The ship stood firmly anchored at the center of the ice field.
Outside, the snowstorm seemed to intensify, as if countless vengeful spirits were beating against the ship's windows.
Yet on the top deck of the President, an entirely different scene unfolded.
Qin Yu retrieved a pale purple component from his system space.
With a flick of his finger, he commanded: "System, activate Holographic Beach Simulation Field."
"Coverage area: top deck terrace."
As the instruction was given, the card in his hand instantly dissolved into countless purple light particles that merged into the air.
The next moment.
A miracle occurred.
The originally cold steel deck began to blur and transform.
The hard steel plates disappeared.
In their place appeared fine, soft, warmth-radiating white sand.
The Artificial Sun overhead, previously just a simple heat-emitting orb, now under the simulation field's effect, perfectly mimicked the intense noon sun of the tropics.
Moreover.
The sound of "crash—crash—" reached their ears.
The sound of waves breaking against reefs.
Though they knew it was fake, just a holographic projection, when their feet touched the surface, the sensation of sand flowing between their toes felt unnervingly real.
The humidity in the air changed.
No longer the dry warmth of heating systems, but carrying the salty moisture of sea breeze.
The temperature stabilized at the most comfortable 28 degrees Celsius.
Qin Yu casually pulled three folding lounge chairs from his storage and placed them on the beach.
He added a small round table with several bottles of chilled cola and a sliced watermelon.
"Come on out," Qin Yu called toward the lounge behind him.
The door opened.
Yao Xue and Yao Qian emerged.
Both wrapped in towels, they appeared somewhat bashful.
"Brother Qin Yu... this... this is too incredible!" Yao Qian exclaimed, her eyes wide as she stepped barefoot onto the sand, her mouth forming an "O" shape.
Just moments ago they were witnessing an Ice Age.
Now suddenly they were in the Maldives?
The contrast was so extreme it felt like their brains were about to boil.
"Nothing incredible about it," Qin Yu said, lying on the middle chair and taking a bite of watermelon.
"Life should have its ceremonial moments."
"Take off your towels and get some sun. Good for calcium."
Yao Qian blushed but moved with efficiency.
With a release of her hands, the towel slipped away.
In this resource-scarce post-apocalyptic world, she surprisingly wore a pink-and-white bikini.
It had come from a treasure chest caught in the automatic fishing net.
The young woman's skin glowed brilliantly under the "sunlight," radiating youthful vitality.
With a cheer, she threw herself onto the beach, grabbing handfuls of sand and tossing them into the air.
In contrast, Yao Xue appeared much more mature.
She wore a conservative black one-piece swimsuit that, combined with her cool, sophisticated aura and the tropical setting, created an intriguing contrast of restrained allure.
Gone were the Black Silk Stockings, replaced by long, straight, shapely legs.
Yao Xue walked to Qin Yu's side and sat down gently.
"If people outside could see this scene, they'd probably go insane," Yao Xue said, looking at Qin Yu with complex emotions.
This man constantly shattered her understanding of what was possible.
"Whether they go insane or not is their business."
Qin Yu reached out and wrapped his arm around Yao Xue's waist, her skin smooth and soft to the touch.
"I only care about whether my people are doing well."
"Come, put some sunscreen on me."
Qin Yu turned over and lay face down on the lounge chair.
Although the artificial sun emitted no harmful ultraviolet rays, the sensation of the oily massage was the true essence of a vacation.
Yao Xue's cheeks flushed slightly, but she obediently picked up the sunscreen, poured it into her palm, and warmed it by rubbing her hands together.
Then she gently pressed it against Qin Yu's firm back muscles.
Her touch was just right, her fingertips tender.
"Feels good."
Qin Yu closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh.
Nearby, Yao Qian was building a sandcastle, her laughter crisp and melodious.
If one ignored the faint, blurry blizzard at the edge of the force field, this place was paradise.
…
The top deck was heaven.
The lower deck, while not hell, was certainly far from being part of the human world.
Wang Long was scrubbing bloodstains off the edge of the deck.
They had splashed there earlier during the raft collision.
The sound of the brush scraping against the steel plates was especially grating amid the howling wind.
Wang Long paused, exhaling a puff of white breath.
He straightened up, his gaze dark and brooding as he looked upward.
Though he couldn't see what was happening above, he could hear it.
The sound of women laughing.
The sound of waves.
And occasionally, the faint, sweet scent of watermelon drifting down.
"Damn it."
Wang Long cursed under his breath.
He clenched the shovel in his hand so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
The fear he had felt toward Qin Yu that morning was slowly fading with time.
In its place, jealousy gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.
Why?
Why am I down here shoveling bloody ice shards while he's up there fooling around with women and eating watermelon?
We're all human, aren't we? I just didn't get lucky, that's all.
If I had control of the artillery…
A greedy, vicious glint flashed in Wang Long's eyes.
This ship.
The climate-controlled environment.
Those two stunning women.
And that Li Ruobing, who only knows how to show off her legs.
If Qin Yu died…
Wouldn't all of this be mine?
Once this thought took root, it grew like wildfire, impossible to suppress.
"Brother Long…"
A dull voice came from behind.
Zhang Hu approached, carrying a slop bucket.
"Are you done cleaning? That woman Li Ruobing just rushed us, said we need to wash this area clean."
Wang Long turned and looked at Zhang Hu's plump, greasy face.
The fatty still had a bit of oil gleaming at the corner of his mouth.
Clearly, he was still savoring the braised pork they'd had that morning.
"Fatso."
Wang Long threw the shovel to the ground, his voice low and intense.
"You plan on doing this for the rest of your life?"
Zhang Hu blinked, scratching his head.
"What's wrong with that?"
"Brother Long, this life isn't so bad."
"We get to eat meat, we have heating, and we don't have to worry about freezing to death."
"Back in school, I didn't even have it this good."
Zhang Hu meant it.
He was the type to accept his circumstances without complaint—as long as he could stay alive, he didn't mind being treated like a dog.
Wang Long grew furious at the sight of his spineless attitude.
He grabbed Zhang Hu by the collar and dragged him behind a container, into a secluded corner.
"You useless fool!"
"Do you think he's going to keep feeding you forever?"
"Right now, he needs us to work!"
"Once these few days pass, or if he gets his hands on better robots, do you think he'll still give us meat?"
"In his eyes, we're not even worth as much as dogs!"
Wang Long stared into Zhang Hu's eyes, his tone grim.
"Did you see how he killed people this morning?"
"Dozens of people! Crushed them all without blinking!"
"If he gets unhappy one day, or when we can't work anymore..."
"The next ones thrown into the sea to feed the fish will be us!"
Zhang Hu turned pale at Wang Long's words.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
"Then... then what can we do?"
"We can't fight him..."
"He has guns, and those vibration knives..."
"We'd just be going to our deaths!"
Though Zhang Hu was foolish, he wasn't blind.
Qin Yu's combat ability was far beyond what the two of them could handle.
"Who said anything about fighting head-on?"
Wang Long released his grip, straightened Zhang Hu's collar, and revealed a sinister smile.
"Only fools fight directly."
"We need to use our brains."
"Use our brains?" Zhang Hu looked confused.
Wang Long glanced around to ensure no one was nearby before leaning close to Zhang Hu's ear.
"Didn't you see Sister Bing's prediction?"
"Extreme ice hell - besides the cold, what else is there?"
Zhang Hu thought for a moment.
"There's... sea beasts?"
"Right!"
Wang Long snapped his fingers.
"Exactly - the beast tide."
"This ship has heat sources, such massive heat signals are like torches in the dark."
"Those monsters in the sea will definitely come following the scent."
"When that happens, monsters will attack the ship."
"No matter how powerful Qin Yu is, he'll have to deal with the monsters, right?"
Wang Long's eyes gleamed with calculation.
"This ship is so big - can he handle it alone?"
"Those two women are just pretty faces, and Li Ruobing is just a driver."
"Once the fighting starts, everything will be chaotic."
"When he's exhausted from fighting the monsters..."
Wang Long made a throat-slitting gesture.
"We strike from behind."
"We don't need much - just push him overboard or stab him once."
"This ship will be ours."
Zhang Hu broke out in a cold sweat.
This plan... was too crazy.
It was like dancing on the edge of a blade.
"Brother Long... will... will this work?"
"If we don't kill him..."
"If we don't kill him, we all die together!"
Wang Long cut him off fiercely.
"Think about the life up there!"
"Think about that girl Yao Qian!"
"Think about eating braised pork and drinking red wine every day!"
"Take the risk, and a bicycle becomes a motorcycle!"
"If you won't do it, I'll do it alone!"
"When I become captain, don't blame me for forgetting our brotherhood!"
Wang Long was using both threats and incentives.
He knew Zhang Hu was cowardly, but also greedy.
As long as he could stir his greed, this fat man would definitely take the bait.
Zhang Hu swallowed hard.
Images of Yao Xue's elegant figure and that pot of fragrant meat appeared in his mind.
Then he looked at the slop bucket in his hand.
The fear in his eyes slowly turned to struggle.
Finally, it became a flash of ruthlessness.
"Alright!"
"Brother Long, I'll follow you!"
"If we die, we die! Better than being slaves forever!"
Wang Long patted his shoulder with satisfaction.
"That's more like it."
"Keep your mouth shut."
"Behave well these next few days, make him lower his guard."
"When the sea beasts come..."
"We'll make our move."
Just as the two were conspiring.
Suddenly.
Both their wristbands vibrated simultaneously.
It was the alert for an all-area announcement.
Piercing and urgent.
Wang Long looked down, and the smile on his face instantly turned ecstatic.
[Warning! Warning!]
[Extreme Cold Storm core detected approaching!]
[First wave of "Deep Sea Beast Tide" arriving in 30 minutes!]
[Note: Sea beasts are extremely sensitive to heat sources. Areas with higher temperatures will attract higher-level sea beasts in greater numbers!]
[All survivors, prepare for combat!]
Seeing this red announcement, Wang Long couldn't help but laugh out loud, his shoulders shaking with mirth.
"Hahahaha..."
"Heaven helps me! Truly heaven helps me!"
"The more heat, the more monsters?"
He pointed at the "Artificial Sun" shining as bright as daylight above their heads.
In this dark, freezing sea, Qin Yu's ship was like a piece of sugar thrown into an anthill.
It was a living target!
"Just wait."
Wang Long looked up, his eyes venomous.
"Qin Yu, your time has come."
"Enjoy your final moments of sunshine."
...
On the top deck beach, Qin Yu's wristband also chimed.
He opened his eyes, scanned the announcement content, and showed no trace of panic—not even changing his posture.
"Beast tide?"
Qin Yu chuckled lightly.
"Perfect timing."
"Just had some watermelon, could use some seafood to go with drinks."
He felt the hands on his back stop.
Yao Xue's voice sounded tense.
"Qin Yu... the announcement says heat sources attract monsters..."
"Our lights are too bright. Should we turn them off?"
"Turn them off?"
Qin Yu sat up, grabbing a nearby cola to take a sip.
"Why turn them off?"
"I want them to come."
"One comes, I kill one. Two come, I kill a pair."
Qin Yu stood up, barefoot on the sand, and walked to the railing.
Outside the force field, the snowstorm grew more violent.
Beneath the thick ice layer, something enormous seemed to be awakening.
A dull, low roar penetrated the ice, faintly audible from below.
A glint of bloodlust flashed in Qin Yu's eyes.
His mental energy had already spread out, covering several kilometers of sea.
He could "see" it—in the deep darkness under the ice, countless red dots were frantically converging toward them.
Eyes.
Greedy, bloodthirsty eyes.
And in the lower decks, he also "saw" two other pairs of eyes.
Two pairs filled with schemes and malice.
"Heh."
The smile on Qin Yu's lips deepened.
"Trouble within and without."
"Interesting."
He didn't care about Wang Long's petty schemes.
In the face of absolute power, any conspiracy was a joke.
He was even somewhat looking forward to it—looking forward to the moment those two fools made their move.
That way, he'd have a reason to paint the ship's deck red again.
"Yao Xue, Yao Qian."
Qin Yu turned around, his tone relaxed.
"Get dressed."
"Vacation's paused."
"Time to collect the takeout."
...
Ten minutes later.
The "President" entered Level 1 combat readiness.
The holographic beach deactivated—the gentle sunlight and fine sand disappeared, replaced once more by cold, hard steel decking.
Li Ruobing was already standing at the weapon control console in the cockpit.
Yao Xue and Yao Qian had changed into form-fitting combat suits, holding the crossbows and spears Qin Yu had given them earlier.
Even Wang Long and Zhang Hu were summoned to the deck.
The two men held iron rods and harpoons, putting on a show of loyal protectors.
"Boss, which side should we guard?" Wang Long asked loudly, wearing an expression of grim determination.
"You two?" Qin Yu stood on the second-floor balcony, looking down at them from above. "Guard the stern. If even one monster climbs aboard, I'll throw you overboard to feed the fish."
"Yes! We'll complete the mission!" Wang Long responded loudly.
But inwardly, he sneered: Guard the stern? Perfect, that's a blind spot. When the fighting starts, I'll just watch the show from there. Once you're tangled up with the monsters, I'll sneak up from behind...
BOOM——!!!
A tremendous crash interrupted Wang Long's fantasy.
The ice fifty meters ahead of the bow suddenly exploded, as if something had smashed upward from beneath. Countless ice shards flew into the air.
Then, a massive claw gripped the edge of the fractured ice. The claw was the size of a millstone, covered in bluish-black scales and sharp barbs.
ROAR——!!!
A foul-smelling roar erupted as a gigantic sea creature over five meters long crawled out from the ice hole. It resembled a mutated alligator snapping turtle, but its shell gleamed with a metallic sheen, and its mouth was filled with dagger-like fangs.
[Mutated Armored Giant Crocodile (C-Class)]
This was only the beginning.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The ice around the ship shattered in rapid succession.
One, two, ten...
In the blink of an eye, dozens of varied sea creatures surrounded the President.
There was a giant octopus with tentacles, a spiny sea urchin monster, and mutated seals that could slide across the ice. Every one of them stared fixedly at the "Artificial Sun" atop the ship, driven mad by the heat it emitted.
"So many..." Zhang Hu's legs trembled as he looked at the dense horde of monsters. This time, his fear was genuine, no acting required.
"Don't panic!" Though Wang Long was also afraid, he felt more excitement. "The more, the better! The more monsters, the faster Qin Yu dies!"
Meanwhile, on the second-floor balcony, Qin Yu looked down at the ugly creatures without a trace of fear. Instead, he stretched lazily.
"C-Class, huh... Perfect for testing my blade."
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
"Li Ruobing, open fire. Let them taste what an S-Class Thermal Ray feels like."
"Received!"
In the control room, Li Ruobing slammed the red button.
The next second, the hovering "Artificial Sun" abruptly stopped rotating. Its gentle glow instantly condensed, then erupted into a blinding crimson beam!
ZZZZ——!!!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a teeth-grating sizzle. The beam swept accurately across the mutated giant crocodile charging at the front.
Like a hot knife through butter, the C-Class armored giant crocodile—renowned for its invincible defense—was bisected at the waist without even a scream. The cut was smooth as glass, instantly carbonized by the intense heat, without a single drop of blood spilled.
Instant kill. A true one-shot.
Wang Long's sneer froze on his face, and his half-retreated step halted mid-air.
What... What kind of power is this? Is this even humanly possible?
Before he could process it, Qin Yu had already leaped down from the second floor.
He wasn't holding any high-tech weapons.
Instead, he gripped that SSS-grade fishing rod he had initially drawn.
With a flick of the rod,
A fishing line as fine as a strand of hair traced an invisible line of death through the air.
"Since you're here, you might as well stay."
Qin Yu's figure shot into the horde of beasts like a black lightning bolt.
At that moment,
Wang Long suddenly felt that,
Compared to these sea beasts,
That man
Was the true monster.