33: That one strawberry mark made the whole ship jealous!

At the long dining table, the atmosphere was so strange you could wring water out of it.

Over twenty peerless beauties were seated on both sides.

If this were in a civilized society, this scene would make any man ascend to heaven on the spot and exclaim, "I want to challenge my weakness too!"

But at this moment, Chen Du only felt a chill down his spine.

"Well... the luncheon meat today is good. The texture... is quite chewy."

Chen Du tried to break the damned silence.

He forked a piece of meat into his mouth and chewed loudly.

No one responded.

Everyone's gaze intentionally or unintentionally drifted towards Xia Mo, who was sitting on his right.

This aloof Shadow Assassin, however, looked like a cat that had successfully stolen a fish, exuding a lazy aura.

She was wearing a loose, boyfriend-style white shirt, with the top two buttons deliberately undone.

Her collarbone was faintly visible.

On the side of her neck, a dark red mark was extremely conspicuous.

Plop!

Xia Xin, the eldest sister sitting opposite, dropped the half-piece of bread in her hand into her milk cup.

That was the breakfast she had saved by counting sesame seeds!

Xia Xin widened her Kazi Lan eyes, her gaze darting back and forth between her biological sister and Chen Du, her expression priceless.

"Third... Third Sister?" Xia Xin asked quietly, "What happened to your neck? A seafood allergy?"

Xia Mo elegantly sliced her fried egg without lifting her head: "Nothing, a mosquito bit me during my night patrol last night."

As she spoke, a restless little foot lightly brushed against Chen Du's calf under the table, even hooking him once.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Chen Du was nearly sent away by that piece of luncheon meat right then and there.

High-level situation! This is a high-level situation!

"Oh my, Third Sister, you're so pitiful~~"

An Nuonuo cupped her face, her large eyes blinking: "The mosquitoes at sea must have mutated, right? This bite is red and purple, it must be very itchy. Should we ask the Branch Secretary to take a look?"

The entire room fell silent.

Second Sister Xia Lai couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

While grinning mischievously and kicking her Third Sister under the table, she winked at Chen Du: "That's right, Captain, this mutated mosquito is truly venomous. It not only sucks blood but also makes people weak in the knees, and it's even contagious~"

Chen Du remained expressionless, steady as an old dog, demonstrating the Captain's exceptionally high psychological fortitude: "Don't speak while eating or sleeping. Everyone eat. Wasting food is shameful."

"Hmph!"

Ye Qiu's pretty face darkened, and she slammed a glass of milk heavily down in front of Chen Du.

A bit of milk splashed out.

"Captain, drink more milk."

Ye Qiu offered a fake smile, her tone dripping with sarcasm: "It's high in protein, supplements calcium, and can strengthen your foundation and cultivate vitality."

"I see your dark circles today and your unstable steps—clearly a deficiency of kidney essence."

"Should I prescribe you a few doses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills? If *that* person dies, what will happen to us girls on this ship?"

This woman's words are truly venomous.

Just as Chen Du was about to argue that his kidneys were perfectly fine, his peripheral vision caught Li Yaozhi.

This High Mountain Flower today... uh, was even colder.

Her slender fingers were peeling a boiled egg.

Once peeled, the smooth, moist egg white trembled on her fingertips, looking very appetizing.

She raised her head and glanced at Chen Du.

Chen Du's heart lifted with joy.

The Study Committee Member is still sensible, knowing how to care for the Captain... The next second.

Li Yaozhi opened her red lips and stuffed the whole thing into her mouth with a bite.

Her cheeks were puffed out.

She chewed hard twice, as if she wasn't chewing an egg, but someone's conscience.

Chen Du: "..."

This breakfast was impossible to eat.

This was clearly an Asura Field! One wrong move and it would be a hatchet ending!

Just at this awkward moment, the light outside the window suddenly dimmed.

A layer of pink mist quickly spread from the sea surface, gradually engulfing ferry no. 0819.

[Warning! Visibility has dropped to less than thirty meters!]

Xiao Ai, who was on lookout duty, rushed into the restaurant in a panic, "Captain! Outside... the sea outside has turned pink!"

Chen Du's eyes narrowed.

"Stop eating! All hands on deck!"

He abruptly stood up and rushed onto the deck in a few strides!

Everything in sight was a dense, rich pink.

This color wasn't romantic; instead, it carried a chilling, underworld vibe.

"Li Yaozhi!"

Chen Du yelled without turning his head, "Stop chewing the egg, get to work!"

"Coming!"

Although Li Yaozhi was still angry, she would never drop the ball when facing major issues.

She swallowed the last bite of conscience, quickly walked to the bow, and pulled out a slightly cracked crystal ball from her bosom.

Chen Du had found this for her in the trade channel; it was more professional and more sinister than the necklace.

"Give me the Nautical Chart."

Li Yaozhi held her hands suspended over the crystal ball, her eyes reflecting the pink mist.

"Great Abyss... guide the lost..."

Low, obscure incantations drifted away in the wind.

The inside of the crystal ball suddenly churned violently, and the transparent crystal immediately became murky and black.

Immediately afterward, a blood-red crack burst open on the surface of the sphere!

Crack!

Li Yaozhi's face was deathly pale, and fine cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Stop the ship!!!"

"Don't go straight! Absolutely not!"

Tang Ran, who was steering, paused: "But Study Committee Member, the compass shows that going straight is downwind..."

"That's a trap!"

Li Yaozhi pointed at the pink mist ahead, her finger trembling, "That is the hunting ground of the [Phantom Sound Sea Anemone]! This mist contains hallucinogenic toxins, and anyone who enters will kill each other until only one person remains!"

Hearing the words "kill each other," the girls' faces turned pale.

Imagine your best friend suddenly hacking at your neck with an axe... "Then where do we go?" Chen Du asked.

Li Yaozhi closed her eyes, seemingly enduring some kind of mental shock.

Two lines of bloody tears seeped from the corners of her eyes.

A few seconds later, she pointed toward a stormy area flashing with lightning on the right.

"Hard to starboard! Cut into the edge of the storm! Although the waves are high there, there is... no danger!"

"We will make it through!"

Insane.

Ignoring the calm pink sea area and heading straight into a storm?

Everyone looked at Chen Du.

This was a huge gamble, and the ultimate test of the Captain's authority.

Chen Du didn't hesitate in the slightest, waving his hand:

"Listen to the Study Committee Member! Tang Ran! Hard to starboard! If you don't want to become fish food, spin that wheel until it smokes!"

"Yes!!!"

Tang Ran gritted her teeth and slammed the helm hard over.

"Everyone hold tight! We're drifting!"

The massive ferry carved a white arc across the sea surface!

The hull tilted violently, emitting a grating metallic groan.

Boom—!

The bow slammed fiercely into the black wind and waves on the right!

A giant wave instantly crashed onto the deck!

In the pink mist where the original course lay, terrifying waves suddenly churned up.

"Roar—!!"

A strange roar, neither whale nor non-whale, carrying mental pollution, shattered the sea mist.

Everyone turned back in horror.

They saw the sea surface rapidly explode, and hundreds of pink tentacles covered in barbs and suction cups shot into the sky!

They thrashed wildly at the sea surface, as if desperately grabbing for prey.

A seabird that happened to be passing by was caught by a tentacle and exploded into a cloud of blood mist!

Not even feathers remained!

If they hadn't turned just now... the ones who would have become minced meat seasoning would be everyone on this ship.

Gulp!

The women all swallowed hard simultaneously.

Everyone's gaze towards Li Yaozhi changed.

"Phew~~"

Li Yaozhi leaned against the railing, looking exhausted.

She wiped the trace of blood from the corner of her mouth and turned to look at Chen Du.

Her eyes held defiance, mixed with a hint of petulant pride, seeking praise.

How about that? I'm useful too, right?

Chen Du walked over and handed a newly opened bottle of water to Li Yaozhi.

"Excellent work, Study Committee Member. Are you... heavily drained? Go rest quickly!"

The storm came quickly and left just as fast.

When ferry no. 0819 stumbled out of the storm, the sight before them caused everyone's pupils to contract violently.

The sea mist dispersed.

At the edge of their vision, an unimaginably huge island floated quietly on the inky sea surface.

No.

That was not an island.

That was a gigantic whale, its body comparable to a mountain!

Kun!!

Its back was exposed above the water, wide like a continent.

And on the back of this giant beast, countless buildings constructed from a mix of steel and wood were densely packed.

Chimneys spewed black smoke, and flashing neon signs emitted an eerie light in the daytime.

Even from a great distance, they could hear the noisy human voices and the roar of steam coming from it.

This was a city built on the back of a giant beast!

Chen Du narrowed his eyes.

Looking at the bright red marker on the Nautical Chart, a desire for conquest surged in his heart.

"Ladies, wipe your drool. Welcome to the New World."

"Crimson Port, we have arrived."