Not long after Ryan had disappeared into the crowd, another psychokinetic car came speeding down Hassan’s private road. It carved a perfect drifting arc in front of hundreds of martial artists and came to a halt right in the center of the gathering.
This time, however, the usual blue-uniformed man who had emerged from every previous vehicle was nowhere to be seen. Only one person stepped out of the psychokinetic car—a woman dressed in a sleeveless top and a mini-skirt, wearing brown sunglasses, her appearance bearing a striking resemblance to the modern fashion of Earth girls.
Her stylish and unique entrance immediately drew everyone’s attention. Yet, the woman seemed completely unfazed by the gazes upon her. She held her head high, walked elegantly, and stopped only when she reached the very end of the makeshift dock.
“I am today’s first examiner,” she announced, her first words stirring a wave of subtle commotion among the martial artists.
Every fighter present had been recommended by major arenas and was an exceptionally powerful expert. One of the defining traits of such powerful individuals—or perhaps more accurately, a common flaw among most of them—was their arrogance.
It had been tolerable for these powerful martial artists to accept the idea of competing against one another, if only for the sake of the generous bounty. But the notion of having someone presiding over them as an “examiner”—that was simply absurd!
Sure enough, barely had the woman finished speaking when one martial artist scoffed, lifting his head with disdain. “What a joke! What qualifications does a mere woman have to test my strength?”
“Oh? Qualifications…?” The modern woman smiled as she removed her sunglasses, revealing a delicate and charming face.
“Whoa!” A chorus of catcalls erupted from the male martial artists. But just as the crowd was caught up in the commotion, the woman suddenly tossed her sunglasses into the air.
As everyone puzzled over her strange action, she abruptly blurred into a phantom-like figure and vanished!
“Ahh!” Amid the startled cries, the woman suddenly reappeared in front of the martial artist who had questioned her. A faint blue glow surrounded her slender right fist as she launched a lightning-fast punch at the stunned man, who still had his mouth wide open.
In the next instant, a powerful burst of air sent sand flying across half the beach. The martial artist, who had doubted the woman, was sent soaring like a ball kicked by a giant, screaming all the way over the entire stretch of sand and crashing deep into the distant jungle!
Whoosh! Sand and gravel rained down like a storm. Martial artists along the shore scrambled to cover their heads, spitting out sand from their mouths. Yet, before the sandstorm had even settled, the stylish woman had already flashed once more, reappearing precisely where she had thrown her sunglasses, catching them effortlessly as they fell.
“Anyone else want to challenge my qualifications to be your examiner? Step forward,” she said calmly, putting her sunglasses back on and scanning the crowd.
The martial artists could clearly see that the stylish examiner had deliberately stirred up the sandstorm to make them suffer. However, the unfortunate fate of the previous challenger left everyone too terrified to speak.
When the woman had knocked away that tenth-tier martial artist, many present hadn’t even seen the final blow. The gap in strength was glaringly obvious. Now, fearing they might become the next example used to scare the rest, none of the martial artists dared to step forward.
“Tch!” At the very back of the crowd, Agate curled his lips in clear displeasure but ultimately said nothing in response to the woman’s confident declaration.
As the stylish examiner had attacked the tenth-tier martial artist, Agate had been watching her closely. At the moment of her final strike, he had clearly seen her concentrate her battle energy into her right fist and deliver three consecutive punches targeting the opponent’s abdomen, chest, and jaw.
Each of the punches, in Agate’s eyes, seemed pathetically weak. But soon he realized that each strike had precisely canceled out the defensive battle energy the tenth-tier martial artist had used to block. The cumulative effect of the three punches had sent the man flying without causing him serious injury.
That alone left Agate stunned. While he was confident that, in a one-on-one fight, he could defeat that tenth-tier loser far faster than the woman had, he knew he could never replicate her level of precision—delivering just enough force to knock someone away without seriously harming them, even if his life depended on it.
In fact, it was precisely because of his poor control over battle energy that Agate had earned the nickname “the weakest super-tier in history.”
Besides Agate, Zhang Wen and Shura, who had also witnessed the woman’s attack, were equally amazed by the examiner’s dazzling display.
After all, a martial artist’s defensive battle energy wasn’t static when under attack. Yet the woman had managed to adjust the force of each punch in real time the moment it met the opponent’s defense, achieving perfect balance in an extremely short time. Such exquisite control was something no ordinary martial artist could achieve.
“What do we do?” Shura, equally aware of the woman’s strength, immediately turned to Zhang Wen.
“Let’s watch and wait for now,” Zhang Wen replied with a smirk, shaking his head.
The martial artists, momentarily cowed by the woman’s display, soon began whispering among themselves about another question: “Hey! If this woman is here, why did Hassan even bother calling us?”
“Be quiet!” The woman’s sharp command quickly silenced them. “If you want to know why Hassan summoned you here, stop whispering and I’ll tell you now!”
She slid her hands into her pockets and gave the crowd a cold, sweeping glance. Then she nodded at a blue-uniformed man standing at the back of the crowd.
The man stepped forward, taking the woman’s place at the front. Then, with a robotic expression, he began to speak.
“The boss has invited you all here to participate in this selection for an upcoming competition…”
“Damn it!” Agate nearly cursed aloud as the blue-uniformed man continued halfway through his explanation.
It turned out that everything the man said was almost identical to the information Ryan had sold them earlier. Clearly, Hassan had never intended to hide his purpose from the martial artists he had summoned. It was likely that Ryan had learned this from the blue-uniformed man who had picked him up.
“That little bastard! Pretending to be mysterious, selling us common knowledge like it was secret intelligence—he treated us like fools!” Agate muttered furiously.
“Forget it. He didn’t take anything from us,” Shura patted Agate’s shoulder, trying to calm him.
“Hmph!” Agate grumbled but stayed quiet for now.
By this time, the blue-uniformed man had finished explaining the same information Ryan had given to Zhang Wen. The martial artists quieted for a moment before another voice rose in protest.
“Hey! You’ve said a lot, but you still haven’t answered what we really want to know! If Hassan hired Miss Marian to examine us, why not just let her compete directly?”
“Please don’t rush. I’m about to explain that,” the man replied calmly. “Miss Marian has indeed accepted the boss’s employment—not only as your examiner today, but also as one of the fighters the boss has hired for the upcoming competition, just like yourselves.”
“What? Impossible! Are you saying she’s the super-tier we’re supposed to team up with?” a few martial artists shouted in disbelief.
“You seem to have misunderstood something. No one ever said Mohan Group would only be fielding one team,” the blue-uniformed man smiled slightly. “Miss Marian, along with several other martial artists already hired, will form Team A of Mohan Group. The four martial artists who win this selection will become the members of Team B.”
“What?!” The martial artists erupted into noisy discussion again.
“Hey! Are you saying we’re just being hired as cannon fodder?” a few voices shouted over the chaos.
“Certainly not. I’ve already mentioned that the four selected martial artists will form Team B alongside a super-tier expert. Think carefully—would we really assign a super-tier to a cannon fodder team?” the man replied calmly, his tone as steady as a rock. “Moreover, consider the immense cost the boss has already incurred just to invite you all here. Would it make sense to spend such a fortune merely for cannon fodder?”
“Hmm…” His words gradually calmed the crowd.
Even the most cautious martial artists had to admit that the man’s reasoning was convincing. Setting aside the enormous sum Hassan had paid to bring them here, the fact that they would be teamed up with a super-tier fighter was enough to demonstrate Hassan’s sincerity.
After all, super-tier fighters were universally recognized as the strongest combatants. No matter how powerful Hassan’s organization was, he wouldn’t dare waste a super-tier as mere cannon fodder.
Seeing the martial artists gradually calm down, the blue-uniformed man nodded at Marian and silently retreated to the edge of the crowd.
“No more complaints?” Marian smiled sweetly as she stepped forward again.
Sensing the clear displeasure in her tone, no one dared to provoke the female examiner.
“Good! Since no one has anything else to say, let’s begin. See that ship over there?” After a brief silence, Marian nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly pointed out to sea.
The crowd followed her finger. Some squinted, realizing something. Others strained their eyes in vain and tugged at their companions, asking what they had missed.
Zhang Wen, who had cultivated the Spring Water Technique, easily spotted a massive cruise ship slowly sailing westward on the distant horizon.
“If you can’t see it, it doesn’t matter,” Marian smirked coldly, withdrawing her arm. “As long as you can board that ship, even a blind man can pass.”
“Board the ship? What does that mean?” A murmur of confusion rippled through the martial artists as soon as Marian finished speaking.
Agate, frustrated by the cowardly behavior of the others, finally spoke up. “Hmph! Can’t you figure it out? Most of us here are tenth-tier or higher, right? She’s telling you that if you can’t fly all the way to that ship from here, you might as well go home now!”
“What? Fly? From here?” More martial artists gasped in shock.
Although it was common knowledge in the Empire that martial artists who had surpassed the tenth-tier could fly, people often overlooked a key detail—flying was an extremely energy-intensive feat. A martial artist who had just reached the tenth-tier would be considered exceptional if they could fly even a few hundred meters.
The cruise ship Marian pointed to was clearly at least five to six kilometers from the shore. To cross such a distance purely by flight would be a challenge even for weaker Saint-tier fighters. For ordinary tenth-tier martial artists, it was simply unthinkable.
Most of the martial artists present were indeed at the tenth-tier level. Their emotions rapidly shifted from confusion to shock, and then to anger.
“Nonsense! How could anyone possibly fly that far?!”
“That’s right! This is clearly impossible! If you only wanted super-tier fighters, just say so! Why bring us all the way here just to mock us?!”
Angry shouts filled the air. More martial artists stared coldly at Marian, who stood at the center of the storm.
Yet, facing the furious crowd, Marian simply crossed her arms over her chest and returned their glares with a cold, indifferent smirk. Behind her, the blue-uniformed man who had spoken earlier remained silent, standing motionless.
“Hey! Excuse me, are you people going to argue forever?” Just as the crowd’s anger was reaching its peak, a lazy voice suddenly rang out from the back of the group.
“Huh?” Several martial artists, who had been shouting the loudest moments ago, turned around in surprise. Meanwhile, Zhang Wen and others standing in the middle of the crowd immediately recognized the voice.
“Denis Ryan!” Agate gritted his teeth again.
“Hey!” Ryan still wore his bright smile, his eyes scanning the crowd.
“Kid, what exactly are you trying to say?” A muscular, bald man with a fierce expression strode forward from the crowd and stood in front of Ryan.
“What I mean is, what’s the point of arguing like this? If we keep wasting time, that ship will leave without us!” Blocked from view by the bald man, Ryan could only tilt his head upward and point toward the distant cruise liner.
“That I know! But can’t you see? How far is that ship from here! How could we possibly get on it?” The bald man shouted furiously.
“Please, can’t you people try to use your brains a little? Do I really have to explain everything to you?” Ryan shrugged helplessly, his gaze shifting past the bald man to continue scanning the crowd.
“Damn it! What did you say? Dare you repeat that!” Enraged, the bald man grabbed Ryan by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
“Sigh! Fine, since you’re so desperate, I’ll offer you some information for free.” Suspended in the air, Ryan sighed helplessly but still smiled. “Didn’t you hear? Miss Marianne said that even a blind person can pass as long as they board that ship.”
“Yes! But so what? We still can’t get on that ship!” The bald man shouted even more angrily.
“That’s exactly why I say you have no brains!” Ryan sighed again, then smiled brightly. “Don’t you understand Miss Marianne’s meaning yet? She didn’t restrict the way you get on that ship at all! Whether you fly there, swim there, or even hijack a spaceship to chase after it—so long as you make it aboard, you pass.”
“W-what… what did you say?” The bald man loosened his grip on Ryan’s collar in stunned disbelief.
Then, nearly all the martial artists hurriedly turned their heads toward Marianne and the blue-clad man behind her.
“Hmph! I didn’t expect this batch of candidates to not all be complete idiots.” Marianne sneered coldly. Immediately, the martial artists erupted into chaotic discussion.
Ryan’s hint, combined with Marianne’s confirmation, finally allowed the martial artists to break free from the biggest misconception in their thinking. They now realized that Marianne’s test had never required them to board the cruise liner solely by their own strength. As long as they could think of a way, they could use any means available to them!
As soon as this realization dawned, the martial artists sprang into action. Some turned their eyes toward the several psychokinetic boats stored in the warehouse at the temporary dock, while others formed small groups, preparing to fly the several thousand meters across the sea by taking turns.
“Three of you, we meet again.” Ryan ignored the chaos he had caused among the martial artists and, still smiling brightly, walked directly toward Zhang Wen, who had been watching him with cold indifference.
“Hmph! Indeed, we meet again.” Agate gritted his teeth and turned his gaze away.
“Huh? I feel like you must have some misunderstanding about me?” Ryan feigned surprise as he looked at Agate. “If I’m not mistaken, I not only didn’t offend you, but I even helped you with a small favor, right?”
“Yeah, you helped us with a small favor. We’re really grateful.” Agate sneered again, his teeth grinding as Ryan brought up the “help.”
“No, I think you must have misunderstood!” Ryan acted as if frightened by Agate’s fierce expression, immediately hiding behind Zhang Wen.
“Misunderstood? What misunderstanding could there possibly be? You clearly tried to pass off some worthless common knowledge as secret intelligence to trick us into letting you use us, didn’t you?” Agate glared fiercely at Ryan.
“Hey! Are you guys ever going to stop?” Just as the crowd’s anger was about to reach its peak, a lazy voice suddenly rang out from the back.
“Huh?” Several martial artists who had been the most vocal immediately turned around in surprise. Meanwhile, Zhang Wen and others standing in the middle of the crowd instantly recognized the owner of that voice.
“Dennis Ryan!” Agate gritted his teeth even harder.
“Hey!” Ryan continued to smile brightly, his eyes scanning the crowd.
“Kid, what exactly are you trying to say?” A bald, fierce-looking burly man strode out from the crowd, walking straight up to Ryan.
“What I’m saying is, what’s the point of all this arguing? If you keep wasting time, that ship is going to sail away!” The bald man blocked Ryan’s view, forcing Ryan to look up and point at the distant cruise ship.
“I know that! But don’t you see how far that ship is from here? How could we possibly get on board?” the bald man shouted in frustration.
“Come on, can’t you use your brains for once? Do you really need someone to teach you everything?” Ryan shrugged helplessly, his gaze moving past the bald man as he continued to search the crowd.
“You jerk! What did you just say? Say it again!” The bald man angrily grabbed Ryan by the collar, lifting him off the ground.
“Sigh! There’s just no helping it. Fine, since you’re in such a hurry, I’ll give you a piece of information for free.” Ryan, now suspended in mid-air, sighed with a wry smile. “Didn’t you hear what Miss Marian said earlier? As long as you can board that ship, even a blind person can pass.”
“Yes! But what does that matter? We still can’t get on that ship!” the bald man shouted, even more furious.
“That’s why I said you’re not using your brain!” Ryan sighed again, then flashed his bright smile once more. “Don’t you understand what Miss Marian meant? She didn’t specify how you have to board that ship! Whether you fly, swim, or even hijack a spaceship to chase it down—as long as you get on that ship, you pass.”
“Wha… what?” The bald man’s jaw dropped, and he let go of Ryan’s collar.
Almost immediately, all the martial artists turned their heads to look at Marian and the blue-clad man behind her.
“Hmph! I didn’t expect this batch of candidates to be complete idiots after all.” Marian sneered, and the martial artists immediately erupted into chaos.
Ryan’s hint and Marian’s confirmation finally led the martial artists out of the biggest misconception in their thinking. Only now did they realize that Marian’s challenge didn’t require them to rely solely on their own strength to board the cruise ship. As long as they could think of a way, they could use any means at their disposal!
With this realization, the martial artists sprang into action. Some turned their attention to the few energy boats stored in the temporary dock’s warehouse, while others teamed up, planning to fly the several kilometers between the shore and the cruise ship in a relay.
“Three of you, we meet again.” Ryan ignored the martial artists who were in chaos because of him and instead walked straight up to Zhang Wen, who had been watching his performance with a cold eye.
“Hmph! Indeed, we meet again.” Agate gritted his teeth and looked away.
“Huh? Why do I feel like you have a lot of misunderstandings about me?” Ryan feigned surprise as he glanced at Agate. “If I recall correctly, I haven’t offended any of you. In fact, I even helped you a little, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did help us a little. We’ve always been grateful for that.” Ryan’s mention of his “help” only made Agate sneer and grind his teeth even more.
“No, I think you must have misunderstood!” Ryan, as if frightened by Agate’s fierce expression, quickly hid behind Zhang Wen.
“Misunderstood? How could this be a misunderstanding? You deliberately passed off worthless, common information as secret intelligence, trying to trick us into letting you use us, didn’t you?” Agate glared at Ryan and demanded.
“That’s a false accusation! A complete false accusation!” Ryan peeked out from behind Zhang Wen, defending himself with a look of grievance. “I went through a lot of trouble to get this information from the blue-clad men who picked me up! Who knew they were so unreliable that they’d spill the secrets themselves? That’s just how intelligence trading works. You can’t blame me for that! Besides, even if they leaked the secrets, you still found out earlier than everyone else, so it’s not like you gained nothing!”
“You… hmph!” Although Agate felt that Ryan’s explanation sounded like a lame excuse, he couldn’t find a way to refute it. In the end, his anger could only turn into an unwilling grunt.
“Alright, alright! Both of you, stop arguing. Agate, you’re a grown man. Why are you acting like Xiao Xi?” Zhang Wen teased Agate with a smile, then turned to Ryan and asked, “So, what are you planning to do now that you’ve come to us?”
“Well, when I provided you with that information earlier, you seemed to agree to help me with a small favor…” Ryan smiled as he spoke, but suddenly noticed Agate’s expression darkening. He quickly changed his tone and said sincerely, “Of course! Since my information turned out to be flawed, I can’t really ask anything of you. However, I do have another deal to propose. Are you interested?”
“Let’s hear it.” Zhang Wen raised an eyebrow, still smiling as he looked at Ryan.
“Well, I know what kind of competition Mr. Hassan is going to participate in after this selection. Do you think this information is valuable enough for you to take me on board?” Ryan confidently flashed a mysterious smile.
“Alright, deal.” After hearing Ryan’s proposal, Zhang Wen pondered for a moment. Finally, he exchanged a glance with Xiu Luo and nodded at Ryan.
“Hehe… Once we’re on the cruise ship, I’ll tell you all the details about the competition that follows this selection. Don’t worry. You won’t regret it.” Ryan once again showed his trademark bright smile, but his gaze was fixed on the distant cruise ship. “My information has always been worth more than its price.”
“I hope so.” Zhang Wen nodded with a smile, his eyes also turning toward the horizon where the sea met the sky.
By now, the dozens of martial artists who had been the most eager to fly to the cruise ship in a relay had all met their fate. Most of them had exhausted themselves and fallen into the sea. Only a few, who were both strong and lucky, managed to make it to the ship.
However, the majority of the martial artists remained calm and patient. They could see that if the cruise ship continued on its current course, it would gradually get closer to their position over time. It seemed that Marian’s test wasn’t just about testing their strength and intelligence, but also their patience.
Yet, few of the martial artists noticed the faint, disdainful smile that lingered on Marian’s lips.
“Hey! These guys really think they can just sit around and easily pass my test,” Marian muttered to herself.
“Marian, it’s only the first day. Don’t go too far,” the blue-clad man frowned, reminding her.
“Hmph! I’m saving your boss money. You should be thanking me. Besides, those who don’t even have this level of strength aren’t worth keeping around anyway.” Marian sneered coldly as she pressed the button she had been holding in her hand.
“You… Hmph!” Although Agate found Ryan’s explanation sounded like mere sophistry, he couldn’t find any solid counterargument. In the end, his fury could only be vented through an unwilling grunt.
“Alright, alright! Both of you, stop arguing. Agate, you’re already grown up—why do you still have the same temper as Xiao Xi?” Zhang Wen teased Agate with a grin, then turned to Ryan and asked, “So, what do you want now that you’ve come looking for us?”
“Hehe! Earlier, when I gave you the information, you seemed to have agreed to help me with a small favor…” Ryan smiled as he spoke, but suddenly noticed Agate’s darkening expression. He quickly changed his tone and said earnestly, “Of course, since my intelligence turned out flawed, I wouldn’t dare ask much of you. However, I do have another deal. I wonder if you’re interested?”
“Tell us more.” Zhang Wen smirked slightly, smiling at Ryan.
“Hehe. I know exactly what kind of competition Hassan’s going to face after this selection. How about it? Do you think this information is worth letting me board the ship with you?” Ryan smiled confidently, wearing his signature mysterious expression.
“Fine! Deal.” After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Wen finally exchanged a glance with Xie Luo and nodded at Ryan.
“Hey! Are you guys ever going to stop?” Just as the crowd’s anger was about to reach its peak, a lazy voice suddenly rang out from behind them.
“Huh?” Several martial artists who had been the most vocal in the commotion immediately turned around in surprise. Meanwhile, Zhang Wen and others standing in the middle of the crowd instantly recognized the owner of that voice.
“Dennis Ryan!” Agate gritted his teeth again.
“Hey!” Ryan continued to smile brightly, his eyes still scanning the crowd.
“Kid, what exactly are you trying to say?” A bald, burly man with a fierce expression strode out from the crowd and approached Ryan.
“What I’m saying is, what’s the point of all this arguing? If you keep wasting time, that ship is going to leave!” The bald man blocked Ryan’s view, forcing Ryan to look up and point towards the distant cruise ship.
“I know that! But haven’t you seen how far that ship is from here? How are we supposed to get on board?” the bald man shouted in frustration.
“Come on, can’t you use your brains for once? Do you really need someone to teach you everything?” Ryan shrugged helplessly, his gaze continuing to search the crowd over the bald man’s shoulder.
“Bastard! What did you say? Say that again!” The bald man angrily grabbed Ryan by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
“Sigh! There’s just no helping it. Alright, since you’re in such a hurry, I’ll give you a piece of information for free.” Ryan, now suspended in mid-air by the burly man, sighed with a wry smile. “Didn’t you hear what Miss Marian said earlier? As long as you can board that ship, even a blind person can pass.”
“Yes! But what does that matter? We still can’t get on that ship!” the bald man shouted, growing even more furious.
“That’s why I said you’re not using your brain!” Ryan sighed again, his bright smile returning. “Haven’t you figured out Miss Marian’s meaning yet? She didn’t specify how you have to board the ship! Whether you fly, swim, or even hijack a spaceship to chase it down—as long as you get on that ship, you pass.”
“Wha… what?” The bald man’s jaw dropped, and he released Ryan’s collar.
Almost immediately, all the martial artists turned their heads to look at Marian and the blue-suited man behind her.
“Hmph! I didn’t expect this batch of candidates to be completely brainless,” Marian sneered, and the martial artists immediately erupted into chaos.
Ryan’s hint and Marian’s confirmation finally led the martial artists out of the biggest misconception in their thinking. Only now did they realize that Marian’s challenge didn’t require them to rely solely on their own strength to board the cruise ship. As long as they could think of a way, they could use any means at their disposal!
With this realization, the martial artists sprang into action. Some turned their attention to the few psychic boats stored in the temporary dock’s warehouse, while others teamed up, planning to fly the several kilometers between the shore and the cruise ship in a relay.
“Three of you, we meet again.” Ryan ignored the martial artists who were in chaos because of him and instead walked straight over to Zhang Wen, who had been watching his performance with a cold eye.
“Hmph! Indeed, we meet again,” Agate growled, turning his gaze away.
“Huh? Why do I feel like you have a lot of misunderstandings about me?” Ryan feigned surprise as he glanced at Agate. “If I recall correctly, I haven’t offended any of you. In fact, I even helped you out a bit, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did help us a little. We’ve always been extremely grateful,” Agate sneered, his teeth grinding as Ryan brought up the “help.”
“No, I think you must have misunderstood!” Ryan, as if frightened by Agate’s fierce expression, quickly hid behind Zhang Wen.
“Misunderstood? How could this be a misunderstanding? You clearly tried to pass off worthless, common information as secret intelligence, hoping to trick us into letting you use us, didn’t you?” Agate glared at Ryan, demanding an answer.
“Wronged! So wronged!” Ryan peeked out from behind Zhang Wen, pleading his case to Agate. “I went through a lot of trouble to extract this information from the blue-suited men who picked me up! Who knew they were so unreliable and would spill the secrets themselves? That’s just how intelligence trading works. You can’t blame me entirely! Besides, even if they leaked the secrets, you still found out earlier than everyone else, so it’s not like you gained nothing!”
“You… hmph!” Although Agate felt that Ryan’s words sounded like nothing but excuses, he couldn’t find a way to refute them. In the end, his anger could only manifest as an unwilling snort.
“Alright, alright! Both of you, stop arguing. Agate, you’re a grown man. Why do you have the temper of a child?” Zhang Wen teased Agate with a smile before turning to Ryan. “So, what are you planning now that you’ve come to us?”
“Hehe! When I provided you with that information earlier, you seemed to agree to help me with a small favor…” Ryan smiled as he spoke, but suddenly noticed Agate’s expression darkening. He quickly changed his tone and said earnestly, “Of course! Since my information turned out to be flawed, I can’t really ask you for anything. However, I do have another deal. Are you interested?”
“Let’s hear it,” Zhang Wen said, his lips curling into a smile as he looked at Ryan.
“Hehe. I know what kind of competition Boss Hassan will be participating in after this selection. Do you think this information is valuable enough for you to take me on board?” Ryan confidently flashed a mysterious smile.
“Alright! Deal.” After hearing Ryan’s proposal, Zhang Wen pondered for a moment. Finally, after exchanging a glance with Xiu Luo, he nodded at Ryan.
“Hehe… Once we’re on the cruise ship, I’ll tell you all the details about the competition that follows this selection. Don’t worry. You won’t regret it.” Ryan once again showed his trademark bright smile, but his gaze was fixed on the distant cruise ship. “My information has always been worth more than its price.”
“I hope so,” Zhang Wen nodded with a smile, his eyes also turning toward the horizon where the sea met the sky.
By now, the dozens of martial artists who had been the most eager to fly to the cruise ship in a relay had all met their fate. Most of them had exhausted themselves and fallen into the sea. Only a few, who were both strong enough and lucky enough, managed to make it to the ship.
However, the majority of the martial artists remained calm and patient. They could see that if the cruise ship continued on its current course, it would gradually come closer to their position over time. It seemed that Marian’s test wasn’t just about their strength and intelligence—it was also testing their patience.
Yet, few of the martial artists noticed the faint, disdainful sneer that lingered on Marian’s lips.
“Hey! These guys really think they can just sit around and pass my test easily,” Marian muttered to herself.
“Marian, it’s only the first day. Don’t go too far,” the blue-suited man frowned, warning her.
“Hmph! I’m saving your boss money. You should be thanking me. Besides, those who don’t even have this level of skill aren’t worth keeping around,” Marian sneered coldly as she pressed the button she had been holding in her hand.
“I hope so.” Zhang Wen nodded with a smile as well, his gaze also drifting toward the horizon.
At this moment, dozens of martial artists who had been the most impatient and had tried flying to the ship in relay had already reached their conclusions. Most of them had collapsed from exhaustion into the sea. Only a few lucky ones with sufficient strength and fortune managed to make it to the final moment of boarding.
However, more than half of the remaining martial artists still waited calmly. They could tell that if the cruise ship continued on its current course, it would actually approach their location for quite some time. It seemed that Marianne’s test wasn’t merely testing their strength and intelligence, but also their patience.
Yet, few martial artists noticed the contemptuous smirk lingering at the corner of Marianne’s lips.
“Hehe! These guys actually think they can just sit around and pass my test easily.” Marianne muttered to herself.
“Marianne, it’s only the first day. Don’t push it too far.” The blue-clad man frowned slightly and reminded her.
“Hmph! I’m actually helping your boss save money. You should be thanking me. Besides, anyone who doesn’t even have this much ability doesn’t deserve to stay anyway.” Marianne sneered coldly as she pressed the button she had been holding tightly in her palm.
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