Chapter 863: 40 Minutes

The Fin Dragon's attack failed to cause any trouble for the Golden Edge.

Instead, it suffered considerable injuries from the deep-sea bombs.

With its atomic breath ability completely countered by Zhang Yi, the creature realized continuing the fight would be futile.

Once again, it dove deep into the ocean, and soon the massive terrifying shadow beneath the Golden Edge disappeared.

Zhang Yi shrugged.

Fair enough.

His combat effectiveness was limited at sea.

But once the Fin Dragon came ashore, no matter how powerful it was, it would be rendered useless—unless it possessed an ability like Kanute's [Blue Shark] that allowed movement through solid mediums.

"You got lucky this time. If I'd brought a warship, you'd be dead!"

After all, the Golden Edge was just a civilian vessel, far inferior to warships in both offense and defense.

With the Huaxu Kingdom's current naval capabilities, a proper warship armed with high-speed torpedoes would've sent even this monstrous creature fleeing in terror.

The cunning Fin Dragon would seize any opportunity to strike, but the moment things turned unfavorable, it would immediately retreat.

It clearly understood the small figure in the air couldn't pursue it into the depths.

Zhang Yi returned to the Golden Edge, considering the matter temporarily resolved.

Still, he reminded Old Tian and the crew to remain vigilant.

Such sea beasts held grudges, and there was no telling when it might attack again.

Old Tian repeatedly acknowledged the order.

What had just transpired might have seemed effortlessly handled by Zhang Yi, but to everyone else aboard, it felt like surviving a magnitude 10 earthquake!

A creature of that size could easily sink a 10,000-ton vessel, sending them all to a watery grave.

After the Fin Dragon's retreat, Zhang Yi lowered the ship back onto the sea's surface.

The blizzard continued, the waves violent, but without the whirlpool's influence, the vessel became manageable again.

Progress remained impossible for now—the anchor had been dropped, and they'd have to wait out the storm before setting sail.

As the Golden Edge rocked unsteadily, Zhang Yi remained seated in the control room, unwilling to leave just yet.

He needed to stay alert in case the Fin Dragon returned.

Meanwhile, limited visibility prevented many aboard from understanding what had occurred.

For certain individuals, this ignorance would prove regrettable.

Had they witnessed Zhang Yi's display of power, they might have abandoned their foolish schemes.

...

A full day and night passed before the blizzard gradually subsided.

The Golden Edge was blanketed under thick snow, while the sea's surface drifted with ice fragments and large floes.

Having kept watch in the control room throughout, Zhang Yi now felt drowsy.

"Have the crew clear the snow, then we'll depart," he told Old Tian. "I'll rest for a while—I'm a light sleeper. If the Fin Dragon returns or any issues arise, wake me immediately."

"Understood, Mr. Zhang!" Old Tian replied.

Yawning, Zhang Yi retired to his quarters.

Old Tian promptly ordered several men summoned from the lower deck to clear the accumulated snow.

Soon, the Golden Edge weighed anchor and resumed its journey.

The ship's cook, Old Xie, finally arrived in the kitchen to prepare meals.

Though it should have been lunchtime, food wasn't distributed until past 3 PM.

As usual, he wheeled the meal cart to the Rockflow Group's cabin door, knocking to summon its occupants.

Che Haicheng emerged from his room, while his wife Kim Kimee exited the facing cabin. Catching his meaningful glance, she immediately understood.

Swaying seductively, Kim Kimee approached Xie Changming.

The cook had intended to leave after delivering the food, but the sight of Kim's pitifully coquettish expression changed his mind.

"Oppa, saranghaeyo!" Kim Kimee purred as she reached Xie.

The other diners tactfully withdrew, casting knowing looks between the pair—and more pointedly at Che Haicheng—as they departed.

Kim clung to Xie's arm, pouting plaintively. "Oppa, I've been craving something nutritious lately. Could you help me out?"

Xie chuckled darkly, utterly unconcerned by their audience as his hands began wandering.

"Hungry for something special, eh? No problem—Oppa will satisfy you today."

Dragging Kim along, he hurried toward the restroom—the one place without surveillance, where his colleagues wouldn't witness his live performance.

Xie's face burned with lust. As a former girl group star, Kim Kimee truly excelled at seduction.

She completely monopolized his attention.

So thoroughly distracted was he that Xie failed to notice Rudolf—the bearded man lingering near Che Haicheng's cabin.

For a professional pickpocket like Rudolf, stealing a communicator was child's play.

Moreover, he expertly exploited blind spots to avoid detection by cameras.

Their brief brushing past would appear utterly innocuous on surveillance footage.

Yet in that fleeting contact, Rudolf had already slipped Xie's communicator into his pocket before swiftly retreating into the cabin.

Che Haicheng shut the door behind them as Rudolf delivered the device to Eisenmann, who stood ready.

"Hurry! We have no idea how much time we've got!" Che urged.

Taking the communicator, Eisenmann's expression turned intensely focused. Ignoring Che, he powered on the device.

As expected, it required password authentication—hardly an obstacle for a former top engineer at Pomeg Corporation.

The message draft was already prepared, meticulously composed by Che Haicheng himself.

The ex-New Rohan official knew precisely how to wield words for maximum impact.

His account was deliberately exaggerated, designed to instantly captivate the Columbus Ocean Fleet commander's attention.

Only then would they dispatch forces to retrieve them.

Time ticked by agonizingly. Their lookout pressed against the wall, straining to hear any approaching footsteps.

Meanwhile, in the restroom, Kim Kimee employed every trick she'd ever learned to prolong Xie's distraction.

To everyone else aboard, this was just another ordinary day at sea.

But for this group, each passing second brought unbearable tension—a cocktail of desperate hope and paralyzing fear.

The consequences of failure were unthinkable.

Zhang Yi had never struck them as the forgiving type.

Sweat poured down Eisenmann's forehead as he worked, though his expression remained calm.

The first step—cracking the device—had been simple enough.

Next came establishing contact with the Columbus Ocean Fleet.

Fortunately, by 2051, global communication technology had long since advanced beyond such limitations.

Whether through the Huaxu Kingdom's Nebula Satellite Network or Columbus's StarLink System, worldwide connectivity was guaranteed.

After nearly thirty exhausting minutes, Eisenmann finally resolved the signal frequency issue.

"Quick—send the distress message!"

Though outwardly composed, Eisenmann was drenched in sweat, nearing collapse from exertion.

He thrust the communicator toward Che Haicheng to complete the final step.

Author's Note