194: Chapter 194 Fist Shatters Steel, Black-Silk Tifa and the Exorbitant Ransom

10 AM.

On the deck of Ferry No. 819, the sunlight was so dazzling it made it hard to keep one's eyes open.

Chen Du was draped in a black trench coat with a stand-up collar, hands in his pockets.

His golden eyes swirled with a dark luster under the sun, the man exuding an indescribable aura of lazy dominance.

Last night's 'physical training' hadn't drained him; on the contrary, he looked even more energetic.

That's vision. That's top-tier kidney power.

Chen Du pursed his lips.

He could still taste a hint of sweet red wine lingering in his throat, the flavor left behind by Xia Xin.

At this moment...

The scene on the deck was even more eye-catching than a top-tier supermodel runway show.

An Nuonuo hugged that bulky pneumatic arm gauntlet, her face flushed a deep crimson.

Li Yaozhi remained her usual aloof, mature-sister self, pushing up her black-framed glasses.

Her legs, so pale they seemed to glow, swayed back and forth on the deck, making one's heart itch just watching.

"Tang Ran, come here."

Chen Du casually beckoned.

"Coming, Captain! What's with the serious atmosphere this morning? Whose head are we smashing this time?"

Tang Ran strode forward with her usual brashness.

Her wheat-colored skin shimmered with a healthy glow under the sun, wild and untamed.

Chen Du didn't waste words either.

With a flick of his fingertip—

A [talent evolution card] shimmering with violet-gold light appeared between his fingers.

The moment the card appeared, the surrounding air seemed to be sucked dry, pressing down on everyone's chests.

"Whoa, this pressure... Captain's about to unleash a big move?"

Xiao Ai stood in the distance, eyes wide.

"Shh, don't talk, just watch."

Zhou Qian swallowed hard, her eyes filled with envy and fear.

Chen Du suddenly twisted his fingertip.

"Hold on, this might hurt a bit!"

"?"

*Crack!*

The card instantly shattered!

A thick, almost blackish-red light, like a bloodthirsty venomous dragon, shot straight into Tang Ran's forehead!

"Ahhh—!!"

Tang Ran threw her head back and roared, a beast-like growl tearing from her throat.

In that instant, all the bones in her body crackled, and the blood vessels under her skin writhed like snakes.

*Boom!*

The alloy deck beneath her feet couldn't withstand the pressure, cracking into a spiderweb pattern on the spot!

A shockwave blasted out, forcing the girls standing nearby to stumble back.

"Oh my god... Is Sister Tang Ran turning into Godzilla?" Liu Ting steadied her glasses, her voice trembling.

"This... this is the power of evolution? It's simply monstrous."

Xiao Mei shrank back.

Seeing the twin balls of bloody flame that had become Tang Ran's eyes, she was too scared to move.

The other girls, seeing the situation, all retreated into the cabin.

At this moment...

Tang Ran's entire body erupted with a series of popping, crackling sounds like frying beans from her bones!

"Ugh—!!"

She gritted her teeth so hard her gums bled, her skin turning as red as a boiled lobster.

Not only were her muscles swelling, but even the blood vessels under her skin were madly squirming and restructuring!

"Ha... ha..."

Tang Ran abruptly lifted her head.

The whites of her eyes had completely vanished, replaced by two blazing orbs of bloody flame.

She grinned, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, her expression crazed with excitement.

"Amazing! Is this... is this power?!"

*Ding! Evolution successful!*

*Crew Member: Tang Ran. Talent: S-Class · Indomitable Berserker!*

*New Companion Skill: Bloodrage War God!*

*1-second Lock HP, pain converted to attack, attributes tripled!*

"S-Class? I'm taking off right now?!"

Tang Ran twisted her neck and casually threw a straight punch towards the sea.

"Break for me!"

*BOOM—!*

The punch actually produced a deafening sonic boom!

The air was violently compressed into a visible shockwave that sent empty oil drums on the deck flying!

The sea surface a hundred meters away exploded as if hit by a depth charge, a ten-meter-high water column shooting into the sky!

A torrent of salty, briny seawater rained down like a storm!

Chen Du didn't even move.

The shadow behind him automatically morphed into an umbrella, shielding him from all the spray.

"Captain! I want to... fight you!"

Tang Ran trembled with excitement, about to rush forward and give Chen Du a 'comrade's hug'.

Chen Du's feet shifted, his body instantly moving sideways several meters.

"Save it. You're still unevenly distributing your new power. You'll have plenty of chances to show off later. Don't take it out on my deck."

"Oh my god..."

Xiao Mei's eyes were as round as saucers. She subconsciously pinched Wen Wen. "If that punch just now had landed on me, I'd probably be respawning at the fountain already!"

"Ouch!" Wen Wen yelped in pain, then pointed a trembling finger at the water vapor over the sea. "The... the sea really was split open. Sister Tang Ran was way too fierce just now..."

Xia Lai crouched, running her fingers over the cracked alloy deck.

She sucked in a sharp breath. "Unbelievable! This is double-reinforced special steel, and she's treating it like tofu?"

"With this explosive power, if they spar at night, can the Captain's physique handle it?"

Before everyone could recover from this violent spectacle, the cabin door creaked again.

*Creak—*

Light footsteps, accompanied by a pleasant fragrance, wafted into everyone's nostrils.

"Ta-da~!"

Lin Keke's energetic voice chimed in perfectly.

Everyone on deck instinctively turned.

Even the two balls of bloody flame in Tang Ran's eyes flickered.

They saw Lin Keke walking out, arm in arm with Su Qing, a proud look on her face.

Her outfit looked like it had been lifted straight out of that classic RPG game!

A white, tight-fitting tank top accentuated a breathtaking curve.

Below, an impossibly short black leather skirt paired with thigh-high black stockings was practically dancing on the line of male preference.

"Holy crap... Tifa? My childhood goddess has come to life?" Xia Lai's eyes nearly popped out.

Lin Keke ran up to Chen Du and did a coquettish twirl.

A corner of her short skirt fluttered in the wind, a flash of pale skin dazzling Chen Du's eyes.

"Sister Su Su is the best! Captain, isn't my cosplay outfit pretty?"

Lin Keke blinked her big eyes.

A pair of red fighting gloves made her hands look even more slender and fair.

Chen Du took a deep breath, suppressing the restless heat rising in him.

Damn! First a violent battle goddess, now Tifa in black stockings, all before noon. Can't things calm down for a moment!

His kidneys were protesting a bit.

"That's cheating..."

An Nuonuo couldn't help but sneak a glance.

"I'll have to get Su Qing to alter my clothes from now on too."

Li Yaozhi secretly gritted her teeth, already designing a certain cheongsam style in her mind.

The internal competition had already escalated from combat power to uniform allure.

"Alright, rein it in."

Chen Du averted his gaze.

His eyes quickly turned cold as he looked towards the cabin door below the deck.

"Bring out that little cash cow from below. After being locked up for so long, it's time he saw the world."

Within minutes...

Tang Ran, like picking up a chick, flung the foul-smelling Wang Ce onto the deck.

This guy had been tormented nearly insane by Mao Mao in the lower hold, his face covered in tears and snot.

Chen Du walked over, looking down at him.

"Tang Ran, teach Young Master Wang how to speak properly in this world."

"You got it!"

Tang Ran stepped forward with a sinister grin.

Her powerful hand lightly grasped the chain on Wang Ce's shoulder.

Without seeming to exert much force, she gave a gentle squeeze.

*CRUNCH—!*

The high-grade steel chain shattered into powder in her hand.

"Sss—!"

Wang Ce's pallid face instantly turned ashen purple.

He stared fixedly at the shattered steel dust at his feet, a foul odor wafting from his crotch.

He'd wet himself.

These past two days, his pants had never been dry.

The woman before him wasn't human! She was a damn human-shaped hydraulic press!

"God Du! Please spare me! I'm willing to be your slave..."

Before he could finish, Chen Du kicked a walkie-talkie in front of him.

His tone was so gentle it was chilling:

"Young Master Wang, see that?"

"If you don't want your head to shatter like this lock..."

"Then call your rich daddy and ask him just how much his precious son is worth."

Chen Du bent down.

Staring into Wang Ce's fear-filled eyes, he smiled brightly.

Wang Ce shuddered as if electrocuted.

Then slowly picked up the receiver.

Looking at the circle of monsters surrounding him, he understood his father's secret stash was probably doomed this time!