All was silent; the moon shone bright amid sparse stars.
The mirror-smooth sea reflected pinpricks of starlight all the way to the horizon, making it almost impossible to tell where the water ended and the sky began. Upon the tranquil ocean, the Prosperity moved slowly forward, like an intruder in this peaceful world—brazen, utterly ruining the view, stirring up ripples and waves in its wake.
The deck was brightly lit. The television on its rolling stand was still playing the news, while waves of mouthwatering heat wafted from the open oven.
The beef brisket had been smoked and slow-roasted for a full five hours. Once the foil was peeled open, a light poke made it sizzle with grease. After shredding it and mixing it with sauce, it was served with apple purée to cut the richness, along with a pitcher of endlessly bubbling Ice Cola.
Accompanied by the cool night sea breeze, Ji Jue leisurely began sampling his midnight snack, eating with complete focus and perfect composure. He ignored the clusters of eerie phosphorescent flames slowly rising above the horizon, as well as the dark clouds drifting in from the distant edge of the sky.
He even adjusted the plating and lighting, specifically taking enough photos to make a nine-picture Moments post.
Caption: [What you love is your life.]
Then, he made a point of notifying a group of peers who should still have been languishing in their Workshops at this hour, suffering through a miserable life with no end in sight, and told them to come look. After all, enjoying something alone was not as good as enjoying it together.
Through his generous sharing, he successfully earned a flood of "rave reviews" and an unceasing stream of likes.
Whether those compliments were sincere was beside the point, but the