chapter 82

Chapter 82: Disembarking - Sea Siege.

After a brief examination, the ship's doctor concluded that aside from vomiting, Chi Yu exhibited no other symptoms. He prescribed some medication for seasickness and then left.

He Guan escorted Lou Yingjie to the deck where tables had been set up. Most tables were for two, with a serene ambiance, a gentle sea breeze, and the distant moonlight illuminating the deck.

It was tonight's event - a dinner at sea.

The table Lou Yingjie was headed for was closest to the forecastle.

At the front of the deck, his beloved Wei Xianyue was already waiting.

Age had left its marks. Liver spots climbed from his temples, facial muscles sagged, and tree bark-like wrinkles showed through, and even makeup couldn't hide the signs of age.

He Guan nodded in acknowledgment to her, briefly explained Chi Yu's condition, and then returned to his room.

If one missed an event, a crew member would come by the room to check.

As He Guan returned, he happened to bump into another crew member, smiled at her and said, "I won't be attending tonight. My companion isn't feeling well; I'll stay with her."

The crew member smiled back, marking a check on her list.

He Guan merely brushed past her, seeing only a glimpse, but she was cautious, immediately turning over the checklist atop the portable serving cart she brought.

Seeing He Guan approach, the crew member took a small step aside.

That step sounded a bit muffled. He Guan instinctively looked down and noticed her feet.

Metal ankles.

*

When He Guan entered the room, Chi Yu had already changed out of her afternoon dress and sat cross-legged on the sofa in loose pajamas. She said to him, "Lock the door."

Without hesitation, He Guan turned the lock, continuing his stride, asking, "What's up?"

Chi Yu gestured him over, "I've found something."

"An invitation?" He Guan accepted the card she handed over, curious, "How did you get this?"

Chi Yu: "I made you jealous."

He Guan's expression remained blank: "Indeed, many men have such... inclinations."

Chi Yu: "I was just joking. A man's companion had a quarrel with him and disappeared for two days. I happened to stand next to him and listen to him vent for precisely one hour and eight minutes. I took his invitation while he was distracted."

Remembering the exact time suggested that, for Chi Yu, it was quite a trying experience.

He Guan: "What does the invite say...?"

The invitation was still warm when he received it. Upon reading the contents, He Guan fell silent, seemingly for a good two minutes, as if fearing he misread it.

His initial reaction was to tear the paper apart, but Chi Yu stopped him in time.

Chi Yu: "I need to return it to him."

He Guan, after a brief silence, said, "Once the invisible ink is heated, shouldn't it become permanently visible?"

Chi Yu: "Yes, initially I wasn't planning to return it. After all, we'll disembark tomorrow afternoon. Even if he notices the missing invite, it will take him some time to react. Delaying seemed like an easy option. But then..."

He Guan followed her gaze and looked back at the invitation.

When Chi Yu had initially handed it over, she had revealed the invisible ink by heating the paper with a lighter. Normally, once revealed, the protein molecules of the substance should be altered permanently.

Yet, as the paper cooled down, the writing began to fade again.

Chi Yu: "It's intriguing."

He Guan: "This..."

Chi Yu: "Their technological level seems to be slightly more advanced than ours. At least, it's not lemon juice on this invitation; it's something else."

He Guan: "And those with disabilities..."

Chi Yu: "Yes."

Chi Yu took out a sheet of paper and sketched a simple diagram with three ellipses.

Pointing to the top ellipse, she said, "This is the top deck's left cabin where we're staying. The right cabin is slightly larger, and some kitchen staff reside there."

Indicating the bottom ellipse's right side, she continued, "This area houses the sailors and captain's quarters. Attendees from the other banquet hall stay here as well. I've spent a significant amount of time there in the past couple of days."

He Guan: "Typically on a regular ship, I would see the captain and sailors, as they usually reside close to the deck and guest cabins."

Chi Yu: "True. But this ship's structure is different, segregated. The captain and sailors are located at the very bottom of the ship. Only two representatives are on the main deck."

He Guan hesitated slightly: "Who stays here then? The crew members?"

Chi Yu: "Yes, all service staff and mercenaries reside in the middle section."

He Guan: "..."

Chi Yu: "Unless something goes wrong, they can evacuate from below instantly."

"Regarding the lifeboats on the main deck... I'm not sure if they're operational or compromised."

He Guan's palms turned icy cold.

Struggling, he said, "There's another... unsettling discovery I made."

Chi Yu: "Go on."

He Guan: "Some of those who were with us in the banquet hall... they've disappeared."

Chi Yu took a deep breath: "It doesn't bode well."

The invitations from the other banquet hall mentioned...

It was indeed an invitation.

Only the stakes for this invitation involved the attendees from He Guan's banquet hall and their...

Organs.

He Guan should've seen it coming.

He had interacted with Qing Tu's boss numerous times and knew about his lover's multiple organ failures and the challenges in finding a match.

Several elderly gentlemen he knew had varying health issues.

He also realized that he hardly recognized anyone in the banquet hall that day. Their conversations seemed superficial, as if they weren't truly part of that elite circle...

He noticed poor stitching peeking out from someone's suit cuff.

He should've known, he should've suspected...

Those individuals were trying to penetrate the upper echelons...

Yet, they unwittingly became fodder for the guests in the other banquet hall.

It was a meticulously planned maritime ambush.

Chi Yu clapped her hands sharply.

Pulled back to the moment by the sound, He Guan asked, "Is the uninhabited island our final destination?"

Chi Yu: "It should be. No island is truly uninhabited."

He Guan: "So do we wait until we reach there or..."

Or do we escape now?

Chi Yu quickly objected, "It's unrealistic for just the two of us to let so many people escape."

As He Guan spoke, another question came to mind: "What does this have to do with the disabled?"

Chi Yu was momentarily taken aback.

Indeed.

If that's all there is to it, why would Lou Yingjie spend so much money treating these disabled people?

Among the servers, it was clear that some came from impoverished backgrounds.

They were nothing like the people in the other banquet hall, who had accepted Lou Yingjie's invitation at a hefty price to regain their health, or their loved ones' health, through organ transplants.

Where did those people come from?

Why is Lou Yingjie treating them? And going to great lengths to provide them jobs?

Chi Yu furrowed her brow, deep in thought. Meanwhile, He Guan gripped his own arm, feeling as if he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

There was some crucial piece missing here. Frustrated, He Guan pinched himself hard, trying to focus and find clarity.

Think of the original story.

Think of the original story...

In the original novel, He Guan found the ending a bit odd.

Although readers were thrilled with the ending where Lou Dongzang destroyed most of the Lou family's assets, and the comments were full of praise, it was unexpected.

He Guan hadn't seen it coming.

Initially, he had only speculated that Lou Dongzang would commit a murder at the end.

In Lou Dongzang's concise yet deadly logic, if people were the problem, then eliminating them would solve everything.

With no one left to manage the Lou family's assets, whether they'd be inherited or nationalized was no longer his concern.

So, why did he choose such a sensational method in the end? One that catered to humanity's darker instincts and desire for spectacle?

Lou Dongzang wouldn't murder just for the sake of showing off.

Unless, in his mind, he believed it was right.

Unless he believed his perspective was the only objective one.

He believed that destroying the Lou family's assets was the right thing to do.

He believed that incinerating all data and material wealth was absolutely justified.

In his view, the Lou family's assets were not righteous.

Why not? Could it be that Lou Yingjie propped up the assets with money from illicit organ trades?

But that's not it.

Based solely on the Xingyu sector that He Guan took over, its industrial chain and cash flow were very healthy. Boastfully, within the industry, Xingyu now leads the pack.

It seems Lou Dongzang believed... that Lou Yingjie was in the wrong.

The mere existence of Lou Yingjie was flawed.

Thus, everything under his name was tainted.

Including Lou Dongzang himself.

This is where He Guan lost the thread again.

Even piecing everything together, he couldn’t find enough clues to back up his assumptions.

He was stumped.

Why had Lou Dongzang disappeared?

Had he really vanished without any reason?

People say finance is the dirtiest and most bottomless industry. They don’t produce any content, they're unrelated to production or creation, and they’re contradictory to human nature. Yet, they merely price things and stand atop the world's industrial pyramid.

What was Lou Dongzang, who ventured into this field, seeking?

*

The morning of the third day was eerily normal.

He Guan awoke punctually to the alarm. Upon rising, he found Chi Yu still there.

Room service had already been delivered. He Guan mechanically chewed on a slice of French garlic bread.

Chi Yu remarked, "You're holding up pretty well."

Implying that He Guan, despite knowing the unfolding events, remained composed.

Modestly, He Guan replied, "I'm managing."

The resilience forged from a past near-death experience.

He Guan inquired, "Not heading out today?"

Chi Yu responded, "No need. It would be even more troublesome if something happens to this ship while en route."

He Guan nodded in agreement.

They quickly finished their breakfast and each busied themselves with their tasks.

Chi Yu inspected the firearms and ammunition she carried, disassembling and reassembling them multiple times before engaging in physical training within the room.

Meanwhile, He Guan worked on drafting a mind map.

He wrote from morning till evening, oblivious to the midday meal that had gone cold on the coffee table.

It wasn't until dusk, signaled by a tap on the desk beside him, that he emerged from his focus.

He Guan, eyes dry from intense concentration, blinked slowly, crumpled up the paper in his hands, and asked, "What is it?"

Chi Yu, looking casually dressed as if heading for a vacation but in fact fully armed, gravely announced, "We've arrived."

It was time to disembark.

He Guan threw the scribbled paper out the window and followed her out.

The paper, carried by the wind, quickly fell into the sea, swallowed by the waves.