Ch 107: The World’s Number One Resort

At 7 PM, Tang Huai waited for another hour near the port. When no ships appeared, he called the Great Tang No. 1. Since the arrival of the latest group of tourists, Alang’s experience points had naturally surpassed 100,000, allowing him to level up successfully.

With this upgrade, Alang acquired two new skills: 1. His operational range extended from the previous 3,000 nautical miles to the entire Pacific Ocean. 2. He could now detect the coordinates of ships within a 100-nautical-mile radius.

“No ships within 300 nautical miles of Sora Island,” Alang reported five minutes after Tang Huai’s call.

Aboard the Great Tang No. 1, Alang was holding a beer bottle, gazing out over the empty, tranquil sea, which resembled a meticulously crafted painting.

“I need a ship. I’ll pay the market price…” Tang Huai replied. Seeing the first part of the message, Alang was slightly annoyed, but the latter part made him relax. Over the past six months, he and Tang Huai had maintained a 50-50 business partnership. Although they had experienced some friction, their cooperation had been mostly pleasant. In the past year, Alang had grown from his once-reckless self into a more mature man.

Alang placed the beer bottle aside and typed out a message: “I can give you a 20% discount.”

With nothing much to do at the moment, he was also curious to see why Tang Huai needed a ship.

…

While Tang Huai searched for Yu You, aboard the Tequila, Yu You sat in a damp storage room, his hands cuffed behind a wooden table. Perhaps due to his seemingly weaker appearance, he had not been subjected to excessive mistreatment beyond restricted movement.

“Is this electroacupuncture? No, the pigment density is uneven. This must have been done by hand; it’s too perfect,” Aubrey commented as he pulled up a chair, sitting in front of Yu You with an intrigued expression. Westerners and Asians had different aesthetics, but Yu You’s otherworldly beauty transcended nationality and skin color. What was originally just a casual business move had turned into a surprising delight.

The intricate vine-like tattoos on Yu You’s face blended harmoniously with his aura. The more Aubrey looked, the more he felt like he had stumbled upon a hidden treasure.

“Is there a way not to go to Stanback Island? I can pay you a fee,” Yu You suggested, struggling against the cuffs. Not only did his phone lack a signal, but its battery had also run out. The phone had been confiscated by Aubrey and his men, cutting off all contact with the outside world.

“Pay a fee? Dollars are a fine thing, but I don’t need them right now,” Aubrey chuckled, amused by Yu You’s offer, and then stepped out of the room. Yu You expected some peace, but Aubrey soon returned.

This time, he was holding a tray. On it were several silver needles, dyes, and coloring liquids.

Aubrey placed the tray on the table beside Yu You and picked up a silver needle, moving it slowly along Yu You’s right cheek.

“In addition to running a ship, I’m also an amateur tattoo artist.”

Aubrey truly was a tattoo artist, though unlike ordinary tattooists, his passion was collecting tattoos. He loved gathering various tattoos into his collection. Over the years, few designs had caught his eye, but the moment he saw Yu You, his desire to collect flared up wildly.

“I have to leave,” Yu You declared, disregarding the needle near his eye. At the same time, his legs began to subtly change. Yu You had a bit of a solitary nature, but he was not naive. Knowing that the Tequila was not headed to Sora Island, he saw no reason to continue playing along.

“You’re calmer than those other three. Don’t worry; I won’t hurt you,” Aubrey paused, then stood up and sliced open a burlap sack on the side of the cabin. Inside were some tattered children’s clothes, matching the story of his “clothing business.”

After rummaging through the old clothes, Aubrey pulled out a white powder packet. He then grabbed a syringe, mixing the powder with an unknown liquid.

In the dimly lit storage room, where only Aubrey and Yu You were present, Yu You’s hands began to transform. The silver handcuffs around his wrists became purely decorative…

“I’m not going to harm you. I only want the tattoo on your face,” Aubrey said, turning around just as Yu You was about to break free. The syringe in his hand held only ten milliliters of liquid, looking small yet delicate.

“This is this year’s new product. Quite the flavor,” Aubrey said, shaking the syringe in his hand. He considered himself a decent person; he was only after the tattoo. As for Yu You… even if his face were ruined, his other half would still likely attract the interest of many drug lords.

“What is that?” Yu You’s struggle paused the moment he saw the syringe.

…

“This is a monster. A mermaid? I wonder if it’s immune to drugs.”

“Does anyone have a dagger? Its blood is actually red. Fascinating.”

“Amazing ocean… there’s actually such a creature…”

…

Yu You felt his mind was in chaos, with images flashing continuously. It was of another damp warehouse, much larger than the one he was in now. In front of him stood a group of men in leather boots, holding long rifles. Some used short knives to slice his tail, peeling off scales to soak them in white laboratory jars. Others questioned him about his origin, over and over…

In the end, a man in a white coat appeared, holding a syringe that was identical to the one in front of him.

Yu You glanced down at his legs, noticing several cuts on them made by daggers.

“He will take you to a magical land,” Aubrey murmured, lifting Yu You’s sleeve with a look of fascination. The thought of slicing off the tattoo at the peak of the boy’s beauty filled him with excitement.

“I refuse,” Yu You snapped back to reality. He looked at the syringe drawing nearer, then glanced at Aubrey, his voice unnervingly calm.

Aubrey looked up, puzzled.

…

“I asked the Cape of Good Hope. A fishing boat spotted the Tequila 200 nautical miles due south of Clipperton…”

At midnight, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Great Tang No. 1 sped along at 50 knots. The Tequila had set sail four days earlier. Tang Huai estimated its speed and purchased a “Ship Speed Booster” from the system’s marketplace, allowing him to reach the vicinity of Clipperton in such a short time.

On the deck of the Great Tang No. 1, Alang checked the navigational instruments and analyzed the location of the Tequila. Although Alang was known for his fierce nature, he maintained a friendly demeanor around others. Over the past year, he had made many friends across the Pacific. The Tequila’s direction had been provided by other ships.

“How much longer until we catch up?” Tang Huai stood on the deck, his expression heavy. From the Tequila’s current direction, its destination clearly wasn’t Sora Island.

“Not exactly sure… Wait, found it! Southwest, seven o’clock position.” Alang shrugged, about to say something else when he suddenly changed his tone. Since leveling up to a mid-tier captain, he had gained the skill to detect the coordinates of other ships.

A casual scan had led him to pinpoint the Tequila’s location.

The Great Tang No. 1 quickly steered toward the Tequila’s direction.

…

“What’s that? A cruise ship?…”

“Signal it to stop approaching.”

“Damn it, it’s getting closer.”

…

Half an hour later, on the deck of the Tequila, two on-duty crew members were playing cards. When they looked up, they noticed a flicker of light in the distance. They used binoculars to identify it as an ordinary cruise ship and quickly signaled it with flags.

However, the cruise ship didn’t respond and continued heading directly toward the Tequila.

“Where’s Mr. Aubrey?” The two crew members realized the gravity of the situation. They were in the drug smuggling business, and every time they set sail, they made sure to be extremely cautious. This time, they had greased the palms of every port official along the way, ensuring there would be no issues.

While they conversed, they quickly reported the matter to their superiors. However, the incoming ship was too fast, closing the distance to the Tequila to just twenty meters in the blink of an eye.

“Bang!”

“Bang, bang—” The Tequila was manned by a ruthless crew. Sensing danger, they fired warning shots. However, in response, even louder gunfire erupted from the approaching ship.

Just like in a Hollywood action movie, a row of steel hooks was thrown from the ship, connecting it to the Tequila with cables. About ten muscular men zipped down the cables onto the Tequila.

Tang Huai stood aboard the Great Tang No. 1, watching the Tequila from across the water. These men were none other than Sora Island’s elite bodyguards. Each elite bodyguard cost one million island credits and had combat skills equivalent to world-class special forces. Tang Huai had come well-prepared for this chase.

Five minutes later, a thin rope ladder was lowered from the Tequila. Tang Huai crossed over on a rubber dinghy and climbed up the ladder.

“Manager Tang, there are thirty-two crew members on board; all have been subdued. There are also three young people in a first-level cabin…” One of the elite bodyguards reported as Tang Huai walked toward the ship’s cabin. In the lead of the bodyguard, Tang Huai arrived at a storage room. Inside were three men and one woman, who looked like they had just graduated high school.

“I want to go home.” The four had their handcuffs removed and were sobbing as they saw Tang Huai. They weren’t sure if he was a good person, but at least he looked kinder than Aubrey and his crew.

“Did you see a young man with black hair, about six feet tall, wearing a mask?” Tang Huai had no intention of playing the comforting big brother. His voice was low as he asked the question. The bodyguards had searched the first level but hadn’t found Yu You.

“There’s a hidden door in the farthest warehouse…” A freckle-faced young man sobbed and pointed down the long hallway. Tang Huai immediately followed the direction the young man indicated.

This was a warehouse filled with burlap sacks. The bodyguards moved the sacks aside, revealing a door about two meters tall. They opened it, revealing a storage area over 100 square meters in size. In the center stood a table and a chair. A broken handcuff dangled from the chair’s leg. The walls of the room were lined with more sacks.

The room was damp, with only a small 2×2-foot ventilation window.

“God, save me…” Tang Huai surveyed the room when a terrified voice came from under the sacks.

The elite bodyguards lifted the sacks to reveal a blond, white man wearing a gray jacket. He was covered in sweat and looked utterly disheveled, as if he had been through a nightmare.

“What did you see?”

Tang Huai crouched down. On the table lay a tray filled with small needles and a syringe. Given the room’s layout and the man’s appearance, he didn’t seem like an innocent.

“A monster… First, it had a fish tail, and then tentacles…” The man was still in shock. The scene he had just witnessed was terrifying. The Asian man on the chair had transformed as if infected by a virus, turning into a horrifying creature straight out of a comic book. It was beyond any logic!

“When did this happen? And where is he now?” Tang Huai’s expression darkened immediately. Fish tail… He recalled the time when he had fallen ill, thinking of Yu You.

“Half an hour ago. He escaped through the window,” the man pointed at the window.

Tang Huai stood at the window and looked down. It was over ten meters to the water, which appeared calm and pitch-black under the moonlight.

“Bring me a diving suit,” Tang Huai ordered the bodyguard decisively. Half an hour… There might still be a chance to find him.

The Tequila was about 1,500 nautical miles away from Sora Island, far beyond the range of the “Invisible Shark.” Hence, Tang Huai had to rely on conventional diving equipment.

Five minutes later, Tang Huai finished putting on his diving suit. A rope more than a thousand meters long was attached to the suit; if something went wrong, Tang Huai would signal underwater, and the elite bodyguards would pull him up as quickly as possible.

“Keep an eye on him,” Tang Huai instructed, frowning at the man in the corner.

With that, he jumped into the sea like a black eel. Ten seconds later, the surface of the water returned to calm.

…

Beneath the Tequila, Tang Huai was swimming with some difficulty. He had learned to dive for a while, but compared to the effortless movements in the “Invisible Shark” state, his current actions and breathing were much more challenging.

Tang Huai dove down to a depth of twenty meters, where small fish occasionally swam by. He searched the area but found nothing, so he continued to dive deeper.

The pressure increased as he descended, and Tang Huai couldn’t be sure if Yu You was still alive. Yu You’s identity had always been shrouded in mystery since he appeared. Given the description of the fish tail and tentacles by the man earlier, Yu You should be fine, right? But Tang Huai wasn’t certain.

He thought about many things. Yu You was cautious, and coming out here must have taken a lot of courage. If only he had gone to meet him when they chatted on WeChat, maybe things would have turned out differently.

As these scattered thoughts filled his mind, Tang Huai swam deeper and deeper. Before long, he was over a hundred meters underwater, surrounded by more marine life.

He glanced at his watch; thirty minutes had passed, and there was still no sign of Yu You.

As Tang Huai continued to swim, a figure hiding behind a coral reef quietly watched him. The figure wanted to move closer but hesitated, thinking about its current form and what had happened in the ship’s cabin.

He had never intended to burden Tang Huai, but in the end… he had caused quite a lot of trouble. This would be the last time. After this, he might not have another chance.

“Swish, swish—”

While Yu You was lost in thought, he heard a swishing sound coming from Tang Huai’s direction. Yu You looked up to see two silver eels swimming around Tang Huai, curiously gnawing at his diving suit.

Tang Huai tried to fend them off, but his breathing tube began to shift, perhaps because the diving equipment hadn’t been used for a long time. Tang Huai had to hold onto the transparent oxygen mask tightly.

His movements were somewhat clumsy, and at this rate, if the situation continued unchecked, his breathing tube could come loose.

Tang Huai looked at the eels beside him, feeling utterly exasperated. Because he had to hold his oxygen mask firmly, he couldn’t signal the elite bodyguards to pull him up.

Was this how it was going to end for him?

“Swish—”

Tang Huai was about to call for the FD730 emergency kit when a black tendril, about five centimeters thick, like a snake’s tail, stretched toward him. Clumsily, it coiled around the eels and, with a pull and toss, flung them far away.

Tang Huai held onto the oxygen mask and looked toward the source of the tendril. Not far away, in front of the coral reef, floated a black-haired man with a totem painted on his face. His upper body was bare, long and proportionate. While his upper body looked like a regular human, his lower half consisted of eight black, wriggling tentacles.

The length of his tentacles seemed to be adjustable. The ones attached to his lower half were about two meters long, but the one that reached out to Tang Huai extended at least ten meters.

As Tang Huai looked at the man, the man glanced back at him.

A hint of panic flashed in the man’s eyes, and he quickly turned to leave. However, in his haste, he realized… he couldn’t move! He turned back around.

Tang Huai had switched from holding the oxygen mask with both hands to holding it with one hand, while the other was firmly grasping the large tentacle.

The man tried to pull away, but it didn’t budge.

Tang Huai swam forward a bit, gripping the tentacle even tighter.

He wasn’t letting go.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️