Jingshan led Chen Fan and the other person to a cabin door. He pushed it open and said, "Xiong Sang, you two can settle in here for now. I'll arrange for more suitable rooms once they become available."
"Alright, thank you, Jingshan-kun!" Xiong Baiming replied.
Jingshan bowed again. "Xiong Sang, you are a friend of Jingshan's, so this small matter is nothing."
"Please enjoy your journey. If you need anything, you can find me in the manager's office at the end of this corridor." With that, Jingshan turned and left.
Chen Fan surveyed the room. It was a double occupancy cabin. Being on a cruise ship, the space was somewhat cramped.
"Mr. Chen, the arrangements were made in haste. This was the only way to board without leaving any trace," Xiong Baiming quickly explained to Chen Fan.
Chen Fan placed his suitcase on the bed and asked, "Whose ship is this?"
"This ship is not from our country. There are no cruise ships this large domestically. It is managed by the Hama Sakaki Shipping Company of Sakura Country and owned by the Mitsui Group of Sakura Country," Xiong Baiming said.
"Mitsui Group?" Having met Jingshan, this was not entirely unexpected. The fact that Watanabe Gui Ming was returning to Sakura Country on this cruise ship felt like too many coincidences.
"Are you and Jingshan on good terms?" Chen Fan asked again.
Xiong Baiming nodded. "He visits Tianjin often. One time, he got into trouble while disembarking for a tour, and I helped him resolve it. That's how we became friends."
"He is unaware of your identity."
"You arrived in a hurry. While booking tickets was still possible, I felt boarding this way would be more discreet. We were instructed to conceal our identities as much as possible, so I took the liberty to act on my own. I hope Mr. Chen doesn't mind."
"Furthermore, I will remain on the ship. If anything arises, I can assist Mr. Chen in handling it."
Chen Fan looked at Xiong Baiming a little longer. Xiong Baiming knew his identity, and therefore, his ulterior motives were clear. By seizing this opportunity to host Chen Fan well and handle matters efficiently, Xiong Baiming could elevate himself immensely by forging a connection with Chen Fan. Of course, Chen Fan didn't mind this small ambition. Having Xiong Baiming remain on board would indeed be more convenient.
Chen Fan waved his hand. "This is fine. However, we don't have ship tickets. Will our movement on the ship be restricted?"
"I'll find a way," Xiong Baiming replied. "With some money, I can get access passes to many areas from Jingshan. Moreover, I know more than just Jingshan on this cruise ship; I have several friends here."
He added, "I've been involved in activities around the docks. I've occasionally brought friends aboard secretly before."
Chen Fan chuckled. "You stay here." He opened his suitcase, took out a miniature earpiece, and handed it to Xiong Baiming. "I'll contact you if anything comes up."
Seeing firearms in the suitcase, Xiong Baiming's expression became serious. He didn't dare to ask further and quickly nodded.
Chen Fan walked to the door and rubbed his face vigorously. His appearance and demeanor had already changed considerably. Anyone not familiar with him would certainly not recognize him.
He opened the cabin door and walked down the corridor. Two crew members approached him. Seeing Chen Fan, they didn't seem surprised. Instead, they smiled at him. It was clear that allowing people like Jingshan to bring others into crew quarters was not uncommon; most crew members understood the situation.
Chen Fan went directly to the end of the corridor. After turning a corner, he entered a large hall with four elevators. A luxurious cruise ship with twelve decks naturally required elevators for easy passage. On the hall wall hung a deck plan of the ship. Chen Fan stood beneath the map, studying it for a few moments, memorizing it.
Then, he entered an elevator. Perhaps because the ship had not yet set sail, there were only a few tourists inside, no crew members. He soon arrived at the ninth floor.
Following the memorized layout, Chen Fan headed towards Du Fumin's cabin. However, after passing through the hall, the corridor where Du Fumin's cabin was located had an access control system, requiring a room card to enter.
Near the hall, there was a bar offering drinks and beverages, as well as security personnel. Chen Fan confidently walked to the bar and said to the attendant behind it, "Hello, I am a friend of Mr. Du in room 9199. Mr. Du asked me to find him. Could you please grant me access?"
"I'm sorry, sir. This is a VIP area, and we cannot allow unauthorized access. It would be best if you called your friend."
"The thing is, Mr. Du's mobile phone might not be with him, and it might take a while to get through. Could you help me out?" Chen Fan offered a smile, his voice low yet gentle and magnetic.
The female attendant glanced at Chen Fan's face, hesitating.
"We had arranged to meet. I was supposed to find him as soon as I arrived," Chen Fan said with a smile.
"Let me give him a call. May I have your surname, please?"
"Chen!" Chen Fan replied.
The attendant picked up the house phone and dialed the room. A dialing tone sounded, but no one answered for a long time.
"I'm sorry, it seems Mr. Du is not in his room!" Chen Fan expressed surprise. He thanked her and left the VIP area on that floor, heading to the tenth floor.
This floor was the shopping and specialty dining area. As a luxury cruise ship, each floor had restaurants and various entertainment and leisure facilities. Du Fumin not being in his room – was he out on business, or not on the ship at all?
He wandered casually. Many areas required a room card for entry. Chen Fan's gaze swept over the various tourists.
On the deck of the eleventh floor, his attention fell upon a woman. She was elegantly dressed, standing on the observation deck gazing at the sea. Her makeup was exquisite, her long hair fluttered in the wind, and she possessed an unusual aura.
Chen Fan walked over. As he passed a snack stall, he casually picked up a fork and concealed it in his hand. He approached the railing and said with a smile, "Beautiful lady, are you alone?"
The woman glanced at Chen Fan, rolled her eyes, and took two steps back, maintaining her distance. "I'm sorry, I refuse any advances!" Her expression was rather cold. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, with a slender figure, wearing a beige trench coat that exuded an intellectual charm.
Chen Fan smiled. "Beautiful lady, I didn't mean anything by it. I thought it might be lonely to watch the sea alone, so I wanted to show you a magic trick to make you smile!"
The woman scoffed, her expression disdainful. Chen Fan spread his hands, showing he held nothing, then with a flick of his wrist, a fork appeared in his hand. The woman's disdain grew, and she didn't bother to comment. Chen Fan, unperturbed, held the fork, covering it with his other hand. In a blink of an eye, the prongs of the fork bent and twisted, transforming into a simple rose.
The woman was taken aback, but she still sneered. Chen Fan smiled. "This is just the beginning. The real show is yet to come." He held the tip of the fork, and without any apparent effort, the tip began to lengthen and bifurcate.
The woman finally showed a look of surprise. Chen Fan's technique shifted again, the steel wires intertwining to form a lifelike rose with multiple layers.
"So, can this bring a smile to your face?" Chen Fan offered the steel rose, "How about I give it to you?"
"I'm sorry, I don't want it." The woman, though surprised, shook her head without hesitation.
"Then I apologize for disturbing you. I hope I haven't caused you any trouble." Chen Fan smiled, waved his hand, and turned to leave.
The woman shook her head, not particularly impressed by the magic trick. However, she found Chen Fan's demeanor somewhat unusual, not like a street magician. But she didn't bother to think too much about it.
Chen Fan walked towards the elevator. His palm flipped, and a room card appeared. He glanced at it; it was indeed a room card for the ninth-floor VIP area, room number 9188. With the card, he took the elevator to the ninth floor and, upon swiping the card at the access control, entered the VIP area.
Outside Du Fumin's room, he raised his hand, and with a burst of internal energy, disabled the camera. After a brief moment of listening at the door, he confirmed no one was inside. Du Fumin was indeed not in his room.