Chapter 207: Finally Back in Modu
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Chao’er, are we going to Modu tomorrow?” Li Yang leaned on the cruise ship’s railing, gazing at the distant azure sea and sky.
“Yeah, we’ll arrive in Modu tomorrow morning. You’ll have plenty of time to prepare for your wedding ceremony,” Zhou Chao replied, also leaning against the railing and looking into the distance.
“That’s great! I’ll count on you for everything when the time comes,” Li Yang said with eager anticipation.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Bieber takes care of all the arrangements,” Zhou Chao reassured, patting Li Yang’s arm with a smile.
“Okay!” Li Yang nodded in agreement.
“All right, Big Bro, let’s head inside. The sea breeze is a bit chilly this early morning,” Zhou Chao suggested as he started walking toward the cabin. Li Yang followed suit.
“Hey, you two are up! What were you chatting about? You seem so excited!” Li Yang was curious about what the two women, Jiang Li and Shen Lan, were discussing.
“Yeah, tell us. What’s got you so happy?” Li Yang wanted to know what topic had them in such high spirits.
“Brother Chao, let me tell you. Just now, Sister Lan told me that Li Yang… Uh… Sister Lan… 1 won’t say it!” Jiang Li was about to spill the beans but was muffled by Shen Lan’s hand.
“No, I didn’t say anything. It’s not what you think,” Shen Lan quickly denied with a triple nod.
Zhou Chao glanced at the two women seated on the sofa, then at Li Yang, and whispered, “Big Bro, do you think we’ll have any secrets left between us in the future?”
“Most likely not,” Li Yang replied in a hushed tone.
“These days ahead will be interesting,” Zhou Chao sighed deeply.
“You better be careful!” Li Yang chuckled mischievously.
“It’s you who should be careful!” Zhou Chao retorted with a sly look.
“What are you two whispering about over there?” The two women, having resolved their inner issue, now directed their attention to the two men still standing at the door. Zhou Chao and Li Yang were talking quietly, and they asked loudly.
“Nothing, we didn’t say anything!” Li Yang hastily replied, looking just like a rabbit with big ears.
“Big Bro, where’s your manly spirit? How come you’re acting like this?” Zhou Chao teased, looking at Li Yang.
“Second Brother, you don’t know how fierce your sister-in-law can be. I just hope I can get out of bed tomorrow!” Li Yang seemed to recall some unpleasant memory, wearing a dispirited expression.
“Ahem, Big Bro, you really need to work out more!” Zhou Chao commented before sitting down next to Jiang Li.
“Tsk, you’re the one who needs exercise! Ah, it hurts!” Li Yang tried to retort but felt a sharp pain in his waist.
“Stop it, don’t reveal everything!” Shen Lan blushed and playfully scolded, giving him a playful pinch.
“I… I didn’t say anything! Ouch… that hurts!”
“Haha, stop it, you two!” Seeing Li Yang and Shen Lan, who were quite mischievous, Zhou Chao and Jiang Li laughed heartily, bending over in amusement.
The group of friends had a playful moment in the living room.
“You guys take a rest. I need to attend to some matters,” Zhou Chao said as he checked his watch; it was almost 10:30 AM.
“Yeah, go ahead,” Jiang Li replied without asking why Zhou Chao needed to go. She nodded and continued chatting with Shen Lan.
Li Yang, on the other hand, looked at Zhou Chao with hopeful eyes, wanting to accompany him. Zhou Chao could only give him a look that said, “You’re on your own,” before leaving the room.
Once outside the room, Zhou Chao followed a winding path until he reached the captain’s cabin. Just as he was about to enter, he was stopped by a foreign crew member.
“Sir, the captain’s cabin is off-limits to outsiders.”
“Go and fetch Bieber for me. 1 need to see him,” Zhou Chao spoke in fluent English, coupled with his assertive tone. The sailor hesitated for a moment and then turned to go inside.
After a short while, Zhou Chao heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.
“Oh, boss! If you needed to see me, you could have just given me a call. Why did you come to find me in person?” Captain Bieber, accompanied by the first officer and the second officer, appeared at the door.
“Let’s discuss it inside,” Zhou Chao gestured, and they entered the captain’s cabin.
“Boss, is there something important you want to discuss with me?” Bieber looked puzzled.
“Yeah, since we’re heading to Modu tomorrow, it turns out my good friend is getting married the day after tomorrow. I’m thinking of arranging the wedding on the ship. Can it be done?” Zhou Chao’s main concern was confirming whether it was possible to hold the wedding on the ship. If the issue was due to a large number of guests, he needed to plan accordingly.
“Boss, it’s absolutely no problem. We’ve disembarked a significant number of passengers on Hong Kong Island, and when we reach Modu, we’ll have even more passengers disembarking. In the end, we’ll have less than 500 people on board, so the ship can easily accommodate your needs. Even if there were two or three thousand guests, it wouldn’t be a problem!”
“All right, I understand. Just make the necessary arrangements when the time comes,” Zhou Chao said as he patted Bieber’s shoulder. He then gave a meaningful look to Bieber and the others behind him before leaving.
“What does the boss mean?” The second officer didn’t quite understand the significance of Zhou Chao’s final expression and asked curiously.
“Just focus on doing your own job and don’t ask too many questions. If 1 find out anyone has any bad intentions, they’ll be packing their bags and leaving. Do you understand?” Bieber’s deep voice resonated throughout the captain’s cabin, leaving everyone present with a heightened sense of alertness.
“Understood!”
“Okay, everyone, get back to your tasks!” Bieber said, then turned and went to sit at the helm.
The rest of the crew members dispersed, returning to their respective duties and getting busy.
As Zhou Chao left the captain’s cabin and headed towards his room, he passed by the swimming pool. There, he noticed Liu Xu and Charles sunbathing on lounge chairs. Zhou Chao and Liu Xu made eye contact for a moment, but he soon averted his gaze and continued on his way to his room.
“This person is quite interesting,” Charles remarked.
“Indeed,” they both agreed and then continued to soak up the sun in silence.
When Zhou Chao returned to his room, Jiang Li and Shen Lan were still chatting as if there were endless topics to discuss between them. Meanwhile, Li Yang was already sprawled on the sofa, engrossed in his smartphone, unaffected by the two women’s conversation.
“Second brother, you’re finally back!” Li Yang happily jumped up from the sofa.
“What’s got you so excited? Share it with us so we can be happy too!” Shen Lan and Jiang Li also turned their gaze towards Li Yang.
“You came back, so now I can go eat! I’m starving… Haha!” Li Yang quickly found an excuse to eat, as he didn’t want to admit that he found the women’s conversation boring. After all, he didn’t want to end up with even more chores to do later!
“Alright, let’s go eat then!” Zhou Chao looked at the time; it was almost mealtime. He turned to the two women and suggested.
The group then left the room, took the elevator to the dining area, and Shen Lan ordered several substantial dishes, all meant for nourishment. Li Yang’s stomach growled loudly upon seeing the food, making everyone laugh.
“Alright, let’s eat!” Zhou Chao said, and they enjoyed their meal for nearly half an hour. Shen Lan kept piling Li Yang’s plate with food that was good for his health, which made Zhou Chao and Jiang Li chuckle. When they finished, they returned to their rooms.
The next morning, Zhou Chao woke up early for his morning workout. As he looked out, he saw the unmistakable skyline of Modu in the distance.
“Big Bro, we’ve arrived in Modu!” Zhou Chao observed the tall skyscrapers rising on the horizon..