Chapter 66: I Have a Third Option!

"Alright, you go watch that kid, I'll go after that couple."

The man had deliberately provoked Dodo earlier, hoping to send his companion after her. His true target was the couple. While the child was easy to deal with, she was paired with a bloodthirsty, eerie entity. That entity showed a special attitude toward the child; if he actually killed the kid, wouldn't the entity immediately throw him into the sea?

Compared to the child, the couple was much easier to handle. They were young and had no eerie backers. Killing either one of them would allow him to team up with the survivor and secure a free upgrade to the upper deck.

Initially, he had worried about having too many competitors and wanted to dispatch a few fools. He hadn't expected everyone to have the exact same goal at this moment. Since that was the case, it all came down to sheer strength!

"Big brother, big sister, those people want to kill you, you know. Why aren't you running yet?"

Taking the opportunity while pouring them water, April lowered her voice to warn them. As long as these two ran and didn't leave the upper cabin, these people would shift their attention back to Dodo.

Hearing her words, the young couple froze. The woman turned her head to look around and indeed found that everyone else in the restaurant was staring at them with icy glares. Startled, she quickly withdrew her gaze.

"Why would they want to kill us?"

"Because the hidden rule states that teaming up with someone from a higher cabin allows you to upgrade, and the upper cabin is the safest place on the entire cruise ship!"

Hearing this, the man felt a jolt of panic. Without finishing his meal, he grabbed the woman's hand and hurriedly stood up.

The others reacted quickly. Just as they attempted to leave, figures closed in, blocking them off from all directions. Fearing the conflict might spill over onto her, April quickly scurried out of the way.

"You haven't even finished your meal. Where are you off to?"

"We're full."

The man smiled faintly, shielding the woman behind him. However, they were already completely surrounded, and danger lurked on every side.

The bearded man pulled out a knife and gestured threateningly in front of the man.

"Kid, if today either you or your girlfriend has to die—would you choose to die yourself, or let your girlfriend die in your place?"

"I..."

The man's brow furrowed slightly, his hand holding the woman's trembling slightly. He usually worked out and could handle one or two people, but facing this many, he was no match for them at all. Should he sacrifice his girlfriend instead?

A woman can always be replaced if she's gone, but if he died, everything would be over!

Standing behind him, the woman had already thought of a countermeasure. But upon hearing the bearded man's question, she swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue. She wanted to know the answer to this question too. When faced with danger, would the man actually choose to protect her?

Under her gaze, filled with both curiosity and expectation, the man slowly pulled her out from behind him.

"I choose to live!"

"What did you say?"

The woman's eyes widened in disbelief, unable to process what she had just heard. She had been with this man for three years, and back then he had promised her with his own lips that if they ever faced danger, he would protect her with his life. Yet when that day truly arrived, he chose to save himself. She truly had misplaced her trust in him all these years!

The woman let go of the man's hand, her eyes overflowing with utter disappointment.

The man wanted to explain, but he opened his mouth and said nothing. She was going to die anyway, what was the point of explaining so much to her?

"Beauty, your man has abandoned you. If you choose to be with me, I can help you kill this heartless bastard!"

The bearded man curved the corner of his mouth, looking at the woman with mocking amusement.

The man hadn't expected the bearded man to go back on his word, and a wave of panic washed over him.

"Brother, you asked me to make a choice just now. I've already chosen, you can't go back on your word!"

"That's right, I gave him a chance to choose. How can I not give your girlfriend a chance? Wouldn't that be too unfair?"

The bearded man smirked, looking at the man with a grin. So this was what it felt like to control other people's lives!

Hearing this, the man's face turned pale. He quickly turned around and grabbed the woman's hand.

"Babe, I was wrong. Don't be mad at me, okay?"

"Are you afraid I'll be mad, or are you afraid I'll be just as selfish as you and choose to let you die?"

"I..." The man was choked by her words. He admitted he was selfish, but aren't people naturally selfish? If given the chance to choose, who wouldn't want to live on?

"Beauty, have you figured out how to choose?"

The bearded man stroked his beard, his eyes sizing her up with a predatory gaze. The woman loathed the way he looked at her and frowned in displeasure.

"I have a third choice!"

The woman looked toward the others.

"The hidden rules you mentioned only state that teaming up with someone from the upper cabin will grant a direct upgrade to the upper cabin; it never said anyone *has* to die. If he and I dissolve our partnership and we each find new partners to team up with, wouldn't that mean two people can get upgraded?"

"Hiss, that makes sense. Why didn't I think of that?"

"There's more than one room in the upper cabin. The method she proposed is actually viable!"

The crowd nodded, agreeing that they could follow the woman's suggestion.

Realizing she had seized the initiative, the woman's gaze turned chillingly cold.

"Now it's your turn to choose—which two of you will re-form a team with us?"

"Interesting!"

Lingyun sat on the sofa, using his divine clairvoyant sight to watch the brilliant drama unfold in the restaurant. The reason he disliked humans was precisely because human nature was inherently selfish. The moment danger struck, people would invariably choose to sacrifice others. It was true a thousand years ago, and it was true today.

"Daddy, I'm so bored. Can I go downstairs to play with grandpa and grandma?"

A soft, milky-sweet little voice suddenly came from beside him.

Lingyun withdrew his divine sight and turned to look at her soft, fair little face.

"Not today."

"Why not?" Dodo tilted her little head, looking at him with curiosity.

Not wanting to tell her the truth, Lingyun picked up the remote control from the side and turned on the television.

"What cartoon does Dodo want to watch?"

"I want to watch Baby Bus."

"Alright!"

Lingyun nodded and put on the cartoon for her. With the cartoon playing, Dodo instantly forgot about wanting to go play with Xu Hetang and Xie Fangyun.

The sofa in the room was very low, and she climbed up onto it without much effort. Sitting beside Lingyun, her round eyes stared unblinkingly at the screen.

Episode after episode of the cartoon played, and the sky outside the window quickly turned dark.

The situation in the restaurant had been extremely brutal; for the sake of the two upper-cabin slots, more than a dozen people had died. The bearded man and a trendy-looking young man became the ultimate winners, and the woman chose the trendy guy between the two. Meanwhile, the original man ended up teaming up with the bearded man and moved to the upper cabin.

The others also re-formed teams, and quite a few people managed to upgrade their cabins.

April and Dean Zhou were not among them; the two of seeing the man who had also been left behind in the lower cabin looking utterly wretched, April glanced around to confirm Dean Zhou was out of earshot, and quickly hurried over to the man's side.

"Mister, do you still want to go to the upper cabin?"