Chapter 76 Undercurrent
After Huo Shen answered the phone, he left the master bedroom without even glancing at Su Yan, who was sitting on the floor. The sound of the cabin door closing was particularly clear in the silent space.
Su Yan maintained the posture of hugging his knees and did not move for a long time.
His body seemed to be drained of all its strength, but his mind was working incredibly actively. He was reviewing everything that had just happened on the deck, as well as Huo Shen's reaction.
Huo Shen's reluctance to punish him immediately for presumptuous action was a signal in itself. It was a tacit approval, even... a degree of connivance. Was it because his dissatisfaction with Assistant Zhou had reached a critical point, and he needed someone to break the deadlock? Or was it because his "claim of sovereignty" had truly touched a nerve in his paranoia?
Su Yan wasn't sure. Huo Shen's thoughts were too deep, like an undercurrent at the bottom of the sea, calm on the surface but turbulent inside.
He slowly stood up and walked to the huge French window. The yacht had set sail again, breaking through the inky sea and heading towards the unknown distance. The city lights gradually shrank in his sight, becoming distant points of light.
Freedom seems to become more out of reach as the lights fade away.
But he couldn't just sit there and wait for death. Huo Shen letting him stay here didn't mean the danger was over. Assistant Zhou had suffered such a huge loss, he would never let it go. And his adopted brother Su Chen hadn't shown up yet, but Su Yan didn't believe he would stay out of this.
He needed information, needed to understand what was happening on the ship, and needed to know what the "second phase" that Huo Shen mentioned was.
Su Yan looked around this extremely luxurious yet extremely cold cabin. It had everything you could need: a small bar displaying fine wines, a humidor filled with top-quality Cuban cigars, and even a built-in display screen that took up an entire wall.
His eyes finally fell on the huge desk. Huo Shen's laptop was not there, but there were several documents scattered on the desk.
A bold idea arose in his mind.
He walked to the door and listened to the noise outside. There was silence. Huo Shen obviously didn't think he had the courage or ability to do anything on his territory.
Su Yan took a deep breath and walked to the desk. He moved very quietly, trying not to make any noise. The documents were mostly the service list and guest list for the yacht's current voyage, nothing special. He ran his fingers over the smooth surface, searching for any hidden compartment or drawer.
Just when he was about to give up, his fingertips touched a tiny bump on the edge of an inconspicuous decorative pattern on the desktop. He pressed it hard, and a panel next to it slid open silently, revealing a hidden storage space.
Inside was a satellite phone and a small, oddly shaped metal USB drive.
Su Yan's heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
This USB flash drive was completely different in appearance from the encrypted file carrier he had seen in the worn-out USB flash drive before, but the fact that it appeared in Huo Shen's secret storage compartment was in itself unusual.
Without hesitation, he quickly held the USB drive in his palm and closed the panel as it was.
Almost at the moment the panel closed, footsteps were heard outside the cabin door and the "beep" sound of the electronic door lock opening.
Like a frightened rabbit, Su Yan took several steps back in an instant, pretending to be admiring the night view outside the window. He turned his back to the door, tightly clutching the USB flash drive that still had his body temperature in his hand, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
The one who came in was Huo Shen.
He seemed to have finished dealing with urgent matters, and there was a subtle trace of fatigue between his brows, but his eyes were still sharp. His gaze swept across the cabin and finally landed on Su Yan standing by the window.
"What are you doing standing there?" Huo Shen's voice was emotionless.
Su Yan slowly turned around, trying to make his expression look calm, even with a touch of just the right amount of confusion and uneasiness: "Look at the sea... It's a bit boring."
Huo Shen approached him, his eyes lingering on his face for a moment, as if trying to determine the truth of his words. Su Yan could feel the USB drive in his palm like a red-hot iron.
"Are you hungry?" Huo Shen suddenly asked an unexpected question.
Su Yan was stunned for a moment, then nodded subconsciously. He had barely eaten anything from this morning until now, and the combined mental and physical exhaustion had already left him starving.
Huo Shen didn't say anything else. He walked to the internal phone and gave a few brief instructions.
After a while, the waiter came in with a dining cart, set out the exquisite meals and red wine, and then left quietly.
"Eat." Huo Shen sat down on the sofa, rubbed his eyebrows, and had no intention of touching the tableware. He just picked up the wine glass and gently shook the dark red liquid inside.
Su Yan hesitantly walked to the table and sat down. The food was delicious, but he couldn't taste it. All his attention was focused on the USB drive in his hand and the man drinking silently across from him.
Huo Shen remained silent, and the atmosphere in the cabin grew tense. Su Yan ate slowly, his mind racing as he pondered how to handle this hot potato. Hiding it on his person was clearly unsafe; Huo Shen could search it at any moment. He had to read the contents quickly and then destroy or return it to its original location.
"Are you scared?"
Huo Shen suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
Su Yan raised his head and met his deep gaze. Was he asking about what happened on the deck, or... something else?
"Afraid." Su Yan chose to answer honestly. It wasn't difficult. He was indeed afraid. He was afraid of Assistant Zhou's revenge, afraid of Huo Shen's capriciousness, and even more afraid that if he took a wrong step, he would be doomed.
Huo Shen stared at him, and a faint curve seemed to appear at the corner of his mouth, which disappeared in an instant.
"It's good to be afraid." He took a sip of wine and said calmly, "Remember this fear, it can help you live longer."
His words were cold and cruel, yet held an eerie sense of reality.
At this moment, Huo Shen's phone rang again. He glanced at the caller ID, frowned slightly, stood up and walked to the balcony outside to answer the call.
Chance!
Su Yan stood up almost immediately. He quickly scanned the cabin, his gaze locked on the bathroom. He walked quickly into the bathroom, locking the door behind him, his heart pounding.
He had to hurry. He didn't know how long Huo Shen's call would last.
He took out the metal USB flash drive. It didn't have a regular USB port, but a very special shape. Su Yan remembered that Huo Shen's laptop seemed to have a corresponding slot.
No, you can't use Huo Shen's computer.
He looked around the bathroom anxiously; it was obvious there couldn't be a reading device there.
Suddenly, he saw his mobile phone on the sink - the one Huo Shen later had someone return to him. It had limited functions, but it had basic communication and... OTG functions?
With the mentality of giving it a try, he took out a multifunctional mobile phone adapter from his toiletry bag. Fortunately, one end of the adapter matched the interface of this special USB flash drive!
With trembling hands, he connected the USB drive to his mobile phone via the adapter.
The screen lights up and prompts that an external device is detected. But access requires a password!
Su Yan tried several possible passwords - Huo Shen's birthday, the company's founding date, and even the pinyin of "Axiao", but all were wrong.
As time passed, the voices on the balcony seemed to become quieter.
A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Was he going to fail at the last moment?
Just when he was about to give up, he suddenly remembered a note in Huo Shen's desk drawer. He had accidentally glimpsed it. There was a string of handwritten characters on it that seemed to have no regular pattern. At the time, he thought it was just a casual note, but now he thought...
He gritted his teeth and entered the string of characters from memory.
The screen flashed, the password box disappeared, and the file list popped up!
Success!
Su Yan didn't have time to be happy, and immediately quickly browsed the contents of the file. There was only one folder in it, named "Phase 2: Scavenger".
He opened the folder, which contained several documents and pictures. He scrolled through the screen rapidly, his pupils shrinking sharply at what he saw.
These documents… turned out to be a detailed plan for using this offshore auction as cover to conduct several massive illegal fund transfers! They involved multiple shell companies, as well as… proof of involvement from Su Chen's tech company! The final step of the plan was clearly labeled "asset divestiture and personnel cleanup"!
"Clean up!" Su Yan felt a chill run from his feet to his head. Assistant Zhou not only wanted to embezzle Huo Shen's assets, but also use this opportunity to eliminate certain people? Including... those who knew about this? Or, including him, Su Yan?
He must get this evidence out!
He immediately tried to send the file using his mobile phone, but as expected, the phone's signal was blocked and he could not connect to the Internet or mobile network.
What to do? Copy it? His phone's storage space is limited, and if Huo Shen finds out the USB drive has been tampered with, he'll probably search his phone.
The conversation on the balcony stopped!
Su Yan's heart tightened. He immediately unplugged the USB drive and adapter, quickly wiped off his fingerprints with a tissue, and stuffed them into a very hidden gap under the sink. He pressed the toilet flush button to create the illusion that he was using the bathroom, then quickly washed his face with cold water, trying to make himself look normal.
As soon as he opened the bathroom door, he saw Huo Shen standing outside, looking at him inquiringly.
"What's taking so long?"
Su Yan held his still pounding heart and tried to make his voice sound natural: "I feel a little uncomfortable, maybe... seasick."
Huo Shen's gaze lingered on his slightly pale face for a moment. Without asking any more questions, he simply stepped aside and said, "Come out."
Su Yan lowered his head, walked past him, and sat back at the dining table, his palms full of cold sweat.
The contents of the USB flash drive exploded in his mind like a bomb.
"Phase Two: Scavengers"... What exactly do Assistant Zhou and Su Dang want to do? Huo Shen... How much does he know?
And he accidentally got a glimpse of this secret. How can he find a glimmer of hope in this coming storm?
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