Xiao Wu glanced down at the watch on his wrist.

There are about five minutes left until Qiujiang said "one hour later".

He stood in the corner of the deck, glancing occasionally toward the cabin.

Xia Jiang, who was sitting next to him, was chatting with some distant relatives with a polite smile on his face, completely unaware of Xiao Wu's absent-mindedness.

Xiao Wu hesitated for a few seconds, then gently patted Xia Jiang's shoulder and said in a low voice, "Xia Jiang, I'm going to the restroom. My stomach isn't feeling too good."

Xia Jiang turned to look at him and asked with concern, "Are you alright? Do you need some medicine?"

Xiao Wu quickly waved his hand and forced a smile: "No need, no need, you continue chatting with the guests, I can go by myself."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and quickly walked into the cabin.

He walked through the corridor, across the red-carpeted lobby, and pressed the down button at the elevator entrance.

The door opened, he went in, and pressed the "1st floor" button.

The elevator descended smoothly. After exiting on the first floor, he did not stop but continued walking down the stairs.

The stairs became narrower and dimmer as you went down, and the metal treads under your feet made a hollow sound when you stepped on them.

The air was filled with a faint smell of engine oil and damp rust.

He went down to the bottom floor, pushed open the heavy fire door, and a spacious area appeared before him: the boat hangar at the bottom of the ship.

Several lifeboats were secured to supports on both sides with cables. Some of the fluorescent tubes overhead were broken, and the remaining ones emitted a faint white light, casting a flickering shadow on the ground.

The entire space was empty and quiet, so quiet that he could hear his own breathing and heartbeat.

Xiao Wu stood there, frowning as he looked around. There was no one there.

He muttered to himself, "That's strange. Did I arrive too early?"

He took out his phone and checked the time. He was indeed early; there were still three minutes until the agreed time.

He thought for a moment and decided that since he was already here, he should wait a while.

So Xiao Wu walked to the wall next to him, put his hands in his pockets, and prepared to wait patiently for ten minutes.

He was completely unaware that, in the shadow of the stacked old lifeboats behind him, a man was slowly rising.

Tatsuo Hatamoto gripped his pistol, the silencer gleaming with a dull metallic sheen under the fluorescent lights.

He emerged from the shadows step by step.

His face was covered in sweat, his lips were dry, and his hand holding the gun was trembling slightly uncontrollably.

------------

Lin Shen was holding a camera, half-squatting by the pool, looking at Xiao Lan through the viewfinder.

Sunlight shone on the water, creating shimmering waves. The blue pool reflected Xiaolan's white dress, making the whole scene look exceptionally clean.

The weather was great, and there were hardly any people around the pool; the other guests were all gathered on the main deck chatting and drinking.

It's so quiet here that only the gentle lapping of the water can be heard, creating an absolutely perfect atmosphere for taking photos.

Lin Shen wasn't actually a professional photographer, but he had a hobby: looking at beautiful women.

And those beautiful women's photo albums.

He's seen a lot of pictures of beautiful women; he knows exactly which angles make legs look longer, which lighting makes skin look whiter, and which poses make you look more elegant!

So the photos turned out surprisingly well.

He even spent a lot of money to buy a professional SLR camera from a guest just now, all for the sake of taking better photos.

The guy was taking pictures of the sea view on the boat when Lin Shen threw a wad of cash at him. Without saying a word, the guy shoved the camera, lens and all, into his hand.

Xiaolan sat on a white beach chair, her skirt draped naturally down her calves.

"This won't do, it's too casual and lacks aesthetic appeal. Come on... let me straighten it for you!" Lin Shen walked over, squatted down, and reached out to straighten her skirt.

Then, she casually lifted the side of her skirt slightly, revealing a section of her long, slender, fair calves and half of her thighs.

He took a half step back, looked around, and adjusted the angle of the skirt so that her long legs were positioned perfectly in the shot, looking both natural and flattering. Satisfied, he said, "This angle is perfect!!"

Xiaolan's face flushed instantly. She instinctively tried to pull her skirt back, muttering softly, "President... this... isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Lin Shen replied without looking up, "What's wrong with it? It's great!"

"With such long and beautiful legs, we should take more pictures of them now."

"Otherwise, when you get old, you won't be able to take any more photos."

Xiao Lan thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case. Although she was still a little shy, she didn't stop him anymore and obediently maintained that pose so that Lin Shen could continue taking pictures.

After taking a few photos, Lin Shen walked over and gently adjusted the thin strap on Xiao Lan's shoulder, causing it to slide down slightly, revealing her beautiful collarbone and rounded shoulders.

Xiaolan's face flushed even more, but what she felt most was the joy of being appreciated!

As for being shy, she doesn't feel too shy.

After all, taking various kinds of photoshoots is very popular in Japanese society nowadays.

While others were still taking photos in their underwear, she was only showing her legs and shoulders, which was already considered very conservative!

Moreover, this wasn't the first time the two had been this close, and she didn't feel there was anything inappropriate about it!

Lin Shen stepped back behind the viewfinder and said, "Stay in that position and don't move. I'll take your picture!"

As he spoke, he started snapping photos.

He frequently changed angles to take more photos.

After taking hundreds of photos, I finally managed to take one that looked good.

Just as the atmosphere was pleasant, a series of hurried footsteps and a panting shout suddenly came from afar: "President Lin!!!! Something terrible has happened!"

Conan ran out from the other end of the corridor, his bow tie askew, and he was completely out of breath.

Upon hearing Conan's voice, Ran felt a sudden panic. She hurriedly pulled her slipped bra strap back into place and quickly straightened her skirt, her face flushing red and then turning pale, just like a child caught red-handed.

Lin Shen put down his camera, turned to look at Conan, his expression calm, and asked in a composed tone, "Hmm? What happened?"

Conan ran up to him, put his hands on his knees, and took several deep breaths.

He didn't even care about Xiaolan's condition; he just looked up and said in an urgent tone, "Murder!! Xiaowu killed someone!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Shen paused slightly in his hand holding the camera.

He frowned, his tone tinged with surprise and confusion: "Wait a minute... you're saying Xiao Wu killed someone?"

He put down his camera, looked directly at Conan, and asked with a slightly puzzled expression, "Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

Conan nodded vigorously, his breathing still not fully calm, but his tone was very certain: "I'm sure! I saw it with my own eyes! It was in the hangar at the bottom of the ship!!"

This made Lin Shen frown.

Things didn't go as planned!

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