Shrouded Seascape-Chapter 1091: Target

A triple-deck luxury cruise glided steadily toward the international waters. Its streamlined hull, accompanied by the curving of the waves, presented a picturesque scene.

Men clad in black suits and earpieces in place stood guard across all three levels. Their gazes were vigilant as they scanned the surroundings.

Apart from the sheer number of bodyguards, what stood out was the two small destroyers that flanked each side of the cruise ship.

Anyone rich enough could buy a luxury cruise, but warships were a different story. Even if the destroyers bore marks of wear and tear, their existence alone spoke volumes of the noble status of the cruise ship's owner.

Naturally, the cruise ship belonged to Anna's latest employer. Having taken a generous upfront payment, Anna and her group were now stationed at various spots on the ship. They worked alongside the bodyguards and were on alert for any possible threats.

Of course, to avoid drawing the attention of the IMF, all of them had undergone complete makeovers. Li Lu had the most dramatic transformation. She bound her chest tightly and completely disguised herself as a man.

However, all of that wasn't part of Gao Zhiming's considerations. He clutched the ship's railings with both hands and stood on tiptop to peer into the vast sapphire waters beneath him.

A look of awe surfaced upon his face. An experience like this was the first for him. Just then, a white gloved hand held out a triple-scoop ice cream cone to Gao Zhiming.

Gao Zhiming turned and recognized the individual. With a beaming smile, he accepted the ice cream and said, "Thank you, Uncle Mask."

No child could resist sweets, and that included Gao Zhiming.

The clown gave a theatrical clap and a cascade of poker cards, each written with words fluttered between both hands.

Reading the text on the card, Gao Zhiming shook his head.

"I don't know what Sis is doing in the cabin. She kicked me out and told me to stand guard outside. Instructed me to notify her if anything happens."

The clown bent down and pressed a single finger to the deck. He then performed a series of backflips and vanished from sight.

Gao Zhiming stared at the spot where the clown had disappeared before turning his gaze to the tightly shut cabin door behind him. With a happy hum, he continued licking the ice cream in his hand.

As he indulged in his ice cream, Gao Zhiming saw a woman with mirrors for eyes approaching him. It was Olivia. She reiterated the same question the clown had asked.

When she heard that even Gao Zhiming had no idea what Anna was doing inside the cabin, Olivia's expression dimmed as she let out a soft sigh.

Ever since Olivia had heard from Li Lu that Anna had a way to convert someone into a fanatically loyal cultist, she had been growing anxious. She was afraid that she would be the first to go through the ritual.

No one wanted to lose their free will, and Olivia was the same. If it was possible, she would beg Anna not to force her to go through with the conversion ritual.

Just as she was wallowing in her own sorrow, Olivia suddenly felt the gaze of the young boy in front of her. She looked up and saw that his eyes were filled with admiration as he stared at her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses.

She reached out and ruffled the boy's soft hand before persuading, "Gao, you're still too young. You don't understand. This isn't some superpower. It's more like a curse.

"If I wish to, I can read and sense almost anything anyone is thinking right now. But the more I see… the more disappointed I am with humanity.

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"Except for the pure, innocent children, no matter how kind, warm, or amicable someone may appear, there's always a dark side to their thoughts.

"I can even see all the horrible and terrible things they have done in the past. Honestly, the more I see, the more I find myself hating humans.

"I used to believe that there are good people and bad people in the world. Now I realized that everyone has a good side and bad side to them. It just depends on which side they show," Olivia concluded.

A flicker of disgust crossed Olivia's visage as she slightly turned her head to look to her left.

The black-suited bodyguard who had been sneaking a glance at her butt immediately turned his head away and pretended to be monitoring the empty, vast sea ahead of him.

Gao Zhiming blinked at Olivia. She had said a whole bunch of things in her own language, and he couldn't understand a single word. He could only lick his ice cream in confusion and replied, "Sis, what were you saying? I can't understand your language at all."

Olivia let out a sigh. If only she could project her own thoughts directly into another person's mind, she wouldn't have to bother herself with conversations.

Using body language to gesture to Gao Zhiming to stay put, Oliva turned and walked toward her private cabin.

As she moved, the sleazy and vile thoughts of a few nearby men crawled into her mind. She instinctively wrapped her trench coat tighter around her thin frame.

Then, without warning, Olivia suddenly stopped and turned her head sharply to the right. It was Roy with a thick beard as a disguise.

He stood next to the round porthole and had one hand in his pocket while smoking a cigar with the other.

Olivia merely took a brief glance at him before lowering her head to find her key from the pocket of her trench coat. She found it and slipped it into the keyhole. Before she unlocked the door, she lifted her head and looked at Roy once more.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Olivia said.

Roy's gaze didn't turn and remained on the sparkling blue waters beyond the window.

"Since you can read my thoughts, you should be able to sense my doubts as well. Can you tell me why?"

At his words, a trace of fear appeared on Olivia's face. "You didn't see that scene and have no idea how powerful it is! You don't have any clue how close the High Priestess is to Him!

"Humans are nothing before Him! In front of Him, any irreverent thoughts are already a sin!"

With that, her visage was already pained with panic and horror. Her hands trembled as she reached into her coat to pull out a small red tree pieced together from LEGO bricks.

She bowed her head and muttered under her breath, confessing her guilt and reverence to the tree.

After pouring out everything, Olivia felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and she felt a lot calmer.

"I've never read the High Priestess' memories, and neither do I dare to. That's the end of this topic. We should avoid being seen together in private from now on," Olivia said before she twisted the key firmly.

The door swung open, and she entered the room.

Just as she was about to close the door behind her, Roy called out.

"Don't go in just yet. Our target's here." Roy then tossed his half-finished cigar into the sea.

Through the thinning haze of smoke, a decrepit vessel that looked like it would break apart from a single gust was steadily approaching them.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gao Zhiming pounded on the cabin door. "Sis! There's a big ship coming our way. Tobba's dad told me to get you!"

Anna opened the door to reveal a completely new look. She shifted to block Gao Zhiming from seeing the blood-soaked ritual circle scrawled across the floor behind her.

"Sis, what were you doing inside? Why does it smell so bloody?"

Anna didn't answer. Instead, she bent down and planted a light peck on Gao Zhiming's lips before pulling him alongside her to the deck.

Although the conversion ritual reacted, it wasn't a complete success. Seems like we are still too far away. If I want to carry out the ritual, I need to get even closer. Anna thought to herself.

Seeing that another vessel was coming into view, the security team snapped to attention. Even the defensive systems on both destroyers were activated.

Despite the tense atmosphere in the air, the other party showed no hostile response. Instead, the vessel lowered its anchor in a calm manner.