Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 9: Journey to the End of the World (9)

Dragon Raja 4

“Some information needs to be restricted to a small scope. I can tell you this, ‘Twilight Dogma’ does exist and is sensitive,” EVA smiled, “I just can’t show you all the related links, but I still have the authority to give you a general idea. Like other historical organizations, the Secret Party once split and absorbed external forces. The Twilight Dogma is a small organization that split off from the Secret Party. Usually, the Secret Party monitors them for decades until it is certain that these splinter groups won’t affect the Secret Party’s operations and can keep the secrets of the dragon world. I indeed don’t know if the Far North is the descendant of the Twilight Dogma; its ideology is completely different from the Dogma’s. Hyperborea is not what they were pursuing.”

“So what was the ideology of the Twilight Dogma?”

“They were followers of Odin. They believed that in history, there were intelligent beings comparable to the dragons, whom humans called gods. In the decisive battle known as ‘Ragnarok,’ the gods and dragons were both heavily wounded. The subsequent tsunami swept through most of the world, burying prehistoric civilizations. After the tsunami, humanity finally had the opportunity to develop,” EVA said. “Rather than an ideology, it’s more like the fabrication of a tabloid reporter. Similar statements are abundant in various pseudoscientific books. We stopped paying attention to the Twilight Dogma’s development not because they were secretive, but because they were fundamentally unimportant. With the mysteries they possessed, they neither could overturn this world nor produce devilish figures like Herzog.”

Chu Zihang pondered for a moment: “EVA, find a way to help me apply for a permit. I need to know more about the Twilight Dogma!”

EVA smiled: “It’s just old documents. I should be able to find a way to help you.”

Chu Zihang arrived at the deck just as dinner was being served. Normally, he would go to the aft deck to watch whales after dinner. His daily life was essentially monotonous, and he felt like a dull person.

But as he stepped onto the deck, he felt a spring breeze. The previous day’s sea was filled with fog and howling cold winds, but after leaving the storm area, the temperature suddenly rose to about minus ten degrees. Compared to the minus thirty degrees with salt particles and ice shards, the current wind felt gentle. The deck was covered in white snow. Snow was actually not common in the Arctic Circle; the snow was created by snow machines and powerful fans. The crew was lifting large pieces of floating ice to use as snow-making material.

Tonight was the ship’s carnival. The waiters had moved the restaurant and bar to the forward deck, set up gas heaters, and guests could even wear evening gowns with exposed legs in the open environment to drink wine and coffee, just throwing on a fur coat or warm clothes. The casino had sent lively Belarusian girls in Christmas skirts, gliding around on small skateboards.

In the center of the deck, the waiters had surrounded a crystal-clear dance floor with ice blocks, and the orchestra was playing a lyrical tune.

Before coming, Chu Zihang had searched for information about this trip. It was said to be so romantic that it made you embarrassed to be alone, unlike the elderly Caribbean cruise lines. The Yamal’s Arctic route, although cold, had very young passengers because the ticket price was high. Thus, there were also many affluent guests. Sailing under the long night and brilliant starlight, the proportion of people falling in love was quite high. Chu Zihang didn’t think he was suited for such a romantic environment, but since he was here, he had to find a table in the corner to sit down and eat.

After breakfast, Vincent and his dangerous girls had completely disappeared again. In the days since boarding, Chu Zihang had rarely participated in the ship’s activities, so those people were just passersby in his eyes. He quickly spotted a familiar face in the crowd: a man in a crisp sailor suit, wearing a white wide-brimmed hat, with a face as sharp as if carved from a knife, revealing the unique cold attractiveness of an East Slavic person. Yet he also had an oily charm, with a shirt that fit very snugly, highlighting his muscular chest. His beard was neatly trimmed and oiled, with a strong perfume scent that could be smelled from a few meters away, making it hard to say whether the effect was intoxicating or aphrodisiacal. His female companion was equally dazzling, a woman in her late twenties or early thirties, with a curvaceous body, and a red velvet gown that outlined her figure. Her long hands slowly caressed the man’s chest.

The man gazed into the woman’s eyes: “Love is an eternal lighthouse, unwavering in the storm; love is also a guiding star for a lost boat. You can measure its height, but its worth is infinite.”

Chu Zihang marveled at Captain Rybalko’s duality. Last night, he was reminiscing about his ex-wife in Moscow with deep emotion and weariness. Now, he was reciting Shakespearean verses, as if on the brink of falling in love with the lady beside him. With his talent, serving in the Alpha Special Forces seemed like a waste; the KGB’s failure to select him as a male spy might be a lapse in judgment on the KGB’s part.

Sasha also noticed Chu Zihang and quickly signaled him to stay away so as not to disturb his rhythm. However, the lady was very sensitive and immediately withdrew, trailing her fishtail skirt elsewhere.

Both of them feigned indifference, strolling to the edge of the deck and standing side by side, holding the railing. Here, their voices would be swallowed by the sound of the waves. “That Mrs. Cassandra is staying in room 307. Someone saw her take the VIP elevator to the top deck yesterday afternoon,” Sasha said, watching the graceful silhouette of the woman.

“Maria has guests among the passengers? Do you have the passenger list?”

“Does Maria need to make money by selling tickets? Why would this ship sell tickets to the public? Every voyage, there are a few passengers who go to the top deck to meet that saintess, just like when a king’s entourage passes by, only the local big shots are qualified to visit.” Sasha handed Chu Zihang a passenger list. “Your intelligence network seems to be more useful than mine. Check the backgrounds of these passengers.”

Chu Zihang nodded and looked around. “It’s quite lively tonight. It feels like there’s an event on the ship every day.”

“Without alcohol and entertainment, passengers would realize they are in a very dangerous environment,” Sasha said, shaking his glass. “We’re not on a regular Arctic route. If we have an accident, it might take rescue ships two or three days to arrive.”

From a distance, under the Christmas tree, the red-clad and graceful figure waved to Sasha as if in a fleeting glimpse. Sasha hurriedly followed, holding his drink. Chu Zihang returned to his table and was served hot mulled wine and almond cookies. In the cold Arctic Circle, hot mulled wine was almost everyone’s preferred drink.

No one paid him any attention, which made him feel somewhat at ease. On this ship, he was not particularly outstanding, and his experiences couldn’t be shared, nor was his sense of humor enough to amuse the girls.

Upbeat music began to play, and a group of young people jumped into the newly enclosed ice dance floor, with female servers joining them. It was only 5 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time, and the nightlife on the ship was about to start. Since there’s no real distinction between day and night here, it perfectly suited the Chinese saying “long joy unending.” As long as you’re willing to dance, you could pretend tomorrow would never come.

The most conspicuous figure on the dance floor was a bouncing pink bunny, a costume undoubtedly occupied by a lively girl. Anyone in that bunny suit would have no figure to speak of, but watching her dance, you could feel her youth and agility, imagining her delicate form and cute smile.

Her dance partner was a young man in a suit jacket and down vest, with an impeccably groomed hairstyle, handsome features, and long limbs.

The boy, named Persson, was a student from the prestigious business school INSEAD, spending his vacation with a group of wealthy classmates searching for romance in the Arctic Ocean. Many single young girls on the deck surrounded the pink bunny, dancing with her. The bunny, with her gray eyes, glanced at Chu Zihang a few times. Chu Zihang suddenly realized who the bunny was. Last night, he had scanned the girl inside the bunny suit three times, recording all her dimensional data. He didn’t understand why Reginleif was here, but he didn’t want to delve deeper into it and turned his attention elsewhere. The pink bunny soon became the star of the deck. Other young people also tried to join that table. She welcomed all the boys who asked her to dance or drink, and the air was filled with the scent of sweat, cedarwood, and an ambiguous hormonal aroma. The boys began to compete for her attention, even though they hadn’t seen her true face. Under the influence of alcohol, they gradually unified in their belief that the bunny was the most interesting and beautiful girl of the night, like the shiniest badge everyone wanted to have. Eventually, the young people pushed tables together, chatting loudly under the Christmas tree, their voices echoing far across the icy sea.

Chu Zihang sat in a distant corner, quietly finishing his bottle of hot mulled wine. Tonight was an exception for him, and he felt a slight resistance to returning to his cabin.

Time was running short for him. He wasn’t particularly afraid of death, but he still had many things left to do. He hadn’t uncovered the secret behind Herzog, nor had he found Odin.

He felt unusually lonely and missed Caesar and Lu Mingfei. If they were here, everything would be different. The girls would probably choose to sit around Caesar, whose charm he firmly believed in, and Lu Mingfei would likely enjoy this carnival eating Arctic sweet shrimp. Reflecting on his life, if he could choose a moment to stop time, his first choice would be the childhood spent with his parents, followed by the time in Japan. Back then, his life seemed long with many opportunities to seek revenge on Odin, and he was with his best friends, working hard at the host club… Ah, wrong. Fighting the hidden enemies side by side. If there was a third choice, it would be that autumn, freezing time before entering that Nibelungen.

Back then, nothing had yet been decided. The phantom named Xia Mi still existed in the world, and he was still invited to dinner at her home the next day. The good times in life are always so brief. When you think the future will be better, you have already slid past the peak of your destiny like a roller coaster.

The Taurus constellation slowly rose from the horizon, and the orange star, Beta Tauri, flickered with changing light, signaling the arrival of the night.

The passengers had drunk a lot, and those who drank too much always spoke louder, even the well-mannered ones were no exception. The service staff turned up the music to cover the noise. The dancers on the floor gradually slowed down, while a few sober old people continued to sway slowly. At Reginleif’s table, the floor was littered with empty bottles. The boys were fighting over the bunny girl, and the security guards couldn’t separate them. The bunny girl, however, clapped happily on the side. Chu Zihang couldn’t stand the noise they were making, asked for his bill from the waiter, signed his name, and left.

He didn’t worry about Reginleif; it was not his concern. This was the Saintess’s ship, and there were plenty of White Wolves willing to kill and burn for her. No one could force her to do anything. Persson, holding the bunny girl’s hand felt sweet and smug. What were those drunk fools fighting over? Tonight, this adorable bunny was dancing with him!

But the bunny pulled away, extending her fluffy paw towards the distance: “Hey! Chu! I’ve had enough! Let’s go!”