I am a necromancer, and I absolutely love America.

Chapter 117 First Visit to Hart Island (11K Long Chapter! Requesting Monthly Tickets and Subscriptions)

[Pain and Plague] Finally, there's some movement!

Richard's other two branches have stagnated and urgently need new growth points.

After I get back from sea fishing, I'll go check out that upscale neighborhood and see what this so-called "source of the plague" really is.

The sea breeze was cold in winter, and the salty, fishy smell of it blew in from the bow of the ship.

Because they were traveling with three ladies, Lyon did not venture too far out to sea, stopping the ship after about half an hour.

On the fish finder screen, dense red spots lit up at a depth of sixty feet underwater.

The entire hull could feel the propulsion of the ocean current, and the cables tightened and loosened on the winch, making a rhythmic creaking sound.

"The fish here are very active, let's fish here for a while." Leon patted the screen of the fish finder.

"it is good."

The boat was anchored in place, and everyone cast their fishing rods.

Debbie also cast her line, but her technique was clearly clumsy.

Connor gave a dismissive laugh.

Lisa didn't move. She didn't like fishing and was only there to keep her boyfriend company.

She sat in a recliner, bundled up like a teddy bear, holding a cup of hot coffee in her hand.

She gazed leisurely at the distant coastline, the steam rising from the rim of the cup being dispersed by the sea breeze.

Winnie had probably finished tidying up her pretty face, and she wasn't as aloof as before.

She turned up her windproof collar and chatted with Lisa.

The two had actually known each other for a long time, but they weren't very close.

Winnie was bragging about something in Hollywood, her voice broken by the sea breeze, with only a few words occasionally audible—"West" and "schedule."

Lisa casually agreed.

Richard casually cast his fishing rod, only to find that his desire senses weren't very useful on the ocean.

He needs to see sea fish to be effective, but the seawater obscures most of his vision.

The seawater was like a frosted glass, with occasional flashes of silvery shadows, and most of the fish hid below the surface.

The group waited for half an hour, but not a single fish came.

Connor boasted about his fishing skills for a while, but then came away empty-handed, and was a little embarrassed: "Let's go somewhere else, there are no fish here."

Richard suddenly saw a silvery-gray shadow swimming slowly—a large cod.

However, it didn't seem hungry, ignoring the bait and deliberately swimming around the surface of the sea near the fishing line, as if mocking Richard.

"Holy crap?" Richard was a little annoyed and decisively decided to cheat.

If I can't fish, can't I catch fish?

The magic hand silently grasped the fishing hook underwater, and as the cod swam by, it pierced the fish's mouth.

If the fish don't take the bait, then the hook will bite them!

The giant cod was startled and began to struggle frantically.

The fishing line suddenly sank.

The fishing line hissed as it pulled away from the reel, the rod tip bent into a precarious arc, and the rod made a slight creaking sound.

"Oh! Fuck! You're in luck, buddy," Leon shouted excitedly.

Richard stood up, braced one foot on the gunwale, and leaned his waist against the railing, fighting the fish head-on.

The fish thrashed wildly underwater, and the fishing line vibrated violently under my fingers.

Richard's arm remained completely still.

Lyon was dumbfounded: "That's not how you fish. You have to let out the line and follow the fish's strength."

Connor stood at the stern, clearly displeased.

He considered himself an expert, but he didn't catch a single fish, while a newbie caught one first.

He could tell that Richard's movements were very clumsy, and he didn't even know how to pull the fish up. How could he possibly fight against the fish in the water?

Lyon was even more nervous than when he was fishing himself, holding onto the gunwale with one hand while giving instructions.

Richard did not have a fish-fighting chair.

He stood directly on the ship's side, his feet planted firmly on the deck, one in front of the other.

Every struggle of the fish traveled through the fishing line to his arm, where it was absorbed by his steel-like muscles.

Thanks to Richard's powerful physique, the fish didn't struggle much at all.

Without even changing his expression, he forcefully reeled in the line and pulled it up.

The moment the fish leaped out of the water, water splashed everywhere, and sunlight shone through the water droplets, casting a brief rainbow on the deck.

A fish that is almost 1 meter long!

"What the fuck! This is possible?" Leon's eyes widened in disbelief.

He could tell at a glance that the big cod weighed at least 25 pounds (about 22 catties)!

Winnie glanced at Richard a few more times, her gaze lingering on his arm longer than on the fish.

They pulled up a 25-pound fish by sheer force; that's some serious strength.

Connor's expression darkened further.

Richard did not continue fishing.

Debbie didn't catch any fish either.

The fish here were clearly not very hungry; the fish finder showed a lot of red dots, but they were not biting at all. The lure floated past them, and not a single one chased after it.

The school of fish quickly left.

The red dot on the fish finder started to move, first spreading from the center of the screen to the edges, and then gradually thinning out.

"Catch it, catch it, catch those fish!" Connor shouted, pointing at the fish finder.

OK.

Lyon ran to the cockpit and restarted the engine.

The ship lifted slightly as it accelerated, then broke through the waves and chased after the waves.

The whole morning passed by in this process of fishing, sightseeing, and chasing.

The boat circled in a large arc on the open sea, chasing the tails of the fish, occasionally stopping, then starting again, and chasing once more.

It's a bit like hunting in ancient times, but more leisurely. You can go back to your cabin to rest at any time, and there's always hot coffee on the deck chairs.

Richard then understood why these wealthy people liked this kind of game.

At lunchtime, Lyon personally cooked three delicious dishes from the large cod.

Fish soup, fried fish, and grilled fish.

When faced with delicious food, Winnie isn't so aloof anymore.

She held the bowl, scooped up a spoonful of soup, her eyes brightened noticeably, and said, "Not bad."

Everyone ate and laughed, discussing where to go fishing in the afternoon.

"I think we should head east and continue into the deep ocean." Winnie pointed to the eastern sea with her fork, her interest clearly growing as she spoke of the deep ocean.

Perhaps it was Richard's success that spurred her on.

Clearly, this is a woman who enjoys adventure and excitement.

Throughout the morning, Winnie caught two fish, both medium-sized black sea bream.

Debbie caught a small fish and excitedly took three selfies with her phone.

Lyon also had a good catch, managing to catch four cod.

Connor was the only one with the worst catch; his fish tank contained only two palm-sized snapper, not enough for one person to eat.

Richard only caught one fish, but it was the biggest one.

Lisa bowed her head and prayed while eating.

She clasped her hands together, her thumbs pressed against her forehead, and her lips moved silently.

In an upper-class political family, one must be religious; it's just a matter of choosing which religion to follow.

Her grandmother was a Catholic, and the whole family followed suit and became Catholics.

When Lisa opened her eyes, she glanced at Debbie with a very devout expression: "It is my honor to be able to pray with the saint."

"Huh? Oh." Debbie was embarrassed; she had no such habit at all.

However, as a candidate for sainthood, all she could do was pray.

Richard quickly noticed a faint golden light emanating from Lisa's body—a sign of undetermined faith!

Lisa is definitely not the extremely devout person like Irving.

The only reason is the effect of having the saintess by her side.

Richard's mana was quickly replenished.

A personal nanny is amazing!

As for Connor, Leon, and Winnie, although they also bowed their heads and posed, they didn't even finish drawing the cross with their hands.

They certainly don't have any unorthodox beliefs.

A bunch of damned false believers!

"Where to this afternoon?" Lyon put down his fork. "Should we head south or east, to the deeper ocean?"

The wind and waves are getting bigger and bigger.

The ship began to rock noticeably, and the cutlery on the deck slid to the edge of the table. Lisa reached out and held it down.

Richard was alright, but Debbie's face was a little pale. She was holding onto the gunwale, and her breathing became shallow and rapid, showing mild seasickness symptoms.

The others are probably frequent seafarers, so they should be fine.

"Should we go back?" Richard asked.

Debbie forced herself to remain silent, her lips pressed into a thin line: "No, I want to keep playing."

Having finally managed to get on a yacht, of course we can't go back so soon.

She hasn't had enough fun yet.

Winnie emphasized again, "Go to the deep sea, the fish there are bigger."

After reaching a consensus, they continued sailing into the deep sea.

After a short while, they passed a shallow area, and Lyon pointed to the shipwreck underwater and explained, "This ship sank in the 1980s. It was a Greek cargo ship that ran aground during a storm. Now it has become a natural reef for cod and black sea bream."

He paused, then added, "I've dived down there before, it was quite fun. It would be great if it were summer, we could dive in and explore."

Everyone craned their necks to look down.

The outline of a cargo ship can be faintly seen beneath the water's surface; the windows of the bridge are still there, and schools of small fish are swimming in and out.

Winnie's eyes lit up. She leaned forward, her upper body almost touching the gunwale, and exclaimed, "Winter is fine too! Let's change into our wetsuits!"

"No! No!" Connor quickly stopped him. "It's too cold! You'll easily get hypothermia."

"We can wear full-coverage swimsuits. Do you have any here?"

Lyon shrugged: "No, I wasn't prepared."

Winnie withdrew in disappointment, her tone becoming commanding: "Bring it with you next time."

Leon was somewhat displeased by her tone, but he didn't say anything.

The group fished next to the shipwreck.

The catch has been increasing this time; the fish are biting as soon as the hook is cast.

Even Connor gained more, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

He held up the fish and waved it in Winnie's direction: "Great start! I'll catch the most!"

Richard threw the fishing rod into the sea, too lazy to even put out bait, and asked Leon for the quick operation and maintenance manual that came with the fishing boat, and started studying it.

Debbie turned around: "Why are you always reading? Going fishing, huh?"

Richard smiled and waved his hand, "You guys go ahead and fish."

Connor glanced back and his lips twitched slightly.

Winnie actually waved to Richard, "Come here, this is a good spot."

This caused Connor's smile to freeze instantly.

Richard simply waved his hand and continued reading.

He thought one fishing trip would be enough; he wanted to see if he could make money from books on mechanical operation.

This book is a practical operation manual, with only a few sections explaining some basic mechanical maintenance concepts for dealing with emergency malfunctions.

Piston jamming, servo hydraulic failure, drive shaft deflection, and other malfunctions all have corresponding explanations and simple troubleshooting steps.

His memory is much better than before; he can memorize the content after scanning it once.

Unfortunately, it didn't improve my knowledge at all.

Richard wasn't too disappointed; he had only intended to try his luck anyway.

It was getting later and later.

As dusk fell, Richard's fishing rod had been hanging there all afternoon, the empty hook floating on the water, the fishing line dangling loosely in the water.

"You won't catch any fish like that." Connor proudly waved the black sea bream he had just caught. "Look, this fish is pretty good. Catching a big fish once is just luck."

Richard couldn't understand why this young man was so hostile towards him.

Maybe Connor doesn't like Dongda?

Richard was too lazy to think.

When a dog bites you, do you have to think about why the dog bit you?

Just find an opportunity to beat him up.

Just then, Lyon called out, "Dinner's ready!"

As is customary, Lisa will pray once more.

In other words, there will still be unclaimed beliefs floating out, Richard thought to himself.

Then I'll use some magic to catch a few more fish.

He unleashed his magical hand, and an invisible sense spread out underwater, unexpectedly spotting a giant fish swimming nearby, twice the size of the cod from that morning!

Its body is streamlined, with a dark blue back, a silvery-white belly, and a sharp thorn on its nose.

He doesn't know much about different kinds of fish, but he does recognize tuna.

The tuna didn't approach; it circled once within the magic hand's perception range and then swam away.

The magic hand will dissipate automatically after a certain time.

Richard summoned the magic hand a second time.

The tuna still didn't get close; the Magic Hand only had a casting range of about 4 meters.

It wasn't until the third use of the Magic Hand that the tuna finally swam close enough.

The magic hand grabbed the empty hook and plunged it into the tuna's mouth, piercing through the upper jaw cartilage and locking it firmly in place.

Come here!

The tuna suddenly struggled.

The fishing rod was instantly bent, the tip plunged directly into the water, the reel spool spun wildly, and the fishing line decreased at a visible speed.

boom!

That's the sound of air being pushed aside when the fishing line is pulled to its limit.

The loud noise stunned everyone.

"Big fish! Hurry!" Leon sprang up from the side of the ship.

Richard reacted quickly, grabbing the rod handle before it was dragged into the water.

His fingers gripped the handle like iron clamps, the rod shaft squeezing so hard in his palms that it made a cracking sound.

The fishing line was instantly taut, vibrating in the air with a low buzzing sound, and the splashing water hit Richard's face.

The tuna's first sprint pulled it two hundred yards out of bounds.

The spool spun rapidly, emitting a piercing whistle, and Richard could feel the reel getting hot.

He braced the pole against his waist, with the end of the pole wedged between his belt and hip bone, his feet, waist, and hands like three nails securing him to the gunwale.

He had no fishing chair, no back brace, and no other support equipment; he relied entirely on his strong physique to endure it!

Lyon kept reminding him, his voice even more tense than when he was fishing himself, a fine layer of sweat on his forehead: "Let out a little line and let it run! Don't pull hard, be careful the line breaks! Now reel it in! Yes, lift the rod, quick! Reel in the line!"

Richard finally gained some experience, and he knew how to release and reel in the fish by following its movements.

Winnie got excited too, pounding on the ship's railing: "Grab it! Grab it!"

The immense impact taut the fishing line, pulling the rod tip almost to the surface of the water.

Richard remained completely still.

If it weren't for his extraordinary physical condition, this move would have made him drop his weapon.

His feet were firmly planted on the ship's side, and he was struggling against the tuna with both hands.

The tuna darted left and right underwater, each head-flipping motion transmitting through the fishing line to Richard's arm.

Connor looked sourly at Richard's motionless back and muttered, "It probably isn't a big fish, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to hold onto it. His body didn't even bend, so it's probably a small one."

Suddenly, the tuna leaped out of the water.

Its entire body flew into the air, at least 2 meters long!

Its deep blue back shimmered in the setting sun, and its body twisted into an arc in mid-air.

Then it crashed back into the water with a bang, splashing up a huge spray.

"WTF! This thing is huge!" Connor's mouth dropped open, and he almost dropped the fishing rod.

Everyone was stunned.

That was a behemoth, at least four hundred pounds (360 catties) of Atlantic bluefin tuna!

"Quick, grab it, grab it, you have to grab it!" Leon continued breathing.

He's been fishing for over a decade and has never caught this kind of fish.

Richard remained completely still.

His hands were clenched together like steel bars, with veins bulging from his wrists to his elbows.

The man's strong muscles made Winnie's eyes light up, and she unconsciously licked her lips.

Richard silently battled with the tuna, his powerful energy surging continuously from within him.

If it were an ordinary person's palm, it would probably be worn raw by now.

Richard's palms were only slightly red.

After a full hour, the tuna finally ran out of energy.

It surfaced for the last time, lying on its side amidst the waves, its gill covers opening and closing weakly.

Richard dragged it up with his bare hands, and Leon helped.

A massive object was thrown onto the deck with a thud, shaking the entire ship.

The fish lay on the deck, still twitching slightly, its tail futilely slapping against the planks.

"Oh my god!" Debbie immediately took out her phone to take pictures, and the shutter clicked incessantly.

Leon was so excited he almost jumped for joy, frantically taking photos and videos: "I've been fishing for so many years and I've never seen such a big bluefin tuna!"

It's as if he caught it himself.

Lisa smiled and said, "Well done, Richard."

Richard smiled, his expression unchanged, not a bead of sweat on his forehead.

Connor's mouth gaped open and he couldn't close it for a long time.

Is this even human?

Is this guy even human?!

He couldn't even imagine how strong Richard was to catch such a big fish by hand without any equipment.

Anyone who has ever fished knows that even a fish weighing three or four pounds can struggle with astonishing force in the water.

He definitely wouldn't be able to catch something that weighs several hundred kilograms.

Only veteran seafarers who make a living at sea year-round, or hardcore sea fishing enthusiasts with calloused hands, could possibly bring it ashore.

What about Richard?

I just grabbed a regular combat rod and managed to pull this thing up.

The most outrageous thing is... Connor walked over to Richard's fishing rod, bent down and took a look. Richard hadn't put any bait on the fish!

There wasn't even any lure, just an empty hook!

Dead fish, are you stupid?

You'll bite even without bait!

Winnie's gaze lingered on Richard's arm for longer than usual.

The strong man made her heart flutter. Richard wasn't the kind of exaggerated physique you get from eating protein powder at the gym. His build looked very normal, but he was so tough that he could drag a tuna out of the sea!

Debbie was simply happy.

She squatted down next to the tuna, making a V-sign with her hand, and asked Lisa to take a picture of her. The fish was longer than her height.

After his initial excitement subsided, Leon asked, "That's fantastic! This tuna could fetch at least $2. What are you planning to do with it?"

"How much?" Debbie's eyes widened. "This thing, one fish, $2?"

The tuna was still struggling on the deck, its tail slapping against the deck.

"Live animals are more expensive, so we can return immediately; perhaps we can still make it in time."

"No need," Richard waved his hand. "Just kill it and eat it. I've never eaten such fresh tuna before."

Leon didn't say anything, just glanced at him again, and said, "2 US dollars, and you just ate it without hesitation."

They really are rich.

OK.

""

The tuna struggled violently on the deck. Each thud of its tail made the deck vibrate.

Lyon is an expert at killing fish.

Richard gripped the fishing rod and pulled it in as tight as possible.

Leon, wielding a thick steel mace, stabbed fiercely, piercing the skull and destroying the brain, killing the tuna instantly.

Lisa felt nauseous at the sight, her face turned pale, and she covered her mouth and turned away.

Debbie's eyes were filled with longing for food.

She had already forgotten about the $2 and was mentally calculating which part of the tuna was the best to eat.

Winnie's eyes gleamed as she stared at Richard's bulging arm muscles, lingering there for a long time.

Connor was furious: "No way, I want to go tuna fishing too!"

Lyon smiled without saying a word.

You can't just catch tuna whenever you want; it depends on luck.

Connor also found a fishing rod and ran to the fishing spot at the stern to cast his line.

Then, the accident happened.

He used an overhead casting motion, but he was too hasty and used too much force. The fishing line snapped behind him, and the trident grazed the web of his right hand.

"what!"

Connor let out a scream.

The screams startled the seagulls on the mast into flight.

The crowd quickly gathered around.

Leon hurriedly squatted down to check the wound.

Fortunately, the fishhook didn't pierce his palm; it only grazed his thumb and forefinger, causing a small cut, from which blood dripped down his finger.

Lyon asked, "Should we turn back?"

Connor was deathly pale. "Go back! I need to go see a doctor!"

His voice was trembling, whether from pain or fear, or perhaps both.

Winnie walked over and took a look.

She looked down at the wound, then looked up at Connor's pale face.

"Scared out by such a small injury? Coward."

Winnie was still holding her fishing rod, her tone full of impatience.

Winnie was very dissatisfied and said irritably, "It's such a hassle to come out with you."

She threw her fishing rod onto the deck; it bounced off the metal railing before she turned and walked away.

Leon frowned.

"Seawater has an extremely high bacterial count, and infection can easily lead to sepsis," Lisa said, standing up. "Let's go back."

He packed up his fishing rod and prepared to head home.

Connor's lips were trembling. He glanced at Winnie not far away and bit his lower lip.

"No, bandage me up first, then continue!"

Lisa asked worriedly, "Are you sure?"

"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious," he said through gritted teeth.

Seeing his resolute attitude, Lisa hesitated for a moment.

It appears to be just a superficial injury.

Should everything be alright?

Connor said again, "Lisa, help me disinfect, then we can continue."

"Okay." Lisa took out a first-aid kit from the cabin, containing bandages, iodine, alcohol, gauze, and medical tape.

She was untrained and her movements were somewhat clumsy.

When the alcohol touched the wound, Connor grimaced and his whole body tensed up in the chair.

Richard thought of a certain movie.

That might hurt a little.

He leaned against the stern of the boat without moving an inch.

This guy was so rude to me, I'm not going to help him.

It's good that you injured yourself.

Connor couldn't bear to look at his hands.

After Lisa finished applying the gauze, she secured the last layer with tape, then stepped back to check her work.

"Not bad, but do we really want to continue?"

Connor nodded, his voice dry, and forced himself to say, "It's nothing, just a minor injury."

"Alright then. If you feel unwell, we'll head back immediately." Leon added, "Sepsis is no joke."

Connor's face went from deathly pale to ashen. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "It's alright. Continue."

Winnie's anger turned to laughter: "Looks like you're not such a bad man after all. The Holy Maiden is here; you can't possibly be in any danger."

She picked up the fishing rod she had just thrown away from the deck, then rummaged through the locker for a similar fighting rod to Richard's, and enthusiastically began to bait it, preparing to continue night fishing and catch a big fish.

Connor scoffed, "What use is a saintess?"

Debbie grinned.

Richard said calmly, "Debbie was also at the scene of the Princeton shooting. She's alright, but thirty-nine others died."

Connor's face turned pale instantly.

It's even paler than when it was injured.

His lips twitched twice, and he glared at Richard with an expression that seemed to say, "Do you even know how to talk?"

Debbie laughed unrestrainedly, completely disregarding Connor's feelings: "Yes, a saint can only protect herself."

After saying that, she went into the kitchen and helped Lisa.

After dinner.

The fishing lights at the stern illuminated a stretch of water in a fluorescent blue, and Leon and Winnie were still enthusiastically night fishing.

Connor sat in a chair wrapped in a blanket, lost in thought. He couldn't fish with his hands, and they seemed to be hurting more and more, but he didn't dare say anything, afraid that Winnie would call him a coward.

Richard continued to observe the ship's mechanical structure in the book.

I can buy a boat myself someday.

After Christina has settled things on Hart Island, I will be going there frequently, just in case.

Henry angrily picked up the phone, his finger almost plunging into the keys: "Isabella! Come to my office!"

A few minutes later, Isabella pushed the door open without knocking and came in, staring straight at him.

"Isabella! What are you doing?!" Henry angrily threw a stack of documents at her.

Isabella glanced down, then looked up: "All three cases are well-documented and thoroughly investigated; there are no problems. I don't know what you're talking about."

After taking control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, she immediately and drastically reviewed all the internal investigation files from the past three years.

The number of documents and files salvaged from the NYPD fire was small, but even so, clues were found from various small details.

A police inspector used three shell companies to transfer bribes, which ultimately led to a city councilor.

There were a total of three cases, each involving high-ranking officials at the level of police inspector or above.

She meticulously documented every detail, including case file numbers, bank transfer records, and witness testimonies, writing them down on paper.

Henry's head was about to explode; the veins on his temples were throbbing. "I put you in charge of the Internal Affairs Department, not to deal with our people and destroy our foundation! If we investigate everything so thoroughly, the NYPD will be finished! Do you know what you're doing?"

Isabella calmly looked at him: "I'm carrying out my duties in the Ministry of the Interior. Byron was removed for dereliction of duty due to lax oversight, and I don't want to end up like him. Unless you can give me a signed statement that 'Isabella is not responsible for any problems that arise,' I'm going to investigate!"

She paused, then sneered, "Why don't you take me down with you?"

Henry was so angry he gritted his teeth.

If it weren't for this bitch having his combat videos, he would have kicked this crazy woman out long ago.

His fingers clenched and unclenched on the table, his knuckles cracking: "You can't do that!"

"Of course I can!" Isabella said, her expression unchanged, refusing to budge an inch.

"It's because of your previous cover-up and protection that the NYPD has become such a mess. Believe me, everything will be alright, and I'm doing this for the future of the NYPD!"

"Damn it!" Henry slammed his fist on the table in anger, but there was nothing he could do about Isabella.

He didn't believe that bitch's sweet talk.

"Get out of here!"

Isabella scoffed; she had long anticipated Henry's incompetence.

She didn't care how angry Henry was; she had to expose all her past crimes as soon as possible to gain a major political achievement as a stepping stone to climb the ranks!

Henry, that spineless coward, is not fit to be the bureau chief.

The position of bureau chief is mine!

She turned and walked to the door, paused on the doorknob, and glanced back at Henry's crotch: "If only you were this hard in bed."

Damn it! Henry felt like he'd been hit with a critical strike.

His face turned from red to purple.

After Isabella left, Henry slumped back into his chair.

His tie was crooked, his hair was messy, and his desk was a complete mess.

The night view outside the window was dazzling, but he didn't even want to look at it.

O'Connor knocked on the door, walked in holding a few photos, and said in a deep voice, "Chief, Miles' car has been found, next to a cabin in the suburbs."

Henry took the photograph.

Miles's car was parked intact on the side of the cabin.

Where are they?

"Not at the scene. There were no signs of a struggle. There was a pickup truck in the garage inside the cabin, so they must have swapped vehicles to escape. It was snowing heavily that day, and there were no traces left on the ground."

Henry let out a long breath.

Damn!

He knew it was Miles who did it, that bastard!

But at the same time, a weight was finally lifted off my shoulders.

Whether Miles escapes or goes missing, it can be considered as fleeing from justice.

He could easily shift most of the blame for the NYPD fire onto Miles.

"This is the only good news we've had in the last few days."

"Issue an arrest warrant and contact the Canadian authorities to cooperate in the arrest."

"Yes."

After the meal, the group fished for another two hours.

The sea breeze changed direction, from southwest to north, and the temperature dropped a few degrees.

The red dots on the fish finder started to disperse.

"Hurry up and catch up! Hurry up and catch up! Keep fishing!" Winnie shouted anxiously, pointing at the fish finder, her voice filled with obvious impatience.

At this point, Connor could no longer hold on.

He sat in a chair in the corner, curled up in a ball.

His hand was throbbing with pain, which traveled from the base of his thumb along his arm to his shoulder.

"I think I have a fever." His voice was weak, and his throat was as dry as sandpaper. "I might have caught some kind of germ. We need to get back quickly."

Upon hearing this, Winnie turned to look at him, frowning in annoyance: "You can't even handle such a minor injury?"

Connor looked back at her.

His eyes were red from the fever, and his lips were dry and chapped: "I have a fever, Winnie. I'm sick, I think I have a virus."

He started to get scared and stopped caring about Winnie's feelings.

Lisa quickly stepped forward, squatted down, and unwrapped the gauze from Connor's hand.

The area around the wound is red, swollen, and hot, and the oozing fluid is a cloudy yellow.

"Oh, that's disgusting." Winnie frowned and walked to the side, covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve. "You're disgusting!"

Connor's lips twitched.

He watched Winnie's retreating figure, his anger surging within him.

He was trembling with pain, but Winnie found him disgusting.

Lisa touched Connor's forehead and said to Leon with a serious expression, "He has a fever and is sweating profusely. Let's go back quickly."

Lyon immediately stood up.

"I'll turn around and go back quickly."

He knew the gravity of the situation.

There are countless types of bacteria in the ocean, and both marine mycobacteria and Vibrio vulnificus are major problems.

Richard watched the spectacle leisurely from the sidelines, without making a single move throughout.

Winnie was very disappointed.

She had originally planned to travel for two days, and had a full day's itinerary tomorrow. She wanted to go out to sea to chase yellowfin tuna and watch the sunrise.

Now it's all ruined!

"What a piece of trash!"

"I'm injured!" Connor emphasized, raising his voice.

Winnie snorted and said in a childlike tone, "I'm hurt~ You're such a poor little dog!"

"I have a fever, Winnie!" Connor exclaimed incredulously.

Winnie snorted and spat out a single word through gritted teeth: "Coward."

Richard couldn't help but laugh. Winnie was indeed a bitch, but simps never get a good ending.

Connor was in excruciating pain and could no longer bear it.

He jumped up from his chair, the blanket slipping to the floor. "We're finished, Winnie. I can't stand you anymore!"

Winnie stood still, motionless.

She looked at Connor, then gave a soft snort through her nose: "Softie, when did we ever even start?"

This sentence dealt a critical hit of 10,000 points.

Connor stood there, his mouth agape but no sound came out.

His face changed from deathly pale to red, then from red to blue, changing color like a carousel, and he looked like he was about to explode.

Lisa quickly grabbed Winnie's arm and pulled her to the other side of the ship: "Okay, okay, everyone calm down, stop arguing, let's go back quickly. Winnie, he's injured, he has a fever."

"Hmph!" Winnie stormed back to her cabin.

Debbie chuckled, then quickly covered her mouth with both hands: "Sorry, I couldn't help it. You guys continue."

She had seen many of these arguments and now realized that there was no real difference between rich people and poor students at her school.

"Fuck!" Connor, furious, turned and yelled, "What are you laughing at, you bitch!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Debbie smashed her handbag over Connor's head without hesitation.

It was a hard-shell bag; the corner of the bag hit his head with a dull thud.

Connor was too shocked by the pain and fever to react, and a large bump immediately appeared on his forehead.

Debbie yelled, "Softie!"

Connor swayed and was nearly knocked to the ground by Debbie.

Richard almost burst out laughing.

Worried that Debbie might get hurt, he put one arm around her waist and carried her away from Connor like he was carrying a sack of potatoes.

Leon also noticed something was wrong and came over to stop Connor.

"Calm down, bro, calm down! We're going back right away."

Connor was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

You can't exactly fight with a woman, can you?

He was panting heavily, his hands were trembling, he had a fever, his forehead hurt, and he felt unwell all over. All he wanted was to get home as soon as possible.

"Go back immediately, to the hospital, the sooner the better."

He looked at the wound on his hand; the color was clearly off, as if it were rotting.

"Vibrio vulnificus can lead to amputation," Richard reminded him with a smile.

Connor's expression changed slightly: "Can't you say something nicer?"

Richard glanced at him: "That's already a nice way of putting it. Actually, the mortality rate isn't low either, I just didn't tell you."

Connor was furious.

Lyon was in a bind, fearing another fight, so he quickly turned around and headed back.

He couldn't do anything about it; it was Connor's fault for provoking Richard as soon as he boarded the ship.

Lisa comforted Connor, had him lie down on the bed, put an ice pack wrapped in a towel on his forehead, and gave him two fever-reducing pills.

The fishing boat sped back home.

They drove for two hours on and off to get there, and the return trip will take at least an hour.

About half an hour later, Connor's fever subsided.

His face regained some color, his breathing became steady, and after the pain in his body disappeared, he felt much better. He also regretted breaking up with Winnie and sat in the chair, looking at Winnie's back with a embarrassed expression.

Winnie didn't even glance at him.

The sea breeze howled, and New York slowly came into view.

Richard walked to the bow of the ship.

At night, New York City appears as a neon behemoth when viewed from the sea, with the Manhattan skyline shimmering with countless points of light in the twilight.

Not far away, a dark little island appeared on the sea.

Hart Island!

The opportunity is coming!

Richard stepped into the cockpit: "How much longer?"

Lyon checked the flight path and drew a line on the navigation screen with his finger.

"Ahead is Hart Island. After going around Hart Island, there's a small pier not far away, and I know there's a hospital within 2 kilometers."

He thought Richard was worried about Connor.

After confirming the situation, Richard decisively used his magical hand to delve into the servo motor and, following the instructions in the maintenance manual, found a critical cable and tore it off!

The circuit malfunction has locked the output shaft.

As for whether it would delay Connor's treatment, Richard couldn't care less; whether he lived or died was none of his business!

A click came from the bottom of the boat.

The sound of metal jamming was very faint, drowned out by the engine noise, but Leon heard it.

"What's wrong?" Richard asked knowingly.

Lyon's expression changed.

"It seems the rudder is stuck." He tried to turn the rudder wheel left and right, but the ship's direction remained unchanged.

The fishing boat headed straight toward Hart Island, not far away.

"Oh fuck!" He quickly reduced speed, the engine revving from 4,000 to 1,000. The boat slowed down, but the steering was completely ineffective.

"Why is it stuck?" Richard asked without changing his expression.

Lyon spun the steering wheel with all his might, the wheel digging painfully into his palm, but it wouldn't budge.

"I don't know, it suddenly got stuck. Maybe something like a fishing net got tangled in the rudder blade."

Lyon had to brake suddenly.

The ship began to decelerate rapidly, and its hull slid forward due to inertia.

The others realized what was happening too.

Lisa poked her head out of the cabin: "Leon! What's going on?"

"The rudder is stuck, we might run aground! Everyone hold on to the handrails!"

"Leon shouted anxiously, gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hands, even though the steering wheel was practically useless now," Lyon said.

His face looked terrible.

This yacht is his prized possession, with custom interiors and twin engines. He bought it less than two years ago, and its monthly maintenance costs are higher than most people's mortgage payments.

This charge will definitely result in serious damage.

The speed decreased rapidly, but it was too late.

The hull scraped against the sand and gravel in the shallow water, making a screeching sound, followed by a dull thud.

The ship jolted violently, and everyone was propelled forward a step by inertia.

The fishing boat rushed straight onto the beach, its hull carving a deep trench in the sand. It went three or four meters before finally coming to a stop.

The tide is rising now.

Seawater was still overflowing around the bottom of the ship, lapping against its hull.

When the tide goes out, the fishing boat will be completely stranded on the beach.

Now the ship can't turn around or reverse, which is very dangerous and could cause it to run aground.

"Where am I?" Winnie stomped angrily out of the cabin, her heels clicking heavily on the deck. "It was awful coming out with this piece of trash."

Connor wasn't angry; he just smiled ingratiatingly.

A complete simp.

Leon walked helplessly to the ship's side and looked at the black island in front of him: "Hart Island."

"What's Hart Island?" Winnie raised an eyebrow slightly. "How come I didn't know there was such an island near New York?"

Lyon explained, "It's where they bury bodies. The New York authorities have been burying unclaimed bodies here for many years, probably a million. It's too unlucky, so people don't talk about it, and they don't usually let people go up there."

One million dead bodies!

Lisa and Debbie trembled, looking at the dark island with great fear.

Richard could clearly see that Winnie was filled with intense curiosity and excitement.

This woman clearly enjoys adventure.

Richard had wanted to go up and take a look anyway, and was just looking for a reason, so he immediately used his desire to push Winnie's curiosity to the extreme!

Winnie's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Lyon reassured him, "Don't worry, we're safe on the boat. The water police have radar and will find us soon. But I'll still call for help."

"Let's go explore!" Winnie's eyes gleamed as she looked at the dark island in the distance. "A million corpses! That's so exciting!"

Lisa and Debbie both looked rather grim.

Debbie instinctively took a step closer to Richard.

Lisa shook her head: "No, I think we should call for help right away. Connor's condition is very bad."

Lyon nodded: "Yes, we should..."

Connor spoke awkwardly, his voice much stronger than before: "Actually, it would be quite interesting to go up there and take a look, but unfortunately I'm injured."

Winnie glanced at him, her gaze sweeping over him from head to toe, as if reassessing something she was about to throw away: "I think you do have some courage."

Connor's face lit up.

He's already starting to think about how to get back together with Winnie.

Lyon said worriedly, "It's too dark. It's too dangerous for you to go up alone. Forget it. The water police will be here soon. You don't have time."

Richard suddenly spoke up: "I'll go down with her to take a look."

"What?" Debbie tugged at his sleeve worriedly. "It's so dark, and there are corpses all over the place."

Then she remembered Richard working part-time as a forensic pathologist at OCME. People who spend every day with corpses naturally wouldn't be afraid of them.

Richard gave a plausible reason: "Dr. Shepard helped me apply for a project to establish a research station on Hart Island to study corpse diseases. The approval hasn't been granted yet, but since I'm here, I might as well go up and check it out first."

"Why go at night when you can go during the day?"

"They won't let us go up during the day," Richard said. "Except for people burying and transporting bodies, the water police don't allow anyone to get close to this place, so we've been waiting for approval."

Winnie had already taken out two high-powered flashlights.

She shoved one of them into Richard's hand, her fingertips brushing against his wrist, and exclaimed excitedly, "Hurry, hurry! If the water police come, we won't be able to go! I'll film a video and post it online—a nighttime exploration of Hart Island! It'll definitely get ten thousand likes!"

"Alright," Leon said, unable to persuade the two of them otherwise.

While the idea of ​​a million corpses sounds terrifying, it's actually just a deserted island with no real danger.

Debbie said worriedly, "We have to be careful. Should we bring a gun?"

Winnie immediately refused on Richard's behalf: "Why bring a gun? It's so heavy."

Lyon helped the two lower the lifeboat.

The lifeboat landed on the water with a dull thud.

Lyon stood on the ship's railing, peering down at them.

"If you don't come back in an hour, I'll call the water police for rescue. In fact, they might already be on their way."

Richard picked up a paddle: "Just tell them the intercom is broken, and we're going to the island to look for rescue."

Leon laughed: "Yes, that's how it's explained."

Richard smiled too.

Winnie had no interest in dealing with the water police; so what if they caught her?

My godfather is West!

"Richard, watch out!" Debbie warned.

Richard waved his phone: "It's okay, I have a cell phone. I'll call you if there's an emergency."

Winnie pointed her flashlight forward and exclaimed excitedly, "Let's go!"

Connor cried out earnestly, "Winnie, watch out!"

Debbie gave him a disdainful look.

Lick the dog!

Under the watchful eyes of the four, Winnie and Richard rowed their small boat slowly toward the shore.