Mutual Redemption with the Villainous Boss [Infinite] - Chapter 12

Many documents were scattered across the mahogany desk, illuminated by the faint light of an old-fashioned green desk lamp.

Zhu Ci searched through them, hoping to find important materials. Most of the papers on the desk were ship maintenance records and personnel management lists. A few documents were stamped with a red seal that read: “Ocean Nereid Navigation Company.”

A stack of newspapers was pressed at the very bottom. She pulled them out, and the most prominent headline on the front page caught her eye:

“Mysterious Whirlpool Appears in the Trisper Sea; Ships Unable to Approach”

The Trisper Sea? She had heard that man, Isaac, mention it yesterday. The sea they were currently in was indeed the Trisper.

Zhu Ci continued browsing. In a very small section, the opening of a paragraph grabbed her attention: “Does the world truly have mermaids?”

She read it carefully. The text essentially stated that a fisherman claimed to have witnessed a group of mermaids near the shores of the Trisper Sea. They were described as having lustrous black hair, being completely unclothed, with human upper bodies and fish tails. This claim had prompted various maritime companies to seek verification of the story’s truth.

She flipped through a few more pages of the newspaper. After confirming there was nothing else relevant, she returned to studying the desk itself.

The desk had two drawers. One was locked. Zhu Ci first opened the unlocked one, finding only a kraft paper notebook inside. The notebook was filled with work reports, daily tasks, and completed events.

She flipped toward the end. On the final page, a few large words had been written and circled in red ink:

“Treasure and Sacrifice, Mermaids and Humans”

Below that was a string of mysterious numbers and English letters mixed together, forming strange characters.

She tore the page out and put it in her pocket, then turned her attention to the other drawer. This drawer was tightly locked, and since the desk was made of iron, using a gun would not only alert those outside but might also result in a ricochet that could injure her.

After a moment of hesitation, she summoned her blade, intending to pick the lock. To her surprise, as soon as the blade slid into the crevice, it seemed to trigger a mechanism, and the lock popped open on its own.

The drawer appeared empty. It seemed the person from earlier had already taken everything inside.

Zhu Ci felt a wave of disappointment and prepared to leave, but she noticed the interior of this drawer felt different from the other one. She reached inside to feel around and, sure enough, the bottom was elevated.

There was something else inside.

Using her knife to trace the edge, she gently pried it up. A thin wooden board serving as a false bottom was lifted.

It was a hidden compartment.

Zhu Ci guessed that the person before had only taken the items from the top layer, unaware of what lay beneath. Inside the compartment were a few sheets of paper. She skimmed them rapidly, her face filling with astonishment. She hurriedly stuffed the papers into her pocket.

Stepping onto the sofa, she used her strength to hoist herself back into the ventilation duct. Following the marks she had made along the way, she retraced her steps.

Back in the control room, Chen Jian was still focused on downloading the data. Seeing Zhu Ci return, he said happily, “You’re back! What took you so long?”

“I found some important things,” she replied.

She briefly summarized what she had found and pulled out the paper with the strange characters. “Take a look. Can you understand what’s written here?”

Chen Jian took it to study. “It doesn’t look like a language. It’s more like random scribbles, or perhaps a code that needs to be decrypted.” After pondering for a moment, he shook his head and handed it back.

Zhu Ci couldn’t make sense of it either, so she put it away, intending to ask the other players later. Since the data download still required time, she sat down to wait and carefully examined the final pages she had taken.

The sheets were held together by a paperclip, and the title was striking:

“The Mermaid Treasure Plan”

The Ocean Nereid Company—the owner of the ship they were currently on—had collaborated with several other maritime companies to launch this plan. The papers detailed how to approach the Trisper Whirlpool and discussed rumors of treasure hidden within.

However, during the project, some companies became unwilling to continue investing in what they saw as a “bubble” plan. Disagreements arose. The Ocean Nereid Company, holding the opposite view, decided to seek private sponsors and investors rather than cooperating with the other firms.

Unexpectedly, a newly hired employee claimed to know the secret of the treasure and said he could lead them to the specific location without spending a fortune. Thus, a ship named the Nereid set sail, carrying twenty volunteer employees and various equipment personnel.

Zhu Ci realized that the players were likely these twenty employees. What they thought was a pleasant journey had turned into a nightmare of starvation and being used as sacrifices.

However, she remembered counting only nineteen people including herself. If they could find the missing person, they might be able to break the current deadlock.

Time trickled by. Zhu Ci’s stomach had growled several times before Chen Jian finally finished the download. The two stood up, and Chen Jian pulled out his compass again to guide them back.

By the time they climbed out of the hole, the sun was setting. With the gathering time approaching, Zhu Ci decided to check on the corpse first. She bid Chen Jian farewell and headed straight to the third floor.

It appeared one of the players had laid the body flat on the floor. The rope had been set aside, and the face was covered with a white cloth.

Zhu Ci lifted the cloth. It was a very young girl with delicate features, now pale and bloodless.

She hadn’t been hanged.

When someone is hanged, their tongue usually protrudes; this girl’s mouth was closed. Although she had been dead for half a day, her skin was unnaturally white, suggesting she had been drained of blood before she died.

Instantly, Zhu Ci thought of Tana standing on the railing last night and what she had done to He Fanghui. He Fanghui had collapsed clutching her chest—was her heart controlled, or was her blood flow reversed?

Zhu Ci realized she hadn’t seen Tana all day. She shook her head quickly to stop her wild thoughts. Perhaps Tana was just busy, maybe searching for clues like they were.

She didn’t dare touch the most terrifying realization: Tana was an RM—a monster recognized by the game.

Yet, Tana always helped her and let her go. Would the other players be as lucky?

In the dining room, when Chen Jian finished speaking, Yu Jiayi’s pupils constricted for a brief moment before she regained her cold composure.

“In this instance, there is no law anymore. Everyone could die; everyone might die,” she said, scanning the room with a gaze that seemed cold but resolute. “So everyone, pull yourselves together. Escaping is our only goal.”

Her words were always encouraging, and some people began to regain their senses. He Fanghui rolled her eyes and pulled out a chair to sit. “Before I die, let me eat first, or I’ll starve to death.”

The table was set just as it had been in the morning, filled with delicacies appropriate for the setting. She picked up a noodle and chewed it slowly.

Yu Jiayi said, “You eat first. I’m going to do a head count.”

After counting, she noticed one person was missing. Chen Jian suddenly remembered: “Oh right, Palos hasn’t returned yet.”

“That NPC who loves being late is late again,” He Fanghui smirked, a glint in her eyes. “Let’s just vote for her tonight.”

Chen Jian strongly disagreed. Having spent the day with the NPC, he didn’t want to vote her out, but he didn’t dare openly contradict the woman. Yu Jiayi said nothing, only suggesting they wait for her return.

Ten minutes later, Zhu Ci pushed the door open. He Fanghui’s eyes were fixed on her, but Zhu Ci didn’t give her a single glance, walking around to avoid her. Tana sat there, her eyes curving into a smile at her.

“Now that everyone is here, let’s share the clues we’ve found,” Yu Jiayi announced.

The players began talking all at once. There was a lot of chatter, but not much of it was useful. Yu Jiayi listened intently, nodding occasionally.

Zhu Ci produced the paper with the strange characters, which caught everyone’s attention. However, after passing it around, no one could solve the puzzle. He Fanghui wanted to see it too, but Zhu Ci snatched it back—an obvious display of pettiness, though the rejected woman only laughed brilliantly.

Yu Jiayi looked at the two of them suspiciously.

When it was Tana’s turn, she took the paper and glanced at it casually. “This is just gibberish,” she said. “Nothing worth studying.” She then placed it lightly on the table in front of her.

Seeing that Tana had no intention of returning it, Zhu Ci was confused but said nothing, simply sitting in the chair next to her.

Aside from a couple who found a basement in the first-floor lobby—containing a narrow, unlocked door that wouldn’t budge—most clues were minor compared to Zhu Ci’s “Plan” document. Through that plan, the players gained a general understanding of the plot’s background.

Yu Jiayi also noticed the existence of the missing person. Just as she was about to suggest narrowing the search area tomorrow, the intercom crackled to life.

“Dear passengers, the voting time has arrived. Please gather in the banquet hall.”

Isaac’s voice echoed through the dining room. It reminded Zhu Ci of the voice she had heard in the room earlier, though they weren’t identical. She began to think about how others had addressed that man.

“Boss,” she recalled the title. Could he be the Boss of this instance?

Then, Zhu Ci remembered another term that had appeared in their conversation: “Calamity.”

In fact, she had the timely appearance of this “Calamity” to thank; it had given her the opportunity to change her hiding spot. Otherwise… she didn’t want to think about the consequences.

Yu Jiayi stood up. “Let’s go.”

With heavy steps, the group walked into the banquet hall.

Isaac had been waiting in the second-floor gallery for a long time. As he saw everyone arrive, he narrowed his eyes slightly, a flicker of impatience visible behind his mask.

“Why are there fewer people?” he asked, his tone laced with subtle dissatisfaction.

“Because they’re dead, Captain,” He Fanghui said, flipping her hair and laughing wantonly. “The body is still there. Want to go take a look?”

Isaac pursed his lips in disgust. He blew a dog whistle, signaling the armed men to move the body to the warehouse. “Put it anywhere, but absolutely do not throw it into the sea.”

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