Three days.
For people in peaceful times, three days is just a short holiday, gone in the blink of an eye.
But for the survivors on this apocalyptic ocean,
these three days were both heaven and hell.
The number of Supply Crates floating on the sea had visibly decreased.
The once ubiquitous floating garbage patches now required sailing dozens of nautical miles to encounter even a small cluster.
On the deck of the President,
mountains of supplies were being frantically sorted, compressed, and stored away.
Qin Yu held a bottle of iced cola, tilting his head back to take a gulp.
"Burp—"
The carbonated bubbles burst in his throat, washing away the stifling heat.
He glanced at the tactical watch on his wrist.
Only three hours remained until the end of the Resource Surge Grace Period.
"Don't stop."
Qin Yu crushed the empty bottle and tossed it into a distant trash can.
Three points.
"These last three hours, salvage as much as you can."
"Once this opportunity is gone, it won't come back."
At the control console,
Yao Qian, with two heavy dark circles under her eyes, had even her twin ponytails drooping.
For these three days, aside from eating and sleeping, this girl had been relentlessly battling those eight Mechanical Arms.
Li Ruobing walked over quickly, holding a tablet.
She hadn't been idle these past few days either.
Besides monitoring the radar, she had been coordinating the entire ship's supply logistics.
That capable female warrior now had bloodshot eyes.
"Qin Yu."
"The data is compiled."
"In these three days, we've traveled eight hundred nautical miles."
"Recovered basic resources: 120,000 units of wood, 80,000 units of metal, and various amounts of plastic, rubber, and glass."
"As for food and freshwater reserves..."
Li Ruobing paused, looking at Qin Yu as if he were a monster.
"They're enough for the five of us to live lavishly for ten years."
"And that's not even counting the special treasure chests we haven't opened yet."
Qin Yu nodded.
His expression remained calm.
He showed no reaction to this astronomical figure.
Because he knew very well.
The upcoming Survival Challenge would be the real meat grinder.
By then, these supplies would be their lifeline.
"Well done."
Qin Yu pulled out a pack of soft-pack Chunghwa cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and took a drag.
"Ruo Bing, check the World Channel."
"The mood there should have shifted by now."
Li Ruobing tapped open the Holographic projection on her tablet.
A light blue chat interface floated in mid-air.
Unlike three days ago, when the screen was filled with cries of "Help!", "I want to go home!", and "Does anyone have food?",
the Chat Channel now
was filled with aggression, bragging, and an unsettling sense of bloodlust.
[Regional Chat Channel]
"Hahaha! I finally got it! A Glock 17! Full magazine!"
"Who the hell stole my crate just now? Dare to share your coordinates? I'll blow your head off!"
"Pfft, showing off a lousy pistol? Our 'Wild Wolf Fleet' scored an old-fashioned hunting rifle today! Two-hundred-meter range! Anyone want a piece?"
"Recruiting! Only strong, able-bodied men! Women must be pretty! We have firearms on board, follow us for a life of luxury!"
"Hey, upstairs, I have a Grade B Water Purifier Blueprint. Can I join your crew?"
"Get lost! Blueprints are useless now. What we need are guns! People!"
Looking at these messages, Qin Yu blew out a smoke ring, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Guns?"
"A few lousy handguns and they're already acting like this."
In this lawless expanse of the sea, the emergence of firearms meant the complete collapse of order.
Those who possessed guns were no longer satisfied with just scavenging crates.
They began setting their sights on their fellow humans.
Stealing was always faster than scavenging.
"Qin Yu, look at this."
Li Ruobing swiped her finger, dragging the interface to the bottom right corner.
There was an inconspicuous number there.
In just three days...
"The number of people has decreased."
Qin Yu flicked his cigarette ash, his tone indifferent.
"Good."
"Saves them from competing with me for air later."
At that moment, Chen Xiaoya, who had been silently standing in the corner without speaking, suddenly trembled.
She had been recovering well these past few days.
Although her face was still a bit pale, at least she looked alive now.
She had also seen that number.
Chen Xiaoya covered her mouth, her eyes filled with terror.
"Are they all gone?"
"Then we..."
Qin Yu turned his head and gave her a cold glance.
"Save your cheap sympathy."
"At least half of them were pushed into the sea by others."
"Have you forgotten how that 'Blood Shark Gang' of yours treated you?"
Chen Xiaoya stiffened, instinctively touching her abdomen.
She didn't dare speak anymore.
Qin Yu ignored her and turned to Li Ruobing.
"Ruo Bing, run a self-check on our firepower system."
"Since those guys have gotten their hands on weapons, their ambitions have grown."
"If any fool dares to try anything..."
Qin Yu patted the slowly writhing "Kiss of Death" behind him.
"...let them see what a real 'firearm' looks like."
Li Ruobing's lips curved upward, a hint of bloodlust flashing in her eyes.
"Understood."
"If they dare enter our firing range, whether they're human or ghost, we'll blast them all to pieces."
"Listen up, everyone."
Qin Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"The final carnival is over."
"From now on..."
"What we'll face isn't just those idiots with their lousy guns."
"But also the true malice of this world."
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the four women on the ship.
Yao Xue, Yao Qian, Li Ruobing, and the one huddled in the corner, Chen Xiaoya.
"Check your equipment."
"Eat."
"Only when you're full will you have the strength to kill."
...
Two and a half hours later.
Night had completely fallen.
This stretch of sea was as dark as ink, pitch black with no visibility.
Only the "President" was brightly lit.
Like a sleepless city on the sea.
Searchlight beams swept back and forth across the water's surface, illuminating the surrounding few hundred meters as if it were daylight.
Qin Yu sat in the leather chair in the Main Control Room.
"Yu-ge."
"There are only ten minutes left."
On the screen, the countdown representing the "Protection Period" was ticking down second by second toward zero.
...
[00:00:10]
[00:00:09]
Qin Yu stood up.
Walked to the window.
Looked out at the ink-black sky outside.
"Prepare to welcome the new world."
[00:00:03]
[00:00:02]
[00:00:01]
[00:00:00]
"Hum—"
A deep hum, as if emanating from the very depths of the soul, instantly reverberated across the entire Blue Star's seas.
In the sky.
The pale golden barrier that had always protected all survivors.
Shattered.
Transforming into countless specks of light, scattering in the wind.