The sea breeze, carrying the unique dampness of early morning, blew away the lingering smell of gunpowder on the deck.
The eastern sky was just beginning to show the fish-belly white of dawn.
Qin Yu stood before the control console.
A half-smoked cigarette was clipped between his fingers.
"Brother Yu."
Yao Xue walked in carrying a steaming cup of black coffee.
She wore a tight-fitting black combat uniform with a white lab coat draped over it.
Her long legs, wrapped in Black Silk Stockings, shimmered delicately in the morning light.
She was still that chief physician, so calm she was almost cold.
"Still thinking about yesterday?"
Yao Xue placed the coffee on the console and casually straightened Qin Yu's collar.
"Yeah."
Qin Yu took the coffee and sipped it.
The bitter taste instantly awakened his somewhat numb nerves.
"That woman's fan, something about it still feels wrong."
"If it were a physical attack, the President's firepower could prevent them from even getting close."
"It seems that fan is a mental attack or control-type item..."
Qin Yu pointed to his temple.
"This layer of sheet metal can't defend against that."
"If one day I start drooling over her like those simps..."
"Remember to just shoot me."
Yao Xue pushed up her glasses, the corners of her mouth hooking into a rare, extremely faint arc.
"Don't worry."
"I'll aim for the heart."
"I won't let you suffer."
Qin Yu smiled.
This was Yao Xue.
Compared to Li Ruobing's boisterous "Kill him!", Yao Xue's rational ruthlessness put him more at ease.
Qin Yu shook his head.
He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.
His gaze became incredibly firm.
"I want to see what kind of treasure this big guy, which has been charging for three days, can spit out!"
Qin Yu opened the panel.
The red [Daily Lottery] button was currently emitting an unprecedentedly dazzling light.
Around the button.
A golden progress bar was completely full.
A few large, gilded words pulsed on it:
[Charge Complete: 100%]
[Current Status: Guaranteed Critical Hit!]
"What I want to draw..."
"Are eyes."
"A pair of eyes that can see through people's hearts."
Qin Yu didn't explain further.
He took a deep breath.
His finger hovered over the button.
The system's prompt box popped up.
[Please select a lottery category]
[1. Weapon/Attack]
[2. Survival Supplies]
[3. Vehicle Enhancement]
[4. Support/Defense]
Qin Yu's finger landed firmly on the fourth option.
"This one."
"Decides life and death."
"Give it to me!"
His finger fell.
There were no flashy special effects.
Only a buzz so deep it was almost silent.
It was as if some ancient, giant bell had been struck deep within Qin Yu's mind.
Dong—
The lights in the control room suddenly dimmed for a moment.
Immediately after.
A light so purple it was almost black, even faintly tinged with dark gold, erupted from the virtual screen!
The light was too brilliant.
"Holy crap!"
"This light!"
"It's not gold! It's dark gold!"
"What's above purple?!"
Qin Yu stared intently at the screen.
His heartbeat accelerated to its absolute limit.
He had never seen a light effect of this color before.
The previous SSS-grade fishing rod had only been a dazzling gold.
But this light.
It carried a heavy, majestic, and inviolable aura.
The light gradually converged.
An extremely sci-fi-looking, silvery-white, hemispherical precision instrument slowly rotated as it materialized in the center of the screen.
It looked like a giant eyeball.
Water-like ripples flowed across its surface.
At its very center was a deep blue crystal, as if it contained the profundity of the entire ocean.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host!]
[You have triggered the "Charged Critical Hit" and "Killing with a Borrowed Knife" achievement bonuses!]
[Obtained an SS-grade Unique Ship-Mounted Module!]
[Name: Mind Deterrence Matrix Radar]
[Grade: SS (Upgradeable)]
[Category: Over-the-Horizon Detection / Mental Defense]
[Description: This is an eye of God that can not only see objects but also "see" malice. It combines the psychological technology of an ancient civilization with the energy of a post-apocalyptic mutated crystal core.]
Qin Yu's pupils contracted violently.
SS-grade!
It really was SS-grade!
And it was "Unique"!
He suppressed his ecstasy and quickly checked its attributes.
[Attribute 1: All-Knowing Eye (Passive)]
[Effect: Detection range increased to a radius of 20 nautical miles. Within this range, the vital signs of all living creatures (including humans and Sea beasts) will have nowhere to hide.]
[Special Effect: Malice Perception.]
[The radar will automatically analyze the target's brainwave frequencies and hormone secretion levels, marking their "true intentions" toward the host with colors.]
[White: Neutral/Harmless.]
[Yellow: Wary/Greedy.]
[Red: Strong aggressive intent/Killing intent.]
[Purple: Extremely dangerous/Possesses special mental abilities/In a disguised state.]
Qin Yu's breathing became ragged.
This was simply a cheat within a cheat!
With this.
"Smiling tigers," "backstabbing dogs," "pirates disguised as refugees."
They would all be running around naked in front of him!
It's hard to know what's in a person's heart?
No.
In front of the "Mind Deterrence Matrix Radar," a person's heart was an instruction manual written on their face!
But that wasn't all.
Qin Yu continued to read.
[Attribute 2: Mind Purification Field (Active)]
[Effect: Consume a certain amount of fuel or an energy core to release a high-frequency mental purification wave centered on this ship.]
[Function A: Instantly removes all mental negative statuses (Charm, Fear, Illusion, Berserk, etc.) from allied personnel.]
[Function B: Inflicts "Mental Shock" on hostile targets within range, causing them to fall into a brief state of stun or mental confusion (duration depends on the target's mental strength).]
[Cooldown: 1 hour.]
[Cost: 50 liters of diesel per activation.]
Qin Yu slapped his thigh hard.
"Nice!"
"Good stuff!"
"This is the final nail in the coffin prepared especially for that Yu Weiwei!"
50 liters of diesel?
It was a bit expensive.
But the President didn't need diesel at all.
Exchanging 50 liters of fuel for a full-crew "sober up," or to interrupt an enemy's casting, was a huge profit!
"Brother Yu, what is this?"
Li Ruobing had also arrived in the control room by now, her face full of curiosity.
Qin Yu didn't waste words.
He directly clicked [Extract].
Rumble—
A dull sound of grinding metal came from the top of the ship.
The entire ceiling of the control room vibrated.
A few seconds later.
A silvery-white hemisphere filled with a futuristic, technological aesthetic.
It stood quietly at the highest point of the President.
Its blue crystal core slowly rotated under the sunlight.
It emitted waves invisible to the naked eye, instantly covering the surrounding twenty nautical miles of sea.
Beep—
A secondary screen appeared next to the main screen of the All-Terrain Tactical Satellite Terminal (Sky Eye) on the console.
It was a high-definition, 3D holographic sea chart.
On the chart.
With the President at the center.
Dozens of light dots were densely distributed.
Most were faint light dots representing sea fish.
But at a position about five nautical miles away from them.
There were two glaring light dots.
One was red.
So red it was almost black.
The other... was an eerie purple!
"What's this?"
Yao Qian pointed at the purple light dot in surprise.
"Is the radar broken?"
"Why is there a purple dot?"
Qin Yu looked at the purple dot, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"It's not broken."
"That's the system telling us."
"Something dirty has followed us."
He quickly entered a command on the console.
He magnified the area where the purple light dot was located.
The holographic projection instantly zoomed in.
In the image.
It was a small, shabby-looking Raft.
It was piled high with junk.
It looked like a garbage boat drifting with the current.
A person was lying on it.
Wrapped in rags, not moving at all, like a corpse.
If this were before.
Even looking through binoculars, Qin Yu would have thought it was just a dead person, or some unlucky survivor.
But now.
Under the scan of the Mind Radar.
Above the "corpse's" head, there was a huge purple cursor.
Next to it was a line of analysis:
[Target Status: Highly Disguised/Vital Signs Extremely Vigorous]
[Hormone Levels: Abnormal adrenaline secretion, in a state of high excitement and aggression]
[Items Held: High-energy explosive reaction (high explosives)]
[Intent Analysis: Suicide attack/Infiltration]
"Hiss..."
Li Ruobing sucked in a cold breath.
"This... this radar can see through things?"
"It can even tell he has explosives on him?"
Qin Yu nodded.
"This is no survivor."
"This is a human bomb."
"And his mental fluctuations are abnormal... purple."
Qin Yu narrowed his eyes.
"Looks like this is Yu Weiwei's handiwork."
"Only a deeply brainwashed death warrior would lie there like a piece of wood, pretending to be dead, while actually being ready to pull the fuse at any moment."
Yao Xue's expression also darkened.
"What a vicious method."
"As soon as we get close to check."
"As soon as we enter the blast radius..."
The consequences would be unimaginable.
Even if it didn't sink the President, damaging the propellers or armor would be a huge loss.
"Brother Yu, what do we do?"
Li Ruobing's hand was already on the weapon launch button.
"Just give him a shot?"
"Send him to meet God?"
Qin Yu looked at the purple light dot.
He shook his head.
"No rush."
"We can use him to test the active skill of our new toy."
"I also want to see."
"Just how domineering this so-called SS-grade purification really is."
Qin Yu reached out.
He pressed the blue button labeled [Mind Purification].
Woom—
The silver sphere on the ship's roof suddenly spun faster.
The blue crystal lit up brightly.
A pale blue ripple, visible to the naked eye, instantly erupted with the President as its epicenter!
The ripple's speed was extremely fast.
In the blink of an eye, it swept over the small Raft five nautical miles away.
...
Five nautical miles away.
On the dilapidated Raft.
The person lying there was indeed not a corpse.
He was one of Yu Weiwei's most loyal "fans," designated Number 097.
He was also the unlucky bastard from yesterday whose fingers were broken by Yu Weiwei's stomp, who was kicked into the sea, and then fished back out.
But he didn't feel unlucky.
On the contrary.
He felt very honored.
"The goddess didn't abandon me..."
"The goddess gave me a chance at redemption..."
"As long as I destroy Qin Yu's propulsion system..."
"The goddess will let me kiss the back of her foot..."
He lay on the foul-smelling rotten planks, muttering neurotically.
He clutched a bundle of homemade explosives crafted from treasure chest resources.
His eyes were fanatical and unfocused.
His mind was now completely filled with Yu Weiwei's face and her seductive voice.
That voice was like a magic spell.
It made him forget the pain, forget the fear, and even forget who he was.
Only one thought remained: kill Qin Yu, please the goddess.
He peered through a crack in the planks.
He stared intently at the huge President in the distance.
"A little closer..."
"Just a little closer..."
"As long as they get curious and come over to check..."
"I will..."
Just then.
A pale blue ripple silently swept over his body.
There was no physical impact.
But he felt as if his head had been brutally struck by a club.
Buzz!
A sharp, piercing ringing filled his ears.
Immediately after.
A wave of intense dizziness.
It was like waking from a long dream, or like being doused with a basin of ice water after a hangover.
The goddess's voice, which had been circling in his mind like a divine oracle.
Suddenly... shattered.
That fanatical filter was as if it had been forcibly torn away.
Number 097 shook his head violently.
The fanaticism in his eyes quickly receded.
In its place was deep confusion, and what followed... was excruciating pain.
"Ah!"
Only at this moment.
Did he truly feel the heart-piercing pain from his ten broken fingers.
"I... where am I?"
"Why am I here?"
He looked down.
He saw the explosive pack he was hugging.
The fuse was already deformed from his grip.
Cold sweat instantly soaked his entire body.
Memories began to flood back.
He remembered Yu Weiwei's ferocious, twisted face, the sound of her high heel crushing his finger bones, and her cold words, "So filthy."
"Am I... an idiot?"
"That woman treats me like a dog... and she wants me to die for her?"
"Why the hell should I die for a venomous bitch?!"
His sanity returned.
Under the impact of the SS-grade purification field.
That low-level mental suggestion was like snow under the sun, melting away in an instant.
What goddess.
That was a demon in human skin!
Number 097 violently threw the explosive pack away from him as if it were a poisonous snake.
He scrambled up from the Raft in terror.
He no longer cared if he would be exposed.
He just wanted to live now!
He knelt on the Raft, frantically waving his crippled hands in the direction of the President.
He shouted with a hoarse voice:
"Boss Qin! Don't shoot!"
"I was forced!"
"I have intel! I have intel on Yu Weiwei!"
"Don't kill me! I know her weakness!"
...
In the command room of the President.
Dead silence.
Li Ruobing's mouth was wide open as she stared at the "corpse" on the screen who had suddenly jumped up to beg for mercy.
"Holy crap..."
"That's incredible!"
"It was purple just a moment ago, and now it's turned white?"
On the radar screen.
The purple light dot representing extreme danger.
The moment the purification wave swept over it.
Its color rapidly faded.
First, it turned a pale yellow, representing fear.
Then it turned white, representing surrender and harmlessness.
Yao Qian was also dumbfounded.
"This is... purification?"
"It just whitewashed him directly?"
"This is too domineering! It's like they gave him a new brain!"
Qin Yu watched this scene.
He nodded in satisfaction.
Although it consumed 50 liters of fuel.
The effect was immediate and striking.
What did this prove?
It proved that although Yu Weiwei's fan was quasi-S-grade, in front of his own SS-grade radar, it was nothing but a little brother!
Grade suppression!
Absolute grade suppression!
"Brother Yu, what about that person?"
Yao Xue pointed at the screen.
"He seems to be shouting something, saying he has intel."
"Should we bring him aboard?"
Qin Yu looked at the man on the Raft, who was weeping bitterly.
His eyes remained cold.
"No."
"Our ship doesn't take in trash."
"Besides."
"Since he's sobered up."
"He's now Yu Weiwei's biggest problem."
A playful arc formed on Qin Yu's lips.
"A sober, vengeful 'ex-fan'."
"Throwing him back to Yu Weiwei."
"Is more useful than killing him."
Qin Yu picked up the loudspeaker.
His voice transmitted coldly.
"Get back."
"Tell that woman."
"Her little charming tricks are useless on me."
"Tell her to wash her neck and wait."
"The next time we meet."
"I'll break her fan and shove it down her throat."
After speaking.
Qin Yu ignored the man.
He turned around, looking at the even vaster detection range on the holographic sea chart.
Twenty nautical miles.
"Warning!"
"Warning!"
Suddenly.
The newly upgraded radar system issued its first piercing alarm.
Red lights flashed.
At the very edge of the holographic sea chart.
At a position approximately eighteen nautical miles away.
A massive... blood-red patch of light appeared!
And next to the light patch.
Hundreds of red dots were densely clustered around it.
It was a massive fleet.
Currently entangled in a fight with that giant light patch!
"This is..."
Yao Xue quickly analyzed the data.
Her face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Brother Yu!"
"Ultra-high energy biological reaction detected!"
"Body length... over sixty meters!"
"It's a Mosasaur! A true adult mutated Mosasaur!"
"And the fleet fighting it..."
The radar automatically analyzed the fleet's characteristics.
[Target Identification: Human Fleet]
[Quantity: 126 vessels]
[Identity Determination: Zhang Nanhai's Fleet (South Sea Dragon King)]
Qin Yu's gaze sharpened abruptly.
Eighteen nautical miles.
Zhang Nanhai.
Mutated Mosasaur.
These three keywords colliding together instantly made the air freeze.
"Well, well."
"Enemies really d
o travel on a narrow road."
Qin Yu looked at the massive battlefield on the screen.
"Zhang Nanhai is hunting that Mosasaur."
"He wants to get the first kill."
"He wants the treasure chest inside that Mosasaur's belly."
When Li Ruobing heard this, her eyes instantly lit up.
"Rob him!"
"Brother Yu! Let's go rob him!"
"Let him do the work, and we'll take the kill!"
"Let's screw that old bastard over!"
Qin Yu didn't answer immediately.
He looked at the intensely flashing blood-red light patch.
Then he looked at his own full stock of ammunition.
Finally.
His gaze fell on the SS-grade radar he had just obtained.
"The right time, the right place, and the right people."
"They're all on my side."
Qin Yu stubbed out the cigarette in his hand.
He stood up from the leather sofa.
A biting killing intent erupted from him.
"Change course."
"Full speed ahead."
"Target: Eighteen nautical miles east."
"Since the 'Dragon King' is busy."
"How can we not go join the fun?"
"Maintain radio silence."
"This Mosasaur."
"Its surname is now Qin."