NOVEL WEB Chapter 851: The Outbreak
On their way back, Zhu Yunque and Su Nuanxi walked together.
Su Nuanxi asked Zhu Yunque, "Senior Sister, those people in the lower deck are so pitiful. Have you thought of any way to help them?"
Zhu Yunque's mood turned irritable.
If she had a solution, wouldn't she have used it already?
"Let's discuss it with Mr. Zhang again later. If that doesn't work, I'll beg my uncle to intervene and talk to Mr. Zhang."
She had been reluctant to involve Zhu Zheng over this matter.
During her previous work report to Zhu Zheng, she had mentioned the situation.
But Zhu Zheng had shown complete indifference, even criticizing Zhu Yunque for acting on her own.
Human lives meant nothing to him.
But Zhu Yunque had no other options.
She lacked the capability to solve this herself and could only resort to pleading.
If both men ignored her, she'd probably end up crying a river of little pearls under her blanket.
At noon, meal distribution time arrived.
Everyone in the lower deck waited anxiously for this moment.
It was Sunday—today's meal included stewed meat.
During peaceful times, they would have scoffed at such fatty cuts, but now it had become their most coveted delicacy!
The crew member unlocked the chains, allowing a beam of light to pierce the dim lower deck.
Xie Changming emerged from the brightness, carrying bucket after bucket of food before placing them on the floor.
Since the Yamada Masami incident, he had lost his assistants and now had to handle everything personally.
The freshly cooked food steamed enticingly.
Newly steamed rice released billowing white vapor.
The aroma of stewed meat, enhanced by modern food technology, instantly permeated the damp, gloomy lower deck.
A chorus of hungry gulps echoed through the air.
Countless pairs of eyes fixated on the food, glowing green with starvation like feral dogs.
Yet no one dared rush forward—they seemed to be waiting for something.
Soon, the door to the last cabin opened.
Zagu, leader of the stowaway gang, emerged from his room, lured by the meaty fragrance.
Five underlings trailed behind him.
The prolonged submission of the lower deck residents and Lu Dahai's apparent weakness had made him complacent.
When a lion walks among sheep, does it ever consider the sheep might attack?
Even Zagu couldn't resist swallowing repeatedly at the sight of the stewed meat.
He quickened his pace, rushing to the food buckets. Without hesitation, his hairy hands grabbed a fistful of piping hot meat and shoved it into his mouth.
The sensation of warm fat coating his mouth nearly made him tremble with pleasure.
This blissful moment made him oblivious to the surrounding danger.
Lu Dahai and his men appeared at the cabin entrance.
He pulled the sharpened toothbrush from his sleeve and charged at Zagu without warning.
No shouts, no fanfare—just a straightforward lunge before driving the toothbrush tip toward Zagu's neck with all his strength.
Everything happened too fast. Both Zagu and his underlings were completely distracted by the meat.
"Thunk!"
The toothbrush pierced Zagu's neck, sending blood gushing forth.
Grease dripped from Zagu's mouth as sudden pain widened his eyes before he collapsed.
But a toothbrush wasn't a knife—it only penetrated a third of the way, not enough to kill instantly.
Without hesitation, Lu Dahai pinned Zagu down, yanked the toothbrush free, and stabbed again.
Mouth stuffed with fat, Zagu couldn't even scream. After feeble struggles, he fell still.
Even in death, his expression remained one of utter shock.
He never imagined these docile sheep would dare revolt, much less kill him!
Zagu wasn't the only one stunned. Everyone else was equally dumbfounded.
Even those who had agreed to overthrow the stowaway gang stared dumbly at Lu Dahai's blood-splattered face.
They would support whoever won.
Had Lu Dahai not eliminated Zagu so decisively, they might have lost their nerve when it mattered most.
As for Zagu's underlings, they fared no better.
Terrified out of their wits, their first instinct upon regaining senses was to flee screaming.
"Hahaha!! HAHAHA!!"
Lu Dahai's maniacal laughter abruptly transformed into a thunderous roar.
His vicious glare swept across the hesitant onlookers.
Only then did everyone realize Zagu was truly dead.
Though incapable of lending timely help, they excelled at adding beauty to the brocade.
The fishermen alliance members brandished their makeshift weapons—sharpened toothbrushes, dismantled toilet lids, even broken bed legs.
They had unleashed their darkest creativity to fashion the most lethal tools imaginable.
"KILL THEM ALL!!!"
Rong Lei led the charge with a furious bellow.
Dozens swarmed forward, overwhelming the stowaway gang members who stood no chance. Soon they were all pinned down.
Then came the makeshift weapons.
Blood sprayed as freely as water.
The carnage awakened primal savagery.
The lackeys were beaten beyond recognition, their heads reduced to pulp.
Lu Dahai stepped forward, roaring: "Wipe out these bloodsuckers and reclaim our food!"
The fishermen alliance spearheaded the assault while red-eyed others followed.
Weeks of oppression erupted in an explosive release.
Some stowaway gang members sensed danger and barricaded their door.
"Boss Zagu's dead! They're coming for us! Block the door! BLOCK IT!"
They piled everything movable against the entrance.
But Zhang Yi had long removed most potential weapons from the lower deck to prevent uprisings.
Besides beds, there wasn't even a dismantleable table left.
A mere latch couldn't withstand the bloodthirsty mob.
Two collisions shattered the flimsy barrier.
Toothbrush dripping red, Lu Dahai scanned the cowering stowaways.
"KILL!!!"
No elaborate speech—just a single command.
The brutal free-for-all began.
Bloodlust consumed them—their only thought was exterminating every last enemy.
Two weeks of starvation and bottled hatred transformed them into creatures more terrifying than jackals.
The stowaways resisted desperately, but the fishermen alliance and other cabin residents had prepared thoroughly.
They wore padded clothing and wielded proper killing tools for this very moment.
Author's Note