Chapter 8: Misunderstanding

Chapter 8: Misunderstanding

Liu Hai’s eyes widened as he looked at A Yu. "What’s wrong? Is there something about mermaids...?"

"Nothing." A Yu collected himself, his probing gaze softening as he answered Liu Hai’s question. "Dr. Jiang Xun’s initial research wasn’t focused on mermaids."

"His primary field was genetics. He believed that with a sufficiently complete genetic chain, he could potentially recreate ancient species based on historical descriptions of their appearance and habits."

"This is much harder than it sounds. You see, the genetic similarities between vastly different organisms can be astonishing. There’s a type of fish that shares 80% of its genetic chain with humans. A slight deviation, and the result could be completely different, miles apart."

"And thanks to the existence of the Ancient Sea, we have the potential to obtain more intact ancient genetic chains—mostly from marine life. That’s why Dr. Jiang Xun shifted his focus to marine biology."

It was unclear if Liu Hai fully grasped it, but he nodded earnestly nonetheless.

A Yu continued, "However, Dr. Jiang Xun is merely a scholar. He possesses knowledge and talent, but these alone can’t build massive research vessels or secure government cooperation for scientific expeditions and salvage operations in the Ancient Sea."

"These are things that the deep-pocketed Siren Biotech Company can provide."

"So, Siren Company hired Dr. Jiang Xun and funded his research. In return, they hoped... that one day, he could retrieve mermaid gene fragments from the Ancient Sea and engineer a true mermaid for them."

Liu Hai blinked, confused. "What do they want a mermaid for?"

A Yu deadpanned, "To worship it as a mascot, take it to cry at their founder’s grave, and fulfill their predecessor’s unfulfilled wish."

Liu Hai looked baffled. "Huh?"

"Just kidding." A Yu smirked. "The company wouldn’t do anything unprofitable."

"Of course, it’s because mermaids are incredibly popular. Raising one would boost their reputation and make a fortune."

"Thanks to the company constantly promoting mermaid lore, these legendary prehistoric creatures are incredibly popular now. And Siren isn’t just involved in biology—Siren Entertainment, though not the industry leader, still holds its own. Their 'Mermaid Star' beauty pageant, held every few years, has been the launching pad for many rising stars. Ah, my darling, Miss Fengling, debuted there. I still cherish the photo she took back then—'The Mermaid Who Turned into Foam.'"

He pulled out his phone and found the photo. "Here, take a look."

"Oh—" Liu Hai stared, mouth agape, at the image of a fish-tailed girl enveloped in foam, with a single glistening tear, as if about to scatter with the wind. "Sh-she has a tail too?"

A scaly, shimmering blue tail, gorgeous and beautiful.

Liu Hai looked down at his own smooth, soft, furry tail.

"That?" A Yu explained, "That’s a tail made of nacre. The glow is stunning, isn’t it? They say that tail cost a fortune. People who saw it live said it was even more breathtaking than the photos. Sadly, I’m stuck aboard this research vessel, a poor soul with no time to attend..."

"A fake tail?" Liu Hai’s eyes widened slightly. "Why would she wear a fake tail?"

"To look more like a mermaid?" A Yu thought his questions were strange, his focus even stranger.

Liu Hai pressed, "Then... why try to look like a mermaid?"

"Because it’s the 'Mermaid Star' pageant?" A Yu blinked, rubbing his chin. "Wait, are you asking about a deeper meaning? Why do humans hold a Mermaid Star pageant? I suppose, to actual marine life, humans deliberately imitating them must seem a bit odd?"

"Simply put, people love mermaids—those mythical, beautiful, fragile creatures. Most can’t resist pretty things."

Liu Hai stared intently at the photo. "Beautiful?"

"What, don’t you like Miss Fengling? I can show you other contestants’ photos." A Yu grinned. "Let’s go through them all. The longer we stay here, the less work I have to do."

He really did open the "Mermaid Star" website and swiped through the exquisite photos for Liu Hai. "This one’s last season’s champion, the abyssal mermaid Miss Angelina. Ah, how do I put it? Though I prefer the fragile, tragic type, even I have to admit her beauty deserved the title."

"Second place was the very popular 'Mermaid Prince' at the time. He’s quite mysterious—didn’t even reveal his real name, competing under the stage name 'Huan Hai.' Notoriously quiet. But his fans say he has a face that tells stories, that just standing there, he radiates a certain vibe."

"Ah, here's the thing—later, it turned out his Mandarin was terrible, so his agency banned him from speaking. Mimicking his speech would make him blush in anger, and somehow, this contrast made him even more popular."

"Third place was my darling Miss Fengling..."

Liu Hai propped his chin on his hand, patiently listening as A Yu introduced each contestant from the mermaid pageant.

After covering the top twelve, A Yu took a sip of water, still fired up. "Ah, it’s like reliving that summer I pulled out all the stops for Miss Fengling! So nostalgic... Liu Hai, which type do you like?"

He flipped through the photos rapidly. "After seeing so many, you must have a preference, right?"

Liu Hai watched the swiftly scrolling screen, then tapped it with a finger, making a puzzled sound. "Hm?"

"Let me see who..." A Yu chuckled as he turned the phone around, then gasped. "Whoa! How did the boss get in here?"

Liu Hai asked curiously, "Did he also dress up as... a mermaid?"

"Of course not." A Yu laughed helplessly. "Accidentally scrolled to the research team. The boss is the face of our research team."

"But strictly speaking, the boss does have a deep connection with mermaids. Though the goal has shifted due to twists of fate, the company initially invested heavily in his project, betting on his ability to cultivate a mermaid."

Unfortunately, the boss gradually proved to the company that real mermaids don’t exist.

That said, using prehistoric genes salvaged from the Ancient Sea, he successfully bred thirteen species of prehistoric fish. Two are already farmed for consumption, while the others became highly sought-after ornamental fish...

By any measure, the company came out ahead.

Liu Hai’s expression was complicated. "So... people really love mermaids that much."

"Yep." A Yu came back to earth. "But the boss always says humans only love the romantic fantasies in their imaginations. They don’t actually understand marine biology—otherwise, they’d realize a human torso is utterly impractical in the sea."

"If humans hadn’t projected themselves onto these creatures when spinning tales, he couldn’t fathom why fish would evolve visually appealing upper bodies to suit human tastes... Liu Hai? Are you listening?"

Liu Hai snapped to attention. "Huh? Ah, yeah, I’m listening."

He mumbled to himself, "Humans really don’t understand mermaids. Otherwise, they wouldn’t mistake me for..."

A Yu leaned in. "Hm? Didn’t hear that. Speak up, don’t mumble."

"Mm." Liu Hai looked at him uneasily.

"Got something bothering you lately?" A Yu scrutinized him. "You can tell me."

"Mm—" Liu Hai frowned, then lay back into the water, floating on the surface as he flicked his tail fin lazily. "I knew a human once. He said he was an artist."

"Oh?" A Yu looked surprised. "You’ve met humans before, Liu Hai?"

"Yeah." Liu Hai stared blankly upward. "He once told me that sometimes, looking at the world from a different angle brings unexpected discoveries."

A Yu was stunned. "...That’s surprisingly profound?"

Liu Hai asked, "What do you see?"

A Yu looked up too. "Mm..."

"Is the left light dimmer than the right?"

Liu Hai sighed.

Silly humans.

He spotted a label stuck on the corner of the glass ceiling of the eco-tank above, which read—ID: 2231, Mermaid.

Being an uneducated seal spirit, Liu Hai knew very few characters. He only recognized a handful—the ones he liked, such as "sea," the shape of "Liu" which he sort of remembered, and "human" and "fish."

Humans? Interesting.

Fish? Delicious.

Mermaids...

Heard about ’em, never met one.

Liu Hai squeezed his eyes shut in despair—what a colossal misunderstanding! How could they mistake him for a mermaid!

Especially after realizing that these (supposedly) dumb humans seemed to regard him as a mermaid, he gradually noticed more details in his daily life that served as evidence.

For instance, even his food bowl had "mermaid" scribbled on it, Xiao Jin's clipboard even had a mermaid illustration, and even Jiang Xun's pen was engraved with a mermaid!

He even had a nightmare where he was exposed as not being a mermaid, his food bowl snatched away by some shadowy jerk, and Jiang Xun, Xiao Jin, A Yu, and the sailor brothers who often pressed their faces against the glass to watch him were all bundled up and tossed into the ancient sea like garbage!

He desperately tried to save them one by one but couldn’t keep up, flailing in panic until he finally woke up.

Liu Hai lifted his head gloomily—he’d only wanted... to mooch some meals!

But alas, the sky wasn’t about to shower a seal with free, fragrant fish—it was all a gift meant for mermaids.

Wh-what now...?

Jiang Xun said they would release him later. If he could stomach the lie, he could pretend to be a mermaid until he could leave... By then, once he swam away, wouldn’t this remain a secret forever?

The vast sea forgives everything, including a starving seal’s little white lie, right?

Jiang Xun said he couldn’t adapt to the outside air yet—what if they dumped him... Would he manage to catch a fish before passing out?

Would he go from a plump seal to a flat one, and finally just... a seal-skin rug?

Liu Hai clasped his hands together, his big, shiny black eyes gleaming as he silently vowed—once he regained his full power as a mighty seal spirit capable of summoning wind and rain, he would bless their voyages and repay them with a boatload of fish!

A Yu watched Liu Hai’s odd behavior, snapped some pics with his phone, and then asked, "Liu Hai? What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," Liu Hai turned around resolutely. "I just... decided to tell you all."

A Yu blinked. "Hmm?"

Liu Hai took a deep breath and announced with fake confidence, "That’s right—I am the mermaid!"

Author's Note:

Seal (fake confidence): That’s right! I am the mermaid!