Chapter 823: A Gathering of Talents
As Che Haicheng entered the room, all his fellow occupants turned to look at him with knowing smiles.
Xie Yunfan, a Columbus Ocean-born Chinese with cracked gold-rimmed glasses and a former executive at a major corporation, teased: "Che Haicheng, did you send your wife to entertain that cook again?"
Che Haicheng responded with a nonchalant smirk, even arching his eyebrows with a hint of pride. "You're just jealous!"
Xie Yunfan snorted coldly. "I have no interest in such vulgar pastimes."
With a hearty laugh, Che Haicheng placed the food on the table and began distributing portions into each person's lunchbox.
Liu Nansheng, a balding middle-aged man in his fifties, chuckled: "I truly admire Mr. Che's mentality! A real man knows when to bend and when to stand tall—that's how one achieves great things."
Xie Yunfan frowned in disgust at their conversation. Picking up his rice bowl, he muttered, "But what difference is there between this and pigs or dogs? Trading a woman's charms for benefits is utterly contemptible!"
Che Haicheng burst into laughter, eyeing him mockingly. "Says the man who seduced a wealthy Columbus Ocean widow through marriage fraud to split her assets."
The room erupted in amused laughter as everyone came forward to collect their meals. Trading barbed insults had become their daily entertainment.
"Hey, Mr. Che," said a brown-bearded man approaching Che Haicheng. "Since you're so generous, why not help out your fellow sufferers?"
The man was Rudolf from southern Prussia. Despite his rough appearance, his hands were remarkably delicate.
Far from taking offense, Che Haicheng grinned slyly. "That depends on what you can offer me."
Rudolf reached into his pocket and produced a Rolex gold watch.
Che Haicheng shook his head. "That's worthless to me now. Bring me something actually useful!"
"Damn it!" Rudolf cursed angrily. "As a professional pickpocket, I only steal valuables! And now they're all useless junk!"
In a fit of rage, he threw the solid gold watch to the ground and stomped on it, shattering the glass.
Che Haicheng looked at him disdainfully. "Kim Kimee is my most important asset right now—I need her to cozy up to the ship's officers! Don't even think about touching her."
"Come on, you're not being fair! We've suffered together. Back then, just a chicken leg would've gotten you through the night."
Their bickering continued, but not everyone joined in the noise.
A melancholy Western man with long curly hair and a thick beard quietly picked up the shattered watch, studying its dial intently.
Meanwhile, by the porthole, Li Zongyu's colleague—a Columbus Ocean native who went by the Chinese name White Mo—stared blankly at the frozen sea, as still as death.
"Why won't they respond? I don't want to go to a foreign land. Talitha... is she still waiting for me back home? Are she and our child okay?"
White Mo thought of his wife and daughter on the other side of the ocean—his reason for surviving this long.
For six months, he had desperately reached out to Columbus Ocean authorities through every channel available, whether contacting the homeland or their naval forces stationed at Ropefly Island.
But his pleas had vanished without a trace, like stones sinking into the sea.
After half a year of waiting, salvation had come instead from the Huaxu Kingdom's rescue ship.
If he set foot on that land, he would be at the farthest point on Earth from home.
In this apocalyptic world, he didn't know if he'd ever see his homeland again.
"Hey, White Mo, what's troubling you?"
Having failed to get what he wanted from Che Haicheng, Rudolf came over to chat with the brooding young man.
White Mo glanced at him and sighed. "I was wondering... will we ever get to go home?"
His words cast a contemplative silence over some in the room.
Eisenmann turned to give him a deep look but said nothing.
Rudolf, however, simply shrugged. "Anywhere is fine as long as there are girls and booze."
Xie Yunfan, leaning against the wall, frowned deeply. "But I don't want to stay in that country."
Che Haicheng shot him a glance. "Xie, didn't you grow up there?"
Xie Yunfan straightened up irritably, glaring. "That's irrelevant! The point is, I'm now a Columbus Ocean citizen."
Che Haicheng scoffed. "Even White Mo here, a genuine Columbus Ocean citizen, got no rescue. You should've given up by now."
"You seem more loyal than their actual natives. Too bad—right now, no matter where you go, you'll be at the bottom. So stop deluding yourself!"
Xie Yunfan bristled like a ruffled rooster.
Sputtering, he retorted, "What do you know?" Mumbling something about "freedom" and "rights," his words were drowned out by the room's laughter.
They'd get by just fine without Xie Yunfan anyway.
Che Haicheng pulled an egg from his pocket, grinning as he peeled and savored it slowly.
The others naturally received no such luxury.
Some clicked their tongues in feigned disdain, though inwardly they burned with envy.
But without wives as beautiful as Che Haicheng's to trade for food, they had to pretend they were above such things.
Soon after, Kim Kimee returned from the upper decks.
Che Haicheng hurried over, glancing cautiously at the others before whispering, "Well? What did you get this time?"
Kim Kimee smiled smugly and pulled out a pigeon egg-sized diamond ring, showing it off proudly.
"Look! A diamond ring! Such a big one!"
Che Haicheng's eyes bulged, his body freezing on the spot.
"Are... you joking with me?"
His smile was strained.
Kim Kimee pouted, admiring her new ring. "Why would I joke? You've never bought me one this big!"
Che Haicheng paled, hissing under his breath, "You idiot! At a time , diamonds are worth less than dirt! What the hell do you need that for?!"