The communication ended.
The main control room fell silent once more.
Only the purple dot representing Chen Xiaoya on the radar screen flickered faintly from time to time.
"Alright."
Qin Yu swung his legs down from the control panel and stretched, his joints cracking loudly.
"Since it's a ticking time bomb, let it count down over there for now."
"As long as it doesn't explode, we'll just treat it as background noise."
He stood up and walked over to the massive floor-to-ceiling window.
The sun outside was scorching.
The sea shimmered with dazzling white reflections.
This was an afternoon in the apocalypse.
If not for the damned survival countdown, the view would actually be quite pleasant.
"Ruo Bing, reduce our speed."
Qin Yu looked at the dark shadows drifting with the ocean currents in the distance, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"That's an ocean current convergence point ahead."
"And our goldmine for today."
Li Ruobing glanced at the radar, her slender fingers dancing swiftly across the virtual keyboard.
"Received."
"Deceleration engines activated."
"Automatic salvage nets deployed."
"But..."
Li Ruobing turned her head, raising an eyebrow.
"Captain, aren't you being a bit too relaxed?"
"There's a secret suspected to be S-rank or higher hidden on the ship, and you still have the mind to scavenge for junk?"
Qin Yu turned around, pulled a chocolate bar from his pocket, unwrapped the foil, and popped it into his mouth.
The sweet flavor melted on his tongue.
"Scavenging for junk?"
"This is called accumulating primitive capital."
"Besides."
Qin Yu pointed to his own head.
"If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up."
"In this world, I am that tall one."
"As long as my cannons are big enough, a secret isn't a secret—it's an opportunity delivered to my doorstep."
...
Ten minutes later.
The "President" slowly sailed into that dark stretch of sea.
It wasn't that the water had turned black.
Rather, the surface was covered with densely packed supply crates, plastic waste, broken timber, and yacht wreckage that had drifted from who-knows-where.
This was a gift brought by the ocean currents.
Commonly known as a "garbage patch."
For ordinary survivors, this place was both heaven and hell.
Heaven because of the abundance of supplies.
Hell because garbage patches usually harbored all kinds of mutated sea beasts.
But for Qin Yu.
This was an all-you-can-eat buffet.
"Increase the power of the automatic salvage nets."
Qin Yu stood on the second-level deck, holding a walkie-talkie, his voice lazy.
"Qian Qian, stop enjoying the air conditioning inside."
"Come out and work."
Yao Qian's soft, slightly reluctant voice came through the walkie-talkie.
"Alright, alright, I know..."
Complaints aside.
In less than half a minute.
This girl.
Her mouth said no, but her body was quite honest.
"Let's get to work!"
At Qin Yu's command.
"Rumble—"
From both sides of the ship, eight newly installed massive mechanical arms plunged into the water simultaneously.
Like eight steel tentacles.
Each sweep churned up a large splash of water.
"Crunch!"
A floating wooden treasure chest was grabbed by the mechanical arm and tossed directly onto the conveyor belt.
Then came the second, the third...
Those metal scraps that would be unbearably heavy for ordinary people felt as light as foam in the grip of the hydraulic mechanical arm.
"Clang, clang, clang—"
A pleasant sound of metal clashing rang out across the deck.
It was the sound of wealth.
Qin Yu wasn't idle either.
Although he had the system, the thrill of a bountiful harvest was something he had to experience firsthand to truly enjoy.
He walked over to a blue metal crate that had just been brought up by the conveyor.
In his hand, he held a crowbar.
"Open up for me!"
"Creak—"
The metal crate obediently swung open.
[Ding! Acquired: Instant Noodles *10 boxes.]
[Acquired: 500ml Bottled Water *5 boxes.]
[Acquired: Feminine Hygiene Products *2 packs.]
Qin Yu curled his lip.
"More food."
"These days, instant noodles are more common than lives."
Yao Qian skillfully manipulated the mechanical arm, picking up the instant noodles and tossing them into a crate in the food storage area.
"Wow! It's the braised beef flavor!"
"Brother Yu, the noodles from this brand are really tasty!"
Yao Qian's voice came through the loudspeaker, carrying a tone of simple delight.
Qin Yu shook his head.
"Pathetic."
"I'll add an egg for you tonight."
Time passed minute by minute.
The sun gradually dipped toward the west.
The sea surface, originally littered with garbage, had been forcibly cleared into a clean waterway by the "President."
Supplies piled up like small hills on the deck.
Wood, metal sheets, plastic, rubber...
And all sorts of strange daily necessities.
They even fished up an inflatable doll, which made Yao Qian blush furiously. She immediately controlled the mechanical arm to throw it back into the sea.
"Beep—"
Suddenly.
An alarm sounded in the Main Control Room.
It wasn't urgent; it was the kind of alert that signaled the discovery of a special item.
Li Ruobing's voice came over the broadcast.
"Qin Yu."
"Starboard, thirty meters."
"There's a big one."
"Radar shows a strong metal signature."
Qin Yu's eyes sharpened.
Strong metal signature?
Could it be a floating shipping container?
He rushed to the starboard railing in a few quick strides.
Beneath a tangled mess of fishing nets, a corner of dark green metal was faintly visible.
Not a container.
That curvature...
It looked like a diving bell?
Or perhaps the wreckage of some kind of vehicle?
"Bring it up!"
Qin Yu licked his lips.
This kind of blind box was the most thrilling.
"Understood."
Two mechanical arms simultaneously turned, coordinating with each other to grasp the heavy object.
"Hum—"
The hydraulic rods emitted a grating, teeth-gritting sound of friction.
Clearly, this thing had significant weight.
"Lift!"
With Li Ruobing's operation.
The object finally broke through the water's surface.
"Splash—"
Seawater cascaded down.
When Qin Yu got a clear look at the thing's full appearance, he was momentarily stunned.
This really wasn't a diving bell.
This was, damn it, a...
Tank?
No.
It was an amphibious armored personnel carrier!
Although it was covered in rust, one of its tracks was broken, and the turret was nowhere to be seen.
This was unmistakably the chassis of a military vehicle.
"Thud!"
The several-tons-heavy lump of iron crashed heavily onto the deck.
The impact sent a tingling sensation through the soles of Qin Yu's feet.
[Ding! Detected recyclable high-value item: Scrapped Z-99 Amphibious Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Wreckage).]
[Recycling yields: High-strength alloy steel2000kg, Precision electronic components50, Military-grade Engine (Damaged)1.]**
[Allow "Netherworld: Death's Kiss" to devour?]
Qin Yu stroked his chin.
Devour?
That Sniper Cannon could eat metal to evolve, but if this thing were repaired...
Could it be used as a mobile turret?
"Forget it."
Qin Yu patted the rusted armor plate.
"It's too broken."
"The cost to repair it would be enough for me to build ten new ones."
"Devour it."
With a thought from him.
The Sniper Cannon on his back instantly liquefied, like a mass of black mercury, covering the infantry fighting vehicle.
A scalp-tingling chewing sound rang out.
A few minutes later.
The entire large vehicle was gone, not even a screw remained.
[Ding! Devour complete.]
[Evolution progress of "Netherworld: Death's Kiss" +0.5%.]
[Current evolution progress: 1.5% (First Stage).]
Qin Yu sighed.
An SSS-grade weapon truly was a glutton.
Feeding it tens of tons of alloy steel only raised it by 0.5%.
If he wanted it to evolve to the next stage, wouldn't he have to dismantle an aircraft carrier to feed it?
"Yu-ge..."
Yao Qian, piloting the robot, walked over. Looking at the empty deck, she was a bit dumbfounded.
"Where did that huge vehicle from just now go?"
"Made it disappear with a magic trick?"
Qin Yu walked over and knocked on the robot's glass canopy.
"That was magic."
"Alright, stop standing there dazed."
"There's another group ahead. Finish them and we're done for the day."
"We're having hotpot tonight."
"I want to eat that freshly salvaged luncheon meat!"
"Granted."
...
The sun set in the west.
The sea surface was dyed a bloody red.
The day's labor was finally over.
The "President" floated quietly on the sea, like a giant beast that had eaten its fill.
The deck had already been cleaned.
All the supplies had been sorted and sent into the warehouse.
Looking at the series of numbers skyrocketing on the system panel.
Qin Yu lit a cigarette and took a deep breath.
Comfortable.
This feeling of watching the warehouse slowly fill up was much more satisfying than killing.
The aroma of hotpot wafted from the living quarters.
It was an assertive beef tallow scent.
Especially enticing in the sea breeze.
Yao Xue, wearing an apron, walked onto the deck carrying a basin of washed vegetables.
She had changed into casual home clothes, her hair casually tied up at the back.
That virtuous wife and mother aura was completely different from the woman who knelt and pleaded for her friend yesterday.
"Time to eat."
Yao Xue walked to Qin Yu's side and gently took his arm.
"Ruo Bing made a split pot today."
"She said it's to celebrate today's big harvest."
Qin Yu turned his head, looking at her delicate profile.
"What about that Chen Xiaoya?"
"Is she awake?"
Yao Xue's hand stiffened slightly.
But it quickly returned to normal.
"She's awake."
"She's been hiding in her room, too scared to come out."
"I went to call her just now. She said she wasn't hungry and asked me to save some for her."
At this point, Yao Xue looked up, a hint of pleading in her eyes.
"Qin Yu..."
"Give her some time."
"She hasn't adjusted yet."
Qin Yu smiled, reached out, and pinched Yao Xue's cheek.
The texture was great.
Soft, tender, and bouncy.
"Fine."
"As long as she doesn't poison my hotpot, I'll treat it as keeping a pet."
"Let's go, eat."
Qin Yu put his arm around Yao Xue's waist and walked towards the dining room.
"By the way."
"You come to my room tonight."
"I got that massage oil, perfect for helping you relax."
Yao Xue's face instantly flushed red all the way to her neck.
She certainly knew what Qin Yu meant by "relax."
Qin Yu laughed heartily and pushed open the restaurant door.
Inside.
Yao Qian was holding chopsticks, eagerly eyeing the fatty beef rolling in the pot.
Li Ruobing held a glass of red wine, leaning back in her chair, watching the two who had just entered with a faint, knowing smile.
"Well, well."
"Finally decided to join us, boss?"
"If you'd come any later, the meat would have been overcooked."
At this moment.
There was no bloodshed of the apocalypse.
No zombie roars.
No scheming or intrigue.
Only the steaming hot pot, chilled beer, and these women around him—each with their own thoughts, yet having no choice but to rely on him.
Qin Yu took his seat at the head of the table.
Picked up his chopsticks.
Tapped them lightly against the edge of the pot.
"Let's eat."
He picked up the fattiest piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.
So delicious.