30: Abandon defense? I'll just unleash a five-star bathroom attack!

Over the next twenty-four hours, ferry no. 0819 directly transformed into a sweatshop.

A group of stunning beauties who should have been on the Milan runways or in grade-A office buildings all became laborers without social security.

"One, two! One, two!"

Ye Qiu rolled up her sleeves to her elbows, directing everyone to roll the hundred-pound diesel drums across the gangplank.

There was no help for it; they were terrified of being poor.

In this world of only seawater and monsters, seeing supplies was even dearer than seeing a long-lost father.

Even Xiao Ai, who usually had little presence, was working quite hard at this moment.

She was wearing an oversized men's shirt, the hem barely covering the tops of her thighs.

Her long legs swayed back and forth among the cargo, which was quite eye-catching.

"Captain~ look! I found two boxes of canned luncheon meat!"

Xiao Ai hugged the boxes and jogged over to Chen Du.

Her neckline was wide open, and that flash of snow-white skin paired with the flush on her face was extremely lethal.

"Put them in the food area over there." Chen Du didn't even lift his eyelids; he didn't fall for that at all.

Xiao Ai was a bit disappointed, bit her lip, and could only slink off to continue working.

That was Chen Du.

In his eyes, women were perhaps not even as attractive as a crate of 1982 vintage cola.

Xia Lai was practically a humanoid Gundam.

She built a set of cutting equipment and went all out on the blood hand ship.

Engines? Dismantle! Steel plates? Dismantle! She didn't even spare the leather sofa in the captain's cabin.

By the next day, when the first rays of sunlight pierced through the sea mist and shone down.

That massive blood hand ship was reduced to nothing but a bare keel.

It swayed twice with the waves and slowly sank to the bottom of the sea.

"Hiccup—" Xia Lai let out a satisfied burp, completely unconcerned with her image.

She slumped on the deck, her hands covered in engine oil: "Awesome! This haul is incredibly rich! This scrap metal is enough for me to upgrade the engine!"

At this moment, on the deck of ferry no. 0819, supplies were piled up like a mountain.

Fuel reserves soared to 800 barrels. Fresh water, canned goods, and flour were enough for everyone on the ship to eat for two months.

They even scavenged quite a bit of rare metal.

The ancients didn't lie to me; killing and arson really do lead to a golden belt.

"Everyone, thank you for your hard work." Chen Du stood on the second deck, holding a cup of freshly brewed instant coffee.

Steam curled up from it. Below, the girls were all covered in grime, looking as exhausted as if they had just returned from digging coal in a mine.

Even if they were wearing Chanel haute couture or Dior limited editions, they had all turned into pickled vegetables marinated in grime at this moment.

The smell of sweat, blood, and engine oil mixed together—the stench was something else...

Even Li Yaozhi, a top-tier beauty who usually carried an ethereal aura, looked like a vagrant.

"Captain... I want to take a bath..." An Nuonuo raised her hand, looking aggrieved.

Her calves, originally wrapped in white silk, were now covered in black mud, turning them into black silk.

"I've gone sour, wuwuwu..."

"Yeah, this is so uncomfortable; it feels like bugs are crawling on me." Ye Qiu frowned deeply, constantly tugging at the clothes sticking to her body.

As a doctor with a mysophobia, this state was worse than death for her.

"That is exactly what I was about to say." Chen Du put down his coffee cup, and a pale blue system panel popped up in front of him.

After this massive harvest, the ferry could finally undergo a functional upgrade.

Chen Du didn't hide anything and read the options out directly:

"There are three upgrade directions now."

"A. Ecological Water Recycling System. Includes rainwater collection and filtration, and seawater desalination; essential for survival."

"B. Level 2 Bone Armor. Ship hull defense increased by 50%, includes bone spike counter-damage; the top choice for tough guys."

"C. Luxury Panoramic Bathroom Space. Includes a temperature-controlled massage bathtub, smart shower, and panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows."

As soon as he finished speaking, the deck erupted in chaos.

"Of course it's A!" Li Yaozhi didn't even think about it. "Water is the source of life. With a recycling system, we won't lack water in the future; this is a long-term plan."

"Choose B! Must choose B!" Tang Ran waved her fist, her eyes filled only with violent aesthetics. "Defense is the way to go! If we meet pirates again, I'll ram them to death!"

The two factions argued endlessly, unable to reach a consensus. No one mentioned C.

Although everyone was going crazy wanting to take a bath, in the face of such a grand topic as survival, building a five-star bathroom? Were they crazy?

Who would waste a precious upgrade opportunity to do renovations at a time like this?

"Hmm, what you said makes sense, and your perspective is quite grand." Chen Du rubbed his chin and casually tapped in the void.

"So I choose C."

The sea breeze blew past, rolling up an awkward dead leaf.

"Huh?!" Li Yaozhi widened her beautiful eyes, thinking her auditory system had malfunctioned. "Chen Du, are you crazy? That's a bathroom! The world outside is full of monsters right now; who are you building a bathroom for to see?"

"For myself to look at, is that not allowed?" Chen Du said righteously.

"Besides, look at yourselves right now." Chen Du pinched his nose in disgust and took half a step back. "You all look like pickled salted fish. Not bathing for a long time breeds bacteria, causes skin diseases, and even plagues."

"In a world where even cold medicine is scarce, getting sick is equivalent to death."

"So, I am doing this for everyone's health; my intentions are profound."

Before the girls could retort, Chen Du had already clicked [Confirm].

Rumble— A patch of empty space on the ferry's rear deck suddenly shook violently. Golden light burst forth, blinding everyone!

A few seconds later. A rectangular building covering about thirty square meters, constructed entirely of high-strength one-way perspective glass, appeared out of thin air before everyone's eyes.

Under the sunlight, the glass house refracted light like a diamond.

Through the glass, one could see black and white marble tiles on the floor, and in the center sat an oversized circular massage bathtub capable of holding four or five people.

Golden faucets, a whole row of imported toiletries, and even an outrageous small wine cabinet.

Splash— Steaming hot water automatically filled the bathtub, and swirling water mist rose up.

At this moment, the girls all swallowed their saliva in unison.

That was a hot bath! And it even had massage functions!

In a world where even getting a drink of clean water was difficult, this scene before them was simply a soul-crushing blow!

"I want to wash! I want to wash!" Xia Lai's eyes turned green; she grabbed a towel and was about to rush in. "Don't stop me!"

"Stop." Chen Du flashed, blocking the glass door.

He unhurriedly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a toned and well-defined upper body.

"I am the captain; I have the right to the first bath."

In front of dozens of pairs of eyes that were practically bleeding with desire, he swaggered inside.

Click! Locked.

Even through the frosted glass, the girls could vaguely see the man stepping comfortably into the bathtub.

"Ah... awesome!" Chen Du's punchable sigh of relief came through the glass, with its own reverberation.

Immediately following was the sound of a red wine cork being pulled, which had been scavenged from the blood hand ship's captain's cabin.

"Tsk tsk tsk... this water temperature is perfect. This massage intensity, my bones are melting..."

"Oh my, why is this body wash lavender-scented? It smells so good."

Outside the bathroom. A group of stunning beauties stood in the breeze, yet they couldn't bear to leave.

They were like a group of little girls lying outside a shop window looking at a roasted turkey, the envy in their eyes overflowing.

"Bastard! Eating alone! Vile capitalist!" Tang Ran gritted her teeth.

"Wuwuwu... I want to soak too... even if you let me go in and scrub your back..." An Nuonuo bit her finger, eyes brimming with tears.

Li Yaozhi took a deep breath, suppressing the agitation in her heart.

She looked at the blurry figure inside, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

This man knew too well how to torture people.

He wasn't just enjoying himself; he was domesticating them.

On this ship, the power to distribute resources would always remain in his hands.

Just then, Xiao Ai, who had been silently sorting through the pirates' belongings, tugged at the corner of Li Yaozhi's clothes.

"Study... Study Committee Member." Xia Mo held a crumpled piece of parchment in her hand: "I found this..."

Li Yaozhi looked down, her pupils shrinking.

It was a sea chart. A coordinate was circled on it with ink, and next to it were four words—【Crimson Port】.

"Is this... the next destination?"

Before Li Yaozhi could look closely, the bathroom's glass door opened.

A burst of hot air carrying the scent of lavender rushed toward them, instantly dissipating the fishy smell of the sea on the deck.

Chen Du walked out, wrapped in a white bath towel.

His wet black hair was combed back, revealing a smooth, full forehead.

Water droplets slid down his broad pectoral muscles, passed through the grooves of his abdominal muscles, and disappeared into the mermaid line at the edge of the bath towel.

After being soaked in hot water, the bloodstains on his body were gone, and he exuded a deadly sense of aggression.

That was the male hormone of someone at the top of the food chain.

Gulp! Someone swallowed their saliva, though it was unclear who.

In the eyes of this group of famished girls, Chen Du was a hundred times more tempting than any top idol.

Chen Du leaned against the doorframe, swirling half a glass of red wine, his gaze sweeping unscrupulously over the group of little mud monkeys before him.

"What? You all want to wash?"

The women nodded frantically, like garlic being pounded.

"But water resources are very precious; the filtration system hasn't been built yet, and this tub of water used up quite a bit of my inventory."

Chen Du took a sip of wine, his smile evil to the extreme.

"Since everyone wants to wash, let's be fair."

"The auction starts now."

Chen Du extended a finger and tapped the doorframe lightly.

"The admission ticket is... the most precious thing you have on you."

"As long as you can move me, you can go in and enjoy it for half an hour. How about it? This deal is very worthwhile, right?"

The whole scene fell into dead silence.

The next second, the eyes of all the girls changed.

They were no longer united and friendly classmates, but competitors fighting for the right to bathe.

The most precious thing?

Li Yaozhi subconsciously covered her chest, her cheeks flushed red;

Xia Lai's eyes flickered, as if she was calculating some bold plan;

And in the corner, Zhou Qian's eyes flashed with a hint of resolute ruthlessness, her hand slowly reaching toward her collar...

The great test of human nature had only just begun.