Chapter 85: Madness
The party on the deck was in full swing. The sea was calm with only small ripples. The cheers and music under the warm lights acted like a beacon on the water, guiding the tourists.
Xie Shibai passed through the lively crowd. As he moved away, the sounds in his ears faded, and the people he brushed past became fewer and fewer until it was quiet.
There were many staff members on duty on the deck. One staff member noticed Xie Shibaiâs direction and hesitated for a few seconds before dutifully reminding him, âSir, tonightâs activities are only on the deck. There are fewer lights near the stern, so I donât recommend going further. If you want to view the sea, you can go to the observation area.â
Xie Shibai glanced behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the figure following not far away. He gave a soft âMm.â
The observation area was in the middle section of the stern, the same direction as the very back of the ship. The staff member mistakenly thought Xie Shibai was going to the observation area.
The wake stirred up by the cruise ship at night, combined with the lights at the bottom of the hull, created a beautiful turquoise color. Tourists often went there specifically for photos, but the stern was less safe at night, so they had to remind guests constantly.
Once Xie Shibai left, the staff member watched his back for a few seconds. He checked in with the patrol team via radio, asking them to swing by the stern and observation area more often.
The patrol officer on the radio sounded dismissive. âGot it.â
The staff member frowned. He couldn’t say much about the dismissiveness. He turned off the radio and looked back at the deck, watching the lively crowd. His gaze caught another figure at the entrance on the other side, wearing a black hat and mask.
He blinked, but when he looked again, there was no one there. He scratched the back of his head, thinking there were a lot of guests going to the observation area today. He turned back to the crowd, lost in thought.
An acquaintance from the service staff walked over, placing a tray on a nearby chair and chatting with him. âIâm exhausted. I have no idea what Hank and the others are doing.â
The staff member asked curiously, âWhat happened?â
The service worker complained while walking, âA section of the surveillance is broken. Weâre short-handed, so they made us go to every camera to confirm. Iâve run half a circle already. The ones at the stern are broken too.â
The staff member froze for a few seconds, suddenly remembering the person dressed suspiciously. âThe stern cameras are broken?â
The service worker shrugged. âYeah. I really donât know what Hank is being paid for if he canât even handle a small thing like this.â
The staff member suddenly turned to look at the corridor, an ill omen rising in his heart. He frowned, worried he was overthinking. Remembering what was in the training manual, he contacted the shipâs security police via radio anyway.
The sea breeze at the stern blew with a slight chill. As Xie Shibai stepped into the stern area, hurried footsteps sounded behind him.
Xie Shibai turned to face the person.
Ye Yingpu had removed his mask and hat. His aging eyes stared at Xie Shibai with darkness, lacking any of the spirited, shrewd look of the former professor. âYou actually dared to come.â
Xie Shibai looked at Ye Yingpuâs current state for a few seconds. His expression was calm. âLong time no see, Professor Ye.â
For the current Ye Yingpu, the title âProfessor Yeâ was nothing but mockery. From a prestigious professor to a person with a blacklisted identity, it was like a needle pricking his nerves. His head throbbed with a pain that left only hatred and a desire for revenge.
Ye Yingpuâs expression was chilling as he sneered, âYou ungrateful wolf. I kindly helped treat your illness, and instead of being grateful, you ruined me.â
Xie Shibai said flatly, âIllegal experiments, academic fraud, and disregard for human lifeâall of this was your own doing.â
Ye Yingpu pulled a knife from his pocket, gritting his teeth. âLies! I did those things to help freaks like you! Without me, you wouldn’t even qualify as normal people! You should be profoundly grateful! If it wasn’t for me, how could you have become the heir to the Xie family, and how could your grandfather have valued you so much? Everything you have now is thanks to me! And how did you repay me?â
Xie Shibaiâs gaze swept over the knife in Ye Yingpuâs hand. He looked up at the surveillance camera above.
Ye Yingpu noticed Xie Shibaiâs gaze and let out a malicious grin. âYou think I came looking for you without preparation? The surveillance here will have an âaccidental failureâ right on time. By the time youâre found, youâll probably be rotting in the sea.â
His knife glinted coldly in the light. He approached step by step, pointing toward the railing. âAfter all, I watched you grow up. Iâll give you a choice: jump yourself. Donât force me to do it.â
âThough, letting you die just like this is really letting you off easy.â
Xie Shibai looked up, his cold gaze seemingly able to see through the filth in the manâs heart, as if looking at a piece of trash.
âUsing electric shock therapy to forcibly âcorrectâ a slight communication disorder? Increasing the shock because a child was too afraid to speakâis that what you call treatment? Can causing brain death through excessive current be called treatment? What exactly are you self-righteously proud of?â
Ye Yingpuâs steps faltered. He sneered, âWhat does that have to do with me? Everyone else was fine with the same current; he only died because he was weak and short-lived. His parents sent him to me, so I had an obligation to save him. Even in death, he should be grateful! Now, youâre going to be just like him.â
Xie Shibaiâs gaze turned icy. A few seconds later, he let out a soft laugh.
The sound was light, almost mocking.
Ye Yingpu stopped for a moment, his brow furrowing. His snake-like, cold eyes were instantly ignited with rage. âWhat are you laughing at!â
Xie Shibai said softly, âIâm just congratulating you. All the cities this cruise ship docks at have abolished the death penalty. Youâre quite lucky.â
Ye Yingpu didn’t understand the reason, taking it as Xie Shibaiâs mad ravings before death. He said sharply, âIâll count to three. Youâd better jump yourself.â
Confident, Ye Yingpu continued to approach Xie Shibai. He caught a glimpse of several sightseeing chairs at the stern. Just as he was about to look up, a âthudâ sounded as his elbow was hit hard. The pain instantly spread through his entire body; his arm went numb, and his hand couldn’t hold the knife. The blade fell straight to the ground. He clutched his elbow. Before he could react and pick up the knife, his face met a punch head-on.
âBangââ
Ye Yingpu fell heavily to the ground, his cheek swelling instantly. He let out a wail, âAhâ!â
Xie Shibai stepped on the knife handle, kicking the blade away. Enduring the disgust of the contact, his face remained cold. âBut this is the high seas. No one will notice if you disappear.â
Ye Yingpu clutched his face, not expecting Xie Shibai to fight back. He hurriedly reached into his pocket as if for a final lifeline.
Xie Shibai didn’t give him the chance. He stepped on the manâs arm, not holding back his strength. The power of an adult male was strong; a forceful stomp could break an arm. His cold, downward gaze was glazed with frost, and deep down, it hid a madness. âI thought youâd bring something else. How is it that even after going abroad, Professor Ye can only get his hands on a knife? Didn’t Xu Ruixin get you a gun?â
Ye Yingpuâs face broke into a cold sweat from the pain. He struggled to pull the object out of his pocket.
Xie Shibaiâs gaze swept over the shape in his pocket and paused for a second. He let out a light laugh. âYou actually did get a gun. You could bring it on board, so the crew must have been bribed too.â
âYou didn’t use the gun at first,â Xie Shibai stated. âBecause you donât know how.â
Ye Yingpuâs face was covered in sweat, his arm hurting as if it were broken. Xie Shibaiâs weight on his arm was heavy. His hand holding the gun trembled. The next second, Xie Shibaiâs words made him startle.
Xie Shibai looked at him, the corners of his mouth curling. He said unhurriedly, âI do.â
Xie Shibai paused imperceptibly for a few seconds. His ears caught the sound of hurried footsteps. His gaze swept toward the corridor, and his brow furrowed.
The footsteps were hurried, and it didn’t sound like just one person.
Ye Yingpu was in total pain; his hearing couldn’t catch the panicked footsteps approaching. Taking advantage of Xie Shibaiâs pause, he gritted his teeth and used all his strength to crawl up and pull out the gun. âWho says I donât!â
He pulled the gun out, tremblingly flicked the safety, and pointed it at Xie Shibai. His face was pale, his cloudy eyes staring at him deathly.
Xie Shibai took half a step back.
As the footsteps drew near, Ye Yingpu heard them too. He turned his head in shock, not expecting anyone to show up when the area had supposedly been cleared.
When Xie Shibai saw who had arrived, he was stunned for a moment. He instinctively felt a bit panicked.
It wasn’t just one person. Lu Cihengâs breath was ragged and uneven, his hair messy. He was tightly clutching the jacket he had brought for Xie Shibai. His dark eyes were fixed intently on the gun in Ye Yingpuâs hand, his heart pounding violently with tension.
Beside him was a group of crew members and two uniformed security police. The staff member who had spoken to Xie Shibai earlier was also among them.
Everyoneâs expression turned grave upon seeing Ye Yingpuâs gun. The two officers immediately drew their sidearms, warning Ye Yingpu to drop his weapon.
Ye Yingpuâs hand trembled. He thought it was overâthis was completely different from the plan Xu Ruixin had told him!
She said someone on the ship would assist him, and no one would discover his revenge.
He gritted his teeth. In an instant, the desire for revenge outweighed everything else.
âBangââ
The officer only gave one warning. Seeing that Ye Yingpu hadn’t dropped the gun, and based on all past warning experience, he fired directly at the manâs arm.
âAaahhhâ!â Ye Yingpu let out a scream, kneeling on the ground while clutching his gunshot-wounded arm.
The two officers exchanged a look and moved forward with their guns raised.
The gunshot snapped Xie Shibai out of it. He looked at Lu Ciheng, and upon meeting his gaze, a strange sense of guilt spread through his heart.
Lu Ciheng ignored the danger and hurried forward. His dark eyes scanned Xie Shibai from top to bottom. Without saying a word, his face cold, he draped the jacket over him.
Lu Ciheng knew Ye Yingpu, and naturally, he knew about Xie Shibaiâs past experiences at the Hongshan Sanatorium.
He knew Xie Shibai was hiding something, but he never expected it to be something this big.
Just a little more…
Lu Ciheng recalled the image of Xie Shibai being pointed at with a gun, and it felt as if a hand had squeezed his heart, making it impossible to breathe.
On the other side, a crew member let out a cry of alarm.
âWatch out!!â the officer suddenly shouted.
Along with the shout came another gunshot.
Lu Ciheng turned his head, his body firmly shielding Xie Shibai.
Translatorâs Note:
- High Seas: International waters, where national laws generally do not apply, often used as a trope for lawless behavior in fiction.
- ĺ˝ąĺ¸ (Yingdi) / Film Emperor: A title for a Best Actor award winner. Xie Shibai uses it sarcastically later to criticize Lu Ciheng’s “acting.”
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