The ship had sailed into international waters, and the banquet was also nearing its end. Next, everyone would go to the top deck, the largest deck on the ship, to enjoy the most spectacular fireworks display on the sea at year's end.
"So where's Qin Wei?"
Shen Qingqing looked all over. There were many people around, many familiar faces too, but there was no sign of little Qin.
She asked an assistant and also asked Qin Wei's other friends, but still could not find her.
"Li Liang, go check the cabin. The fireworks are about to start. Don't miss it."
After speaking, Shen Qingqing turned and could not find Qiao Teacher either.
These two...where did they run off to...
...
"We don't have much time left."
Carrying a password-protected briefcase, Huo Yu came out from the ship's hold and glanced at his watch with complaint,
"Is it so difficult to take care of one person? Why hasn't Sheng Lin come yet?"
As he spoke, several blonde and blue-eyed men came out from the hold, and Sheng Lin was right behind them.
"Taken care of?"
Huo Yu asked him, but his eyes were looking at the foreign men who had just arrived.
Sheng Lin nodded:
"Brought to the lounge and strangled."
One of the foreigners next to them nodded. Only then did Huo Yu believe it. He crooked a finger, and the few foreigners immediately began securing ropes along the ship’s railings.
The people hired at a high price worked very efficiently.
They were now in international waters. There were still ten minutes before the fireworks display. The cruise ship’s top deck was lively and festive. No one had the spare time to notice what was happening on the deck below, several levels down from the stern, where some people intended to quietly slip away.
With all routes out of the country completely blocked off, this was Huo Yu's only way out.
With the ropes secured, there would be inflatable boats coming to pick them up. As long as they survived this night, he would regain his freedom.
"Boss Huo, let me carry that briefcase for you."
As Huo Yu went to inspect the ropes, Sheng Lin came over and said.
Huo Yu was very cautious. At first he frowned, but then figured he should not treat someone trying to escape with him like this. So he told Sheng Lin:
"Do you know what's inside this case? Our future is inside. Whoever holds this case will always find somewhere willing to shelter us. This case isn't waterproof. Everything inside will dissolve immediately upon contact with water. So as long as I'm alive, I cannot let go of this."
"So...inside this case is our future?"
Sheng Lin asked him.
As Huo Yu nodded, the inflatable boat arrived, swaying the ropes to signal they could now descend.
"Sheng Lin, you first. And then..."
"Sheng Lin?"
Huo Yu was speaking but his fellow traveler remained motionless.
Sheng Lin turned around, grabbed Huo Yu’s wrist as he held the briefcase, and reached to snatch the case with his other hand. The foreign bodyguards around them realized something was wrong. One after another, they pulled out their guns.
Gunshots rang out. One of the armed foreign guards was shot in the head and fell to the ground.
The rest immediately realized there were ambush snipers and each sought cover to avoid being taken out by the hidden assailants before finding them first.
"Boss Huo, I don't know how you got guns on board, but it really took us great effort."
The speaker was Mu Chen. His sudden appearance surprised and angered Huo Yu, who had believed in him and ended up like this.
Magnificent fireworks blossomed over the sea. The deafening explosions contrasted vividly with the lively festivities on the cruise ship’s top deck, while fierce fighting continued on the lower stern deck.
They had to end this before the fireworks display finished.
One sentry after another fell. The snipers deserved credit, but more important was the coordination between Mu Chen and Sheng Lin. Soon, only Huo Yu remained standing on the deck. Only then did Mu Chen have a chance to glance at Sheng Lin.
Sheng Lin wiped the blood from his nose, prepared to subdue Huo Yu now that he was cornered, and took two steps forward. But his expression froze.
The punk had explosives on him set to go off on a timer.
Huo Yu smiled faintly. Seizing this chance, he flung the briefcase toward the ocean. Suddenly, a figure leapt up, climbed over the railing, and dove into the water after the case, grabbing hold of it tightly.
"Damn...that's my sister..."
Sheng Lin had tied Qin Wei up in the cabin, but it seemed Song Huan taught her too well and she knew how to escape.
Mu Chen gritted his teeth but could do nothing about it for now. What he and Sheng Lin had to deal with were the explosives.
With nearly two thousand people on board, this cruise ship could not withstand an explosion.
Qin Wei caught the briefcase and exerted all her strength to throw it toward her roommate floating below. Fortunately, she reacted quickly enough to catch the case steadily.
I always had decent arm strength...
But then her downward momentum toward the sea seemed to hitch.
"Song Huan?"
It was Song Huan who had grabbed her, one hand holding onto Qin Wei, the other clutching the railing. Her entire body dangled outside the ship with only her previously injured hand supporting them both.
"Song Huan let go..."
Qin Wei clenched her teeth, knowing Song Huan could never pull her up, especially not with an injured wrist making things even more difficult.
"Song Huan let go..."
"Song Huan let go..."
"Song Huan..."
Song Huan let go and watched the dazzling array of colorful fireworks in the sky as she plunged into the sea alongside Qin Wei.
This moment seemed to stretch on forever, but from grabbing the briefcase to the two of them falling into the water happened in less than half a minute.
The piercing cold seawater invaded their lungs, exactly like the scene in her dream. The fireworks faded away and everything returned to normal.
This time, it seemed neither wanted to leave...
"It ended?????"
Sun Tiantian screamed directly, grabbing her hair and shouting loudly,
"Who wrote this!! Stand out!! Who????"
"Stop yelling. I'll kick you out if you keep being noisy!"
Qiao Sixiao sat next to her and covered her ears, shooting Sun Tiantian a fierce glare.
Sun Tiantian was afraid of her and quieted down considerably.
But she still felt resentful and unsatisfied.
Nearly a year later, Sun Tiantian finally completed her studies. The day she graduated, she immediately packed up and rushed to catch a plane home.
After dozens of hours on the plane, as soon as she landed, she received this short story.
She also happened to meet Qiao Sixiao at the airport, who had just finished up work and returned home.
So she hitched a ride in Qiao Sixiao’s car heading back into the city together.
In the car, she read through the whole story and felt so upset she nearly cried.
"Who wrote this! Who??"
Sun Tiantian was still asking. Qiao Sixiao couldn’t be bothered and ignored her. Only Xiao Wang sitting in the passenger seat was crying.
[Xiao Wang’s Diary: Li Liang told me to read a tragedy story. After I finished it, I forwarded it to Grandmaster. I wanted to share it with Grandmaster. Logically speaking, only Li Liang, me and Grandmaster have read this story...So Grandmaster and everything are fake. Grandmaster is just a fan hiding behind Grandmaster’s identity while I am accidentally providing insider material to fans?
Tears fell on my phone screen, pit pit pat...]
"Stop asking. It's done with after reading it. Why do you care so much who the author is..."
After hearing Qiao Sixiao's words, Sun Tiantian felt she made some sense. She sighed, trying to calm herself down. Suddenly she recalled that there was indeed an industry cruise for New Year's Eve earlier this year. Could it be...
"So is this real?"
Sun Tiantian asked Qiao Sixiao.
Qiao Sixiao did not answer. Head lowered, she looked at the black velvet case she held in her arms. She opened the case. Inside was that expensive diamond crown.
Today's Qiao Sixiao dressed very low-key, in a white shirt and black windbreaker. Her makeup was almost non-existent.
"She had her heart set on this crown. I didn't want to fulfill her wish, but now...it belongs to her..."
Sun Tiantian’s expression grew solemn:
"So she..."
"Mm..."
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