The next morning, the sky was overcast with a brewing storm, and the salty scent of the harbor mixed with the smell of diesel filled the air.

The salvage ship "Deep Sea Hunter" was docked at Pier 5.

This salvage ship looked old, the rust-covered hull was adorned with seaweed, and it appeared to be about 160 meters long, like a giant steel beast. Only such a large vessel could withstand the tumultuous waves of the sea.

Qi Yun boarded the salvage ship with Chen Wei and others, where the captain was already waiting on deck.

"Hello, Mr. Qi, welcome to the Deep Sea Hunter. I'm the captain of this ship, you can call me Jeff."

Qi Yun sized up the black man in front of him, who was half a head taller, with a robust physique. The muscles on his arms were particularly pronounced, visible even through the clothing.

The standard bald head coupled with sharp eyes gave a strong sense of pressure.

"Nice to meet you, Captain Jeff," Qi Yun politely greeted him.

After a brief chat, Jeff led everyone to the ship's cabin.

"Mr. Qi, according to the coordinates you provided to the company, our destination this time is deep in the Atlantic Ocean, about 300 nautical miles from here, and we expect to arrive tomorrow afternoon."

"According to the latest navigation weather, our route will pass through a storm zone, with maximum winds reaching force 8, which is within the navigable range..."

Jeff introduced some situations to Qi Yun as they walked.

Qi Yun casually asked as he examined the slightly old-fashioned decor of the ship's cabin, "How many people are there on the ship in total?"

Jeff was a bit puzzled about why Qi Yun was interested in this, but patiently replied, "Including me, there are a total of 19 crew members and 2 engineers responsible for the salvage equipment, making a total of 21."

Qi Yun nodded slightly, "Alright, please take us to our rooms first."

"Alright, please follow me," Jeff agreed, leading the group to the lower passenger cabins.

Space on the ship was limited, with all cabins accommodating two people. Although the rooms were not large, they were fully equipped with beds, wardrobes, and a small radio on the bedside table.

"Are you satisfied with the room, Mr. Qi?" Jeff asked.

"Very good," Qi Yun glanced around and wasn't picky; it sufficed for rest.

Jeff continued, "The ship is well-stocked with provisions, with enough fresh water and food to support a two-week voyage."

"If you have any special needs, feel free to let me know."

Qi Yun nodded, "Alright, I'll leave the rest of the journey to you, Captain Jeff."

"Happy to serve you," Jeff replied with a smile, "I'll arrange for the crew to prepare for departure right away."

After Jeff left, others went to settle in the adjacent rooms, while Chen Wei shared a room with Qi Yun.

Qi Yun put down the bag he was carrying and walked to the window to view the dark sea outside, feeling inexplicably oppressed.

Beside him, Chen Wei carefully inspected the room and then said to Qi Yun, "I'll go familiarize myself with the ship."

"Okay, go ahead," Qi Yun understood his purpose. It was Chen Wei's habit to first familiarize himself with the surroundings and objects whenever in an unfamiliar place.

Over half an hour later, with the sound of a long whistle, the ship slowly left the dock and headed for the sea.

Three hundred nautical miles might not sound far, but for this salvage ship with a maximum speed of just over ten knots, it would take over thirty hours.

Life on the ship was very monotonous, consisting of eating and sleeping.

The only perk was the abundant meals, with plenty of lobsters and sea fish, and everything was very fresh, offering impeccable taste.

Late at night, as Qi Yun lay sound asleep on his bed, he suddenly woke up to a violent shake.

He sprang awake to find his body uncontrollably sliding to the side, instinctively reaching out with his right hand to grab the bedframe to avoid falling to the floor.

The pounding rain outside smashed against the glass, and the ship tilted nearly parallel to the sea surface, with the wardrobe doors swinging open and the backpack rolling to the floor.

Beside him, Chen Wei was also awake, holding onto the bedframe to barely maintain his balance.

Qi Yun got out of bed, holding onto a support and moving to the porthole to try and check outside, but the stormy raindrops hitting the glass blocked his view, and he couldn't see anything.

"The wind strength must be more than force 8," Chen Wei shouted loudly.

Qi Yun nodded and pointed upwards, "Let's check the cockpit."

With that, the two staggered left and right, making their way out.

Fortunately, the passageway was inside the hull; if it were outside, they'd probably get blown away the moment they opened the door.

The ship's tilt increased, and a thin layer of rainwater began to accumulate on the metal floor beneath their feet, seeping in from somewhere unknown.

They hadn't yet reached the cockpit when they already heard cursing, with items clattering on the floor amid the chaos.

"The wind is breaking force 9!" The first mate's shout mixed with the red glow of the alarm lights exploding in the cabin.

Captain Jeff had both hands on the helm, staring gravely at the instrument panel.

Qi Yun staggered up, shouting, "What's going on!"

Jeff turned his head and, seeing it was Qi Yun speaking, shouted to explain, "The meteorological satellite has updated the data! The storm has upgraded to a strong tropical storm, and now wind speeds have reached 24 meters per second!"

"But we can't turn back now, there's storm territory within a hundred nautical miles! We can only push through!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Yun's expression turned grave. The most terrifying aspect of the sea was precisely this: lives were no longer in one's own control.

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