Cicada Moving

Chapter 605 Above the Ocean

ˆ 22°26\'00.00" North Latitude,

 Elongitude 114°12\'00.00".

 The temperature is 25 degrees and the weather is cloudy.

The French cruise ship Intrepon slowly docked at the pier of the Star Ferry Terminal in the port city. On the shore were countless citizens picking up and dropping off relatives and friends, small merchants who made a living from the pier, and small gangsters fishing in troubled waters.

Looking at the huge cruise ship coming to a stop, cheers resounded. Maritime accidents occurred frequently in this era. The tragedy of the Titanic more than 20 years ago is still before our eyes. Long-distance travel is very dangerous.

Nowadays, it is a normal reaction for people to be happy when they see their relatives, loved ones or friends arriving safely in the port city. As for merchants and gangsters, it is easier to understand why they are happy because they have made money.

 “Get out of the way, get out of the way.”

A group of young men in black yelled loudly in the crowd, pushing all those blocking the way to make way for a middle-aged man wearing a white suit, a top hat, and a civilized stick in his hand.

Amidst countless shouts and curses, the middle-aged man took off his sunglasses, looked up at the cruise deck and smiled. The two well-dressed young people beside him also breathed a sigh of relief.

This scene was captured by a pair of telescopes on the Untrepon. The owner of the telescope immediately put down his hand, walked to a sun umbrella not far away, and reported softly to a man who looked like a nobleman.

“I saw Section Chief Gu and the others, but no tracking personnel were found. Would you like me to pick them up at the boarding port and hand over the weapons and communication equipment to Wu Chunyang? There should be no security inspection next.”

“No need, I haven’t found out the background of the people on the ship yet. Let’s meet up at the restaurant in the evening. Lao Gu and they are not protected by diplomatic privileges and their identities must be kept secret.” Zuo Zhong said leisurely on the recliner.

　　After boarding the Intrepon from Shanghai, he enjoyed a rare moment of relaxation. He lived in a luxurious suite, drank champagne, and used public funds. His life was a hundred times more comfortable than in Aurous Ling.

The mission also went smoothly. Mao Yi, the director of the Gongxian Arsenal, is a new-style scholar who is easy to deal with. The two of them have a lot in common on many things, so the time on the road was not difficult.

Only the weapons and communication tools they carried almost had problems. The French captain resolutely refused to allow passengers to bring dangerous items on board, saying that he had learned the lesson from the Liuguo Hotel in Peking.

  Specially sissy.

　　This was something he had eaten himself. Zuo Zhong almost got angry. Fortunately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the French consulate and the stubborn old white man gave in. It was simply inexplicable.

This is not the **** 19th century. What madman would hijack a cruise ship on the sea and have no place to escape in the face of arrest? Would he want to paddle a small sampan and fight a battleship?

 “Okay, Deputy Director.”

Gui Youguang touched his bare forehead and walked back to the side of the ship to watch Gu Qi, Wu Chunyang and Shen Dongxin walk up the gangway under the guidance of the sailors, and quickly disappeared among the many boarding passengers.

Since the port city was only a temporary stopover for the Intrebon, a few hours later, the cruise ship set sail again amidst the cheers of everyone, heading towards Saigon, the French colony in Asia.

That night, in a luxurious restaurant, Zuo Zhong met Gucci, who had been separated for several days. The two did not speak or make eye contact. They only exchanged a small note as they passed each other.

There are hundreds of tourists and crew members on this ship. Any one of them may be a Japanese or German spy. They must be careful and keep a proper distance unless necessary.

As for weapons and communication equipment, there are always some corners of such a large ship that no one pays attention to. The handover can be completed without meeting. This is very simple for the elites of the Secret Service.

 A few days later, the cruise ship arrived in Saigon smoothly.

At this time, Annan was still in the feudal dynasty. The last emperor, Ruan Phuc Ho, married the queen last year. Of course, this had nothing to do with Zuo Chong, who was not interested in watching monkeys show their teeth.

The Untrepon stayed in Saigon for a few days and replenished some food, fresh water, coal and tropical fruits before continuing its journey, passing through Singapore and Colombo and entering the vast northern Indian Ocean.

From here on, all the passengers saw was the sea. Many people who took the boat for the first time gradually turned from the initial excitement to numbness, then to fear, and finally simply lay down on the bed.

In order to make everyone less bored and prevent people from getting bored and causing trouble, the ballroom and bar on the cruise ship are open all day and are available to guests in luxury suites and first and second class cabins.

 You mean the guests in third and fourth class cabins?

Go back to the bilge, you poor man.

 It was another boring day. The musicians played various musical instruments, and melodious music floated in the splendid ballroom. A dozen men and women in luxurious clothes danced in the center of the dance floor.

Not long after the song ended, nearby passengers smiled and clapped. Everything seemed so polite. Mao Yike and Zuo Zhong were among them. They clapped and chatted quietly.

“How about Deputy Director Zuo, that White Russian countess looked at you several times. This kind of down-and-out noble is most willing to spend the night with a young talent like you. In this way, you can be regarded as bringing glory to the country.”

Mao Yike, who was polite in appearance, was not polite in his words. He glanced around and stopped at a tall, fair-skinned woman. He raised his glass and nodded lightly towards her.

Listening to the other party's sarcastic remarks, Zuo Zhong took a sip of whiskey and cursed with a smile: "Brother Mao doesn't look like someone who went to university in Germany. Instead, he looks like an expert who has experienced in the red and pink formations in Paris." "Hahaha, that's what I said. That’s bad.”

Mao Yike over there shook his head and said proudly: "Everyone says that the Germans are serious and old-fashioned, but I don't think so. It's just that the Hans hide it better and prevent others from easily discovering it."

Zuo Zhong was a little helpless. He felt that if Xu Enzeng met the other person, he would definitely burn yellow paper and chop chicken heads to become brothers with different surnames. By the way, Xu Enzeng studied mechanical and electrical engineering at Carnegie University.

Could this be the secret attribute of engineering men?

The two laughed and chatted for a while. Zuo Chong saw that there was no one around and said in a low voice: "After passing the Djibouti Port, the next stop will be Istanbul, and the cruise will stay there for two days.

 The local situation is very complicated, and the relationship between the Tu Kingdom and the Republic of China is not harmonious. Director Mao tries to stay in the cabin as much as possible and does not walk around on the deck at will. I am afraid that the Japanese will take action there. "

 As soon as they met, he introduced the dangers of the trip to the other party, especially the threat posed by the Japanese. As the person in charge of the largest arsenal in the Republic of China, Mao Yi knew that this was not an unfounded worry.

Hearing what Zuo Zhong said, Mao Yike looked puzzled: "I understand. When we were studying abroad and returning home, the captain and crew also reminded us that Istanbul is really so dangerous?"

 “More dangerous than you think.”

Zuo Zhong replied categorically. Seeing that the other party did not understand, he patiently explained: "Istanbul is located at the junction of the Eurasian continent, and many spies and criminals choose to do business here.

In this city full of smuggling, conspiracy, murder, and deception, as long as you find the right person and have money, you can buy anything, including intelligence, medicine, guns, and even people.

Weapons experts like you, for example, are popular in the population market, because gangsters and anti-government elements need people to make and maintain firearms, and are willing to pay an attractive price. "

Mao Yi was horrified by what he heard. He considered himself not a nerd and had traveled to many countries while studying abroad, but this was the first time he had heard of such a place where all kinds of sins gathered together.

Mao Yi was terrified when he thought that when he returned to China, he was planning to disembark from the ship and see the exotic streets. If he had done so, he would probably be dead by now.

 “Brother Mao, I’m not an alarmist.”

Zuo Zhong patted the other party on the shoulder and stared at him: "We are a government mission, and our whereabouts are easy to find out. If I were Japanese, I would spend a sum of money to hire gunmen to kill you directly when we stop.

Without you as a weapons expert, we roughnecks would not know the authenticity and quality of the drawings. More importantly, killing you would be a heavy blow to the country's military equipment manufacturing industry.

So for safety reasons, please be sure to follow Zuo's instructions for the following itinerary. Food and drink must be inspected before entry. If you have offended me in any way, please forgive me. "

 “Okay, Mao understands.”

Mao Yi is not an unscrupulous person. For the famous secret service to be on standby, it means that the danger is imminent, and the gunman is probably waiting for him in Djibouti or Istanbul.

 So many years of study and work have taught him one thing, which is to respect professionals and never give in to areas you don’t understand, especially when life is at stake.

Zuo Zhong said something, and saw that Mao Yike's reaction didn't seem to be fake, so he felt relieved a little. He was glad that he didn't meet the kind of protection target who knew there was danger and still had to run around.

If he meets such a person, then he can implement the second plan, directly lock the person in the cruise ship room, and wait until Marseille to release the person. It is better to be blackmailed by the other party than to fail the mission.

Just as he was thinking about it, Mao Yike asked furtively: "Deputy Director Zuo, should we transfer to other ships in Djibouti? There are many Australian cruise ships passing by there, and the Japanese would never think of it."

"Don't go to such trouble. From today on, everyone will change rooms randomly every morning, as long as Director Mao doesn't dislike the first and second class cabins." Zuo Zhong thought of Zhang Jingyao and decided to follow suit.

 “Don’t despise, don’t despise.”

Mao Yike quickly waved his hand and said with a smile that he had also experienced hard times. He used to fly third class to save money when going abroad, but now he is content to live in first and second class.

You don’t need to think about it to know that this is a polite statement. People who can study in Germany cannot be poor. It is just a difference between having a thousand acres of land at home or eight hundred acres of land. Otherwise, they can’t even afford a boat ticket.

Zuo Zhong had a drink with him and looked out the window at the cloudy sky and the curtains that were blown by the sea breeze. He thought that the rain was about to come, and the rest of the journey was destined to not be too peaceful.

In this tense atmosphere, the Untrepon passed Djibouti without incident, passed through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and then arrived in Istanbul through the narrow Dardanelles Strait.

When the cruise ship was close to the shore under the control of the tugboat, the setting sun fell on the Byzantine-style dome of the Blue Qingzhen Temple, and ancient and mysterious prayers could be vaguely heard from inside.

 The enthusiastic seagulls performed flying skills over the ship to their heart's content, while Zuo Zhong stood on the side of the ship, taking advantage of the last ray of sunshine to enjoy this city that had been conquered by countless powerful civilizations.

There are Easter eggs

 (End of this chapter)