155: Late-night emergency room

"Oh right, the Captain is a busy man now."

"With his left hand he has to coax that lustful Mechanic, with his right hand he has to accompany the cold little assassin, and he still has to find time to train the Little Succubus and the Study Committee Member..."

Ye Qiu's voice was soft, her tone three parts tipsy and seven parts resentful.

"The pace of battle is getting faster and faster, everyone's defense is improving, and the doctor's appearance rate is getting lower and lower."

"What, have I become a discarded piece?"

She was smart.

In a team with skyrocketing combat power, being irreplaceable was the foundation of survival.

Especially seeing those girls who were prettier and better fighters than her awakening powerful talents one by one and gaining favor,

as the Branch Secretary, her heart had long since grown weary of the constant competition.

Jealous?

A little.

But more than that... she was unwilling.

She was clearly the woman who saw the situation most clearly and bet everything on him from the very beginning.

Chen Du laughed.

He put down his wine glass and stepped in front of her in a single stride.

He pressed up against her aggressively, trapping her between the railing and his chest.

"A discarded piece?"

Chen Du lifted her delicate chin, forcing her to look at him.

His golden eyes narrowed slightly, releasing a hint of pressure.

"Ye Qiu, you're a smart woman, why are you being foolish now?"

"With me, there is no fairness, only my mood."

His hand slid all the way down her jawline... "However, you're right! This heartache... ordinary medicine won't work."

"I have to treat it personally."

Ye Qiu's breath hitched.

That mask of intellectual rationality shattered into pieces at this moment.

In its place was a long-repressed, mature charm.

"Then... how does the Captain intend to treat it?"

She grew bold, hooking her hands around Chen Du's neck.

Her body went limp as if she had no bones, pressing tightly against him.

"Today's appointment... I've been waiting in line for a long time."

"Since it's an emergency, we'll take the green channel."

Chen Du didn't waste words and swept her up in his arms.

He strode forward and kicked open the cabin door nearby that was labeled 'Medical Room'.

"Tonight, let's do a thorough 'in-depth examination'."

Following ten thousand words of biological exploration and philosophical exchange.

Ye Qiu had never lost her composure like she did tonight.

It was as if she wanted to carve all her insecurity, anxiety, and emptiness into this man's back muscles with her nails tonight.

Her delicate body went from tough and powerful to limp and sore, and finally, even her little toes trembled... until dawn broke.

The storm finally subsided.

Ye Qiu was like a puddle of melted spring water, curled up in Chen Du's arms, without even the strength to move a finger.

Her skin glowed with an alluring pink, the color of being thoroughly nourished.

"Open your mouth."

Chen Du, like a magician, produced a delicate crystal bottle.

Inside was a drop of emerald green liquid.

This was scavenged from the safe on Wang Ce's ship—the [Sap of the Mother Tree of Life].

Even just one drop was a heaven-defying medicine for a healing-type talent user.

"This is..."

Ye Qiu was a bit hesitant, but she obediently opened her mouth.

The liquid melted the moment it entered her mouth.

Then, a gentle but massive life energy exploded within her body!

"How do you feel?"

Chen Du toyed with her sweat-dampened long hair, asking despite knowing the answer.

Ye Qiu opened her eyes.

At that moment, there was a swirl of green deep in her pupils, making her look as holy as a goddess.

Yet, because of the madness just now, she exuded an extreme contrast of seductive charm.

"I feel... wonderful."

She turned over and lay on Chen Du's chest, planting a firm 'stamp' on his lips.

A faint circle of ripples centered on her, extending ten meters away.

"Thank you, Captain... the effects of this medicine are too intense."

"This is a new Group Healing Aura I've comprehended. Besides slow healing, it can also dispel poison and paralysis effects!"

"In the future... can we have a few more courses of this treatment? One time doesn't seem enough to cure it~~"

Chen Du smirked and flipped over, pressing Ye Qiu down again.

"No need for the future, let's start the second course now!"

Immediately after, the storm returned!

...Boom—!!

Suddenly, the ship's hull shook violently!

"Mm..."

Ye Qiu was jolted sideways, almost rolling off the bed.

She instinctively grabbed the thin quilt, red marks from last night's madness still visible on her collarbone.

"An earthquake?"

"No, we've arrived."

Chen Du had already rolled out of bed, casually picking up a shirt to put on.

He didn't even button it all the way, revealing a firm chest.

At this time, a piercing alarm sounded throughout the ship.

An Nuonuo's broadcast came through the loudspeaker:

"Captain! Wake up! We've entered the Mandatory Identification Zone!"

"Radar shows... a giant settlement response ahead! The scale is terrifyingly large!"

By the time Chen Du and Ye Qiu rushed onto the deck, it was already broad daylight.

The pungent smell of sulfur and low-quality alcohol forced its way into their noses with the sea breeze.

"Cough, cough... what is this smell? It's awful."

Lin Keke, who followed, covered her nose and waved her plastic wand in disgust.

Chen Du narrowed his eyes, his vision piercing through the thin mist.

At the end of the horizon, a steel behemoth lay crouched in the black water.

It wasn't an island, but an Iron Corpse made of countless scrapped aircraft carriers and drilling platforms welded together.

A huge neon sign sizzled and flickered, projecting three blood-red characters, 'Blackgold Harbor', onto the thick smog.

Vaguely, one could see rows of dried... things hanging on the breakwater at the city's outskirts.

Those were the corpses of fare-evaders.

Thick black smoke billowed from the chimneys, blotting out the sky.

Even during the day, countless dazzling neon lights were lit here.

Red, green, purple.

The light pollution was so severe it seemed like it would burn through one's retinas.

A giant holographic advertisement flickered in the sky, full of temptation—

[As long as you have money, this is paradise!]

[Blackgold Harbor welcomes all bastards who don't want to die!]

This was the Blackgold Harbor Wang Ce had spoken of.

A chaotic, filthy, yet highly sought-after den of vice.

"Is this... the last prosperity of mankind?"

Ye Qiu wore Chen Du's coat, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Prosperity?"

Chen Du lit a cigarette and sneered.

"It's just a bunch of maggots feasting on a rotting corpse."

"Captain, there's a checkpoint ahead! Someone's blocking the way!" Tang Ran, who was on lookout duty, shouted.

On the sea ahead, several thick iron chain nets were stretched across the channel.

Two armed speedboats with heavy machine guns rushed over aggressively.

Searchlights hit the hull of No. 0819, dazzling the eyes.

An extremely arrogant voice came through the loudspeaker:

"Black ship ahead! Cut the engine! Accept inspection!"

Xia Lai walked out wearing the newly adjusted [Thug 02] armor.

A muffled grumble came from under the mechanical mask.

"Captain, should we just blast through? It's been a long time since I used heavy firepower to talk sense."

"No rush."

Chen Du waved his hand, looking like a big boss strolling through a backyard.

"We are distinguished guests with an invitation."

"Fighting and killing is so undignified; we should show a bit of class."

After speaking, he took long strides and walked unhurriedly to the bow.

He held a gold-plated card between his fingers.

"Stop the ship!! Did you hear me?!"

The armed speedboat opposite was getting anxious.

They probably hadn't seen such a stubborn ship that didn't even intend to slow down.

Clack clack!

The heavy machine gunner on the speedboat pulled the bolt, the dark muzzle locking onto Chen Du's forehead.

"If you don't stop, I'm going to fire! I'll blast you bunch of..."

Chen Du stopped.

His golden eyes narrowed slightly, and the pressure of Tyrants Gaze was released invisibly!

Although they were dozens of meters apart, the shouting machine gunner felt his heart suddenly twitch, and his finger froze on the trigger, unable to pull it.

"Fire?"

Chen Du's voice wasn't loud but clearly pierced through the waves, entering everyone's ears.

"In my dictionary..."

"Only I can give the order to fire. Are you even worthy?"