Chapter 840: Hitting a Wall
Old Tian mercilessly shattered her beautiful fantasy.
"Do you think this is the same as your expensive leisure trips?"
"Deep-sea fishing always targets rich fishing grounds with premium bait."
"But look where we are now! The ocean isn't uniformly full of fish. Without choosing specific spots, it's completely normal to catch nothing all day."
"Besides, fishing requires bait. Do you expect us to give you our food supplies?"
Old Tian pointed outside.
The Golden Edge was advancing at high speed.
"At this speed with such rough waves, nobody can stay outside for long."
Zhu Yunque's face flushed red then paled under Old Tian's blunt assessment.
Her carefully devised brilliant plan was nothing but a joke to the seasoned sailor.
"If this won't work and that won't work, how exactly are we supposed to solve the food shortage?" Zhu Yunque demanded angrily.
Old Tian covered his mouth with his hand, coughing forcefully several times.
Otherwise, he might have burst out laughing right then.
Who asked you to meddle and create this mess in the first place?
"Like I said before, if you truly want to solve this, you'll have to discuss it with the captain," Old Tian concluded before excusing himself to eat.
He joined the sailors' table, picking up a large bowl of rice alongside plentiful dishes of chicken, duck, fish and meat - all frozen provisions skillfully prepared by Xie Changming into delicious meals.
The more Zhu Yunque watched, the angrier she grew, losing her appetite entirely.
Just then, Su Nuanxi approached carrying a metal food container.
"Senior Sister, how did the discussion go? Did the crew agree to share food with those in the lower deck?"
Zhu Yunque shook her head.
Su Nuanxi shot the carefree sailors a disdainful glance as they laughed heartily over their abundant meal.
"How utterly heartless!" she declared. "Come, Senior Sister! Let's give our food to those poor starving souls!"
Her own rations were specially prepared and barely edible anyway - no great loss.
She could always mooch off Zhu Yunque's meals later.
Blinded by anger, Zhu Yunque likewise had no appetite.
She considered Old Tian and his crew as cold-blooded as Zhang Yi.
But she was different.
As a Western-educated intellectual who respected human dignity, she must shine brighter in such circumstances - her moral superiority highlighting Zhang Yi's pettiness.
With this self-righteous conviction, even her plain meal seemed sanctified, like communion bread during Mass.
"Wait, I'll fetch Zhou Ke'er," Zhu Yunque decided, feeling two portions were insufficient and that the gentle Zhou Ke'er might join their charitable act.
Soon, the pair marched resolutely to Zhang Yi and Zhou Ke'er's cabin.
Only after the third round did the door crack open, revealing Zhou Ke'er in a black nightgown, her silky hair cascading over voluptuous curves with effortless allure.
"Why are you two visiting instead of eating breakfast?" she asked sleepily.
Peeking past her, Zhu Yunque saw no sign of Zhang Yi though she knew he was inside.
"We're taking food to help those poor refugees," she announced loudly. "Lisa and I are sharing our meals with them. Will you join us?"
Zhou Ke'er barely suppressed her amusement at their metal food containers.
"You're actually going through with this?"
"Of course! We know you're compassionate too!" Zhu Yunque pressed, secretly hoping Zhou Ke'er's participation would force Zhang Yi to indirectly support the refugees through his personal food stores.
Zhou Ke'er chuckled. "I just finished eating!"
"Oh..." Both women feigned disappointment.
Zhou Ke'er eyed their containers. "But honestly, how many people can you feed with so little?"
Su Nuanxi sniffed. "It's the thought that counts! This demonstrates our kindness and humanity!"
Nodding with a smile, Zhou Ke'er mused, "Admirable intentions. I just worry that with so many hungry people and so little food... might cause fights."
The revelation stunned Zhu Yunque and Su Nuanxi into exchanging uneasy glances.
But Zhu Yunque quickly recovered, unwilling to give Zhang Yi satisfaction.
"Impossible! The Rockflow Island survivors are civilized people. They'd never act like animals."
Zhou Ke'er smiled. "Well then, best of luck with your charity."
As they departed for the lower decks, Zhou Ke'er closed the door and rejoined Zhang Yi, who was lounging on a sofa chatting via satellite phone - though Zhu Yunque's loud declarations were impossible to ignore.
"Those silly women are off to do something stupid again," Zhou Ke'er remarked with a bewitching smile.
Zhang Yi didn't glance up from his call. "Spoiled women who've never known hardship will always be naive." His lips curled. "But I dislike sanctimonious flies buzzing around me."
Meeting Zhou Ke'er's gaze with predatory amusement, he concluded:
"Let's use this opportunity to teach them a proper lesson."
Meanwhile, Zhu Yunque and Su Nuanxi reached the lower decks, requesting a crew member to unlock the refugee quarters.
The sailor hesitated. "Miss, I should warn you - conditions down there aren't ideal."
Zhu Yunque dismissed him. "They'll only thank us for bringing food."