Even without cheats, we must survive the apocalypse

An Suxin rubbed her brows helplessly, feeling that this series of irrational actions was really unlike what she would do. However, even as calm as she was, she did not consider any options other than catching up. Now far away from the land, looking around, all around is sea water, and the ferry itself may have power problems at any time - it is undoubtedly a dilemma.

"This bastard..." The secretary looked at the huge shadow in the distance and murmured, "I actually have a day when I would be so reckless for a man..."

Moreover, there was a wounded person lying on the boat. Although he would not be in serious condition after Su Muhe's timely treatment, we could not expect Gu Ke to be an effective fighting force in the near future.

"Can you believe this? Those bastards actually used RPGs to shoot me directly?" Gu Ke complained loudly in the cabin, "How could I be so worthy as to use an RPG? If you dare, fight me through the middle door!"

An Suxin looked back at the cabin and sighed, at least his mental state is still very good, so he probably doesn't need to worry too much.

At this time, Yun Duoer came out of the cabin. The little girl looked a little ugly, and when she looked at the big ship on the sea, her eyes still showed the fear that had not yet dissipated.

Su Muhe took the little girl into his arms and gently stroked her back. This time, the venomous little girl did not show any anger. Her petite body trembled as if she was in great fear.

An Suxin looked at Yun Duo'er with a complicated expression. The little girl's state started when they caught up with the Nibelungen. As the team's "risk radar", this was the first time Yun Duo'er had such a strong reaction in these days.

"On that ship... there is something very, very, very scary..." Yun Duoer hugged Su Muhe's waist tightly and used four "very" in a row. "I don't know what it is... but... I can just feel it..."

"Sister Suxin, what should we do now?" Su Muhe asked An Suxin.

"It's not that there is no chance at all." An Suxin said, "From what happened on the island, we can be sure of one thing, these people are not without enemies. All we can do now is wait, and wait for those people to take action again, maybe it will bring us a glimmer of hope."

Su Muhe also knew that there was no chance of improvement in the current situation in the short term.

"I don't know how Brother Xiao and Mengmeng are doing now," the girl said with worry in her eyes, "I hope Miss Anna can really protect them and prevent them from suffering too much."

Chapter 29: Repression

The sky was gradually getting darker, the ferry was rising and falling with the waves, the evening breeze was cool, and the sky was extremely clear. But who can predict the weather on the sea?

An Suxin could only hope that there would be no wind or waves tonight, otherwise their old ferry would not be able to withstand the wind and waves.

"I have a very strange feeling." The person who spoke was Chu Yan. This was the first sentence she had said since then. The scarlet in her eyes gradually faded away, and she seemed to have finally regained some composure, but there was a little confusion in her expression.

"What's the feeling?" An Suxin asked. In her opinion, although Chu Yan could not clearly sense good or bad luck like Yun Duoer, considering her current special state, she might have some intuition that ordinary people could not understand.

"It's hard to explain," Chu Yan shook her head, "but there seems to be something on that ship, something that makes me feel very——"

Chu Yan paused for a moment, as if she was looking for a suitable word to describe her feeling at the moment: "Very... disgusted?"

An Suxin raised her eyebrows slightly and said half-jokingly, "Just like how you feel about me?"

Chu Yan glared at An Suxin fiercely: "Forget it, I really can't explain it clearly, maybe it's just my illusion."

"Okay, such a vague feeling can't be used as useful information." An Suxin turned and walked towards the cabin. "It's getting late. Let's go to the cabin and eat something first. If we want to bring our man back, we can't collapse first."

"Don't worry, I don't need you to remind me of this kind of thing." Chu Yan snorted and turned to walk into the cabin, but halfway through, she couldn't help but turn her head back and look at the Nibelungen in the distance. For some reason, she always felt as if there was an inexplicable sight coming from the direction of that ship.

Inside the cabin, the injured Gu Ke, wrapped in bandages, was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, while Su Muhe was holding bowls and chopsticks, feeding Gu Ke, who had difficulty moving.

"Susu, I'm really sorry to trouble you this time." Gu Ke had an injured arm and even had to rely on others for help when eating.

"It's okay, Sister Ke." Su Muhe showed a sweet and slightly lonely smile, "After all, I usually just hold everyone back, and this is all I can do."

"Don't talk nonsense." Gu Ke stretched out his intact arm and pinched Su Muhe's smooth cheek. "You have never been a drag. Besides, if you were not here, how could I deal with all these injuries? I don't have the ability to treat the wounds so beautifully by myself."

"Yeah," Su Muhe responded softly, then turned to look at Yun Duoer who was in a daze, "Xiao Duoer, you should eat something too."

Yun Duoer was in a very bad mental state. She was still under the shadow of "some terrible thing" and stared at the food in front of her in a daze.

"Xiao Duo'er, if you don't eat well now, you won't be as tall and sexy as your sister in the future." Gu Ke joked to Yun Duo'er, deliberately provoking the little girl, "Be careful or you will be a short, stupid little girl for the rest of your life."

"Aunt Se is the fool! I will definitely have a better figure than Aunt Se in the future!" Yun Duoer snorted proudly, her cute little ponytails swaying back and forth. She always felt a little more spirited under Gu Ke's provocation.

"I will be this tall in the future! Not short at all!" The little girl stood on tiptoe and gestured fiercely, pointing at Su Muhe's chest, "This place will not be smaller than that of big-breasted sister in the future!"

"Hahaha - cough cough cough... Damn, I laughed so hard that I sprained my wound. It hurts so much." Tears suddenly flowed from Gu Ke's eyes. It was unclear whether they were from laughing or from the pain. "You flat-faced little girl, you must have seen this in a dream."

"Huh!" Yun Duoer didn't say it out loud. She had indeed seen her future self in a dream. In that dream, there was also Chu Xiao, who was many years older. The grown-up self in the dream did many embarrassing things with the older brother who was several years older.

However, when she thought of the endings of these dreams, the little girl's expression drooped again. Because at the end of these dreams, there would always be a desolate cemetery, with crows crowing, fallen leaves rotting under the tombstones, and her older brother covered in blood, falling in her arms...

The dinner without two people finally ended in a depressing atmosphere. The lights in the cabin were dim, as if reflecting the mood of the girls.

Su Muhe felt a little sad. It was just this time yesterday when everyone was happily enjoying the sumptuous food together. But just one day later, even having dinner seemed like torture.

She walked to the porthole of the ferry and looked at the huge ship that looked like a mountain in the distance. At this moment, the lights of the Nibelungen were bright, just like the colorful clouds in the sky floating on the sea, and even the entire sea was illuminated by the lights on the ship.

"I don't know what Brother Xiao is doing now..." the girl thought.

……

Chu Xiao felt very awkward at the moment.

It wasn't just the expensive clothes he was wearing, but also because of the environment that made him feel out of place.

At this moment, he was in the banquet hall on the ship, which was decorated like a royal palace. A classical orchestra stood in a corner of the hall, playing melodious music. With Chu Xiao's shallow knowledge of classical music, he only heard "The Blue Danube". A group of men and women in suits and formal dresses gathered in the hall to chat in groups of three or two. The waiters held the plates and shuttled freely among the crowd. The ladies wore gorgeous dresses of various colors, like butterflies competing for beauty, attracting attention.

Chu Xiao had only seen this kind of scene in movies. Although he had to admit that the food served in the banquet hall was indeed delicious, the whole environment made him feel extremely alienated.

Chu Xiao wanted to go back to the suite, even though he knew there were listening devices in the suite, but it was better than staying in the hall. But he couldn't leave, because he was specifically asked by Sir Lobelin to attend the banquet.

"Brother Xiao, don't you want to eat?" Ruan Mengmeng was very relaxed and ate happily.

She was wearing a gorgeous red dress and was radiant in the hall. As soon as she appeared, she attracted countless gazes. However, no one dared to come forward and talk to her. Chu Xiao had already prepared to drive away the annoying flies, but it was a bit too much worry.

"I'm not very hungry right now." Chu Xiao shrugged and continued to observe the guests in the banquet hall. These people should be the "upper class" on the ship. In the world before the end of the world, they must have been people of considerable status. Among the guests, there were people of all races. Chu Xiao and Ruan Mengmeng, with their black hair and black eyes, did not look out of place among the guests.

Chu Xiao couldn't help but curl up the corner of his mouth with a hint of irony. Looking at such a peaceful scene, who could have imagined that the world outside this ship had turned into a hell of flesh and blood?

(ps: I wrote this in a hurry, if there are typos, I will correct them in the thread...)

Chapter 30 Authority

Ruan Mengmeng stayed by Chu Xiao's side, enjoying the food while keeping alert like a vigilant hound. She didn't like this kind of occasion either. She had attended similar banquets with her father before. After all, the Ruan family at that time was determined to train Miss Ruan into a qualified lady.

"Mengmeng, have you ever attended a similar dinner before?" Chu Xiao asked the girl next to him.

The girl pinched a delicate little pastry and stuffed it into her mouth, shaking her legs casually: "My father took me to some similar banquets before, but I was not very sensible at the time, and some young men came up to chat with me, but I beat them up. As a result, my father never took me again."

Chu Xiao imagined such a scene and felt that it was indeed something Ruan Mengmeng could do, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The maid Eta stood behind Chu Xiao and the others. She was still dressed in an elegant and dignified maid outfit, which completely distinguished her from the guests in the hall.

At this time, a charming voice sounded beside Chu Xiao: "What are you laughing at?"

Chu Xiao turned around and saw Anna, dressed in a gorgeous outfit, appear beside them. Behind her was Shi Koti, dressed in a bodyguard uniform.

Anna seemed to have gotten over the bad mood she had in the afternoon, and she smiled brightly and prettyly. She sat down next to Ruan Mengmeng and picked up a piece of dessert and put it in her mouth.

"I thought you would appear under the spotlight from the main staircase like the protagonist." Chu Xiao did not answer Anna's question because he knew that Anna didn't actually care what he was laughing at just now.

"They did have similar plans, but I rejected them," Anna said. "I don't know how many banquets they have held. These guys never get tired of having fun."

Ruan Mengmeng sat between the two of them, chewing some pastries, but her eyes were like thorns, shooting at Shi Koti who was standing beside Anna. After all, the two had a brief fight before, although it was short and the winner was not completely determined, but Ruan Mengmeng knew that she was actually at a disadvantage throughout the whole process and her chances of winning were not great.

No matter what, with Anna coming over, Chu Xiao finally had someone who understood the situation.

"It seems that there are not a lot of guests attending the banquet?" Chu Xiao asked. He remembered that Anna's diary said that the number of passengers on this ship was about 2000, not including the number of staff. Although considering the size of the Nibelungen, it could easily accommodate tens of thousands of people.

"Not everyone is qualified to attend the banquet hosted by my father." Anna explained. She looked at the guests toasting to the melodious classical music. The look in her eyes was somewhat similar to Chu Xiao's. "Only the 'nobles' he recognized are qualified."

Sir Lobelin is an extremely traditional and retro person. Chu Xiao can see this from the decoration of the rooms on the ship and the overall style of the banquet.

"All passengers on board are limited to certain permissions, and the level of permissions also corresponds to their status on the Nibelungen," explained HR Shikoti. "You and your girlfriend are given B-level permissions, which is the highest level that ordinary passengers can achieve."

Chu Xiao turned his gaze towards the expressionless and very cool female bodyguard. Even though this mixed-race beauty was wearing a plain bodyguard uniform, her captivating face was enough to overshadow all the gorgeous female guests in the hall.

"Only those with level B or above are eligible to attend the dinner on board."

All passengers on the ship were assigned five levels of authority from A to E. Passengers above level B were VIPs, the upper class on the ship, the so-called "nobles", who could enjoy all services on the ship for free. People below level B could only move in areas with corresponding authority or below. Most of the people at level C were senior technical staff, responsible for operating various affairs on the ship to ensure the normal operation of this ark society on the sea; people at levels D and E were only ordinary passengers, who were the largest in number, and all needed to earn contribution points by working on the ship to ensure their lives on the ship. They had limited space for movement and were not allowed to enter areas with higher levels.

"Are the people on the ship divided into these levels of authority?" The one who asked this question was not Chu Xiao, nor Ruan Mengmeng, but Anna, "Why don't I know this!"

"No, why don't you know?" Chu Xiao's eyes widened, feeling a little unbelievable, "Such an important situation, why don't you, a young lady, know about it!"

Anna said confidently: "Because no one has ever told me such a thing!"

Shi Koti answered promptly: "It's not surprising that you don't know, Miss, because this level classification is meaningless to you. After all, you are the only precious daughter of Mr. Sir. Of course, if it must be counted, your authority was once classified as A-level in the system."

"...Why was it in the past?" Anna's pretty face darkened.

"Because you ran away from home without permission, Sir was very angry, so now your clearance level has been frozen," Shikoti smiled, "Now it's only a pitiful 'F' level."

"There's no such level!" Anna complained angrily.

"Well, this is a level that Sir has specially added for you, young lady."

"What about you? It's your job to keep an eye on me!" Anna pouted, a little angrily, "Father didn't even punish you and just let you back to me like that!"

In response, Shikoti just smiled and said nothing. She quietly leaned close to Anna's ear and whispered, "Miss, your skills in getting questions need to be improved."

Anna's expression changed, she bit her lip, and didn't say anything else.

Chu Xiao took a deep look at the master and servant with a strange relationship and did not speak, but Shi Koti suddenly met his gaze at this moment. The mixed-blood beauty seemed to be inadvertently using her fingers to make a subtle gesture to Chu Xiao, which was quite meaningful.

The banquet was still going on and the atmosphere became more and more lively. Because of Anna's presence, the number of people approaching Chu Xiao and the others increased significantly. Many people came up to greet Anna on their own initiative, and even Chu Xiao received a lot of greetings. At this time, Eta, who was serving behind Chu Xiao, took on the task of translation so that Chu Xiao would not be embarrassed by the language barrier.

Through these greetings, Chu Xiao knew that the news that he had saved Anna had spread among the upper class people on the ship. The rejection and arrogance he had imagined never appeared. These former upper class bigwigs treated Chu Xiao very politely. Just because he saved Anna's life, their greetings were obviously... flattering.

This made Chu Xiao realize that Sir Lobelin's authority on this ship was probably even stronger than he had imagined.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly stagnated, and then the music played by the band became more high-pitched. Everyone's eyes turned to the stairs in the center of the banquet hall.

——The owner of this ship, Sir Lobelin, appears.

Chapter 31 Banquet

Sir Lobelin's attire was slightly different from the previous private meeting with Chu Xiao in the study. The middle-aged Sir in the study was neatly dressed, elegant and gentle, with a strong scholarly air, but a hint of majesty was faintly revealed in his words.

But at this moment, accompanied by his entourage, as this handsome middle-aged man slowly walked down the stairs, his eyes looked down at everyone in the hall, as if a mountain was slowly pressing down.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sir Lobelin leaned on the railing and glanced at everyone in the hall with a solemn expression. Under the blessing of great power and authority, this solemnity brought tremendous pressure. "Enjoy this banquet to your heart's content. As the chosen ones of the gods, you are qualified to enjoy a brand new beginning after everything ends!"

As he spoke, the music the band played changed, becoming sacred and solemn.

"Hmph... You always say the same thing. Don't you get tired of it?" Anna complained quietly. While everyone else bowed their heads in greeting, she was the only one who held her head high without caring.

Since Sir Lobelin's opening remarks were in his native language, he did not immediately understand what he was saying. It was only when Etta whispered in his ear that he realized what the elegant Sir was saying. Chu Xiao was actually a little embarrassed, because after Etta translated it, this opening remark sounded very "middle school".

The next moment, all the guests raised their glasses and said in unison: "Thank you for your generosity."

Chu Xiao and Ruan Mengmeng did not respond. Firstly, their foreign language skills were not good enough, and secondly, this kind of response would only make them feel uncomfortable. Although there were not many people in the hall, this kind of uniform shouting brought great pressure to people, especially when they were in the crowd.

Besides Chu Xiao and Ruan Mengmeng, Anna and Shi Koti did not speak. Anna rolled her eyes, while Shi Koti smiled with a hint of disdain. Besides them, Etta did not speak either. She still provided timely and accurate translation for Chu Xiao and Ruan Mengmeng. Sir Lobelin's opening remarks were not over yet: "The world has been cleansed. Next, God's chosen people will regain their past traditions and glory."

The guests immediately responded: "Thank God for this gift."

There was a hint of enthusiasm in their voices, and Chu Xiao realized that the responses from the guests might not just be casual flattery. This situation might not just be the opening remarks of a banquet, but more like a gathering to praise an unknown god.

"My fellow chosen people, our merciful and great God is watching you and me. He will be everywhere! He will give us sacred blood!" Sir Lobelin's tone became high-pitched.

The guests raised their glasses casually and shouted, as if the red wine swaying in the glasses was unknown blood: "Our god is everywhere, and he will mercifully grant his gaze and sacred blood!"

Chu Xiao's expression had changed a little. He began to understand that this was not an opening speech for the banquet at all, but a prayer and praise to the unknown god before the banquet! This religious atmosphere was extremely inflammatory, as if people were in a huge dye vat, and they would be unconsciously assimilated by the surrounding atmosphere. He even began to not need Etta's translation. Even if he didn't understand what they were saying, he could vaguely understand what these people were talking about.

"Brother Xiao, I feel a little unwell." Ruan Mengmeng whispered. She leaned against Chu Xiao's body and couldn't help but look around a few more times. "I really feel like something is looking at me..."

Not only Ruan Mengmeng, Chu Xiao himself also had this feeling, as if there was a strange eye watching him from somewhere. In a trance, Chu Xiao remembered a dream he had not long ago. He dreamed that the black sea was carrying a large ship full of dead souls, and above the endless sky, there were blood-red eyes slowly opening.

"Tsk... I finally understand why it's called the 'Cult'!"

——This is simply a weird religious organization! In this environment, Chu Xiao couldn't help but really doubt, is there really such a high and mighty god directing all this?

When Sir Lobelin finished his prayer, the solemnity on his face gradually faded. He looked at his daughter standing in the corner, then his gaze lingered on Chu Xiao for a moment before announcing, "Well, my guests, I'm sure you can't wait any longer. Let's start the banquet."

The tone was completely different from just now, casual yet extremely kind, even with a hint of humor.

With the announcement of Jazz, the banquet hall became lively again, the orchestra played warm and cheerful music again, the waiters reappeared, constantly replenishing the wine and food. Handsome men and beautiful women in gorgeous clothes began to step onto the dance floor, dancing to the music, everything seemed so luxurious, warm and beautiful.

Chu Xiao had lost his appetite. He looked at the expensive red wine in the glass and felt it was hard to swallow, as if there was really some blood of unknown origin in it. Everything that had just happened was like a dark shadow wrapped around him, making the young man feel very uncomfortable.