Courtyard House: First, kill the hypocrites, leave none alive.

In this environment, it's too easy and too "economical" to tamper with food in order to control illegal immigrants or simply to reduce the quantity and hassle of "goods".

In the darkness, the sounds of scrambling gradually subsided, replaced by the sounds of wolfing down food and sighs of satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

The couple seemed to have received the smallest share; the woman began to sob quietly again, while the man muttered curses under his breath.

A little while later, someone walked towards Chen Feng and Xiao Yu.

He was one of the two men who seemed to be companions.

The figure appeared very tall in the darkness, its steps somewhat unsteady, carrying a rough sense of satisfaction from having just snatched food.

"Hey, newbie," the man stopped a few steps away from Chen Feng, his voice rough and condescending, "Aren't you going to eat? Aren't you hungry?"

Chen Feng didn't speak, but simply raised his eyes slightly and looked in the direction from which the sound came from.

In the darkness, his eyes were cold and calm.

The man seemed a little uncomfortable with the silent gaze, and took another half step forward: "What? You think it's dirty? Or... do you have something better on you?"

His gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, swept towards the canvas tool bag at Chen Feng's feet.

The toolkit was bulging, and although it was impossible to see exactly what it contained, it was clearly much "richer" than those who had boarded the ship almost empty-handed.

Greed, like moss in the darkness, grows silently.

Chen Feng remained silent, but the hand resting on his waist moved slightly.

This subtle movement seemed to have been noticed by the man, or perhaps he sensed some kind of silent threat.

He paused for a few seconds, making a muffled gurgling sound as if he had swallowed, then chuckled dryly: "Fine, fine, you guys are so high and mighty. Don't blame me if you starve to death."

After saying that, he turned around, walked back to his seat, and whispered something to his companion. You could vaguely hear words like "gun" and "tough guy".

Chen Feng sneered inwardly.

Sure enough, the test came.

This is only the first time.

As the voyage continues, and as hunger and despair intensify, these probing and conflicts will only increase and become more direct.

He must be prepared to turn on him at any time.

Not only do they have to be wary of the smugglers and their fellow "victims" on the same ship, but they might also have to be wary of the "water ghost" who brought them on board, or the other crew members on the ship.

Who knows if they're in cahoots?

Who knows whether this "Smooth Sailing" is heading towards the shore of hope or towards the slaughterhouse of hell?

He gently patted Xiaoyu in his arms.

Xiaoyu was actually awake, holding her breath and listening intently to the sounds outside, her body stiff.

"fine,"

Chen Feng whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid. We'll eat our own food."

He fumbled around in his toolbox, took out half a pack of compressed biscuits, broke off a small piece, and stuffed it into Xiaoyu's hand. He then took out a water bottle and handed it to her.

Xiaoyu ate the dry, hard biscuits in small bites, drinking them with cold water.

Compressed biscuits don't have much flavor, but at least they're clean and filling.

Chen Feng ate a little and drank some water.

They ate very quietly, but in the silence, the subtle sounds of chewing and swallowing could still be clearly heard.

In the darkness, several gazes seemed to be directed at them, filled with hunger, jealousy, and a hint of suppressed ferocity.

Especially the couple who only received a little bit of porridge, and the middle-aged man huddled alone in the corner.

Chen Feng could feel those gazes piercing his back like needles.

He didn't care at all. After finishing his meal, he carefully put away the rest and tightened the lid on the kettle.

Then, he readjusted his posture to make Xiaoyu more comfortable, while he remained in a state of half-asleep, half-awake, but actually highly alert state.

Time continued to pass in darkness, turmoil, and oppression.

The crew members who delivered meals would come down every so often (it might be twice a day, or even less often, it was hard to tell accurately in the dark), and each time they would repeat the same routine: put down a dirty metal bucket or kettle, mutter something indistinct, and then leave.

The contents of the bucket were different each time, but without exception they all emitted a suspicious odor and were pitifully small in quantity.

Scrambling, hushed curses, and conflicts became the regular occurrences after each meal delivery.

Chen Feng and Xiao Yu never touched those things. They barely managed to survive on the little they had brought on board, as well as the rations that Chen Feng had deliberately saved.

However, reserves are limited.

The compressed biscuits are dwindling day by day, and every sip of water I drink is less of a drop.

The woman in the couple seemed to be getting worse and worse due to hunger, thirst and despair; her coughing became more and more frequent and she grew weaker and weaker.

Her man went from offering quiet comfort at first, to becoming irritable and scolding her, and finally to falling into silence and numbness.

The two men, who seemed to be companions, were also growing increasingly dissatisfied with the "special treatment" Chen Feng and his group received; the malice in their eyes was almost undisguised.

On one occasion, one of them even deliberately threw a hard object, of unknown origin, towards Chen Feng and his group in the darkness. The object hit the pile of goods with a dull thud, a blatant provocation.

Chen Feng ignored him.

He simply pulled Xiaoyu closer behind him, his hand never leaving her waist.

He knew that conflict would break out sooner or later.

Just a matter of time.

Amidst this suffocating tension and standoff, the cargo ship's voyage seemed to have entered a different phase.

The roar of the main engine seemed to grow deeper, and the rocking of the ship became more violent and irregular.

Sometimes, the entire hold would tilt suddenly and then straighten up again, with the cargo making a sickening screeching and rattling sound.

The salty, fishy smell of the sea seemed to be stronger in the air, mixed with a... the muggy feeling of low pressure before an approaching storm.

Is it bad weather?

Or did we enter some special sea area?

Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat.

At sea, bad weather is a deadly threat in itself, not to mention that they are hiding in the dark hold, where their chances of survival are slim if something goes wrong.

Moreover, in such extreme environments, the collapse of humanity and the outbreak of violence often only require a spark.

He didn't know how long the ship had been sailing or how far it was from its destination, Hong Kong Island.

All he knew was that danger was accumulating every single second.

In the darkness, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his fingers gently stroking the cold grip of the gun.

The Type 54 pistol was fully loaded.

He wouldn't mind using them to clean the filthy tin can when necessary.

In order to survive.

In order to keep Xiaoyu alive.

Anyone or anything blocking the way.

They all have to die.

Not a single one can be left alive.

This oath applies on land, and it applies equally on this vast sea.