Enthusiastic Hospitality

"Earlier, while I was on the lookout, I spotted a castaway not far from here. That person is none other than The Undying, Chen Qiang, who is on this bounty poster. If we capture him and hand him over to the Navy, we could claim the astronomical reward of four hundred million Beli. However, if our attempt to capture him is discovered, everyone here might not survive. That is why I want to hear your opinions now!"

After sweeping his gaze across the room, the captain finally revealed his discovery and the dilemma he had been wrestling with.

"Of course we should capture him! After all, it's four hundred million Beli! Such a massive bounty is almost equal to our entire year's income!" Barque, who had heard the captain mention 'doing it' earlier, immediately understood what the captain meant when he connected it to the current situation. Without a moment's hesitation, he was the first to stand up and declare his stance.

The other officers, upon hearing Barque's declaration, also realized that this was likely the captain's intention. After all, Barque was known for his sycophancy; if he hadn't understood the captain's intent, he would never have been the first to speak up like this. Thus, after a brief moment of thought, everyone agreed.

After all, this was the captain's wish, and four hundred million Beli was simply too much to turn down.

"Since everyone agrees, let me explain my plan: we shall do this, and then that!"

Seeing that everyone was in agreement, Captain Gill nodded with great satisfaction and began to detail the plan he had formulated. At the same time, the officers offered their own suggestions, and soon, a practical and feasible plan emerged from their discussion.

"Alright, the target will be boarding soon. Everyone, go and prepare according to the plan! Failure is absolutely not an option this time!"

Once every detail of the plan was arranged, Captain Gill dismissed the others to prepare. He then adjusted his facial expression; the sternness vanished, replaced by a very kind and gentle smile. After checking his reflection in a mirror and feeling satisfied, he walked out of the conference room.

Meanwhile, Chen Qiang had been boredly practicing the Blood Refining Technique, his entire body enveloped in blood-colored flames while he simultaneously split his focus to study his own abilities.

Suddenly, he felt as if he were being watched. He quickly ended his cultivation and looked toward the direction of the sensation, only to discover a massive merchant ship appearing in the distance.

This delighted Chen Qiang. After all, he hadn't seen a single soul for days, surrounded only by endless seawater and the vast expanse of stars in the sky. Chen Qiang found this even more unbearable than being locked in a prison; at least in prison, there were other inmates to talk to, whereas here, there was nothing.

If this continued, Chen Qiang feared his mental state might deteriorate again. Seeing the silhouette of a ship in the distance, how could he not be excited?

Without hesitation, he ended his cultivation, dissipated the red light around his body, and waved toward the ship, hoping to make his presence known and be rescued.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. The ship spotted him, adjusted its course slightly, and began sailing toward him.

Seeing this, Chen Qiang hurriedly tidied himself up. He first washed his face with seawater and then smoothed his hair; his past life's interview experience told him that one must make a good first impression.

It didn't take long—about ten minutes—before the merchant ship arrived in Chen Qiang's vicinity.

Chen Qiang didn't wait for them to lower a small boat to pick him up. Instead, he stepped onto the wooden plank beneath his feet, leaped into the air, and landed directly on the deck.

"Clap!" "Clap!" "Clap!"

"That was quite the display of skill, young man!"

As soon as Chen Qiang landed on the deck, a chubby man wearing a captain's uniform and a kind smile walked toward him, clapping his hands.

"Who are you?"

"Hahaha! I am Gill, captain of the Defu Trading Company merchant ship. I spotted you alone at sea from the lookout earlier and figured you must be a castaway, so I ordered my men to steer the ship over. I intended to wait until we were closer to lower a small boat, but I didn't expect you to be so capable as to board on your own!"

"Then many thanks, Captain Gill! This humble one did indeed encounter a tsunami a few days ago, which is why I ended up stranded at sea. If I hadn't run into you, Captain Gill, I don't know how much longer I would have been drifting."

Seeing that the other party had identified himself immediately and extended goodwill, Chen Qiang smiled and replied.

"Don't mention thanks. Those of us who make a living on the sea never know when an accident might happen. If we see someone in need, we must help; after all, who knows when we might face a shipwreck ourselves? We would need someone to lend a hand then, too!"

Captain Gill continued to smile. As he finished speaking, he slowly walked over to Chen Qiang, grabbed his hand, and continued, "Let's go, young brother! Let's head inside. I've already had someone boil hot water. You must have suffered quite a bit at sea these past few days; go take a hot bath and wash away the bad luck!"

"Then I am truly grateful, Captain Gill!"

Chen Qiang found the man's enthusiasm quite strange. He was just a castaway; even if the man had saved him, such warmth seemed excessive. However, considering he really did need a good bath—having spent days at sea, his body was covered in the stench of fish that wouldn't go away without a proper scrub—he didn't refuse.

He just smiled and agreed, carefully pulling his hand away from the captain's grip. As a straight man, Chen Qiang wasn't used to having his hand held by another man.

"Hahaha! You're too polite, young man. Come, this way!"

The captain didn't mind Chen Qiang pulling his hand away. He just laughed heartily, led the way, and brought Chen Qiang into the ship's cabin.

After several turns, Chen Qiang was led into a room where a bathtub filled with hot water was indeed waiting.

"Here it is, young man. After you've finished your bath, you can ask the sailor guarding outside to take you to the dining area. I've already had the kitchen prepare plenty of food! You can have a good meal, and then we can have a proper chat!"

After bringing Chen Qiang here, Gill didn't linger. After giving his instructions, he left with a beaming smile, closing the door behind him.

"Something is fishy."

Left alone in the room, Chen Qiang looked at the door the captain had just closed and felt even more suspicious.