"These Eastern devils are amusing..."
"They actually went to such lengths for a bit of vinegar, assembling such a large dumpling..."
"And yet, this dumpling, damn it, revealed its filling!"
"In fact, in a sense, we indirectly poked a hole in this filling..."
Lin Ran almost burst out laughing as he whispered to Luo Qingyan.
Luo Qingyan couldn't help but chuckle either.
"They must hate you to death now, right?"
Lin Ran had already sensed Tadayoshi Tanigawa's gaze and simply shrugged.
"Let them hate me then..."
"I'm not afraid of anyone's hatred."
"If hatred were useful, I would have been hated to death long ago."
"Come on, let's get on board!"
Although these people were somewhat indifferent to the ship after being teased by Lin Ran's Throne of the King - Vimana, they still had to show some respect to Sakura Country as the host and obediently followed the arrangements to board the ship.
"I really don't know why they insist on doing this... it's so slow and stupid..."
"They can't possibly plan to hold the competition on this dilapidated ship, can they?"
Arthur complained to Caesar beside him.
Caesar rolled his eyes.
"Who knows..."
"It's hard for us to fathom the minds of Eastern devils, so let them be."
"However, the competition venue is unlikely to be here... after all, when we looked at the invitation letter before, it clearly stated that the final venue would be on Kyushu Island on their mainland."
"Perhaps they're insisting on using a cruise ship this time simply to show off their so-called largest cruise ship in history..."
Arthur's face twisted.
"Let's hope that's all..."
"If these Eastern devils keep up with this awkwardness, I really won't be able to take it anymore..."
"Let's go, first let's see what their so-called auditorium is like!"
...
Sakura Country.
Amakusa Taro, Auditorium.
Since Tadayoshi Tanigawa had specifically mentioned this place before boarding, almost half of the attendees had gathered in the auditorium to visit.
It had to be said that while other parts of the cruise ship looked rather unimpressive, this auditorium was indeed quite good.
Most importantly, it did not adopt the classical Sakura style that was prevalent elsewhere on the Amakusa Taro, but rather a more universal Western-style auditorium, which was more in line with the aesthetics and preferences of foreigners.
The hall was resplendent, the dome was grand and magnificent, and at the very top, it shimmered with a faint golden magical glow, perfectly simulating warm sunlight.
In the midst of winter, which had not yet passed, it conjured a summery atmosphere out of thin air.
While the experts present possessed near-perfect individual temperature regulation abilities, and cold or heat made no difference to them, the thought was still appreciated.
Even the usually picky Arthur and Caesar nodded in rare approval.
As for Lin Ran and Luo Qingyan, they had already wandered over to the circular turntable to sample the pastries.
"These Sakura pastries are quite good..."
"Indeed, they have a wide variety, I like them."
Just as the two of them had finally found a moment of leisure, the detestable-looking Tadayoshi Tanigawa had, at some unknown time, snuck back over. He stood in the center of the auditorium and spoke with great seriousness.
"Ahem, hello everyone!"
"Welcome, esteemed scholars from all over the world, for undertaking this arduous journey. As the main organizer of this event, I feel deeply honored."
"Next, we will sail across the ocean to Kyushu Island..."
"There, the final venue of our competition will be held!"
"Of course, the purpose of setting up this cruise ship as an appetizer is also to allow everyone to get to know each other better."
"After all, friendship comes first, competition second. There's no need to fight each other to the death..."
"It would be a pleasant thing to be able to sit together and chat!"
Unfortunately, his words were met with no response from the crowd. Those in the auditorium continued with their own affairs, showing no inclination to agree with him.
Although Tadayoshi Tanigawa was the main organizer of this event, it was an international competition, and all aspects of the event were simultaneously monitored by online judges from all countries.
Therefore, this so-called organizer was no more than a ceremonial host, with no real power.
Coupled with his perpetually smug attitude and tone, he was truly unbearable.
How could these arrogant individuals present possibly care about such a person?
Obeying the arrangements of the competition and following the procedure was already the greatest respect they could show him.
To expect them to make further concessions was out of the question.
Thus, everyone in the hall was lively, while Tadayoshi Tanigawa was left awkwardly alone.
Under such an awkward atmosphere, Tadayoshi Tanigawa could only force himself to maintain his composure and sheepishly retreated from the auditorium through another cabin.
As soon as he emerged, someone immediately approached him.
"Lord Tanigawa, is everything proceeding according to the original plan?"
"Our Magic Whale Plan..."
Tadayoshi Tanigawa's face was extremely contorted, and he said fiercely.
"Proceed according to the original plan!"
"Let these arrogant white devils wait... there will come a day when they won't be able to smile."
"We'll present the Magic Whale first later, to dampen their spirits a bit..."
"This time, we will absolutely give them a big surprise!"
"Oh, and! We have the Shimada brothers participating this year, so we must ensure the championship stays within our country!"
Upon receiving Tadayoshi Tanigawa's command, the person bowed his head in acknowledgment and immediately withdrew towards the bow of the ship.
Tadayoshi Tanigawa, meanwhile, spat fiercely into the sea and left the place with a gloomy expression.
As for Lin Ran...
He had already overheard all their conversation by utilizing his mastery of the wind element.
Well, well, there's some real fun to be had!
Lin Ran, with his penchant for liveliness and stirring up trouble, certainly didn't want to reach the shore so peacefully.
Although he didn't know what Tadayoshi Tanigawa had planned, he was sure he could give him a surprise.
Of course, the wind element had not only brought him news from that side, but he could also hear almost all the conversations in the entire auditorium.
This was also why Lin Ran had dragged Luo Qingyan to the most crowded place.
One was so that they, two foodies, could eat and drink for free here...
Another was to take the opportunity to gather a large amount of inadvertently leaked information from others.
For example, Lin Ran was already eavesdropping and heard that someone would soon deliberately try to provoke him and cause trouble...
Sigh...
These people, why are they all so careless? They think distance equals safety.
They don't even bother to erect a soundproof barrier when they speak, unlike my own caution.
Lin Ran gently held his glass and looked at a small group of people in a certain direction, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.