Richest Rag-picker

By the time Fang Chenyi and Qi Xiaotian reached the cruise ship, the entire crew was ready and waiting.

After the latest refit, the ship’s hull now sported its name in giant characters: "Chen Meng."

Qi Xiaotian didn’t stop the car, instead driving directly onto the Chen Meng via the vehicle deck.

Once the car was parked, the vehicle deck slowly retracted. An instant later, a loud blast from the ship’s horn echoed out.

As the morning sun slowly rose, the Chen Meng gradually pulled away from the port’s dock.

But just as they parked and were preparing to get out, a sudden bark echoed from the back of the car.

Both Fang Chenyi and Qi Xiaotian froze. They instinctively turned to look and saw that Er Gouzi had somehow appeared in the back seat.

"What the hell? Er Gouzi, how did you get here?"

Seeing the dog squinting and grinning, Fang Chenyi had a feeling the little guy had snuck along on purpose. ’But that’s just ridiculously smart,’ he thought. ’How can a dog be this clever?’

Well, since he was already here, there was no point in sending him back down. Fang Chenyi shook his head helplessly and just warned Er Gouzi not to wander off.

After getting out of the SUV, the two men and the dog took the elevator straight to Liu Yishou’s captain’s quarters. Fang Chenyi glanced at Vajra, who was fast asleep by a window, but decided not to disturb him. He exchanged a few words with Liu Yishou, then went directly to his room on the top deck to catch up on sleep.

As for Er Gouzi, he was handed over to Qi Xiaotian.

’I was up until the dead of night,’ he thought, ’and my whole body is still sore. Since there’s nothing else to do right now, I might as well go to sleep.’

...

When Fang Chenyi woke up, it was already afternoon.

The cruise ship was still sailing through Huaxian waters.

After heading down to the restaurant for lunch, Fang Chenyi found himself with nothing to do.

He lay back on one of the large deck chairs and reached for his woven bag.

’I still have those two unknown items from the reward that I haven’t figured out yet,’ he recalled. ’Since I’m free now, I might as well take them out for a look.’

He opened the woven bag, rummaged around inside, and located the deep-red Medicine Pill.

To keep it from being blown away by the sea breeze, Fang Chenyi tucked the woven bag securely into his coat before cupping the Medicine Pill in his hand to study it.

The same mouth-watering aroma wafted into his nostrils, but Fang Chenyi simply couldn’t place the scent. ’In my entire life,’ he thought, ’I don’t think I’ve ever smelled anything like this.’

This only made Fang Chenyi all the more curious about what this thing could be.

Three minutes passed, then five. Fang Chenyi just kept staring at the Medicine Pill. Several times, he nearly lost control and threw it into his mouth.

’But reason tells me I shouldn’t eat something I don’t understand,’ he thought. ’Who knows if this is some kind of legendary poison that kills you in an instant?’

He fought the urge again and again. After studying it for a long time without any answers, Fang Chenyi decided to put it back in the woven bag. ’Later, I’ll cut off a tiny piece and find a lab to analyze its composition.’

With that thought, he carefully placed the pill on a small fruit dish beside him, then reached into his coat for the woven bag.

But accidents happen. Just as Fang Chenyi reached for the woven bag, a GULP sound reached his ears.

By the time he realized something was wrong and turned to look for his Medicine Pill, he was greeted by the sight of the husky, Er Gouzi, standing beside him with his head hung low in a perfect picture of guilt.

And now, the Medicine Pill that had been on the dish was gone.

’I don’t even have to think about it,’ Fang Chenyi realized. ’That damned Er Gouzi must have eaten it!’

"FUCK! Er Gouzi, you son of a bitch! Do you have any idea what you just ate?! If that was poison, you’re dead, you stupid mutt!"

Staring at the empty plate, Fang Chenyi couldn’t stop himself from swearing. Losing the Medicine Pill was one thing, but he was mainly worried it was poisonous and might kill Er Gouzi!

At the sound of his master’s scolding, Er Gouzi hung his head even lower. Seeing the dog’s pathetic expression, Fang Chenyi didn’t have the heart to yell at him anymore.

’The system gave me this guy as a reward,’ he reasoned. ’Hopefully, a Medicine Pill from the same system won’t actually be dangerous for him.’

Just like that, Fang Chenyi kept his eyes glued on Er Gouzi, watching to see if the dog would show any adverse reactions.

One minute passed, then two.

Time ticked by, and soon five minutes had passed. Fang Chenyi, who had been staring at Er Gouzi the entire time, hadn’t noticed anything abnormal. The knot of anxiety in his chest finally began to loosen.

However, just as he let out a sigh of relief, the still-bowed Er Gouzi suddenly swayed and collapsed onto the deck with a THUD.

His eyes were clamped shut.

Startled, Fang Chenyi scrambled forward to check on Er Gouzi.

But no matter how many times Fang Chenyi called his name, Er Gouzi remained completely still, showing no sign of opening his eyes.

If not for the gentle rise and fall of his chest, which showed he was still breathing, Fang Chenyi would have assumed Er Gouzi was dead.

The commotion quickly drew the attention of the crew, and in a few moments, a dozen or so of them came jogging over.

As the crowd grew, Fang Chenyi simply asked a crew member to help him carry Er Gouzi to the elevator and take him up to his floor.

After laying the dog on a wool rug in his room, he thanked the crew member and asked him to leave.

’After all,’ he thought, ’both Er Gouzi and the Medicine Pill came from the woven bag. The fewer people who know about this, the better.’

He observed Er Gouzi for a while longer. The dog looked for all the world as if he were simply sleeping, with the sole difference that he was completely unresponsive.

But since he didn’t appear to be in any danger, the knot in Fang Chenyi’s chest loosened a bit.

"You silly mutt, see? This is what you get for being so damn greedy. You’ve got some real nerve, eating anything and everything you see."

Though he said it out loud, Fang Chenyi knew he couldn’t really blame him. The Elixir’s fragrance had tempted him several times, so what chance did a dog have? He was sure that if Vajra had been there, he would have done the exact same thing.

He sighed in resignation. ’What the hell is the system playing at? Normally, it answers my questions, but this time, no matter how much I ask, there’s just... silence.’