Invasion of the United States

"These are no ordinary kidnappers. We must hit them with all we've got."

The assistant tried to remain calm and quickly suggested, "The lifeboats and helicopters on the cruise ship are already being watched.

As long as you give the order, the Coast Guard, National Guard, Miami Police Department, and FBI agents will arrive shortly.

There are only a few thousand people on the ship. It wouldn't be difficult to investigate."

Governor Weston snorted heavily, "Do you want everyone to know that the current controller of 'Apocalypse Creatures' is me? Do you want tomorrow's headlines to be about my scandal?"

The assistant was stunned into silence, his shirt soaked in cold sweat, unsure of what to do next.

"Just treat it as an ordinary kidnapping case. Let the FBI handle it.

The cruise ship has just set sail and will be at sea for three days and two nights. Solve the case within seventy-two hours.

By any means necessary, find the person for me."

-----------------

Within an hour, a dozen helicopters flew in from the direction of the coast, the roar of their rotors piercing the calm above the cruise ship, and bright searchlights illuminating patches of the dark sea.

The FBI insignia stood out prominently on the helicopters.

As the helicopters gradually landed, twenty or thirty federal agents quickly jumped out of the cabins, along with several well-trained police dogs and forensic personnel carrying heavy equipment cases.

Since the governor himself was on the cruise ship and had given the orders personally, the Miami Branch had to dispatch its most elite forces.

Director Schmidt led the team personally. After boarding, his first act was to head to the first-class suite to console the "frightened" governor, leaving the newly appointed Deputy Director Carl Vincent in charge of handling specific affairs.

Carl Vincent had just found his footing when he commanded the cruise ship's chief mate who had come to assist: "Give me the roster of all personnel on the ship, including crew members and passengers."

Soon, the electronic roster appeared on Carl's tablet, with the first page listing the first-class passengers.

Presidential Suite — Zhou Qing Feng.

Seeing this typically Chinese surname and then noticing "Victor" in the notes, Carl's eyebrows knitted slightly.

He decisively clicked on the name, and Zhou Qingfeng's photo from his boarding documents immediately popped up on the screen. This familiar face made Carl's pupils contract sharply.

"Why is this kid everywhere?" Carl cursed. His over ten years of experience told him that he'd found a suspect.

"Take over the cruise ship's surveillance room and find out who the professor interacted with after boarding." Carl ordered the agents beside him and then told the chief mate, "Lead the way to the crime scene."

-----------------

Zhou Qingfeng was currently sitting in front of a slot machine in the cruise ship's casino, lazily inserting coins and pulling the lever, his eyes wandering over the spinning puzzle symbols on the screen.

The casino was brightly lit and bustling, with the constant music from the slot machines urging people to keep placing bets.

While he couldn't leave the cruise ship for now, he wasn't worried, at least not at the moment.

The "Immortal Jump" plan meticulously designed for Professor Amir Khan had multiple layers of safeguards in place.

The first-class suite, used as a "trap," was booked anonymously and didn't require a key card to enter; the room could be unlocked with a booking code.

Lux had carefully disguised himself during the mission — changing his face, figure, and even shoes to look completely different from his usual appearance.

Zhou Qingfeng himself had never appeared during the operation and left no fingerprints at the scene.

After the emergency evacuation, all disguises were quickly destroyed and weighed down with a drone before being thrown into the sea.

Even the fake female attendant was a fellow traveler Lux temporarily roped in, whose real identity was unknown even to Zhou Qingfeng.

As for the hard drive — Maurice was currently inside the "Presidential Suite" dealing with Professor Amir Khan, planning to wake him up first.

Zhou Qingfeng, on the other hand, wandered around the ship, particularly observing the movements of the ship's security personnel.

Although the entire "Immortal Jump" plan wasn't particularly novel or earth-shattering, it proceeded without any major hitches, even appearing rather uneventful.

But every detail and fallback in the operation had been meticulously thought out to avoid any rookie mistakes.

The only trouble was that the two bodyguards weren't very "obedient."

After the emergency transfer, instead of blaming them, Zhou Qingfeng praised Lux, admitting that his impulsive order was wrong and that not killing the professor was the best decision.

Not only could he not be angry, but he also had to give them a raise and encourage them to offer more suggestions, keeping them on his side to avoid any rift.

Lux and Yeager were quite surprised, unable for a moment to understand Zhou Qingfeng's true thoughts, as the young man shouldn't have such deep and calculating traits.

In the casino, the noisy sounds and fast-paced music from the slot machines created an exhilarating atmosphere.

Normally, Zhou Qingfeng had terrible luck with gambling, always losing, but today, he was on an unusually lucky streak.

With a few casual pulls of the lever, the jackpot bells rang continuously, and coins fell like rain, drawing the eyes of many around him.

In a casino, lucky individuals often become the center of attention. People occasionally walked over to check out what was happening.

Most would simply smile and praise his luck; others took one glance and quickly turned away.

The abruptness of the turn drew Zhou Qingfeng's attention. He subconsciously turned his head and instantly recognized the person.

"Helen, ma'am."

The woman in a low-cut, backless dress was none other than Helen Grant, the history teacher from White Beach High School whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

After the Chris Clan's case ended, Zhou Qingfeng stopped attending school and left White Beach Town after a brief farewell with Helen.

For over a month, they had no contact — until they unexpectedly bumped into each other in the cruise ship's casino.

-----------------

Hearing her name called by Zhou Qingfeng, Helen, who had intended to avoid him, had to turn back and awkwardly waved, "Hi... Victor, I didn't expect to see you here."

Zhou Qingfeng was equally shocked and scrutinized Helen's revealing outfit, exclaiming, "Ma'am, you saw me and tried to hide..."

"No," Helen immediately denied, "I was just passing by and intended to play some cards."

Tired of the slot machine, Zhou Qingfeng didn't even collect his winnings and stood up to join Helen, "Okay, I'll join you for some cards."

Helen became more anxious, "No, wait... I suddenly don't feel like playing cards. I was actually just wandering around the casino and haven't even exchanged chips." Thе саnоniсаl sоurсе fоr this соntеnt: М|V|L2ЕМРYR.

Zhou Qingfeng chuckled, "Ma'am, I called you several times but you never answered, nor did you reply to my texts."

Helen stared at Zhou Qingfeng's face, her shoulders suddenly dropping as if in defeat, whispering, "Let's go somewhere else, it's too noisy here."

She then took Zhou Qingfeng's arm and strolled out of the casino to the open deck outside.

The night was dark, and the sea was calm. By leaning on the railing, they could hear the propellers churning the water and the splashing sound as the ship cut through the waves.

Helen relaxed, leaned close to Zhou Qingfeng's ear, and chuckled, "I didn't answer your calls because I thought there wouldn't be any further connection between us."

"Why?" Zhou Qingfeng asked naturally.

"You're very wealthy now, aren't you? Mr. Lee Hammer told me. I don't know how to communicate with a billionaire.

Whether indifferent or enthusiastic, it all seems too deliberate. Simply put, my social skills are terrible, and I can't balance my state of mind."

Zhou Qingfeng found it both amusing and understandable. If he were a penniless person, he would also feel uncomfortable facing a billionaire.

"Do you remember that night when you brought that FBI captain to my house? I felt especially comfortable and satisfied holding you.

But I knew it wasn't possible for us, so after you left, I didn't answer your calls or reply to your texts.

But I didn't expect to see you on this cruise. I couldn't help it; I just wanted to hug you and inhale your scent."

They were standing on a secluded part of the deck with dim lighting, a spot usually reserved for lovers.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about Zhou Qingfeng's scent. Selena had once offered to give him men's cologne, but he had sternly refused — he was a big guy after all, what did he need cologne for?

Helen hugged Zhou Qingfeng, burying her face in his neck, taking deep breaths as if mesmerized by some imaginary pleasant aroma, getting more intoxicated with each breath.

Unfortunately, after a while, Helen suddenly gasped loudly as if she remembered something important.

She quickly released Zhou Qingfeng, stepping away, "Victor, I need to leave for a bit, I must go."

Such a sudden act was quite startling.

Zhou Qingfeng took a few steps to catch up, "Do you need my help?"

"No, I don't. Don't follow me." Helen left in a fluster but still shouted back, "I will call you, I promise."