BDSMST -Chapter 177 The Launch of the First “Flying Fish” Ship

After bidding farewell to Leo, the atmosphere at Woniu Village’s shipyard became even more electric. Everyone was brimming with anticipation, knowing that their own age of long-distance voyages was about to begin.

Finally, on another sweltering summer afternoon, Woniu Village’s first modern sea vessel—the Flying Fish—was ready to be launched.

The entire shipyard was packed with people. Villagers, academy students, and even the members of the “Agricultural Advisory Group” who had not yet set off all came to watch the spectacle.

At the front of the crowd, Gu Xuan and Bai Ling’er stood nervously side by side. Over the past year, both children had grown taller. Gu Xuan’s features had gained a touch of heroism, while Bai Ling’er’s beauty had blossomed even more, though her expression remained serene. They stared at the massive vessel quietly resting on the slipway, palms sweaty.

That was the Flying Fish.

It was unlike any ship of this era.

Its hull no longer had the fat, bulky shape of traditional sea vessels; instead, it presented an elegant, streamlined form—slender and sharp, like a giant fish poised to spring. The keel had been boldly redesigned to cut through water more efficiently, reducing drag.

Most striking was its unique sail-and-rope system. Besides the rigid mainsail on the central mast, several auxiliary soft sails were mounted along the sides, adjustable in angle to maximize wind use from any direction.

The entire hull was coated with a waterproof mixture of tung oil and special resin, giving it a glossy shine under the sunlight.

“This… this ship will float? It looks so skinny. One big wave and it’ll capsize, won’t it?” muttered an old shipwright in the crowd.

“Yeah, and those sails are odd too—who ever hangs them like that?”

Amid the doubts, Zhang Heng, the project leader, climbed the high platform. His face flushed with excitement as he shouted in a booming voice, “The auspicious hour has arrived! Flying Fish, launch!”

At his command, the craftsmen cut the final ropes and removed the wooden wedges supporting the hull.

“Rumble—”

With a tremendous scraping sound, the Flying Fish began sliding slowly toward the water. Everyone held their breath.

The hull entered the water smoothly, sending up a huge splash. Then it rocked gently a few times before floating steadily. Its draft was shallow, and the entire hull sat high above the water, light and agile in posture—not like a massive ship, but like a nimble waterbird.

“Launched! It’s steady!” thundered the crowd in unison.

Gu Xuan jumped with excitement and hugged Bai Ling’er. Her cheeks flushed, but she did not push him away; her bright eyes also sparkled with joy.

Before the cheers had even died down, Gu Yan, clad in his sturdy uniform, led a team of elite militia onto the Flying Fish. He would personally command this sea trial.

To demonstrate the ship’s performance more intuitively, Gu Yan arranged for another vessel—a speed-optimized “Fu” ship called the Chasing Wind, built at the Jinling Shipyard—to sail alongside for comparison.

The two ships moved in tandem toward the open river.

“Raise the sails!”

At Gu Yan’s command, the Flying Fish’s unique sail system came alive. The multiple sails, maneuvered by the sailors, spread like wings and instantly caught the wind.

In the blink of an eye, the bow of the Flying Fish shot upward with a breathtaking speed, dashing forward as if it were not sailing on water but gliding across it! The ship’s prow cut through the river, leaving two white trails along its sides, like the wings of a flying fish.

The crowd onshore erupted in another wave of astonished cheers.

Meanwhile, the Chasing Wind had barely raised half of its mainsail and was slowly beginning to pick up speed.

What followed was an utterly one-sided spectacle.

The Flying Fish traced a graceful arc across the river, effortlessly overtaking the Chasing Wind. It circled around the slower ship at a measured pace, like a sleek leopard playing with a clumsy turtle.

By the time the Flying Fish completed its triumphant loop and returned to the dock, the Chasing Wind had only just reached the center of the river.

Everyone was stunned into silence.

“It’s… it’s not just a third faster—it’s… twice as fast!” stammered an old captain, unable to believe his eyes.

Gu Xuan was lifted high into the air by excited villagers and tossed gently upward. Looking up at the blue sky and white clouds, hearing the cheers all around, he felt as if he were dreaming.

Jiang Suisui approached Bai Ling’er, gently draping her arm around the girl’s shoulders. “Ling’er, you’ve done something amazing,” she said softly.

Bai Ling’er tilted her face up, her eyes shimmering with tears. “Suisui, can we really build a ship that can sail all the way to the edge of the sea?”

“Yes,” Jiang Suisui replied firmly. “We definitely can.”

That evening, after the celebration feast, in the study room…

Gu Changming was absorbed in studying the final blueprints of the Flying Fish. Gu Xuan stood beside him, excitedly explaining every ingenious detail of the design.

“Grandfather, look here—the curve of the hull. I observed the fastest swimming fish in the river, and their bellies have this shape. And over here, the auxiliary side sails are modeled after eagle wings. When turning, they adjust one side just like feathers…”

Gu Changming remained silent. Instead, he retrieved an old, yellowed book wrapped in oilcloth from the deepest shelf. He opened a page and pushed it toward Gu Xuan.

It was a hand-drawn sketch of a strange flying machine. Beside it, a small inset diagram depicted the cross-section of a ship.

Gu Xuan’s eyes fell on the inset, and he froze.

The hull structure and water-guiding design in that small diagram resembled the Flying Fish almost exactly—seven or eight parts similar—and in some details, it was even more ingenious and bold than his own design.

“This… this is…” Gu Xuan’s voice trembled.

“This is your great-great-grandfather’s manuscript,” Gu Changming said slowly, a tone of distant reverence in his voice. “Our Gu ancestors studied mechanical devices, always following the principle of ‘learning from nature.’ You have never studied the family’s mechanics, yet through your own observations, you’ve independently arrived at the same path your ancestor once walked.”

He reached out his calloused hand and gently rested it on Gu Xuan’s head.

“Xuan’er, remember this: a true genius does not merely imitate, but creates. And all creation originates from the deepest understanding of heaven, earth, and all living things. You carry the blood of the Gu family. This is not just a gift—it is also a responsibility.”

Gu Xuan looked at the manuscript, then at his own hands, and nodded, half-comprehending. He felt, subtly, that a whole new world was beginning to unfold before him.