Night had fallen.
A sea breeze carrying a subtle chill swept across the deck of the "President."
Thanks to the Ocean Stabilizing Pearl, the sea within a kilometer radius was as calm as a black mirror.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of meat.
It was the distinctive fragrance of Grade S Mutated Sea Serpent Meat.
On the first-floor deck, a bonfire flickered.
Li Ruobing and the two tattooed laborers sat around the grill, devouring the sizzling, oily serpent meat.
With every bite, they could feel a surge of heat explode in their stomachs and spread throughout their limbs.
It was the sensation of growing strength.
"Hah..."
Li Ruobing wiped the grease from her lips and glanced up at the tightly closed floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor.
Her expression was complex.
Envy, awe, and a barely concealed longing.
Following such a leader, even just getting a taste of the leftovers, allowed one to live like a human being in this apocalyptic world.
"Are you all full?"
A cold voice came from the railing on the second floor.
Li Ruobing shuddered and quickly stood up, tossing the bone in her hand into the sea.
The two laborers were so frightened they immediately knelt on the ground.
Qin Yu stood in the shadows on the second floor.
"If you're full, then stay put and behave."
Qin Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it struck their hearts like a hammer.
"The first floor is your activity area."
"The second floor is a restricted zone."
"Without my permission, anyone who dares to set foot on the stairs..."
Qin Yu flicked the ash from his cigarette.
"Clunk, clunk—"
The sound of machinery operating echoed.
The menacing "Deep-sea Guardian" cannon at the bow slowly rotated its barrel.
It wasn't aimed at the sea.
Instead, it lowered, its dark muzzle directly targeting the staircase leading to the second floor.
The red infrared targeting beam, like a thread of death, spanned the middle of the stairs.
"Grade S Automatic Defense Mode, activate."
Qin Yu spoke calmly into the air.
[Command confirmed.]
[Deep-sea Guardian has switched to "Internal Alert" mode.Target identification: Any biological entity crossing the warning line aside from the host and authorized personnel (Yao Xue, Yao Qian) will be eliminated immediately.]
The cold electronic voice reverberated in the night sky.
Li Ruobing's face instantly turned pale.
She stared at the red laser line, her throat dry.
She knew Qin Yu wasn't joking.
This man was decisive in killing.
In his eyes, there was no such thing as "chivalry toward women," only "obedience" or "death."
"Do you understand?"
Qin Yu looked down from above.
"Y-yes, understood!"
Li Ruobing gritted her teeth and lowered her head.
"Rest early; there's work tomorrow."
After speaking, Qin Yu turned and walked into the ship's cabin.
The automatic curtains of the floor-to-ceiling window slowly closed, blocking all outside views.
...
Inside the cabin, the thermostat system maintained the temperature at a comfortable 24 degrees Celsius.
Soft, warm yellow lights dispelled the loneliness of the sea.
Qin Yu entered the living room and glanced at the closed master bedroom door.
Yao Xue was inside organizing medical supplies.
And in the other bedroom...
That was Yao Qian's room.
Qin Yu paused for a moment before walking over.
The "accident" that had occurred underwater during the day, while forced by circumstances, had happened nonetheless.
Since he had taken her body, he had to take responsibility.
Moreover.
The little girl who always followed him around calling him "Brother Qin Yu" had long since found her way into his heart.
Knock knock.
Qin Yu raised his hand and gently tapped twice on the door.
"Come... come in..."
A soft, timid response came from inside.
Carrying a hint of panic, and a touch of anticipation.
Qin Yu pushed the door open.
The room was filled with the faint scent of peach-scented shower gel.
Very sweet.
Just like the girl curled up in the corner of the bed.
Yao Qian was wearing an oversized men's white shirt.
It was Qin Yu's old clothing.
On her, it looked like a dress, the hem barely covering the top of her thighs.
Her long, straight, pale legs were exposed so defenselessly to the air.
Two band-aids were stuck on her knees.
They were from when she had scraped them kneeling in the flowerbed earlier that day.
Now, they looked especially pitiable, and especially... provocative.
She hugged her knees, curled up against the headboard.
Her smooth, long hair cascaded over her shoulders, freshly washed and not yet completely dry.
Her small face was flushed, and her large, watery eyes gazed at Qin Yu.
Like a startled fawn.
Or a kitten waiting for its owner's affection.
"Brother Qin Yu..."
Yao Qian called out softly.
Her voice was a little hoarse.
Qin Yu closed the door and locked it.
Step by step, he walked to the bedside.
The mattress sank slightly as he sat down.
That intense masculine aura instantly enveloped Yao Qian.
"Does it still hurt?"
Qin Yu reached out and naturally stroked her head.
His palm was broad, dry, and warm.
Yao Qian's body trembled slightly.
Then she obediently nuzzled into his palm.
"A little..."
She lowered her head, not daring to meet Qin Yu's eyes.
Just seeing those eyes made her remember the wild, domineering man from underwater during the day, who had seemed as if he wanted to devour her.
Back then, he had been like a beast.
Tireless.
Unrestrained.
It made her afraid, yet she was lost to it.
"Drink some water."
He handed her a bottle of S-Grade Purified Water.
Yao Qian took small sips, but her eyes kept stealing glances at Qin Yu.
She was looking at his profile.
Sharp jawline, cold and hard features.
Between his brows was an intimidating fierceness that made one hesitant to look directly.
It was the pressure accumulated from taking too many lives.
Back in high school on Blue Star, Qin Yu had been an athlete.
Sunny, handsome, loving to sweat it out on the sports field.
Back then, Yao Qian had been a hardcore homebody.
Only daring to hide behind the classroom curtains, secretly watching him sprint on the track.
Back then, though he was dazzling, he was still within the world she could reach.
But now...
He had changed.
He had become stronger, colder, and also... more unreachable.
He was the captain of the ship.
A ruler who held the power of life and death.
And she was just a good-for-nothing who could do nothing but act cute.
If not for Qin Yu.
She would have died in the waves on the first day.
Or been captured by those disgusting men and turned into a plaything.
"What are you thinking about?"
Qin Yu set the water bottle aside and turned his head, just meeting Yao Qian's gaze—full of infatuation and a hint of inferiority.
Yao Qian flustered and averted her eyes.
Her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her shirt.
"It's... it's nothing..."
"It's just that... I feel like Brother Qin Yu has become so amazing."
Yao Qian bit her lip and mustered her courage to speak.
"Back in school, I always thought you were handsome."
"But now..."
"You're like one of those protagonists from web novels."
"Capable of anything."
Her voice trailed off as she spoke.
"And I... I'm still that fool who only knows how to hide behind you and cry."
Qin Yu raised an eyebrow.
He reached out and pinched Yao Qian's chin.
Forcing her to look up.