Aileen's sudden burst of laughter immediately drew everyone's attention.

McTavish asked gently, "What is it that's making you so happy?"

"I'm reading the Facebook comments about me," Aileen replied with a sweet smile, playfully deceiving the kind old man.

Though she was only fifteen or sixteen, she was already quite the seasoned actress, and telling such a small lie was utterly effortless; even Wang Zhuo's discerning "Fiery Golden Eyes" wouldn't notice if he didn't look closely.

"You can read them later," Old McTavish kindly told his granddaughter. "First, look around this ship. My youth was spent here, and after today, you'll never see it like this again."

Aileen nodded with a sweet smile, suddenly hoping Wang Zhuo would buy the Royal Princess, thinking she might be invited aboard as a guest—and surely, she could bring her grandfather too.

Then, she worried. Wang Zhuo didn't seem overly interested in the warship; he appeared more like a casual sightseer. How could someone with that attitude possibly fork over the money?

"Do you want to buy this ship?" she messaged Wang Zhuo.

Wang Zhuo understood her implied meaning immediately and replied casually, "Perhaps. Do you want me to be its buyer?"

"Of course, and you'll invite me onto your ship to visit, right?"

"In that case, as long as Miss Aileen graces me with her presence, I'll buy it."

"It's a deal!"

The two exchanged a quiet, knowing smile. No one realized that the Royal Princess's fate had just been sealed, and along with the decommissioned aircraft carrier, sold as a 'buy one, get one free' deal, went another princess in the eyes of modern Britain: Aileen McTavish, bundled along for the ride.

It took two hours to finish touring the interior of the Royal Princess. Its military propulsion system, a massive energy hog but capable of formidable speed, had not yet been removed. Although Wang Zhuo was interested, Commander Morning could only offer his regrets; the unit was not for sale at any price. A buyer would need to provide a civilian-grade replacement, which the Ministry of Defence would install free of charge.

Stepping back onto the deck, a playful smile touched Wang Zhuo's lips. He saw another group of visitors ascending from a different staircase at the same moment—a chance encounter with Liu Jieming!

"Liu Jieming!" Wang Zhuo gave a frivolous whistle and waved arrogantly at him.

Liu Jieming's heart sank. He froze, unsure whether to advance or retreat, looking desperately toward 'Brother Jing' and 'Sister-in-law' for help.

"I'll say something for him," Brother Jing murmured after a moment's thought. He glanced at Liu Jieming, slightly blocking the woman who was about to step forward, and walked toward Wang Zhuo alone.

Seeing Brother Jing approach, Wang Zhuo met him halfway, neither subservient nor overbearing, and offered a courteous greeting with a smile: "What a coincidence, running into Mr. Fu here."

The two men had actually spotted each other earlier after boarding but hadn't made a formal acknowledgment. Brother Jing's full name was Fu Zhongjing, a rare Manchu surname he took from his mother. His grandfather had once held considerable renown, having occupied a seat on the National Second Council for many years.

Compared to Fu Zhongjing, Qu Jingyou, who also had a National Second Council grandfather, was worlds apart—her family had fallen from grace, leading Qu Jingyou to resort to seduction to swindle money and murder from Wang Zhuo. The Fu family, however, continued to flourish; after the grandfather retired, his second son stepped into the vacancy, and their financial clout was such that they could be described as 'rich enough to rival a nation,' commanding respect across the military, political, and business sectors.

Wang Zhuo and Fu Zhongjing had met once before in Beijing, and their initial impressions of each other had been positive.

Fu Zhongjing chuckled heartily. "I didn't expect you to be interested in warships, Wang Zhuo. What, planning to buy it and convert it into a pleasure yacht?"

"That is indeed the plan," Wang Zhuo replied with a light smile, then inquired, "Mr. Fu, what brings you together with Liu Jieming? Are you friends?"

"Just casual acquaintances," Fu Zhongjing said with an enigmatic smile. "I know a little about the animosity between you two, but I'm not clear on the details matching his account."

"Oh?" Wang Zhuo raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm not interested in the details," Fu Zhongjing stated nonchalantly. "He came with me today. Do me a favor, Wang Zhuo: don't make things difficult for him in front of me. After we leave this ship, do as you please. I, Fu Zhongjing, owe you one. How about that?"

Wang Zhuo was slightly taken aback, then his expression cleared into a hearty laugh. "Since Brother Fu puts it that way, I, Wang Zhuo, am not ungrateful. I won't seek trouble with him today."

Face is given by others, but it is truly earned. One needs commensurate power to command respect. If anyone else had said those words to Wang Zhuo, he would have simply rolled his eyes and asked who they thought they were. But Fu Zhongjing was worthy of Wang Zhuo granting Liu Jieming a temporary reprieve, primarily because Fu's style and manner appealed to Wang Zhuo, and his standing commanded respect.

As for teaching Liu Jieming a lesson, Wang Zhuo frankly wasn't in a hurry; it had almost become a form of amusement. In truth, Wang Zhuo had already exacted revenge in another fashion. If Liu Jieming valued his honor above his life, learning what Wang Zhuo had done to his wife would drive him to commit suicide by crossing the sea out of shame and fury.

"Agreed, Wang Zhuo." Fu Zhongjing bowed grandly. "I like straightforward people like you. Call me when you get back to Beijing; we'll have a drink."

Wang Zhuo returned the bow. Though he might never cross paths with a profiteer like Fu Zhongjing in business, the man was straightforward and decisive; making a friend out of him wouldn't hurt.

In the distance, Liu Jieming let out a long breath. Although he hadn't heard the specifics of the conversation between Brother Jing and Wang Zhuo, he could deduce from their expressions and body language that his immediate crisis had passed.

What he didn't know was that the time Fu Zhongjing bought him was only twenty-four hours. And after that day, Wang Zhuo and Fu Zhongjing would become friends, with Wang Zhuo later purchasing substantial amounts of weaponry through Fu Zhongjing for the defense of his country—though that is a tale for another time.

After watching Fu Zhongjing return, Wang Zhuo suddenly heard Li Mingxu complaining softly behind him, "What's going on? The wind is so strong."

Just as Li Mingxu said, the wind speed was now around five or six on the Beaufort scale. It was late February, and the fierce sea wind pierced through the trouser legs beneath their greatcoats, leaving their faces stinging with cold.

Lieutenant Commander Morning approached and explained to Wang Zhuo with a wry smile, "The wind speed is a level and a half higher than forecasted. The helicopter probably can't take off for now."

"We can't leave?" Wang Zhuo asked, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"We didn't prepare lunch for everyone, and this wind isn't likely to die down quickly." The British often spoke in non-sequiturs; Morning first mentioned something seemingly irrelevant before answering Wang Zhuo's question. "If we leave now, I apologize, but everyone will have to take the boat."

Taking the boat was fine. Wang Zhuo shrugged indifferently and acted as a temporary translator, relaying Morning's words to Li Mingxu and the others.

"Taking the boat isn't bad; we can tour an active British destroyer on the way," Zhao Yu said excitedly, pointing to a destroyer visible some distance out on the water.

"I doubt they'll let us ride that one," Zhou Jiyuan shook his head slightly.

He was right. Several twelve-seater rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) were lowered from the destroyer. Wang Zhuo and his group, having never ridden in such craft, were intrigued. Zhou Jiyuan, however, who had served on naval vessels, immediately complained that riding in this kind of boat in this cold weather was torture.

...

The biting wind hit their faces. The RIBs moved fast, a long line of them slicing through the water, creating a wake of white foam. Viewed from above, they would look like a white streak across the sea.

As Zhou Jiyuan predicted, riding the RIBs in this weather was bitterly cold. Even wrapped in the navy greatcoats provided by the British, those with weaker constitutions huddled into balls.

However, Zhao Yu and Wang Zhuo had no such worries; they were young and could easily ignore a bit of wind and wave. Zhao Yu was taking selfies with his phone, while Wang Zhuo leaned over the gunwale, gazing down at the sea, using his clairvoyance to scan the seabed for mineral veins or sunken treasure.

Aboard their boat, besides Wang Zhuo and his four companions, were Aileen McTavish and her grandfather. While Wang Zhuo searched for treasure, Aileen, like Zhao Yu, was posing for photos being taken by her friends.

It was predictable that tonight, superstar Aileen's Facebook and Weibo accounts would feature several new stunning pictures designed to make her fans scream in adoration.

"Aileen, don't sit on the stern like that; it's dangerous."

Old Grandpa McTavish warned her cheerfully, though he wasn't overly worried. Aileen had endured many dangerous scenes during her film shoots and surely possessed basic safety awareness.

Hearing this, Wang Zhuo turned his head just in time to see Aileen seated near the stern rail, her arms pressed tightly to her sides, hands gripping the edge of the boat, her golden hair flying wildly in the strong wind, her face lit with a brilliantly happy smile.

In the distance were the blue sea and sky, scattered with wispy clouds. Behind them, the Royal Princess was receding, followed by the line of RIBs. This dynamic scene was undeniably beautiful.

Wang Zhuo involuntarily pulled out his own phone and raised it to photograph Aileen. The girl playfully stuck out a pouty face toward him, just as fate suddenly intervened.

A Force Six wind on the open sea wasn't enough to generate waves large enough to capsize a twelve-seater RIB, but turbulence was unavoidable. Just as Wang Zhuo was taking the picture, an unremarkable swell suddenly rose directly against the bow. The boat's nose instantly lifted at a sharp angle. Aileen's balanced posture immediately tilted backward, followed by a violent shudder as the hull passed over the wave trough. Her hands, resting on the edge rather than gripping a proper handhold, slipped. The upward thrust from the stern launched her body nearly forty centimeters into the air, and as she fell, she was flung clear of the boat!

She fell into the sea?!

Wang Zhuo was stunned for one-tenth of a second, then an icy chill shot straight to his brain. The boat behind them wasn't far. If a collision occurred, forget a girl like Aileen; even a brute like Cuchi wouldn't survive it!