Chapter 835: The Stowaways on the Ship
Lu Dahai stepped forward and boldly stated the fact that the lower deck was lacking food supplies.
"Our food rations have always been short. We never know if we'll get a full meal each day."
"Mr. Zhang, we didn't complain at first. We're already grateful you mercifully saved us by taking us aboard. So even when there wasn't enough food, we endured it. At worst, we'd just go hungry for a while!"
"Everyone's food ration is fixed - no one gets less. Unless some of you have unusually large appetites, in which case you should reflect on yourselves."
"You should eat less. When you're hungry, you only have one worry. But when you're full, countless worries emerge."
Lu Dahai quickly responded, "We don't eat much! Adults only get half-full, children about seventy percent full."
"Though some of us are fishermen used to hard labor with bigger appetites, the shortage shouldn't be this severe."
He stepped forward and pointed accusingly at Lu Dahai.
"Don't you fucking beat around the bush! Are you implying I've been skimming your rations?"
Lu Dahai kept his head lowered, sneakily glancing between Xie Changming and Zhang Yi. Though he didn't respond, his meaning was clear.
Zhang Yi remained unperturbed and continued questioning.
"If that's the case, why did you suddenly decide to cause trouble now? Did someone starve to death?"
At this point, several crew members looked uncomfortable.
Even Zhu Yunque sitting beside Zhang Yi subtly frowned, as if something was difficult to say aloud.
Zhang Yi naturally sensed this strange atmosphere - something had clearly happened without his knowledge.
But he couldn't understand why food would be lacking.
Xie Changming wouldn't withhold food - keeping extra would be meaningless for him.
The crew ate much better fare anyway.
Zhang Yi gave Old Tian a meaningful look full of inquiry.
His meaning was obvious.
Daily ship operations were Old Tian's responsibility.
If such things occurred without Zhang Yi's knowledge but Old Tian remained unaware, it would be his dereliction of duty.
Old Tian smiled awkwardly.
"Mr. Zhang, here's what actually happened."
Old Tian explained the situation, allowing everyone to understand the full story.
It turned out the lower deck's food shortage had existed from the beginning.
The reason was unclear, and Old Tian's team hadn't bothered investigating.
After all, the lower deck ate communal meals - they just delivered the buckets daily and let them distribute it themselves.
Zhang Yi's allocated supplies weren't the issue - they were correctly portioned per person and theoretically sufficient.
But somewhere along the line, something went wrong.
If it were just this, resentment wouldn't have grown.
Not full, but not starving either.
But then came the age-old problem.
After long periods at sea, the crew grew lonely and needed physical and emotional comfort.
So they frequently visited the lower decks to find women (and some men) from the Rockflow Group or lower decks.
The Rockflow Group had fewer women, while the lower decks had relatively more.
The food shortage ironically gave the crew bargaining chips for exchanges.
As these interactions increased, lower deck residents began visiting middle/upper decks and seeing their food.
Humans can endure darkness until they glimpse light - then desire awakens.
Those perpetually hungry below gradually learned how lavishly the upper two decks lived.
Some vividly described the sailors' meals - fish and meat at every serving.
Even middle deck residents regularly received ample protein.
This finally drove the lower deck to emotional outbursts, culminating in today's disturbance.
Not sudden, but long-simmering.
Lu Dahai looked at Zhang Yi, his dark skin reflecting harsh light.
"Mr. Zhang, we're not ungrateful. We don't want to oppose you. But we're fellow countrymen - why do these foreigners eat their fill while we starve?"
"We're willing to work for our meals!"
He pointed accusingly at the Rockflow Group's foreigners, startling White Mo and others.
"Don't spout nonsense! What's wrong with foreigners? I can work too! I love Huaxu Kingdom too!"
Zhang Yi rubbed his hands together.
"I've understood the whole situation. The root issue is insufficient food, correct?"
The lower deck crowd nodded in unison.
Zhang Yi glanced at Xie Changming.
"Old Xie, explanation?"
Xie Changming hurriedly defended himself:
"Mr. Zhang, I wouldn't dare disobey your orders to withhold their food even if you gave me a hundred more guts!"
"Besides, what would I do with extra rations?"
Zhang Yi nodded. "I see, I see."
His gaze passed over Zhu Yunque, whose face clearly showed discomfort.
Zhang Yi smiled oddly.
He rose from the sofa and walked to the warehouse center.
"The food supply hasn't decreased. So why are people still hungry?"
The crowd looked confused.
Zhang Yi raised a finger.
"It's simple math even elementary students understand!"
He approached a lower deck boy and patted his head.
"Little one, let me test you. If total food stays the same, what makes each person's share decrease?"
The boy answered immediately: "More people!"
Zhang Yi smiled and ruffled his hair. "So smart!"
"There's only one truth - there are stowaways on the lower deck!"
Zhang Yi declared cheerfully.
Chaos immediately erupted throughout the warehouse.
"Impossible! Boarding was so strictly controlled!"
Old Tian urgently told Zhang Yi:
"Mr. Zhang, we thoroughly screened all boarders! No one could have slipped through!"
Zhang Yi recalled those he'd seen climbing aboard with grappling hooks.
Some Southeast Asian nationals were expert climbers.
Some might even be part-time pirates.
"Normally impossible, unless there was inside help."
Zhang Yi's playful gaze landed on Zhu Yunque, who froze as if plunged into icy water, instinctively averting her eyes in extreme discomfort.