Chapter 136: The True Dream

Chen Cao gazed at Hua Fo, his thoughts seemingly drifting far away, as if he were recounting an incredible tale. He interjected, "I suppose, given the euphoria of having just come into possession of such vast wealth, it would have been impossible for you to sleep!"

Hua Fo lit another cigarette, exhaling a slow ring of smoke. Hearing Chen Cao’s words, he chuckled. "Yes, that is what I thought at the time as well. But I truly did fall asleep, and I slept soundly, and had a wonderful dream."

"A wonderful dream?" Chen Cao asked, puzzled.

"Yes, a wonderful dream. A realistic one. Although my eyelids were heavy, I could distinctly feel my body sinking downward. I saw my two companions slowly drifting off to sleep as well. Just then, the cabin door opened, and several beauties entered. They were completely naked, yet they were beauties you dared not look at directly, nor did they inspire a single impure thought. They walked toward us and knelt down gently, looking at me. Do you know the kind of gaze a woman has when it is completely devoid of impurities? I have never seen such a thing in my entire life." Hua Fo closed his eyes, took a deep breath of the damp, chilly air hovering over the river outside the warship, and continued, "I could feel her stroking my face. Furthermore, I could feel myself touching the porcelain-smooth skin of the dark-haired Oriental woman closest to me. I was deeply intoxicated; I even felt that wealth no longer mattered. I wanted to stay in that moment forever. Yet, I was surrounded by wealth and accompanied by such pure, beautiful women—it was the dream of every man. Then, I felt her ruby lips kiss me. I closed my eyes. When I awoke, I found myself in the jungle, having left the warship, but my two companions were nowhere to be found."

A warship, immense wealth, an inexplicable slumber—Chen Cao carefully tried to piece together what Hua Fo had said, but he could find no clear thread. "I don't quite understand what you mean," Chen Cao asked.

Hua Fo seemed to return to reality from a state of transcendence. He looked at Chen Cao. "Neither do I. I have been searching the jungle for a way back here, trying to understand what happened that day and to find my two companions."

Chen Cao flicked the high-end metal lighter in his hand. "If I am not mistaken, you have found it."

Hua Fo’s expression darkened. "Yes. I found it. It is down below."

Chen Cao recalled what Hua Fo had shouted earlier when he went down to the warship. "The treasure is gone?"

Hua Fo nodded without hesitation. "Yes, I found it, but the treasure is gone. My comrades, however, died peacefully—not at all like the scene in my dream." He took a deep drag from his cigarette. "But that dream... it felt so real."

Chen Cao straightened his posture. "Have you figured out the reason? Was it truly just a dream?"

Hua Fo reached into his coat, fumbled for a moment, and then opened his palm. "I really thought the dream was fake at first. But when I woke up, I clearly had this in my hand." By the faint light of the flashlight, Chen Cao looked closely.

In Hua Fo’s hand lay two black, opaque objects, each about a carat in size. Even in the dim light, they emitted a translucent, eerie glow. They did not possess the dazzling brilliance of white diamonds, yet they carried a different, mysterious aura. These must be the black diamonds Hua Fo had mentioned—six-sided, four-faceted black diamonds.

"Can you imagine my confusion?" Hua Fo said. "My companions were lying stiffly down below. Although their bodies had bloated from days of soaking in the damp, humid air, I could still clearly see the smiles on their faces—a smile of pure bliss."

"I don't understand—why were you unharmed? Was it because of these two black diamonds?" Chen Cao asked.

Hua Fo offered a bitter smile. "It was my own selfishness that saved me. Back then, when they weren't looking, I secretly pocketed two of them. Perhaps these two black diamonds saved me?"

Chen Cao curled his lip, not to mock, but because he understood all too well. If not for this, how could Hua Fo have been transported out to the jungle to find him and save his life? If Hua Fo hadn't taken the diamonds and rescued him, he would likely still be suffering under that beastly creature with the mane of hair who had been tormenting Meimei. Truth be told, in the hands of those savage tribesmen, he had been completely helpless.

Suddenly, a thought struck Chen Cao. He said to Hua Fo, who was still fiddling with the diamonds, "It seems we need to go down and see the situation for ourselves!"

Upon hearing this, Hua Fo carefully tucked the black diamonds into his coat, a smile still lingering on his face. "I think you should go see your companions now. Let us hope they haven't vanished into their blissful dreams."

Chen Cao felt a jolt of alarm. He looked at Hua Fo, only to see his figure gradually becoming blurred.

"No, this is bad. Is this a dream, or is some unknown force at work?"

Chen Cao reached out to grab Hua Fo, but he found that the figure leaning against the railing was slowly dissipating. Yet, the smile remained on its face. His own consciousness began to blur, and his eyelids grew heavy. Chen Cao struggled to remain awake. The scent of the tobacco he had just smoked still lingered on his tongue. What was going on? No, he could not sleep. If what Hua Fo said was true, he would end up like his companions—dying with a smile on his face!

But this was all just a dream, surely! This couldn't be real! Chen Cao’s eyelids fought to stay open. Suddenly, from the staircase between the third and second floors, the darkness began to brighten. A slender, graceful silhouette walked slowly toward him. In a short while, Chen Cao could make out her features. A smile played on her lips, and he could even smell a faint, familiar fragrance emanating from her.

"Yu Hongxiu?"

Chen Cao felt the beauty before him was Yu Hongxiu. Yet, in the blink of an eye, she transformed into another pretty face.

"Wu Lanqian!"

Chen Cao shook his head vigorously, and then the face morphed again: "Teacher Linghu Ruomu!"

In an instant, the beautiful face cycled through Karisha, Moshika... and every other woman he knew.

Although the beauty's face kept changing, her movements did not cease. She reached out with slender, jade-like fingers and gently stroked Chen Cao’s face, her breath as fragrant as orchids. "Chen, do you think I am beautiful?"

Chen Cao’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Inhaling her fragrance, he nodded slightly. His heart had never felt such intense, nerve-wracking tension; it was a sour, stimulating sensation. The more he tried to calm himself, the stronger his internal resistance and the more intense the stimulation became. Then, that magnificent, ever-shifting face pressed tightly against his. Her ruby lips pressed onto his dry ones, and he instantly felt that damp heat, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.