
( 要隨童天雷出海的女教授安妮(右)以及她的女研究所學生(左) )
針對童天雷捐贈那尾超級大魚與一座諾雅鐵製的冰櫃,奧利佛鎮開出了一份正式的證明文件,估價為一百五十萬烏托邦幣——折合新台幣大約一千五百萬。50Please respect copyright.PENANAyf35lQtV7s
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然而依據烏托邦的稅法,一家公司一年內可抵扣的捐贈額度上限僅為二十萬,其餘的一百三十萬,通通無法申報,等於白白付出。甚至他未來若繼續捐贈諾雅鐵,也一樣會被視為無效抵扣。50Please respect copyright.PENANA5tpD5gnepg
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不過童天雷現在並不在意這些帳面數字。他更在乎的是結善緣、廣植人脈。亂七八糟地捐贈東西,他倒是一點也不心疼。50Please respect copyright.PENANAt6owiK0rK0
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莎拉鎮長今日登門,還帶來另一件事。50Please respect copyright.PENANAVwtlYGp3LK
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「烏托邦當局對於你們與山城之間的貿易並不設限。」她語氣爽朗,「但有個前提:烏托邦政府也要和你有貿易關係,你必須擁有一家正式登記的公司。這是基本規定。在我們這裡,幾乎每位成年市民都擁有一家公司,而且只能擁有一間,多一間也不行。不過,可以透過公司間的結盟擴大經營規模。」50Please respect copyright.PENANAhhOQFWSW1V
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她頓了一下,笑著補充:「細節若你想了解,可以來找我,或者找泰瑞莎——她比我還清楚怎麼操作!」50Please respect copyright.PENANAUCMmwUCzLk
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站在莎拉身後的泰瑞莎此時朝童天雷露出一個甜美笑容。50Please respect copyright.PENANAsVAtKvzXYB
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童天雷也微笑回應,輕輕點了點頭。50Please respect copyright.PENANAKBkGqN3AFw
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莎拉接著說:「我們知道你已經成立了『長青公司』,也準備與山城交易諾雅鐵與快艇。其實這兩樣物資,烏托邦也很需要。所以,我們希望能與你簽一份交易合約。」50Please respect copyright.PENANAiGZsRxOPQG
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童天雷一怔:「你們也要諾雅鐵和同樣的快艇?」50Please respect copyright.PENANAgDFa5zYauk
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「沒錯。」莎拉點頭,「快艇的規格就照你那艘一模一樣,希望我們也能釣到像你那尾『戰斧鮪魚』那樣的大傢伙!」50Please respect copyright.PENANAZLa8Qh1HiX
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童天雷笑著回道:「釣魚這種事得看運氣,不過同時造兩艘船,交貨時間一定會延後。當然,不至於直接加倍,大概只會多幾天而已。而且山城那邊的報價我已經定下來、交期也簽了押,所以你們這邊勢必會稍晚幾天交貨。我也懶得再重新思考價格問題,所以兩邊的單價會完全一致。」50Please respect copyright.PENANAeMV42xBFMY
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說著,他從主機邊上拿起剛列印出來的兩份報價單,遞給莎拉。50Please respect copyright.PENANAzigkYj93dx
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莎拉瞄了一眼,隨手遞給了泰瑞莎。50Please respect copyright.PENANA31NxECkpOs
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泰瑞莎看完後抬頭問:「這諾雅鐵會不會太貴了?是公告牌價的一點五倍欸,這未免……有點像搶劫吧?」50Please respect copyright.PENANAORE3XQNiVF
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話音剛落,莎拉已經在一旁拉了她一下袖子。50Please respect copyright.PENANAlnmcnbEoVr
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童天雷倒沒生氣,反而笑了起來:「這價格其來有自。第一,我交出去的可不是普通的諾雅鐵,而是純度百分之百、性能可自訂的版本。透明度、硬度、導電性甚至導熱方向都能指定,連形狀都可以選。這怎麼可能還用一般價格?」50Please respect copyright.PENANANCQaTHF0BO
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說著,他彎腰從地面撿起一把塵土,掌心中瞬間浮現出兩束用諾雅鐵構成的金屬花朵:一束鮮紅玫瑰,枝葉與尖刺栩栩如生;另一束則是典雅的香水百合。50Please respect copyright.PENANA4S9vFaRaQH
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他將花束遞給兩位女士:「送妳們的小禮物,都是諾雅鐵打造。將來出貨時,妳們也可以這樣自訂款式。不過限於簡單造型,別叫我每次都交一台機器人上來就好。」50Please respect copyright.PENANA2ecbuBXwth
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泰瑞莎摸著花,眼睛閃著光:「真漂亮!謝謝你。不過我想建議個報價方式,我們能不能改成——用標準五公斤的諾雅鐵方塊來報價?這樣我們比較好管理,至於特殊型態,我們再另外估價,可以嗎?」50Please respect copyright.PENANAJ1HqTnpqSF
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童天雷點了點頭:「沒問題。這樣的話,我幾天後會重新提供一份報價單給妳們。」50Please respect copyright.PENANAOy9TJQizoJ
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這次出海,他決定來點不一樣的玩法。50Please respect copyright.PENANAJJr2mF5AXq
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昨夜,他與主機合作,動用了大量奈米機器人,打造了一艘水下無人潛艇——不但具備防禦海怪的能力,還配備多顆攝影機,可從多個角度拍攝海底影像。50Please respect copyright.PENANA7OlJkJTj4e
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潛艇透過管線與快艇連結,主要從快艇取電。若遭遇突發狀況,也有四十分鐘的獨立電池續航,足夠它返回母船。50Please respect copyright.PENANAOOiVq8eVMn
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他的目的是想搞清楚,這諾雅之海除了戰斧鮪魚外,還藏著哪些漁獲資源。50Please respect copyright.PENANAw3Pl7QiMxw
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照例,他先將快艇開到鎮公所旁的岸邊,接受例行檢查。今日登船的是他的老班長,摩里斯中士——一位嚴肅、按章辦事的老兵。50Please respect copyright.PENANAh5tyUY4fWJ
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「打開艙門,讓我看看有沒有偷帶漁網。」50Please respect copyright.PENANAC8PJSF4uv5
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確認無誤後,他望向無人潛艇:「那是什麼?」50Please respect copyright.PENANACF3EtiHElQ
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「無人潛艇,這趟出海主要就是想看看海底到底有什麼。我總不能每次都釣到戰斧鮪魚吧?那種魚,一條夠吃一年。」50Please respect copyright.PENANAC79rzktPNw
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摩里斯聽完,皺了眉:「等一下。」50Please respect copyright.PENANArHRzkqs6Bk
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他走到船尾,用腕錶通訊幾句,過不久又回來說:「我們島上駐有一位研究諾雅生態的教授,她應該會對你的行動感興趣。不知道你介不介意,多兩位乘客?」50Please respect copyright.PENANAfxcDJjfaPu
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「沒問題,只要他們不會暈船就好。我的快艇不大,可不想一路照顧兩位吐得亂七八糟的學者。」50Please respect copyright.PENANAyuHAwJNbAm
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摩里斯笑了:「放心吧,這位女教授過去在南邊濱海漁場出過無數次海,還帶著她的研究生——在船上的經驗肯定不比你少。」50Please respect copyright.PENANAUI4YTeO8DE
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老班長都這麼說了,他自然點頭同意。50Please respect copyright.PENANApV74jLD3BK
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結果出乎意料——這位教授是位保養得宜的美女,名叫安妮,看上去不過三十出頭的樣子。她的研究生名叫明蒂,一對如姊妹般的組合,來自烏托邦第一大學。50Please respect copyright.PENANAcx3Px3cWxn
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她們是為了研究奧利佛島的生態環境而駐點於此。安妮甚至主動申請成為島上居民,淹水期間明蒂也暫住在她家。50Please respect copyright.PENANAlTrWM0IeJQ
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摩里斯介紹雙方認識後便離開。50Please respect copyright.PENANAXYoR5VVTu6
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安妮很懂禮數,在童天雷進入駕駛艙後,便跟了過來:「童先生,有什麼我們可以幫忙的?」50Please respect copyright.PENANAzfOBgwek4x
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他先設定快艇自動駛向目標地點,再轉過身來:「我先教妳們怎麼操作無人潛艇。」50Please respect copyright.PENANAHXDhLDoMp4
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「太好了,謝謝你。」安妮甜甜一笑。50Please respect copyright.PENANAt4pcAlrXiw
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整套操作系統設在駕駛艙右後方的牆面上,八個小螢幕分別對應潛艇上的攝影機,中間則是一個大型顯示幕,方便放大觀察。50Please respect copyright.PENANAUYKCz19kwp
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童天雷快速介紹操作方式後,便停下快艇,啟動潛艇下水。設定好跟隨速度後,再度啟航,略為減速,好讓安妮與明蒂有時間熟悉操作。50Please respect copyright.PENANA2XLdi9Cyxd
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他則退到甲板後方準備釣具——昨夜的鮪魚大餐令人回味無窮,連他的幾隻狗也吃得心滿意足。今天,他打算再多釣些其他海鮮來嘗試。50Please respect copyright.PENANAxAJmWwJT7q
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到達目的地後,快艇啟動定位系統,以電力穩定停留在固定經緯度上——這耗電極高,但對童天雷而言,電力從來不是問題。50Please respect copyright.PENANA10p318L5tQ
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他不僅擁有充足的諾雅鐵電池,空間中還存放著大量滿電備用電池,根本不擔心耗損。50Please respect copyright.PENANAHq1W2Q0qMn
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安頓好釣竿,他回到駕駛艙查看兩位女學者的操作進度。50Please respect copyright.PENANASsCZqdiBY2
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果然不出所料,操作介面簡明易懂,安妮與明蒂很快就掌握了潛艇的操控。50Please respect copyright.PENANAKuC3Mtxk6S
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此時,潛艇已潛至兩百公尺的深度,逐步靠近海床。50Please respect copyright.PENANAlqxlF2f1k6
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快艇雖離岸不遠,但在水平線的盡頭仍能看見陸地的模糊陰影。對童天雷來說,這點視覺上的「安全感」至關重要——哪怕只是朦朧的地平線,也能讓他在浩瀚大海中感受到一絲人類的立足之地。50Please respect copyright.PENANAkFRvWBfKcW
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他沒讓船離得太遠——這是探索,也是試探。
這一集新封面上的人物,分別是鎮長莎拉、祕書泰瑞莎、主角童天雷、中士摩里斯、安妮教授、女研究生明蒂。50Please respect copyright.PENANAJqQCMyc9un50Please respect copyright.PENANAqevc2FxDZI