Chapter 857: Restless Hearts
Old Tian ordered everyone who was still alive to be gathered out. According to Zhang Yi’s instructions, all Huaxu Kingdom citizens were to remain, while the stowaways would naturally be sent to their deaths. After the battle, countless casualties filled the entire lower deck cabin. There were seventy-five survivors, twenty-eight of whom were seriously injured, while the rest had minor wounds. Old Tian remembered Zhang Yi’s orders and had the wounded gathered into a dry storage room, waiting for Zhang Yi’s further instructions. Whether to discard them or treat them would be decided later. As for the stowaways, those already dead were left as is, and the living ones were finished off.
Then, the lightly injured Huaxu Kingdom people were called over to serve as laborers, tasked with throwing the corpses into the sea and thoroughly cleaning the entire cabin. Even though these people were already exhausted, they still had to perform heavy labor. Yet, in their hearts, an unprecedented sense of relief settled. Because many had died inside the cabin, from now on, they would no longer have to worry about food shortages.
Thus, the lower deck cabin began bustling with clattering sounds. People carried the wounded, transported corpses, cleaned the cabin, and trafficked back and forth nonstop. All had to pass through the middle deck, where the Rockflow Group members resided. The Rockflow Group’s treatment was comparatively better. Unlike those in the lower deck cabin, they enjoyed a certain degree of freedom. For example, the main door was open during the day, and with permission, they could go out to the deck for fresh air. This was a backdoor Zhang Yi had opened for Li Zongyu to show his goodwill.
At this time, so many people began carrying out a massive operation to move the wounded and corpses. Blood dripped continuously along the way. Many Rockflow Group members watched this scene anxiously. They were already uneasy, fearing that this incident would implicate them. Seeing the numerous corpses in the lower deck cabin, combined with crew members wearing rubber coats and carrying guns, some trembled with fear, suspecting Zhang Yi had ordered a purge of the lower deck cabin. Once the seed of suspicion was planted, it quickly took root and sprouted. With people embellishing and speculating wildly, it rapidly escalated out of control.
Soon, tense and fearful discussions began in multiple rooms throughout the Rockflow Group. “So many people died, at least seventy or eighty! Maybe everyone in the lower deck cabin is dead!” “Oh my god, why did this happen?” “Maybe it was because of food fights! They’ve had this conflict for a long time, starving every day. Who could stand that?” “But there shouldn’t be that many deaths, right?” “Could it be... a purge from the higher-ups? They never planned to bring that many back!” “Will we end up the same way as them?” Panic began to spread through the air.
White Mo crouched in the corner, trembling so hard his lips quivered. “I’m a foreigner. I will definitely die. He won’t spare me!” He was already thoroughly scared out of his wits. Xie Yunfan furrowed his brows and quietly spoke, “Actually, I’m a Huaxu Kingdom citizen. I think we should try to talk with him.” Che Haicheng sneered and cursed, “Hey~ Old bastard Zhang, now you’re a Huaxu citizen again! Didn’t you mock the Huaxu Kingdom before, saying it’s a terrible place everywhere?” “If you dare leave us behind, I’ll make sure to tell them everything you said during this time! Then I’ll throw you into the sea to feed the sharks!” Xie Yunfan’s expression changed drastically. Angry, he jumped off the bed and fiercely grabbed Che Haicheng’s collar. “You damn scoundrel! If you dare report me, I’ll say you’re always cursing that Zhang guy! If we die, we die together!”
The burly pickpocket Rudolf laughed heartily and applauded them. “Report? Let’s all report each other, no one survives!” In the cabin, Eisenmann, the engineer who had been the calmest and most silent until now, could no longer hold back. “What good will this do? It’s meaningless! The most important thing now is to figure out how to survive successfully.”
White Mo looked at Eisenmann. “Eisenmann, do you have a plan?” Eisenmann’s expression was hesitant as he fell silent. Seeing this, everyone looked at him. They all thought this engineer was extraordinary. He was extremely intelligent, a genius in the computer field. It was said that at twenty-one, he joined the largest enterprise in Columbus Ocean, the Apple Corporation, as a software engineer.
Others kept pressing. “If you have something to say, just say it first. We swear we won’t leak it!” Eisenmann sneered. He trusted no one, especially not Che Haicheng, the two-faced scoundrel who often reported those around him. He was the one Eisenmann feared most. Che Haicheng was aware of Eisenmann’s suspicion. He walked over, scanned everyone in the room, and then cleared his throat. “I think it’s best we don’t fight among ourselves. After all, that Zhang guy never treated us as his own.” “Whenever he needs to, he can take our lives at any time.” “Right now, we can only rely on ourselves.”
Che Haicheng had originally wanted to be Zhang Yi’s sycophant, even an undercover agent. As long as he could survive, he was willing to give everything. Whether it was reporting Rockflow Group members around him or offering his still somewhat attractive wife, he would do anything to stay alive. However, Zhang Yi had given him no response, which made Che Haicheng uneasy inside.
“How about this? To show unity, each of us insults Zhang Yi here. That way, no one has a way out. What do you think?” Che Haicheng still had ideas. In times like these, anyone who dared insult the ship’s captain would definitely be severely punished, even executed! This was a blood oath to prevent betrayal among them.
Everyone thought the proposal was feasible. Moreover, they were not Huaxu Kingdom citizens. Most had opposed going to Huaxu Kingdom with Li Zongyu initially. After discussion, they held an immediate ceremony to harshly curse Zhang Yi, expressing their determination.