Volume 1: The Fierce Tiger Leaves Its Leash Chapter 1: Murder on the High Seas (Part 1)
Sydney Harbour, a ship over 300 meters long, with the four fiery red characters "Ocean Splendour" prominently displayed on its bow, proclaiming the legend of this luxury liner. As the sun sets, two tugboats slowly pull it away from the dock. Onshore, hundreds and thousands of people are waving goodbye to the ship and its passengers. On the right side of the ship, hundreds of passengers are also bidding farewell to their loved ones on shore.
At the stern, on the open-air golf course, a young man wearing a thick Hawaiian-style beach suit was looking at the crowd on the shore, and a 15-year-old girl stood obediently beside him. The young man stroked the girl's head and his gaze returned.
"Yī jī sī, want to drink something?" After lying down on the beach chair, Líng Tiān Xiáng took off his sunglasses that almost covered half of his face and casually picked up the cruise introduction manual placed on the small side table.
The girl shook her head, still looking at the crowded people on the shore. Ling Tianxiang didn't ask any more questions either. This time, he took Yixi out for a vacation, it was his idea, and the purpose was to let Yixi relax, feel the fun of life, and not continue living in painful memories.
Half a year has passed, and for half a year, Ling Tianxiang has been drifting in more than a dozen countries, under the guise of "free travel", but in reality, he is escaping possible pursuit. To avoid being discovered and still maintain contact with his family, Li Minghan applied for over a dozen free email accounts, and every month, he would send an email to one of them, updating them on the situation at home. Ling Tianxiang also uses email to inform his family about his own situation, so as not to worry his father. Three months ago, Ling Tianxiang boarded this luxury cruise ship in Honolulu, Hawaii. Thinking that Yigishi had not adapted to her new life after half a year, he sent an email to Li Minghan, asking him to send Yigishi to Sydney, where she could join him on a trip around the world. This way, Ling Tianxiang would have some company, and Yigishi could also use the trip to adapt to her new life.
The cruise ship's main structure diagram is shown in the introduction manual, especially marking the escape route in case of danger. "Ocean Splendor" is owned by Hong Kong shipping king Dong Zhenhua, currently the most luxurious cruise ship in the world. The full-load displacement of this cruise ship has reached 155,800 tons, more than 1,000 tons larger than the previous largest "Queen Mary 2". It is 365 meters long, 41.5 meters wide at the waterline, and its total height exceeds 75 meters, with only the above-water part having 11 decks. There are over 1,800 sailors and service staff on board, which can carry 2,700 tourists for a round-the-world voyage.
The ship's facilities are quite complete. On the nearly 150-meter-long shopping street, there are dozens of large and small shops. The entire ship has more than a dozen restaurants with various flavors, which can accommodate over 1,500 people for meals at the same time. Located at the bow of the ship, the grand theater that occupies six layers of deck height can accommodate over 800 spectators. In addition, there are also dance halls, casinos, nightclubs, internet cafes, ice rinks, TV program entertainment centers, bars, libraries, sports fields, rock climbing walls, outdoor barbecue areas, and even a 19-hole golf course on the ship. To meet the needs of some tourists with religious beliefs, there is also a church and a mosque on the ship. On the open deck, there are swimming pools, outdoor sports fields, sightseeing bars, jazz bars, sunbathing areas, and fitness spas. To meet the needs of some business guests, there is also a conference center that can accommodate 150 people and a business service center on the ship. In order to allow tourists to have fun and consume freely, the ship naturally has banks.
It can be said that this is a floating city on the sea, a city where 2,700 tourists can eat, drink and have fun, forget the troubles of the world, and fully enjoy the thrill of "extravagance". In order to ensure the safety of this "sea metropolis" and avoid tragedies like the Titanic, the ship's navigation and safety facilities are also very advanced.
The cruise ship is equipped with a full electric propulsion system, and also has the necessary power generation equipment to meet the needs of a medium-sized city with a population of 250,000. The cruise ship can travel around the world at a speed of 24 knots while carrying tourists. In addition, three independent navigation systems are installed on the ship, which can obtain the latest weather conditions from satellites and maritime departments, and the marine radar can detect any danger within a range of 20 nautical miles to make timely evasive maneuvers. There are tens of thousands of fire extinguishers on board, over a hundred escape routes, eight large lifeboats installed on the ship's side, and hundreds of inflatable life rafts that can accommodate 8,000 people, which can evacuate all personnel within ten minutes. The hull is also carefully designed, even if three adjacent compartments are flooded, the cruise ship will not sink. These safety measures provide tourists with the greatest guarantee, allowing them to travel without worrying about safety issues.
Of course, there are also some safety measures that are not mentioned in the manual. To prevent pirate attacks, one-third of the sailors have received military training. There is a secret arsenal on the cruise ship, which stores enough weapons and equipment to arm an infantry company. The arsenal has two sets of keys, kept by the captain and the first officer. In case of danger, before the maritime security forces arrive, these weapons can be used to arm the sailors and resist pirate attacks.
Ship King Dong Zhenhua and Ling Tianxiang's foster father, Huang Longfei, were close friends. Before boarding the ship, Li Minghan's people had already informed him of these circumstances, and Ling Tianxiang did not ask much. During his half-year escape, he always carried a self-defense handgun with him. Moreover, in his luggage, there was also a sniper rifle that Li Minghan had obtained for him. These, except for the captain who knew, were unknown to everyone else. Ling Tianxiang was a very special guest and needed special care, but it seemed that others thought he was no different from ordinary tourists.
The sun had been completely swallowed by the horizon, and the "Ocean Splendor" slowly sailed out of Jackson Bay. As night fell, the Hobart Lighthouse on the south side of the bay lit up, guiding ships in and out of the bay. The tourists returned to their cabins one after another, and Ling Tianxiang also stood up at this time, and then all the lights on the ship were turned on.
Sydney was one of the more important stops on the "Ocean Splendor"'s 55-port world cruise, with over 700 passengers disembarking and more than 800 boarding. The captain would be hosting a cocktail party to introduce the new passengers to the luxury liner and invite a few VIP guests to tour the ship. It was a standard activity at every port of call. Ling Tianxiang declined the captain's invitation as a VIP guest; he was on the run, not on vacation. Of course, he didn't decline attending the cocktail party.
