cruise ship
Bethlehem.
Milo stared blankly at those words, lost in thought.
As soon as they boarded the ship, a middle-aged woman walked over with a smile, her high heels clicking on the floor. Before she could even speak, she saw Milo behind Miles and immediately turned pale with fright, as if she had seen a ghost.
After a long pause, Milo finally spoke up: "I'm not him, you've mistaken me for someone else."
The blonde, blue-eyed woman clearly didn't believe it; her eyes seemed to bulge out.
It wasn't until Miles spoke that she said apologetically to Milo, "I'm so sorry, you really do look too much like him."
Ms. Beverly explained to Milo that the Bethlehem had once belonged to Richard Green, the chairman of the Fog Forest Medical Association. Therefore, all the long-time crew members were familiar with the Green family, especially Theo Green. That young man was an avid angler and a devout believer who loved to pray with the priest on the cruise ship, who never disembarked.
Beverly described with a nostalgic look how wonderful Theo Green was, practically God's carefully crafted son, which is why God had to call him back so early.
The idea of someone being killed in a plane bombing being romanticized like this was laughable to Milo.
"Later, Mr. Green passed away, and the Bethlehem was jointly purchased by Longjin Financial and Lianhua Machinery. Now, we mainly focus on tourism, and our customers are all over the world, with first-class service."
Milo looked uninterested, and Beverly, seeing this, quickly told the two about the arrangements: "Mr. Miles, Mr. Milo, your VIP room is on the third floor. Here is your room key. Please contact us anytime if you need anything."
There was only one room key card handed to them.
Miles glanced at Milo and said to Beverly, "Could you please open another room, the best one? He has a broken bone and it's not very convenient for him to move around."
Beverly agreed, "The best one... is the one where Theo Green usually stays. The sea view is beautiful. Is that arrangement acceptable?"
Miles looked at Milo, who shrugged indifferently, and Beverly went to prepare.
Miles looked at Milo: "I'll have the documents delivered to your room. You need to get started with the work as soon as possible; I don't like waiting."
Just as Milo was about to nod with a fawning smile, Miles reached out and gently pinched his cheek: "Don't treat me like that, okay? I don't need you to change immediately, but at least stop pretending to be nice."
This gesture was humble enough that Milo didn't take it lying down; he stopped faking his smile and nodded seriously.
After walking a few steps, Beverly suddenly turned back to them and said, "By the way, someone will come to inform the captain about the dinner party. There will be special exhibits tonight, and you gentlemen must come and see them."
Milos tilted his head back and asked, "What is the Captain's Dinner?"
Just as Miles was about to answer, a voice came from the other end of the deck: "It's just a boring auction that pretends to be a meal but is actually a money-making scheme."
Steven was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt with a wide-open collar, which, combined with his handsome features, made him look even more dashing.
"I never expected that you would not only survive, but live such an inspiring life, never giving up even with your arms and legs broken." Steven smiled as he looked at Milo.
Miles ignored him and pulled Milo away, but Steven slowly reminded them from behind: "I heard you stabbed that guy twice, that's ruthless. If I were you, I'd be on my guard from now on."
Steven's voice was gradually carried away by the sea breeze, growing farther and farther away.
"Is Blaze here too?" Milo asked in a low voice.
Miles didn't deny it: "He goes with the ship. He has to be there whenever the cruise ship sails to the Gangu Valley, whether it's going there or back."
Milo thought for a moment and asked, "Is this cruise ship carrying something that can't be said?"
If it's just a regular tourist ferry bound for Southeast Asia, why is Blaise a "must-have" figure? Unless, of course, he's needed to oversee and ensure the safe arrival of something.
Milo was left with only one guess. This trip was still about organ trafficking. But what kind of organ could be transported over a long distance for two days? Unless, of course, it was from a living person storing the organ.
Miles patted Milo on the head: "I'm not a butcher, I don't think about digging out other people's hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, and kidneys every day. You'll understand some things once you get off the ship."
Milo didn't say anything.
The Captain's Dinner was held in the most luxurious main restaurant on the cruise ship.
The air is filled with the rich fragrance of flowers, and elegant background music flows gently like soft waves on the sea, creating a romantic scene.
Milo was assigned a round table that could seat four people, and he sat with Steven and Miles.
Steven looked at Milo with a leisurely air, and taking advantage of Miles's absence, he began to attack: "Tell me, how can there be a Stand like you who is only 60% similar in appearance and 100% different in personality? Why don't you go and learn properly? You're so lazy even as a Stand."
Milo replied, "Is he someone I can learn?"
"Quite the temper." Steven probably didn't expect Milo to talk back, and instead of being angry, he laughed. "Tell me, how did you stab that mad dog? Where did you hurt him?"
"One cut to the back, one cut to the arm."
Steven laughed heartily: "Well, deaf and mute, if he were also disabled, that would be hilarious."
Milo listened quietly to the opening piano performance. Steven glanced at his profile and, amidst the melodious music, suddenly became intrigued: "Want to know what that mad dog's background is?"
Milo finally gave Steven a look.
"He was born to Old Dale and a woman from Gangu. He was secretly raised in Gangu. Later, Wanyang came, and who knows how he became obsessed with someone and went crazy. He kept making a fuss about it everywhere. He was really shameless. After all that trouble, he crippled himself before he finally stopped."
Milo remained calm and showed no sympathy for Blaise, which pleased Steven.
"But actually, he barely glanced at that mad dog until he died. What's that word again? Right, self-pity, how despicable, isn't it?"
Milo glanced at Steven's right hand, which had been nervously stroking the pinky ring ever since he started speaking.
“Do you hate Theo Green so much that you won’t even mention his name?” Milo asked.
Steven took a sip of his drink, his face still bearing that same disdainful smile: "Everyone loves him, and they'll remember him even in death, so how could I hate him?"
Seeing that Miles had already taken his seat, Steven took a sip of his drink and smiled as he ended the conversation: "Besides, if I loved him, wouldn't I be loving you now?"
Milo ignored Steven.
The dinner began with foie gras on toast, followed by lobster bisque, then pan-fried sea bass and medium-rare Wagyu beef in a stone-grilled dish, and finally concluded with black truffle ice cream.
Of all the people in the room, Milo ate the worst, drawing glares from everyone present, regardless of their nationality. Miles, sitting next to him, however, didn't seem embarrassed at all, calmly serving Milo soup.
After the desserts were served, the captain finally appeared. He was a white man in his fifties who greeted the distinguished passengers with a happy expression before getting to the main event of the day.
A display case covered by a black curtain had been pushed into the center of the main banquet hall at some point, and an elderly priest in a black suit slowly walked to the side of it. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, but his pupils were cloudy, and he could clearly no longer see.
The waiters began distributing bidding paddles among the various seats.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the collection I am introducing to you today is from the private collection of Mr. Joshua of the Green Deeds Company in Frosttraven, and will be auctioned on your behalf by our priest, Ward. The item is a former possession of Theo Green, the owner of the Bethlehem, and is called 'Son of God'."
Most of the people in the banquet hall did not recognize the owner of the Bethlehem, and they were just talking in hushed tones with suspicion.
Steven, who was seated, immediately turned pale, and Miles' expression was also unpleasant.
As the curtain was drawn back, the artifacts in the glass display case were revealed, and a magnified image appeared on the large screen behind the captain.
This appearance immediately drew many gasps of surprise.
It was an exquisite, oddly shaped pendant. A cross was set within a silver frame, with large emeralds forming a crown of thorns. At the base of the cross was a Tahitian golden pearl dove in flight, its eyes adorned with dazzling blood diamonds. The cross itself was miniature-carved with Gothic script, while the reverse side featured fish-shaped runes and was inlaid with twelve rare gemstones.
The craftsmanship is so intricate and the materials used are so rare that it is truly top-notch.
Under the satisfied gazes of the crowd, the captain continued, "This 'Son of God' pendant is the work of internationally renowned jeweler Morse Garcia, and its current market value is estimated at 6 million—" he drew out the last syllable, "US dollars!"
These words drew another gasp of surprise.
Milo sighed, "So much money, just to buy a pendant."
“That was Theo Green’s coming-of-age gift. Bobby Thornton commissioned two pieces from a designer, a pendant and a pinky ring, both called ‘Son of God,’ as a set,” Miles said casually. “After Richard Green died, all of the Green family’s collections were auctioned off, and this pendant was probably bought by some collectors around that time. This guy named Joshua has gained some minor fame overseas in recent years; I didn’t expect it was him who acquired it.”
Milo said "Oh," and looked at the ring on Steven's right hand, which was equally exquisite and intricate.
Miles suddenly spoke up: "He and Theo Green grew up together, were similar in age, and were family friends. Both families had high hopes for them and groomed them as their successors. It's just a pity that they didn't get to see the twin stars; Theo Green was the only bright moon shining in the sky."
Steven immediately turned his face and sneered, "I may not be as good as him, but if Theo Green were alive, what would you, Miles, have to do with it? Oh, wait, I forgot, there's no Theo Green now, but Uncle, aren't you still being trampled on by an illegitimate child? Without Blaise, you wouldn't even get to meet with anyone coming to Gan Valley to discuss business. You probably can't swallow the Dale Group. Instead of wasting your time talking nonsense here, you should clean up your own mess first!"
The words were extremely vulgar, and Miles frowned slightly but didn't respond.
As the bidding began, people actually started raising their paddles from the starting price of $3 million. However, fewer and fewer people were willing to raise their paddles as the bidding progressed. Finally, just as the hammer was about to fall, Steven suddenly raised his paddle and won the pendant for $7 million.
Immediately, someone stepped forward to persuade Steven and stop him, trying to raise their hand to indicate their opposition. They looked like staff members from Lianhua Machinery, but Steven ignored them all and insisted on taking the picture.
Miles watched Steven's mad behavior silently, saying nothing and letting him do as he pleased.
Milo muttered, "You really are generous."
Steven laughed, "I wonder if Mr. Milo, my stand-in, would be willing to go up and take the main character's things for me?"
Miles simply watched silently; he no longer interfered with Milo's choices.
Milo, undeterred, stood up and walked towards the display case. He approached Father Ward and accepted the "Son of God" medal.
The priest was stunned for a moment, his lips parted in confusion, and he called out a name.
Milo ignored him, turned around, and struggled down the stage with his injured leg. Suddenly, he noticed a person with arms crossed watching him from afar in a corner of the exquisite and extravagant banquet hall.
I almost forgot, this person was there the whole time, but just never showed up.
Milo squinted at Blaise, unfazed by his gaze.
This guy is really hard to kill. I stabbed him twice, but in just two weeks, he was still able to walk normally. It shows that having thick skin is an advantage.
Just when Milo thought Blaz would come after him, he turned around in the dim light and left.
*
The VIP ocean view room was indeed very nice, but Milo was not fortunate enough to enjoy it.
The documents Miles sent were numerous and varied. Just as Miles had said, he was given work, but the workload was absolutely demanding, and he was given the task exactly what was required.
The documents were spread from the head of the bed to the foot of the bed, and even the floor was covered with them. Milo buried himself in the documents and worked on them until the middle of the night. He finally figured out the purpose of Miles's visit.
He was indeed discussing business, but what he was discussing was the "termination of cooperation."
The reason why Longjin Health, a subsidiary of Dale Group, was able to rise in Wudong Port is largely due to their investment in a revolutionary organ repair technology patent called "Shengyuansu". This technology originated from an academic research team and not only significantly reduces the need for organ transplants and provides good analgesia, but also provides a window for regenerative treatment for failing organs.
After its listing, Shengyuansu brought huge profits to Longjin Financial Health. But now, Longjin Financial Health has suddenly terminated its six-year raw material supply cooperation with Gangu Fang and will no longer invest in purchasing Gangu's plant raw materials.
The documents were completely flawless. Milo had expected them to contain some bloody organ trade, but they turned out to be just a perfectly normal, exorbitantly priced business deal.
Milo searched online and indeed found the paper, along with countless effusive praises from the media.
In a flash of inspiration, Milo inserted an unlabeled black USB drive, entered "Lotus Machinery," and countless codes surged forth, along with a dozen pieces of information that appeared at the same time as the Life Essence.
Lianhua Machinery established a professional R&D team focused on developing and producing various medical devices for cancer treatment and rehabilitation. However, this R&D line was terminated about a year ago, and several reports exposed the shady dealings, claiming that the medical devices were not produced "without permission." Of course, these reports were later deemed defamatory.
Almost immediately after that, Lianhua Machinery's stock price slowly declined, gradually widening the gap with Dale Group's Longjin Financial Health.
As the documents flooded his mind, Milo realized he was missing a crucial element, something that connected the contract to the hilltop villa…
However, he couldn't think of anything at the moment.
The night was deep, and the moonlight was like water. Milo looked up at the clock and saw that it was almost eleven o'clock.
Milo tidied up the documents scattered on the floor, then opened the cabinet and glanced at the clothes wrapped in dust bags inside. They were all custom-made, perfectly tailored, and the same size that Theo Green wore when he was a teenager.
The room doesn't look particularly special, but it retains the original owner's aesthetic taste in many subtle ways. For example, the Steinway grand piano.
Milo opened the piano lid, extended his thumb and hovered it above the B-flat chord. The moment he pressed the key, a mellow musical sound flowed into his ears.
Milo sat down and then bounced up.
Charlie Wesley's "Lover of My Soul" was the most frequently played hymn on the Bethlehem during the day. Playing the piano is hard on the hands, and with his weak wrists, his playing was naturally not very good; it was probably just barely pleasing to the ear, a waste of a good instrument.
Milo let out a deep sigh of relief, and when he looked up again, it was already 11:30.
Was he mistaken? Would that person really be so kind as to let him go so easily?
Milo got up, closed the piano lid, and planned to go out for some fresh air.
As the door creaked open, Milo couldn't bring himself to step out.
The smart home assistant standing at the door kept reminding us: "Welcome to the Bethlehem. Have a wonderful day."
A figure stood at the doorway, and that terrifying sense of oppression pressed down once more.
The night was deep, and the sound of the waves was rolling.
Blaise held onto the door, forcing Milo back into the room step by step.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
