Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Xie Yin Xue sat in room 109 until 7 a.m. Only as the first ray of dawn filtered through the small circular window in the cabin did she rise from the massage chair and glance outside.

Although the sky above the sea was bright, the sunlight was still obscured by thick clouds, casting a hazy, fog-like glow, signaling the break of day.

Since his departure, room 117 had remained silent. Approaching its door, Xie Yin Xue saw Yi Xiao Li clutching Yi Zhong Jie's arm, both asleep on the plush carpet.

Just as Xie Yin Xue was about to check if Yi Zhong Jie was still breathing, he suddenly opened his eyes, shaking his daughter beside him, "Xiao Li, Xiao Li?"

"Daddy?" Yi Xiao Li, probably in light slumber, woke upon being shaken. Seeing her father move, her eyes widened in surprise. "Daddy, can you move now?"

"Yes, Daddy's okay now."

Nodding, Yi Zhong Jie, thinking it was safe with the morning light, gently placed Yi Xiao Li back onto the bed to let her sleep a bit more.

As he was doing this, other occupants from the first floor began emerging from their rooms. Seeing Xie Yin Xue standing in front of room 117, they gathered around. Qiang Zhi Yuan noticed that Yi Zhong Jie seemed unharmed except for the tired shadows under his eyes and remarked, "How are you still alive?"

Yang Man Qing, also noticing Yi Zhong Jie's uninjured state, expressed her surprise, "You're not hurt?"

Xie Yin Xue noticed a white bandage wrapped around her wrist, with faint bloodstains beneath. Considering the commotion from the creature outside her room the previous night, the source of the injury was evident.

Besides Yang Man Qing, Shu Guang Xuan also had visible bruises, suggesting a fierce struggle with the creature.

However, to Xie Yin Xue's surprise, among those on the first floor, the most severely injured wasn't the top earners, Shu Guang Xuan and Yang Man Qing, but Shen Jun.

The door to his room was barely hanging by its frame, and he limped noticeably, clearly injured in the right leg.

Seeing his condition, his colleagues were taken aback and asked, "Ah Jun, how did you get hurt so badly?"

"I don't know," Shen Jun shook his head, sighing, "Maybe I'm just unlucky."

No sooner had he spoken than another voice inquired, "Mr. Shen, how many gold coins did you earn yesterday?"

The voice was calm and gentle, like a soft breeze. Looking up, Shen Jun saw Xie Yin Xue, now dressed in an off-white robe.

"Didn't I mention it yesterday?" Shen Jun replied, his tone tinged with impatience, "Twenty gold coins."

Xie Yin Xue smirked slightly, "Is that so?"

He didn't pry further, but under the circumstances, Xie Yin Xue's abrupt question, paired with Shen Jun's defensive response, stirred suspicions.

Being colleagues and close to Shen Jun, Shu Guang Xuan was the first to cast a doubting glance his way.

Shen Jun immediately retorted, "Do I have a reason to hide my earnings from you all?"

"But the creature attacked Mr. Xie's room most violently since he earned the most," Wen Ren Yan pointed out, "Then it was you, Yang Man Qing, and Shu Guang Xuan. All of you got hurt."

Han Si added, "While those of us who earned fewer gold coins were largely spared. The creature merely banged on our doors a few times and left."

Those who have successfully completed several games might not be exceptionally intelligent, but their intelligence is certainly commendable. Their perspective on issues tends to be broader than that of newcomers. Most importantly, there is a discernible pattern to the intensity of the monster's attacks.

"What about Yi Zhong Jie?" Shen Jun gestured towards Yi Zhong Jie in room 117. "I refuse to believe none of you heard the commotion last night. He earned the least, so why was he attacked by the monster?"

Meng Bei remarked, "But he wasn't injured."

"That's because Brother Xie saved my dad," interrupted Yi Xiao Li, who couldn't sleep with so many people talking outside the door. "Brother Xie got hurt; I saw so much blood on him yesterday!"

All eyes were once again drawn to Xie Yin Xue.

Truth be told, with all the noise last night, no one had slept soundly. Some, like Xie Yin Xue, even stayed awake until dawn. Yet, no one thought of stepping out to check the situation outside.

Yet, Xie Yin Xue dared to leave his room and rescue Yi Zhong Jie, unharmed, from such a terrifying creature. This seemed almost impossible, at least for an ordinary person.

Moreover, the creature's ferocious attack on Xie Yin Xue was apparent to everyone, given the state of his room's door and walls. That Xie Yin Xue survived was surprising enough; he even managed to save both Yi Zhong Jie and his daughter. By the next day, he was leisurely donning a fresh, embroidered outfit.

So, even if Mr. Xie appeared unusually pale today, and his already slender frame seemed even frailer, and even with Yi Xiao Li mentioning his injuries, people still harbored doubts about him.

Han Si whispered to He Yao, "Can the ferryman take on a participant's identity?"

"Yes," He Yao responded. "Though we haven't encountered it, I've heard of an instance where the ferryman disguised as a participant, hiding among everyone."

Han Si didn't immediately conclude Xie Yin Xue was the ferryman NPC, continuing, "What about the boss of the dungeon?"

"In a paranormal horror setting, such a scenario might arise," Wen Ren Yan glanced at Xie Yin Xue, "But I doubt our current situation fits that description."

Qiang Zhi Yuan scoffed, "There were monsters in the night; how is that not paranormal?"

"Monsters are creatures, not ghosts," Wen Ren Yan snapped back, not fond of the man's condescending tone. "In terms of film genres, our current situation is more thriller-horror or sci-fi disaster than paranormal."

"I'm not the ferryman NPC."

Since Xie Yin Xue had once "pretended" to be the ferryman NPC during the Taotie Feast game, nearly shooting himself in the foot by not foreseeing the game's adverse reaction to trading with the ferryman, he wouldn't repeat that mistake, stating outright, "Like all of you, I'm merely a participant."

Having been recently challenged by Xie Yin Xue, Shen Jun retorted with a hint of sarcasm, "Really now?"

Xie Yin Xue sighed, looking at him with a magnanimous expression, "I'm just slightly more skilled than the average person."

The group: "..."

It seemed he was downplaying his abilities.

And although Xie Yin Xue spoke politely, there was an irksome arrogance in his tone.

Still, no one truly had the guts to confront him.

"Mr. Yi, do you recall how you felt just before you became incapacitated last night?" Xie Yin Xue, not keen on further banter, turned to address Yi Zhong Jie. "I have a hypothesis and need your input to confirm its accuracy."

"I remember," Yi Zhong Jie, aware his life was saved by Xie Yin Xue, readily shared, "I was consumed by hunger, an overwhelming, debilitating hunger. It felt like I was on the brink of death, to the point I couldn't even muster the strength to speak."

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Yang Man Qing, rubbing her injured arm, skeptically inquired, "Even if you didn't eat all day, that shouldn't result in such an extreme reaction, right? Yet, here you are, standing and speaking just fine."

Yi Zhong Jie spread his hands, "That puzzles me as well."

"It's the food," Xie Yin Xue interjected, "It's all about the food."

"Indeed, Yi Zhong Jie only ate a piece of bread yesterday afternoon and gave the rest to Yi Xiao Li."

But it wasn't Xie Yin Xue who added this; it was Yun Qian, emerging from the elevator in a different dress. While still in black, it wasn't the puffy dress from the previous day but a floor-length, regal gown. Behind her were her close friend Nai Nai and Zhu Yi Kun, who was staying in the first-class cabin.

Yun Qian walked up to Yi Zhong Jie, glanced at him, then turned to address the crowd, "I suspect one can only consume the food they've paid for. If someone else provides it, you'd need to pay for that too. Because a portion meant for 'one person' can only satiate one. If you're deemed 'not full,' you'd be incapacitated by 'hunger' at night, like Yi Zhong Jie. Naturally, the monsters would target such defenseless prey."

"Yi Xiao Li would have been a target too," Nai Nai added, completing Yun Qian's thoughts. "But Xie Yin Xue bought her a glass of milk, which she finished. That saved her."

Wan Mu pondered, "So, leftovers don't count?"

She recalled Yi Zhong Jie consuming the steak Xie Yin Xue had left.

In essence, aboard the Her Dream, you can share rooms, but sharing food doesn't help. And sharing a room with more than one person attracts what's called "the undead" as Eno had described.

Ultimately, this cruise ship aims to make them spend money.

To save money, Yi Zhong Jie consumed just a bite of his bread and gave the rest to Yi Xiao Li. Even though he later ate the steak Xie Yin Xue left, since he didn't pay for it separately, he was deemed "not full."

Seizing on this, Shen Jun targeted Xie Yin Xue again, "Didn't Xie Yin Xue also leave some of his food?"

"Can you stop targeting him? He paid for that meal," Fang Long, Shen Jun's boss in the real world, chided, "Does it matter if he was targeted for earning too much or not finishing his food?"

After considering it, the crowd realized there wasn't much difference. The monsters mainly targeted him, after all.

Zhu Yi Kun, perplexed by the conversations and noting the blood stains and damaged doors, exclaimed, "Wait, were you all attacked by monsters last night too? The first floor, which looked decent yesterday, now resembles a massacre site."

"Too?" Su Xun Lan shot him a glance, softly asking, "Mr. Zhu, were you attacked by monsters last night?"

"Not at all. I had a sound sleep in the first-class cabin. Nothing happened, and I didn't hear a thing," Zhu Yi Kun promptly shook his head, "It was Nai Nai and Yun Qian who encountered monsters. They told me just now in the stairway."

Nodding, Nai Nai elaborated, "We did hear the monsters banging on the doors, but the doors on the second floor are sturdy. They didn't even leave a dent."

He Yao solemnly said, "Eno mentioned yesterday, the higher the floor, the safer the room."

So that's what 'safety' meant.

That's why Zhu Yi Kun, staying in the topmost eighth floor, enjoyed a peaceful night.

Speak of the devil.

Just as they mentioned Eno's name, the elevator dinged, and out stepped Eno — a breathtakingly beautiful boy with golden hair, blue eyes, and an angelic demeanor.

Shock registered on his face as he assessed the damage on the first floor. He gasped, "Oh my God!"

"What on earth happened here? Did you all experience something strange last night?" Eno hurried to the nearest person, Yang Man Qing, gently lifting her injured arm, his brow furrowed in concern, "You got hurt. That's really unfortunate."

However, the boy who appeared so kind-hearted yesterday now seemed, to everyone, to be putting on a show of insincere theatrics this morning.

"Yes," Han Si stepped forward, confronting Eno, "First Officer Eno, there's a monster aboard. Are you unaware? We were attacked by it last night."

"No, that's impossible!" Eno pressed his lips together, denying in disbelief, "How could there be monsters in this world?"

Zhu Yi Kun, hearing his words, couldn’t help but retort, "Just yesterday, you spoke of terrifying ghosts appearing if too many people stayed in one room."

"That's just a chilling legend of the 'Her Dream' ship," Eno replied with a chuckle, clutching his belly, "I've never experienced a room with that many people, so I don't know if it's true. If you're curious, you could try."

"I take back what I said yesterday," Zhu Yi Kun moved behind Xie Yin Xue, muttering, "No NPC in this game is sane."

Eno's words were clearly baiting them to stay in one room. But who would dare test the consequences?

Unconvinced, Wan Mu pointed at the green stains on the walls, asking, "What about this? It's blood from the monster. How do you explain that?"

Eno, with his innocent blue eyes, spouted a lie, "It's seaweed."

"Alright, alright, time is precious," Eno clapped his hands, diverting the topic with lively enthusiasm, "Your room isn't free tonight. Hurry up and earn money. You need at least ten gold coins to stay on the first floor. Otherwise, you'll sleep in the hallway. We're running low on coal; we aren't philanthropists..."

No one paid attention to his rambling. They were all acutely aware of the time's urgency. It was clear that monsters roamed 'Her Dream'. If they couldn't earn ten gold coins by 8 PM, they'd be left in the hallways and might not live to see dawn.

"Meng Bei, Ma Xin Tong, look at this dirty hallway! Get a mop and cloth to clean up this 'seaweed'. Yi Zhong Jie, fetch blue paint and repaint these walls. What a mess! Think about our esteemed guests!" Eno instructed, directing the temporary crew, "Today's workload is large, but don't worry, your labor will be rewarded. I'll give you a raise."

As temporary crew, they earned the least, while those serving the elite guests upstairs could earn a fortune. Yesterday, Yi Zhong Jie and others had been envious, considering serving the elites instead. But after learning the risks of earning too much, they weren't so eager anymore.

However, they still had to pay room fees, so the prospect of a raise was welcome news.

Yi Zhong Jie was efficient, having previously worked as a painter. He swiftly repainted the corridor's walls.

But Eno assigned him another task: to re-wallpaper every damaged room on the first floor. After that, he would be given more tasks.

Yi Zhong Jie quickly got to work, with his daughter, Yi Xiao Li, assisting by mixing the wallpaper glue, helping speed up the process.

The others repeated the tasks from the previous day. But those serving the elite guests could only enter the Dream Cradle Hall at 3 PM.

So, at precisely 3 PM, Xie Yin Xue had Zhu Yi Kun place the massage chair outside the seventh-floor Dream Cradle Hall entrance. The elite guests, who seemed to have eagerly awaited its appearance, momentarily paused their indulgences and turned their attention to them.

"Xie, I feel their gaze on us is colder than yesterday," Zhu Yi Kun said, leaning close to Xie Yin Xue, "Is it just me?"

Xie Yin Xue smirked, "Of course not."

Apprehensive, Zhu Yi Kun queried, "After I left for the first-class cabin last night, did you... do something mischievous?"

"How could I? I'm here to offer them delightful experiences," Xie Yin Xue responded with feigned innocence, "Isn't that right?"

Saying that, Xie Yin Xue tapped the massage chair.

The elite guests seemed especially fond of the chair, for they stretched their necks, appearing worried that Xie Yin Xue's tap might damage the precious seat.

Xie Yinxue's smile brightened even more as he raised his voice slightly, "Esteemed guests who tried this massage chair yesterday, do you still fancy it today?"

"Absolutely," the blonde woman who had wanted to buy the chair the day before was the first to speak. She asked eagerly, "So, are you willing to sell it to me today?"

"Of course—"

Xie Yinxue gave a subtle nod. Seeing the joy on the blonde's face, he quickly finished his sentence, shattering her anticipation, "Not."

"I'm certain now; it's not a misconception," Zhu Yikun looked even more anxious, wishing he could hide entirely behind Xie Yinxue, "That woman has a murderous intent in her eyes. She wants to kill you."

Xie Yinxue chuckled, "She's thinking too early."

Before Zhu Yikun could grasp the meaning of Xie Yinxue's words, the young man sighed softly, "If you still like it, I'm relieved. Because yesterday's introductory offer of 10 gold coins for a 10-second massage is sold out. But the good news is, today you can enjoy a full ten-minute massage for only—"

A sense of foreboding suddenly enveloped the crowd, specifically targeting the esteemed guests.

The next moment, the young man's words solidified that uneasy feeling, as if hammering it onto each guest's mind. He simply held up three fingers, his eyes gentle with amusement, softly saying, "Three hundred gold coins."

The guests: "?"

Zhu Yikun was taken aback, exclaiming, "How are you even more of a swindler than I am?"

"That's not accurate," Xie Yinxue raised an eyebrow, casting a side glance at Zhu Yikun as he corrected him, "Yesterday's rate was 10 gold coins for 10 seconds. If I charged the same rate today, ten minutes would cost them 600 gold coins. I'm only asking for 300. This isn't just a discount, it's a steal!"

Xie Yinxue recalled hearing such phrases from Liu Buhua, who always discussed with his apprentice Shen Qiu Jie about which store had air conditioners on sale and which ones were absolute bargains. His memory was good, and he never thought he'd use those phrases.

Zhu Yikun: "..."

Wait, reducing 600 to 300 is just a 50% discount. How is that a "steal"?

But Xie Yinxue didn't care. He relaxed on the chair that Zhu Yikun had just brought, his posture languid and voice cold. He looked even more detestable than when he held a sword the previous night, "Don't say I didn't warn you. This price is a steal. Tomorrow it will go up. Miss out today, and you'll regret it."

"We have only two hours this afternoon. Who's first?"

Author's note:

Zhu Yikun: I admit defeat.

Liu Buhua: Ah Jie, there's a sale on this air conditioner! It's a steal! I'll take you there after school tomorrow!