps some clues about the northern coast of America can be asked from this Frenchman.

The water here is not turbulent, and there are sandbars and islands in the middle of the river everywhere. The expedition ship could only accommodate forty or fifty people, which was not large and the draft was not deep.

Choosing a place close to the river bank, he dropped anchor, lowered the dinghy, and Bering took several people ashore in the dinghy.

"Hello guys. Cossacks. Where is the Frenchman who drifted from the Americas? ”

He asked the question, but the answer he received was not what he expected. The men dressed in Cossack clothes suddenly rushed to the side of the dinghy, drew their knives and put them on the necks of several members of the expedition.

In the distance, several small boats made of birch bark suddenly burst out of the reeds and rowed frantically towards the expedition boat.

In the crowd on the shore, a man with an oily face came out.

Wearing a beaver-fur hat that was greasy enough to make noodle soup, he wore a Cossack captain's military uniform, and a strange smile appeared under the fluffy beard on his mouth.

"Hello, Mr. Bering. Meet again. ”

The pronunciation of Russian is very inaccurate, and there is a feeling of curling the tongue with a wooden stick in your mouth.

Bering was stunned and recognized the person opposite. He remembers the lunch in Stepanovsk in the winter, the Chinese Protestant who did not speak Dutch or German but spoke Latin.

The bayonet slammed against his chest, and Bering raised his hand obediently, his heart in a mess.

What are these people going to do?

Robbery?

No...... It won't be a robbery.

Looking back, the expedition ship, which was difficult to move after anchoring, had been surrounded by more than a dozen birch bark boats, and the people on board were vigilant with muskets, and the people under the ship did not attack immediately, but surrounded the expedition ship like ants that had bitten grasshoppers to death.

Bering had forgotten the name of the Protestant on the other side and could only ask, "What do you want?" ”

"Knowledge."

A strange and stunned answer.

Bering's eye-opening scene of asking for knowledge can also be associated with the bayonet on his chest.

"You're not a businessman?"

"Yes. I'm not a businessman, and I'm not a Protestant. ”

Liu Yu stretched out his hand to the back, and the people who accompanied him handed over a compass, a telescope, and a "Trigonometric Table".

Bering understood, this is a peer?

"Are you an explorer sent by the Emperor of China?"

Liu Yu nodded, and Bai Ling immediately rebuked loudly: "A true explorer and navigator should sail by himself to find a new world. Instead of snatching someone else's chart. ”

"Hahahaha......"

Liu Yu did not have the slightest shame, and smiled back and forth.

"Voyage exploration is the cause of all mankind. I'm not going to snatch the names you left on the map in the future, I just want some maps. Because I can't get to Siberia. Mr. Bering, I know that you are Danish, hired by Russia. ”

He took out a gold coin from his bosom and handed it to Bering.

"Make an offer. You can continue the expedition, but your employer is the Chinese Son of Heaven, not the Russian Tsar. ”

"Money, not a problem."

The heavy gold was in the palm of the hand, and it was heavy. It seems to validate the European legend that China is full of gold.

Bering, however, had a strong work ethic.

"I can be hired by the Chinese Son of Heaven to continue the expedition. However, as for the previous map, which was financed by the Russian Empire, I cannot give it to you. It is not my private property, but of the Russian Empire, which I have no right to dispose of. That expedition ship, not mine, but the Russian Navy. ”

"Even if I am hired by you, I must complete this expedition before I can be hired by you. Because the tsar and the admiral paid enough money in advance for this expedition. ”

Liu Yu nodded, applauded his work ethic, and then snatched the gold coin back.

Waving his hand at the back, there was a thud and three thuds, and the captured cannon fired three shots at the vicinity of the river exploration ship.

It was not aimed at the boat, but at the water in the center of the river.

More birch bark boats rushed out of the reeds along the river and headed for the expedition boat in the center of the river.

Soon, the Russian naval flag with the blue X logo on the expedition ship was lowered, and the white flag was raised, announcing the surrender.

It was just an expedition ship, not equipped with artillery, and there were not a few soldiers on board. And most of them are foreigners, and they have dropped anchor again, and they can't run, and they have no other choice but to surrender.

Paddled to the expedition ship, all the captured personnel were brought to the deck and their weapons were collected.

"Now, the ship has been captured by me. You are prisoners of war, and everything on board is my spoils. Include your map. ”

Sitting at the table in the captain's room, Liu Yu took out Bering's quill pen, wrote a sentence on the paper, and turned around: "I'll give you a certificate." ”

"Due to force majeure, Vitas Bering was no longer able to continue this expedition."

"The employment relationship between Bering and Russia shall be terminated due to force majeure with immediate effect...... According to your calendar, what is the number today? ”

"June 11, 1727."

He took a pen and wrote down the date, took out his own seal and printed it on it, and signed his name with a phoenix.

"Dashun Forbidden Palace Guard, Liu Yu. 6, 11, 1726, written in the lower reaches of Heilongjiang, China. ”

He shook the piece of paper and said with a smile: "You see, these charts are my trophies, and they have nothing to do with your work ethic. Now you're my captive, too. Captives, deaths, scurvy, shipwrecks, etc., these are all force majeure. ”

"Otherwise, if Magellan was shot dead in Luzon, could it still be regarded as Magellan's failure to fulfill his employment obligations to Portugal? Right? ”

"After a while, I'll send this to St. Petersburg. Do you have any debts in Russia? If so, out of personal morality, I will help you pay it back. In addition, your wife and children, Dashun will also give you what you want to come over through diplomatic channels, if you have one. ”

"You want to continue the adventure, no problem. What we have is money, and ships can be built for you, do you have any questions? Dashun has always been interested in the mysterious Southern Continent, and you may be able to become the discoverer of the Southern Continent. ”