22°26'00.00" North Latitude,
Longitude 114°12'00.00" East.
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 relatives and friends, small merchants making a living from the pier, and small gangsters fishing in troubled waters.
Watching the huge cruise ship 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, lovers or friends arriving safely in the port city. As for merchants and gangsters, it is easier to understand that 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 stick of civilization 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've seen Section Chief Gu and the others, but no tracking personnel. Do you want 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 the others 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, was a new type of scholar who was easy to deal with. The two of them had something in common on many things, so the time on the road was not too 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 Six Nations Hotel in Peking.
Very girly.
Zuo Zhong almost got angry because he had eaten melon on himself. 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 damn 19th century. What lunatic would hijack a cruise ship on the sea and have no place to escape in the face of arrest? Could he be rowing a small sampan to fight a battleship?
"Okay, Deputy Director."
Gui Youguang touched his bare forehead and walked back to the ship's side to watch Gu Qi, Wu Chunyang and Shen Dongxin walking up the gangway under the guidance of the sailors and quickly disappearing among the many boarding passengers.
Since the port city was only a temporary stopover for the Antrebon, 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 Gu Qi, 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 in 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.
Annan in this era was still in the feudal dynasty. The last emperor Nguyen Phuc Ho married the queen last year. Of course, this had nothing to do with Zuo Chong. He was not interested in watching monkeys show their teeth.
The Intrepon 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 became numb from excitement, then fear, and finally just lay down on the bed.
In order to make everyone less bored and prevent people from being 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 has looked at you several times. Such a 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 had a gentle appearance but was not polite when speaking, glanced around and stopped at a tall, fair-skinned woman. He raised his glass and nodded lightly towards her. Valley
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 he 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 wrong."
Over there, Mao Yike shook his head and said proudly: "Everyone says that 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 party, 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 was very complicated, and the relationship between the Tu Kingdom and the Republic of China was not harmonious. Director Mao tried his best to stay in the cabin and not to walk around on the deck at will. I was afraid that the Japanese would take action there. "
As soon as they met, he introduced the dangers of this 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 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.
For example, weapons experts like you are hot 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.
Thinking that when he returned to China, he was planning to disembark and see the exotic streets, Mao Yi was terrified. If he had done this, 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, 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.
Therefore, for safety reasons, please be sure to follow Zuo's instructions for the following itinerary. Food and drink must be inspected before being allowed to enter. If you have offended me in any way, please forgive me. "
"Okay, Mao knows."
Mao Yi is not an unscrupulous person, and having the well-known Secret Service on standby indicates 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, that is, respect professionals and never give in to areas you don’t understand, especially when life is at stake.
Zuo Zhong said it all and saw that Mao Yike's reaction didn't seem to be fake. 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, he can implement the second plan, lock the person in the cruise ship room, and wait until Marseille to release the person. It is better to be accused 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, which the Japanese would never think of."
"No need to go to such trouble. From today on, everyone will randomly change rooms 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 dislike it, don't dislike it."
Mao Yike quickly waved his hand and said with a smile that he had also experienced hard times. He used to fly in third class to save money when traveling abroad, but now he is content to live in first and second class.
You don’t need to think about it to know that these are polite words. 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 to himself 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.
As the cruise ship approached the shore under the control of the tugboat, the setting sun fell on the Byzantine-style dome of the Blue Seongjin Temple, and ancient and mysterious prayers could be vaguely heard coming from inside.
The enthusiastic seagulls performed their flying skills over the ship, 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.
