Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Alright, that’s all. You’re dismissed," the captain said with a wave of his hand.
Everyone beside him left the captain’s office.
The captain rubbed his forehead. He could feel a headache coming on.
The mission Ren Yuanyang had just posted would probably tempt a lot of people.
Food on the Dawn Cruise was truly running low. As the captain, he wasn’t even getting enough to eat each day, let alone anyone else.
The cruise ship was home to a motley crew. If he hadn’t become a Fire-Type Evolver, he wouldn’t have been able to keep them in line.
Under the current circumstances, he couldn’t just confiscate all their phones. Taking them now would be a clear sign that he didn’t trust them, and morale would scatter even further.
The only ones with phones were his senior staff and trusted subordinates. If they started to hold a grudge, he’d be in real trouble!
But if he didn’t confiscate the phones, he was afraid they would secretly contact the Peach Blossom Base.
The captain was now caught between a rock and a hard place.
’Damn it, that Taoyuan Yang is too insidious!’ the captain cursed inwardly. He was already regretting sending out that picture of the licorice.
Looking at the licorice plant in his hand, his brow furrowed.
’Should I destroy it? But I’m a bit reluctant. It was so hard to get this plant, and if I cultivate it, there will definitely be a harvest.’
’But if I keep it, I’m worried someone will steal it and trade it to the Peach Blossom Base for food.’
While the captain was agonizing over his decision, the plant expert who had just left the office arrived at the break room.
He poured a glass of water, walked over to a porthole, and sat down next to a man.
"Nice weather, isn’t it?" the botanist said, seemingly trying to make small talk.
The man paused for a moment, then shook his head. "It rains every day. It’s always the same. I wouldn’t call this good weather."
The botanist smiled faintly and lowered his voice. "The Peach Blossom Base posted a mission on the regional channel. Whoever kills the captain of the Dawn Base will be guaranteed a life without worrying about food or drink."
The man frowned slightly. "Are you dreaming? The captain is a Fire-Type Evolver. His attacks are incredibly powerful. One wrong move and we’ll be vaporized!"
The botanist took a sip of water and continued in a low voice, "The Peach Blossom Base issued this mission because we found a licorice plant. But the captain has no intention of selling it to them. In fact, he deliberately sent them a picture just to piss them off."
The man looked at him quizzically, waiting for him to continue.
"Although the Peach Blossom Base said the licorice isn’t essential for them, if we have it, we’ll have a chance to defect to their side." The botanist stood up. "This is our chance. You don’t want to be exploited by the captain forever, do you?"
"Let’s talk again when you’ve thought it through."
Leaving him with those words, the botanist walked away. The two of them couldn’t talk here for too long, or they would attract the guards’ attention.
The man was lost in thought.
"Jianghu, time to work!" a guard called out as he walked in.
"Alright," the man replied, getting up and following the guard out.
They arrived at the lower hold in the stern of the cruise ship, and the acrid stench of ammonia hit them in the face.
"Your job today is to wash this area down. You’ll get dinner after you’re finished." After saying his piece, the guard immediately turned and fled.
The smell was truly nauseating, but Jianghu seemed to have gotten used to it. Ever since he was captured and brought aboard this cruise ship, he had been stuck with cleaning duties.
He was a Water-Type Evolver, so the captain had him use his Water-Type Superpower to wash out the livestock pens.
Jianghu controlled the currents of water, flushing the manure toward the drainage port. In less than half an hour, he had washed the entire compartment clean and immediately headed out.
The guard outside saw him emerge so quickly and asked in confusion, "Is there a problem?"
"No problem. I’ve just finished cleaning," Jianghu replied flatly.
"Finished cleaning? So fast?" The guard was stunned.
Based on Jianghu’s usual cleaning speed, this should have taken him at least two or three hours.
"There wasn’t much manure today," Jianghu said, offering a casual excuse.
That wasn’t actually the case. He could always work this fast; he was just slacking off before.
He had been "invited" to the Dawn Base at gunpoint, so he was naturally full of resentment and just went through the motions at work.
The botanist knew this, which was why he dared to talk to him about escaping the Dawn Base.
The guard checked inside, found that it was indeed clean, and let him leave.
Jianghu returned to the break room, poured a glass of water, and sat in the same spot, staring at the raindrops sliding down the porthole as he sank back into thought.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go elsewhere, but he was restricted to the break room and his work area.
After finishing his water, Jianghu’s gaze hardened with resolve.
’This prison-like existence really needs to change.’
At that moment, the captain finally made up his mind: he would keep the licorice plant.
"Someone, take this licorice plant to the lab and assign men to guard it! I want eyes on it even when the botanist is cultivating it!" the captain ordered.
"Yes, sir!" A guard took the licorice plant and headed for the lab.
Inside the lab, where Spray Melons and Iron Melons were being cultivated, a botanist saw the guard approaching with the licorice. His eyes lit up. ’Here’s my chance!’ he thought.
"Lin Mu, the captain wants this plant cultivated. You can start processing it," the guard called out.
Lin Mu nodded immediately and stepped forward to take the licorice plant.
Just as he was about to begin, he noticed two guards sticking close to his side.
"What’s this?" Lin Mu asked, a bit confused.
"The captain’s orders. We’re to keep an eye on this plant at all times, even while you’re working on it," a guard replied. "You do your thing. Just pretend we’re not here."
Lin Mu nodded, understanding completely.
’The captain is worried someone will sneak the licorice out and trade it to the Peach Blossom Base for food!’
’But that won’t stop me!’
Lin Mu picked up a pair of scissors and started trimming. The two guards didn’t know any better, so they just watched him SNIP, SNIP, SNIP away.
"These trimmings are useless. Should I throw them in the trash, or do you need to show them to the captain?" Lin Mu asked, pointing to the pieces he had cut off.
The guards saw that the trimmings were just short twigs and felt there was no need to show them to the captain. "Forget it. Just toss them in the trash," one replied.
"Alright." Lin Mu nodded and dumped all the twigs into the trash can.
But as they fell, Lin Mu deftly palmed a few of the short cuttings.
"I’m done with the initial prep here. I’m going out for a drink of water!" Lin Mu announced before leaving the lab.
Lin Mu went to the break room and found Jianghu still sitting by the porthole. He poured a glass of water and sat down beside him again.
"Have you thought it through?" Lin Mu asked, gazing nonchalantly out the porthole.
"Just the two of us?" Jianghu countered instead of answering directly.
Hearing this question, Lin Mu smiled. He knew Jianghu was tempted.
"Under normal circumstances, the two of us couldn’t escape. But what if there was chaos?" Lin Mu said in a low voice.
Jianghu froze for a second.
"Get some rest. If we’re really going to leave, we’ll have to rely on your abilities. Also, take these. They’re our bargaining chip for joining the Peach Blossom Base." Lin Mu got up and walked away.
Next to Jianghu’s water glass, several pieces of licorice rhizome had appeared. He hurriedly covered them with his hand, then discreetly snatched them up and stuffed them into his pocket.
Meanwhile, at the Peach Blossom Base, Ren Yuanyang went to the yacht to find Si Youqin. "Do you know anything about the situation on the Dawn Cruise?" he asked.
Hearing the name "Dawn Cruise," Si Youqin gave an almost imperceptible shudder. Clearly, the Dawn Base brought her nothing but fear.
She shook her head. "We were kept imprisoned on this yacht the whole time. We don’t know much about what was happening on the main cruise ship."
Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly.
Nearby, Jin Ziyu, who was in the middle of eating something, asked curiously, "Boss, why are you asking about that?"
"The Dawn Base found a licorice plant, and they’re deliberately flaunting it to mess with us," Ren Yuanyang explained simply. "I don’t like clowns like them dancing around in front of me, so I want to understand their situation."
"And then make a move?" Jin Ziyu immediately followed up.
Ren Yuanyang rolled his eyes. "With the few people we have, attack the Dawn Base? What are you thinking?"
Jin Ziyu went back to wrestling with the packet of instant noodles in her hand, muttering, "Then there’s no point in asking!"
Ren Yuanyang was speechless for a moment. "For now, just tell me the Dawn Base’s location when you escaped."
Jin Ziyu immediately stuck her hand out in front of Ren Yuanyang. "Then you have to give me my phone first!"

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