Wu Tianzhen's current appearance was a mix of shock and unbearable grievance, anger mixed with disbelief. Such complex facial muscle control was only possible for him, who was so expressive every day; anyone else would struggle to achieve it.
Fatty originally intended to maintain peace and quiet as usual, but upon seeing the chaotic scene, he secretly gave Zhang Qiling a gesture of helplessness from under the table.
Zhang Qiling: ...
At the time, he had simply said the card had "been lost" because explaining the storms it had weathered was too troublesome. Who knew this ridiculous bespectacled man would openly betray him?
What? Hei Yanjing didn't know anything and might not have done it intentionally?
Zhang Qiling glanced at Hei Yanjing's current bewildered and helpless expression and almost believed he was innocent.
... If Hei Yanjing hadn't casually scribbled "hehe" in the air on the table.
Zhang Qiling stared motionlessly as Hei Yanjing finished writing those two words, genuinely beginning to wonder about one thing—
—Why hadn't this person been beaten to death yet.
Young Zhang had always been a person who respected the objective laws of development and did not deliberately accelerate the process of achieving a certain outcome.
However, this time, he decided to act on behalf of heaven.
Thus, in the vast sea, the two finally engaged in the struggle they had wanted to have since they met, concluding it with an afternoon of chaotic battle.
Wu Tianzhen was still indignant at first, wanting to get an answer from Zhang Qiling. But as the conflict escalated to the point where even passing seagulls were getting slapped, he instantly abandoned his intention, believing that peace was the most important thing.
Fatty, who had been watching while gnawing on a pork knuckle, summarized this phenomenon as "Overcoming Doubt with Terror—Young Zhang's Unique Way of Dealing with Little Wu."
The ship sailed smoothly. Zhang Qiling had previously checked the target sea area set by Hei Yanjing. In his memory, it was an unremarkable place with no unique features.
He harbored doubts, but considering Hei Yanjing had gone to such great lengths, the place must not be as ordinary as it appeared.
The dinner dishes became much simpler. The first meal was a grand celebration, but now that they were in the middle of the ocean, they needed to conserve food and water.
After dinner, the group went to the deck to enjoy the night sea view.
There were no clouds that night, and the moon at sea seemed particularly bright, unlike its obscured state in the city due to smog. Its light streamed down, casting upon the gently rippling sea, making the dark night water gleam with a blue light, dotted with shimmering white specks like molten gold.
Looking at this beautiful scenery, the slightly tense mood of the group relaxed a little.
Wu Tianzhen didn't go out to sea very often; he mostly saw the gentle and reserved West Lake. Seeing the boundless vastness of the ocean now, he couldn't help but sigh:
"Thirty thousand li of river flows east into the sea, five thousand ren of peaks scrape the sky. The sea is as tolerant as an old man, windless, waveless, quietly facing the sky, its sight bringing peace to one's heart."
"We spend our days going in and out of traps and dealing with corpses. I'm actually a bit unaccustomed to such tranquility, hahahahaha, wuwuwuwuwuwu!"
Wu Tianzhen's rare poetic outburst was completely muffled by Fatty's large hand. His nose was pressed against the hand, and he could clearly smell the scent of chopped scallions Fatty had just handled, almost making him pass out.
"Damn it, Tianzhen, don't you dare unleash your energy here again!" Fatty, not seeing Wu Tianzhen's eye-roll, was startled by Little Wu's god-like jinxing remark.
"We're in the middle of nowhere, and if you jinx us, all of us will end up in the sea as turtles!"
"That sea won't be a kind old man then; it'll beat your backside black and blue!"
"May Mazu, Poseidon, and the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas bless us, forgive this child's foolishness..."
Hei Yanjing watched Fatty, who had clasped his hands together in devout prayer, and Wu Tianzhen, who had finally broken free and was now coughing his lungs out. Amidst his unchanging roguish smile, a rare hint of confusion crept in.
"Mute, what are these two parents of yours performing?"
He turned his head to tease, only to be shocked to find Zhang Qiling, who had been relaxed moments ago, now completely tense. He had even drawn the Black Gold Ancient Sword!
Hei Yanjing: ???
He instantly became tense along with Zhang Qiling. After all, based on their experience in the Forbidden Land of Tibet, Zhang Qiling becoming like this meant he had detected a crisis whose specific location couldn't be pinpointed.
Hei Yanjing's hand quickly tightened around the gun grip, but after listening intently for a few seconds, he still detected no anomaly. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the sea against the hull.
He paused, forced to consider that perhaps the tense atmosphere was entirely due to Wu Tianzhen's seemingly normal remark.
... It couldn't be, could it?
The corner of his mouth twitched, and he looked at Zhang Qiling again.
Zhang Qiling saw his rare bewilderment and looked back at him quietly.
The two exchanged a glance. Zhang Qiling, his face solemn, shook his head at him and said slowly:
"You wouldn't understand."
Hei Yanjing: ... Has this old fellow gone mad?
"I'm going!!!" At this moment, Wu Tianzhen finally extricated himself from the deathly scallion aroma. He looked崩溃ly at Fatty, who was still praying to various deities and looked exceptionally superstitious, and shouted:
"You're not serious, Fatty?!"
"Am I that unlucky? The sea is so calm, how can it just—"
"Shush!" Suddenly, Zhang Qiling's short, stern shush interrupted Wu Tianzhen's protest.
His cold eyes narrowed, signaling Hei Yanjing beside him to listen carefully. They both turned their heads, and the faint sounds from afar seemed to be amplified instantly in their ears!
"Look!"
After confirming, Zhang Qiling wasted no more time. In a flash, he rushed from the deck into the control room, his hand moving like lightning to switch the autopilot to manual mode.
Wu Tianzhen and Fatty were wondering what riddle these two were playing when they heard Hei Yanjing's voice:
"Get ready." His voice no longer carried that deliberate laughter; its slightly hoarse tone was extremely serious, making him seem like a completely different person from the flippant Hei Yanjing just moments ago.
"A big wave is coming."
"Huh? Big wave?" Fatty was confused. The sea was calm, and it was said that waves didn't rise without wind. Where would a big wave come from without wind?
But at that moment, Wu Tianzhen suddenly grabbed his shoulder.
Wu Tianzhen seemed to have realized something, his relaxed expression vanishing. "Fatty, quickly help me move everything on deck into the cabin!"
"This isn't wind and waves; it's a rogue wave caused by undersea rock movement or tidal superposition—unpredictable and immensely powerful!!!"
At this moment, as if in response to Wu Tianzhen's words, a faint white line slowly appeared on the dark sea in the distance!
The white line grew closer and wider, gradually stretching into a colossal wave that reached the sky!!!
The rumbling thunderous sound arrived late. Fatty and Wu Tianzhen's faces turned pale, but their feet didn't stop as they rushed towards the supplies.
Hei Yanjing stood quietly before the wave, a glint in his eyes beneath his sunglasses. In the darkness, he clearly discerned the flow of the chaotic seawater!
"Mute, East!!!"
The ship instantly turned. He gripped the railing to steady himself, and amidst the tension, a thought inexplicably flashed through his mind.
... It actually came as soon as it was said?
... Is Wu Tianzhen really that unlucky?