The ship had been adrift at sea for who knows how many hours, and the dimly lit, claustrophobic cabins and cells were almost suffocating.
The girl, Chuanliu, sat leaning against the cramped space. A large black hoodie concealed her beautiful figure, and her long hair was slightly disheveled beneath the hoodie, but her eyes were clear, and she murmured:
"43, 44, 45..."
As she counted down, a card flew from her left hand, gliding through the air in a beautiful arc before landing steadily back in her hand.
Snap.
Suddenly, the room lights came on, so bright they were blinding.
Chuanliu subconsciously closed his eyes, deftly flipping the card he had been playing with and putting it into his palm.
The ensuing sound reverberated throughout the cabin, shattering everyone's remaining drowsiness.
"Hello, new residents. Our ship is about to arrive at 'Paradise Island.' Let me introduce myself; I am the ferryman from the WD Investigation Bureau."
Immediately afterwards, the airtight prison door slowly rose, and through the iron bars, the people on the ship could finally see their surroundings.
All the single cells are arranged in a circle, leaving only a circular open space in the middle, where the man who just spoke is standing in a suit and tie.
"You little brat, are you trying to scare me to death?!"
Inside the cell, a man in a floral shirt cursed, "If you keep making a fuss, I'll teach you a lesson when we get out!"
The chubby, buzz-cut guy in the cell directly opposite the one wearing the floral shirt raised an eyebrow:
"Young man, don't get so angry. What's the point of arguing with a holographic projection?"
The man in the floral shirt then realized that the man in the suit in the middle was just a projection.
"You good-for-nothing..."
The conversation between the two stirred up long-suppressed emotions in everyone.
Those on this ship were not exactly benevolent people to begin with, and a violent aura immediately spread, with their attacks all directed at the holographic projection in the center of the arena.
"Ferryman? So you're in charge? You'd better open the door for us right now!"
"Exactly! We've already chosen to land on the island, so why are we still being locked up?"
"How long has this wrecked ship been sailing? Why haven't we arrived yet?"
"You little brat, if you've got the guts, don't try to talk to us with a projector!"
"..."
Amidst the commotion, Chuanliu tried to minimize his presence by approaching the railing, silently surveying the surroundings before retreating to ponder.
As a magician, she needs to be more sensitive to her surroundings.
It has been about 17 hours since they set sail. If all goes well, they will arrive soon.
Including her, there were 9 people who landed on the island.
6 men and 3 women.
The first man to speak, wearing a floral shirt, was muscular and had a stable lower body. The calluses on his hands were likely from years of using a gun. His solid muscles were definitely not something that could be created with protein powder. Even his habitual stance was a defensive fighting posture.
After uttering a complaint, he quickly calmed down and began to observe his surroundings.
He must have come from a special forces or mercenary group.
The chubby guy with a buzz cut who answered him had fair and delicate skin, neatly manicured fingernails, white socks pulled up to his calves, and a gray hoodie that was a hot item from a major brand last season. Despite the environment, he didn't get a speck of dust on him.
Mild obsessive-compulsive disorder, living in good conditions.
Judging from their words, actions, and subconscious habits, the remaining few people should all be related to the black market.
The ferryman ignored the noise and commotion throughout the entire journey, watching coldly as if he were observing monkeys in a zoo.
No matter how much they threaten and intimidate, they are nothing more than birds in a cage or turtles in a jar.
Perhaps tired of arguing, Chuanliu's thoughts were suddenly pulled back by the silence.
The green-haired man in the cell next to the stream couldn't hold back any longer and broke the silence: "Hey, you in the middle! We'll be free once we get to the island, right? You guys won't go back on your word, will you?"
The Ferryman: "This is the responsibility of our WD Investigation Bureau. Once you reach 'Paradise Island,' there will be no world law to regulate you. Whatever crimes you've committed in the outside world, 'Paradise Island' will treat you all equally and will not pursue them further."
The woman opposite her tentatively asked again, "Is the death penalty also an option?"
"certainly."
Green Hair licked his lips with interest: "You're quite the hidden talent, aren't you? You look skinny, are you a murderer or an arsonist?"
Her words instantly piqued the interest of the remaining few people, and several pairs of eyes brazenly scrutinized her from head to toe.
Interest? Sexual interest?
For desperados, there is no difference.
The woman stumbled, startled by the burning gaze, and dared not look up. She continued to ask, "Then, what about my personal safety?"
"Madam, we have no way of supervising you, so naturally we cannot guarantee your personal safety."
"So I might still die?"
"Everyone must die, madam."
The woman tried her best to calm her turmoil, but her hands gripping the iron bars betrayed her terror.
"Can I back out now? I didn't know any of this before I came."
"I'm sorry, ma'am, since you have chosen freedom in the judgment, there is no room for regret."
The woman's eyes were bloodshot. After nearly a day of torment, the taut string snapped in an instant, and her trembling voice seemed to come from a source other than her own:
"I'm not going to the island! I want to go back!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, you can't change your choice once it's been made."
"I'm willing to go to jail! Please, I don't want to die!"
"Madam, even if you go back, won't you still face the death penalty? 'Paradise Island' will bring you endless freedom."
"No, no! Freedom my ass! I'll hire a lawyer, the best lawyer ever! A suspended death sentence, life imprisonment, I'll take it all. I'm not going to set foot on the island!"
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