Chapter 102: Captain Dylan

Lin Xiaofeng picked up the business card and read the inscription:

Captain Wildman Dylan.
Main business: Confidential.
For details, please contact:…

He searched online for Captain Wildman and found that he was indeed reachable, with quite high ratings. Although a bit wild, he was considered upright, known for keeping his promises and being brave and decisive. The only uncertainty was whether his search ranking had been purchased.

Lin also inquired and learned that recently, only Captain Dylan had ventured into that particular sea area. Missing this opportunity would mean waiting at least a month.

After some thought, Lin realized he had no choice. Judging by the timing, Brother Long and Damin must have already set off for Ghost Island. If he returned now, he would probably be too late. It was better to trust this white guy named Dylan for once.

Having made up his mind, Lin immediately called Dylan. As if expecting his call, Dylan showed no surprise and didn’t even ask where Lin was headed or whether he could afford the fare. In short, Dylan agreed promptly, telling him to be at the dock early the next morning.

The day of departure arrived. Early in the morning, Lin came to the dock as agreed.

At seven o’clock, the dock was still quiet, not yet bustling with activity for the day. A few scattered ships were loading and unloading cargo, while several large fishing vessels returning from long voyages were busy.

Lin looked around and gazed into the distance but saw no sign of Dylan. However, he spotted a large cruise ship in the distance with the words "Wild Adventure Tours" painted on it.

He figured that must be the ship and took out his phone to contact Dylan. The call went unanswered for some unknown reason.

Checking his watch, Lin saw the agreed time was almost up. Was this Dylan guy reliable? The crew on that ship had already started working, and it looked like they were about to set sail.

Growing anxious, Lin approached the cruise ship and asked around but no one paid him any attention.

Just as Lin was at a loss, someone suddenly hugged him from behind, then shifted to his side, throwing an arm around his shoulder, saying, “Anxious, huh, buddy? Come on, let’s board!”

“How much do you charge?” Lin didn’t follow immediately; he wanted to confirm before getting on.

“Talk about it once you’re on board!” Dylan didn’t seem worried about Lin skipping out on payment and wasn’t in a hurry to collect money.

“Let’s settle it beforehand!” Lin insisted. He feared that if they couldn’t agree after boarding, Dylan might have ill intentions.

“Troublesome! Now I have to do math!” Dylan hated calculations. Usually, someone else handled the finances, but that guy had taken leave to be with his wife, which was a real headache! Dylan thought for a moment and said, “Alright, just give what you think is fair! I don’t rely on tourists’ fares to make a living anyway!”

Hearing that Dylan’s income didn’t depend on ticket sales, Lin felt a twinge of fear. Then he reconsidered, thinking he might be overthinking it. Tentatively, he asked, “Is this a cargo ship?”

Dylan looked at the fussbudget and said, “It used to be a sightseeing cruise, but who wants to travel far these days? Had to switch to hauling cargo!”

Lin nodded emphatically and then followed Captain Dylan onto the ship.

As Dylan had said, the ship was originally a passenger vessel equipped with all the comforts for leisure and entertainment. However, many of the areas that used to serve as rest and recreational spots for tourists were now filled with cargo, mostly everyday consumables.

Seeing that things were as Dylan had described, Lin felt much more at ease. It seemed he hadn’t boarded a pirate ship.

Once on board, no one attended to Lin; in fact, no one acknowledged him at all.

There were many empty rooms, but the guest cabins were generally small, and the few larger ones were packed with cargo. Lin had to settle for a relatively spacious room.

After putting down his belongings, he lay down and caught a bit more sleep. By the time he woke, it was noon, and his stomach was growling. He got up to find something to eat. Not knowing where the kitchen was, he wandered around, which also helped him familiarize himself with the new surroundings.

After a wide loop through the ship’s cabins, Lin finally found the kitchen. Inside, several chefs were preparing desserts and seafood—typical Western cuisine. Though not quite comparable to a gourmet empire, Lin’s mouth watered at the sight.

The chefs greeted him warmly upon seeing a stranger enter, showing no suspicion. After Lin explained his situation, they found him a seat and casually served him some food.

Just then, a man who looked like a manager—a middle-aged gentleman in a suit—walked in and headed straight toward Lin.

Noticing the newcomer, Lin quickly put down his knife and fork, smiled, and nodded in greeting.

The gentleman, pleased by Lin’s politeness, immediately felt a surge of goodwill. He asked kindly, “Sorry to bother you! Are you Mr. Lin Xiaofeng?”

“Yes, I am. May I ask who you are?”

“I’m in charge of logistics on this ship. You can call me Charles. Captain Dylan told me that the CFO of Wild Adventure Tours is temporarily unavailable, so I’m here to handle the payment,” Charles said politely.

“Alright, that’s fine. But I don’t have cash on me. Do you accept card? How much is it?”

“Of course! Captain Dylan said to charge you the regular tourist fare. It’s a total of 14,500 Australian dollars. Would you like me to convert it into RMB for you?” Charles asked patiently.

Lin nodded in agreement and handed Charles his black card.

Charles took the card but didn’t immediately process the payment. Instead, he paused and asked, “Pardon me, Mr. Lin, but is this card yours personally?”

Lin nodded again.

“Are you an international investigator? May I ask which region you’re from—CHN?” Charles inquired further.

“Is there a problem?” Lin asked, surprised that the first question about money also involved his identity. Was this not an ordinary ship?

Seeing Lin’s reaction, Charles calmly explained, “Mr. Lin, this ship was originally a cruise vessel operating around Ghost Island and the Galikri Sea, catering to adventure tours and visitors to the Baral tribe, as you can tell by the name. However, earlier this year, it was requisitioned by the Asia-Pacific branch of the International Disaster Relief Committee. If you are indeed an investigator from the CHN region, you can travel free of charge, but you need to declare the nature of your mission so we can report it to the authorities.”

Hearing the mention of an official mission, Lin suddenly recalled that this time, his operation had not been approved by the higher-ups. He explained to Charles that his trip was not official business but a personal matter.

Upon hearing this, Charles remembered that two other investigators from the CHN region at the Philippine base the previous night had said the same thing. He had assumed Lin was on a covert mission and couldn’t disclose details. Charles insisted on not charging him and wished Mr. Lin a smooth journey.