Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 541 - 17: Internal Struggle

Chapter 541: Chapter 17: Internal Struggle

Being a female host, Ruan Feifei knew a thing or two about entertaining men. She wasn’t high and mighty, dismissing men completely, nor was she the kind to grovel and plead. She knew when to stop. If she needed something from someone, she would give him a taste of sweetness — not too much to take advantage of her. She was good at preserving herself.

Beautiful, charming, and with a tall figure — this was Ruan Feifei’s trump card. She was not afraid of men resisting her charm. But without securing a "rabbit," she wouldn’t cast off her "hawk."

As for Tang Zheng, Ruan Feifei wasn’t going to throw herself at him just because he was reliable and handsome. A few physical contacts here and there, perhaps letting him touch her chest a few times at most, any further she would demean herself, and he might look down on her.

"I offer my body in exchange for a second life." Ruan Feifei said, a slight smile on her lips, waiting for Tang Zheng’s answer. However, she was indignant deep down. She was not the type of girl to dream about love in her youth. The rough edges of society made her realize what she needed was a man who was willing to sacrifice everything for her — even his life.

"What are you willing to offer?" Tang Zheng asked coldly, his heart filled with a hint of resentment. He thought Ruan Feifei was yet another woman throwing herself at him for protection. Yet, in just minutes, he realized it wasn’t so. At most she let him touch her chest a few times, nothing more than a few ambiguous gestures.

"Tsk, all men are the same." Ruan Feifei’s face stiffened momentarily upon hearing Tang Zheng’s blunt question but she didn’t retort. She quickly adjusted her mood, crossed her arms, leaned against the railing of the ship, and put her sultry body on display. She gave Tang Zheng a teasing glance and scoffed, "Isn’t it obvious?"

"No tricks. Fight with all your might." Tang Zheng didn’t want to indulge her. Turning to leave, he knew Qin Yan and Lu Fan were on the bottom two floors of the Bohemian cruise ship conducting inspections and should be done soon.

"Wait." Ruan Feifei stopped him, looking upset. "What will it take for you to talk? If not, I will ask Dantai or Qin Yan instead."

Ruan Feifei was putting pressure on Tang Zheng. Mentioning Dantai was an attempt to incite competition and jealousy in him. As for Qin Yan, she was a safeguard, proving she had a second option and warning Tang Zheng not to push too far.

Treated disingenuously and threatened, Tang Zheng grew annoyed and kissed the female host on her lips.

"I will help those who contribute to the team. The punitive forces are coming. If you can fight hard and snatch a seed, I promise to guarantee your safety during the activation phase."

"Once it’s activated, will I gain superpowers like you?" Ruan Feifei had done her homework by asking the reporter about the warfare process at the museum.

Watching Tang Zheng nod and leave, Ruan Feifei revealed a satisfied smile. It seemed he was easier to manage than the reticent Dantai.

"By the way, Tang Zheng, your kissing technique needs work. Shall I tutor you tonight?" Ruan Feifei watched as Tang Zheng froze momentarily at her words and then broke into a triumphant smile. Flirtation is the key. Make a man itch with desire and he’ll remember you.

"It seems I better start preparing for the punitive forces. The fact that he didn’t tell me what to do probably means he wants to see my performance." Ruan Feifei took a long sigh, briefly glanced at the ocean view, and returned to her cabin to prepare. At the very least, she needed to get her hands on a gun, and if possible, form alliances.

"Manli won’t cut it. She’s too cunning. But Hu Xiaoyan could be of use. And the old cameraman Tang, the truck driver, even Xu Liangmao could suffice. The reporter is a no-go; the guy is a shrewd schemer." Ruan Feifei dissected each person’s character and wore a serious expression.

Manli, a mature woman, was doing the same thing. She had already roped in the old professor and his three students, and it didn’t take much to buy out Xu Liangmao. She knew how to pinpoint a person’s weakness — this guy was simply short on cash. Three million Soft Girl Currency could solve everything.

"Next up, the truck driver. When the cameraman sees the tide has turned, he’ll surely join me. This will be a significant blow to Ruan Feifei. To think she’d compete with me for men without weighing up her own worth." Manli is not a beauty, she’s average at best and her chest is not her strong point, but she is highly intelligent.

The washed-up minor star, on the other hand, was rather naive. She was scampering across the deck, trying to find Tang Zheng and be alone with him. Meanwhile, Xu Liangmao and the truck driver were in the cabin maintaining their guns. The janitor was nervously sitting idle, and the others, after collecting their money from the reporter, went sightseeing. It was a rare chance to go abroad, they had to make back the money somehow.

The newbies initially stayed close to the cabin. After an afternoon without danger, they gradually wandered further off. The cap-wearing man’s girlfriend was invited to dinner by an Italian man and, ecstatic, she slipped away without telling anyone, probably out of guilt.

Zhao Guangji and the cameraman didn’t speak Italian, they helplessly watched the beauty unable to approach any man. Perhaps it was the foul curse odor that kept people at bay. So they consoled themselves by ordering a mound of seafood in the restaurant.

At 8 p.m., the ship’s dance hall and casino were open for business. Anyone who paid a hundred Euros for a ticket could enter. The reporter and others excitedly headed out to enjoy themselves. However, they quickly became targets of the Sicilian Mafia, they were fleeced not only of their money but also their clothes, and were left on the ship’s deck.

Dantai, with his hands behind his head, was watching a provocative American movie from 2070 about a teacher-student affair. The majority of the film consisted of explicit scenes, with hardly any emotional narrative.

"They got an Oscar for that? Are the judges blind?" Dantai resisted the urge to smash the TV, pulled out a handgun, and began disassembling it.

Tang Zheng and Lin Weiguo were sleeping, but only for half an hour before they were woken up by knocking on the door.

"What are you doing?" Tang Zheng opened the hatch, only to see six men in black suits standing outside, gesturing and speaking in rigid English.

The reporter, wearing only his underwear, stood beside them, clutching his crotch and constantly grinning, "Tang Zheng, lend me some money, I’ll pay it back in a few days."

"Well, look at the sandbags." Bored, Dantai pushed past Tang Zheng and went outside, punching the reporter in the face. The men in black, seeing their prey dare to fight back, immediately pounced.

Tang Zheng kicked one unlucky guy to the ground, slammed the hatch shut, and went back to sleep. In less than a minute, Dantai started knocking on the door. Lin Weiguo laughed; he was delighted to see the strong Dantai integrating into the team.

As for the issue of who would stand night watch, Manli and Ruan Feifei had a heated argument that ended inconclusively, and both went to sleep.

Around 3 o’clock, the sea was silent, and a dense fog began to float in. As the cruise ship sailed into it, only the dim lights could be seen. It looked like a ghost ship, but the sounds of laughter and fun from the casino and ballroom were still loud. The passengers were still lost in revelry, but when the thick fog drifted in, they collapsed on the ground, their senses dulled. The on-duty crew members fainted too.

"Fog has rolled in." Lin Weiguo, who was keeping watch, held his rifle. Seeing the fog engulf the view outside the window, he frowned, hesitated, and finally woke up Tang Zheng and Dantai.

"Go wake up Qin Yan and the others, wait on the deck, I’ll check on the newbies." As Tang Zheng exited the hatch, he cocked his handgun and unlocked the safety.

"Is the appearance time of the punitive forces now uncertain?" Dantai agreed with Tang Zheng’s cautious approach, believing it was better to be safe than sorry.

The long journey and afternoon play had left the newbies exhausted. Tang Zheng called several times, but no one responded. Of course, the soundproofing of the hatch door was also exceptionally good.

Tang Zheng kicked the hatch, and after a few thumps, Ruan Feifei, with dark circles under her eyes, finally opened the door. Seeing Tang Zheng’s grim face, she jumped, explaining, "I haven’t been sleeping, I was just too tired, I didn’t hear."

"Wake them up, wait on the deck." Tang Zheng said and prepared to leave, but Ruan Feifei rushed out of the cabin and went to join Lin Weiguo not far away.

"Wait, they won’t listen to me, you go and wake them up yourself." Ruan Feifei didn’t forget to make Manli look bad; Tang Zheng would surely be disappointed seeing their lazy appearances.

As Tang Zheng walked into the room, the strong smell of perfume made him sneeze. Chen Hong’s sleeping position was awful, her blanket had fallen to the floor, leaving nothing covered. At least Manli was wearing protective clothing, but because it was too tight, the zipper was open, allowing a glimpse of her skin and underwear.

Hu Xiaoyan must have been terrified of dying. She was actually sleeping with a rifle in her arms, oblivious to the risk of accidental discharge.

"Wake up." Tang Zheng called twice, and Hu Xiaoyan sat up. Seeing an unfamiliar man in front of her, she screamed, quickly grabbed a blanket to cover herself up. Manli, on the other hand, deliberately made a slow movement to let Tang Zheng have a good look.

"What’s all the noise about?" Chen Hong, having her sleep disturbed, growled, turned over, covered her head with the blanket, and continued to sleep.

Tang Zheng walked over and kicked her thigh. Chen Hong directly hit the wall.

"Are you looking for a fight?" Chen Hong thought it was another woman bullying her. She ripped off the blanket, jumped down ready to fight, but was startled when she saw Tang Zheng.

"Had enough fun? Get dressed, grab a gun, and get ready." Tang Zheng glared at the three women, left the cabin. He noted that the tension among the newbies was palpable; they were all trying to prove themselves.