After the captain urgently activated the seawater desalination system and replaced all the hot water equipment, the drinking water supply on the cruise ship was finally restored to normal, and the situation of the tourists suffering from diarrhea was brought under control in the afternoon.
The captain soon informed everyone that Qi Zhao, the logistics manager who had poisoned the ship and fled, had been arrested by the police at the dock.
After interrogation, Qi Zhao confessed everything. It is said that he had been suffering from low wages and no bonuses in recent months, lost all his family's assets in the stock market, and his wife wanted to divorce him. He was unhappy with his life and therefore developed a desire for revenge. He deliberately polluted the water storage equipment on the cruise ship, hoping to cause all his colleagues on the ship to be demoted and punished. He did not expect that some tourists would die from severe diarrhea.
Police have indicated that Manager Qi will be sentenced to death for "manslaughter."
The ocean shipping company also publicly apologized for the cruise ship's drinking water pollution incident and offered two solutions.
The first option is that they will send a "Starry Night" cruise ship to the location of the "Royal Caribbean" as quickly as possible. Passengers who do not wish to continue their journey can take the "Starry Night" cruise ship back home, receive a full refund at the pier with their tickets, and be directly upgraded to VIP members, receiving a 20% discount on their next cruise ticket with the Ocean Company.
The second option is for the trip to continue. To express their apology and sincerity, all food in all restaurants and all normally chargeable entertainment will be free for the next six days of the Royal Caribbean cruise. Guests who wish to continue the journey will also be upgraded to VIP members and enjoy a 20% discount on tickets.
In addition, the company expresses its deepest condolences to tourists who suffer from severe diarrhea and die unexpectedly, and will provide their families with appropriate compensation in accordance with the contract.
The captain instructed the announcer to broadcast the company's decision to everyone.
After hearing the proposed solution, the disgruntled passengers expressed satisfaction with the company's attitude and their emotions calmed down considerably.
Xiao Lou and eight others are crammed into a room on the third floor.
Upon hearing the broadcast, Shao Qingge couldn't help but praise, "Ocean Shipping Company has done a good job in crisis management. Upgrading to VIP membership is ostensibly compensation, but in reality, it also makes them loyal customers. With the right to purchase tickets at a discount, everyone will definitely choose Ocean Shipping Company's ships first in the future."
Xiao Lou asked, "In CEO Shao's opinion, are more tourists returning home or continuing their journeys?"
Shao Qingge smiled helplessly: "I think 80% will stay and continue their trip. All entertainment is free, which is too tempting. Besides, many people take a 7-day cruise to have fun, and free entertainment is exactly what they want."
Ye Qi asked curiously, "Will any Challengers take this opportunity to return by cruise ship?"
Xiao Lou took out paper and pen and quickly drew two routes, saying, "The ' Caribbean ' we're on departed at dawn last night and has only been at sea for 15 hours so far. The'Starry Sky' that's coming to pick us up will definitely be faster. Even if we calculate the round trip time as 30 hours, the Challenger's total survival time at sea will only be 45 hours, which is too far from the 7-day survival goal. Leaving now is equivalent to abandoning the mission."
Yu Hanjiang suddenly said, "What if the'Starry Sky' can't return to the dock on time?"
Xiao Lou looked at Yu Hanjiang in confusion: "Can't we go back? Captain Yu, what do you mean?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "There is an extreme approach—hijacking the Star Cruises and letting it drift at sea for seven days."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. Ye Qi slapped his forehead: " Captain Yu is right! If the Challenger is bold enough, hijacking the'Starry Sky' and drifting it at sea for seven days using different routes would count as completing the mission, right?"
Old Mo gave a thumbs up: "The mission objective is to survive at sea for seven days. There are no restrictions on which ship we can take. Hijacking other ships and drifting at sea for seven days is also acceptable."
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "So, Captain Yu, are you planning to hijack this ship?"
Yu Hanjiang paused for a moment, then said, "I'd like to ask for everyone's opinion. Hijacking the Starry Sky is one way to pass the level, but it's too unconventional and might backfire. Don't forget the lesson CEO Shao learned this morning..."
Shao Qingge rubbed his temples, his head aching: "That's right, we spent the money but still got diarrhea. Maybe we thought we could get through by hijacking the'Starry Sky,' but the Ace of Spades just sent the police, treated us like pirates, and arrested us the next day!"
Ye Qi nodded: "Possibly! The Ace of Spades is so monstrous, trying to outsmart him would be even more dangerous."
Xiao Lou pointed out the key issue: "Moreover, none of us know how to sail a boat, nor can we read sea charts. What if we accidentally sail into areas with icebergs or reefs and sink? We shouldn't try such a risky approach lightly."
Seeing that everyone was not very supportive, Yu Hanjiang said in a low voice, "This approach is only theoretically feasible; it's quite troublesome in practice. Let's stay in Caribbean and wait and see."
***
In accordance with the company's arrangements, " Caribbean " remained in place, waiting for the ship to pick up passengers.
At 11 p.m., the speeding "Starry Sky" finally met up with the " Caribbean " at sea.
The ship was significantly smaller than the " Caribbean," with only three decks high. The two ships, moored together, resembled an adult and a child. After they docked, the sailors lowered wide planks, and an announcement blared from the cruise ship's loudspeaker: "Ladies and gentlemen, the Ocean Shipping Company has sent a vessel to welcome you."
The'Starry Night' cruise ship has arrived for its return journey. Passengers who do not wish to continue their journey, please take your belongings, ensure the safety of the elderly and children, and proceed to the third floor as soon as possible to check in for the'Starry Night' cruise ship.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the surrounding cabins, and Xiao Lou and his group climbed to the top floor to check the situation.
Just as CEO Shao predicted, about 20% of the tourists decided to go back. Most of them were families with elderly people and children. Perhaps they were weak from diarrhea today, and for safety reasons, the family members gave up the rest of the trip.
Tourists lined up in an orderly fashion to board the ship.
Just then, several very unusual tourists suddenly appeared in the crowd, catching Xiao Lou's attention.
It was a group of ten girls, all wearing sunglasses that covered most of their faces—it's normal to wear sunglasses when going out to sea, given how glaring the sun is. What was strange was their clothing. Most girls would wear brightly colored beach dresses or pretty swimsuits to the beach for photoshoots. But these eight girls were dressed far too plainly.
All were dressed in black sweatpants, simple patterned T-shirts, and flat sneakers.
It's very convenient to move around in.
All 10 girls were dressed in such smart sportswear. Xiao Lou guessed that they were more likely to be Challengers. He looked in the direction of the girls and whispered in Yu Hanjiang's ear, "These 10 girls should be a team of Challengers. They all went to the Starry Sky."
Yu Hanjiang followed Xiao Lou's gaze and frowned, saying, "These girls are coordinated and well-trained. They don't seem like a team of newbies hastily assembled. They wouldn't be foolish enough to leave the cruise ship and abandon the Weekly Routine mission. It's very likely that they will hijack the'Starry Sky' and complete the mission the way I described. Look, each of them is carrying a bag, which is definitely full of food and water."
Old Mo happened to be next to Captain Yu and immediately said upon seeing them, "They're from Luoying Pavilion! This guild always goes out in a 10-person elite squad for Weekly Routines. The girls never wear skirts during missions; they always wear matching sportswear. Most guilds wouldn't dare mess with Luoying Pavilion. Their leader is extremely vengeful; if anyone dares to kill someone from her guild during a Weekly Routine, she'll hunt them down in the main city."
Yu Hanjiang asked in a low voice, "Does Lao Mo know much about this female president of Luoying Pavilion?"
Old Mo called Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang aside and whispered, "Nobody knows her name, only her code name is ' Spider Goddess.' She has a limited-edition artifact, the [Blood Spider], which is an incredibly sharp dagger. Every time she kills someone, a blood-red line appears on the hilt. Rumor has it that her hilt is covered in a dense spider web. Nobody knows how many people she has killed; she's practically a female demon."
Killing a person adds another line; this dagger is truly sinister.
However, the fact that this guild leader can manage a large guild and unite the female members to complete Weekly Routine quests in 10-person teams shows that she is a very capable woman.
Xiao Lou looked towards the deck, where nearly a hundred tourists had already boarded the " Caribbean " and were transferring to the "Starry Night" ship, with crew members on both sides exchanging documents.
Just then, another team of 15 people suddenly appeared at the junction of the two ships. The team consisted of both men and women and looked like a group of college students. The boy in the lead smiled and said, "Sorry we're late. We're also preparing to return."
The crew member in charge of the handover said, "Please register your information here and board the ship as soon as possible. The ship will depart in 10 minutes!"
Similarly, all fifteen people were carrying backpacks, which were all purchased from stores in the shopping mall.
The bag was full, clearly containing supplies; this was obviously a Challenger team.
Fifteen people lined up to board the Starship.
No one else boarded the ship, and the connecting planks between the two ships were quickly taken down.
After a long blast of its horn, the Starry Night turned its bow around.
It was already dark, and the small cruise ship was painted a deep blue, almost like the night sky, with warm lights shining on it like twinkling stars. The two cruise ships were traveling in opposite directions, and in less than ten minutes, the "Starry Night" disappeared from sight.
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang led everyone back to the cabin on the third floor.
As soon as everyone entered the room, the announcer's gentle voice rang in their ears: "Dear tourists, we are very pleased that you have trusted our ocean cruise company to continue this trip."
"The trip has six more days to go. Starting tomorrow, all fruits, drinks, and food on board will be free of charge. Everyone is welcome to enjoy them. Experiences such as paragliding, parasailing, and the observation deck will also be free. Please make reservations at the service center in advance. In addition, performances in the cinema, music bar, and theater will be offered free of charge, and the number of performances will be increased."
"Every morning at 9 o'clock, every two hours, the 4D cinema on the seventh floor will play classic movies on a loop, including Titanic, Extreme Escape, Water Monster, and Deepwater Horizon. Everyone can choose their favorite movie to watch."
"Every day at 10:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 8:00 PM, the Grand Theatre will stage a live-action drama, with our professional actors presenting the classic play ' Thunderstorm.' The state-of-the-art lighting, sound, and projection technology will bring you an ultimate audio-visual feast."
"We once again extend our sincerest apologies for the food poisoning incident on the first day. We hope everyone has a pleasant and unforgettable six-day journey ahead. It is now midnight, and the cruise ship will be entering energy-saving cruise mode. 60% of the corridor lights will be turned off. Please return to your cabins as soon as possible to rest. Sweet dreams, and see you tomorrow!"
After listening to the broadcast, Ye Qi couldn't help but complain: "Playing..."
None of their movies are auspicious: Titanic hit an iceberg, sea monster movies, deep-sea disasters, extreme escapes… With all this stuff on a ship, it's no wonder something bad happened!
Shao Qingge had no desire to comment on Ace of Spades anymore. He pressed his temples and said, "This is clearly telling us that there will be many surprises coming, so please be prepared."
As soon as CEO Shao finished speaking, a message simultaneously appeared in the floating window in front of everyone's eyes—
[ Endless Sea, Day 2, 00:00]
[Royal Caribbean's remaining Challenger count: 450]
Upon seeing this number, Yu Hanjiang immediately frowned: "The initial total number was 500, now there are 450, meaning 50 people have disembarked?"
Xiao Lou quickly calculated: "The group that lost a girl and left on the police boat had 10 people; the girls' group from Luoying Pavilion had 10 people, and the group that boarded the ship with them had 15 people... What about the other 15? They left the ship together, how could we not have noticed?"
After thinking it over carefully, Lao Mo suddenly said, "They are very likely an elite team from a major guild!"
Xiao Lou was very puzzled: "Compared to normal tourists, Challengers are very distinctive. They are not allowed to bring luggage into the escape room, and the bags they carry must have been bought at the shopping mall; there are no elderly people or children in the group; they usually act in groups of 8 or more. It's impossible for us not to notice 15 people acting at the same time..."
At this point, Xiao Lou suddenly paused, "Could it be that all 15 of them were wearing Invisibility Cloaks?"
Just now, during the transfer of tourists from the " Caribbean " to the "Starry Sky," after all the tourists had left, the "wooden bridge" connecting the two ships was not retracted for another 5 minutes because the managers of the two ships were handing over responsibilities.
For those five minutes, the bridge was completely deserted.
However, the plank bridge showed signs of slight swaying. At the time, Yu Hanjiang thought it was due to the ship not stopping properly, but now it seems that people were actually passing by. They were wearing invisibility cloaks, so they couldn't see them, but their weight still bent the plank bridge.
Yu Hanjiang said confidently, "There are probably 15 other people wearing Invisibility Cloaks who took advantage of the last 5 minutes to sneak into the'Starry Sky' ship. Only a large guild could have the strength to collect the rare card [ Invisibility Cloak ] for 15 people."
Xiao Lou stroked his chin thoughtfully: " The 10 girls from Luoying Pavilion went to'Starry Sky' first, followed by a 15-person team composed entirely of young people, and another 15 people sneaked over... With so many elite teams going to that small boat, are they sure that the probability of clearing'Starry Sky' is much higher than ' Caribbean '?"
Old Mo said, " Weekly Routine missions aren't necessarily safer in less populated areas, but there's one thing—following a major guild will increase your chances of success, because those elite teams are fully armed, have excellent cards, and are extremely powerful. After this group goes to'Starry Sky,' they'll definitely take control of the entire cruise ship quickly, lock up the captain and crew, and then sail out to sea themselves."
Xiao Lou remarked, "It seems that the'Starry Sky' is now filled with experts."
Old Mo laughed and said, "Don't worry, our team also has many experts. Moreover, among the 450 Challengers left on ' Caribbean ', there might also be very strong teams. If we really encounter danger, it's not certain which side will be able to pass."
***
At this moment, in the captain's cabin of the Star Cruises.
The captain was muttering under his breath, "What bad luck! We were supposed to be celebrating my wife's birthday tonight, but then this happened at Caribbean, and they had to send us here to pick her up..."
Just then, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck.
Two girls entered the cockpit like ghosts, holding sharp daggers to his and the first mate's throats.
A cold voice came from behind: "Don't turn around, raise your hands, turn off your pager, or I'll kill you."
The captain was terrified and immediately raised his hands, his voice trembling with fear: "Don't...don't kill me!"
The girl deftly twisted his hands behind his back and tied them with a rope. She then stuffed a towel into his mouth and tied the captain and first mate back-to-back in a corner. The two went to the bridge, looked at the navigation map, and after a few maneuvers, the Starry Night turned its bow around again in the dead of night.
At this time, the passengers, who were already fast asleep, were completely unaware.
Two people who had boarded the ship stealthily suddenly appeared behind the girl and laughed, " Luoying Pavilion's actions are swift and efficient; we're still a step too slow. We just happened to be matched into the same Weekly Routine instance this time, so how about we cooperate for a win-win situation?"
The girl glanced at him and said coldly, "If nothing unexpected happens, there will be a typhoon or heavy rain tomorrow. The cruise ship will be handled by Sister Lin. You'd better not cause any trouble, or if the ship capsizes, you'll all end up in the sea to feed the fish!"
The man immediately waved his hand: "Yes, yes, we won't cause trouble."
***
At the same time, Royal Caribbean.
The teammates went back to their rooms to rest, but Xiao Lou stood on the balcony, wide awake.
In the dead of night, the distant sea turned pitch black, like a black hole about to swallow the entire cruise ship. Yu Hanjiang walked to his side and asked in a low voice, "Aren't you going to sleep yet?"
Xiao Lou said, "The weather is fine right now, and the sea is calm and windless. I'm wondering when the storm will come."
Yu Hanjiang asked with interest, "Oh? The result of your guess?"
Xiao Lou turned around, smiled, and said, "It might be related to the play. I think it'll happen tomorrow at 10 AM, 3 PM, and 8 PM, when the play ' Thunderstorm ' is playing. The Grand Theatre will be showing ' Thunderstorm,' and there will be thunder and lightning outside."
That would be more fitting for the occasion, and it would also match the Ace of Spades ' twisted personality, wouldn't it?
He even had the mood to joke.
Yu Hanjiang smiled slightly, gently put his arm around Xiao Lou's shoulder, and whispered, "Don't worry, what's meant to happen will happen, and we will definitely be able to get out of this sea area smoothly."
Xiao Lou nodded—with Captain Yu by his side, he never worried about clearing the level.
Sometimes, you don't need many reasons to trust someone.