The antidote is already used up; relying solely on acupuncture to detoxify won’t hold for long. Ann Vaughn’s anxiety deepened with each passing moment. Instinctively, she turned to look for Cyrus Hawthorne, only to find he was no longer in his original position. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁 The door of a passenger cabin on the seventh floor opened. A middle-aged man with a large belly was initially cautious, but upon seeing the handsome and stern man outside, his face immediately broke into a smile. "So it was Mr. Hawthorne, please come in, please come in." Kyle Skellen made way, inviting the man inside. Cyrus Hawthorne sat down in front of the burgundy single sofa, his gaze towards Kyle Skellen indifferent and cold, "I heard you brought quite a few good medicinal herbs onto this cruise ship?" Kyle Skellen paused mid-action of pouring tea, chuckling twice, "Nothing escapes Mr. Hawthorne. I planned to do a little business, but before I could, this happened." A glint of cold light flashed through Cyrus Hawthorne’s narrow eyes. If those herbs could be legally sold, why would Kyle Skellen go to the trouble of bringing them onto this cruise ship and trade on the high seas? He flexed his long fingers, tapping twice on the armrest. "I want all those herbs. Name your price." Immediately, a sharp light appeared in Kyle Skellen’s eyes as he leaned back slightly, "Mr. Hawthorne, I don’t mean to embarrass you, but I’ve already reached an agreement with the buyer and am just waiting to deliver. You see..." Before he could finish, his words were abruptly cut off. The cold muzzle of a gun pressed against his temple, causing Kyle Skellen’s bulky body to shudder violently. He looked at the man sitting opposite him, still cold and elegant, with fear in his eyes. "Mr. Hawthorne, what are you doing?" Cyrus Hawthorne’s thin lips curved, his narrow eyes glimmering with cold light, "It seems you misunderstood me. I’m not negotiating with you." Since he knew Kyle Skellen brought herbs onto the cruise, how could he not know the exact location? Realizing the key point, Kyle Skellen’s face changed drastically, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Mr., Mr. Hawthorne, please don’t mind my words, I was just joking with you earlier. I won’t take a penny for those herbs; take them all if you wish, it’ll save me the trouble!" Kyle Skellen hurriedly said. Cyrus Hawthorne lazily acknowledged, then instructed the hidden guard beside him, "Send all those herbs to the front hall and hand them over to the young madam for disposal." "Yes, Family Head," the hidden guard nodded in agreement. Cold sweat drenched Kyle Skellen at these words, nearly making him faint with anger. He had already obtained the herbs; what was the point of this "negotiation"? A show of force first, then politeness? As Ann Vaughn was fretting over the lack of herbs, the situation took an unexpected turn. Looking at the pile of Chinese herbs brought over by the hidden guards, Ann Vaughn’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated. "Where did all these come from? Wasn’t there supposed to be no Chinese herbs on the cruise?" Furthermore, judging by their quality, they were top-notch. "The Family Head asked us to tell you to go ahead and do it; regardless of the outcome, he will have your back." The hidden guards didn’t answer Ann Vaughn’s question, only truthfully conveyed Cyrus Hawthorne’s words. A warm feeling spread through Ann Vaughn’s heart, her fingers, clutching tightly and white, slowly relaxing. She hesitated no longer, asking the hidden guards to help move the herbs into the kitchen, then called over two doctors. Just as they left, a heavy foreign accent echoed from the entrance of the hall, approaching quickly. "Where is the doctor? Quick, come and treat our princess!" About five or six bodyguards in black rushed into the hall, supporting an ashen-faced Princess Astrid, anxiously searching for the doctor. "Ugh—" Before the bodyguards could haul the doctor over, Astrid, who was supported by them, suddenly collapsed to the ground and started vomiting, her entire body trembling uncontrollably. The guests nearby were startled by her, quickly distancing themselves. "Princess, how are you, Princess?" "Go get the doctor, quickly!" Princess Astrid wanted them to shut up, but the burning and stabbing pain in her throat and stomach left her like a collapsed shrimp, powerless and in unbearable pain, wishing she could just faint. By the time the bodyguards finally brought the busy doctor over, Astrid was barely conscious. "We ran out of corresponding medicine this morning; the medical equipment on the cruise can’t support a gastric lavage procedure. You’ll have to wait until we’re on shore in a few hours..." the doctor explained, wiping sweat. "What nonsense are you spouting?!" A bodyguard angrily grabbed the doctor’s collar, "If we wait any longer, our princess might not make it!" "Please calm down; getting angry at us won’t solve the problem..." Before the doctor could finish, Astrid suddenly retched, vomiting a small pool of blood, then collapsed on the bodyguard. The doctor’s face turned white, "It’s bad; her poisoning reaction is severe. If not treated soon, she might really die!" From this morning until now, more than five cases of death had already occurred. But because of the storm, the cruise, which was expected to dock in six or seven hours, had its docking delayed by several more hours... If this continues, even passengers with mild poisoning may eventually die from prolonged lack of treatment. If even Princess Astrid dies on this cruise, how could K Country possibly let it go?! "Right! Doctor Aquarelle Vaughn! Go find Doctor Aquarelle; she must have a way to save Princess Astrid!" The doctor suddenly exclaimed, grabbing the bodyguard’s hand in haste. Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, a voice came through the walkie-talkie on the doctor’s waist. "Captain’s room requesting medical assistance, Captain’s room requesting medical assistance—" News of the captain’s poisoning and coma somehow spread, causing a wave of panic among all the passengers. They could rely on medication for poisoning, but if something happened to the captain, everyone on the cruise would be doomed! However, unexpectedly, the cruise continued sailing as usual, with no anomalies, which calmed everyone’s nerves, preventing chaos. Inside the captain’s cockpit. Lying unconscious on a recliner, the captain’s face had regained color, and his pulse gradually stabilized. Ann Vaughn retracted the Golden Needle and stood up, furrowing her brows as she rubbed her fingers and wrists, sore from constant acupuncture, her small face slightly pale. Since morning, she hadn’t drunk a drop of water or eaten a bite, her stomach protesting time and again. Still, she suspected the source of the poison was likely in the food, so she chose to go hungry rather than take a single bite. Weary, Ann Vaughn shook her hand, then turned around, her gaze suddenly frozen. The man sitting in front of the control panel was upright, his hands methodically operating the equipment, occasionally murmuring a few words to someone through his headset.