Chapter Seven: The Ocean Cruise, Part Six

The other two nodded in unison, and the guy who had been breaking down stretched lazily. “Ah, I can finally get a good night’s sleep tonight.”

Li Juanjuan looked at the yellow card stuck on his badge. “What does this mean?”

The guy was carefree. “Probably a warning yellow card—no more mistakes allowed. Who knows? This game must not be that hellish. Just cried a couple of times and they want me dead?”

The three of them chatted as they took their room cards and headed back to their rooms.

The three high school students chattered away as they walked off.

Only Qin Chuan and the other two remained in the small cabin.

Qin Chuan glanced at them.

For some reason, their demeanor didn’t seem like they were here to complete a mission; it felt more like they were on a casual outing.

He exhaled softly.

Was he that composed the first time he appeared in an unfamiliar environment?

He was certain he wasn’t.

But judging by their clueless looks... it really didn’t seem like they had played this game before.

Qin Chuan didn’t want to dwell on it and decided to show good faith first: “In the real world, I’m a surgeon. I was bound by the system and became an intern at the Infinite Labor Company. This is my second mission. Pleased to meet you.”

Zhao Jinchu also introduced herself: “I’m a sophomore studying environmental management. This is my first mission. He...” Zhao Jinchu hesitated, thought for a moment, then said, “He’s ill, currently on a leave of absence.”

The two were openly close, and it was obvious at a glance what their relationship was.

Qin Chuan looked toward Qi Yan, who hadn’t spoken. Qin smiled, “Oh? What illness? Maybe I can help a little.”

Qi Yan was about to speak impatiently, but Zhao Jinchu held him back. She smiled slightly, “He can’t be around crowds... it’s a kind of illness.”

Qin Chuan asked, “Contagious?”

Zhao Jinchu was vague. “Something like that.”

Basically, when he’s around many people, others start acting strangely.

Their room was a standard suite.

Since that day when the nine of them gathered, they had split up and never regrouped.

One day passed quietly, nothing happened.

The second day, the third day went by the same—still nothing. None of the three groups completed their missions.

They each only found some fairy tales about mermaids.

Zhao Jinchu only encountered the high school group.

She happened to see three high school students being bullied by a bald middle-aged man and helped them out.

On the third night, when everything was calm, there was suddenly a commotion in Zhao Jinchu’s room.

Zhao Jinchu sat on the sofa, flipping through the mermaid fairy tales she had found.

Nothing seemed particularly special.

Where exactly would you find mermaid blood? Did mermaids really exist in this world?

Beside her, Qi Yan, dressed in white pajamas with gauze wrapped around his neck, held a menu and pointed at a dish. “I want to eat this.”

Zhao Jinchu glanced at the golden fish roe priced at 19,980.

She groaned and gave up. “I have no money.”

Then her attention returned to the fairy tale.

“The mermaid clan loves raw meat and likes to spawn eggs, but because mermaid eggs are so delicious, they often get eaten by other predators.”

“The mermaid clan is fiercely protective. Don’t provoke them.”

Zhao Jinchu clicked her tongue. Is this a fairy tale?

This is more like a horror story.

She was lost in thought, unaware that Qi Yan’s pale face had flushed red with anger, his chest rising and falling, the corners of his eyes red and misty.