Chapter Six: Is There Still Such a Thing as Privacy?

“Your imagination is truly wasted if you don’t write novels,” Fang Yuan joked, thinking to himself that Chong Chong’s eloquence was unmatched. If life ever became unbearable, perhaps he could send Chong Chong off to perform comic dialogues.

“Don’t change the subject. Although your body is still at an initial stage, your basic survival skills are already excellent. For example, that girl earlier admired your breath-holding and underwater swimming abilities. With just this skill, you could easily make a living,” Chong Chong explained. After all, this was the ocean—if you could swim underwater, catching fish was hardly a challenge.

Moreover, Fang Yuan realized that his vision had improved tremendously; he could see things far off in the distance. He hadn’t noticed these details earlier, probably because Chong Chong had riled him up so much.

“Your body can maintain great stamina all day without feeling tired. But at night, you must allow both your body and mind to rest properly. So, forget about staying up late to read novels. Early to bed and early to rise is the best way to care for yourself now. As for food, there are no special requirements—anything that fills your stomach will do.” Chong Chong continued, recalling how, when they had drifted at sea, they hadn’t exactly gone hungry.

Sometimes, out of laziness, he had even eaten some dubious, rotting substances. Compared to those, what was a little poison?

“Your digestive system has been modified, so everything you eat is just fuel for you—whether it’s toxic or medicinal, it’s all the same,” Chong Chong said mysteriously. Fang Yuan couldn’t decide whether this was a blessing or a curse.

“So, if I get sick and take medicine, it won’t have any effect on me? Is that what you’re saying?” Fang Yuan asked. This hardly seemed like good news.

“That’s right. But don’t worry—any problem that occurs with your body isn’t something medicine could solve anyway. I am your repairman. If anything goes wrong, I can fix it,” Chong Chong explained. Still, it sounded as if he were talking about repairing a toy or a tool.

“All right. Anything else I should know?” Fang Yuan was already used to Chong Chong’s odd manner of speaking and word choices; he simply tuned out the more inappropriate phrases.

“There’s plenty more. In the future, you’ll discover them yourself in daily life. That’s how surprises happen, don’t you think?” Chong Chong replied smugly, convinced that finding hidden talents in everyday life was something to be delighted about.

“As long as they aren’t unpleasant surprises,” Fang Yuan muttered, resigned. He didn’t care for surprises, but as long as they weren’t shocks, he could live with it.

“Oh, hahaha.” Chong Chong left Fang Yuan with a string of laughter, leaving the rest for Fang Yuan to imagine on his own.

Fang Yuan felt a growing sense of unease. Was there truly some nasty surprise lying in wait behind that laughter?

“Earlier, you said my body can hold its breath underwater for a long time. How long, exactly?” Fang Yuan asked. He was genuinely curious to test out his new swimming abilities. Who knew—maybe there were sea cucumbers or abalone waiting to be collected.

“A very long time,” Chong Chong replied.

“That’s hardly an answer. I want an exact duration.” Even if he knew he could dive, he preferred to have a sense of his limits before jumping in. Otherwise, if he lost track of time while enjoying himself, he could end up drowning.

“Try it and see,” Chong Chong answered.

Clearly, Chong Chong was deliberately provoking him, so Fang Yuan decided not to ask further. With nothing to his name and not a penny in his pocket, if he could dive to the seabed, maybe he’d actually find something of value.

Fang Yuan was a man of action. Without hesitation, he headed for another stretch of coastline. He made sure to stow his gear carefully—he didn’t want to come back and find some mischievous kid had run off with his clothes.

At the water’s edge, Fang Yuan found a safe spot to stash his extra gear, weighed it down with something sturdy, and dove headfirst into the sea.

The water here was crystal clear. Fang Yuan could see everything perfectly well beneath the surface. If he wanted to find anything worthwhile, he’d have to swim out further.

He discovered that swimming was now remarkably easy and effortless. In the past, he’d worked hard to master swimming, but fate had always played tricks on him. Even his coach had given up, saying his mind just wasn’t “opened.”

Nonsense—how could someone with a closed mind be a top student?

Fang Yuan knew the coach was just making excuses for his own ineptitude. It wasn’t his mind that was closed; it was the coach who didn’t know how to teach.

Liar! If he could, he’d strangle that lying coach.

“So your coach used to look down on you? Never mind. If you meet that kind of coach again, just kick him and tell him you’re showing off your flippers,” Chong Chong’s voice suddenly broke into Fang Yuan’s thoughts about his embarrassing past, giving him a jolt.

Damn, he’d forgotten about Chong Chong’s most infuriating flaw.

“I hope I catch a big fish today. That’s the only way I’ll feel better. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee I won’t do something I’ll regret,” Fang Yuan said through gritted teeth, thinking it sounded impressive enough to make Chong Chong afraid.

“Brag all you want. If your words burst, I’ll patch them up for you,” Chong Chong retorted, undaunted.

Fang Yuan felt utterly powerless in front of Chong Chong; he never seemed to gain the upper hand. Oh well. He prided himself on being a gentleman, after all, and even if the other party was just an insect, there were still differences in status.

While talking, Fang Yuan had swum a considerable distance. Only then did he realize that this stretch of sea was completely deserted. On a day like this, with such perfect weather and temperature, the beach should have been packed. Why was there not a soul to be seen?

Just as he was puzzling over this, a rumbling sound suddenly echoed from above. Without looking up, Fang Yuan knew it was the sound of a helicopter—an unmistakable, distinctive noise.

But why was the helicopter circling above him?

The aircraft hovered in wide loops several kilometers across, sometimes dipping lower. Its blades stirred up the wind, creating a swirling vortex on the surface of the sea.

Were they about to smite the gods?