Above the vast sea, the waves rippled with jagged edges, and seagulls flew past a cruise ship.
Leaning on the ship’s railing, Qin Tian held his phone, watching Ai’e De’s survival show—solo challenges in the wilderness.
Qin Tian had seen this show two years ago, and by now, he had watched it at least seven or eight times. There was a saying: the classics only get better with each viewing.
As the video showed Ai’e De boarding a helicopter to leave the wilderness, Qin Tian reluctantly put away his phone. He had intended to enjoy the sea scenery to rest his eyes, but a sudden commotion behind him caught his curiosity.
Turning around, Qin Tian saw a crowd gathering on the deck.
Their gazes all focused on the bow of the ship; the men looked on with envy, while the women were full of jealousy.
Following their line of sight, Qin Tian saw a man holding a bouquet of fresh flowers approaching a woman standing at a distance.
The man had a tall and upright posture, handsome features, and the woman wore a pale blue long dress. Her waist-length hair fluttered in the wind—truly beautiful.
Qin Tian recognized the two. The man was Gao Chenyu, the School Grass of their school. Not only was he handsome, but he was also a top student who had already secured a high-paying offer from the BAT Three Giants before graduation.
On top of that, Gao Chenyu was the school’s sprint champion—a true all-around talent and the perfect male idol in every girl’s eyes.
A talented man with a beautiful woman—Gao Chenyu’s admiration for Ye Lin was no surprise. Like him, Ye Lin was outstanding and had already received an offer from the world-class Huanqiu International before graduation.
Beautiful, sweet-voiced, and multi-talented, she had won the provincial and school-level singing championship and was recognized as the School Flower—the goddess admired by all the boys.
Throughout school, Gao Chenyu had been courting Ye Lin, but even now, on this graduation trip, Ye Lin had yet to make any clear response.
Judging by the current situation, Gao Chenyu was about to confess his feelings for Ye Lin in front of everyone, which was why the students were buzzing with gossip.
“Is Gao Chenyu about to confess to Ye Lin? I wish it were me being confessed to,” a girl envied.
“A genius and a beauty—this is basically the modern-day Titanic’s Jack and Rose!”
“Don’t talk like that. If this really were Titanic, we’d all be doomed.”
…
The students on deck talked about nothing else, while Qin Tian watched from a distance, feeling rather envious.
As a man with a normal orientation, of course, he liked beautiful women. He had daydreamed about gaining the favor of the School Flower by some twist of fate, but it was just a fantasy.
He was an ordinary guy from a normal family, freshly graduated, and still without a job. If the School Flower looked his way, he would be suspicious, afraid she had ulterior motives.
This wasn’t self-deprecation but a matter of values.
After all, if one had the means to find an excellent woman as a partner, who would choose an ordinary girl? Likewise, what reason would an average guy have to win the favor of a goddess?
Honestly, Qin Tian thought that if he were a woman, he would also like a man like Gao Chenyu.
So, no matter how much he fantasized, it was better to face reality and improve himself. After all, the kind of box determines the kind of jade it holds.
Retracting his gaze, Qin Tian looked out to the sea. This graduation trip was a rare treat organized by the school.
He remembered the cruise followed the Hawaiian Route, departing from Honolulu, passing Pearl Harbor, Dinosaur Bay, Oahu Island, Maui Island, and finally arriving at Hawaii Island. The scenery along the way was breathtaking.
He wasn’t about to ruin his mood by foolishly running over to the commotion.
“I say, Qin Tian, are you back in the corner watching that naked guy again?” a voice called out.
Turning around, Qin Tian saw a middle-aged man approaching him. “If you don’t socialize, you’ll suffer in the real world. Make more friends, more friends, more paths.”
The man was Zhang Lei, their department’s teacher, who was very kind to the students.
Because of Qin Tian’s aloof personality, he often kept to himself at school. Upon noticing this, Zhang Lei had made an effort to reach out, often inviting Qin Tian to eat street food whenever possible. Zhang Lei was arguably the person who treated him best in school.
Qin Tian respected Zhang Lei greatly.
“That’s true, but what if they’re just fair-weather friends? That would only waste my energy,” Qin Tian said dismissively.
“How can you know unless you try? Just ignore those not worth it,” Zhang Lei rolled his eyes. “At the very least, find a girlfriend.”
“With my situation, better not waste someone’s youth,” Qin Tian sneered.
He had thought about dating, but as he said, he didn’t want his girlfriend to suffer.
He was barely scraping by, even a trip to an amusement park meant pinching pennies. Even if his girlfriend didn’t mind, he couldn’t bear it.
Hearing this, Zhang Lei sighed deeply. Over these university years, he knew Qin Tian well.
Though Qin Tian appeared as a lone wolf, the truth was he simply didn’t know how to express his emotions and chose solitude to avoid that need.
Wanting to change the subject, Zhang Lei looked into the distance. “How’s the job hunt? Want me to help you…”
His words trailed off mid-sentence as his face changed dramatically.
Qin Tian followed his gaze, his pupils shrinking in alarm.
The once clear sky suddenly darkened; an endless expanse of black clouds appeared out of nowhere.
The weather changed so quickly that those on deck barely noticed until a streak of blue lightning tore the sky in two.
“Wuu—”
“A storm is approaching! All passengers please evacuate the deck immediately!”
The ship’s alarm blared. The once calm sea churned violently, the wind howled, and the cruise ship rocked uncontrollably.
Unprepared, people on the deck fell to the ground.
Regaining their senses, the passengers tried to stand, but before they could steady themselves, another huge wave crashed down.
The sea was terrifying—weather changed in an instant. Thunder rumbled through the clouds as torrential rain poured down, filling everyone with dread.
The deck was filled with cries for help and blaring alarms.
Wave after wave battered the massive ship, which now seemed as fragile as driftwood, on the verge of sinking.
It was as if the sea wanted to capsize the ship for good. Lightning flashed, rain pounded down, and the wind screamed fiercely.
A giant wave struck the deck; when it receded, the crowd had vanished.
“Damn it, who was the jinx just now? I’m throwing them overboard as a sacrifice!” Qin Tian cursed bitterly, gripping the railing tightly.
This was his first time on a cruise, and such disaster struck. He regretted not checking the almanac before leaving.
“Move inside!” Zhang Lei grabbed the railing and led the way toward the ship’s interior.
Before he could get far, lightning struck the deck nearby. In that instant, Qin Tian’s vision was flooded with white light, and all sound vanished.
One hand held the railing, the other covered his ear, Qin Tian’s face went blank. He was closer to the lightning than anyone.
Amid the deafening roar, Zhang Lei collapsed to his knees.
Shaking his head, Qin Tian stood up. Moments later, his vision cleared to reveal a massive hole in the deck.
Immediately after, the entire ship split in two. The deck tilted sharply, and Zhang Lei began to fall backward.
Reacting quickly, Qin Tian grabbed Zhang Lei’s hand with all his strength.
Only then did Zhang Lei regain consciousness. Seeing their perilous situation, he gripped Qin Tian tightly.
Meanwhile, seawater surged up through the fracture. The ship slowly sank, and cries for help filled the air.
Zhang Lei was a middle-aged man weighing at least 130 pounds. Initially, Qin Tian barely managed to hold him.
But as the ship tilted further, the two of them nearly hung suspended in midair.
Soon, Qin Tian’s face turned beet red.
Seeing this, Zhang Lei hurriedly said, “Let go!”
“Shut up!” Qin Tian gritted his teeth.
“We’ll both live.”
“We can both make it!”
Men spoke little in moments like these.
But it was too much. Within a minute, Qin Tian’s eyes were bloodshot, and his veins bulged.
At this critical moment, Qin Tian remained calm, scanning left and right.
When he spotted the life jackets near the bow and the swimming pool on deck, an idea formed.
He planted his foot on the railing and began to swing.
Because of the ship’s tilt, the pool wall had become horizontal—a perfect foothold.
Zhang Lei quickly understood Qin Tian’s plan and quieted down.
At the peak of the swing, Qin Tian threw Zhang Lei forward.
At that moment, Qin Tian’s strength was gone. His hand slipped, and he fell.
In midair, Zhang Lei reached out, trying to catch him, but it was impossible.
Qin Tian slid down the deck uncontrollably, launched off the bow, and in the nick of time, grabbed a life ring.
Just as he prepared to pull himself up, the railing broke under his weight, and Qin Tian, clutching the life ring, fell into the sea.
Fortunately, holding onto the life ring, Qin Tian quickly surfaced and swam away without looking back.
Behind him, the ship, now split in two, slowly sank beneath the waves.
The whirlpool and undercurrent it created coiled around Qin Tian like ropes, dragging him back.
He screamed and fought with all his might against the undertow, but a wave crashed down, and Qin Tian disappeared into the turbulent sea.