"There are too many bombs on the ship, and we don't have enough manpower. Arrange for an immediate evacuation."

"Yes." The people in the cabin gradually withdrew, leaving only Qiao Xia and Old Master Mu on the sickbed staring at each other, his eyes filled with terror.

Qiao Xia's entire arm was numb, and she guessed that her current condition was no less than that of the person in the hospital bed.

That won't do.

Qiao Xia tried to regulate her breathing, so that no one could see that she was really scared.

Five minutes have passed.

Zhao Yuncheng, who brought Flying Tiger back, was both amused and annoyed. "Now you know fear? How could you be so bold just now?"

"Who said I'm scared?" Even if Qiao Xia was scared inside, she would never admit it.

"Quiet down," the bomb disposal expert, codenamed Flying Tiger, snapped. The two men immediately fell silent, as if their mouths had been sawed off. "There are still twenty-five minutes left. That's enough time."

"Twenty-five minutes?" Qiao Xia was stunned. "Don't they always have a ten-minute countdown in TV dramas?"

Fei Hu wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking exasperated. "You said it yourself, it's just a TV drama. Do you think criminals would only commit crimes based on what's shown on TV?"

Qiao Xia was completely dumbfounded. She wasn't that saintly; the reason she was willing to sit here in place of Tang Ling was because she had the system's halo.

After 25 minutes, the halo will wear off, and then she'll be doomed to sink with the ship.

Looking at Fei Hu beside her, Qiao Xia felt slightly relieved. No matter what, the police officers were always reliable.

However, unsurprisingly, something unexpected happened.

Flying Tiger looked at her with eyes full of apology, "This bomb is blocked quite well, I can't see the structure inside..."

Qiao Xia looked at him in disbelief, "No way... don't mess with me..."

Flying Tiger's gaze hardened. "Don't worry, I won't abandon you. After I defuse the bomb under that head..."

"No!" Qiao Zhaoxing appeared at the door of the ward at some point.

Although tears were already streaming down her face uncontrollably, her attitude was unusually firm: "What happened tonight might all be his doing. My daughter was trying to save someone, so why should he be saved first and not my daughter?"

He pursed his lips, trying to follow his heart. Of course, he would prefer to save the girl, but he had to consider discipline, the level of danger, and the difficulty of defusing the bomb.

As long as the person lying in the hospital bed is not dead, he and Qiao Xia are both citizens of the country and enjoy the same rights. And since the bomb under his head is easier to disarm, Flying Tigers have no reason not to prioritize rescuing him.

Qiao Zhaoxing shook his head; he couldn't accept this reason.

"Dad," Qiao Xia shook her head at him, "Do me a favor."

Qiao Xia sat on the hospital bed and had Qiao Zhaoxing and Zhao Yuncheng carry her to the deck.

At this moment, there are still five minutes before the halo expires. The deck is bare, showing no trace of the extravagant lifestyle of just a few hours ago.

Qiao Xia took a deep breath and said to Qiao Zhaoxing, "Dad, you guys go first..."

Qiao Zhaoxing shook his head and interrupted, "No, Xia Bao, even if it means death, Daddy will die with you."

Qiao Xia rolled her eyes and interrupted her impatiently, "Let me finish. After you get down, find a motorboat and park it close to the deck so that I can get out as soon as I jump in."

Qiao Zhaoxing looked into her eyes and seemed to understand something. He staggered to his feet and left as quickly as possible.

Zhao Yuncheng asked, puzzled, "What exactly do you want to do?"

Qiao Xia did not answer. There were still three minutes before the halo expired and thirteen minutes before the bomb exploded. Flying Tiger finally arrived late.

Before he could even begin, Qiao Xia asked, "How long did it take you to defuse the bomb?"

"Twelve minutes."

Qiao Xia sighed. "With your vision obstructed, can you defuse the bomb I have in ten minutes?"

There were still many bombs hidden in the lower deck of the ship, and they had to allow enough time to escape; otherwise, it would be pointless to disarm them.

Fei Hu did not answer directly, "I will do my best, even if... you won't be alone. Don't worry, I've been prepared since the day I entered this industry."

Fei Hu spoke sincerely, but Qiao Xia slapped his hand away, saying, "But I still want to live."

Zhao Yuncheng finally found an opening to interject, "What exactly do you want?"

“I’m willing to take a gamble. This bomb won’t explode if I have it.” Qiao Xia’s gaze was firm. At this moment, there were only three of them left on the ship. “If you want me to live, leave now.”

There are two minutes left before the bomb explodes.

As if possessed, Zhao Yuncheng grabbed Fei Hu and jumped down.

Qiao Xia took a deep breath and abruptly removed her hand. Although it was only a second, it felt like an eternity.

"Run!"

Seeing Qiao Xia board the boat, Qiao Zhaoxing floored the accelerator.

One minute later, a series of explosions began to occur on the ship, starting from the deck.

The surging heatwave capsized the motorboat, and Qiao Xia's ears rang. She stared blankly at the ship in the distance, which had turned fiery red, as the wreckage, still glowing with fire, struck her precisely on the back of the head.

In City A, amidst skyscrapers built along the sea, Mu San gazed at the boundless ocean, his fingers tapping the table almost imperceptibly.

The assistant, increasingly hesitant and cautious in his choice of words, said, "...The police arrived in time, Seventh Young Master Mu was arrested, Mr. Mu is missing, and Third Master Mu was rescued and is currently being taken to the hospital."

"What a pity." Mu San shook his head regretfully.

The assistant couldn't help but shudder, which made him even more amused. "This has nothing to do with you, what are you afraid of?"

The assistant just kept shaking his head. He didn't dare to say anything because he was afraid that the person in front of him was too heartless.

When faced with misfortune befalling his loved ones, he showed no sign of worry and was even able to smile.

Mu San swirled the red wine in his glass. "A rich second-generation heir living a life of debauchery, a ship explodes and disappears without a trace, the entire Chinese ship owner's family perished—what a great headline! Too bad we can't use it now!"

The assistant looked up in horror. "It was you. You arranged what happened on the ship."

Mu San shook his head regretfully, "I thought you should have guessed it from the moment I asked you to answer that call. I admire your abilities, but you're really not suitable to be my assistant."

The assistant, terrified, knelt on the ground, stammering, "Please, I promise I won't tell anyone about what happened today. Please let me go, please let me go..."

Mu San waved his hand, "I have a gold mine in Africa that is short of a person in charge."

"I'm willing, I'm willing," the assistant hurriedly replied. "I'll leave tomorrow, no, I'll leave now, I'll leave tonight."

"Lin Xie, see him off." The secretary, who had been waiting outside the door, nodded slightly and turned to send the assistant onto the private jet that had been prepared.

"Mr. Mu, it's all resolved."

Mu San rubbed his temples. "But that old man is still a menace if he lives."