In the bay in the afternoon, ships waiting to enter the harbor floated on the leaden gray silent sea.
A huge ship docked at Port No. 3, and Lu Li and the others arrived just in time.
The "Avitannis" cruise ship is one of the best choices among transcontinental ocean-going ships. The large and strong steel hull is enough to give anyone who sees it an unparalleled sense of security and conquest of the vast ocean.
.
"Damn it! Chris, tell that idiot to take the cart aside! The animals can't get on board!"
The port was crowded with people waiting in line. A crew member squeezed through the crowd, holding his hat and shouting as he passed in front of Lu Li's carriage.
Qiao Qiao looked back at the window. The passing crew member stopped the passengers who were leading the carriage to the loading area and said something loudly.
"It's so lively..."
Jojo whispered to himself that the last time he saw such a scene was when the Queen of the Lennon Islands visited the Allen Peninsula many years ago. People poured into the streets and waved enthusiastically to the gorgeous carriage pulled by eight pure white horses.
Lu Li looked around at the surging crowd and saw the figure of the night watchman on the edge.
As a place where people gather in large numbers, they have the responsibility to prevent weird things from happening here.
Looking away, Lu Li drove the carriage to the carriage house at the port to return it. The group blended into the crowd at the port and waited for the ticket check.
The crowd was divided into three boarding points according to the ticket level. The ticket Lu Li bought was for second class, which was located above the deck. It was slightly inferior to first class and better than last class.
First class is the only choice for nobles and wealthy people. They have the right to board the ship in advance, and their belongings are taken to the loading area by butlers and servants.
First-class passengers account for the vast majority of the people waiting to check in at the harbor. Below the deck, there are small and enclosed multi-person cabins.
Second-class passengers are all middle-class people like Lu Li. Most of them are doctors, lawyers or businessmen, and are not qualified to stay in first-class. However, some choose to travel in the second-class cabin. Today, a second-class ticket is almost gone.
The price was nearly a thousand shillings a piece.
"We haven't bought the tickets yet...Is it okay?" Qiao Qiao asked a little cautiously in the queue.
"You can bring your family members in the second class, but you have to bear the additional ticket price." Moreover, Lu Li has three tickets - the extra one is for Anna's good friend Daisy.
"I'll tell you how much the ticket is -" Qiao Qiao took off her backpack and planned to pay for the ticket together with Fran.
She probably knew the boat ticket at this moment, and all the money she had together should be barely enough.
Aunt Mary held her down gently and shook her head. Qiaoqiao stopped moving, looked at Lu Li with understanding, but did not look back, and slowly put on her backpack again.
After the shelter was abandoned, shillings became just a number to Lu Li.
Especially the gains from the Shadow Town incident. The accumulated investigation points can be converted into shillings, which can turn Lu Li's family property into hundreds of thousands of shillings in an instant——
While waiting for the ticket check in the noisy crowd, at a certain moment, a gust of sea breeze blew, bringing with it a slightly familiar voice.
"...Captain Rollin regretfully told me that the first-class ticket was no longer available. He said that Viscount Stan was willing to share the room with me. How could I agree to that ugly fat pig? But I have been to the Lennon Islands in the past few days.
All the first-class tickets were gone, so I had to buy a second-class ticket and squeeze in with these poor... guys."
Lu Li, who was looking at the Avitannis, retracted his gaze and looked back.
The noble lady whom she met at the manor of Baron Himfast and Joseph lined up behind a few figures, complaining to the housekeeper.
It seems that doing this can alleviate the embarrassment of a down-and-out noble like her standing in this line.
"It's her..."
Anna recognized the woman she met for the third time.
"Um."
Nodding gently, Lu Li looked back and looked at the big ship in front of the port again.
The complaining lady also didn't notice the man she met several times not far away.
After waiting for a while, the bridge on the cruise ship lowered and ticket checking began.
"Are there only three tickets?" the crew member asked politely, looking at the three people behind Lu Li.
"We will buy extra tickets for the extra people."
"Okay, welcome aboard the Avitannis." The crew returned the tickets, watched them walk onto the bridge, and continued to check the next passenger's ticket.
The teak deck turned dark brown in the drizzle, and the silence on the deck was quickly replaced by the passengers rushing up. They put down their luggage and returned to the deck to wave goodbye to their family and friends who were seeing off the shore.
In the second-class suite, Qiao Qiao put down her luggage and looked at Lu Li.
"Let's go shopping." Lu Li said, understanding her thoughts.
"I'll be back before the ship sets off!" Qiaoqiao couldn't wait to open the door and ran out. Then she seemed to bump into someone, and an apology sounded outside the corridor.
Click——
The door closed, and then there was a knock.
Anna waved her hand and opened the door, revealing a crew member.
"Is Miss Anna here?" He looked at Lu Li and said politely, "There is her letter here."
Aunt Mary looked at Lu Li in confusion. Lu Li frowned and said, "Who sent it?"
Anna is a wraith and has never shown up. How could anyone know she is here?
"I have no idea."
Lu Li received the letter, closed the door, and handed it to Anna who appeared.
Anna opened the envelope, her scarlet eyes fell on the paper, and after a long pause, she folded the letter paper and stuffed it back into the envelope.
"Who is it?" Lu Li asked.
"It's from Daisy, it's nothing," Anna said.
Anna was very bad at lying, so Lu Li silently watched her look at each other for a few seconds, then looked away without saying anything.
This letter did not dampen everyone's relief about leaving the dangerous place. It was not until Jojo returned to the suite, half an hour before the Avitannis left the shore, that the door was knocked again.
The crew sent another letter, this time, the recipient was Lu Li.
Under everyone's gaze, Lu Li unfolded the letter and then remained still for a while.
"I'm afraid I can't leave with you." After more than ten seconds, Lu Li looked away from the letter. "There are some things that need to be dealt with immediately."
His eyes finally fell on Anna's illusory figure, but before he said anything, Anna had already answered: "Where you go, I will go."
She knew that Lu Li would not do anything meaningless, something must have happened.
"Can--"
Aunt Mary stopped the confused Qiaoqiao and did not ask what happened. She just asked: "Will you go to the Lennon Islands after the treatment?"
"Maybe."
"Then wait for me."
Aunt Mary said, went into the bedroom, opened her suitcase, and handed a deed to Lu Li: "This is the deed of the house. There are also some cans stored in the basement."
Lu Li took the house deed and nodded.
Qiao Qiao also turned around and ran to the bedroom, found Lu Li's luggage, returned to the living room with the confused Fran, and placed it at Lu Li's feet.
She stood up on tiptoes and hugged Lu Li gently, stepped back from the diffuse coldness, and said goodbye to Lu Li.
