Shinsei was bursting with excitement as he made his announcement to Pharsa. "Pharsa! I finally found ’the one!’"
Pharsa’s face lit up with joy as she comprehended the significance of his words. "Really?!" Pharsa exclaimed, unable to contain her enthusiasm.
Ling Li, noticing Pharsa’s elation, inquired, "What are you so excited about?"
"Madam, Shinsei has found ’the one’!" Pharsa shared with a beaming smile.
Ling Li couldn’t hide her amusement. Of course, Ling Li knew what it meant; It was her soul mate! ’Duh,’ Ling Li thought as she rolled her eyes. "And who is ’the one’?" she asked curiously after briefly reflecting.
El Padre and El Capitan joined the group, with El Padre jumping into the conversation, "Yeah, who is ’the one’? Tell us already!" Both of them were well aware of the significance of ’the one.’
Soon after, the three Presidents arrived shortly, completely clueless about the preceding conversation.
"Yeah, tell us who kept us awake all night last night! Look at my precious eyes; they now look like my pandas at home," the Chinese President remarked in a lighthearted manner as they gathered around the long table.
In a lighthearted moment, the Russian President remarked humorously, "Yeah, look at my eyes. They have shrunk like tarsiers’ eyes!" This remark brought about laughter among the crowd.
Ling Li chimed in, "What?! The tarsier is indeed small, but it has big, round eyes!" Her remark added to the pleasant atmosphere.
The Russian President, playing along, humorously lamented, "See what you did! I even got the animals mixed up! Then my eyes are now like goldfish!"
To this, Ling Li humorously queried, "And what do goldfish have to do with your sleepless eyes?" The President replied in a mock pitiful tone, "It’s now all puffy, and my eyes are priceless as gold!" As he puffed his face, the room erupted in laughter.
The Russian President’s fantastic sense of humor endeared him to those around him, making every moment in his company a delightful one.
The scene by the shore was filled with joyous laughter, together with the rich aroma of coffee and the faint scent of a cigar. The Cuban President sat back in his chair, puffing on his cigar thoughtfully as he remarked, "I guess I must puff my cigar all day to keep me awake."
El Padre stood tall, a cup of ’Cuban’ brewed coffee in hand, emphasizing the word ’Cuban’ as he announced, "Ehem, I will be drinking ’Cuban’ brewed coffee all day to keep my eyes open."
As the conversation continued, El Capitan became complained, "You see, I was sleeping soundly last night, but I keep hearing someone shouting, ’Harder! Harder! Faster! Faster! I’m coming!’ Damn, how can you even sleep!"
The mention of the previous night’s noisy disturbance caused Ling Li’s face to flush bright red, her embarrassment evident to Four Eyes. It was clear that she recognized the source of the vulgar commotion. Four Eyes, observing her reaction, noticed her red ears. It made the corner of Four Eyes’ lips slightly raised.
The room was filled with laughter as Chatty blurted out loudly, "I heard that too!" causing everyone to chuckle.
El Padre, with a teasing tone, pointed an accusatory finger at El Capitan, "I thought it was coming from your room!" revealing that the source of the disturbance was indeed from his room. ’How dare he spill it on us!’ El Padre snorted. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Meanwhile, El Capitan almost choked on the tea he was sipping.
"Alright, let’s eat. The food is here. You’re not even embarrassed to talk about these in front of Shinsei," reprimanded Ling Li, directing a disapproving glance at them.
Shinsei waved his hand and smiled at them.
"Anyway, it’s the whale watching season, and this weather is perfect for it. Since you are all here and I know you haven’t done it before, why don’t you try it today?" Ling Li suggested to her guests.
"Do we need to go deep down under the sea? Like Scuba diving?" Chatty asked.
"No!" Ling Li and El Padre replied simultaneously.
"It’s freediving," Ling Li explained eagerly, her eyes shining with excitement. "You can even see whale sharks if you stay on the boat. They are enormous, majestic creatures." She paused, her voice tinged with awe. "You can swim with them if you like. Just don’t touch them, so they don’t panic or get hurt by accident."
"Wow," Chatty exclaimed with a big, beaming smile.
"Why don’t we all go?" Ling Li inquired, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "Mushu, prepare everything," she ordered.
When Ling Li says, "Everyone goes," everyone follows without hesitation. Nobody dares to say no.
They were divided into different groups, each with its unique composition. The pros were paired with newbies, along with security personnel and the local whale spotters they had hired. The three guests were separated, and Mushu and Pharsa were divided. Ling Li assigned El Capitan and Pharsa to be with Chatty and one of the Presidents. At the same time, Mushu accompanied Fatty and one of the Presidents. Ling Li herself was with El Padre, Shinsei, and Four Eyes. Several boats of security personnel followed closely behind.
After they arrived at a specific spot, the spotter instructed them to turn down the engines of their boats, sail silently for a while, and wait patiently. These whale spotters assured them that it was the time of year so that it would take little time. True to their words, in just about thirty minutes of waiting, several whale sharks gracefully emerged from the depths of the sea.
Men from other boats began leaping into the water, joining El Padre, who had already jumped out. Shinsei is expected to observe from above.
However, Ling Li was curious about ’Four Eyes,’ who remained seated. "What about you? Are you not joining?" Ling Li, seeking answers.
Four Eyes shook his head in response.
"You don’t know how to swim?" Ling Li probed further.
Four Eyes remained tight-lipped, refusing to respond.
Understanding the situation, Ling Li, an expert swimmer who had trained many in swimming and rescue techniques, offered a helping hand. "Come, take my hand. I’ll look out for you," Ling Li assured.
But Four Eyes still shook his head, visibly hesitant.
Undeterred, Ling Li took a snorkel, put one on her own, and put another on Four Eyes, leaving Four Eyes speechless.
Before Four Eyes could react, Ling Li acted swiftly, tightly embracing Four Eyes before they both plunged into the water in a rapid, seamless motion.