Gia Ming walked towards his elder cousin, inwardly shocked by how strong his cousin had grown.
What the hell has his cousin been through during this time?
(?0?)
You have to know that Old Gia was 58 years old, while he was 37.
And though they had more than 20 years of gap between them, they were indeed cousins.
That said, one must also address the elephant in the room, which was old Gia''s youthful appearance.
If he didn''t know any better, he would''ve thought Old Gia was about his age.
His back was brighter, his chest fuller, his body looking way good for his age, and his overall appearance very handsome.
Who am I? What am I?
This sort of thing was too shocking to many in the room. But as trained Navy officers, they adapted fast to these changes, throwing them at the back of their minds.
Now, what''s important was rescuing or finding all the missing passengers aboard the cruise ship!
Of course, even though he respected Old Gia, he still felt his cousin''s orders were wrong.
Moreover, why did his cousin bring civilians into the Navy for such a case?
Old Ghu? Old Bho? Old madam Ghu? Deputy Director Xiang Shore?...
Standing with his chest firm and hands behind his back, Gia Ming recognized many of them.
"Cousin... What is going on here? We have to keep a close watch on the waters at all times. So recalling everyone back is not the move we should be making!!!"
Already, many could smell the gunpowder in the room. And though Old Gia was a legend and a hero to them, they still had to agree with Gia Ming''s words.
Why listen to a young brat who doesn''t even know how to wear diapers on a baby?
.
Gia Ming clenched his fists when thinking of the many lives at stake. "Cousin... You''ve changed."
You aren''t the smart, protective, efficient, and fast-thinking brother you used to be.
If not, how can he allow such a decision to go by?
Now they should be on the search for any survivors and not be recalling everyone and sitting on their asses.
Old Gia chuckled, looking at the angered officers in the room.
"At ease... In time, you''ll get your answer. But first, let''s get things settled."
Right!
Gia Ming nodded in silence.
And in no time, they got word from those previously surrounding the waters and the sky
... They''re back.
Good.
Showtime.
With an expressionless face, Dorian boarded a small speeding boat with the others.
"Wait!... I''ming with you."
How can he, Gia Ming, not be present in whatever n they were taking?
Very quickly, he boarded the boat with 4 others directly under hismand.
"Cousin, I hope you know what you''re doing."
"Hmmm...." Old Gia hummed, turning his attention to Dorian.
His face stern, his body hard, and the atmosphere heavier.
"Ming... I say this with great urgency and importance... No matter what you see, always trust the Grandmaster."
Always trust him?
Was this a joke?
Gia Ming and the lot felt their hairs stand when meeting eye to eye with Old Gia.
With a simple warning, Old Gia left them.
And now, the group of 5 were standing before the rails, starting at the open seas with a thousand questions in mind.
"Well then... It''s official. The fate of all passengers is in the hands of a measly 17-year-old boy."
Everyone thought it was ridiculous but didn''t dare toment any further.
Via Ming squinted his eyes at the vast seas.
"Rx... Even though my cousin seems out of it, he still knows his responsibilities. There must be something else involved that we are aware of."<sub> </sub>
"Something else?" Another questioned in disbelief.
Do you know their authority in the Navy?
They are the top-tier positions, with only a few things being ssified in their case.
Damn!
Could it be something presidential level that they aren''t aware of?
Everyone felt cold sweats when thinking of the strangeness of this case.
Indeed... Something didn''t add up.
But what?
.
Drrrrr!~~~
The boat jumped severally above the water surface as it speeded as quickly as it could.
Faster... Faster... Faster...
The wind smacked many in the face, and the salty air eroded their nostrils.
Bho Jin soon went back inside, seeing the Grandmaster and everyone else in deep meditation.
Augh~
Bho Jin wryly shook his head, walking towards Old Bho standing before the open screen.
"Grandfather..."
"Hmmm... There''s a lot of mystery surrounding that one." Old Bhomented, pointing at Dorian.
For Old Gia to give control to Dorian when so many lives were at stake only showed just how important and strong this boy was.
But for the life of him, he couldn''t see how the bit would solve this mystery.
Yes!
Already, he thought of the boy as some super detective with a super brain.
Probably, that''s how the mystery would get solved, no?
Wrong!
"Old Marshall!" The captain bellowed, raising his voice higher than the rowdy engine.
"Old Marshall!... Over there! Deluca''s line!"
Old madam Ghu and everyone calmly arose from their meditative state, making their way towards the front.
Deluca''s line.
Scientists believe the line was formed after the great changes from continental drifts, tectonic te movements, and ocean changes.
Of course, some made-up stories also existed about Deluca''s line but were quickly crushed as myths, simr to Superman or Drac.
After all, wasn''t it insane to believe this strange line was a monster swallowing up people at will?
Tsk.
The Bho guards, Gia Ming, and the other Navy officers shook their heads at the ridiculous stories circting around.
Some even swore they saw something. But such people had long been locked up in the loony bin for their good.
"Take us up front."
"Roger that, sir."
.
Drrrrrr!~~
The boat danced swiftly above the water until it reached the very front of what many believed to be the line.
To be urate, it looked like a smile.
And they were now before the mid-region of this smile.
"Here," Dorian spoke calmly. "Dock here."
He could feel its rotting existence right from inside the ship.
Huh.
Dorian flicked his wrist, and a talisman paper appeared in his hands.
''This should be fun.''