I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

At Yulong Bay, the morning sun finally pierced through the thin mist.

Holding the heavy lead box as if it were a nuclear button, Su Qingge carefully sat down in the special operations vehicle that had come to provide support.

"call……"

She finally breathed a sigh of relief after the car door closed, feeling that her clothes were soaked through.

"Captain, what's in this box? The radiation level is so high!" The driver asked in alarm, glancing at the instrument panel.

"Don't ask, it's fate."

Su Qingge closed her eyes wearily. "Go directly to the S-level containment room at headquarters and notify the director to prepare for the highest-level sealing ceremony. Oh, and while you're at it, give the municipal government a call and tell them that the sewers in Yulong Bay... have been completely cleared by a kind citizen, and ask them to come and finish up."

"A concerned citizen?" The team member was taken aback.

"Yes, a kind-hearted citizen who possesses 'money power' and 'physical purification techniques'."

……

After seeing Su Qingge off, Jiang Li stretched and looked at the newly renovated street, nodding in satisfaction.

"That's more like it. Environmental hygiene depends on everyone. It looks much better now."

He went back inside and changed his clothes. It was a set of blue overalls he had bought last time, which made him look like a highly skilled technician.

"Big Yellow! Wake up! We have important business to attend to today!"

Jiang Li kicked Big Yellow, who was still in the doghouse reminiscing about last night's "Abyss Buffet".

"Woof?" (Where are we going now? To the sea?)

"Let's go to the dock! Although our ship has been repaired, we can't rely on Er Gou and his few half-baked crew members. We need to recruit some more professional sailors or first mates."

Jiang Li pondered, "Especially that engine (heart). I saw Er Gou and the others were clumsy when feeding it. I don't want them to feed it badly. I need to find a knowledgeable 'feeder'... no, I mean, chief engineer."

The man and the dog boarded the behemoth Unimog and roared toward the old dock.

……

at the same time.

A dark basement in Jianghai City.

The enormous eye projection hovered in mid-air, radiating a violent and chilling aura. Below it knelt a thin, pale-faced man.

This man looked unremarkable; he would have been easily lost in a crowd. But he was none other than the renowned top assassin of the Abyss Cult—[Thousand-Faced Ghost] (A- rank).

He has no fixed face or physical form. He can perfectly impersonate anyone, even mimicking their psychic energy fluctuations and habits. He is a born spy and the most perfect assassin.

"Master, is that human named Jiang Li really that terrifying?"

The Thousand-Faced Ghost lowered its head, its voice hoarse, "Even the Plague Lord was...washed away by him?"

"Don't question my judgment!"

The projected eye roared, shaking the surrounding space, "That man is a variable! A monster! We've already suffered heavy losses in a head-on confrontation! This time, I want you to dismantle him from within!"

"Infiltrate his inner circle! Gain his trust! Then... when he's most vulnerable, pour this bottle of [Tears of God] into his water!"

A small bottle of potion emitting a faint green glow appeared out of thin air and landed in the hand of the Thousand-Faced Ghost.

【Tears of God】(S-level deadly poison).

This is a terrifying toxin extracted from the bodily fluids of the Great Old Ones. Even a single drop can instantly kill an adult dragon, its soul dissipating in endless agony.

"Remember, you are an experienced, desperate old sailor. That man is hiring; this is your only chance!"

"Yes, Master."

The Thousand-Faced Ghost gripped the poison tightly, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

His facial muscles twitched, and his bones cracked. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a dark-skinned, weathered middle-aged man with calloused hands.

Even the scent emanating from him had transformed into the salty, fishy smell of someone who had spent years adrift at sea.

"From now on, my name is Liu Wei, a veteran chief engineer with twenty years of sailing experience."

……

Old Wharf.

The dock was unusually lively today.

Ever since the Black Pearl (the remains of Leviathan) planted the Star Pillar flagpole, the feng shui of the entire dock seems to have changed.

The once lifeless ship graveyard no longer had that chilling, eerie wind. Even the small fish and shrimp around dared to swim over (mainly because they were stunned by the high-level pressure emanating from the bottom of the ships and dared not move).

Jiang Li parked his car by the dock and watched the believers busily cleaning the deck.

"Ergou! Well done!"

Jiang Li shouted.

Wang Ergou (Bloody Bishop) was wiping the deck with a mop when he heard the sound. He immediately threw down the mop and ran down the deck.

"Captain! You've arrived! Look at this ship, we've polished it to a shine! I even gave that skull (figurehead) a coat of clear varnish!"

"Yes, you have that spirit now."

Jiang Li nodded. "But just cleaning isn't enough. We're going fishing, so our skills need to be up to par. Can you fix engines? Can you read nautical charts?"

Wang Ergou scratched his head, looking embarrassed: "Captain... I can draw magic circles, I can cast curses, and I can even perform sacrifices... but repairing engines..."

"I knew it."

Jiang Li sighed, "Everyone has their own expertise. We need to hire some specialists."

He took a piece of cardboard from the car, on which several large characters were written crookedly in marker:

Deep Blue Aquaculture is hiring! We are looking for experienced crew members, chief engineers, and first mates! Meals and accommodation provided, salary negotiable! Requirements: Must be brave, strong, and not prone to seasickness!

"Go, hang this on the bow of the boat."

Wang Ergou quickly took the sign and hung it up.

Before long, several homeless people and unemployed fishermen who had been loitering in the area gathered around.

But when they got closer to the black ship and felt the terrifying pressure that, though suppressed, still existed, they all turned pale with fright and turned to run away.

"This ship...it looks so eerie!"

"Look at that flagpole, it's all black and it looks like there's blood flowing on it?"

"Hurry up, hurry up, don't let it be a job posting for illegal coal mines."

Jiang Li was depressed.

"The quality of this year's applicants is terrible. They don't even have this much guts, yet they want to get rich?"

Just then.

A middle-aged man wearing a worn-out sailor shirt and carrying a canvas bag walked over with a limp.

He looked down on his luck, but his eyes were very determined (in the acting).

He walked straight up to Jiang Li, not even glancing at the ghost ship radiating B-level pressure, and spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Boss, are you hiring?"

Jiang Li looked him up and down.

He had dark skin, rough hands, a fishy smell, and a weary look in his eyes.

He's an old sea lion!

"Sure! What can you do?"

"My name is Liu Wei. I've been a seaman for twenty years, working as a chief engineer and first mate. I can repair any kind of ship and withstand any kind of wave."

The Thousand-Faced Ghost (Liu Wei) patted his chest, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, "As long as you give me money and food, I'll sell my life to you."

"Wow! Quite the boast!"

Jiang Li was delighted.

He likes ruthless people who are willing to risk their lives for money! They're a lot like him!

But he wasn't stupid; there are a lot of scammers these days, so he had to check the goods carefully.

"Alright, let's see what it's really like."

Jiang Li pointed to a pile of cargo next to him (actually, it was several tons of deep-sea iron ore that Wang Ergou and his men had dredged up from the sea last night, used as ballast).

"See that box of stones? It weighs about 500 pounds. If you can carry it onto the boat, I'll hire you."

This is a test.

An ordinary person certainly couldn't lift it, but what use would an old sailor who has been doing heavy work at sea all year round be if he doesn't even have this much strength?

Liu Wei glanced at the box.

He sneered inwardly.

Five hundred catties?

As an A-level expert, he could pierce this box with a single finger. But he was in disguise now, and had to act like an ordinary person, yet be a little bit stronger than an ordinary person.

"Hey!"

Liu Wei walked over, assumed a horse stance, and pretended to be struggling, with veins bulging on his neck and his face turning red.

"rise!"

With a low growl, he shakily picked up the box and, step by step, walked with difficulty but determination onto the springboard.

Jiang Li watched from below and nodded secretly.

"Not bad, good core strength, stable chassis. A good worker."

"Bang!"

Liu Wei placed the box on the deck, panting heavily (pretending), and turned to look at Jiang Li: "Boss, is this okay?"

"Great! Absolutely fantastic!"

Jiang Li waved his hand dismissively, "You're hired! Monthly salary... ten thousand! Room and board included! From now on, you'll be the chief engineer of Deep Blue Aquaculture!"

"Thank you, boss!" Liu Wei said, tears of gratitude streaming down his face.

He lowered his head, a glint of triumph flashing in his eyes.

The first step, infiltration successful.

Next, it was time to find an opportunity to poison him.

……

Once aboard the ship, Jiang Li showed the new employee around.

"Old Liu, our ship is a bit special. It's been modified with high technology, and it has a fully automated bio-energy propulsion system."

Jiang Li led him to the entrance of the power room.

There, the huge black crater was still writhing, and the heart was pounding loudly.

Although Liu Wei was an A-level expert with extensive knowledge, his pupils still contracted the moment he saw this thing.

The Heart of Leviathan?!

This ship... it was actually modified from a living mythical creature?!

Is this really something a human being could do?

"This engine... is quite unique," Liu Wei said, trying to appear calm.

"Right? I think he's pretty handsome too."

Jiang Li pointed to a pile of rotten meat (leftovers from last night) next to him, "Your job is simple: feed it regularly every day. This thing isn't picky; it'll eat anything. If you see it slowing down, just give it a couple of pieces of meat."

"Remember, don't put your hand in there. This thing has strong teeth and can easily bite your hand."

Liu Wei: "..."

This is a chief engineer? This guy looks more like a zookeeper!

"Okay, boss, I got it."

"Okay, then you can familiarize yourself with it first. I'll go get you some work clothes."

Jiang Li turned and left.

The opportunity is coming!

As Liu Wei watched Jiang Li's retreating figure, his hand stealthily reached into his pocket for the bottle of [Tears of God].

He saw a series of bottled water barrels in the corner of the engine room; these were the ship's drinking water source.

Just pour this poison in...

Everyone on the ship, including this terrifying Jiang Li, must die!

He looked around to make sure no one was there (Wang Ergou and the others were on the deck), then quickly took out the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and was about to pour it into the bucket.

"Woof!"

Just then, a dog barked behind him.

Liu Wei was so startled that his hand trembled, and he almost dropped the bottle.

He turned around abruptly.

Suddenly, the hairless mongrel (Big Yellow) appeared at the door, tilting its head and staring coldly at him with its triangular eyes.

Tindaros Hound!

As an A-level expert, Liu Wei recognized the dog's true form at a glance.

Damn it! We've been discovered?!

Liu Wei's muscles tensed, ready to pounce and kill the hound. Although the hound was troublesome, he was confident he could finish the fight quickly and then kill Jiang Li!

however.

The rhubarb did not attack.

It simply sniffed, catching the rich scent of the Great Old Ones emanating from the bottle.

"Woof?" (What's this? It smells so good! Is it seasoning?)

In Dahuang's eyes, its owner often adds various bottles and jars of things (soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine) to the food, and it thinks that these are new seasonings that Jiang Li has bought.

It glanced at the pitiful amount of green liquid in Liu Wei's hand, then at the bubbling, foul-smelling pit (engine) next to it.

It thought the new zookeeper wanted to "add extra food" to the engine.

"Woof woof!" (Don't pour it in the water! Pour it in the pit! That big guy likes strong flavors!)

Big Yellow barked twice at Liu Wei, then pointed with its paw at the fleshy pit.

Liu Wei: "???"

Is this dog... giving me orders?

Didn't they discover I was an undercover agent? Why are they making me pour it into the engine?

Is it...

Does it also want to destroy the ship?

Liu Wei's mind was a bit confused.

But at that moment, Jiang Li's footsteps could be heard coming from the corridor.

"There's no time!"

Liu Wei gritted his teeth.

Anyway, if you pour it into the engine, the toxic gas will spread throughout the ship through the ventilation ducts, so the effect will be the same! Or even more severe!

"Go to hell!"

He suddenly poured the entire bottle of "Tears of God" into the writhing pit of flesh.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

The moment the green venom touched the heart, a strange green smoke rose up.

Liu Wei held his breath, anticipating the terrifying explosion or gas eruption.

however.

"Gulp!"

The black heart clenched suddenly, as if it had been fed a mouthful of wasabi.

Followed by.

"boom--!!!"

An unprecedented surge of violent power erupted from his heart!

The immense energy contained in the Tears of God instantly activated the latent functions of the Leviathan Heart!

This is like refueling a tractor with space fuel!

The entire ship began to shake violently, and the low rumble turned into a high-pitched roar!

"Ouch! What happened? Was it an earthquake?"

Jiang Li rushed in carrying two sets of clothes, and was stunned for a moment when she saw this scene.

Then he sniffed.

"What does this taste like? It's kind of like...mint? It's quite refreshing."

He saw the empty bottle in Liu Wei's hand, and then looked at the engine that seemed to be on steroids.

"Old Liu! What did you put in there? This is... fuel additive?!"

Jiang Li's eyes lit up.

"Wow, what a talent! He just arrived and he already knows how to maintain the engine? This additive is really potent! Look at the RPM, it's increased by at least fifty percent!"

"What brand is this? I'll buy a few more bottles next time! It even deodorizes!"

Liu Wei: "..."

Big Yellow: "Woof!" (See, I told you to dump it in the ditch, right!)

Looking at Jiang Li, who was full of admiration, and Da Huang, who looked smug, Liu Wei held the empty bottle in his hand and felt like a clown.

That's an S-class deadly poison!!!

Is this ship... made of iron?!

"Um... Boss, this is a cleaning solution I made myself..."

Liu Wei forced a smile that looked worse than crying, suppressing the urge to vomit blood.

"Great! Great! I love employees like you who bring their own food!"

Jiang Li patted his shoulder, almost knocking him over.

"Do a good job! This boat's maintenance is your responsibility from now on! Remember to make sure to get plenty of that cleaning agent! I'll reimburse you!"

"……yes."

Liu Wei lowered his head, tears welling in his eyes.

Master, I'm sorry, I used the first bottle of poison as dish soap.