The next day.
Within the vast waters of the [Zheng Family], a ship with a dark, glimmering hull slowly sailed inward.
There were many warships coming and going across the sea, but the moment they saw this vessel, they instinctively steered aside.
“Huh?”
“Why is everyone giving way to me?”
Mo Yurou was completely confused.
As a pitiful working Ship Maiden, she had no idea what had happened yesterday. Thanks to Zheng Hao, she had not gone to work and instead stayed home to look after her younger sister for the entire day.
Controlling the sails, Mo Yurou guided the ship to dock near the [Cargo Ship], glancing toward the cabin.
“Hey!”
“Zheng Hao!”
“Zheng Hao! It’s time for school!”
At her urging voice, Zheng Hao slowly stepped out of a cabin.
Behind him, Zheng Yunlong and Jian Chunxue followed as well, as if they had been waiting to give him some instructions.
“Xiao Hao…”
“I heard about what happened yesterday. You did well!”
“But after making such a scene… I’m afraid you can forget about contracting a [Smoke Ship] at the [First Sea Assembly].”
Zheng Yunlong patted Zheng Hao’s shoulder with satisfaction.
Damn right!
This was his son. If you had power and influence and didn’t use it, choosing to be a turtle man instead, wouldn’t that be idiotic?
“Tch! Son, don’t worry! In a few days, your mother will bring back a little Ship Maiden for you! I refuse to believe that among the [Purple-Green Sword Ship] family, not a single one is suitable for my son!”
Jian Chunxue rolled up her sleeves, looking ready to steal a ship if necessary.
“Hahaha~ Mom… no need! My Ship Maiden isn’t she already here to pick me up?”
Zheng Hao pointed toward the somewhat shabby and trembling [Demon Ship] outside the cargo ship. Zheng Yunlong and Jian Chunxue’s expressions both changed.
“You’ve really thought this through? You want to use an E-grade Ship as your First Ship Maiden?”
“It’s the same saying! There are no useless Ship Maidens, only useless Navigators! I’m heading to school! Everything can wait until the [Awakening Assembly]!”
With a wave of his hand, Zheng Hao took a few quick steps to the edge of the deck and leapt onto the [Demon Ship].
“Good morning, Mo Yurou!”
“G-Good morning…”
Unlike Zheng Hao’s carefree attitude, Mo Yurou felt inexplicably shy.
That night…
The memory of “maintaining the ship body” was burned into her mind and refused to fade.
The small ship gently rocked as it drifted out of the [Zheng Family] waters. Each time they passed a Ship Maiden, the Ship Maiden’s [Captain’s Cabin] would open, and the driver would step out and salute Zheng Hao respectfully.
“Young Master Zheng!”
“Young Master Zheng!”
The echoes carried across the sea.
Only then did Mo Yurou realize they weren’t giving way to her. They were giving way to him.
Strangely enough, after leaving the [Zheng Family] waters, every Ship Maiden who spotted Zheng Hao aboard the [Demon Ship] reacted as if they had seen a ghost, steering away in a hurry. Get faster updates on novelping(.)com.
“Huh?”
“Why are they afraid of you?”
Mo Yurou’s puzzled voice came from the [Captain’s Cabin]. Zheng Hao leaned casually against the railing and waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s nothing…”
“I just blew up two ships yesterday.”
“Oh~… huh?! You blew up ships?!”
“Yeah. Just a couple of rotten ships.”
“Rotten ships? Rotten ships can still be repaired, right?”
“They can’t. Some ships look fine on the outside, but inside they’re already blackened and rotten…”
“Oh~~”
Not quite understanding his meaning, Mo Yurou guided the [Demon Ship] toward the [Shanhai Academy Ship].
On the deck, before morning classes began, groups of male and female students stood chatting and laughing.
When Mo Yurou saw Zheng Hao arriving on the [Demon Ship], she assumed they would mock her.
But to her surprise, the moment the Ship Maidens spotted Zheng Hao, they scattered. Even the male students stared at him for a moment, whispered among themselves, and quickly left.
“Huh?”
“You really just blew up two ships? That’s all?”
Standing on the deck of [Shanhai Academy], Mo Yurou looked at Zheng Hao curiously.
Zheng Hao smiled faintly.
“I’m a notorious young villain in the [Shanhai Region]. Isn’t it normal that they’re afraid of me?”
“Is that so?”
The two walked side by side toward the classroom.
“Did you hear? Yesterday Young Master Zheng went crazy! He brought over a dozen warships and almost flattened the Liu Family!”
“What? Wasn’t he chasing Liu Ruyan? How’s he supposed to chase her now?”
“I think he couldn’t get her, so he decided to ruin her!”
Before they even entered the classroom, whispers floated out nonstop.
However, the moment Zheng Hao’s face appeared at the doorway, the discussions came to an abrupt halt.
The entire classroom fell silent.
Zheng Hao’s cold, proud gaze swept across the room.
In the front row, the moment Liu Ruyan saw him, she lowered her head immediately, afraid to meet his eyes. She no longer dared to act arrogant or treat him as her personal toy.
Now she feared that if his mind snapped again, he might bring another fleet of warships to turn the Liu Family upside down.
Beside her, Lin Man pressed her lips together. Several times she wanted to criticize Zheng Hao, but when she met his calm eyes, she only cast him a few wary glances and remained silent.
Until…
Zheng Hao led Mo Yurou to the back row and sat down.
No one dared speak.
“Zheng Hao!!!”
Suddenly, from the back row as well, Zhou Hang glared at him with burning fury.
As if prepared in advance, he immediately seized the moral high ground to condemn Zheng Hao.
Zheng Hao’s expression remained calm, but beside him, Mo Yurou’s mouth opened into a wide “O.”
She had never imagined that the two rotten ships he casually mentioned belonged to Liu Ruyan’s family.
This guy?
Was he really giving up on a [Smoke Ship]?
Even if not Liu Ruyan, he could at least temporarily contract a [Smoke Ship] from the Liu Family before sailing out to sea. After making such a scene, he had completely offended them. There was no hope left.
“Heh heh… Zhou Hang… You don’t actually think that just because you’re publicly criticizing me at the academy today, I’ll let you get away with it, do you? Have you considered that if you provoke me, and I go mad, I might even dare to bombard the school? Do you dare to bet on that?”
Zheng Hao’s cold gaze locked onto Zhou Hang. Zhou Hang’s previously confident expression instantly stiffened.
“You! You only rely on your family background! If you have the guts, let’s compete without relying on our backgrounds!”
Zhou Hang bit his lip. He hadn’t expected Zheng Hao to stop playing by the rules.
He thought that by confronting him in front of classmates, he could regain some dignity.
But this lunatic actually threatened to bombard the school.
“You’re stupid… but I’m not. My Zheng Family endured thirty years of storms and hardship, rising from obscurity to become the number one family in the [Shanhai Region]. On what grounds should thirty years of our foundation be judged by you, a stray branch who just showed up?”
Zheng Hao lifted his chin and sneered.
The protagonist always believed he had moral justification.
Talking about one-on-one fair duels like a true man?
Ridiculous. Zheng Hao was a villain, not some righteous hero.
“You! What did you say?! You called me a stray branch?!”
“You carry the Zhou Family name yet left them. If you’re not a stray branch, who is?”
Zhou Hang’s eyes reddened. His fists tightened.
“If you’re a real man today, compete with me! The [Wild Ship Race] organized by the Yang Family. Do you dare participate?!”
“Oh? The [Wild Ship Race]?”
Zheng Hao paused slightly.
In the original storyline, this race was where Zhou Hang’s Navigator potential was recognized by the Yang Family. They invested in him and became his backing.
But now…
The race that Zhou Hang had originally entered quietly had turned into a public challenge against him.
“So… My appearance has already started changing the plot?”
“You’re scared! You’re scared, aren’t you?! “I knew it! You’re just a rich bully. You don’t have the guts to compete with me in Navigator skills! You’re a coward! You don’t deserve Liu Ruyan!”
The insults grew louder.
In Zheng Hao’s eyes, Zhou Hang was just making desperate provocations.
Whether he went or not, Zhou Hang would still lose face.
But… if he could crush Zhou Hang in this race, he could probably harvest another wave of Destiny Luck.
The corner of his mouth lifted. Zheng Hao shrugged.
“Fine. If I lose… I’ll withdraw from the academy and return all the [Blue Fish Meat] you gave me. But if you lose… what then?”