Jingshan led Chen Fan and the other person to a cabin door, pushed it open, and said, "Mr. Kuma, you can settle in here first. Once there are vacant rooms, I'll arrange them for you."
"Okay, thank you, Mr. Jingshan!" Kuma Baiming said.
Jingshan bowed again and said, "Mr. Kuma, you are Jingshan's friend. This is a small matter, not worth mentioning!"
"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 room, and due to being on a cruise ship, the space felt somewhat cramped. www.novelbuddy.com
"Mr. Chen, the timing was rather rushed. This was the only way to board without leaving a trace," Kuma Baiming quickly explained to Chen Fan.
Chen Fan placed his suitcase on the bed and asked, "Whose ship is this?"
Chen Fan asked.
"This ship is not domestic. China doesn't have cruise ships this large. It's managed by Sakurajima's Hamasaki Shipping Company and owned by the Mitsui Group of Sakurajima," Kuma Baiming said.
"The Mitsui Group?"
After meeting Jingshan, this wasn't a surprising revelation.
Watanabe Kaiming returning to Sakurajima on this cruise ship was too much of a coincidence.
"Are you on good terms with Jingshan?" Chen Fan asked again.
Kuma Baiming nodded and said, "He visits Tianjin frequently. Once, when he was disembarking for tourism, he got into trouble, and I helped him out. That's how we became friends."
"He doesn't know your identity."
"You came in a hurry, and while booking tickets was still possible, I felt boarding this way would be more discreet. They said to conceal your identity as much as possible, so I took the liberty. I hope Mr. Chen doesn't blame me."
"Also, I'll be staying on the ship. If anything comes up, I can assist Mr. Chen."
Chen Fan looked at Kuma Baiming a bit longer upon hearing this.
Kuma Baiming knew his identity, so his small calculations were clear.
By using this opportunity to host Chen Fan well and handle matters efficiently, Kuma Baiming could ascend to the heavens.
Of course, he didn't mind this minor ambition. Kuma Baiming staying here would indeed be much more convenient.
He waved his hand and said, "This is fine. But we don't have ship tickets. Will our activities on the ship be restricted?"
"I'll find a way," Kuma Baiming said. "With some money, I can get access to many areas through Jingshan."
"Moreover, I know more than just Jingshan on this cruise ship; I have several other friends as well."
He said, "I grew up around the docks. I used to occasionally sneak friends onto ships."
Chen Fan chuckled, "You stay here."
He opened his suitcase, took out a miniature earpiece, and handed it to Kuma Baiming, saying, "I'll contact you if anything comes up."
Seeing the firearms in the suitcase, Kuma Baiming's expression turned serious. He dared not ask further and quickly nodded.
Chen Fan walked to the door and rubbed his face vigorously. His entire appearance and demeanor had changed significantly.
If someone unfamiliar saw him, they definitely wouldn't recognize him.
He opened the cabin door and walked out along the corridor.
Two crew members approached him. Upon seeing Chen Fan, they didn't seem particularly surprised, but rather smiled at him.
Clearly, bringing people into crew cabins without authorization, like Jingshan did, wasn't uncommon. Most crew members were aware of such things.
Chen Fan went directly to the end of the corridor. After turning a corner, he entered a hall with four elevators.
A luxurious cruise ship with twelve decks naturally required elevators for easy transit.
On the hall wall hung a diagram of the ship's layout.
Chen Fan stood beneath the diagram and studied it for a few moments, committing it to memory.
Then, he entered an elevator.
Perhaps because the ship hadn't set sail yet, there were only a few tourists in the elevator, no crew members.
They soon reached the ninth floor.
According to the layout he had memorized, Chen Fan headed for Du Fumin's cabin.
However, after passing through the hall, the corridor where Du Fumin's cabin was located had access control, requiring a room card to enter.
There was a bar in this hall, offering drinks and beverages, and also security personnel.
Chen Fan casually approached the bar and said to the attendant behind it, "Hello, I'm a friend of Mr. Du Shao from room 9199. Mr. Du asked me to find him. Could you please open the door for me to enter?"
"I'm sorry, sir. This is a VIP area, and we cannot let anyone in casually. It's best if you call your friend."
"It's like this, Mr. Du's mobile phone might not be with him, so it's hard to get through right now. Could you please help me out?"
Chen Fan gave a smile, his voice deep yet gentle and magnetic.
The waitress glanced at Chen Fan's face, her expression showing hesitation.
"I actually arranged to meet Mr. Du as soon as I arrived," Chen Fan said with a smile.
"I'll make a call for you. May I ask your surname?"
"Chen!" Chen Fan replied.
The waitress picked up the landline and dialed the room's number.
The phone rang with a "beeping" sound, but no one answered for a long time.
"I'm sorry, it seems Mr. Du isn't in his room!"
Chen Fan couldn't help but be surprised.
He thanked the waitress and left the VIP area on that floor, heading to the tenth floor.
This floor was the shopping area and specialty dining area.
As a luxury cruise ship, each floor had restaurants and some recreational facilities.
Du Fumin not being in his room, Chen Fan wondered if he was out on business or perhaps not on the ship at all.
He wandered around casually, noting that many areas required a room card for entry. Chen Fan's gaze swept over the tourists.
On the deck of the eleventh floor, his attention landed on a woman.
The woman was dressed impeccably, standing on the observation deck, gazing at the sea. Her makeup was exquisite, her long hair danced in the wind, and she possessed an extraordinary aura.
Chen Fan walked over. As he passed a snack stall, he casually picked up a fork and hid 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 a distance. "I'm sorry, I refuse all approaches!"
The woman's appearance was quite cool and detached. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, with a slender figure. She wore a beige trench coat, exuding an intellectual charm.
Chen Fan smiled, "Beautiful lady, I don't mean anything else. I thought you might be lonely watching the seascape by yourself. Let me show you a magic trick to make you smile!"
The woman let out a scoff, her expression disdainful.
Chen Fan spread his hands, indicating he had nothing, and then with a swift movement, a fork appeared in his hand.
The woman became even more dismissive, unwilling to comment.
Chen Fan didn't mind. He held the fork, covering it with his other hand.
In a flash, the tines of the fork bent, transforming into a simple rose.
The woman was stunned for a moment, then still scoffed coldly.
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 fork.
The woman finally showed a look of surprise.
Chen Fan changed his technique again, twisting the steel wires together, forming a lifelike rose with multiple layers.
"What do you think, can this bring a smile to your face?"
Chen Fan offered the steel rose, saying, "How about I give it to you?"
"Sorry, I don't want it."
The woman was a little surprised but didn't hesitate to refuse.
"Then I apologize for disturbing you. I hope I haven't caused 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 felt that Chen Fan had an unusual aura, unlike those street magicians.
But she couldn't be bothered to think too much about it.
Chen Fan walked towards the elevator, and with a flip of his hand, a room card appeared.
He glanced at it; it was indeed a room card for the VIP area on the ninth floor, room number 9188.
Holding the room card, he took the elevator to the ninth floor and swiped the card at the access control, entering the VIP area.
He arrived outside Du Fumin's cabin, raised his hand, and released a burst of internal energy, disabling the camera.
After listening briefly outside the door, he heard no one inside. Du Fumin was indeed not in his room.