Ultimate Battleship

Chapter 11

The speedboat drifted in the inky waters just beyond the island's shadow, its engine silenced, rising and falling with the sea's languid breath. Darkness swallowed the vessel, a pitch-black void broken only by the faint beam of Nie Yun's flashlight. Chu Xiaoxiao shivered, pulling his oversized jacket tighter around her shoulders. The fabric smelled of saltwater and something metallic, a strange comfort in the night.

"Why have we stopped?" she asked, watching him rummage through a backpack by the dim light. His movements were quick, almost frantic, as if chasing a phantom.

"Waiting for my ship." Nie Yun's voice was distracted. He unearthed a tin can, holding it up like a treasure. "Ah! Beef stew. Fancy a bite?"

"Your ship?" Hope flickered in her eyes. "Do you have... company?"

He didn't answer, already prying the can open with a pocketknife. The scent of warm stew filled the air, a welcome contrast to the ocean's brine. Controlling the mechanical swarm had drained him—without sunlight to recharge, the hunger was a gnawing beast in his gut.

Xiaoxiao watched him eat ravenously, spoon scraping the tin. She hadn't realized how starved he looked until now—the sharp angles of his cheekbones, the hollow beneath his eyes. Her own stomach rumbled in sympathy.

He noticed, pushing an opened tin toward her. "Eat. You'll need your strength."

They ate in silence, the only sounds the lap of water and the occasional scrape of metal. Seven empty tins clattered at the bow. Nie Yun leaned back, eyes closed, a satisfied sigh escaping him.

"You never answered," she pressed. "Why were you there?"

"What if I said my brothers and I were having a picnic?" His lips quirked up. "Inconvenient timing, right?"

"Ridiculous." She rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her mouth. "You're either a savage or a fool."

"Both, probably." He opened one eye, watching her. "Truth is stranger than lies. Best left untold."

A pause. Then, softly: "I haven't thanked you. For... saving me."

"Nie Yun," he corrected, staring at the stars. "That's my name."

"Chu Xiaoxiao." The words felt foreign in the darkness, too formal for their shared trauma.

"I'll remember."

Silence settled again, but it was different now—less awkward, more companionable. Xiaoxiao hugged her knees, recalling the moment he'd stood between her and the second brother. The way he'd positioned himself to shield her from the gunshot, a small act of kindness in the chaos.

*He can be gentle,* she thought. *Underneath it all.*

"Nie Yun," she whispered. "Tell me... about him. The man you mentioned."

He turned, surprised. In the dim light, his eyes were wide, almost vulnerable. A flush crept up his neck. He looked away, lying back to gaze at the stars.

"The Old Man?" A soft chuckle. "Town drunk. Famous for it. Used to get sloshed, then sit on the *Sea Wolf*'s prow for hours, just staring at the water. Never bothered anyone, just... stared."

He shifted, the boat rocking. "Lazy as hell. Filthy, too. As soon as I could walk, I was his deckhand, mechanic, cook. He was just... the Captain." A fond smile played on his lips. "Had a mean streak. Loved to embarrass me. Once chased him half a mile with a cleaver after a particularly bad prank."

The smile faded. "But he had a heart. Always saved the best for me. Never yelled, not really." His voice thickened. "When I had a fever, the doc was away. He carried me over three hills, four hours in the dark, to the city hospital. Saved my life."

He took a breath. "Gave me the *Sea Wolf*. Taught me to survive. To be a man." A sigh. "Never talked about his past. Seemed... haunted. I didn't pry. Everyone's got ghosts."

Xiaoxiao listened, absorbing every word. The vague figure in her mind took shape—rough, kind, mysterious.

Nie Yun glanced at her profile, outlined in starlight. She turned to him, eyes shining.

"I went," she murmured. "To his grave. Lit incense."

He closed his eyes, a slow smile spreading. "Good," he breathed. "That's... good."

——

Minutes passed in quiet. Then—a sudden splash. A rhythmic *plink-plink* cut through the stillness.

Xiaoxiao tensed. "Do you hear—?"

"Relax." Nie Yun sat up, pointing. "Right on time."

She followed his gesture. From the depths of the sea, a shape emerged. Silent, ghostly, it glided toward them—the *Sea Wolf*, its weathered hull gleaming faintly in the starlight. It drew alongside the speedboat, a loyal hound answering its master's call.

Nie Yun stood, balancing easily on the rocking deck. "Home sweet home," he said, offering her a hand. "Shall we?"

Xiaoxiao looked from his outstretched hand to the ancient trawler, then back. She took a deep breath, placing her palm in his. His grip was warm, steady—a lifeline in the dark.

As she stepped onto the *Sea Wolf*, the deck creaked beneath her feet. Something shifted in the shadows—silver, metallic, like a school of fish. She jumped, but Nie Yun squeezed her hand.

"Just the crew," he said, smiling. "They don't bite. Usually."

The boat rocked gently, as if welcoming them. Nie Yun led her below deck, where a single lantern flickered, casting warm light on a cluttered cabin. A hammock swung from the rafters, maps covered the table, and... was that a frying pan hanging from the ceiling?

"Make yourself at home," he said, gesturing to a battered armchair. "Not much, but it's ours."

Xiaoxiao sank into the chair, exhausted but strangely at peace. The *Sea Wolf* felt... alive. Like a living, breathing thing.

Nie Yun busied himself with a kettle, humming softly. She watched him, realizing for the first time how young he was—just a boy, really, thrown into a world of danger.

"Thank you," she said again, more firmly this time. "For everything."

He turned, smiling. "Don't mention it. Just... try not to get kidnapped again, yeah? It's bad for my nerves."

She laughed, a surprised sound in the quiet cabin. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope yet.

Outside, the sea whispered against the hull, and the *Sea Wolf* rocked gently, like a cradle in the night.