Chapter 678 - 297: Crew Assembled, Yacht Complete! (Part 4)

Interacting with such people will be very easy; if he has any different opinions, he will straightforwardly raise them, saving a lot of communication costs.

The last person is the chef on the ship, and it’s important to know that being a chef on the ship is not just about cooking.

In addition to arranging meals for everyone on the ship, he also needs to coordinate and plan all the supplies and provisions in the kitchen; in a sense, the ship’s chef is more like a logistics minister.

Originally, Li Younan planned to find a retired steward to take on this role, but couldn’t find the right candidate.

In the end, unexpectedly, the ship’s doctor Lu Zhiqing volunteered, offering to take up this position.

In his view, on Li Younan’s boat, if he were only to be a doctor, there wouldn’t be much to do, since the ship doesn’t have professional medical equipment and can only handle some simple treatments like possible wound bandaging or minor illnesses such as colds.

Honestly, there’s a good chance that once on board, he would become someone with virtually nothing to do, idling away his time each day.

Coincidentally, Lu Zhiqing already knew how to cook, and handling meals for 10 people was quite easy for him.

Lu Zhiqing, like Li Younan, comes from a small county; his mother is from a rural area, and as a child, he often helped her with tasks, being a helper during large banquets for weddings and funerals, sometimes serving hundreds at once. Although he never led as the main chef, managing meals for 10 people is more than manageable.

Moreover, with his professional background as a doctor, he would be more scientifically and safely managing the ingredients at sea.

As a doctor who studied nutrition, taking on the part-time role of a chef for the ship offers many unexpected advantages.

He can include medical supplies in the logistics coordination, calculating both food and medical expenses when purchasing, prioritizing ingredients that are highly nutritious, easy to digest, and can enhance immunity, reducing the likelihood of crew illnesses from the very fundamental level of diet.

Thus, Li Younan’s crew team was successfully assembled.

At this moment, the first stage of Li Younan’s boat remodeling was also successfully completed.

The first phase of remodeling primarily involved upgrading the boat’s structure, power system, electrical system, and plumbing system.

This phase is akin to erecting the steel frame and establishing the foundation of a house.

However, based on this phase, the house isn’t even considered a shell yet; the next step is to carry out the basic shell renovation and further detailed decor.

For this step, Li Younan is bringing along the rest of the team to participate together.

As time passed, the prototype of this ship gradually took shape before everyone’s eyes.

...

The summer gradually transitioned into winter.

For a full six months, Li Younan was completely immersed in the yacht renovation.

Efforts won’t disappoint those who are committed; after six months of hard work, through the joint efforts of everyone, and after Li Younan invested heavily, the boat was finally transformed.

At this point, it was already late December.

December in Shanghai was cloudy and overcast but dry with little rain, with dry and cold weather often accompanied by strong winds.

At the docks, a blue waterproof carpet stretched from the entrance to both sides of the slipway, filled with red and white striped nautical signal flags.

Fireworks were prepared on both sides of the slipway.

Today is the launch ceremony of Li Younan’s yacht.

Somewhat regrettably, amidst unanimous opposition, the choice was to not spray-paint the words "Lailai" on the boat, opting instead to name the ship with the number "009".

This was Li Younan’s final stubbornness.

Li Younan liked the number 9 very much; 9 represents longevity and also conveys the meaning of "being highly successful".

Attending this ceremony were the entire design and construction team, Li Younan’s entire crew, along with Gao Tiande, representatives from the unit to which the prototype research ship belonged, and other influential figures with good relations with Li Younan.

According to traditional nautical ceremonies, the main character’s partner performs this ceremony, and without hesitation, Li Younan let Liu Li enjoy this moment.

Liu Li felt some anticipation; she held the champagne and walked to the bow, shouting loudly, "In the name of the ocean, I wish our 009 ship smooth sailing and eternal safety!" Then she forcefully threw the champagne bottle toward the bow deck, only to hear a "bang" as it shattered, splashing wine, with fireworks resounding, and everyone applauded.

Gao Tiande chuckled on the side, saying, "Later, make sure to take me on board for a thorough tour of your ship."

Li Younan laughed heartily: "Of course, this ship will definitely amaze you."

Gao Tiande laughed interestingly: "Really?"

He had seen quite a number of yachts before and genuinely doubted any ship could truly amaze him.