56: Disaster strikes again, with uninvited guests on the dragon boat.

The salty sea breeze swept across the deck, yet it couldn't disperse the eerie atmosphere.

Chen Du squatted in front of a large plastic basin filled with seawater, examining its contents.

Inside the basin, the remains of the "National First Love," Lin Xinyan, swayed with the ripples.

To be precise, she was no longer a living creature, but a skin that had been meticulously peeled and tanned.

That face retained its youthful collagen from when she was alive, and even the beauty mark at the corner of her eye was clearly visible.

But from the neck down, it was densely packed with black lines.

"No organs, no bones."

Wearing rubber gloves, Chen Du disdainfully picked up a corner: "It's practically a human skin coat for a monster to wear."

“Blegh...”

Zhao Mengmeng leaned over the railing, vomiting up all the white rice she had just eaten.

“This... this is too perverted!” Lin Keke covered her eyes with her fingers spread wide, not daring to look yet unable to resist peeking.

“I've seen Saw, but this is ten thousand times more Sanity-draining! This is sacrilege! A desecration of beauty!”

Li Yaozhi suppressed the churning in her stomach: “Chen Du, what does this mean? The monsters in the sea... is someone raising them?”

“It means that in this shitty world, people are just consumables.” Chen Du stood up, took off his gloves, and tossed them into the sea.

“In the eyes of some, this national goddess is just a high-level lure. Just like we put earthworms on a hook, they put beauties on a hook.”

“Since it's bait, it's naturally meant to fish for us men.”

Chen Du sneered, his gaze sweeping over the stunning human skin.

“However, this thing is a hot potato.”

“What do you mean?” Xia Xin asked, puzzled.

“Lin Xinyan has a massive number of mindless fans.”

Chen Du tapped on the holographic panel, his fingertips sliding rapidly. “I just checked the World Channel. A group of lunatics formed a Goddess Guard. They claim to have three frigates and are offering rewards all over the world for the goddess's whereabouts.”

“If they find out their 'White Moonlight' has become our trophy...”

“Even if it's just to maintain the goddess's dignity, those simps will blow us to smithereens.”

The women gasped in unison.

“Then... then what do we do?” An Nuonuo asked with a sob in her voice. “Hurry and throw it away!”

“Not safe enough!”

Chen Du lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

Through the smoke, his face revealed a fox-like cunning.

“Since it's a hot potato, we'll throw it to someone who can catch it.”

“For example... our scapegoat friend.”

Chen Du changed his ID to—【Soul of Sakura Tanaka-kun~】.

“Xia Lai, find a scrap of cloth and cover the key parts.”

“Ah? Oh! Got it!” Xia Lai understood instantly, a mischievous grin appearing on her face.

She casually grabbed an oil-stained rag and draped it over Lin Xinyan's indescribable, missing parts.

This clumsy attempt at concealment actually made the exquisite face stand out even more.

“Click.”

Chen Du found a tricky 'straight-man' angle and took a photo.

In the photo, there was only Lin Xinyan's face and a half-hidden butterfly tattoo.

Edit, send.

【World Channel】!

【Soul of Sakura Tanaka-kun~】: Yoshi! This Sea of Despair is truly a great treasure house! I was just fishing and actually caught the great Huaxia star, Lin Xinyan!

【Even though it's just a skin, this texture, this tattoo—it's practically a work of art! I'm going to peel it off and make it into a screen to play with day and night in my dojo!】

【The aesthetic of the Yamato People is indeed number one in the world! Hahahaha!】

The message was sent.

The scrolling screen, which was originally filled with calls for help, insults, and trade information, went blank for three seconds.

Then.

The World Channel exploded!

【Holy shit!!! Is that Lin Xinyan?! The butterfly tattoo... it's really her!!】

【Tanaka Koji! I'll fuck your ancestors for eight generations!!】

【You beast!! You won't even let the dead rest! You want to make a screen?! Are you even human?!】

【I'm broken! Brothers, I'm really broken! The goddess is actually being defiled by such a pervert!】

【Coordinates! Who has Tanaka's coordinates! I'll give ten boxes of instant noodles! No, I'll give my life! I want to skin him alive!】

【Goddess Guard here! All fleets, turn around! Search for all ships flying the rising sun flag! Better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let Tanaka go!!】

Watching the red text frantically flooding the screen, Chen Du calmly closed the chat box.

“Killing with a borrowed knife—this trick never gets old.”

He turned and waved to the dumbfounded women.

“Alright, burn this thing. Burn it clean, don't leave any traces.”

...At this very moment.

In a reef area dozens of nautical miles away from ferry no. 0819.

On an engineering ship welded with iron patches that looked like a giant trash can.

The real Tanaka Koji was kneeling on the deck, looking at his private message box.

Beep beep beep beep beep!!!

The notification sounds for private messages were continuous.

He clicked on one.

The voice message played automatically; it was the roar of a gruff man: “Old thief Tanaka! Take your filthy hands off the goddess! I'll crawl through the network cable just to hack you to death!!”

“Nani?!”

Tanaka Koji wailed to the heavens: “Baka! Who is Lin Xinyan? I don't have her! I really don't!!”

“I'm still repairing the ship! The engine is leaking oil! How would I have the mood to go fishing?!”

“What screen? I only have one pair of underwear left!”

“That damn Huaxia person?! Is it him again?! Ah—!”

Desperate wails echoed over the sea, but the only response was the distant roar of engines.

Those were warships laden with fury, heading towards any target suspected of being a Japanese vessel.

This night was destined to be a nightmare for countless Tanaka Kojos... In the captain's quarters of ferry no. 0819.

Soft, warm light spilled onto the large, cozy bed.

Chen Du leaned against the headboard, looking relaxed.

In his arms, a well-behaved little kitten was curled up.

Xia Mo had just finished showering, wrapped only in a bath towel.

Her long, slender legs were crossed, gleaming like ivory under the light.

A few strands of hair clung to her slightly flushed cheeks, and her eyes were as soft as spring water.

“Chen Du...”

Xia Mo held a pencil, sketching in her sketchbook.

The drawing was of Chen Du severing a tentacle with a single strike.

“Hmm?” Chen Du nonchalantly curled a lock of her hair, brushing it against her sensitive earlobe.

Xia Mo trembled all over: “Um... will Tanaka Koji really be killed?”

“Maybe.” Chen Du smiled. “Since he's acting as the target, he must be prepared to get shot.”

Xia Mo nodded half-understandingly and put down her sketchbook.

She turned and straddled Chen Du's lap, her arms circling his neck, her eyes misty: “I don't understand those things... I only know that I'm safe with you.”

Their noses touched, and their breaths intertwined.

The atmosphere became thick and ambiguous as the temperature soared.

Chen Du's large hands supported her slender waist, preparing for further intimate communication.

Bang!

The door was pushed open.

“Captain! The bearing on that thruster just now is a bit...”

Xia Lai burst in energetically, carrying a half-meter-long pipe wrench.

Seeing this scene, her voice came to an abrupt halt.

Xia Mo quickly buried her head in Chen Du's chest, her exposed ears turning a deep shade of red.

Chen Du remained unfazed, only slightly raising an eyebrow: “Not knocking before entering? Technician Xia, do you want to join in too?”

“Ahem!”

Xia Lai gave a wolf whistle, her gaze unashamedly roaming over the two of them.

Finally, it stopped on Xia Mo's slightly trembling legs.

“Oh my! Sorry about that, didn't mean to interrupt you two doing a shock absorption test.”

She shouldered the pipe wrench with a mischievous grin: “What's wrong with Third Sister's legs? Is the exercise frequency too high, causing them to overheat?”

“Second Sister!!” Xia Mo cried out in embarrassment, her voice muffled against Chen Du's chest.

“Tsk tsk, what's there to be shy about.”

Xia Lai leaned in closer and spoke some serious-sounding nonsense: “Captain, as the Chief Mechanic, I have to remind you that new machines need to be maintained with lubricating oil during the break-in period, otherwise you'll score the cylinders.”

Chen Du's mouth twitched.

This female hooligan—her 'driving' speed was even faster than the ship's.

Wooo—!!!

An alarm suddenly tore through the night sky!

It was Xia Xin blowing the horn from the watchtower!

“Enemy attack!!!”

“Three nautical miles ahead! A vessel is approaching at high speed!!”

Xia Xin shouted loudly: “Captain! Come quickly! Something's wrong with the other side!!”

On the deck.

The sea breeze was violent.

Chen Du rushed up to the watchtower and snatched the binoculars.

Through the lens, on the churning sea, a weirdly shaped vessel was breaking through the waves.

Looking closely, it was actually a giant, heavily modified—dragon boat!

The black iron dragon head at the bow spewed black smoke, and dozens of wooden oars extended from both sides of the hull.

Behind each oar sat a shirtless, muscular man with bulging veins!

“He—zo! He—zo!”

The synchronized chanting sounded like muffled thunder.

Even from a distance, Chen Du could smell the stench of sweat wafting toward him.

This was a fast ship powered purely by human labor!

And its speed was even faster than ferry no. 0819!

On the highest command platform of the dragon boat stood a giant of a man.

His face was full of scars, and around his neck hung a necklace made of bleached white human bones.

The other party was heading straight for them.

When they saw An Nuonuo, Li Yaozhi, Tang Ran, and the group of stunningly beautiful women in their thin clothes.

The dragon boat erupted in excitement!

“Holy shit! Brother Shan! Look!!”

“Women! They're all top-tier women!!”

“Hahaha! Sweet! Have we entered the Kingdom of Women?!”

The giant man raised his binoculars, his greedy gaze licking over the women like a tongue.

“Brothers! Row for me!!”

“Capture all the females alive! My base is just lacking some sows! This is enough for the whole group to enjoy for an entire year!!”

“Awoooo—!!!”

The muscular men on the dragon boat let out excited wolf howls, and their rowing speed exploded!