Chapter 106

Lin Tu quickly shut the door to Deck 7, sealing the infected patient inside, and slapped a warning note on it that read "Highly Contaminated Patient Inside." No point letting some unlucky bastard with a key waltz in and become dinner.

After bidding Da Jun farewell, Lin Tu returned home. Knowing there was a highly contagious patient right below her made Deck 4 feel far from safe. Add to that the unlocked crew fuel tanks and Deck 7, and the path all the way to the ship's bridge on the Open Deck was likely a straight shot with zero obstacles. Besides, in weather like this—wasn't it the perfect time to fish in troubled waters?

Lin Tu made her decision on the spot. Why wait for another day? She activated her [Portable] ability and, with her little cabin in tow, made a run for the deck.

As expected—and yet completely unexpectedly—every door along the way was wide open except for the one leading to Deck 1. She encountered no resistance whatsoever, and not a single soul crossed her path as she stepped onto the Open Deck.

Amid flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, Lin Tu could make out rows upon rows of shipping containers stacked four or five high, stretching beyond what her eyes could see. The bridge sat in the forecastle, standing silently behind her. She walked in the opposite direction, past a towering crane, and further off, what appeared to be a sealed glass greenhouse for cultivation, along with other facilities.

She didn't have time to take in more. Rain hammered down on her, stinging painfully, and in an instant she was soaked to the bone.

Quickly, she chose a container at mid-height—not too high, not too low. She pried open one side of the door, swept everything inside into her storage in one go, then set up her little cabin and ducked inside.

The icy rain was immediately shut out. Lin Tu stood dripping wet, shivering despite her temperature-regulating vest. The infection she'd been exposed to had likely been washed away by the rain, but she still had the Butler run a full scan to confirm zero contamination before she stripped off her protective suit and outerwear at the door, tossing them into a bucket she'd prepared.

After a hot shower, her body finally warmed up. Towel-drying her hair, she checked the goods she'd just scooped out of the container. It turned out to be entirely filled with clothes—exquisite, high-end garments, ball gowns studded with diamonds, silk shirts.

Lin Tu pulled out a shirt and ran her fingers over it. It felt like touching a stream of flowing water. She couldn't help but marvel—money really did have its perks. She decided to keep it for herself. As for the strapless dress... she rarely wore such things, and she'd honestly rather pry off the diamonds and sell them. But after a moment's thought, she stopped herself. It was a carefully designed gown, after all. If civilization truly did collapse one day, this would stand as a testament to its former glory.

By the time her hair had dried, Chef Lin, who'd had a busy night, finally felt her stomach rumble.

Too lazy to cook, she opened the time-frozen rack, which was stuffed full of food. There were wontons sprinkled with fresh green scallions she'd picked up from the town, hot-and-sour noodles, hand-shaved noodles, and also crispy pancakes fresh off the griddle, fried dough sticks, tender braised pork hock just out of the pot, plus takeout fried chicken, fries, and barbecue she'd ordered.

She browsed through the options and finally settled on a basket of fresh pork soup dumplings. They'd been steamed not long ago, still piping hot. The wrappers were chewy, and each bite burst with savory, succulent filling.

Full and content, Lin Tu burrowed into her blankets and fell fast asleep amid the thunder and lightning.

The next day, she woke up a bit later than usual. After a brunch, she finally checked the surveillance feeds. The crewman's confusion from last night was hers as well—she suspected someone else had the same idea of skimming fuel, only Lin Tu had beaten them to it. So she was very interested in how the authorities would react. Would they catch the other thief?

She planned to wait until the officials noticed the theft or took action, then quietly return some of the fuel. What she kept would be just enough to reach a gas station.

She'd never meant to take this much oil from the ship, anyway. Her original plan had been to stockpile enough fuel to reach the Watchman. Her boat was small; the fuel she needed was a fraction of what she'd taken.

But now that the goods were in hand—specialty of a B-tier world, no less—how could Lin Tu not be tempted? Yet there were still living people aboard this ship, and it wasn't in her nature to leave so many at a disadvantage for the sake of a mission. That was why she'd shifted her strategy: she'd stock up on fuel at a gas station instead, where she could take as much as she wanted.

However, in the surveillance feed, she saw the military assemble at 6 a.m. and head to Deck 7. After leaving Deck 7, they returned to Deck 1 in silence, without making a peep.

They weren't going after the crewman? Lin Tu fast-forwarded through the footage, her mind racing, and found the screen as calm as the sea's surface.

Maybe they were still investigating, she could only assume. She ate a hotpot to chase out the chill that had seeped into her bones the night before, finally finished watching Empresses in the Palace, then started studying a book on efficient chicken farming.

Another full day passed. On the second day, things got a bit livelier aboard the ship. Some people had fashioned crude homemade protective suits and came out, insisting they weren't infected and wanted to go up to the Open Deck, but the military refused them. They kept them on Deck 2, tossing each person some food to soothe their nerves, then sent them back to their quarters.

Still no investigation into the mysteriously vanished fuel? Was someone investigating in secret after all? Lin Tu was about to doubt herself when the Butler, who'd been watching the feeds too, said there was nothing. So what was going on?

A sense of unease crept over Lin Tu. She felt like a massive thunderclap was brewing aboard this ship, waiting to explode without warning.

Thinking of that highly contagious patient of unknown origin, she decided to slaughter the remaining rooster and three hens, stockpiling enough chicken blood to deal with any emergencies.

The entire day, Lin Tu spent killing chickens, plucking feathers, and cleaning innards. She collected a full basin of chicken blood, and only then did she feel a measure of relief.

On the third day, it should have been the day civilians were allowed up to the Open Deck. Lin Tu rose early, only to find that not just the deck—the entire ship was dead quiet. Realizing something was off, she grabbed some chicken blood and put on her protective suit. Familiar with the deck layout by now, she hitched a ride hidden among the military's supply transports as they moved provisions, slipping back to Deck 2.

A loud "bang bang bang" at the door made the mother and daughter in the electrical room tremble. "Quick, quick! Hide in the corner!"

"Mom..." Mamira couldn't hold back her tears. "I'll fight him to the death!"

"Is anyone there?" After a moment, a familiar voice at the door finally made both of them breathe easier.

Malin En hurriedly opened the door and welcomed Lin Tu inside. She checked behind her, left and right, before finally relaxing.

"What's going on?" Lin Tu asked curiously.

"It's those soldiers!" Malin En said angrily. "The ship's been getting more chaotic these past two days, and with guns in hand, they're getting bolder and more lawless. A couple days ago, some soldiers came to inspect the electrical room and said we couldn't stay here," her eyes reddened with fury, "and demanded we hand over our things!"

"I thought I'd ask them to be lenient, so I gave up my food. But yesterday they came again, demanding more, and I had no choice but to give them my medicine. And then he said he'd be back today, until... until they have my daughter!"

Mamira lowered her head, crying silently. Lin Tu clenched her fists. What scum! Human garbage!

"When do they usually come?" Lin Tu asked.

"Around this time. Just now, I thought it was them knocking," Malin En said, growing nervous. "Miss Lin, you should leave quickly! You're a respectable person; they wouldn't dare lay a hand on you. But if you run into them here, in this remote electrical room where no one would know, even you could be in danger!"

"It's fine, I've trained," Lin Tu said, pulling the long blade from her back. "I may need Mamira to coordinate with me. Would you—"

"I'll do anything!" Mamira said immediately. "Even if it means infecting myself with the plague and taking them down with me!"

Lin Tu laughed. "Killing them won't require that."

All she needed was for Mamira to fake succumbing to pressure and yield, just enough to draw the soldiers' attention.

"Afterwards, you two follow me. I have a place for you," Lin Tu said.

With Lin Tu's meticulous planning, the mother and daughter calmed down considerably. Mamira even pulled a thin booklet from her clothes and started reading. Lin Tu noticed it was a book on raising chickens, titled "Broiler Management and Disease Prevention and Treatment." She'd just been studying "Efficient Native Chicken Farming" herself, and couldn't help but take an interest.

"Why are you reading this?" Lin Tu asked. "Is there a place on the ship for raising chickens?"

"There is," Mamira said enthusiastically. "It's on the Open Deck, but I've never had the chance to see it."

"Mira studied finance," Malin En interjected, pulling out some compressed biscuits she'd stashed in the corner to make a biscuit porridge.

That piqued Lin Tu's interest even more. What a coincidence—she'd studied finance too. It was rare to share such alignment. She thought she'd chat with Mamira and instinctively pulled two bottles of coffee from her backpack, offering one to Mamira.

Mamira quickly waved her hands in refusal. "No, no, I can't take that!"

Lin Tu assumed she was just being polite and pushed it forward again.

To her surprise, Mamira refused again—so vehemently she practically jumped as if shocked. Lin Tu was puzzled.

"People of my class aren't worthy of drinking coffee," Mamira said, looking a little dejected, a flush spreading across her face. "I know you mean well. My classmates used to invite me too. But I've always believed that if you can't fit in, there's no point forcing it, and if something isn't yours, there's no point longing for it. Even if you're offering it to me, and I'm sure it tastes wonderful, I'd feel nothing but discomfort drinking it. I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

Back at school, her classmates had offered her things only because everyone wore the same uniform. Now, she had no idea why Lin Tu was giving her anything. Did Lin Tu not see how dirty and tattered her clothes were, the oil crusted in her hair and on her face? Her bed was right there in front of her—couldn't she see that filthy cot patched together from a doormat and a curtain?

Lin Tu didn't fully understand, but she silently drew her hand back.

She'd always assumed the so-called upper, middle, and lower classes among Decks 1 through 6 on this ship were just a matter of money. She'd never imagined they truly boxed people into frameworks—a culture so twisted and deformed, yet so self-consistent.

She'd grown up with the belief that everyone was equal, but at this moment, she couldn't muster any grand platitudes. Because she couldn't do anything for them, any words she offered would just sound like showing off.

After putting away the coffee, Lin Tu handed over a bottle of plain water. This time, Mamira shyly thanked her and accepted it. Lin Tu said, "I have some chicken-raising books too. I'll give them to you later."

Mamira lit up. "Really? You're interested in raising chickens too?" No wonder Lin Tu had asked about it earlier. Mamira carefully wiped the book in her hands and presented it to Lin Tu with both hands. "This was a gift I chose when I won an award. The techniques in it are really interesting. Thank you so much for helping me and my mother. Please take this book."

This book clearly meant a lot to the girl. Lin Tu instinctively held her breath as she accepted it—a slim volume, clearly read many times over.

She didn't refuse. Flipping through a couple of pages, she found some new knowledge and said with pleasant surprise, "Thank you!"

Mamira smiled shyly.

Just then, the biscuit porridge Malin En had heated with the generator was ready. Lin Tu had said she didn't need any earlier, but the mother's enthusiasm won out, and she now wore something of a pained expression.

Lin Tu accepted the "porridge" and took a reluctant sip. The compressed biscuits were too hard and scratchy on her throat, and once soaked, the onion flavor seeped out completely—it was a bit overwhelming.

But this was their way of showing kindness by offering their most precious possessions. She couldn't exactly turn her nose up in front of them. Lin Tu steeled herself and downed it in one go. The moment she finished, a knock came at the door.

The mother and daughter tensed up immediately.

Lin Tu set down the cup, gave them an encouraging look, and slipped into the hiding spot Mamira had prepared earlier. Hidden in the shadows, she finally let her pained expression show, frantically pouring a dozen or so breath mints into her mouth to mask that onion taste—Damn these bastards, why did they have to show up right after she finished the porridge? Truly scum.

"I'm sorry, we really have nothing left..." Inside the room, the mother and daughter began their act. "Can you please be lenient? I'm begging you."

What followed was a stream of heated abuse and insults that made one's blood boil. Several times Lin Tu nearly lost her temper and jumped out, but she held herself back.

"Alright, can you brothers take off your clothes first? I'm a little shy. If I see your strong physiques, I'll be more enthusiastic." Mamira didn't follow the plan of letting them come straight to her—she added a little improvisation.

Lin Tu frowned, worried for Mamira.

"Fine," the men exchanged glances and grinned lewdly. "Then we'll all strip together."

Without hesitation, Mamira shed her own jacket. Seeing how forward she was, the men gleefully stripped down as well, like beasts released from their cages, a cacophony of flailing limbs.

Mamira led them toward Lin Tu's direction while stripping. She removed one piece, they removed one. Finally, their belts hit the floor with a "thump," along with their pistols—they must never have imagined two frail women would have the nerve to bite back, so they hadn't been on guard at all.

At last, they approached, their backs turned to Lin Tu.

Lin Tu stepped out of the shadows and saw Mamira's humiliated, furious face. She raised her blade and struck at the nearest man. Malin En, who had been pretending to look away in distress, also charged over in fury. But she didn't recklessly join the fight—instead, she quickly scooped up the fallen pistols.

Without their guns, these men were no match for Lin Tu.

In a few swift strokes, several of them lay dead with eyes wide open, leaving only one trembling in the corner, covered in knife wounds.

"You... how dare you!" His lips quivered.

Mamira slowly dressed herself, smiling at him with malice and hatred. Her hair was a mess, her clothes splattered with blood, like a vengeful ghost—terrifying the man into uncontrollable shaking.

"I have a few questions for you," Lin Tu said, not killing him immediately.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"Do you know someone's been stealing the ship's fuel?" Lin Tu asked. "Or do you know if some of the fuel's gone missing?"

The man looked surprised. "That's happening too?"

Lin Tu changed her approach. "Do you know what happened on Deck 7?"

"Yes," the man said tearfully. "They say a highly contagious patient appeared and killed the crew on duty. Secretary Pang's personal soldiers went to clean it up a few days ago, but it got away."

And that was it? Not a word about the missing fuel. So it was being hushed up—the fuel thief was someone of high status.

"One last question," Lin Tu said. "Why weren't civilians allowed up on the Open Deck today?"

That was also what the mother and daughter wanted to know. They perked up their ears as he said, "I don't know—"

Before he could finish, a blade wind swept toward him. He quickly changed his tune: "I know! I know! Word is they're not ready above yet. In two days—the day after tomorrow, the civilians will definitely be allowed up!"

Lin Tu hummed in acknowledgment and finished him off with one strike. The mother and daughter knew this information too—to be precise, anyone who asked the military would get this standard answer.

The mother and daughter had already gathered the soldiers' pistols and handed them to Lin Tu.

"Keep one each for yourselves," Lin Tu said. "Give me the rest."

The two nodded without fussing.

Lin Tu noticed Mamira's clothes were splattered with blood. She'd considered giving her one of the high-end shirts she'd scavenged, but on second thought, she took out a clean change of clothes from her own stash instead. "Put these on. We're leaving now."

About ten minutes later, they arrived at Lin Tu's Room 442.

She opened the door—the room was immaculately clean, with almost no trace of habitation.

"This won't do. This is your room, we can't—" Malin En started.

Lin Tu didn't give her a chance to finish. She tossed her the key. Then she walked to the refrigerator and opened it, finding it completely empty inside as expected. Lin Tu reached in and filled it with a stack of instant meals, a bag of fruit, and plenty of high-calorie biscuits and snacks, along with some water and drinks.

Too bad her Single-Use Backpack only contained high-calorie, unhealthy food. Lin Tu felt a little embarrassed. The four chickens she'd just slaughtered were sitting in the time-frozen cabinet, or she could have given the pair a chicken too.

Pretending she'd opened the fridge just to grab a bottle of water, Lin Tu closed it again. "I have my own place to stay. This room would just sit empty otherwise. Stay here, and don't go out anytime soon—even if you receive official notices. There's food in the fridge; it's all stuff I didn't want anyway. Eat as you please."

She then opened the wardrobe, relieved to find a few clothes inside. Lin Tu didn't stuff more in. She tested the faucet and electrical system, confirmed everything worked, and then left the room to the mother and daughter.

Looking at this safe, warm room, Mamira could hardly believe it was real. She lowered her head, dabbing at her reddened eyes. Malin En didn't know how to express her gratitude and could only repeat her thanks. "If there's anything you need, just tell me. I'll go through fire and water for you!"

Lin Tu smiled. "There is one thing. A few days ago, I sent someone to ask you about... something."

Mamira immediately recalled it and looked up. "Yes! I know!"

"Who was he looking for? Did he find them?"

"I'm afraid he won't," Mamira said regretfully, her voice turning angry. "He was looking for Dr. Qiu Minsha. But I heard Dr. Qiu caught the plague while treating patients, and they forcibly exiled her. She died during the exile. It's absolutely despicable—just because she wasn't upper class, they disposed of her like that! They exiled Dr. Qiu, and look what good it did! The plague still spread! Dr. Qiu was such a good person. If they'd let her rest and recover, she might have survived, and she could have saved so many more!"

Lin Tu thought of the blood-red hole in Qiu Minsha's forehead, her eyes staring wide, refusing to close in death. She was silent for a moment, a wave of unspeakable sorrow rising in her chest. "If it had been you, Qiu Minsha might not have died."

"Of course!" Mamira said. "Even a child knows you never abandon your own people."

After parting with the mother and daughter, Lin Tu received a message from the Butler: the peach blossom was blooming.

This time, she chose to wear the jacket she'd taken from the dead soldiers. It was uncomfortable wearing a stiff military shell over her protective suit, but Lin Tu would just have to endure it.

Deck 1 had strict access control, but the Open Deck was far more lax. Dressed in military gear, Lin Tu made it up to the Open Deck without much trouble. She was about to sneak back to her cabin from a concealed spot when she spotted some crewmen opening one of the shipping containers.

Damn it! Her cabin was right nearby.

Instantly alert, Lin Tu ducked aside to watch. It wasn't just those few crewmen—there were two or three other groups, all frantically hauling cargo out of the containers. Canned foods of all kinds, smoked and dried goods, winter and summer clothing, rice, flour, oil... They loaded the supplies high onto handcarts and hauled them toward the crane.

Thankfully, the container housing her cabin was on the luxury goods side, and none of the crewmen had moved to it yet.

What were they doing? Lin Tu puzzled.

Then she saw the crane slowly turning, and the massive object it was hoisting gradually revealed itself from behind the containers—first the mast, then a pristine white bow thrusting boldly forward, and finally its full length—a giant ship.

This ship wasn't as large as the one beneath her feet, unable to hold so many civilians. But it wasn't as small as she might have imagined either—at least everyone from Deck 1 could fit inside.

In an instant, Lin Tu understood the whole truth.

Who stole the fuel, what the supplies were for, and why the civilians were told to wait a few more days before coming up to the deck—it all clicked.