As soon as I uttered the words "Quickly dock," the other three in the lifeboat gasped in unison.
"Ah!?"
After the exclamation, Cheng Minglang, the first to recover, immediately looked at me and asked, "Going against the grain?"
I remained silent, offering only a knowing smile.
Seeing this, Cheng Minglang also smiled, understanding dawning on his face.
When it came to tacit understanding, Cheng Minglang, who had followed me since Anhai, indeed possessed the deepest connection with me.
He had already guessed the true intention behind my action.
Noticing that Han Jinlun and Zhu Wenjing beside us were still bewildered, I lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then looked at them, asking, "Where is it safest?"
"On shore!" Han Jinlun and Zhu Wenjing blurted out without hesitation.
"Exactly! And where is it most dangerous?"
"On the river!"
Nodding, I replied in a deep voice, "The reason for a change is that it happens suddenly and without many uncontrollable factors!"
"While we are doing our utmost to escape, aren't Shen Lingyu and the others also trying their best to intercept and capture us?"
"Before the cruise ship docks, even if she had already made arrangements and ambushed people on the shore, so what?"
"With such a vast dock and shoreline, I refuse to believe there isn't a single gap to escape through!"
"Shen Lingyu said that only to bluff me, to force me not to dare to dock!"
"If she disembarks from the cruise ship before me, while I remain on the river, all tonight's efforts would truly be in vain!"
"Therefore, let's hurry up and row towards the shore!"
After hearing my complete explanation, the three of them, Cheng Minglang, Han Jinlun, and Zhu Wenjing, all agreed.
Following this, the four of us began to perform our respective duties, rowing ceaselessly towards the shore...
About ten minutes later.
After circling around to the bottom of a reef, perfectly evading the sight of the cronies who were clustered near the dock, keeping watch, this cruise ship journey finally came to a complete end.
The moment my feet touched the ground, the taut string in my heart finally relaxed completely.
Although the cruise ship journey was extremely perilous, and it had thoroughly alienated me from Ying Baolin, I had still reaped some unexpected gains.
For instance: the half of the Qian Wang Ling, which I had tirelessly searched for but never found...
And the secrets behind the Qian Wang Ling, as well as Uncle Tuo's two other potential adversaries.
However, the prime culprit who orchestrated the scheme to cripple Uncle Tuo, Fan YinXin, was something they spoke of with extreme fear, refusing to utter a word.
But fortunately, regarding the matter of the Qian Wang Ling, I now had a clear plan in mind, and no longer needed to be trapped in the eye of the storm that was Wenzhou.
Next, it was time to set a clear target and blow the horn of revenge!
Just like Liu Huaqiang in "Conquest" avenging his brother Liu Huawen, since I wasn't sure who my enemies were...
Then I would deal with them one by one, finding them all!
But what I didn't expect was that before I could even leave Wenzhou to embark on the path of revenge, I encountered a thorny, major problem.
To deal with me, Ying Baolin had meticulously exploited the cruise ship's engine room malfunction, turning me into a "bad guy" who couldn't see the light of day!
...
What happened last night was destined to ferment into a huge piece of news in Wenzhou's underground gambling circles.
And this news was first seen by Han Jinlun, who was always eager for gossip, when he turned on the television early the next morning.
Woken by the sound of the television, my heart skipped a beat as I heard the anchor reporting on the disturbance that had occurred on the cruise ship the previous night.
Subsequently, all my sleepiness vanished.
The impeccably dressed anchor was speaking eloquently to the camera.
"Last night, the 'Tianbao' sightseeing cruise ship belonging to our city's renowned entrepreneur Mr. Ying Baolin experienced a major malfunction just as it was about to dock."
"During the ensuing minor tourist disturbance, several tourists sustained minor injuries of varying degrees."
"Upon self-inspection by the cruise ship's management, signs of deliberate sabotage were discovered in the engine room of the 'Tianbao'号, prompting the management to immediately report to the police."
"Upon receiving the report, the police dispatched officers to the scene without delay."
"It is understood that after assessment by relevant technical personnel, the initial estimated damage to the equipment and instruments in the engine room of the 'Tianbao'号 is in the range of three million."
"The exact amount will be determined only after all damaged equipment and instruments have been sent for inspection and relevant inspection reports are available."
"According to the management of the 'Tianbao'号 cruise ship, the engine room sabotage incident last night was an act of retaliation by a commercial competitor. The police have now preliminarily identified three fugitives, namely..."
"Anyone who knows the whereabouts of these three suspects can call the tip-off hotline below this news report."
After the morning news, I couldn't help but be shocked.
A true gentleman does not act out of petty motives, and a man of resolve is not without ruthlessness!
Ying Baolin... he's truly ruthless!
Setting aside the veracity of the engine room damage reported in this news, he chose to call the police after tearing down the facade but failing to apprehend me.
To be honest, Ying Baolin, as a big shot, was playing a game that was too sinister, too dirty, and too undignified!
When we fled overnight, Han Jinlun had solemnly assured me that he had only shut down a few devices in the engine room, and there was no question of sabotage.
As for the first sailor who discovered the anomaly, he probably assumed that all the equipment had been destroyed upon seeing the pried-open engine room door, and he certainly didn't go inside to check the situation carefully.
Once irresponsible rumors were spread, the situation completely spiraled out of control.
Especially after I escaped from my predicament, Ying Baolin, enraged, decisively chose to play along with the situation.
If I'm not mistaken, the equipment in the engine room was most likely sabotaged by his own men, who were crying foul!
The purpose was to smear my name and make me take the blame!
And now, this objective had been achieved.
Although I had escaped the cruise ship, in the blink of an eye, I had become a criminal suspect who couldn't see the light of day.
There was absolutely no possibility of clearing my name.
At least within the Wenzhou region, there was no hope or possibility whatsoever!
As I was thinking this, the phone on my bedside table suddenly vibrated repeatedly.
Picking it up, I saw it was Yu Shuang calling.
As soon as I answered, she got straight to the point: "Chen Xiang, shall we cooperate?"
Without needing to guess, I knew that the Queen Bee had surely figured things out and had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by Yun Jin, whom she considered her prey.
She had no reason not to pay attention to the gambling competition held on the Tianbao cruise ship yesterday.
As a participant in the 1999 Qian Wang competition, Yu Shuang would naturally recognize Fan YinXin and Hua Liang.
As soon as she saw either of these two, Yu Shuang would definitely be able to deduce many things from this information.
She had the ability and the brains for it.