Chapter 1 Part 2

He glanced down the long corridor, searching for stairs or an elevator leading up.

“You’re sure about just going up like this?” the System asked.

“It’s so stuffy here.” Zhong Nian showed no fear of the new environment, only brimming curiosity.

As he walked, he sniffed the air like a small animal. He did not know what he caught, but suddenly frowned and halted at a stairwell corner.

The next second, a Bearded Burly Man in a black-and-white uniform burst from the stairwell. Had Zhong Nian been a second later, they would have collided—painful even if not injurious.

“I’ve been looking for you! What are you doing wandering around here? Hurry and change, then get to the second deck. It’s chaos up top—we can’t keep up!”

Zhong Nian, chick-like before him, had no time to react before being grabbed by the collar and hauled back to the room.

The Bearded Burly Man shut the door and left. Zhong Nian stared blankly at the extra clothes in his arms.

It was a black-and-white service attendant uniform identical to the burly man’s, but much smaller in size.

Zhong Nian dressed unhurriedly, straightened the small bow tie at his neck in the mirror, and slipped on shiny new leather shoes.

It had to be said, the outfit had excellent quality. After all, the servants’ appearance was one of the tools the rich used to flaunt their wealth and taste.

As for what was not seen by outsiders—like this room—it did not matter.

With no full-length mirror, Zhong Nian could not see the overall effect, only that it fit reasonably well. He was satisfied with the shoes.

He stomped on the wooden floor to test the sound, then jumped twice.

Hearing the crisp, pleasing noise, he curved his lips and cheered, “Yay~”

The System: “You like it that much?”

Zhong Nian wagged his index fingers side to side. “For a Rabbit, louder stomps mean more presence… Never mind, you’re just a dumb System—you wouldn’t get it.”

The System: “…”

All prepared, Zhong Nian ascended to the second deck. Before he could take in the bustling Kitchen, a tray of pastries was shoved into his hands.

“Take it to 10th Floor Room 101—quick!”

“Move aside, don’t block the door!”

Zhong Nian was pushed out, following the other attendants into the elevator.

“Hello, could I know your name?”

In the elevator, standing at the front, Zhong Nian heard the low voice from the colleague at his side. He glanced up at the man.

The colleague was slightly taller, with an honest-looking European face.

His skin was very dark, but after one glance from Zhong Nian, it flushed black-red like overheated iron.

Zhong Nian thought for two seconds, countering with a question instead of answering. “What’s yours?”

The colleague scratched the back of his head shyly. “I’m Jie Wen.”

“Mm, I’m Zhong Nian.” Zhong Nian faced forward again, showing no interest in further chat.

As they spoke, the elevator was quiet. Zhong Nian, in his position, did not see the colleagues behind fixating gazes on him, nor hear everyone straining to eavesdrop.

As the elevator neared its floor, Zhong Nian handed the tray to the man beside him.

“Jie Wen, do me a favor and take this to 10th Floor Room 101, okay?” He pursed his lips in a slight smile, eyes curving into crescents, a small dimple sinking into his right cheek—effortlessly captivating.

At the same time, the elevator chimed “ding,” like certain heartbeats.

The man, who already had tasks, took the tray without hesitation and nodded vigorously. “Leave it to me.”

“Thanks, Jie Wen. You’re a good guy.” Zhong Nian praised, then turned and exited the elevator.

Leaving behind an elevator full of souls that followed him out.

Gaining brief freedom, Zhong Nian’s first act was to head to the Deck, breathing fresh air and squinting as he surveyed the surroundings.

Clear skies without a cloud, crystalline blue seas, wind carrying a salty tang.

On this deck, elegantly dressed passengers lounged on chairs under the sun, or engaged in thrilling surfing or wind tunnel skydiving. Even a soccer field was visible.

Excluding the two hundred sailors or Cruise Attendants, the remaining hundred-plus guests were either overwhelmingly powerful or fabulously wealthy—mostly hedonistic scions indulging in extravagance.

Otherwise, they would not squander eye-watering sums on the Cruise Ship just for revelry.

Zhong Nian silently mouthed “WOW” and wandered around with keen interest.

“Don’t forget your Task. This isn’t a playground,” the System reminded.

“Mm-hm, I haven’t. I’m just getting familiar,” he replied.

But his face showed no trace of crisis awareness.

In this Newbie Dungeon, he had almost zero relevant information—only his identity and Task:

Survive eight days on the Cruise Ship.

It could be inferred that the ship would sail the seas for at least eight days and seven nights, with some incident bound to occur before docking.

Zhong Nian gripped the railing and peered down.

From the 10th Floor, the churning waves split by the ship induced vertigo. Zhong Nian felt his legs weaken after one glance.

He stepped back two paces and flattened his mouth.

Truth be told, he could not swim.

This Instance was highly disadvantageous to him. If something happened, there would be nowhere to escape.

“Hey, you!”

Zhong Nian turned at the voice.

Seven or eight stylish young men and women clustered in the lounger area, all facing him. A red-haired man waved at Zhong Nian.

Wearing sunglasses, they made it unclear if they meant him. He tilted his head.

Zhong Nian: “?”

The red-haired sunglasses guy lifted his chin. “Yeah, you. Come here.”

Zhong Nian pondered briefly, then walked over.

He had no inkling of his eye-catching presence. Dressed as a service attendant yet idly strolling the Deck instead of serving, not to mention his inherently superior looks—he had been noticed soon after appearing.

Up close, the red-haired man lifted his sunglasses, eyes roving between the young man’s beautiful face and the uniform-clad figure beneath. He whistled, gaze brimming with interest.

“I’ll give you money. Spend the next few days on the ship serving just me. How about it?”