Ark Simulator, Don't I Have No Physical Form?

Just then, the glass door to the terrace was pushed open, and Mayor Candela walked in gracefully. "What are you two doing hiding here?"

Her smile was still perfect, but Lin Yuhsia noticed that her fingertips were tapping lightly on the wine glass, the rhythm slightly hurried.

"Just getting some fresh air," Lin Yuhsia replied with a smile.

She suddenly lowered her voice. "See you at the dock at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Bring your... equipment." After saying that, she turned and left gracefully, her white skirt billowing like ocean waves.

Lin Yuhsia looked at Chen and noticed her unusually serious expression. "What's wrong?"

"Her perfume," Chen whispered, "Is different from the one we smelled on the beach."

Lin Yuhsia recalled for a moment, "There were jasmine flowers on the beach, and now there are roses..."

"No," Chen shook his head, "It's rose perfume to mask the smell of gunpowder."

The dock was shrouded in a thin mist at dawn. Lin Yuhsia wore a black combat uniform that allowed for easy movement, with two short swords at her waist. Chen Ze was fully armed, with his Chixiao Sword wrapped in cloth and carried on his back.

Ernesto was already waiting at the dock, wearing a waterproof jacket and a signal pistol at his waist. "Gentlemen, the ship is ready."

The small speedboat rocked gently in the waves. As she boarded, Lin Yuhsia noticed several fresh scratches on the hull, as if it had been scraped by something sharp.

"This is..." She crouched down to examine it.

Ernesto's expression turned serious. "Traces of the last voyage."

The speedboat sailed away from the harbor and was soon enveloped in thick fog. Visibility was less than ten meters, and the sound of the engine was particularly jarring on the silent sea.

Chen stood at the bow of the ship, the Chixiao already drawn, its blade gleaming coldly in the mist. "Something is following us."

"Boss Lin, look over there!" Su Rui's voice suddenly rang in Lin Yuhsia's mind, tinged with a hint of alertness.

Lin Yuhsia squinted and looked out at the sea, following Su Rui's direction—several dark spots were rapidly approaching the shore.

"Chen, something's up," Lin Yuhsia said in a deep voice.

Chen immediately put down the towel and strode to the balcony. "What?"

"Three speedboats at ten o'clock," Lin Yuhsia pointed into the distance. "They're moving very fast; they don't look like fishing boats."

Chen's pupils contracted slightly. "They're pirates."

"Look at that flag!" Su Rui magnified Lin Yuhsia's vision in her mind, "Red background with a black skull— Bolivar's infamous ' Blood Skulls ' pirate crew."

Lin Yuhsia quickly turned around. "I'll go inform Mayor Candela."

"It's too late." Chen had already grabbed his coat and sword. "They'll be ashore in ten minutes at most."

The two rushed out of the hotel and headed straight for the pier. Tourists along the way were still immersed in their merriment, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

"Boss Lin, there's a patrol boat on the left side of the dock!" Su Rui pointed out. "The key should still be on the igniter."

Lin Yuhsia leaped onto the patrol boat and, sure enough, found the key under the dashboard. Chen untied the mooring rope, and the speedboat's engine roared to life.

"You can sail a boat?" Chen asked in surprise.

"Tell her you can do a little bit of everything!" Su Rui said playfully.

Lin Yuhsia smiled and said, "You know a little bit of everything."

The speedboat sliced through the waves, heading straight for the pirate ship. The sea breeze howled, and Chen stood at the bow, his sword, Chixiao, already drawn, its blade gleaming coldly in the setting sun.

"Watch out! They've spotted us!" Su Rui suddenly warned.

On the foremost pirate ship, a burly man wearing an eyepatch raised a megaphone and shouted, "Get out of the way! Or I'll feed you to the sharks!"

"Bolivar Coastal Patrol! Stop the vessel immediately for inspection!" Lin Yuhsia shouted.

"Wow, Mr. Lin's acting is so convincing!" Su Rui exclaimed.

The pirates burst into laughter. "A patrol of only two people? Hahaha!"

Three pirate ships surrounded them in a fan shape. Chen lowered his voice. "The plan?"

"The engine cover of the ship on the left isn't fully closed," Su Rui quickly analyzed. "I can guide you to shoot their fuel line."

Lin Yuhsia understood and pulled two throwing knives from her waist. "Chen, cover me!"

Chen leaped into the air, his Chixiao flashing a dazzling red light as he precisely severed the grappling hook thrown by the pirate ship on his right. The pirates cried out in alarm and retreated.

Now! Lin Yuhsia flicked her wrist, and the throwing knife shot out like lightning—

"Five degrees to the right again!" Su Rui adjusted in time.

The throwing knife pierced perfectly through the gap in the hood, creating sparks.

"Boom!" A burst of flame erupted from the engine of the pirate ship on the left, and it immediately lost power.

"Well done!" Chen exclaimed.

The remaining two pirate ships panicked and began firing wildly. Bullets splashed water around the patrol boat.

"Boss Lin, there are hidden reefs ahead!" Su Rui suddenly warned. "Lead them there!"

Lin Yuhsia jerked the steering wheel, and the patrol boat made a sharp turn, rushing towards the reef area. The pirate ship gave chase.

"Are you crazy?" Chen gripped the handrail tightly.

Volume 11, Chapter 631: Just Friends

"Trust me!" Lin Yuhsia focused intently on maneuvering the speedboat, weaving through the intricate network of reefs. A loud "bang" came from behind—a pirate ship had crashed into a hidden reef.

Seeing that things were not going well, the last pirate ship turned around and tried to escape.

"We can't let them get away!" Su Rui said urgently.

Chen took a deep breath, then suddenly leaped high into the air, his Chixiao tracing a perfect arc through the air.

"Lungmen Guard Department! Halt the ship!"

With a flash of sword light, the pirate ship's mainmast snapped in two. The powerless vessel spun in circles on the sea, and the pirates surrendered one after another.

When the Dossoles Coast Guard arrived, they found only three disabled pirate ships and two smartly dressed women standing on a patrol boat.

"This... you guys solved all of this?" The guard captain was dumbfounded.

Chen put away the Chixiao and said casually, "Just routine business."

Lin Yuhsia looked at the illusory image of Su Rui in her mind, a slight smile playing on her lips, "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Of course!" Su Rui said proudly, "But Chen Sir's leap just now was so cool! THE P truly lives up to its name!"

On the way back, the setting sun turned the sea golden. Chen suddenly asked, "How did you know we needed to fire the fuel line?"

"Well..." Lin Yuhsia blinked, "Maybe THE P inspired me?"

The setting sun painted the sea off Dossoles orange-red as Lin Yuhsia and Chen Hui-chieh walked side by side on the seaside promenade back to the hotel. The tacit understanding they had developed while working together to deal with the pirates still lingered between them, but the atmosphere was somewhat subtle at this moment.

"Lin." Chen suddenly stopped, the sea breeze ruffling her hair. "The battle just now... you always seem to be able to anticipate the pirates' moves."

Lin Yuhsia's fingers involuntarily curled slightly. "Just an intuition."

"Wow, Inspector Chen is suspicious~" Su Rui chuckled in Lin Yuhsia's mind.

Chen's gaze lingered on Lin Yuhsia's face, then he suddenly lowered his voice. "It's Su Rui helping you, isn't it?"

The sound of the ocean waves suddenly seemed very distant. Lin Yuhsia's pupils contracted slightly; she hadn't expected Chen to be so direct in pointing it out.

"Uh... this..." Su Rui's voice sounded flustered.

"So you knew all along." A bitter smile appeared on Chen's lips. "How long has he been with you?"

Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel suite, Chen stood with his back to Lin Yuhsia, his fingers unconsciously stroking the scabbard of the Chixiao.

"I haven't seen him since the Chernobog City incident," Chen said softly. "I thought he..."

Lin Yuhsia gazed at Chen's straight back, a strange pang of sadness rising in her chest. She knew about the relationship between Chen and Su Rui —a bond that went beyond comrades-in-arms, yet remained unspoken.

"Boss Lin..." Su Rui's voice carried an unusual hesitation.

"Three months ago," Lin Yuhsia suddenly spoke, "He suddenly appeared in my mind."

Chen's shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly. "Is he... alright?"

"Tell her I'm fine!" Su Rui said eagerly.

"He said he was fine," Lin Yuhsia repeated, her fingernails unconsciously digging into her palms.

Chen finally turned around, his Dragonkin vertical pupils gleaming faintly in the twilight. "Can I... say something to him?"

Lin Yuhsia's breath hitched. She didn't want to share Su Rui —the thought came so strongly that it startled even herself.

"Lin Yuhsia..." Su Rui called her softly.

"He's unpredictable," Lin Yuhsia said, looking away. "He's sometimes visible, sometimes not; there's no way to guarantee anything..."

Chen stepped forward, the tassel of Chixiao's sword swaying gently. "Just one sentence. Please."

The room was so quiet you could hear their heartbeats. Looking at the earnestness in Chen's eyes, Lin Yuhsia suddenly realized she was doing something very childish.

"... All right."

"Inspector Chen!" Su Rui's voice immediately came through Lin Yuhsia, carrying a familiar lightness, "Long time no see!"

Chen's eyes instantly reddened. She reached out as if to touch something, then slumped down. "It really is you..."

"That move you just made was so cool! You've improved so much since Lungmen!"

Chen burst into laughter through his tears. "You haven't changed at all."

Lin Yuhsia stood to the side, watching the two talk through her, feeling a heavy weight pressing on her chest. She suddenly regretted her decision.

It was late at night when Chen finally returned to his room. Lin Yuhsia stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at her slightly pale face.

"Are you happy?" she asked suddenly.

"Mr. Lin..."

"I've finally seen her again." Lin Yuhsia turned on the tap, letting the cold water wash over her wrists. "You've always liked her, haven't you?"

"It's not what you think." Su Rui's voice was serious. "Chen Sir and I are comrades-in-arms, close friends, but..."

Water droplets dripped down Lin Yuhsia's chin. She didn't want to admit that she was acting like a sulking child at that moment.

"Then why did you choose me?" she asked softly, "Why me, the one in my mind?"

A mist rose on the mirror, and Su Rui's faint silhouette appeared. He reached out, as if to wipe away the water droplets on Lin Yuhsia's face.

"Because only when I'm with you do I feel like I'm home." The thing is, this wasn't my choice, and I had no choice in the matter.

The next day at breakfast, Chen sat down opposite Lin Yuhsia with a cup of coffee.

"Thank you," she said suddenly, "Thank you for letting me see him."

Lin Yuhsia stirred the oatmeal porridge without looking up. "Hmm."

"I won't take him away from you," Chen said softly. "I know... he's very important to you."

Sunlight streamed through the glass window, casting dappled shadows on the table. Lin Yuhsia finally looked up and found Chen's eyes clear and unfathomable.

"He cares about you too," Lin Yuhsia heard herself say. "We can... take turns."

Chen paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Like a shift change?"

The atmosphere between the two suddenly relaxed. Lin Yuhsia smiled slightly, "The early shift is mine, the late shift is yours."

"Hey! I haven't agreed yet!" Su Rui protested.

"Rejected," the two women said in unison.

On a street in Dossoles in the early morning, Lin Yuhsia was looking down at the intelligence on her terminal, Chen Hui-chieh warily scanned the surroundings. Suddenly, Lin Yuhsia's terminal screen flickered a few times, and an unfamiliar interface popped up.

"What's going on?" She frowned and tapped the screen.

"Don't be nervous, it's me~" A line of text suddenly appeared on the screen, followed by a pixelated smiley face. Su Rui's way of communicating with them through electronic devices was always so unexpected.

"Su Rui?" Chen leaned closer, his hair brushing against Lin Yuhsia's cheek. "You hacked into the terminal again?"

"This is called technical support! Seeing how hard you guys are working on this investigation, I found you an easy way to make money~" The text was followed by a wink emoticon.

Lin Yuhsia squinted her eyes. "Get to the point."

"A ' Summer Water Gun Championship ' is being held at the plaza around the corner. The champion will receive a brand-new game console and 500,000 Lungmen Dollars. I've already registered you guys!"

"We don't have time—" Lin Yuhsia hadn't finished speaking when the terminal automatically redirected to the competition introduction page, which clearly displayed "The first round of the competition will begin in 10 minutes."