The pilot boat guided the convoy through the port’s outer markers. Han checked the channel while Mei Qiao matched the pilot’s speed. Yan stood at the bow with a prepared lantern and sent one projection ahead to read the next buoy.
The lantern’s light reached the buoy clearly. The projection read the water depth and the painted turn, then returned the message before the harbor wall blocked the relay. Yan kept his body at the bow, where he could reach the rope and watch the waves.
Han compared the projected mark with the harbor chart. “The buoy is still in place. The pilot’s course matches the older line.”
Mei asked the pilot to confirm the next turn. He raised two fingers and pointed toward the channel. The captain waited for the signal before steering.
The projection reported the water depth and a clear turn. It returned before the harbor wall blocked the relay. Mei followed the pilot’s route and kept the lead boat inside the marked channel.
Qinghe sorted the copied island research from the family contract papers. She placed Yun Cang’s notes in a dry box and left Bai’s family copies in his custody. The separation meant the public clerk would not treat private household records as part of the research shipment.
