The situation aboard the ship had become increasingly chaotic.
ManQi and QingQing were busy fighting off the guards outside the main hall, while TanTan and Prince Li, both wearing masks, had become the center of attention on the stage.
TanTan boldly demanded that the presenter announce the auction result, but deep inside, she was beginning to regret her decision.
Oh, crap... This is getting out of hand!
She knew perfectly well that the situation wasn't in her favor. However, the dagger that had flown down from the balcony was proof that the Silver Mask she had been searching for was somewhere aboard this ship.
Once again, he had helped her without revealing himself.
Maybe... if I get into danger one more time, he'll show up?
It was a risky gamble, but TanTan decided to rely on her luck.
Besides, she glanced at the masked man standing beside her, who had just protected her from the fat man's men.
Somehow, she felt she could trust him as an ally.
She turned back toward the presenter and repeated her demand.
"What are you waiting for?! Announce the result!"
"This..."
The presenter was completely at a loss.
He was terrified that the person in charge of the entire operation would punish him for allowing this chaos to happen. Worse still, the furious fat man might kill him first.
The fat masked man glared at the presenter.
"I'll pay double for that woman! Announce that she's mine! If you dare give her to that brat instead, I'll kill you!"
Meanwhile, Prince Li was carefully observing the balconies.
He was certain that the Crown Prince was somewhere aboard the ship, monitoring everything that happened.
After all, the original purpose of tonight's operation was to obtain undeniable evidence that the Crown Prince was the mastermind behind this illegal auction.
With such evidence, Prince Li would not only be able to put an end to this evil business but might also have a legitimate reason to strip the Crown Prince of his title.
Seeing how the situation was developing, Prince Li decided to make things even more intense.
But before taking action, he leaned toward TanTan and whispered,
"Do me a favor, little brother."
He handed her a wooden stick with a cord attached to one end.
"When I give you the signal, pull this cord toward the sky."
TanTan stared at the strange object in confusion.
"Wait... What do you mean? What is this?"
But Prince Li didn't explain further.
"You'll see."
He then turned toward the fat masked man.
Without giving him another chance to speak, Prince Li launched an attack and knocked him unconscious with a few swift movements.
Once the fat man was down, Prince Li turned toward the audience and addressed them loudly.
"Finally, he's quiet! What a noisy fat man! Don't you agree?"
Some guests exchanged glances.
Prince Li continued, deliberately raising his voice.
"And what a disappointing event this has become! We're trapped aboard this ship, forced to witness an incompetent host who cannot even manage his own business properly. It seems the owner is hiding somewhere to avoid taking responsibility for this mess. What a disgrace!"
His words had the intended effect.
The masked Crown Prince, who had been watching from the balcony, became furious.
"How dare he...!"
Before the shadowy masked man beside him could stop him, the Crown Prince rushed forward and revealed himself at the balcony.
"You want to see what I'm capable of? Very well! I'll show you!"
He immediately ordered his men to seize Prince Li and TanTan.
But before the guards could reach them, Prince Li pushed TanTan away and whispered sharply,
"Now!"
TanTan reacted immediately.
She rushed toward the window, bending low as she tried to slip past the guards attempting to capture her.
One or two daggers suddenly flew through the air, striking the guards who were chasing her.
But TanTan was too busy escaping to notice where they had come from.
Just as she thought she had made it, a gigantic masked guard struck her ankle.
"Ah!"
TanTan lost her balance and fell heavily to the floor. Her mask was knocked off, exposing her face.
Prince Li noticed it immediately, but he couldn't reach her because he was surrounded by too many enemies.
Damn it! There are too many of them! If the signal doesn't work, we're in trouble! Where is ManQi?!
Suddenly, several shadowy figures appeared and began helping Prince Li fight the guards.
Although their unexpected arrival surprised him, Prince Li wasn't about to reject their assistance.
Meanwhile, the masked Crown Prince stared at the newcomers in disbelief.
"What?! Who the hell are they?!"
He was so distracted by the sudden turn of events that he failed to notice the shadowy masked elder who had been sitting behind him quietly slipping away.
The old man had already sensed the danger. He had prepared a small boat and was ready to escape with his trusted subordinate.
On the other side of the hall, the gigantic guard approached TanTan, who was still struggling to get back on her feet.
"Well, well... What a pretty boy. But you won't be running away anymore."
Just as he reached out to grab her, someone suddenly appeared between them.
The newcomer swiftly attacked the giant guard and defeated him.
TanTan looked up in surprise.
"It's you...!"
She recognized the silver mask immediately.
It was the very man she had been searching for!
"Give me that."
Without waiting for her response, the Silver Mask grabbed the wooden stick from her hand.
He immediately moved toward the window, aimed it at the night sky, and pulled the cord.
A deafening blast echoed through the night.
A brilliant red firework burst above the ship, illuminating the dark sky.
It was the signal!
Before long, armed men flooded into the hall. They moved swiftly, surrounding the guests and guards, ensuring that no one could escape.
"...What?!"
The masked Crown Prince finally realized that his men had been defeated and that his opponents now outnumbered them.
He tried to escape, but Prince Li was already moving.
With a powerful leap, Prince Li reached the balcony and engaged the Crown Prince in a brief fight.
After several exchanges, he managed to knock the golden mask from the Crown Prince's face.
The guests who had already been apprehended stared in disbelief.
The mastermind behind the illegal auction was none other than the Crown Prince himself!
"Now everyone here knows who you really are, Your Highness," Prince Li declared.
The Crown Prince glared at him.
"You...! So what if I'm the Crown Prince?! Who are you to interfere with my business and destroy my operation?!"
Prince Li slowly removed his own mask.
The moment his face was revealed, the entire hall erupted in surprise.
The Crown Prince was especially shocked.
"LiZhouWei?!"
He gritted his teeth.
"Don't think this is over! You humiliated me today, and I'll make you pay for it!"
Prince Li didn't bother responding to his threat.
Instead, he immediately ordered his officers to secure the Crown Prince and the remaining guards.
He then addressed the guests, announcing that he would take control of the ship and have it return to the coast immediately.
Once the situation was under control, Prince Li began looking for TanTan.
But when he finally spotted her, she wasn't alone.
She was standing beside the Silver Mask!
Meanwhile, TanTan was becoming increasingly nervous.
She was terrified that Prince Li might recognize her.
She quickly grabbed the Silver Mask's clothing and whispered desperately,
"C-Can you take me away? Like... right now?!"
The Silver Mask didn't hesitate.
He raised his head and gave a sharp whistle.
It was a signal for his men to withdraw.
Without delay, the shadowy figures immediately followed his command. They rushed out of the hall and jumped into the water.
Prince Li noticed what was happening.
The Silver Mask was trying to escape with TanTan!
"Stop!"
Prince Li immediately rushed toward them, attempting to pull TanTan away from the masked man.
But he was too late.
The Silver Mask grabbed TanTan and leaped out of the ship with her.
Both disappeared into the darkness of the sea.
"HUA MUTAN!!!"
Prince Li froze.
He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed.
His wife had disappeared right in front of his eyes!
He rushed to the edge of the ship and stared into the darkness.
Fortunately, the ship wasn't too far from the coast.
He immediately ordered his officers to bring it ashore as quickly as possible.
Not long afterward, ManQi and QingQing finally joined him.
ManQi quickly reported what had happened.
"When we were attacked, several shadowy men suddenly appeared and helped us. After that, the other officers arrived after seeing the signal in the sky."
Prince Li listened without taking his eyes off the distant coastline.
Seeing that he didn't seem surprised by QingQing's presence, she assumed he had already encountered TanTan.
She immediately asked,
"Where is HuaMuTan, Prince Li? Isn't she inside the hall?"
Prince Li didn't answer immediately.
He was asking himself the very same question.
His gaze remained fixed on the dark sea.
Where has that Silver Mask taken HuaMuTan? And why?
For some reason, an unpleasant feeling began growing inside his chest.
He couldn't stand the thought of another man taking his wife away right in front of him.