It was as if they were testing Yoruichi Toyama's true purpose for this trip.
Yoruichi Toyama shrugged again.
"I was just curious."
Seeing that everyone else had already boarded the ship and didn't seem very interested in their conversation, he felt slightly relieved and approached Gao Yuan in a friendly manner.
"At first, I just thought that the combination of Hajime-chan and Itsuki-san was a bit dangerous, but..."
"Now that I've seen you, does that mean I've come at the right time?"
Gao Yuan blinked, seemingly cautiously stepping aside, but his smile grew even more enigmatic.
"Don't say that, after all, I didn't plan any incident this time."
"I'm just here as a spectator."
“That would be best…” Yoruichi Toyama was about to say something more when he was suddenly pulled by someone, and then Akemi forcefully stepped between the two of them and took his arm.
"Mr. Shigeru, it's been a long time." Akemi said politely, but her expression was quite wary, as if she would only feel at ease if she pushed Yoruichi Toyama far away to the other side of the ship.
Gao Yuan glanced at their intertwined arms, and his smile became quite amused.
"Yes!" Mr. Mao said with a gossipy look on his face, "Miss Mingmei is still so concerned about Toyama."
Mingmei returned the smile with a polite smile.
"Ever since Yoruichi was injured on Tsukikage Island, her health has not been very good."
She deliberately emphasized the words "Moonshadow Island," her gaze sharply fixed on Gao Yuan.
"He's always been a carefree person, not caring about anything, so I have to take extra care of him."
Gao Yuan clearly understood what she meant, took two steps to the side, and nodded.
"Is that so? But it's always good to travel and breathe some fresh air."
“Yuanshan is still young. If he gets out and about more, he will definitely recover quickly.”
"Then I'll take your kind words." Mingmei said solemnly, as if she had received some kind of promise.
Then he smiled.
"By the way, Mr. Shigeru, how have you been lately? My little sister Ai has been thinking about you."
Gao Yuan, who had been trying to guess what she meant, suddenly paused for a moment.
Then, he bowed slightly, more politely and distantly, his lowered eyelids concealing the unreadable expression in his eyes.
"Then please give my regards to that lady, Miss Akemi."
After saying that, he turned and left, joining the crowd listening to Hotan's explanation of the itinerary.
Those focused on finding treasure had no particular interest in the conversation of these individuals.
Moreover, even if they heard it, they would only think it was normal small talk.
Yoruichi Toyama and Akemi exchanged a knowing glance.
Yes, Gao Yuan's attitude remained relaxed and calm, and for the time being, it can be believed that he will neither interfere with nor offer assistance to any events that may occur.
He even spoke in a warm and cheerful tone throughout, because he was playing the role of "Boss Mao".
However, he appeared overly calm at the end of the conversation.
That was not the peace that belonged to "Boss Mao".
Instead, it belongs to "the puppeteer of hell," Takato Yoichi.
That young lady seems to hold a very special place in his heart!
...
Taking a cruise ship from Tokyo to Amakusa in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, is far less convenient than flying directly there.
However, the journey on the vast ocean also gave the expedition team an opportunity to get to know each other.
Needless to say, Mr. Itsuki's treasure-hunting group was also involved, and even Kindaichi, Miyuki, and his blonde mixed-race junior Emily quickly joined in the conversation.
Only that long-haired, intellectual woman, supposedly an associate professor of archaeology at a university, named Mogami Hazuki, would always have a retort whenever Mr. Itsuki opened his mouth.
And whenever she spoke, Mr. Itsuki always seemed impatient.
It's as if these two people knew each other for a long time, but had a complete falling out over something.
As the editor representing the event organizer, Wada had no choice but to repeatedly smooth things over, fearing that some conflict might arise within the team before they even reached the treasure hunt location.
Sensing the uneasy atmosphere, the others also tried to find topics to divert attention from the potentially conflict-ridden conversation.
“By the way, Wada,” the antique dealer Yagi said, “I heard from Itsuki that you’re also a treasure hunting enthusiast. How come I’ve never seen you participate in any events before?”
Which treasures have you followed?
It sounds like just a normal treasure hunt procedure, especially for those who enjoy treasure hunting, they always want to show off their experience and qualifications.
Hotan suddenly felt somewhat awkward.
"Um, actually I..."
"I'm not really an expert on treasures or anything like that; I'm just interested in things like historical sites."
"I see!" Hazuki Mogami, an archaeology expert, brightened up behind her glasses.
"Me too. I'm not too interested in finding a huge fortune, but I get excited when I think about the places we've been, where there are traces of humans living hundreds or even thousands of years ago, and maybe many moving stories happened there."
"That's the beauty of archaeology."
When talking about these things, the young female professor, who appeared dignified and even somewhat old-fashioned, became radiant and spoke eloquently.
"By the way, Mr. Wada, are you aware of the ruins discovered on the seabed off Okinawa three years ago?"
"It is said that you can see a fairly obvious urban landscape, with buildings, streets, and even things like altars."
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