Claire nodded and said to Elaine Ma, “Yes, Mom, that’s Tahiti. They say it’s nicer than the Maldives, but not as popular.”
After that, he said to Jacob, “Dad, the cruise ship leaves tomorrow morning. We’re still a long way off. If we want to catch up, we have to leave now. Their company has provided an official car, and it’s waiting at the door. Dad, go back to your room and pack your things, and we’ll leave right away.”
Elaine Ma asked worriedly: “My daughter, it must be very expensive to sail to such a faraway place, right?”
Claire knew her mother liked to take advantage of others, so she agreed and said, “I heard this first-class cabin is very luxurious. The ticket price is over 200,000 yuan, and all the food and drinks are free.”
Elaine Ma immediately perked up and said, “Come on! We have to go!”
Jacob felt a little embarrassed and said, “Oh, this is too hasty. We still have a lot of business to attend to at the association. It would be a bit inappropriate to just leave like that!”
Elaine Ma immediately said, “What’s inappropriate? You have no serious business there. It’s just a bunch of old men and women doing unimportant things all day.”
“Besides, President Pei has a good relationship with you. If anything comes up, just let him help you arrange it. It definitely won’t be a problem for him.”
Jacob smacked his lips and said, “Then let’s set sail. The round trip will take at least a month, right? Want to say hello to Charlie?”
Claire lied, “This project is being managed by Charlie’s friends. They gave us this opportunity for free because of Charlie’s reputation. Charlie’s trip to Australia will be a long one, and he was afraid we’d get bored at home, so he arranged for us to go on vacation.”
“Is that so?” Jacob nodded slowly and said, “Then I will greet President Pei and ask him to help arrange the work.”
Elaine Ma stood up happily and said, “I’ll go upstairs and pack my things so I don’t delay boarding the ship tomorrow morning! I’ve only been traveling by plane recently and have never experienced a luxury cruise!”
At this time, Jacob also took out his cell phone and called President Pei.
As soon as the call connected, he said to Chairman Pei, “Old Pei, I have something to tell you. My son-in-law went to Australia with Mr. Hong on business.”
Chairman Pei asked curiously on the other end of the phone: “With Mr. Orvel?”
Jacob smiled and said, “Yes, yes, it’s Mr. Orvel. You know, Mr. Orvel always asks my son-in-law for help, and my son-in-law is too embarrassed to refuse.”
President Pei praised: “Who can blame Charlie for his true abilities! The rich and powerful people in Aurous Hill all respectfully call him Mr. Wade.”
Jacob felt proud in his heart, then said with a smile: “Yes, yes, my son-in-law is indeed capable. By the way, Lao Pei, I didn’t want to tell you this. This is mainly about my son-in-law.”
“This trip to Australia will probably take a long time. He was afraid that Elaine Ma, Claire, and I would be bored, so he arranged a luxury cruise to Tahiti for us. It’ll probably take a month, and we’ll be leaving tomorrow. I didn’t expect it to be this fast. There are a lot of things in the association that I can’t finish in time.”
When President Pei heard this, he knew what Jacob was planning. After he had deceived Jacob the last time, the opportunity for advancement he had been waiting for for years had vanished.
From then on, he realized that he had to appease Jacob in the future, otherwise, his future might be confined to the Calligraphy and Painting Association, and he would never have a chance to advance in this life.
Now Jacob wants to take a month off to travel. Logically, no one can take a month off to go out and play, but since it’s Jacob, I can’t refuse.
So he smiled and said, “Jacob, go have fun. I’ll take care of the association’s affairs. Don’t worry!”
Jacob breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “Thank you, President Pei.”
President Pei immediately said, “Jacob, we’re all family. If you have anything to say, just say hello to me. Why are you being so polite? It’s too awkward.”
Jacob really enjoyed the feeling of being appreciated and said with a smile, “Okay, Lao Pei, considering our relationship, I won’t be polite with you. I’ll bring you a gift when I get back!”
Twenty minutes later, Jacob and Elaine Ma had packed their belongings.
Claire hid in her and Charlie’s bedroom, covering herself with a blanket and crying.
After crying, she wiped her tears, left a letter for Charlie with a pen and paper, then put the letter on the bedside table.
Then he just packed some clothes and necessities, washed his face with cold water, and walked out of the room.
In the living room, Jacob and Elaine Ma were searching for a travel guide to Tahiti on their phones. Seeing Claire come downstairs, Elaine Ma said, “My dear daughter, we’ve been waiting for you. Let’s hurry up and leave for Tahiti!”
Sun Mengmeng was waiting in the yard at the time. When she saw the three of them come out, she hurried forward to help Elaine Ma carry her luggage first, and said respectfully, “Uncle and Auntie, you two get in the car first. I’ll load the luggage.”
After that, he said to Claire, “Mrs. Charlie, please sit in the passenger seat, and let uncle and aunt sit in the second row.”
Claire nodded and said to her parents, “Dad, Mom, you sit in the back.”
“Okay.” The two of them immediately agreed and then got in and sat in the back seat of the official car.
The most comfortable seats in a high-end business class car are the two first-class seats in the second row. They knew they’d be traveling a long distance, so once seated, they easily adjusted the seats to suit their needs and preferences.
Claire knew that her parents would soon be sedated, and she was a little worried.
Sun Mengmeng could see her worry, so she smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Claire, everything is safe. Let uncle and auntie have a good rest.”
“Okay.” Claire also knew that the arrow was nocked and needed to be fired. No matter what, she couldn’t just stand there and hold Charlie back.
So he helped Sun Mengmeng put her luggage into the car, then immediately sat in the passenger seat.
Not long after, the official car drove away from Tomson Yipin.
Jacob and Elaine Ma, in the back row, hadn’t noticed anything unusual. Their minds were preoccupied with plans for their upcoming luxury cruise to Tahiti.
As the official car left Tomson Yipin, several cars parked nearby immediately followed, maintaining a distance of tens to hundreds of meters. All of these vehicles and the people inside were Margaret An’s subordinates. They would escort Claire and her parents to the island city.
The convoy drove out of town and onto the highway.
It was already completely dark. Sun Mengmeng said to Jacob and Elaine Ma as she drove, “Uncle and Auntie, isn’t it a bit boring for you to drive? Why don’t I turn on the TV in the middle and show you the promotional video for our cruise to Tahiti!”
“Okay!” Elaine Ma immediately agreed, smiling, “We just want to do more homework! Let’s study first!”
Sun Mengmeng immediately pressed a button, and the partition between the rear cabin and the cab slowly rose, separated by a large-screen TV.
Afterward, a promotional video for Tahiti tourism was shown on TV. The images were so beautiful and captivating that Jacob and Elaine Ma couldn’t take their eyes off them.
At that moment, a colorless, odorless gas billowed from the air conditioning vent. The two were so mesmerized that they fell asleep. As their eyelids began to close, they drifted off into an uncontrollable sleep…