The inn was very small, with worn-out decor, and a pervasive smell of cooking oil from inside to outside. Louder than the nearby sound of the waves was the next door’s passionate bed creaking.
The walls of the inn were thin, with almost no soundproofing. The foreign big brothers really were quite fierce. Zong Yuan couldn’t hear anything other than the noise from next door even after finishing supper.
Zong Yuan tapped on the wall, reminding the person next door to keep it down. In his own room, he could easily find a large supply of condoms just by rummaging around, reflecting how, just as he was left with only money, this inn was left with only condoms.
So far, there has been no activity on his phone. Zong Yuan scrolled through his phone contacts; whoever he tried to contact, the fastest person to arrive here would still be tomorrow. He had decided to return to his home country by sea alone—for one, to avoid arousing suspicion, collaborating covertly with Eldest Young Master Hou, and two, for the rewards upon completing the mission.
As 0046 had mentioned, the more successful he was in completing the task on his own, the greater the rewards. His brother could have more days to live. If he relied on others to complete the task, he was afraid he would waste a whole task world for nothing.
The sea breeze was refreshing, the waves roaring. Workers were loading goods onto the ship. Zong Yuan found a passenger about to board and, relying on his charm (and wallet), bought a boarding pass from him.
This ship was a passenger-cargo ship with two cargo holds, capable of carrying 150 to 400 people, three decks in total. Not to mention a hundred bedrooms, there were also numerous dining and entertainment areas.
Although not an extremely large ship, this type of ship that anyone could board was just right for Zong Yuan.
The ship would depart in just over an hour. A crew member led Zong Yuan to his room, giving a brief introduction to the locations of various areas along the way. “Sir, on the night of departure, which is tonight, we will hold a banquet in the main hall on the first floor. Many beautiful young ladies will attend. If you have time, please join us. It will surely be a night of revelry.”
Zong Yuan smiled, “Oh, really?”
The crew member nodded, continuing to tell Zong Yuan about the “joy” gained from previous banquets until he stopped when Zong Yuan opened the door to his room. “Sir, it’s still early. Do you need me to bring you breakfast?”
The crew member’s job did not include delivering meals; passengers usually went to the restaurant. However, if the guest was willing to include a tip, that was a different story.
Zong Yuan gave him some tips. He indeed hadn’t had time to have breakfast yet. “I like meat and congee. See you later.”
The room he bought was in a remote location, deep within the depths. Perhaps it would be a bit inconvenient to go elsewhere, but for Zong Yuan, this room was just right to save him some trouble.
He carried a dark-colored backpack. Ocean voyages took longer, but fortunately, cargo passenger ships were faster than purely passenger ships, and luggage was essential.
He placed the bag down, and as he tossed his phone onto the bed, it began to vibrate. Zong Yuan skillfully opened the message, accompanied by a photo. It was the outline symbol of this ship. The brother who had been chasing him said, “Let me guess, is it this ship?”
Zong Yuan opened the window to admire the morning seaside view. “0046, when do you think he’ll find my room?”
0046 was about to give him an encouraging response when Zong Yuan already mumbled to himself, “Or should I just tell him directly?” Even though he said that, he still typed a message, “No, sir, you’d better give up looking for me. Clingy and clumsy gentlemen don’t appeal to me.”
He looked out through the small window. The advantages and disadvantages of this room were all due to its location. Although it was far from various functional areas, the view from the window could be described as the most beautiful angle.
The crew quickly brought food. When he requested more meat, they prepared a sandwich with extra meat slices and bacon, along with coffee. The crew was concerned that this tall and big passenger might not be satisfied, so they filled an entire tray with just sandwiches.
Zong Yuan thanked the enthusiastic crew.
He finished his breakfast before remembering his phone. Two messages had arrived ten minutes ago. One was from Eldest Young Master Hou. The usually reserved person sent him a message that exceeded fifteen words this time, “Pay attention to your safety. I’ve sent someone to wait for you at the first stop in Haikou on the route. Ah-Yuan, don’t be reckless. Whether it’s the Zong family, the company, or me, we can’t do without you.”
Zong Yuan replied, “You hurry up and go to sleep.”
After replying to Eldest Young Master Hou, he opened the second message from the person chasing him. It was very much in his style, “I’ll kill you on the ship.”
This person had said the same thing last time. Zong Yuan couldn’t be bothered to reply, so he wrapped himself in the blanket and took a nap.
At the boarding gate, several crew members were doing final checks. The passengers had hurriedly boarded the ship, and the crowd gradually thinned out. Just as they turned their backs for inspection, a dark figure flashed across the deck. One of the crew members asked his companions strangely, “Strange, did you see something just now? Was it a passenger?”
His companions shook their heads, “We didn’t see anything, Tom. You must have been mistaken.”
Chi Xu lowered his hat and walked into the crowded and noisy corridor. A middle-aged couple next to him was chattering, “None of the rooms next to ours have guests. I’m not satisfied with the smell in our room.”
“Changing rooms is so troublesome, and we don’t know if we have to pay extra.”
…
Chi Xu quietly followed them. When he saw them enter their room, he walked past two rooms and stopped at the door of a corner room. He listened to the sounds inside. When the cleaning staff passed by pushing a cleaning cart, he called her, “Clean this room.”
His demeanor was tough, and whether it was his all-black attire or his tightly covered face, he looked intimidating. The cleaning staff dared not look too much, trembling, she picked up her cleaning tools and quickly swiped the card to open the door for cleaning.
The room was tidy, but the cleaning staff wasn’t surprised. Many guests with cleanliness preferences often requested them to clean again in public. The cleaning was done quickly. “S-Sir, could you please have a look?”
Chi Xu nodded, watching the cleaning staff hastily leave the bedroom.
Chi Xu prepared his weapon. Zong Yuan already knew he was dressed in black. His gaze quickly swept around the room, finally settling on the bathrobe carefully placed on the bedside table. He recalled his employer’s words, “Honey trap…”
Tsk.
0046 didn’t know whether to say Zong Yuan was fearless or just confident. It watched in silence as Zong Yuan slept until the afternoon, then saw him take a shower, change clothes, and get ready to go out. “What do you want to do? It’s too dangerous outside!”
“Hush,” Zong Yuan earnestly put his index finger in front of his lips. “Dear, who told you it’s always safe to stay in the room? Is it dangerous to show your head outside?”
“Don’t call me dear,” 0046 coldly rejected. “You old man.”
The old man, Zong Yuan, strolled leisurely toward the restaurant. It was already past mealtime, but the restaurant was still crowded. Zong Yuan casually paid attention to the people around him. His unique temperament made him stand out, and people who couldn’t blend into the crowd always caught others’ attention.
Even if he hadn’t seen what the person looked like, Zong Yuan was confident he could recognize him.
As men and women in swimsuits, wrapped in bathrobes, passed by him, forming a beautiful scene, Zong Yuan received a text message: “A good man should appreciate beauty by the pool.”
Zong Yuan casually replied, “Seduction?”
In the bedroom, Chi Xu, wrapped in a bathrobe out of a sense of duty, turned black. He fiercely hammered his right hand against the wall, muttering, “Damn it.” Amidst the intense rolling anger and murderous intent, he received another message, “I’ll come, but let’s be clear, big brother likes perky buttocks.”
Damn it!
If only there were any other options!
If he wasn’t worried that Zong Yuan would call for help, damn it, if Zong Yuan didn’t have a phone, he could have tortured him to death instead of playing cat and mouse for these three days.
He would let him die in fear and suspicion.
Zong Yuan waited for two minutes without a reply. He sighed regretfully, reaching the point of being annoying. “Getting angry so quickly, really like a child.”
He got up and walked towards the open deck, saying before 0046 could stop him, “Shut up, 0046. Are you not interested in coming with me to see the little assassin’s honey trap?”
0046 opened the camera with itching curiosity, thinking, “After I record it, I’ll show it to your sweetheart. Let him see how his man is seduced by someone else. Zong Yuan, I can’t control you, and your sweetheart probably can’t either.”
On the ship, there was a sizable open-air swimming pool, always crowded with people throughout the day. Besides those who were in the water, there were also people, dressed as neatly as Zong Yuan, standing around the deck admiring the scenery and the figures of beautiful individuals.
A quick glance revealed nothing noteworthy except for the flesh-colored bodies and a variety of colorful swimsuits. Zong Yuan scanned the area roughly, “Not here?”
There was no one in there that he could notice at a glance. Leaning against the railing, he intended to wait a bit longer to see the little assassin’s tricks. Whatever he was up to, he had to make sure to remember him.
A middle-aged man with a protruding belly next to him nudged Zong Yuan and lewdly nodded towards the pool, “Friend, that beauty over there has been looking at you several times. She’s clearly interested in you.”
Zong Yuan: “Hmm, she’s beautiful, but I’m gay.”
The middle-aged man looked at him in surprise, then suddenly pointed to the opposite corner, “In that case, that gentleman over there is truly a perfect match for you. Both of you are Asians, and you both have handsome faces. Not to speak out of turn, but I believe that if it were you, no one would refuse.”
Zong Yuan followed the direction of the pointing finger. A man with black hair and black eyes stood inconspicuously in the corner. He wore a securely tied bathrobe, revealing only a fair and slender neck and ankles. At the moment, he was delicately sipping a drink, and his gaze didn’t sweep in their direction at all.
“He’s a beauty,” Zong Yuan nodded in appreciation and complimented the middle-aged man, “Your judgment is quite good.”
The middle-aged man rubbed his nose, looked at Zong Yuan, who remained motionless, and couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t you going over there?”
“Me, go over there?” Zong Yuan suddenly realized, then lazily leaned on the railing with an even more indifferent posture. “Perhaps you can go tell him – Zong Yuan is not a man who approaches handsome boys.”
He said the last sentence in Chinese.
The middle-aged man wore a puzzled expression, and there was an exclamation from the other side. The man they were just discussing had just crushed the wine glass they were talking about.
Author’s note:
Zong Yuan (with confidence): Just a little assassin, watch how I bully him.
Chi Xu (furious): You’re dead, for sure!
