There was no ghost outside—only Song Cheng crawling frantically on the ground.
Literally, crawling in the most chaotic way possible.
Chao Musheng had never seen someone move so… abstractly.
Something must have triggered Song Cheng. He was crying so hard that snot and tears covered his face, completely disregarding the dignity befitting the heir of the Song Corporation as he scrambled across the deck under the blazing sun. From a distance, he looked like a larval fly.
His head whipped around constantly, his movements desperate, as if a vengeful spirit were truly chasing him.
"He Yi, stay away from me!"
"Save me! There's a ghost!"
The onlookers, who had initially gathered just for the spectacle, now felt an eerie chill creeping into the air, sending shivers down their spines.
"Young Master Lian," one of Lian Hai's subordinates swallowed nervously. "Do you think Song Cheng might have messed with something he shouldn’t have?"
Otherwise, why would he be acting so insane?
"I almost wish ghosts were real," Lian Hai muttered, his expression grim. The name He Yi, which Song Cheng had just screamed, belonged to a classmate of theirs in high school.
The reason he remembered her was because He Yi had jumped to her death a month before the college entrance exams.
When her mother came to collect her body, she collapsed from grief. It was the first time Lian Hai had ever seen someone cry so painfully, as if their heart were being torn apart.
"Save me!" Song Cheng lunged at a middle-aged man.
The man had a stern face, with two deep creases between his brows even when he wasn’t frowning. He wore a navy-blue uniform with the emblem of the Moonlight Cruise embroidered on the chest and captain’s epaulets on his shoulders.
This was the captain of the Moonlight.
"Sir, please calm down," the captain said, clearly displeased with Song Cheng’s claims about ghosts aboard the ship. But given Song Cheng’s status, he had no choice but to explain patiently, "The Moonlight is one of the safest and most luxurious cruise ships in the world. There is absolutely no need for you to worry about your safety."
"There’s a female ghost in a school uniform!" Song Cheng clutched the captain’s arm, his eyes bulging with terror. "Don’t you see her?"
"Sir, you’re clearly unwell. Let me arrange for someone to escort you back to your room to rest." The captain signaled for the crew to take Song Cheng away before turning to the crowd. "My apologies for disturbing our esteemed guests."
"Lian Hai!" Fueled by fear, Song Cheng broke free from the crew’s grasp and threw himself at Lian Hai, who stood among the spectators. "It’s He Yi!"
Su Chenzhu lifted his gaze slightly, and several bodyguards immediately pinned Song Cheng to the deck.
Medical staff seized the opportunity to inject him with a sedative.
"Who is He Yi?" Chao Musheng had a sinking feeling about this and turned to Lian Hai, who had come out with him to watch the commotion.
"She was a classmate of mine and Song Cheng’s in high school," Lian Hai said, his face even paler than before. "Beautiful, top of her class—a scholarship student everyone admired. But in our final year, her grades plummeted. A month before the exams, she jumped off a building. People said she couldn’t handle the pressure of failing."
But now, he wasn’t so sure.
As the medical staff carried Song Cheng away on a stretcher, Chao Musheng spotted Shen Ran among the crowd.
He sat quietly at the back, a faint smile flickering across his face as Song Cheng was taken away—as if he found the whole scene deeply satisfying.
The smile vanished the moment he lifted his head.
Chao Musheng took a few steps back, making sure Shen Ran didn’t notice he’d been seen.
"Chao Chao?" Su Chenzhu turned when he felt Chao Musheng retreat behind him. "What’s wrong?"
Chao Musheng shook his head. "Nothing."
His eyes scanned the crowd again, but there was no sign of Uncle Chao.
Strange. Even the captain had come out to handle the emergency—why was his uncle still missing?
He hadn’t replied to the message Chao Musheng sent at noon either. Could there be some secret mission on board?
"Mr. Su, I’m going to the sixth floor," Chao Musheng said, his unease growing. Without waiting for a response, he turned and ran toward the elevators.
"Boss?" The bodyguards exchanged glances before looking to Su Chenzhu for instructions.
"Follow him," Su Chenzhu said, retracting the step he’d taken forward. "Make sure he’s safe."
If he could, he would have gone himself.
But if he did, Chao Chao might find it strange.
He couldn’t risk making Chao Chao dislike him.
The sixth-floor hallway was nearly empty during working hours.
Chao Musheng knocked on Chief Officer Chao’s door, but there was no answer.
Uncle Chao wasn’t inside.
"Mr. Chao, this is the crew’s living quarters."
Chao Musheng turned to find the captain standing behind him.
The man was smiling, but there was no warmth in it.
Chao Musheng frowned. "You know me?"
"Of course." The captain’s smile softened slightly. "I personally welcomed Mr. Su when he boarded. He stood on the deck watching you for a long time."
Chao Musheng tried to recall what he’d been doing when he first boarded. Oh right—taking pictures.
So his entire "tourist snapping photos everywhere" act had been witnessed by Su Chenzhu?
Well, there went his perfect, professional image.
"Chief Officer Chao has been assigned other duties the past two days. You might not be able to reach him for a while." The captain glanced at the bodyguards approaching from behind and opened the door opposite Uncle Chao’s room. "Would you like to come in for tea?"
"What duties? Why can’t he be contacted?" Chao Musheng followed the captain inside. The room’s layout was identical to Uncle Chao’s, but it was far more sterile and bare.
"Certain ship operations are confidential. I hope you understand." The captain filled the kettle and turned on the electric heater. "Make yourself comfortable."
Unlike Uncle Chao, who littered his desk with random knickknacks, the captain kept his workspace immaculate. The only items on the table were a photo frame and a small figurine.
The figurine depicted a young man holding a sword, his face twisted in anger. His features were oddly proportioned, with eyebrows set unusually far apart.
The ship swayed slightly in the waves, and the figurine’s head and sword clattered to the table.
Chao Musheng glanced at the captain, who was still preoccupied with the tea, and quietly reattached the pieces.
"Mr. Chao, don’t bother." The captain dropped tea leaves into the pot. "The head was meant to fall off."
He poured the tea into cups. "I’m no tea connoisseur—just drink it to quench your thirst."
"Thank you." Chao Musheng sat down but didn’t touch the steaming cup. He hated scalding his tongue.
"My child was the same—never liked anything too hot." The captain blew on his own tea before taking a sip.
"Is the drawing in the frame also your child’s work?" Chao Musheng’s gaze drifted to the framed picture.
It was a crude sketch—more like a toddler’s doodle. Three stick figures stood side by side, their heads labeled in wobbly handwriting:
Dad, Mom, Me.
A happy little family.
"Yes." The captain’s smile returned as he stared at the frame. "It’s childish. You must think it’s silly."
"It’s sweet."
Though the stick figures’ heads had only a few strands of hair, making it hard to tell who was who.
"Thank you for the compliment." The captain seemed much happier. Chao Musheng had expected him to continue chatting about children, but instead, the man abruptly changed the subject.
"This trip aboard the Wangyue was a last-minute decision for Mr. Su, wasn’t it?" The captain blew on the steam rising from his cup. "I didn’t receive any prior notice about his attendance."
Most parents, when casually conversing with others, would at least mention their child if someone praised them.
But the captain didn’t bring it up at all—perhaps he was someone with strong boundaries?
"I’m not entirely sure," Chao Musheng replied, withdrawing his gaze with a smile. "I’ve only recently taken up the role of executive assistant, and there’s still much about the company I’m unfamiliar with."
"Captain." A sailor approached the door of the captain’s quarters, pausing when he noticed the four bodyguards stationed outside and the unfamiliar young man inside. "The sick gentleman has been taken to the medical bay. His family is asking for you."
"Since you have matters to attend to, I’ll take my leave," Chao Musheng said, standing up. "I’m not well-versed in ship operations, and for the sake of passenger safety, it’s best I don’t offer unsolicited advice."
The captain looked up at Chao Musheng.
"I hope to reunite with Chief Officer Chao in his quarters tomorrow." Chao Musheng lightly flicked the violet-gold badge in his hand twice.
At the sight of the badge, the captain immediately rose to his feet. "Mr. Chao, I’ll arrange for Chief Officer Chao to contact you as soon as possible."
"Might I ask what your relationship with Chief Officer Chao is?" The captain stared at the badge for several seconds before reluctantly tearing his eyes away.
"He’s my uncle. The surname ‘Chao’ isn’t very common—perhaps you could have guessed our relation from that alone?" Chao Musheng pocketed the badge. "My apologies if this causes any inconvenience to the ship’s operations."
"Not at all." The captain smiled. "I understand the concern of a younger family member for their elder’s well-being."
After Chao Musheng left, the captain glanced down at the untouched cup of tea still steaming on the table. He picked up a photo frame and gently wiped away nonexistent dust.
"Mr. Song is emotionally unstable. To prevent him from harming others, hand him over to the ship’s security and medical staff for supervision," the captain instructed, setting the frame down and picking up his captain’s hat.
The sailor hesitated. "Captain, he’s the heir of the Song Group. Chairman Song likely won’t approve of this arrangement."
"This is the Wangyue. I am its captain. When a passenger poses an emergency risk in international waters, my duty is to ensure the safety of all others aboard."
The captain placed the hat firmly on his head, his voice steady. "Besides, even if I had no objections, the other passengers certainly would."
These wealthy, influential individuals valued their own lives above all else.
"Brother Chao."
Shen Ran stopped his wheelchair when he saw Chao Musheng emerge from the captain’s quarters. "You came to see Chief Officer Chao?"
"Yes. I haven’t been able to reach him since yesterday, so I thought I’d check in person." Chao Musheng approached him. "How’s your injury?"
"Much better." Shen Ran’s grip on the armrest tightened slightly. "Earlier, I saw you downstairs with someone, so I didn’t want to interrupt."
His past experiences with Song Cheng had conditioned him to instinctively avoid those flashy, unrestrained rich kids.
"You’re not familiar with them—skipping the greetings spared you the awkwardness anyway." Chao Musheng opened the door for him. "We’re close enough that formalities don’t matter."
From Chao Musheng’s tone, Shen Ran knew his presence downstairs hadn’t gone unnoticed.
"My schedule is packed these next few days. If my uncle returns, could you pass along a message for me?" Chao Musheng poured Shen Ran a glass of water. "I’ll head back upstairs now."
He still remembered how Mr. Su had specifically sought him out on the fifth floor earlier.
"Of course." Shen Ran nodded, then hesitated. "Yesterday, Chief Officer Chao seemed to have a minor disagreement with the captain. They argued briefly, but made up quickly. Last night, he told me he’d be busy the next couple of days and that I should come to you if I couldn’t reach him."
"An argument?" Chao Musheng was surprised. Uncle Chao had a mild temperament—he wasn’t the type to clash with his superiors easily.
"It was over a passenger harassing a server," Shen Ran explained, recounting how Chief Officer Chao had intervened, leading to a dispute with the captain.
"Most of those rich people don’t see ordinary folks as human beings anyway." Shen Ran let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Even when the law grants us the right to refuse, they take it as an affront to their authority."
Those arrogant, ugly faces filled him with disgust.
"Maybe they just haven’t learned to understand human speech in this new era." Chao Musheng didn’t for a second consider himself included in that "rich people" category, joining Shen Ran in the critique. "Only fruit sold at market gets graded—people don’t need classifications."
Shen Ran, who had been convinced that most wealthy individuals were rotten, couldn’t help but laugh at that.
He’d let Song Cheng and his cronies skew his perspective. In truth, every group had its good and bad apples.
Meeting someone like Song Cheng had been his misfortune.
But encountering someone like Brother Chao was his luck.
Chao Musheng grinned. "If people were fruit, you and I would definitely be sweet tangerines."
Shen Ran chuckled. "Then what would Song Cheng be?"
Caught off guard by Shen Ran voluntarily bringing up Song Cheng, Chao Musheng paused briefly before answering with a smirk, "At best, he’s a worm-eaten, misshapen gourd rotting in some dark corner."
"You’re right, Brother Chao. Someone like him only deserves to fester in the shadows." Shen Ran’s eyes shone brightly. His life was too precious to be ruined by Song Cheng.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Brother Hu—who had stayed up late the previous night and spent the entire day busy—finally collapsed onto his bed with a relieved sigh.
He’d cleared countless scenarios, but never had he encountered rich people as exhausting as the ones in this one.
They spoke in riddles, leaving the staff to decipher their meanings.
Compared to their convoluted nonsense, even the reading comprehension section of the college entrance exam seemed straightforward.
"So thirsty." Brother Hu forced himself up from the bed. The water pitcher was empty, and he couldn’t be bothered to fetch more. Digging through the pile of dirty laundry on the sofa, he unearthed an unopened bottle of water, twisted off the cap, and gulped it down.
[Ding! Hydration resource detected. Player’s HP +5.]
Huh?
Brother Hu wondered if he was hallucinating. He pulled up his system stats and confirmed his HP had indeed increased by 5 points.
He’d been drinking water daily since boarding the ship, yet this was the first time it had restored HP. What was different now?
Closing the interface, he examined the bottle closely and realized it wasn’t the standard-issue water provided to the crew.
"Kunlun…" He murmured the brand name, wracking his brain until he remembered—this was the bottle Chao Musheng had given him yesterday when he’d tipped him off.
Brother Hu slapped himself—what was he thinking, calling him Chao Musheng? That was Brother Chao, the one who boosted his health points!
Originally worried that his health wouldn’t last until the final day of the dungeon, Brother Hu paced around the room clutching the remaining half-bottle of water.
If he went and became Brother Chao’s lapdog now, would Brother Chao be willing to give him a bottle of water every day?
“Achoo!” Chao Musheng sneezed as soon as he opened his phone after settling onto the sofa post-shower. “Who’s talking about me?”
Su Chenzhu stood up, adjusted the air conditioning two degrees warmer, and handed him a cup of hot water. “Don’t catch a cold.”
“Thanks.” After several days together, Chao Musheng had grown accustomed to his boss pouring water for him. “Mr. Su, can I order some barbecue?”
“One portion won’t do.” Su Chenzhu passed him the electronic menu for room service. “But two portions would be fine.”
“Thank you, Mr. Su.” Chao Musheng took the menu and scooted closer to Su Chenzhu. “Let’s pick together. My treat tonight.”
The young man carried the pleasant scent of shower gel. With just a slight tilt of his head, Su Chenzhu could glimpse the curve of his throat and collarbones peeking from the loose bathrobe.
“Can you handle spicy?” Chao Musheng turned to ask. “Any dietary restrictions?”
“Anything’s fine.” Su Chenzhu avoided meeting his gaze. “I’m not picky.”
Chao Musheng skipped the more exotic options, selecting skewers they’d both enjoy, and settled on “mildly spicy” for the seasoning.
Most domineering CEOs in dramas had delicate stomachs—he couldn’t bear the thought of his kind boss suffering.
Su Chenzhu noticed. “Why not medium or regular spicy?”
“Too much sea wind these past days. My throat’s dry.” As Chao Musheng confirmed the order, his phone rang with an incoming video call.
He quickly picked it up, relieved to see Chief Officer Chao’s name.
“Shengsheng.”
The call connected, revealing a blank wall behind Chief Officer Chao. Chao Musheng couldn’t tell where he was.
“Uncle Chao, where were you today?” He zoomed in, studying the faint lines at the older man’s eyes to confirm it wasn’t an AI-generated image, then propped the phone on a stand and cradled the water Su Chenzhu had poured. “I couldn’t reach you all day.”
“Work kept me busy.” Chief Officer Chao noticed the edge of someone’s arm beside Chao Musheng. “You’re with a friend?”
“Yeah.” Chao Musheng glanced at the water in his hands. “Sort of.”
Half boss, half friend.
“The weather at sea changes fast. Forecast says storms might hit soon—stay in your cabin at night, no wandering the deck.”
Chief Officer Chao seemed preoccupied. “The crew’s a mixed bag. I heard someone went mad today, babbling about ghosts. I’m swamped with work and might not be able to watch over you. Stick close to Mr. Su during the day. He’s influential, decent, and can keep you safe.”
“Got it, got it.” Chao Musheng noticed someone calling his uncle away. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself. You rest too, and keep in touch.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow if I can.” Chief Officer Chao pressed again, “Remember—stay near Mr. Su. If you must go out alone, tell him or a friend first.”
“Okay.”
Damn Song Cheng and his nonsense, scaring Uncle Chao into treating him like a kid.
After hanging up, Chao Musheng turned to see Su Chenzhu’s ears tinged pink. “Mr. Su, are you hot?”
“No.” Su Chenzhu rubbed his earlobe with elegant fingers, only deepening the flush.
Chao Musheng realized—was he embarrassed by Uncle Chao’s words?
He coughed, pretending not to notice, and sipped his water before scrolling through his phone.
The screen still showed his chat with Uncle Chao—their call had lasted less than three minutes.
Exiting the chat, he found his class and dorm groups flooded with memes and chatter.
After replying to his professor’s messages, he spotted an unread notification from the “Kunlun Gossip Group.” He glanced at Su Chenzhu beside him and skipped it, noticing an unfamiliar group chat instead.
Inside, only a few members chatted—Lian Hai, who’d friended him that afternoon, was the admin.
Scrolling through, he saw their discussion had started with Song Cheng’s ghostly ravings before veering into supernatural lore.
[Wild Ocean: Song Cheng’s just reaping what he sowed—no wonder he’s seeing ghosts.]
The mention of He Yi in Song Cheng’s ramblings resurfaced in Chao Musheng’s mind. He decided to ask someone to look into it.
Maybe Secretary Liu? The man seemed mysteriously capable.
The doorbell rang. Chao Musheng stood. “That’ll be the barbecue. I’ll get it.”
Two unfamiliar servers wheeled in a cart.
“Sir, your order. Enjoy your meal.” They arranged the skewers on the table with practiced efficiency.
“Thanks.”
The pair bowed and retreated, shutting the door softly behind them.
“Phew!”
They exhaled in unison, fear mirrored in their eyes.
“You felt it too?”
The man on the sofa hadn’t spoken, yet one glance at him sent a hammer-blow of pain through their skulls, nearly buckling their knees.
“With a boss that terrifying, can we really sink the Moonchaser?”
“Dunno.”
This dungeon’s scale was staggering. Just reaching the 15th-floor dining area had cost them precious items and points.
The VIPs onboard ignored players entirely—no triggered plot points, no progression.
What kind of dungeon made NPCs this untouchable? The damn System clearly didn’t want them to win.
Xiaojuan woke to find Brother Hu squatting outside her door. She startled. “Brother Hu, what’s this?”
“Sis Juan!” He clung to her leg. “I’m trash—please carry me.”
What a fool he’d been.
Begging for her help the other night, he’d mistaken her effort for camaraderie. Turns out she’d already latched onto Brother Chao’s coattails.
Dragging him a few steps, Xiaojuan stopped when he refused to let go. “What do you actually want?”
“Think Brother Chao needs another hanger-on?” Brother Hu grinned up at her, oozing desperation.
“Hah.” Xiaojuan nearly laughed. “Planning to scheme against Brother Chao now?”
"Look at how you're talking," Brother Hu grinned even more obsequiously. "My heart burns with loyalty for Chao Musheng and Xiaojuan. As long as you let me follow Chao Musheng, I’ll be your most devoted lackey."
"Spit it out. What did you find?" Xiaojuan wasn’t a fool. For an experienced player like Brother Hu to grovel like this, there had to be something huge at stake.
"Two days ago, Skinny Guy tried to ambush Chao Musheng. I tipped him off."
"And then?"
"Then Chao Musheng gave me a bottle of water." Brother Hu’s face flushed with delight. "That bottle added five points to my health bar."
"He even gave me his phone number, but I didn’t dare bother him—never called once." Seeing Xiaojuan’s expression soften slightly, Brother Hu pressed his advantage. "Xiaojuan, I’m easy to keep. Just one bottle of water a day is enough."
Xiaojuan eyed him skeptically. "Just for water?"
Brother Hu scrambled up from the floor, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "I know you’ve teamed up with Brother Wu and the others. I don’t want to go solo, and compared to the other players, you’re the only ones I’d want to work with."
That was also why he hadn’t bypassed Xiaojuan to suck up to Chao Musheng directly.
Half the dungeon’s time had already passed, and the number of players had dwindled from thirty to eighteen. He had a bold idea, but he was afraid the others might catch on.
Xiaojuan wasn’t like Brother Wu. Even if their goals diverged later, at worst, they’d compete fairly—no backstabbing.
"You might’ve picked the wrong side," Xiaojuan said with a faint smirk. "My goal isn’t the same as yours."
Brother Hu hesitated as Xiaojuan turned to leave, then hurried after her.
Different goals didn’t matter. If she could help him score an extra bottle or two, that was enough.
Today, Brother Hu had been assigned to clean the hallway outside the conference room. Even though the floor already gleamed, he and the other attendants had to wipe it down with towels every half hour.
He glanced at Xiaojuan and Xiao Liu standing guard by the door, then massaged his aching back and casually pushed his cleaning cart past Xiaojuan’s feet.
Xiao Liu blinked at Xiaojuan. That big guy had been lingering around her for a while now—what was his deal?
Xiaojuan remained unmoved, not even sparing a glance at Brother Hu, who was obviously hovering near her.
When the meeting ended, the attendees filed out, led by Su Chenzhu and Chao Musheng.
Brother Hu was on his knees scrubbing the floor when Chao Musheng nearly stepped on his hand. "Little Hu?"
Brother Hu scrambled to his feet. "Good day, Mr. Chao."
"Hello." Noticing Brother Hu’s sweat-drenched face and cracked lips, Chao Musheng handed him an unopened bottle of water. "This one’s untouched."
"Thank you, Mr. Chao!" Brother Hu accepted it eagerly. Untouched or not, he’d treasure it either way.
Chao Musheng spotted Xiaojuan and had a bodyguard bring over a crate of water for her. "Share these with your team."
"Thanks, Chao Musheng." Xiaojuan glanced at the single bottle in Brother Hu’s hand, then at the full crate in front of her.
Thinking of competing with her for Chao Musheng’s favor? Dream on!
After distributing the water, two bottles remained—reserved for Brother Wu and Little Qi.
Xiao Liu took a sip, grinning at the notification of her health points increasing. Ever since riding Xiaojuan’s coattails to success, her life had taken a turn for the better.
In other dungeons, she’d never had it this good.
"Brother Hu," she called out, "the other NPCs call you Big Hu. Why does Mr. Chao call you Little Hu?"
Xiaojuan scoffed, eyeing Brother Hu with disdain. Putting on a pitiful act in front of Chao Musheng? Please. With that hulking frame of his, who did he think he was fooling?
