Chapter 308: Chapter 40: Boarding the Ship

Following Tan Zhi’s gesture, Chen Chuan sized up the cruise ship. By his estimation, it was nearly three hundred meters long, with twelve decks and a blue and white hull.

On the sea at night, the ship’s interior lights and exterior accent lighting merged, their reflection in the water creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

The bow was heavy and thick, its tip upturning slightly before tapering, like a short, curved horn growing from a snout. Perhaps that was the origin of the ship’s name.

"The Rhino Cruise Ship can accommodate three thousand guests and has over fifteen hundred crew members. It’s only stopping at Ji Yang Port for three days, so we have a full day to enjoy ourselves. I heard there are several matches today, and some of the participants are nominally students of our Wuyi Academy. But, well, you know how it is."

Tan Zhi said, shrugging.

Chen Chuan involuntarily recalled what Teacher Wu had told him. Wuyi’s unofficial students would participate in various ring matches and exhibition fights. Apparently, these kinds of matches were very popular with the people of Central City, but since he had not been in Central City for long, he had never seen one.

"After we get on board today, we’ll just wander around a bit. There’s an event tomorrow that you’ll definitely be interested in. It’s supposedly a high-level fight featuring Third Limit Fighters."

Chen Chuan was a bit surprised. "Third Limit? A public fight?" Most Third Limit Fighters already had a certain status; he had rarely heard of them coming out to compete in public matches.

"Not all Third Limit Fighters are willing to sell their lives to corporations and the government."

Tan Zhi’s tone inadvertently revealed his disdain for both corporations and the government. "Do you know about the Wilderness Sect? They’re a school of fighting far removed from the civilized world.

They believe that only by abandoning the advantages of civilization, completely immersing themselves in the wilderness, fighting beasts, competing with their own kind, and tempering themselves with the forces of nature, can a Fighter embrace true power.

This group doesn’t shun contact with the outside world. They often invite other Fighters to train or spar with them, and they don’t refuse invitations from other Fighters, either.

One of the combatants in this upcoming fight is one such Fighter.

And the other is sent by a corporation. He supposedly has an Implant compatibility of over ninety percent and is known as a master fighter who has ’tamed’ his Implant."

"’Tamed?’"

Tan Zhi said, "Just a gimmick. It’s really just about the degree of compatibility between the Implant and the recipient. Those with low compatibility often have to take Anti-Differentiation Medicine, and they can’t utilize much of its function.

But with enough numbers, there are bound to be a few people who are a perfect match for their Implants. The corporations need these people to prove their products to the market, so they’re willing to promote this fight.

The thing is, the Wilderness Sect insists on never setting foot in Central City, so they chose to hold the duel on a cruise ship. This is a clash between civilization and savagery, so it’s a huge draw."

Chen Chuan considered this. If it really was a duel between Third Limit Fighters, it would indeed be a rare opportunity to observe one. He said, "It’s tomorrow?"

"Right, tomorrow, barring any surprises. The specific time is a secret. Anyway, we just have to get there and wait. I heard a lot of Upper Layer figures from Central City will be watching this match."

Chen Chuan asked, "Can they even understand what they’re watching?"

In a Third Limit fight, forget about techniques and whatnot—an ordinary person’s reaction speed wouldn’t even be fast enough to see the specific movements clearly. At best, they’re just there for the spectacle.

Tan Zhi said, "I heard that this time, the two Fighters will be dueling inside a large aquarium. The water resistance will be enough to slow their movements. Besides, we’re in coastal waters not far from Central City, so the Realm Token connection won’t be interrupted. It will filter out the stirred-up water and bubbles from the fight for us.

Oh, and they might also perform some sort of Domain overclocking, which allows people to process more information in a short time. You might feel nauseous and dizzy afterward, but a little medicine will take care of it."

As the two chatted, they got closer and closer to the port. Chen Chuan glanced out at the sea, then noticed the many ships moored in the nearby harbor. His gaze paused, however, when he saw one particular ship.

It was also a cruise ship. He had seen it before on the Processing Bureau’s platform—the Gongshi family’s "True Treasure."

’Is that ship still here?’

He immediately used the Processing Bureau’s platform to check. It showed that the Gongshi family had not left yet because their negotiations with the Yuan’an Company were still ongoing.

From the information he had previously come across, Jibei Dao Central City wasn’t on the Gongshi family’s original itinerary. They had only come here to rescue people lost at sea. But since they had been here for so long, it seemed their original travel plans had been canceled.

The car then drove into a parking lot full of luxury cars. Tan Zhi parked, and after getting out, he led Chen Chuan toward a pier area. A number of speedboats were docked there, specifically assigned by the Rhino Cruise Ship to ferry guests back and forth.

Once the two were on the speedboat and seated securely, the engine roared to life. The boat carved a curving white line across the sea’s surface, speeding toward the cruise ship amidst splashing spray.

Chen Chuan could see that it wasn’t just them; speedboats were departing from the pier from time to time, all heading toward the cruise ship.

As their speedboat approached the cruise ship, the maritime behemoth filled their entire field of vision. Simple elevators were now being lowered from above, lifting the two of them and the other passengers up.

A short while later, the two arrived on an open platform on the ship’s side. Fully armed security guards and service staff stood on either side. Tan Zhi took out an invitation card and used his Realm Token to access the local network interface.

After a quick verification, the security personnel removed the barrier, and a staff member bowed respectfully, gesturing for them to proceed.

The two men walked through the internal inspection channel and up a flight of stairs to a spacious outer deck. Standing there, with the sea breeze on their faces, they could see the vast ocean all around them and most of the harbor behind. Above, the night sky was studded with stars, and they were enveloped in the brilliant lights of the ship.

Tan Zhi looked back and said, "What do you think? Not bad, right? The rooms are already booked. Let’s drop our stuff off, grab a bite to eat, and then watch some shows."

Chen Chuan agreed.

Led by a steward, he and Tan Zhi went through a deck passageway into a long, narrow cabin corridor, where they found rooms 1453 and 1454.

Chen Chuan’s room was 1453. He walked inside. It was a long, rectangular cabin, about twenty-odd square meters, with an attached balcony that offered a direct view of the sea and Central City.

He placed his carry-on bag in the closet near the door, slid the door shut, then went to the washroom opposite the closet, washed his face in front of the mirror, and came back out.

As for Thunder Shock and the Snow Monarch Blade, he kept them on his person. He would never part with those two items.

After a little while, Tan Zhi came out of his room. He had changed into a well-fitting, imported formal suit, a Ceremonial Sword hanging at his waist. After closing the door, he called out, "Come on, let’s go get something to eat."

The two of them left their cabins and returned to the deck. A short walk brought them to the dining area. Beneath an awning sat a long bar, and the air was filled with upbeat, percussive music and the aroma of alcohol and desserts. The area was bustling with people, and the lively atmosphere made their steps feel lighter.

Two waiters pushed open the restaurant doors for them. Once inside, another server came up, and after ascertaining their needs, led them past several crystal candelabras to a table for four.

Tan Zhi seemed to be contacting someone. After a moment, he said, "Ha, they’re on board too. Let’s order for ourselves first. They’ll be here soon."

After they sat down, a menu appeared on their Realm Tokens, and they each placed their own orders.

First were the appetizers. Tan Zhi ordered a bowl of Moyi onion soup, crumbled Macici cheese, scallops in lemon juice, and a plate of fresh salmon sashimi. For his drink, he ordered a glass of honey milk.

Chen Chuan looked at the menu and ordered spring rolls, crystal shrimp, shiitake and shredded chicken soup, and a plate of crispy fragrant tofu. For his drink, he casually ordered a rock sugar and purple sweet potato beverage.

Just then, a young man and woman walked toward them. Both wore Wuyi uniforms and carried a pair of Thrusting Swords. They looked as if they could be siblings; the female student had a more mature air, while the male student looked a couple of years younger and more energetic.

Tan Zhi chuckled. "You think they’re brother and sister? Wrong. They’re actually just good friends, with zero romantic feelings for each other. They just train together often because they get along so well.

But their families don’t get along, and they assumed the two were dating. To prove they weren’t, they went and got plastic surgery behind their families’ backs to make themselves look like siblings. Of course, that just made their clueless families even angrier. We almost died laughing back then."

Seeing them approach, Chen Chuan stood up with Tan Zhi. The male student came forward and shook Chen’s hand. "Hello, Chen. I’ve heard Tan talk about you. I’m Pan Xiaode, and she’s Qi Huixin. And I have to stress, we are not siblings."

Chen Chuan said, "Tan already explained it to me. But now that Pan has confirmed it in person, my trust in him has increased a little."

Pan Xiaode couldn’t help but laugh. After the introductions, the two sat down and began to order their food.

Qi Huixin didn’t seem to talk much and appeared very introverted. Pan Xiaode did all the talking; he seemed like a very energetic person. Their personalities were clearly different, so it was a mystery how they got along so well.

Pan Xiaode then looked at Chen Chuan, eager for a chance to spar. "Junior Chen, I heard you’re not one of the Recommended Students, but that you earned your spot yourself. How about we go for a practice round after we eat?"

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