Chapter 108: The Cruise Ship Vanishing into the Dense Fog

3:30 AM.
The entire city of Jiangcheng was submerged in the deepest of slumbers.
Chen Yu, however, slipped out of his hotel room without a sound.
The voice-activated lights in the hallway didn't even have time to react before his silhouette dissolved into the shadows in front of the elevator.

[Ding! Skill points -2, exchange successful!]
[Obtained item: Insulation (Single use)]

Feeling the numbers on his system interface decrease, Chen Yu felt not a ripple of emotion.
The elevator doors slid open with a "ding," reflecting his cold, stern face on the polished metal surface.
He intended to use his system abilities to leave this place undetected and head to the location specified in the text message.
But he did not know that the moment he stepped out of the hotel entrance, a pair of cold, complex eyes locked onto him from an inconspicuous black private car parked across the street.

It was Su Qingzhu.
She had been keeping watch here for nearly five hours.
The car's air conditioning was off, with only a small crack in the window for air. The damp, frigid midnight air of Jiangcheng had turned her beautiful face pale.
She couldn't understand why she was here.
By all accounts, this guy named Chen Yu was a slouch, a man without a serious bone in his body, who acted entirely on whim and held no regard for discipline.
Yet, when he broadcasted to the entire city, declaring war on that madman killer, her heart had still tightened in spite of herself.
It was a sense of panic and worry she was unwilling to admit even to herself.

Watching Chen Yu casually wave down a taxi and climb inside, Su Qingzhu did not hesitate for a second. She started her car immediately.
She gently pressed the accelerator, following him at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

...

Half an hour later.
The taxi stopped at the pier entrance.
Chen Yu tossed a few bills and stepped out with an air of nonchalance.
The driver didn't even have time to register his face; he only felt a blur before the man vanished into the night.
That was the brilliance of "Insulation": for 24 hours, it reduced his presence to an absolute minimum, rendering all conventional technological means and the short-term memory of human brains blurred and hazy.
It was, quite simply, an essential accessory for home, travel, and... committing crimes.

Following the instructions in the text, he walked all the way to berth number 4.
A luxurious cruise ship, stark white and sleek in design, appeared in his line of sight.
The cruise ship's deck and portholes were lit with soft lights, appearing both abrupt and eerie in the deathly quiet of the pier.

"Damn, this Shen Feng really has a flair for the dramatic," Chen Yu murmured, silently giving his opponent a point for taste.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think some rich kid was inviting me out to sea for a wild party."

He strolled swaggeringly up the gangway and slowly pushed open the door, which stood slightly ajar.
His newly acquired [Crisis Warning] skill showed no reaction.
This meant that, at least for the moment, there was no lethal danger here.
The entire ship was terrifyingly quiet.
He walked into the cabin, which was an ultra-luxurious lounge complete with leather sofas, crystal chandeliers, and a mahogany bar.
But there was not a soul to be seen.
It was like a ghost ship.
Without ceremony, he sank into a soft sofa, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes to rest.
*Let’s see what kind of medicine you’re selling in your gourd today, buddy.*

"Whoo—"
A low, deep blast of a ship's whistle echoed.

The hull gave a slight shudder as it slowly pulled away from the pier, heading toward the dark, boundless sea.
At the same time, a black private car skidded to a halt at the edge of berth number 4 with a screech of tires.
Su Qingzhu pushed the door open and rushed to the edge of the pier, only to see the silhouette of the white cruise ship drifting away.
Her heart sank to the bottom.

"Damn it!"
She cursed under her breath and immediately pulled out her phone, dialing the number she had long since memorized.
The call was answered almost instantly.
"Speak!" Yan Zheng’s voice, which always maintained a state of vigilance, came through.
"Master! Chen Yu got on a cruise ship, and it’s already set sail!" Su Qingzhu’s voice carried an irrepressible anxiety.
There was a two-second silence on the other end.
"Nonsense! Absolute nonsense!" Yan Zheng’s fury could be felt through the phone. "That brat, does he really think he’s a savior?"
"Master, this isn't the time for that! We must follow him immediately!"
"I'll have the maritime detachment provide support right now!"
Yan Zheng’s voice became incredibly grave. "Qingzhu, listen to me. Have their patrol boats follow at a safe distance; do not alert the enemy under any circumstances!"
"This time, I want to see exactly where this shadowy figure is trying to take Chen Yu. I’m going to take him down once and for all!"
"Yes!"

Hanging up the phone, Su Qingzhu stared at the cruise ship, now just a small flickering point of light on the ocean, and clenched her fists.
*Chen Yu, you had better not let anything happen to you!*

...

The cruise ship sailed steadily across the sea, surrounded by ink-black darkness.
Chen Yu felt as if he were about to drift off to sleep.
Just then, the sound of light footsteps reached his ears.
He opened his eyes.
A waiter in a crisp uniform had appeared in the cabin, seemingly from nowhere.
He was currently walking toward Chen Yu, carrying a silver tray with a smile on his face.

"Good morning, Mr. Chen." The waiter bowed politely and placed the tray on the coffee table in front of Chen Yu.
On the tray sat a glass of plain water.
"This was prepared especially for you by my master."

Chen Yu glanced lazily at the glass and asked with a sneer.
"Oh? Your master is so polite? Is this a parting meal or a final drink? Planning to poison me right here on the boat?"
He expected the waiter to panic or come up with some excuse.
To his surprise, the smile on the waiter's face didn't change at all; instead, he shook his head with great earnestness.

"No, no, no, Mr. Chen, you misunderstand."
He spoke in an extremely sincere tone. "My master gave instructions to ensure you are brought to your destination safely. Therefore, there is no poison in this water."
Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what is it? Just to quench my thirst?"
The waiter maintained his smile. "However, the master also hopes that you will drink this water."
"Because... I have put some sedatives in it."
"Please rest assured, the dosage is very small and will have absolutely no side effects on your body. It will only allow you to sleep soundly until we reach our destination."

"..."
The smile on Chen Yu's face froze.
He blinked, wondering if he had misheard.
*What the hell?!*
*What kind of bizarre move is this?*
*Do villains these days have such high standards of sportsmanship?!*

Drugging someone so openly, and even providing product descriptions and after-sales guarantees?
Are you running a telecom scam, complete with a friendly reminder that the call might be recorded?
A thousand thoughts raced through Chen Yu's mind; he was completely at a loss for words.
He looked at the waiter's face, which was so sincere it could be called "honest and kind," and for a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

This Shen Feng... he was a deviant, indeed.
He wasn't just committing a crime; he was playing a game of his own design, governed by absurd rules.
He enjoyed this perverse pleasure of holding everything in the palm of his hand, turning even the most low-down, dirty tactics into a ritual.

*Since you want to play...*
Chen Yu sneered inwardly.
*Then I'll play along with you!*

"Since your master is so sincere, I'll give him the courtesy."
"Consider it a free, first-class, on-demand sleep service."
With that, Chen Yu tilted his head back and downed the water in one gulp.

...

"Deputy Captain Su! The target ship has suddenly been shrouded in a dense fog; we’ve lost visual contact!"
In the patrol boat, Su Qingzhu gripped her binoculars, her heart in her throat.
Just a moment ago, an incredibly thick mist had risen from the sea without warning, and the white cruise ship Chen Yu was on had simply vanished.

"What about the radar! What is the radar showing!" she shouted at the technician beside her.
The technician was sweating profusely, staring intently at the screen. "Report! The signal point is still on the radar! We are pursuing..."
Before he could finish, the green light on the screen flickered once.
Then, it just vanished into thin air.
"The signal... the signal is gone!" The technician's voice cracked.

"What?!"
Su Qingzhu pushed him aside and leaned over the screen.
The radar’s scanning sector was completely empty.
The cruise ship had evaporated from the world as if it had never existed.
The strange, dense fog around them grew even thicker.
Visibility was terrifyingly low.
Su Qingzhu stared blankly at the chaos before her, a bone-chilling cold rising from the soles of her feet.
The cruise ship carrying Chen Yu had completely disappeared.

...

It was unclear how much time had passed.
Chen Yu felt as if he had slept a long, deep, and satisfying sleep.
He slowly opened his heavy eyelids.
What greeted him was not the luxurious crystal chandelier of the cruise ship.
But rather... pitch-black darkness, so thick he couldn't see his own hand.
He tried to move and found himself lying on a hard surface.
The air was filled with the faint, lingering scent of dust, flowers, and grass.
The surroundings were deathly quiet.
Chen Yu felt a jolt of alarm.

*Have I... reached the destination?*