Chapter 878: Lynch’s Adventure 2 – Official Announcement of the Female Lead

Ever since there was suspicion that someone had tampered with the helm in the cockpit, access had been strictly restricted to prevent a similar incident from happening again.

Some of the sailors were reassigned to new duties, specifically to the upper deck, where they were tasked with keeping watch over the surrounding seas for any signs of hostile activity.

As long as the cruise ship maintained its full speed and didn’t stop, and as long as no one on board gave pirates an opportunity to board, there was little reason to fear them—this ship was too large to be easily taken.

Just yesterday, sailors spotted a vessel approaching from a distance, but it soon turned away.

This sighting was reported to the captain, who believed it was likely just a passing cargo or fishing boat.

They were already nearing the waters of Marilo, a region notorious for smuggling. Seeing a few small boats out here didn’t necessarily mean pirates were around. As long as those boats didn’t get too close, there was no need to worry.

But to the captain, this was a clear sign: they were very close to Marilo. Even the smugglers were starting to appear. Within three days at most, they would reach Marilo’s territorial waters.

Once they arrived, there would be scattered islands to use as reference points, and it wouldn’t be difficult to find the right course.

But the sailor knew—that ship wasn’t just a random smuggler.

After he’d tampered with the helm that night, the ship had sailed at full speed into open waters for over ten hours. Even with course corrections later, they had veered off their original route significantly.

Smuggling boats sometimes operated in open seas, but even then, they rarely strayed far from the continental shelf. The deep-sea currents and unpredictable weather made those areas too dangerous for small boats—just one large wave could sink them.

So it couldn’t have been a smuggler’s boat. It had to be one of theirs.

This morning, he kept watch again and saw the same vessel twice more—he knew then: his people had arrived.

He needed to create a distraction to draw everyone’s attention away, giving those people a chance to get on board.

They had gone through so much to get to this point. If those people didn’t board now, and the ship actually reached Marilo, the company would investigate. Once exposed, every single one of them would be dead.

And not just them—their families and friends would die too.

To protect more lives, sacrificing a few of their own was worth it.

Without hesitation, he betrayed the female telegraph operator. She was too easy a target. After he reported his discovery to the first mate, the man immediately went to arrest her.

She didn’t even realize she’d been betrayed—she thought she had simply been caught.

After all was said and done, he watched a thick, steel-core rope sway slightly with the waves at the ship’s edge. A lifeboat dropped and quickly vanished into the dark sea. He knew the plan had worked.

In the cockpit, the female telegraph operator was on the verge of collapse.

When facing enemies—especially those trying to kill you—there was no reason to offer them dignity or mercy.

The moment those pirate-posing warlord forces got on board, their first action would be to take control of the ship. They would eliminate the entire existing command crew—captain, first mate, chief sailor. No one would be spared.

Since they were mortal enemies, there was no need to hold back.

The female operator’s clothes had long been torn to shreds. She was naked and bound to a chair. But the scene was not erotic—only harrowing.

Her body was covered in wounds. Both the captain and the first mate were ruthless men—especially the captain.

He was trusted deeply within the warlord organization. In his youth, he had worked directly under the warlord himself. Now older, he was granted a respectable and easy post as a reward for his years of loyalty.

This job only masked his brutality—it hadn’t changed him. And now, that beast had been unleashed.

He sliced open her skin and muscle with a knife, then cauterized the wounds using a red-hot dinner knife.

The searing metal caused blisters to form around the wounds, which he then violently tore off.

Her entire body was marked with these injuries, with certain areas receiving particularly cruel attention.

The captain calmly ordered someone to bring a fishing hook.

It was a large, barbed hook designed for deep-sea fishing—thick and strong, with two backward-facing barbs that made it terrifying to look at.

He embedded the hook inside a chunk of beef, slightly larger than a thumb, and pressed it tight so the hook remained hidden.

The first mate, expressionless, grabbed the female operator by the hair and yanked her head back, forcing her mouth open.

She panicked and struggled, her scalp tearing and bleeding, but she couldn’t resist.

“My patience has run out…” the captain muttered as he took a jar of mayonnaise from a sailor, carefully coating the beef chunk to ensure it was lubricated.

“This is your last chance. You know what happens if this thing ends up in your stomach. This is the final bit of kindness you’ll get from me.”

“If you miss this chance, you won’t get another…”

The first mate forced her mouth open, and the captain, grim-faced, shoved the meat into her mouth.

She tried to spit it out, but he didn’t give her the chance.

He jammed his fingers into her mouth and pushed the chunk down her throat. “If you don’t want to choke to death now, you’d better swallow it.”

She had no choice but to obey and swallowed the meat.

“Beef takes three to six hours to digest,” the captain said. “We have trained doctors on board who can remove it before it causes you harm.”

“But if you don’t cooperate…” He held up the fishing line. “I’ll throw you overboard.”

“Now tell me—who sent you? Besides you and that gambling addict, who else is in on it? Where are they hiding?

”I’m really going to die.

That thought echoed in the mind of the female telegraph operator. She had never believed death was something to fear—especially when it felt far away.

She often joked, It’s just dying, what’s so scary about that? But now, faced with it for real, she was paralyzed with terror.

She didn’t want to die. She knew that if they threw her overboard, the hook in her stomach would immediately be yanked tight by the fishing line.

She wasn’t a fish—she was far more fragile than anything in the sea. The hook would tear her insides out. She’d be dead for sure.

Her swollen, red, tear-streaked eyes brimmed with desperation to live. Her trembling lips finally uttered a name—one that everyone knew.

The captain turned and violently kicked the table. He knew it—this was tied to the internal power struggles in Marilo.

After saying the name, the telegraph operator no longer held back. She quickly revealed the others on the ship.

A sailor who had been quietly observing the cockpit suddenly saw the first mate rush out with a group of sailors. Their movements had purpose—he immediately realized the telegraph operator had confessed.

Luckily, she had held out long enough to buy him the time he needed.

He backed away, disappearing into the shadows. Soon after, a raging fire erupted from the third-level cabins on the opposite side—the side where the lifeboat had been lowered.

The blaze lit up the night like daylight.

Far away in the darkness, a scarred man in a beret grinned menacingly. He picked up a walkie-talkie, and moments later, over a dozen speedboats burst from the shadows, racing toward the fast-moving cruise ship.

In the reflection of his silver-gray eyes burned visions of fortune—and the future.

“What… what’s happening?” Penny awoke in confusion as alarm sirens blared and were quickly silenced, mixed with frantic noises across the ship.

She was no longer as frightened as she had been that morning. After a full day of indulgence and pleasure, she was physically and mentally relaxed.

But Lynch’s expression had turned grim. Even a fool could tell—this fire meant the pirates were coming.

He looked around quickly, then suddenly raised his head—he spotted the ventilation duct.

On a large cruise ship, only the outer cabins had access to the open air and scenic views. The inner cabins were essentially windowless indoor rooms, with poor air circulation—so ventilation systems were essential.

All rooms had them, even the cheaper ones. There was no reason why a higher-end room wouldn’t.

Lynch pulled out the dinner knife he had deliberately kept. He unscrewed the vent cover and felt around the opening—seemed strong enough.

He jumped up, peeked inside.

He couldn’t fit—but Penny could.

“There’s a fire somewhere on the ship. I think the pirates have come aboard,” he said.

“If they really have, I won’t be able to protect you. You’ll need to hide.”

He glanced at Penny, who was putting on a jacket. He stopped her. “No coat. Just your underwear.”

She looked confused, but Lynch came over with the leftover olive oil from earlier and began rubbing it over her body.

“The duct’s narrow. If you wear too much, it’ll be harder to get in—and even harder to get out. The olive oil will help both ways.”

Once she was ready, he moved the table over, placed a chair on top, and lifted her up. He positioned her legs into the vent first so she could see where she was going, and avoid panicking in the confined space.

She handled it better than Lynch had expected—no words, no resistance. She simply followed his lead in silence.

Once she was fully inside, Lynch handed her some water, the leftover olive oil, and a bit of bread.

“If everything goes well, you’ll only be in there for two days at most…”

“Or maybe it’s just a false alarm—you might be able to come out soon.”

He looked at her, kissed her once, and said, “Everything will be alright.”

“I’ll write a book about everything we’ve been through. You’re going to be famous, Penny.”