MTLNOVEL Chapter 7: Calm
"Sorry, boss."
"I'm here to provide security services for you, to help you handle some harmless odd jobs."
"If it's for a righteous cause, taking out a few evil criminals for you isn't a problem, and cleaning up afterward is easy. However..."
When Zhou Qingfeng ordered the hit on Professor Amir Khan, Lux didn't hesitate to refuse.
Though his voice was calm, his attitude was resolute, clearly reminding Zhou Qingfeng where his bottom line was.
Now, the situation had become complicated.
No one expected that the professor had hooked up with the governor, and they were about to meet. The meticulously planned 'Immortal Jump' was on the verge of being exposed, and the situation instantly became tense.
Lux knew very well that working for money and killing for money are two different things. If truly caught, as long as it wasn't a major crime like murder or arson, he had CIA colleagues to help.
But if Zhou Qingfeng, this 'foreigner,' got caught, he wouldn't be so fortunate and would have to fend for himself.
"Enough, no more 'however.'" Zhou Qingfeng interrupted Lux, "I understand, activate the contingency plan."
At a critical moment, the subordinates' unwillingness to risk their lives was expected. Zhou Qingfeng was glad he wasn't without a backup plan.
The 'Caribbean' had hundreds of first-class cabins, but there was only one 'Presidential Suite' with an open-air balcony, and it belonged to Zhou Qingfeng.
It seemed reasonable enough that a billionaire would have a bit more luggage, right?
He and another bodyguard, Yeager, teamed up to pull out a large box from a pile of carry-on luggage.
Inside the box was a T100 large quadcopter drone, which required more than "three and a half meters by three and a half meters" of space to take off when fully deployed.
Fortunately, the sea-view balcony of the 'Presidential Suite' was spacious enough.
The T100 had a maximum lift capacity of eighty kilograms and could easily lift two hundred kilograms in a short burst, lifting a living person effortlessly.
Unfolding the arms, expanding the blades, inserting the battery, installing the harness... when Zhou Qingfeng started the remote control, the eight blades of the quadcopter roared violently, slowly rising from the open balcony.
From the 'Presidential Suite' to the A suite of the first-class cabin was only a few dozen meters. This content is presented by M4VLEMPYR.
Lux leaned out from the balcony, soon feeling the fierce wind from the blades, squinting his eyes.
Professor Amir Khan was currently in a deep sleep, quickly being harnessed and transferred from the A suite of the first-class cabin to the 'Presidential Suite.'
Next, Lux himself was also moved over.
As for Maurice, that guy went to change disguises and hadn't even reached the A suite yet.
When he was called back by the walkie-talkie, he saw the professor lying limp on the floor and his eyes widened: "What happened?"
Zhou Qingfeng said sternly, "No need for nonsense, the person is here, continue your work. Wake this guy up and inject him with 'Truth Serum.'"
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Just as the drone lifted Lux and Professor Amir Khan, several cruise ship security personnel opened the door of the A suite and searched thoroughly.
In the living room of the suite, the crystal chandelier cast a cold white light. The open sea-view balcony continuously let in the salty sea breeze, making the ivory-colored curtains billow.
No one in the room!
The security personnel rushed to the balcony, first looking down— the over-ten-story-high cruise ship was fifty to sixty meters above the sea, one side lit by the bright cabin, the other side an inky dark sea.
Looking up, there was only the boundless dark night.
The cruise ship security could only report that although the surveillance showed Professor Amir Khan entering the A suite of the first-class cabin, no one was in the room.
Before long, Governor Weston stormed in with the special operations team, his eyes sweeping around the suite's living room, trying to find something.
The four cruise ship security personnel stood rigid as statues, the two indoor staff pressed tightly against the wall.
The assistant stood at an angle behind the governor, the blue light of the tablet reflecting off his pale face.
Everyone tried to breathe as quietly as possible, not daring to speak lightly, making the scene extremely quiet.
"Governor Weston..." The assistant also felt nervous, his voice breaking like it was torn by the sea breeze, "The surveillance shows there are at least two suspects, both disguised.
One as a female attendant, the other as a cleaner in housekeeping.
The female attendant lured Professor Amir Khan into the first-class suite and then left; then the cleaner came in and disappeared with the professor.
The cruise ship security is working hard in the control room to trace their origins and whereabouts.
We suspect, after kidnapping the professor, the suspects most likely used ropes to take him away, heading to the lower decks to escape.
There's bad news, the encrypted hard drive the professor had is missing. But fortunately, it has hardware encryption, it will self-destruct after five incorrect password attempts."
"Fortunately?" Governor Weston suddenly turned, grabbing the assistant by the collar and coldly growled, "Do you think this is an ordinary kidnapping case?"
"No... of course not." The assistant's forehead beaded with sweat, "However, the incident happened on a cruise ship; the suspects and the professor are surely still on board, and so is the missing hard drive.
Unless... the suspects prepared a speedboat for pickup or have other means. That would be even more troublesome."
Governor Weston, emotionally excited, "I spent three years, did lots of work, secretly kept it from the military and privately expanded the development of the X project.
Now the project is just one step away from success, I am about to possess the most enviable power in the world, the greatest wealth.
Suddenly someone came in, not only kidnapped my biochemistry project leader but also stole the hard drive containing all the X project secrets.