Chapter 632: Wise Goddess Chen Xiaoyu

"Stay overnight? Look at the stars?" Chen Xiaoyu eyed her uncle Chen Dingchao suspiciously, the flashlight beam sweeping across his face: "Uncle, you're muddle-headed, right? This is an ocean-going fishing vessel, not a pleasure yacht."

Chen Dingchao's face showed a hint of unnatural embarrassment.

He stood there, forcing a dry laugh: "Xiaoyu, that's not how you put it. Mr. Xu isn't an outsider; he's an old classmate of Director Lin, and he was fine last time he came to visit, right? Just staying one night, looking at the sea, it's not……"

"Exactly!"

Chen Xiaoyu sternly interrupted Chen Dingchao's words.

She emphasized firmly: "Rules are rules; if something happens to him on the ship, who will bear the responsibility?"

Chen Dingchao felt full of resentment from the questioning.

He just couldn't understand: isn't it just borrowing a night on the ship to see the sea and the stars? What's wrong with that? With such a huge vessel, what could go wrong?

It's not the old dilapidated boat from before.

With this ship's tonnage, even if a gale and huge waves arise, it remains as steady as a whale.

Moreover, the other party is a close friend of Boss Lin Dongfan.

And he's not an outsider.

The more Chen Dingchao thought about it, the more he felt that this girl Chen Xiaoyu had gotten full of herself; now that she's become captain, she doesn't even put her uncle in her eyes, simply looking for trouble to show off.

Thinking this,

Chen Dingchao adopted an elder's posture to scold: "Rules are dead, people are alive; the boss's friend wants to come aboard—can you not let him up? Xiaoyu, I'm not saying this to criticize you, but you're really too young, truly knowing nothing of worldly affairs. If you keep this up, you'll surely suffer a big loss someday."

"!!!"

Seeing her uncle already angry, Chen Xiaoyu also wore a sullen face; despite her age, she had no real ability, but her self-esteem was strong, and a few words would set her off emotionally.

Helplessly,

Chen Xiaoyu also couldn't be bothered to argue further, and asked directly: "Where is he now?"

"Just after the gangway was lowered, he already boarded and is on the upper deck."

Chen Dingchao replied unhappily, his tone clearly impatient. He simply couldn't fathom how this niece could be so obstinate.

Chen Xiaoyu also felt vexed to the point of exhaustion.

The person is already aboard, things have come to this; arguing about right or wrong is pointless. The urgent task is to clarify Xu Jijun's true intention for coming aboard.

In Xiaoyu's view:

Someone like Xu Jijun, wealthy and powerful, lacks nothing in life; if he truly just wanted to see the sea and stars, he could easily afford to buy a luxury cruise liner and go out to sea.

What reason would there be to run to a fishing vessel? That makes no sense.

Moreover, the last time Brother Fan and Xu Jijun met on the ship, they appeared to be chatting and laughing on the surface, but were actually competing in secret; afterward Brother Fan also said—his old classmate is no ordinary person!

Thinking this,

Chen Xiaoyu suppressed her negative emotions and calmly responded to Chen Dingchao: "Uncle, since he's already come aboard, I'll go greet him; you go attend to your own affairs."

Seeing Chen Xiaoyu's attitude soften a little, Chen Dingchao's face improved slightly as he muttered: "That's more like it…… I'll take you there; Mr. Xu is on the deck looking at the stars……"

"No need, I can go myself."

Chen Xiaoyu firmly interrupted Chen Dingchao's words.

Chen Dingchao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing Chen Xiaoyu's eyes, which in the dim light appeared unusually clear and resolute, he swallowed the words back.

Suddenly he felt a sense of being despised.

Chen Dingchao resentfully waved his hand, muttering: "Do as you please!" He turned and walked toward the crew quarters, his back showing some dissatisfaction and helplessness.

After confirming her uncle had gone far away, Chen Xiaoyu's face also grew much more solemn.

She didn't head straight for the upper deck; instead she pulled out her phone to call Lin Dongfan, dialing several times without success, only then noticing upon closer inspection that her phone had no signal.

"What's going on? How could there be no signal?"

Xiaoyu puzzledly fiddled with her phone for a while.

At first she thought her phone was broken, but upon further reflection it seemed odd; a newly bought phone couldn't just break down like that—it had been fine this afternoon.

Smart Xiaoyu quickly suspected that the mobile communication signal might have been blocked by someone.

She hurried back to the wheelhouse, intending to use the ship's maritime satellite telephone system to contact shore. As her hand touched the operating interface, she hesitated again.

She pondered cautiously:

If the mobile communication signal was being blocked by Xu Jijun using special means, then it surely indicates his intentions this time are hostile! The other side must also have made all preparations.

In such an environment, rashly making external contact would very likely alert the enemy.

"No, stay calm; I can handle everything."

Chen Xiaoyu placed her hand over her chest and took two deep breaths, striving to steady her emotions; following the principle of going with the flow and using the opponent's plan against them, she summed it up in one sentence—regard life and death lightly, if you won't submit, then fight!

Thinking this, Chen Xiaoyu checked her stun gun once more, confirmed the power was normal, then turned and headed for the upper deck.

The sea breeze blew in her face, bringing the distinctive coolness and saltiness of the midnight ocean.

The upper deck offered a wide view; the ink‑black sky was dotted with stars, and far off where sea met sky, a faint glow from city lights shimmered.

Yet this tranquil night scene now exuded an indescribable eeriness.

Xu Jijun indeed stood at the edge of the deck, his back to her, facing the sea. He wore a well‑tailored dark coat, his stature straight, appearing merely as a tourist come to admire the night view.

Hearing the footsteps behind him, he slowly turned, his face bearing that familiar, gentle yet aloof smile Chen Xiaoyu remembered.

"Captain Chen, sorry to disturb you."

Xu Jijun's voice was as calm as ever, even tinged with a hint of apology.

He offered a gentle smile: "Uninvited, I was indeed rash. Just tonight, on a whim, I wanted to see what the starry sky looks like far from shore lights."

Chen Xiaoyu was on guard inside, yet her face showed a hint of enthusiastic smile.

She politely replied: "Mr. Xu, you're too kind. According to ship regulations, outsiders boarding must give prior notice; this is also for everyone's safety."

She deliberately emphasized the word "safety," her sharp gaze fixed on Xu Jijun, trying to catch any abnormal reaction in his eyes.

Xu Jijun's smile remained unchanged, his eyes deep as the present sea, unfathomable: "It was my oversight; I've caused Captain Chen trouble. I'll certainly be more careful next time."

Speaking, he shifted the topic, seemingly casually asking, "Did Dong Fan contact you today? Before boarding, I had told him about this."

That remark was clearly meant to make Chen Xiaoyu let down her guard.

Chen Xiaoyu wasn't stupid either, maintaining a polite smile: "Fan Ge is so busy, maybe he's just occupied. He hasn't contacted me today."

"Heh, that guy really is busy."

Xu Jijun gave a light smile, no longer pressing further, turning his gaze back to the vast starry sky, as if he had truly come just to stargaze.

Yet the more he acted nonchalant, the stronger Chen Xiaoyu's unease grew.

In Chen Xiaoyu's view, this deliberately manufactured calm often foreshadows greater danger. It's like fishing at sea—visible waves aren't the real danger. The truly lethal danger factors are the unseen reefs and undercurrents, because being unseen, they cannot be avoided in time.

No!

We can't passively wait; we must probe his true intentions!

Chen Xiaoyu, intending to test him, took two steps forward, keeping about three meters from Xu Jijun; the sea breeze tousled her hair but not her composure. She chuckled and asked, "Xu Ge, although our ship's tonnage is large, it's ultimately a working fishing vessel with rudimentary conditions. Since you enjoy watching the sea's starry sky, why not buy a cruise ship?"

She chuckled and asked: "Xu Ge, although our ship's tonnage is large, after all it's an operational fishing vessel, with rudimentary conditions. Since you like to look at the starry sky at sea, why don't you buy a cruise ship?"