Laying the groundwork

Wang Tai stood on the deck.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he gazed out at the sea, his thoughts unknown.

Qin Mao returned the key ring to him.

He felt the two wooden keys he had "copied" in his pocket, his thoughts turning.

"Boss..."

He hesitated, unsure whether to speak.

"Say it!"

"I noticed we don't have any cannons aboard. Do we not need them?"

The corner of Wang Tai's mouth twitched.

"Before you came, the Hope didn't have anyone who knew how to repair ships. Otherwise, that gash on the starboard side would have been fixed ages ago. Installing cannons was even more out of the question."

"We do have cannonballs stockpiled aboard the Hope, though. They were reserves for the Hope Fleet's three large ships. After that battle on the Blood Moon Sea, all the large ships were destroyed, so the cannonballs became useless."

"Why are you suddenly asking about this? Don't tell me..."

"Heh, boss, I just thought we were a little short on firepower. My supernatural ability has improved again recently, so I was thinking of installing a few cannons. I'd feel safer!"

Wang Tai's eyes lit up.

"Sure! Whatever you need help with, I'll get the men to lend a hand!"

"I need some copper and iron objects. I also need to check the size of the cannonballs, but the ammunition store is locked, so I can't get in."

"Minor details. Easily done!"

With a broad wave of his hand, Wang Tai ordered a subordinate to take stock of all the unused iron objects aboard.

Then he personally took Qin Mao to the ammunition store.

He stayed right beside him the whole time.

With things like explosives, just as with all those bizarre wondrous-item materials, no amount of caution was excessive.

That night, a rare feast was held aboard the Hope.

Something that had been commonplace before the apocalypse had become an immense luxury now that food was scarce.

Everyone received a cup of coconut juice, a large chunk of coconut flesh, half a sea fish, and unlimited servings of Mulberry Stalk Thick Soup.

The survivors sang and danced on the deck.

Crude, grating singing, ragged clothes without so much as a patch, three flashlights giving off feeble light...

Yet everyone was happy from the bottom of their hearts.

Unlimited servings...

How long had it been since they had eaten their fill, let alone stuffed themselves!

Amid the aroma of food, even the glowing green moon seemed less terrifying.

No one cared anymore whether the noise would attract uncanny beings.

Tonight, everyone wished time would stop at this very moment.

No more hunger, thirst, fear, or exhaustion.

Enjoying the sea breeze, Qin Mao and Wang Tai leaned against the port rail, their eyes narrowed.

"The Hope... it really is a picture of hope and harmony!"

Unexpectedly, this modest bit of flattery drew a derisive laugh from Wang Tai.

"Brother, do you really think things aboard the Hope are harmonious?"

"Huh? Aren't they?"

That question left Qin Mao at a loss.

Was he testing my loyalty?

Wang Tai said slowly, "On this ship, some people want me dead, while others are afraid I'll die. That's all that's kept things going until now."

"How could that be? Who would think that way!"

Unable to figure out what Wang Tai was thinking, Qin Mao began playing dumb.

Wang Tai ignored him and continued on his own.

"They fear [Just Verdict], but they also need [Just Verdict]. They want to overthrow me, but they're afraid the next one will be worse. They want to take me down with them, but they don't have the courage to face death..."

"Heh... hope? Bullshit! It's all bullshit! Just a bunch of pitiful survivors huddling together, each with their own hidden agenda!"

Qin Mao looked around. No one was nearby, so he lowered his voice.

"Since you know some people aren't loyal, boss, then... why don't you just kill them?"

Wang Tai roared with laughter, drawing glances from the survivors.

"Brother Qin, because... I need them too!"

"Whether this gun needs their lives, or I need them to gather supplies, they can even serve as a lizard's tail when necessary and hold off the uncanny beings for me!"

"Brother Qin, once I become a Sequence Transcendent tomorrow, we brothers will support each other and brave the apocalypse together!"

Qin Mao stared steadily at Wang Tai in the moonlight.

The stubble-faced middle-aged man before him gazed up at the moon, the madness and defiance in his eyes almost tangible.

This man was ruthless enough, clever enough, and had the makings of a formidable overlord.

The only thing he lacked was a little luck.

If he truly awakened as a Sequence Transcendent...

Perhaps he really would live comfortably on this sea and make a great name for himself.

Qin Mao also understood Wang Tai's frankness tonight.

A dying bird's cry was mournful.

Taking that bottle of Sequence Potion tomorrow morning was a high-stakes gamble with poor odds of winning.

Under extreme pressure, talking things out was a common way for people to ease their minds.

Even with the Diviner's prophecy to fall back on, who dared put complete faith in something like fate?

"First Mate Qin, come have some soup! Drink up, drink up! Hahaha!"

A survivor he knew came over, slung an arm around his shoulders, and dragged him back to keep singing.

The people's cheerful voices and laughter,

mingled with the murmurs and whispers that rose from the sea every night, against a green backdrop.

The scene was extraordinarily eerie.

It was late at night, but the survivors were unwilling to go back to sleep and kept singing and dancing.

After all, aboard the ship they weren't worked like beasts of burden. There were no nine-to-nine, six-day workweeks, no round-the-clock shifts, and certainly no need to get up early for class.

If they got sleepy during the day, they could catch up on sleep most of the time.

A feast like tonight's, lively enough to let them briefly forget their troubles, was something they could only hope to stumble upon.

Holding a chipped porcelain bowl, Qin Mao tipped back his head and gulped down some soup as he wandered around the deck.

Chatting with everyone, he became fully immersed in the feast.

Even at two or three in the morning, the atmosphere had not faded.

Tired of dancing and full of food, people gathered in several circles to recall their hardships and count their blessings.

They reminisced about their good lives before the apocalypse and spoke of the grief of losing their loved ones afterward.

Sobbing rang out aboard the ship, along with words of comfort and encouragement from those beside them.

The scene looked just like a success guru's seminar.

Qin Mao opened his mouth in a yawn, raised his wrist, and checked the time on his mechanical watch.

He glanced at Wang Tai, who lay on the deck with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

He got up as though nothing were amiss and headed toward the captain's cabin.

Zhang Qing glanced over and greeted him warmly.

"Qin, where are you off to?"

Qin Mao looked back with a smile.

"Boss Wang's a little cold. He asked me to get him a blanket."

"Oh, okay! Qin, come back and keep playing cards with us!"

"Of course, of course!"

Qin Mao soon reached the captain's cabin.

He took out a wooden key and opened the door.

Then he took out the second one and unlocked the hidden compartment.

Holding back his pounding heartbeat, he quickly took out a piece of cloth and placed the oval bone fragment and the parchment scroll inside.

Next came the Sequence Potion.

Despite the urgency, he could not contain his excitement and tried using the system on it.

[Ding-Sequence Potion · Damaged detected. Repair/upgrade?]

"Upgrade! Upgrade it to perfect!"

[Ding-Upgrade requires 10,000 Kill Points. Insufficient Kill Points. Unable to upgrade.]

"Ten thousand?! Damn, how long would I have to kill fish to get that many!"

Qin Mao quickly placed the Sequence Potion on the cloth too.

But when it came to the coconut next, he ran into trouble.

The thing was simply too big. He was bound to be spotted if he took it outside.

He could only leave it behind.

Besides the coconut, the ship's log was not in the hidden compartment either.

Qin Mao thought back carefully before vaguely recalling that, before locking the cabinet, Wang Tai seemed to have taken the ship's log out and tucked it into his pocket.

He wrapped the three items in the cloth and put them into a large pocket sewn into the lining of his clothes.

After restoring everything to its original state, he walked out.

The plan's going pretty smoothly. Just one last thing left!

The thought of what was about to happen left his mouth and throat dry.

Meanwhile, on the deck.

Zhang Qing's urge to suck up had struck again.

He looked toward the captain's cabin, then at the blanket beside him.

He felt he could not pass up this excellent opportunity to show his loyalty to the boss.

Avoiding everyone else's notice.

He quietly got up, picked up the blanket, and tiptoed toward Wang Tai.