At this moment, the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew had just finished a battle. They encountered an island with numerous Ferocious Beasts and a treasure chest.
The battle was not easy. After defeating all the Ferocious Beasts, they gained experience and then moved the treasure chest. The crew returned to the ship with the joy of victory and exhaustion.
As the crew rested and enjoyed their leisure time, Ye Yu continued to watch Qiao Ling'er dance for him. For a moment, he thought of Liu Huangyi and imagined how much more delightful it would be if she were here dancing with them.
Soon after, Zhou Xing prepared the meals, and the crew began to eat, drink, and make merry, with laughter and chatter filling the air.
Meanwhile, below deck, Lin Muxue and the others were huddled in a corner, surrounded by buzzing flies. Lin Muxue's body crackled with electricity, zapping the flies dead. She dared not use her abilities too much, as damaging the ship would only extend their time as slaves.
They also couldn't afford to cause any destruction, as their deaths would be in vain, and Jin Mo and the others would still have to hand over the treasure, as it would be their own doing. So, they could only wait patiently for the fifteen days to end.
These three days were excruciatingly torturous for them. Once the pride of heaven, envied by many, they were now in such a pitiful state.
Every day, they had to clean several times, not just the main ship but also the auxiliary ships. Each ship had over a thousand people, so each ship was cleaned once a day. When they went to the auxiliary ships, a door would open below the cabin, and a plank would be laid out for them to cross. They hadn't been on deck for these three days.
Now, Lin Muxue and the others looked pale and emaciated, with heavy dark circles under their eyes, emitting an unbearable stench, and their stomachs growling with hunger.
Ye Yu's voice came through the loudspeaker: "You can come up to eat, but only if you're clean. If there's any smell, you won't eat. Just go back down and wait three more days before eating again."
They quickly got up, eager to leave, even if only briefly. They went to the makeshift washroom and scrubbed themselves meticulously, not caring if their skin turned red from the scrubbing.
After all, they couldn't stand it anymore—they were too filthy and smelly. They endured the scalding hot water, using copious amounts of body wash to thoroughly cleanse the accumulated stench of the past three days. Each person spent a full two hours washing, while Lin Muxue took three hours.
When they finished and stepped out, Lin Muxue looked at herself in the mirror. The once beautiful and charming campus belle had returned, but it was quickly replaced by overwhelming sadness and despair, as she knew this fleeting beauty would soon vanish, and she would return to her previous state.
Lin Muxue and the others made their way to the deck, where Ye Yu had the crew inspect them for any lingering odor.
A crew member stepped forward, sniffed, and said, "Captain, they're all clean, no smell."
Ye Yu nodded, signaling them to come over.
Lin Muxue and the others looked around and saw the deck bustling with a grand feast, but there were no empty seats.
Lin Muxue frowned and asked, "Where do we eat?"
Ye Yu casually pointed to a corner and said dismissively, "Go squat over there. Can't you see the small basins in the corner?"
Lin Muxue and the others followed Ye Yu's gesture and saw twenty small basins placed in the corner of the ship. The shape and size of the basins were eerily similar to dog bowls.
Lin Muxue frowned, her anger rising as she asked, "No tables or chairs? Are we supposed to squat and eat? No plates, no bowls or chopsticks, are we supposed to use our hands? And that basin, it looks too much like a dog bowl. Are you treating us like dogs?"
Ye Yu shook his head and corrected her, "Dogs are treated better than you. Don't insult them."
As he spoke, Ye Yu pointed to a nearby doghouse, which was neat and tidy, providing a comfortable environment. Inside, the dogs were enjoying chicken legs, lobster, and vegetables, eating with great relish.
These were no ordinary dogs but mutated Ferocious Beasts. Their ears were more sensitive, their sense of smell was exceptional, and they possessed a certain level of strength. They would bark loudly at any unusual movement but remained quiet otherwise. They had been tamed and served as ship guard dogs.
Although there were crew members on duty day and night, having these guard dogs was still a good addition.
Lin Muxue and the others looked at the doghouse and the dogs enjoying their meal, their faces turning grim, teeth clenched audibly.
They were the envy of many, the pride of heaven, yet now they were being treated worse than dogs, filled with humiliation and anger.
But they had no choice but to endure, silently squatting in a corner, holding the so-called food basins, waiting for their meal.
However, after waiting for a while, Ye Yu and the others continued to eat and drink, completely ignoring their presence.
Lin Muxue couldn't hold back and asked, "What about our food? When will it be ready and served?"
Ye Yu didn't respond. After finishing a chicken leg, he casually tossed the bone over and frowned, "What's the rush? Your food is right here."
Lin Muxue: "..."
Instantly, Lin Muxue and the others were stunned, staring blankly at the bone that had been tossed over, with only a tiny bit of meat clinging to it, mostly fat.
Soon, the other crew members also started throwing over their leftovers—shrimp heads, fish tails, and the like.
Lin Muxue was thoroughly enraged and couldn't hold back anymore, shouting, "Ye Yu! You've gone too far! Making us eat these leftovers, are you really treating us like slaves? We're hostages! Don't you want the treasure anymore?"
Ye Yu put down his wine glass and looked over, saying, "When the time comes, I'll return you unharmed to them. You're all fine now, no danger to your lives, no injuries. Just keep quiet and don't disturb our meal. Eat if you want, or just go down. I'm giving you half an hour to eat. Once the time's up, whether you've finished or not, you're going down. Make your choice quickly."
Ye Yu added, "Also, if you do eat, Lin Muxue, you can only have the leftovers I toss over."
Lin Muxue was furious, knowing Ye Yu was trying to provoke her further, to humiliate her even more.
They frowned and struggled, not wanting to go down immediately. Staying up here for a bit longer to breathe fresh air was better; the conditions below were too torturous.
Yang Jin and the others, suppressing their humiliation, began picking up the thrown leftovers and started eating. They searched for meat between the bones, even if it was just a tiny bit.
After taking the first bite, their eyes lit up. They hadn't expected these leftovers to taste so good. After the first bite, they began devouring the food ravenously, even sucking on the bones, finding it incredibly delicious.
Hunger was one thing, but it was also mainly due to Zhou Xing's exceptional culinary skills. Even the leftovers that Ye Yu and the others didn't eat tasted quite good.
They quickly picked up the food from the ground, some even chewing and swallowing fish tails and bones along with the meat.
Li Cang watched as the others ate so heartily, his stomach growling with hunger, and he began to hesitate.
Ye Yu reminded them, "If you starve yourselves to death, don't blame me. The treasure will still be mine because it's your own fault for not eating and starving yourselves."
Li Cang knew he had to eat. Fifteen days without food or drink, even for someone who wasn't ordinary, would be unbearable. Reluctantly, he picked up a bone with his foot and began to eat cautiously.
As soon as it entered his mouth, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but marvel at the taste. It was actually quite good—the chef here was far better than the one in their Chosen One Pirate Crew.
While devouring the food, Li Cang glanced at Lin Muxue, who was still sitting there hungry, her face resolute. He urged, "Xue Er, you should eat too. It might look unappetizing, but the taste is actually quite good."
Lin Muxue shot a disdainful glance at Li Cang and the others, firmly shaking her head. Her eyes burned with anger and defiance as she declared, "I won't eat! They're humiliating us, treating us like we're less than animals. I won't touch their leftovers."
"Xue Er, this is how it's going to be from now on. If you don't eat for half a month, you won't be able to hold on. You should eat."
Lin Muxue swore, "I won't eat! Even if I starve to death or go hungry, I will never take a single bite of Ye Yu's leftovers!"
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