Chapter 4782 — False Alarm
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
At that very moment, Okuda Qi and the real danger lookout were on the other backup platform. Hearing Wei Zhao's cry through the array, they both started—danger?!
Alarmed, the two peered carefully around. Though visibility was poor at night, by the light of the star-filled sky and the glowing creatures scattered through the sea, they could still make out the situation for several li around—all seemed calm and still.
"Danger, my ass!" The lookout exchanged a glance with Okuda Qi and cursed irritably. "A false alarm! The brat doesn't know a damn thing—what a pain in the neck!"
Okuda Qi's expression was ugly too. His original plan had been to exploit Wei Zhao's ignorance: when real danger came, the man would surely fail to spot it in time, much less give a prompt, accurate warning. And though the two of them were on the backup platform, so long as the situation was not especially dire, they would keep silent—thus turning the trick back on Wei Zhao and framing him.
After all, for a top-tier behemoth like the ancient warship, a minor hazard meant nothing at all; it could simply crush straight through. That way nothing would go wrong, and they would still have grounds to prosecute Wei Zhao.
Neither had expected this turn of events. With no danger at all, the boy was shouting himself hoarse into the sound-transmission array, putting them through a needless fright—this was plainly a false report of enemy movements!
Wei Zhao kept repeating his warning through the array, yet there was no response from below. Everyone knew it was Platform Two that truly monitored dangers; Platform One was now merely a stage, and until Platform Two spoke, no one from top to bottom would pay him the slightest heed.
Then Okuda Qi's voice rang out through the array, cold as ice: "What are you yelling about? Do you realize how much loss a single wrong judgment can cost us? Once we deviate from the set course, we may well run aground, and we'll waste vast amounts of spiritual energy besides—the array may even fail to gather enough qi. Can you bear the consequences?"
"Change course at once! Danger ahead!" Wei Zhao ignored him and kept shouting urgently. Though the others aboard could not hear, every place rigged with a sound-transmission array, the control room included, could hear his voice.
"Boy, you still dare to shout nonsense here? Do you know the penalty for falsely reporting enemy movements? Do you truly want to die?" Okuda Qi was now thoroughly enraged.
Originally he and Wei Zhao were people of two entirely different strata, with no grudge between them; had Ren Zhongyuan not asked him for a small favor, he would never have paid Wei Zhao any mind at all! (To be continued.)