Ye Shu, sitting across from Pang Pangzi, furrowed her brows, sprang to her feet, and strode toward the bow of the ship. As she left, she didn’t forget to call out to him, "Hurry up and untie the rope from the fishing boat!"
"Stop dawdling! Get moving!"
"Heroine, I’ll remember your kindness forever!" Pang Pangzi’s eyes glistened with emotion as he hefted his bulky frame and stumbled off toward the boat.
Ye Shu shot Pang Pangzi a puzzled glance—she’d simply lacked the patience to repair another fishing boat. She hadn’t expected her actions to be so wildly misunderstood.
Ye Shu manned the cannon, firing explosives, but the iceberg looming ahead was massive. It seemed everything she did was futile.
Off in the distance, players onboard their fishing boats also noticed something wrong with the ironclad ship.
"Is that boat about to ram the iceberg?"
"Doesn’t make sense! No one’s ever mentioned ships malfunctioning in the chat."
"Hahaha, serves them right! I’ve always hated that ship flaunting itself while fishing for treasure chests at sea, like we’re beneath them."
"Level up all you want, you’ll still die smashing into an iceberg!"
The other players jeered, some even choosing to stay behind just to watch the spectacle.
To their delight, the ironclad rammed the iceberg.
A thunderous clang rang out.
Ye Shu staggered back a few steps before regaining her balance. Bracing herself against the railing, she focused her thoughts and activated her upgrade skill. In that instant, Ye Shu noticed the next ship tier was the icebreaker. She already had all the materials—why not upgrade here and now?
[Ding! Congratulations, Player Ye Shu, you’ve upgraded to Level 6: Icebreaker!]
[Tip: The Level 6 icebreaker boasts a speed of 70 knots, is equipped with the Sea-calming Compass, gains +2 knots speed, +1000 defense. Regular sea monsters and drifting ice pose no threat and the ship can cross icebergs directly.]
In a flare of white light, the ironclad was replaced by an even grander vessel: a striking ship of red, white, and black, its hull constructed from reinforced heavy steel plates. The ship stretched 130 meters long, 35 meters wide, three decks tall—a sprawling, modern marvel complete with integrated amenities and a new observation deck perched up top.
The electronic radar, upon detecting an iceberg, could trigger automatic cannon fire—or be switched off manually.
With a mighty crash, the icebreaker’s prow smashed through the iceberg, shattering it to pieces. Three hundred points of defense were lost in one blow; Ye Shu immediately patched it up.
Broken chunks of ice rained down. Ye Shu steered the ship clear of the drift ice, hooked the old ironclad behind her, and began towing it anew.
That’s right—the ironclad ship survived.
In the nick of time, Fu Shiyi managed to gather enough materials, hoping to rescue the situation and win some goodwill while Ye Xiaoshu appeared down for the count. But—unexpectedly—she leveled up with radiant ease.
The onlookers, frozen in place, fell into silence. Turns out, the joke was on them.
All their jeering had just boomeranged straight back.
If only they’d known Ye Shu could upgrade again, they’d have grovelled for an alliance from the start.
The black ironclad trailed the leviathan icebreaker, both vessels soon disappearing from sight.
The icebreaker surged ahead, plowing through obstacles and shattering ice floes with ease.
Two hours later, they reached the safe zone.
Inside the yellow line, small fishing boats were numerous but ironclad vessels were rare—and Level 6 icebreakers almost unheard of.
Ye Shu parked her ship and resumed treasure chest fishing.
[You fished up: Black Solid Wood Chest *1.]
[You fished up: Black Iron Chest *1.]
Da Piaoliang, on her end, pulled up a jumble—half trash, half treasure.
With a stockpile of chests amassed, Ye Shu shifted into her next move.
She attacked the sea monsters with her peachwood sword.
[Ding! You slew a Level 1 Big-Eye Fish, earned 1 point.]
[Ding! You slew a Level 0 Sea Bull, earned 0.5 points.]
[Ding! You slew a Level 2 Big-Eyed Sea Monster, earned 10 points.]
The carnage continued until six in the evening. If treasure chests hadn’t stopped biting then, Ye Shu could have gone on all night.
By now, she truly understood the fisherman’s joy—a bounty of loot, who could resist?
Fu Jingchuan was beginning to understand how Ye Xiaoshu could stand out in a cutthroat survival game. Raw talent was only half the story—fighting monsters was as natural as breathing for her. She was an unstoppable, walking sea-monster-slaying machine!
Night fell.
The sky mirrored the sea, the two dark expanses blending seamlessly.
It would be hours before the black mist reached the edge of the safe zone. Ye Shu, with nothing to rush, broke out the hotpot base, beef and mutton rolls, and packs of vegetables, setting up a hotpot feast on deck.
Pang Pangzi played the chef; his homemade dipping sauce won Ye Shu’s approval.
Fu Jingchuan and Fu Shiyi brought over hotpot meatballs, ox tripe, and a bowl of just-sprouted mung bean sprouts—a rare luxury for survival at sea.
It was a spicy, numbing broth, laden with seafood and thinly sliced meat.
For Ye Shu, and everyone else, this game round marked their first truly relaxing meal at sea.
Fu Jingchuan, a native of Zhejiang province, was accustomed to bland broths and unspiced fare. Now, he was flushed red from the heat of the spicy meal.
Ye Shu scooped out fresh coconuts, thoughtfully using her ice powers to chill them in seconds for everyone.
Fu Shiyi adored spicy food but couldn’t handle much heat—a classic glutton.
"Thanks, Sister Yezi! So cold and refreshing! I never realized the ice element could be so useful."
Fu Shiyi eyed her with admiration. Ice was second only to lightning as the most coveted power. It would be a dream to become like Ye Xiaoshu one day.
"There’s plenty you don’t know!" Ye Shu, mouth stuffed and cheeks puffed like a squirrel, kept fishing veggies out of the hotpot, revealing an endearing side rarely glimpsed in the cold hunter.
Who’d believe, just half an hour ago, she’d been cleaving through hundreds of sea monsters?
The enticing aroma drifted far and wide.
Ye Wanwan, trying to stave off hunger at the bow of her steamer, caught a whiff of the fragrance. Raised as a genteel lady, it was the first time in her life she’d ever craved food so keenly.
Her gaze traveled to the distant icebreaker, eyes flickering. The ship’s owner had to be a veteran of this survival game. If she could strike a friendship, there’d be hope for both safety and full meals every day!
But such veterans were famously eccentric.
Take, for instance, the top-ranked player—who had actually dared to mock her…
After dinner, the Fu brothers headed back. Especially Fu Shiyi, who clung to the empty hotpot basin, glancing longingly at the icebreaker.
If only Sister Yezi could take a shine to my third brother, he thought. Then our whole family would be set!
Fu Jingchuan felt prickled under Fu Shiyi’s intense stare and hurried off the icebreaker.
He failed to notice a pair of eyes fixed on him from a nearby steamer.
A man, clad in a grayish-white cold-weather jacket, looked elegant and slender—a chiseled profile, gentle brows, lips curled in a faint smile.
Ye Wanwan couldn’t help her excitement. She knew the scion of the Beijing Fu family—she just hadn’t expected that this ship belonged to them!
They say Master Fu is cold and distant, but at this moment, he hardly lives up to his reputation.
Carefully, Ye Wanwan piloted the steamer nearer, praying that Fu Jingchuan would be as gentle as he appeared—not the strict, aloof champion rumored by others.
As soon as the steamer drew close, it was quickly noticed.
Fu Shiyi, still clutching his basin and about to start boiling noodles, caught sight of Ye Wanwan’s goofy smile. He frowned and barked, "Who are you? Leave, now."