"Strange, where are my keys?"
Commander Xu searched for a long time but couldn't find his key.
"Commander Xu! Is this yours?"
A subordinate walked over with a bunch of keys.
"It's mine! I've been looking for it for ages, where did you find it, Xiao Zhu?"
The subordinate, referred to as Xiao Zhu, handed him the key. "It was found on the deck. Did you accidentally drop it while walking?"
Commander Xu fastened the key. "Thank you so much, Xiao Zhu. Otherwise, I would have had to have someone make another copy of the room key for me."
Commander Xu did not notice anything unusual.
The ship successfully docked at the port, and the captain negotiated with the crew. The crew then disembarked to purchase supplies and replenish their fresh water.
Jiang Ci looked for a place where she could make a phone call, intending to call home, but unfortunately discovered that the phone in that place could not make international calls.
Not only could people in that country not make international calls, but the ship was also disrupted by the approaching storm, making it impossible to make calls.
Even Commander Xu, who wanted to contact people back home, looked regretful.
"This is really troublesome; I can't even make a phone call to Beijing."
"I think so too." Jiang Ci insisted verbally, but inwardly she was furious about how slow the communication speed was in this era.
Jiang Ci stayed in a room prepared for them by the local government, while a storm raged through the night.
For some reason, Jiang Ci felt uneasy; sometimes her heart was beating very fast, and sometimes she felt extremely anxious.
I wonder how Zhou Mingli, Zhou Yang, Zhou Miao, and Huang Zheyue are doing at home...
She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She got up and sat by the window, watching the storm all night. It wasn't until three in the morning that she finally felt sleepy. The mission took shelter from the storm at the port that night, and the weather cleared up the next day, so they prepared to set off again.
The sky was clear, and the cargo ship continued its voyage after a period of rest and replenishment. In the captain's cabin, the telegraph machine's indicator light kept flashing.
The two telegrams, arriving at the same time, began to type on the paper.
An official from the Ministry of Foreign Trade passed by the captain's cabin, saw the papers on the telegraph machine, and recognizing that they were addressed to Commander Xu, assumed that both letters were for Commander Xu, so he took them all and delivered them to Commander Xu.
Jiang Ci stood in front of the map, looking at the next stop.
It is a relatively well-developed country, and the port's telephone should be able to make calls to China.
Jiang Ci nodded at the dock, then heard someone call out to her, "Jiang Ci, it's time to go study!"
"I'm here." Jiang Ci turned around, picked up her notebook and pen, and hurried to the lounge.
People from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would read together every morning to study ideas, and in the afternoon they would each take a book and read together, excerpting what they thought was the best passage to share with everyone.
Jiang Ci was already used to it. She didn't say what was written in her notes, but she would just write it down in a pretentious way and read it fluently, so that she knew what book she was supposed to read when it was time for her to sit down for a reading session.
She sat in her usual spot and suddenly felt a prickling sensation on her back.
Jiang Ci turned her head and found that it was Commander Xu looking at her.
During this time, Commander Xu treated Jiang Ci as one of his own, so he was very kind to her. He would also consult with her on matters concerning the Foreign Trade Department and diligently taught her about the department's affairs.
Jiang Ci looked at Commander Xu's still kind demeanor and felt puzzled.
Just now, she clearly felt an indescribable... malice.
Could it be that she misperceived it?
Jiang Ci smiled at Commander Xu, then turned around and continued reading.
Commander Xu's friendliness vanished instantly, replaced by a sinister, serpentine aura, waiting for its chance to strike.
Jiang Ci was unaware of this.
That night, while Jiang Ci was still asleep, she heard someone calling her.
"Jiang porcelain, Jiang porcelain..."
It was a very soft murmur, as if it were whispering in Jiang Ci's ear.
Jiang Ci turned her head, opened her sleepy eyes, and found a female colleague from the Ministry of Foreign Trade standing in front of her bed.
They slept in a four-person room with bunk beds, two beds on each side.
Jiang Ci slept on the lower bunk.
She regained some of her senses. "What... happened?"
The woman shushed him and whispered, "It's nothing serious, Comrade Jiang, please keep your voice down."
Jiang Ci got up from her seat and heard the female comrade say, "Commander Xu has something to tell you and wants you to go out for a bit."
Is Commander Xu looking for her?
At this time?
Jiang Ci hummed in agreement and glanced at her watch in the sparse moonlight streaming through the window.
It's 12:30 at night.
Jiang Ci regained some consciousness, rubbed her head, and got out of bed.
"Did Commander Xu say he wanted to see me about something?"
Jiang Ci subtly inquired and suspected that Commander Xu had discovered that the box he was carrying contained not antiques, but some worthless porcelain.
So I went to her to discuss what to do.
The woman shook her head and said, "Commander Xu didn't say anything, he just told me to come and call you."
Jiang Ci frowned, his gaze sweeping over the woman.
This woman is suspected to be connected with Shan Shengshuo as well. When Commander Xu and Jiang Ci talk, they don't seem to avoid talking to the woman.
Commander Xu called her out, but didn't tell the woman what it was about...
Jiang Ci remained silent and followed the woman outside. When putting on her shoes, she cautiously brought her self-defense items.
In any case, caution is always the best policy.
Jiang Ci concealed the small dagger he used for self-defense and went with the female comrade to the deserted rear cabin.
There are only some goods here.
Jiang Ci looked around and found that the door near the ship's wall was closed. The cargo box had been moved, covering the other two doors. Apart from the door they had come in through, there was no other way to leave.
Jiangci stopped at the entrance.
The footsteps stopped, and the woman couldn't help but turn her head. "Comrade Jiang, why did you stop?"
Jiang Ci smiled and said, "I haven't seen Commander Xu. I'm looking for him."
The woman said, "He's in the back cabin."
"That's fine then." Jiang Ci said, then suddenly cried out in pain as she bumped the lifebuoy next to her against the side of the boat with a dull thud.
Jiang Ci fell down for some reason.
"Comrade Jiang, are you alright?" The woman's voice carried a hint of reproach. "How could you fall down while walking?"
She went over and helped Jiang Ci up, saying, "Commander Xu is still waiting for you!"
Jiang Ci said with a sob in her voice, "Comrade, I think I sprained my ankle, it hurts so much! Please take me to see a doctor first, we can talk about Commander Xu later, I'm in so much pain, comrade!"
Jiang Ci's cries grew louder and louder as she clutched her ankle; the crashing waves couldn't drown out her screams of pain.
The woman hadn't expected her to speak so loudly, and quickly covered Jiang Ci's mouth with her hand, saying, "Keep your voice down, what if someone hears us and finds out we're here?"
"You really twisted your ankle?" The woman looked at her suspiciously.
Jiang Ci's tears fell in a steady stream as she angrily said, "Do you think I'm the kind of person who jokes about my own health?! Take me to a doctor right now!"
The woman hesitated.
"Why would someone who's about to die see a doctor?"
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