Chapter 331: Danger at Sea |
Inside the casino, chaos ensued, and the gamblers lost all interest in playing. The Secretary-General looked quite stern and told Mi Xiaolin solemnly, “This is a serious issue; you must deal with it promptly. If necessary, we should turn back immediately.”
Mi Xiaolin, feeling somewhat contemptuous, smiled and replied, “We have an onboard doctor, and all the necessary facilities are available. Everyone, please be reassured. Let the doctor take a look first.”
As she finished speaking, medical personnel hurriedly entered the scene, and the doctor conducted an on-site examination, announcing, “It’s a heart attack that led to shock. No need to worry.”
The atmosphere in the casino visibly relaxed, and you could almost hear a collective sigh of relief. But Zhu Mengmeng wasn’t buying it; she had seen the man’s lines of fate vanish completely.
The Secretary-General’s expression softened somewhat, but he was no longer in the mood to continue playing. With a stern face, he said, “Ensure that the rescue operation is handled properly.”
He then turned and left.
Mi Xiaolin walked alongside him with a smile and linked her arm with his. She said, “I’ll arrange for Secretary Zhang to rest.”
Meanwhile, the medical personnel quickly moved the person onto a stretcher and swiftly left the scene. Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji watched from the shadows, observing with cold eyes, both wearing a cynical expression.
The person was clearly dead.
It was very capitalistic, and also very much in line with the Secretary-General’s intentions.
Qiu Wuji could see that the cause of death was not really a heart attack. It was related to the blood circulation in the heart, but it was challenging to determine the exact cause in the short term. In that split second, the victim’s entire circulatory system seemed to boil and burst, much like the way those sound waves stimulated her blood vessels to rupture that day.
But the music here is relatively soothing, not that kind of sound waves, and Qiu Wuji didn’t feel the effect of being stirred by the music. Besides, their music shouldn’t target their own people, and the motive doesn’t match… Specific reasons remain to be observed.
On the other side, John was preoccupied, and it seemed that he no longer had the patience to slowly engage Zhu Mengmeng in the game. He put on a forced smile and asked, “It has nothing to do with Miss Piggy… It seems he has a medical condition. Will you continue to play?”
Zhu Mengmeng replied, “I, I’m a bit scared… I’ll go rest for a while…”
John didn’t even try to comfort her; he simply said, “Your room number is on your electronic ship ticket. You can go to rest on your own.”
Zhu Mengmeng slowly left the casino. As soon as she left, her heart raced, and she ran to the brightly lit door of the symphony hall, gasping for breath as she leaned against the railing.
Qiu Wuji and Chu Ge appeared quietly beside her.
“Qiuqiu!” Zhu Mengmeng hugged Qiu Wuji and asked, “Am I considered a murderer?”
Qiu Wuji consoled her, “All his cards were swapped by Chu Ge using spatial transfer. If you want to blame someone for provoking him to death, it was Chu Ge who killed him. What does it have to do with you?”
Chu Ge: “…”
Zhu Mengmeng: “…”
A genius in consoling.
Chu Ge, with a sense of helplessness, said, “It has nothing to do with us. His death is abnormal. It’s either a heart condition, or…”
He glanced at Qiu Wuji, and she whispered, “There’s something supernatural happening here.”
Zhu Mengmeng took a step back in horror, “A ghost?”
Qiu Wuji reassured her, “Don’t worry; it’s not what you’re thinking… it could be an evil array or vengeful spirits, but there’s definitely something supernatural happening here. I suspect this group is setting up some sort of malevolent magic.”
Zhu Mengmeng retorted, “Your words are not comforting; are you here to scare or console me?”
In an instant, her mind conjured up the images of “sacrificing the entire ship in a ritual.” She continued with a quivering voice, “We’re so far away from the shore already, and my phone lost signal a long time ago. What if someone sabotages the ship? It’s all your fault! What were you doing, pretending to be sophisticated on a cruise at sea and listening to music…”
Qiu Wuji crossed his arms and said, “Weren’t you here to pick up some handsome guys? How’s that man with the bandaged nose?”
“He’s just a dandy; what can he do?” Zhu Mengmeng stomped her foot. “But why aren’t both of you worried? I just came for some music and to find a boyfriend, not to play Titanic and sink the ship!”
Finally, Chu Ge couldn’t stand it anymore and gave a simple three-word response, “We can fly.”
Zhu Mengmeng: “…”
“In that case, no problem,” Zhu Mengmeng said expressionlessly as she retreated into her cabin. “I’m going to sleep now. If the ship blows up, you guys are responsible for getting me out…”
Seeing her restless demeanor, Qiu Wuji grabbed her and asked, “Why do you keep thinking the ship will explode?”
Zhu Mengmeng shuddered slightly and whispered, “I feel like everyone’s lifelines are fading… At first, I thought it was an illusion, but after witnessing the scene when that banker died just now, I felt like I saw the deaths of everyone on this ship.”
Qiu Wuji and Chu Ge’s expressions finally turned serious.
Due to their earlier eavesdropping on Mi Xiaolin and John’s conversation, it seemed apparent that they intended to manage and develop something for a certain period of time. This led to the subconscious belief that this sea voyage wouldn’t lead to any issues.
However, the fact that Mi Xiaolin and her group didn’t intend to stir up trouble on their own didn’t mean that nothing would happen.
Their journey at sea was originally for the purpose of searching for something. They were prepared for a long and challenging quest. But what if, this time, they happened to come across something?
Thinking back to Mi Xiaolin’s excitement a moment ago, it was quite likely that this death was a sort of “hint” that something was “nearby.”
Qiu Wuji looked up and gazed at the stars.
The Big Dipper constellation in the night sky seemed to be off slightly in its orientation.
Starting from a moment ago, the ship’s course had subtly shifted, now heading directly toward a more specific target.
Inside the cabins, the symphonic music continued to play, and in the disco halls on other decks, the revelry went on with wild abandon.
The night sky above was silent, while the depths of the sea concealed unpredictable undercurrents.
The contrast between heaven, earth, and humanity formed a profoundly mysterious juxtaposition, where silent and peaceful nights hid lurking danger.
A vague sense of danger stirred in Qiu Wuji’s heart, and she had unexpectedly found a feeling reminiscent of an adventurer in the world of wuxia. Regardless of the type of cultivation, a person still appeared tiny in the midst of the sea and sky. Even the seemingly massive cruise ship could be considered as nothing more than a speck of dust in the ocean.
This is the power of heaven, invincible and unyielding.
“Mengmeng, go back to your room and try not to go out unless necessary,” Qiu Wuji whispered, “You can rest assured… what you saw, the fading lines, is just a kind of warning, a potential outcome. Since this seat here, it will never happen.”
Zhu Mengmeng looked at her in bewilderment. She had never heard Qiu Wuji refer to herself as “this seat,” but in this moment, it felt completely natural, and she even forgot to make any sarcastic comments.
Chu Ge knew that the sense of crises made Qiu Wuji forget to change her self- address again. As he watched Zhu Mengmeng enter her cabin, Chu Ge asked in a hushed tone, “What’s your plan?”
Qiu Wuji’s bear-like outer coat had disappeared at some point, and the hair tie in her ponytail had quietly come undone, with her long, black hair flowing in the night breeze.
“There must be something unusual in the ship’s hold. Even if it’s not a formation, it’s likely some kind of facility similar to one,” Qiu Wuji said, looking down at the cabin floor. Her eyes, like sharp blades, seemed as if they could pierce through the surface. “I’ll go to the ship’s hold and try to understand the central situation. You go find Mi Xiaolin.”
“Are we planning to apprehend her directly?”
“Yes,” Qiu Wuji said plainly, “This is not the time to be diplomatic. Mi Xiaolin is clearly the one leading everything. If we catch her, everything will become clear, and we won’t need to guess.”
Chu Ge nodded in agreement.
Qiu Wuji gazed at him intently, and her stern expression seemed to involuntarily soften. “Do you… have confidence? I might not be able to help you much. You’ll be on your own…”
Chu Ge smiled slightly and took her hand. “What you said about having a strong heart… let’s start from today.”