Nan Yue let out a soft "oh." "I do want them, but teammates are a matter of fate."
After a few casual words, Nan Yue led her group away, and the smile on Jiang Siyan's face slowly faded.
He had never joined a team, but he'd once had very good friends.
It was just that...
He turned and walked back into his office, leaving behind only a trail of heavy footsteps.
After a few days of rest, Nan Yue and the others picked a time to enter a mission.
"Boss, let me emphasize once more: if I don't return to the mission site with you, don't worry too much about me."
"I'll find my way back to you."
Nan Yue wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt Wen Xiang Yuan seemed much more cheerful than before.
It was just that every time Wen Xiang Yuan tried to copy Gu Xiang Kai's street-wise way of calling her "Boss," she lacked that rugged air, sounding more like a noble lady making a curious attempt at slang.
Nan Yue's gaze was gentle as she patted Wen Xiang Yuan's shoulder.
Even though Wen Xiang Yuan was technically a part-time teammate, they all treated her as one of their own.
"By the way, because I'm currently on the Top Rankings, many people are paying attention."
"I didn't upload your photo to the team's home page or update your information. I hope you don't mind."
After all, others would survive these missions. If they discovered that Wen Xiang Yuan simply could not die, it would lead to trouble.
Of course, they could explain it away with her invisibility ability, but there would always be clever people who wouldn't believe it.
Human hearts were the most complex things of all, and Nan Yue didn't want to put Wen Xiang Yuan in a dangerous position.
Wen Xiang Yuan nodded in understanding; she didn't seem particularly worried about being discovered.
"Boss will protect me. I believe in you!"
Nan Yue didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The four of them swiped their IDs and entered the Purification Center.
"Beauty is Justice Squad. Residence: Green City State. Project: Scavenger Daily Work."
"Evaluation Format: Team Evaluation. Current Team Members: 4."
"Multiplayer Evaluation Mission, Code 83754: Devil's Bay."
"Objective: Survive seven adventures."
"Wishing you a successful evaluation. Eden is waiting for you."
At first, Nan Yue was still wondering what Devil's Bay referred to, but when she found herself in the middle of a boundless ocean, she realized the mission actually took place on a ship.
"Devil's Bay is the name of the ship,"
Wen Xiang Yuan remarked from the side. The other three were struggling to adjust to the swaying of the vessel, but Wen Xiang Yuan was unaffected, looking around with curiosity.
"There are quite a lot of people this time. Oh... isn't that Doctor Jiang!"
Hearing Wen Xiang Yuan's words, Nan Yue looked up. There were over twenty people standing on the deck, and Jiang Siyan was indeed easy to spot because of his height and looks.
Jiang Siyan saw Nan Yue as well. He raised an eyebrow slightly and walked toward them.
"I didn't expect us to actually end up in the same mission."
Many people were secretly sizing them up. Seeing two obviously powerful high-level players who knew each other made them targets for those looking to latch onto someone strong, as well as objects of wariness for others.
"It truly is fate."
Nan Yue gave a polite, perfunctory response. Although she had a good impression of Jiang Siyan and he was a healing-type, everything changed inside a mission. She had to remain vigilant.
Whether Jiang Siyan shared the same thought or sensed Nan Yue's caution, he simply smiled and stood aside without saying more, maintaining a respectful distance.
Nan Yue had a strong ability to adapt and soon grew accustomed to the rocking of the waves.
Among the twenty-odd people, there was actually another scavenger she knew.
The other girl clearly saw her too and waved happily.
Nan Yue's expression softened; she truly liked this girl.
Bi Danyuan ran over to Nan Yue's side, gave a brief greeting to Zhu Xi Ning and Gu Xiang Kai, and then thanked Nan Yue once again with poise.
"That was so long ago, don't mention it."
Nan Yue patted her. Both women shared a similar look of relief.
They trusted each other's character, which meant they had started the mission with a good hand.
Bi Danyuan's final actions at Blooming Media Company had especially made Nan Yue look at her in a new light.
She was a decisive and ruthless person.
The others all seemed to be scavengers. No one had expected the mission to be on a ship, and it took them some time to adjust.
However, some people simply couldn't handle it.
A fierce-looking man with a buzz cut held back as long as he could before finally grabbing the railing and vomiting uncontrollably.
Seeing this, several others who were already feeling seasick turned pale.
"Are we the only ones on this ship? Does anyone here know how to sail?"
"That's impossible. For a ship this size, let alone other guests, there must be dozens of crew members."
Nan Yue and her team didn't join the conversation. She looked around.
This was a very large luxury cruise ship. They were currently on the main deck, with a four-story cabin structure behind them. The highest point was the bridge, while the rest housed entertainment facilities and guest rooms.
From Nan Yue's vantage point, the hull below the deck had at least two more levels, likely containing the cargo hold, fuel tanks, and other main structures.
Although everyone had studied maritime missions and had similar simulated experiences, a simulation could never compare to the real thing.
At the very least, the churning sensation in their stomachs was very real.
"It's a cruise ship, mid-to-small sized. Strange..."
Wen Xiang Yuan was the only one who seemed entirely unaffected. She looked around and eventually voiced her confusion.
"The construction of this cruise ship is a bit odd. Look, the upper structure is clearly for tourism and leisure, but normal cruise ships don't have these harpoon guns."
Wen Xiang Yuan pointed at the dense, barrel-like objects lining both sides of the hull. "These are usually found on whaling ships or deep-sea fishing vessels."
And...
Wen Xiang Yuan frowned. Regardless of the type, a ship should have lifeboats, but there weren't any on this cruise ship.
"Greetings, honored explorers."
While everyone was whispering among themselves, a tall man with brown hair and a thick beard stepped out of the cabin. He wore the blue uniform of a captain and held a white captain's hat with gold trim in his hand.
"I am the captain of the Devil's Bay, Steve."
"This is my first mate, John."
The blonde, blue-eyed man following behind Steve nodded slightly to everyone, his expression somewhat cold.
"Welcome to the Devil's Bay adventure. You are all the lucky ones, chosen from among tens of thousands."
"After many days of long-distance travel, we have finally arrived at the Devil's Bay waters. From this day forward, our adventure begins."
Steve's face was full of an excited smile that made the scavengers feel a bit uneasy, as if something bad was about to happen.
"I'm sure you all know the rules, but I will emphasize them once more."
"The adventure will last for a total of seven days. There will be one adventure mission each day. Those who complete them all will receive the reward of the brave."
"Be warned! All adventures are dangerous. Once you step onto the Devil's Bay, there is no turning back."
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