The next morning, Xiao Lou's biological clock made him wake up promptly at 7:30.
Pushing open the floor-to-ceiling window, one could still see the boundless sea in the distance, its azure waters crystal clear, and the sky above cloudless. The clear weather brought joy to the tourists, and laughter could be heard from outside the cabin from time to time; yesterday's little incident seemed to have been forgotten.
Yu Hanjiang placed milk and biscuits on the table and said, " Professor Xiao, come and have breakfast."
After washing up, Xiao Lou sat down on the bed, opened a carton of milk, and asked while drinking it, "The water pollution problem should have been resolved by now, right?"
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Okay. Just in case, let's not eat the food on the ship for now. Vacuum-packed biscuits are safer."
After a quick breakfast, the two went to the entertainment center on the 7th floor.
After a full night's rest and adjustment, the tourists' diarrhea symptoms were completely under control, and after breakfast, their faces finally regained their vitality and smiles.
At eight o'clock in the morning, long queues had already formed for several classic attractions at the entertainment center, especially for the thrilling "parasailing over the sea." Previously a paid experience costing 80,000 gold coins per ride, it was now completely free, and everyone was naturally eager to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The staff arranged for everyone to experience the activity in an orderly manner.
Nearby, activities such as skywalks, paragliding, and banana boat rides also attracted a large number of tourists.
The entertainment center on the 7th floor was filled with laughter and joy.
On the top deck, many people took out their phones to take photos by leaning against the railing, while others were recording videos with professional camera equipment—undoubtedly, these were all indigenous people, because Challenger is not allowed to bring equipment into the enclosed space.
Xiao Lou roughly counted that there were about one hundred indigenous people left on the ship.
They didn't know what the future held, so they had a great time on the cruise ship.
In contrast, the Challengers didn't have the leisure to experience water sports; most stayed in their cabins, while some remained on deck to observe the situation.
The ship has 450 Challengers, a diverse group. Since the cruise ship is currently in a safe period and no unexpected incidents have occurred, the Challengers have reached a tacit understanding to avoid unnecessary fights, and everyone is patiently waiting.
The morning passed quickly.
The sea was calm and still, the sky was a clear blue, and the weather was so good that almost any photo taken could be used as a computer desktop wallpaper.
Shao Qingge came to Xiao Lou on the deck and said, "I've observed that no one on the ship has diarrhea, so the food poisoning problem should be resolved. Shall we go out for hot pot for lunch? It's free anyway."
Ye Qi swallowed hard when he heard about hot pot, and looked at Xiao Lou expectantly: "Can we go?"
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "It's best not to. There's a saying, 'Once the wound heals, the pain is forgotten.' Don't forget how we got tricked yesterday. Spade's Guardian never plays by the rules. What if there's another food poisoning incident, and then another accident happens? Are we supposed to run for our lives while looking for a toilet?"
Ye Qi scratched his head awkwardly. The eight of them were running for their lives, but they couldn't find a toilet because they needed to go. In the end, they had to poop in their pants. The scene was too beautiful to imagine.
Let's listen to Professor Xiao and be careful when eating cookies!
Shao Qingge said helplessly, "That's true, we can't let our guard down. We'll have a good meal when we get back to the main city. Xiao Ye likes hot pot, right? We'll find a proper hot pot restaurant and eat to our hearts' content."
Ye Qi nodded excitedly: "Yes, it's safer to eat in the main city!"
Mo Xuemin, Long Sen, Qu Wanyue, and Liu Qiao also came to the deck. Looking at the calm sea in the distance, Lao Mo frowned and said, "Why is nothing happening yet? This frequency is not right... According to the progress of most escape rooms, a seven-day escape room usually leaves one day for everyone to familiarize themselves with the environment; starting from the second day, one accident after another will occur. Why is Balance unusually quiet today?"
Xiao Lou looked at Yu Hanjiang and said, "It's like a parabola. The first day is the adaptation period, the second to sixth days are the peak period of frequent accidents, and the last day returns to calm."
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Today is the second day, the cruise ship is bound to encounter an accident, let's wait patiently. If nothing happens in the morning, something will definitely happen in the afternoon."
A couple had just returned from watching "Titanic" at the cinema. They struck the classic pose from the movie at the stern of the ship, with the girl opening her arms to welcome the sea breeze and the boy hugging her from behind. Their friends were taking pictures of them...
Several tourists came out of the theater with amazed expressions, exclaiming, "The 4D theater's effects are incredible!" "The scenes were so realistic, I thought there was real thunder and lightning outside, but the weather was so nice!" "Let's have lunch first, and then we'll go see it again this afternoon!" "I remember there's another show at 3 pm, so we'll line up early to get good seats."
Xiao Lou listened to the surrounding chatter and looked up at the boundless sea.
All the dangers lie hidden beneath the calm surface of the sea; it's just a matter of when they will strike.
Everyone returned to their room on the third floor and had lunch together.
Milk, mineral water, chocolate, compressed biscuits, juice... Old Mo said, "As long as nothing unexpected happens, we have enough food to eat for seven days. I bought foods that replenish calories quickly, but they don't taste very good."
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "As long as we can eat our fill at Secret Room World, everyone can make do."
"After we got back, CEO Shao treated everyone to hot pot."
Everyone said that survival was the most important thing, and food was not a concern.
Yu Hanjiang said, "Three backpacks. If we encounter danger and need to escape, Long Sen, Xiao Qu, and Xiao Ye, each of you will carry one backpack. You all have movement cards that make it easy to move around, so carrying the backpacks won't affect your speed."
The three nodded, and each took a bag and carried it on their backs.
After finishing lunch and confirming the escape plan again, it was exactly 3 PM.
As scheduled, the classic play " Thunderstorm " will be performed again at 3 o'clock.
Xiao Lou said alertly, "There's a play about to be performed, everyone get ready."
Yu Hanjiang said, "Xiao Liu, Xiao Qu, Long Sen, and Lao Mo, go to the room at the stern. The four of us will stay here and wait for the Telepathic Connection message. Once we receive the message, we'll meet up at the stern on the first floor!"
It was actually inconvenient for eight people to move around together, so Yu Hanjiang divided everyone into two small teams to stand by.
Xiao Lou opened the French windows and looked into the distance. The sea was still calm, with no signs of a typhoon at all.
At this moment, inside the grand theater on the seventh floor.
The host announced loudly, "Welcome everyone to the 4D Grand Theater! Please enjoy the classic play ' Thunderstorm '!"
The audience erupted in applause as the curtain slowly rose, and the lead actors took to the stage one by one to begin their spectacular performance.
Inside the theater, the 4D lighting and sound effects created an extremely realistic environment, and the plot gradually unfolded...
The male protagonist, Zhou Ping, is the eldest son of the Zhou mansion. His family is wealthy and owns mines. He has an incestuous relationship with his stepmother, but he also falls in love with the gentle and kind maid, Si Feng. Because Si Feng's family is poor, her father does not approve of their relationship. On a stormy night, the male protagonist decides to run away from home, and Si Feng also runs away from home. The two meet in the living room.
Sifeng's mother is named Lu Shiping. She is actually the biological mother of the male protagonist, Zhou Ping, who has been missing for many years. She was abandoned by Zhou Puyuan and remarried, giving birth to a daughter. When she learned that her eldest son and youngest daughter were in love and that her daughter was pregnant, the incestuous reality between the siblings overwhelmed Lu Shiping with grief and indignation. She decided to hide the truth and let the two of them leave.
However, Zhou Puyuan, the culprit who abandoned Lu Shiping, also came to the living room. He recognized Lu Shiping and excitedly made his son kneel down to acknowledge his mother: "She is your biological mother. Thirty years ago, she did not die!"
A sudden clap of thunder echoed through the grand theater, followed by a downpour around the stage.
On stage, the actor playing the male lead, Zhou Ping, stared in disbelief at the unfamiliar woman, shaking his head frantically: "No, it's not her... Dad, tell me, she's not my mother!"
Zhou Puyuan shouted angrily, "You scoundrel! Don't talk nonsense! Although she came from a bad background, she is indeed your birth mother!"
Zhou Ping roared in anguish, "Dad!" The next moment, Si Feng realized that the man she deeply loved was actually her own brother. Shaking her head frantically, she screamed and rushed out of the room—
The play reached its most thrilling climax, with family conflicts and secrets about their origins all erupting on this night of thunderstorms.
Boom!
A deafening clap of thunder resounded, and the female protagonist, Sifeng, rushed out of the house in shame and anger, only to be electrocuted and die.
The male protagonist, Zhou Ping, opened a drawer, picked up a gun, and a loud "bang" echoed throughout the grand theater. He shot himself, falling straight to the ground.
Heart-wrenching cries echoed from the grand stage.
The torrential rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, completely stirred the emotions of the audience, whose enthusiastic applause could almost lift the roof off.
One man exclaimed excitedly, "This is the most wonderful play I've ever seen! It truly lives up to its 4D reputation; the environment is perfect, the thunder sounds are incredibly realistic, and the immersion is just too strong!"
Some people were already caught up in the drama, angrily cursing, "Sifeng is so pitiful, she is the most innocent. The culprit is this old bastard surnamed Zhou. If he hadn't abandoned Shiping back then, this tragedy wouldn't have happened!"
A girl suddenly said, "Why do I feel like the theater is shaking?"
My companion said, "I also felt the theater shaking? It felt like an earthquake?"
Just then, the curtain of the Grand Theater fell, and the play performance ended.
Just as the audience was preparing to leave, a loud "boom" suddenly rang in their ears!
The thunderclaps continued unabated, and the seats in the theater began to sway from side to side. The entire theater suddenly tilted downwards at an eerie angle, and a girl accidentally fell out, screaming in terror, "Ahhh, an earthquake!"
Someone yelled in a gruff voice, "Earthquake my ass! We're on the ship!"
Someone screamed, "The boat's going to capsize! Run!"
Hundreds of people gathered in the theater. A group of people rushed out, and some fell down. Before they could get up, they were trampled on by the people behind them. The painful screams made the crowd even more panicked.
The first person to rush out of the grand theater was immediately knocked to the ground by the oncoming giant wave!
The play was supposed to start at 3 p.m., but at that moment, the sky was covered with dark clouds, hurricanes were rising on the sea, the thunder was deafening, and lightning was about to cleave the sky in several cracks!
The Royal Caribbean cruise ship was now tilted at a 45-degree angle, making it impossible for passengers to stand.
A fierce wind arose and torrential rain poured down. The disheveled tourists screamed and fled in all directions, and chaos ensued on the seventh-floor deck!
Meanwhile, Xiao Lou, Yu Hanjiang, and their group gathered at the stern of the boat as soon as the downpour began.
The once calm sea surface began to shake violently, as if an underwater earthquake had struck. In the distance, a giant wave nearly 50 meters high was rapidly approaching the location of Caribbean.
The giant wave was getting closer and closer to the ship; if it capsized... the consequences would be unimaginable!
At the stern, several Challengers had already eagerly jumped onto the lifeboats using various cards. One of them deftly untied the ropes, steered the lifeboat, and ran off. No one cared about being soaked to the bone by the torrential rain; Challengers kept coming to grab the lifeboats!
Since none of the Challengers went to see the performance at the Grand Theatre, they moved much faster than the tourists on the ship.
In the blink of an eye, several lifeboats had been driven away in the opposite direction.
Just as Liu Qiao was about to act, Yu Hanjiang suddenly stopped her: "Wait."
Looking at the giant waves in the distance, Yu Hanjiang frowned, his expression extremely serious: "With waves this big, the escape boats could easily capsize. It would be even more dangerous for us to leave in the escape boats now!"
There were Challengers scrambling for escape boats around. Yu Hanjiang saw that the team that had hurriedly boarded the escape boat and run away had suddenly disappeared from sight. The escape boats wouldn't be going very fast, and their sudden disappearance was likely due to a whirlpool forming in the distance. When a small escape boat encounters a large whirlpool, it's like a mosquito encountering a spider web—it has no way to escape and is directly swept into the seabed by the whirlpool!
The giant wave drew ever closer, and Xiao Lou, pale-faced, clenched his fists: "Will the cruise ship capsize?"
At this moment, the cruise ship was rocking violently, and once the massive ship capsized, it would be very difficult to save.
Yu Hanjiang thought for a moment and calmly said, "You guys grab one of the lifeboats first, so that everyone has a way out if the ship capsizes. But don't go too far, there might be a big whirlpool in the distance. Wait for me near the cruise ship. I'm going to the bridge."
Ye Qi asked nervously, " Captain Yu, should I give you the teleportation card?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "No need. You take good care of Professor Xiao. I'll put on the speed-up shoes to make it easier to move around."
He looked at Xiao Lou intently, gently patted Xiao Lou's shoulder, and whispered, "Wait for me to come back."
Xiao Lou nodded vigorously: "Be careful."
Watching Captain Yu's departing figure, Xiao Lou was extremely worried, but he also knew that following Yu Hanjiang at this moment would only distract Captain Yu. Captain Yu went to the cockpit, obviously wanting the captain to stabilize the cruise ship and prevent it from capsizing.
None of them know how to sail a boat. In this situation, trusting a professional captain might offer a glimmer of hope!
If the captain is unable to stabilize the cruise ship and the hurricane does capsize it, Captain Yu can use his speed shoes to quickly run back to the lifeboat and rejoin everyone.
At the stern, a large number of tourists and Challengers were scrambling for the lifeboats, and the situation was already chaotic!
The storm intensified, plunging the entire sky into darkness. The thunderous roars and cries from the cruise ship mingled together, transforming what was once a joyful and peaceful sea voyage into a living hell.
Screams continued to erupt from the surroundings. Liu Qiao activated Light as a Swallow. Card flew directly onto a lifeboat, and Long Sen and Qu Wanyue jumped off and landed safely. Ye Qi then teleported horizontally to the lifeboat with Xiao Lou, Shao Qingge, and Lao Mo, and landed steadily.
Seven people sat in the escape boat, with Lao Mo in charge of steering.
Sure enough, there was a huge whirlpool on the distant sea. An escape boat was rushing too fast and was caught in the whirlpool, with screams coming from it. When Old Mo saw this, his face turned pale, and he immediately steered the escape boat to avoid the center of the whirlpool.
Xiao Lou clenched his fists tightly—the torrential rain pounded on his body, soaking him to the bone, but he didn't care about himself at all.
He only hoped that Captain Yu would return safely and that the cruise ship would not sink completely!