Chapter 3: Qin Luo of the Navy Boards

The wail of a foghorn drew closer from the northeast, piercing the dead silence of the deck like an icy needle. The sea mist refused to clear, leaving three gray-white warships standing like iron beasts, casting a cold, metallic glare under the refraction of the sunlight. The sheer sense of oppression hung over them like a heavy blanket.

Standing on the battered command bridge of the Abyss, Lin Wan swept her gaze across the sealed main gun hatch, her fingertips tapping lightly against the console. Time was running out. The forged evidence left behind by Steward Zhao was a ticking time bomb, ready to blow her situation sky-high at any second. And Qin Luo's eyes, locked onto the radar screen, delivered a silent warning: don't even think about running, or deal with the consequences.

Lin Wan took a deep breath, forcing down the cold sweat on her palms. She needed a fleeting window of opportunity to push the "damaged merchant vessel" disguise to absolute perfection. Only by convincing the Navy that they were completely unarmed could she buy herself some breathing room. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she watched the distant silhouettes of the warships grow sharper, a cold smirk pulling at the corner of her lips.

Since she couldn't hide, she might as well let them see what kind of secrets that made the Grand Federation so jumpy were hidden inside this exiled, abandoned ship.

Qin Luo stepped forward, his stride steady and powerful, carrying the unmistakable authority of a naval officer. He stopped beside Lin Wan, not looking at her, but staring fixedly at the rapidly approaching blips on the radar.

"Five nautical miles out. We enter the visual blind spot in two minutes." His voice was low and gravelly, as precise as machinery. Lin Wan silently issued the command: "Kill all non-essential lights, drop engines to idle speed, and simulate a mechanical failure."

Mozi let out a crackle of static deep within the hull, an arrogant huff delivered via bone conduction: "Hmph, playing the pitiful victim actually suits you. I just hope your acting skills can live up to my tech, and you don't get my ship torn apart until even the screws go missing."

Qin Luo frowned, ignoring Mozi's provocation, and simply unhooked a black badge from his belt, turning it over and over in his palm. It was a silver double-headed snake insignia—the exclusive mark of a naval commander. He looked at Lin Wan. "Do you know why they're here?"

"To check my cargo," Lin Wan replied crisply. "Steward Zhao left a massive trail of smuggling records at the port, and the Navy followed the crumbs, looking for a scapegoat. Right now, I'm prime suspect number one."

Qin Luo’s gaze turned sharp, as if trying to unearth deeper truths, but he quickly looked away, eyeing the closing fleet. He knew guesswork wouldn't decide the outcome. He needed hard evidence to prove this vessel wasn't just some ordinary merchant tub. Otherwise, the moment they boarded and inspected, any little anomaly could become a fatal handle against them.

And Lin Wan—this woman exiled by her own family—just what kind of chips was she holding to walk away unscathed right down the barrel of a gun?

The silhouette of the lead destroyer completely blotted out the horizon, casting a massive shadow that plunged the deck into sudden gloom. Lin Wan felt a chill crawl up her spine, yet she stood tall. Showing even a shred of weakness could send the whole situation spinning out of control. Qin Luo stepped sideways to block her path, speaking in a low murmur: "Get your story straight."

"If they claim you're hiding cargo, you'd better pull out something a lot more convincing than an 'empty ship.'" Lin Wan nodded, her gaze falling on Qin Luo's grim profile. Here was a man speaking the coldest words, yet standing in the most dangerous spot to shield her. What was his motivation anyway?

Was it just cold obedience to orders, or did he have some other hidden agenda? She had no time to dig deeper; more foghorns wailed across the expanse, rattling the deck beneath her feet with a faint tremor.

The Navy's boarding rope ladders slowly descended, and fully armed soldiers swarmed up the lines. Leading them was Qin Luo, clad in a deep blue uniform, his expression stern, his eyes sweeping the deck like a hawk. Lin Wan stepped forward, hands at her sides, her posture respectful yet far from servile.

"Commander, welcome to the Abyss. Due to engine failure, we’ve been drifting at sea for three days with no cargo loaded whatsoever."

Her voice stayed steady, every single word carefully weighed. Qin Luo said nothing, merely nodding to signal his men forward. Two soldiers sprang into action immediately, sweeping the deck and cargo bay entrance with handheld scanners. Watching their tense movements, Lin Wan knew the scanners might pick up anomalies, but she was betting they wouldn't find the core sector.

"Where’s the cargo hold?" Qin Luo asked abruptly, his voice freezing cold. Lin Wan pointed toward the left entrance. "Right there. Due to chronic leaks, some of the equipment is busted, and it might not open all the way."

Qin Luo frowned slightly, walking over to inspect the locking mechanism himself. The lock was intact, but a muffled metallic scraping echoed from within. Mozi’s voice chimed in once more, dripping with warning: "Careful, Commander. Don't use brute force. My lock might look old, but it's tougher than your steel."

A corner of Qin Luo's mouth twitched as if hearing utter nonsense, though he betrayed no outward shock. He gestured for the soldiers to pry it open with tools. Yet no matter how much muscle they put into it, that heavy bulkhead didn't budge an inch.

Qin Luo stopped, spun around, and locked his gaze onto Lin Wan. His eyes held a heavy layer of appraisal and probing, as if re-evaluating this woman's true weight.

"The internal structure of the hatch is abnormal—not standard military hardware, nor is it regular merchant ship steel." His tone was flat, but the weight of it made the air freeze. Lin Wan felt a tight squeeze in her chest, knowing that exposing some secrets was only a matter of time, but she couldn't let Qin Luo see the whole picture. Stepping forward, she said evenly, "Commander, this ship is indeed a bit unusual."

"It’s an experimental prototype built by my family years ago, utilizing unreleased reinforced alloys. Though it looks run-down, its structural integrity blows conventional standards out of the water. If you suspect I'm hauling contraband, feel free to pop open the hold and look—inside, you'll only find seawater-soaked old planks and rusted anchors."

Qin Luo fell silent for a beat, his gaze shifting back and forth between the cargo door and Lin Wan. He was weighing risk against reward. Forcing it open could trigger an unknown technological malfunction or even cause a hull collapse—a massive headache. And Lin Wan's unnaturally steady demeanor was a silent kind of pressure all on its own. Finally, he waved a hand to signal his men to stand down.

"Leave it for now. The vessel is temporarily impounded, and everyone will follow me back to port for a detailed debrief."

"Back to port?" Lin Wan echoed, a hint of confusion in her voice. "Why not just scrap it right here or impound the cargo?" Qin Luo didn't answer directly, merely looking at her with a flicker of hard-to-read complexity in his eyes. Seconds later, he said flatly, "Steward Zhao is dead. His body was found at the port with no fingerprints left on him."

"The Grand Federation needs a new scapegoat to calm public outcry, and your family is scrambling to sever any ties to him. Handing you back to them now would only get you silenced permanently, burying the truth for good."

Those words hit like a bolt of lightning, burning away the last fog in Lin Wan's mind. So that was it. Qin Luo might look harsh, but he was actually acting as a solid shield. He wasn't trying to break her; he was pulling her right out of her family's bloody crosshairs. A surge of warmth rushed into Lin Wan's chest, though her reason quickly beat it back down. She bowed deeply. "Thank you for your trust, Commander."

"However, before I'm escorted back to port, I'd like to demonstrate a piece of tech to prove this ship's actual value to the Federal Navy, rather than treating it as a mere threat."

Qin Luo raised an eyebrow, a spark of interest flashing in his eyes. "Go on."

Lin Wan turned and walked toward the stubbornly jammed bulkhead. She reached out, pressing her palm flat against the icy metal surface, and tapped a hidden toggle. *Hummm*—a deep, subterranean rumble rolled from the depths of the hull, and the deck gave a slight shudder.

The metallic sheen vanished from the rust-caked surface of the hatch, replaced by a deep, dark-purple crystal that seemed to swallow the light itself. This was the first time an Abyss Warship was displaying its partial form following Devour Evolution.

"This is..." Qin Luo's pupils constricted, his body instinctively tensing as his hand hovered over his sidearm. The surrounding soldiers snapped their rifles up, only for Qin Luo to wave them down.

"Abyss Alloy," Lin Wan explained calmly, pointing at the dark layer. "It’s already devoured the abandoned buoys and a few small sea-beast carcasses from the nearby waters, evolving rudimentary self-repair and energy-storage functions. This surface can absorb kinetic impacts and even deploy a temporary defensive shield."

"Commander, this ship isn't a cripple. It’s the Grand Federation's only experimental platform capable of fighting off unknown deep-sea threats right now. Destroying it—or handing me back to my family—is your loss either way."

Qin Luo stared hard at that dark-purple crystal, the skepticism in his eyes slowly replaced by complex calculations. He saw the value, but he also saw the risk. Lin Wan wasn't just a fugitive; she was the key to holding core technology. Slowly, he loosened his grip on his weapon, took a deep breath, and made his final call.

"Take her," Qin Luo ordered the soldiers, his voice snapping back to its cold edge. "The vessel stays put on standby, escorted back to port by our fleet. Ms. Lin Wan, come with me. At the port hearing, I’ll testify on your behalf personally."

Lin Wan turned, locking eyes with Qin Luo. In that moment, she caught the faint glint of unwavering resolve deep in his gaze. This wasn't just mere shelter; it was a high-stakes gamble. He was betting every word Lin Wan spoke was the truth, betting that this seemingly broken-down ship could hold the line for federal naval defense.

And Lin Wan had to bet he could carve out a path to survival for her through this political storm. She nodded, said nothing more, and stepped in behind Qin Luo.

Just as they were about to disembark, a sharp roar of engines cut across the water from the direction of the port. Lin Wan glanced back to see a white speedboat flying the family crest cutting through the waves, barreling toward the anchorage at high speed. It was Steward Zhao's mortal enemy—the retrieval party from a branch family. They were arriving much too early, yet somehow too late.

A corner of Lin Wan's mouth lifted, a fierce glint flashing in the depths of her eyes. The roles of hunter and hunted seemed to undergo a subtle, razor-thin reversal right there on the cusp of shore.