Splash—
A massive elevator platform broke through the water's surface, dripping with briny seawater, and slowly rose to the level of the President's deck.
The woman from the dilapidated sailing ship practically crawled, stumbling and staggering onto the metal platform.
Her entire body trembled.
Her nurse's uniform, which should have been white, was now a grimy gray-black, stained with dried blood and engine oil.
Her hair was matted and tangled, plastered messily to her scalp.
Only her eyes, though filled with terror, still held a fierce glint of the will to survive.
"She's up."
Qin Yu stood on the second-level deck, a freshly lit cigarette between his fingers, looking down at the scene.
His tone was flat.
As if he had just fished up a somewhat rare catch.
"Ruo Bing, receive her."
"Understood."
Li Ruobing braced one hand on the railing and jumped directly from the three-meter-high second-level deck.
Thud.
Her long combat boots landed with a crisp sound.
She strode over to the woman and extended a hand.
"Can you walk?"
Chen Xiaoya looked up at the woman in the form-fitting combat uniform, her bearing heroic and impressive, then glanced at the lingering smoke in the distance.
Tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
"I... I can..."
She tried to stand, but her legs were as weak as noodles. The moment she straightened up, she nearly collapsed again.
Li Ruobing frowned slightly, wasting no words.
She directly grabbed Chen Xiaoya's arm, hoisting her up like a chick, half-dragging, half-carrying her towards the living quarters.
"Now that you're here, you can rest easy."
"Even the King of Hell would have to file a report with our captain before collecting anyone here."
...
At the entrance to the living quarters.
Yao Xue was already waiting there.
She clutched a clean towel tightly in her hand, her knuckles white from the force.
Her usually unshakable, icy expression was now etched with anxiety.
When she saw Li Ruobing supporting the filthy, disheveled figure approaching.
Yao Xue's breath hitched for an instant.
Then.
Her always ramrod-straight posture suddenly slumped.
Her eyes were frighteningly red.
"Xiao Ya..."
Her voice trembled.
Chen Xiaoya, supported by Li Ruobing, stiffened violently at the familiar voice.
With great effort, she raised her head, squinting through the tangled mess of her hair.
When she clearly saw Yao Xue's face—thinner but still delicate.
The nerve Chen Xiaoya had kept taut for who knows how many days finally snapped.
"Waaah—!"
A heart-wrenching, agonized wail instantly echoed across the entire deck.
Summoning strength from somewhere, she broke free from Li Ruobing's support and stumbled frantically towards Yao Xue.
"Xue'er!!"
"It's really you! I thought I was dreaming!"
"Wuwuwu... I almost died... I almost never saw you again!"
The two collided fiercely.
Yao Xue wrapped her arms around her, completely disregarding the pungent stench of filth and blood on her.
Holding her desperately tight.
As if trying to press the other into her very bones.
"It's okay now... it's okay..."
Yao Xue was also crying, tears streaming down her glasses, washing streaks through the grime on Chen Xiaoya's face.
"It's good that you're alive."
"As long as you're alive, everything else can be worked out."
Qin Yu leaned against the doorframe, silently watching the scene.
He didn't speak.
Just quietly smoked his cigarette.
This kind of reunion after a long separation was all too rare in the apocalypse.
So rare it felt almost unreal.
Yao Qian was also wiping away tears nearby, still holding the pile of metal pieces she had just picked up. She wanted to offer a tissue but couldn't free her hands, stomping her feet in frustration.
"Enough."
Qin Yu stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into a nearby trash can.
"Stop mourning at the door."
"Since you're family, come inside and talk."
"You reek—don't stink up my deck."
Though his words were harsh.
Everyone could tell he was giving them a way out.
Yao Xue wiped her face, sniffled, and helped Chen Xiaoya inside.
"Right, let's go in."
"I'll draw you a bath, and we'll eat."
...
Half an hour later.
In the living room.
A refreshed Chen Xiaoya, wearing a spare set of Yao Qian's pajamas, sat on the leather sofa.
She was still in a daze.
She looked at the steaming cup of milk in her hands, then at the plate of freshly grilled steak and the platter of cut fruit on the table.
A loud gulp echoed in the quiet living room.
"Eat."
Qin Yu sat in the armchair opposite, legs crossed, idly toying with the pistol form of the SSS-grade "Kiss of Death."
"There's plenty."
As soon as he finished speaking.
Chen Xiaoya lunged forward like a madwoman.
Setting the milk cup on the table, she grabbed the steak and shoved it into her mouth.
She didn't even bother with the knife and fork, using her hands instead.
Scalding meat juices dripped from the corners of her mouth, but she paid no mind.
"Cough... cough, cough!"
Eating too fast, she choked.
Yao Xue quickly patted her back and handed her a glass of water.
"Slow down, no one's fighting you for it."
"There's more in the pot."
Seeing her best friend acting like a starving ghost, Yao Xue's heart ached, tears falling once more.
The Chen Xiaoya of the past had been such a refined girl.
She cared about presentation even when eating Western food, and checked the temperature before drinking water.
Now...
She was worse off than a stray dog on the street.
Only after devouring two large steaks and downing three glasses of milk.
Did Chen Xiaoya finally let out a satisfied burp and slump back onto the sofa.
The feeling of being alive again brought a faint glimmer back to her eyes.
"Talk."
Qin Yu waited until she finished eating before speaking.
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried undeniable pressure.
"Why were those 'Blood Shark Gang' members chasing you?"
"Don't tell me it's because you're a woman."
"Those speedboats had plenty of supplies. They wouldn't risk being wiped out just for a woman."
Qin Yu's gaze was sharp.
Though he had saved her, it didn't mean he had let his guard down.
In the apocalypse, every unreasonable action hid something sinister.
Chen Xiaoya trembled.
She instinctively grabbed Yao Xue's hand.
Her eyes began to dart around.
She couldn't bring herself to meet Qin Yu's penetrating gaze.
"I..."
"I don't know either..."
Chen Xiaoya lowered her head, her voice barely audible.
"I ran into those people during a 'Tide Hunt.'"
"They... they saw I was a woman, so... they kept chasing..."
At this point, she looked up, her eyes filled with fear.
"Boss Qin, really! They're a bunch of lunatics!"
"They kill for fun, they eat human flesh!"
"I was afraid of being caught and turned into Two-legged Sheep, that's why I ran so desperately!"
Yao Xue tightened her grip on the girl's hand and turned to look at Qin Yu.
"Qin Yu, Xiaoya is timid, she might really be terrified."
"Those bastards are animals to begin with, nothing they do would be surprising."
Yao Qian chimed in from the side.
"Yeah, Brother Yu, I saw someone mention that Blood Shark Gang on the World Channel, their reputation is terrible."
Qin Yu didn't speak.
He just looked at Chen Xiaoya with a faint, ambiguous smile.
After a few seconds.
He nodded.
"Alright."
"Since you don't want to talk, I won't force you."
"As long as you don't cause trouble on my ship, I'll treat you as an extra mouth to feed."
After saying this, Qin Yu stood up.
"Ruo Bing, clear a bunk for her next to the storage room."
"Xue'er, take her to rest."
Yao Xue breathed a sigh of relief, gave Qin Yu a grateful look, and helped Chen Xiaoya inside.
"Come on, Xiaoya, let's go to sleep."
"I'll stay with you tonight."
...
Watching their figures disappear at the end of the corridor.
The expression on Qin Yu's face instantly vanished.
He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
"Did you see it?"
Li Ruobing, who had been sitting quietly nearby holding a tablet, finally looked up.
She handed the tablet to Qin Yu.
On the screen was a waveform interface resembling an electrocardiogram.
It was the Terminal derived from the SS-Rank Mind Deterrence Matrix Radar.
At this moment.
The curve belonging to Chen Xiaoya on the screen displayed a glaring deep yellow.
And in the middle, there were several strange purple wave segments mixed in.
"Purple?"
Qin Yu exhaled a smoke ring and pointed at the unfamiliar color.
"What does that mean?"
Li Ruobing's expression turned serious.
She zoomed in on those wave segments.
"Purple represents—Extreme Danger / Possesses Special Mental-Type Abilities / In a Disguised State."
"Moreover, this kind of waveform usually only appears on people who have come into contact with 'High-Energy-Level Items.'"
Li Ruobing stood up, walked over to Qin Yu, and lowered her voice.
"She's lying."
"Those people chasing her definitely wasn't just because she's a woman."
"Or even just for supplies."
"What she carries, or what she knows, might be worth more than those speedboats combined."
Li Ruobing glanced back toward the corridor.
"She's hiding something."
"Although the radar shows she has no hostility (red) toward us, only fear (yellow)."
"This concealment itself is a huge ticking time bomb."
"Qin Yu."
Li Ruobing placed her hand on Qin Yu's shoulder, her gaze sharp as a knife.
"Should I go and..."
She made a "interrogation" gesture.
Since there's no malice, then use some mild methods to get the truth out.
After all, we can't keep someone with an unknown background, a walking riddle, on this ship.
Qin Yu looked at the flickering purple line on the screen.
He remained silent for a moment.
"No need."
Qin Yu waved his hand.
"Since she's Yao Xue's close friend, we should still give some face."
"Using torture directly would make us seem too heartless."
"Besides, what people say when they're in extreme fear isn't necessarily true."
Qin Yu tossed the tablet back onto the sofa.
"Let's observe for now."
"Since she's boarded my ship, she's already meat in my bowl."
"Sooner or later, she'll spill that secret of hers."
"As long as she doesn't harm anyone, we'll give her some time."
At this point, Qin Yu paused, his gaze turning profound.
"However, it's wise to be cautious of others."
"Ruo Bing."
"Raise the surveillance level in the living quarters to maximum."
"Especially in her room."
"Even if she talks in her sleep, I want to hear every word clearly."
A knowing smile curled at the corner of Li Ruobing's lips.
"Understood."
"I'll keep an eye on her."
"If she dares to make any suspicious moves..."
"I'll make sure she knows who's really in charge on this ship."
Qin Yu stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and stretched.
"Alright, everyone, back to your tasks."
"We still need to make the most of these three days of grace period and focus on fishing."
"As for that Chen Xiaoya..."
Qin Yu glanced back at the tightly closed door.
"I hope she's smart enough."
"Don't force me to personally pry her mouth open."
...
Inside the room.
Chen Xiaoya huddled under the soft blanket, her body still trembling uncontrollably.
Yao Xue, thinking she was cold, added another blanket for her, gently patted her until she fell asleep, and then quietly slipped out.
The moment the door closed.
Chen Xiaoya, who should have been "fast asleep," suddenly opened her eyes.
There was no trace of the earlier dullness or breakdown in those eyes.
Instead, they held a deep, bone-chilling fear.
She slipped her hand under the covers.
Groping around, she pressed it against her lower abdomen.
There, an ugly, healed scar lay.
And beneath the skin of that scar.
Something hard seemed to emit a faint, barely perceptible warmth with each breath—a sensation only she could feel.
"I can't say it..."
Chen Xiaoya bit her lip until it bled.
"I absolutely can't say it..."
"It's a curse..."
"Anyone who knows... will die..."
"Xue'er... I don't want to get you killed..."
Two clear tears silently slid from the corners of her eyes, soaking into the pillow.
And all of this.
Was faithfully recorded by the nearly imperceptible pinhole camera in the corner of the ceiling and transmitted to the large screen in the Main Control Room.
There, a pair of cold, sharp eyes stared intently at the hand she had pressed against her abdomen.