Chapter 55 The Planner Plants the Piece

Right at this moment.

The ocean liner *Colin* began to experience rolling swells.

The terrifying omens of the deep sea finally descended in complete silence.

Su Wen also brought this brief conversation to a close.

Next, he stated that he had another person he needed to speak with.

That was the young woman whom Nelson mentioned had spent the entire day standing by the deck railing, gazing out at the ocean tides.

Regarding the detective's suggestion,

Nelson replied thoughtfully,

"Detective Kevin, you asked me earlier if there were any suspicious individuals on board.

Could it be that you had already discovered members of the Tides Cult mixed in among us?"

Hearing the traveler's perplexity,

Su Wen answered calmly,

"More than that."

He looked out the window at the sky, already gloomy and laced with jagged white lightning—the prelude to the most dangerous tempest in the open ocean.

Then he continued,

"The Tides Cult chases the storm.

Yet they do not realize

that they have long been deeply trapped within the storm itself."

The two men arrived at the lowest deck of the *Colin*, where the tickets were the cheapest and the cabins the most cramped.

Fortunately, the hygiene of this luxury yacht was well-maintained.

Otherwise, the further they journeyed across the ocean, the heavier the musty scent emanating from the wooden hull would become.

Su Wen gently knocked on the door.

A second later,

a soft, feminine voice came from inside:

"Who is it?"

"Emergency Incident Inspection, please cooperate with our work."

Su Wen's demeanor was elegant, showing no signs of haste.

"According to the passenger manifest, you must be Miss Phyllis Eleanor."

Upon hearing these words,

the tightly shut cabin door opened a crack, and a young woman with long flaxen hair said with a hint of fear:

"I'm Phyllis. But I truly don't know who committed the murder.

I stayed on the deck the entire time the homicide took place, observing the currents of the ocean tides."

[Appraisal: Phyllis Eleanor, Samoa Islands Coastal Inspector, ordinary human, Origin Knowledge: [Ocean Records] inheritor, Transcendental Potential: 'Storm Priest']

Seeing the appraisal results,

Su Wen felt that she likely concealed secrets even deeper than those of the researchers from the Lorenz-Reel Oceanography Department:

"Observing ocean currents—could you explain the reason for doing so?"

"It's just a personal habit of mine."

Phyllis looked somewhat flustered.

"I am a coastal inspector for Samoa, not someone traveling there for leisure.

My father was an oceanographer who owned his own observation station in the Samoa Islands.

After he passed away,

I took over those duties, yet I could never truly grasp 'the meaning of the research.'

Therefore,

in search of an answer,

I developed the same habit he had of observing ocean currents during voyages."

Hearing her response, which was backed by verifiable reasoning,

Su Wen could now, at the very least, rule out the possibility of her being an accomplice to the murder.

"But now I also know that a storm is coming."

As Phyllis spoke these words, her amber, beautiful pupils fixed upon the heavy black clouds outside the window, her tone devoid of the nervousness she had shown when first suspected.

Instead,

the young woman rationally and calmly suggested,

"Investigator, the murder shouldn't be the most critical thing right now. Based on my experience, we need to sail out of this sea area immediately."

"'Sailing away' is already far too late at this point."

Then,

he gave his answer calmly and firmly:

"Therefore, facing the storm head-on is the only choice we can make!"

The hidden quest of B-difficulty issued by the "Spacetime Travel" game verified that [Full Ship Evacuation] was an impossible choice.

Yet beyond that,

there remained a far more viable strategy.

"Miss Phyllis, if you harbor any doubts about what I have said, then come and witness it with your own eyes."

He closed the door.

Then,

he raised the final destination of this investigation to Mr. Paul, who stood beside him.

"Take me to the deceased Bernard's room."

"No problem, the cabin booked by the deceased Bernard is VIP Lounge [A-4], just up the stairs around the corner."

Arriving at their destination,

Su Wen pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Then,

following the late Bernard's indicated directions, he found the slightly rusted copper coin tucked between the thirteenth page of a magazine.

[Obtained Deep Sea Relic: Hecate's Lost Insignia]

[Relic Attribute: (Cursed) Whoever possesses this relic will be watched by the pan-oceanic deities.]

"What did you find?"

"A necessary piece of evidence.

Let's go.

To the banquet hall.

The scheduled performance is about to begin."

Su Wen replied calmly.

Just as the three of them were walking down the luxurious stairwell,

a waiter pushing a silver food cart happened to brush past them.

Perhaps noticing the head of security,

the waiter lowered his head just enough to show proper respect to a senior official.

Yet, at the exact moment they were about to pass each other,

Su Wen asked nonchalantly:

"Mr. Paul, it hasn't been long since the accidental death occurred.

I wonder which distinguished guest could possibly be in the mood to order a full Western-style course that takes hours to prepare."

Hearing the subtle implication in Su Wen's words,

a cold glint flashed in the waiter's eyes.

Yet the next second,

before he could make a single move,

the icy muzzle of the Magnum in Su Wen's hand was already pressed firmly against the waiter's glabella.

He stated, both elegantly and ruthlessly:

"I have already obtained the permission of Captain Adrian.

So, if you make so much as another twitch,

you will die!"