Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 103 Set sail
As the world's largest cruise ship, the Arctic Star's maiden voyage was bound to be highly anticipated and extravagantly luxurious.

When Li Wei arrived at the port, the first thing he saw was a huge, dark crowd, but only three-tenths of them were passengers; the rest... most of them were just there to watch the spectacle.

Of course, the first-class cabin on the Far North Star is also expensive. For example, the first-class ticket that Li Wei bought cost 750 pounds. Well, thankfully MI7 reimbursed him for the price.

If Li Wei had to pay for it himself, he wouldn't necessarily refuse—provided the ship doesn't sink.

Otherwise, wouldn't this money have been wasted?
"Hello, Mr. Li Wei."

When Li Wei arrived at the port's gangway, staff were already waiting there. Upon seeing Li Wei's arrival, the head supervisor hurriedly led the staff to greet him.

"Welcome aboard the Arctic Star. It is an honor to serve you."

"Ah."

Li Wei smiled and nodded at the foreman before handing over the ticket.

“I’m also really looking forward to this trip, so please take these luggage to my room.”

"Ok, no problem."

As the foreman spoke, he glanced curiously behind Li Wei. Unlike the other nobles with their large bags and bundles, Li Wei only brought three suitcases. One was about the size of a briefcase, another was the size of a regular suitcase, but the third was rather large, appearing to be over a meter tall, and was completely enclosed in a wooden box… What was that?
The supervisor, though curious, didn't ask any further questions. After all, first-class passengers are incredibly diverse, with all sorts of things to choose from. Some even bring sculptures, artworks, or paintings on board, and their job is simply to serve their own guests.

"We'll handle it right away... Please come with me."

Levi's first-class cabin was Suite A-21 on the top deck. It was a single suite, and of course, it was smaller than the most luxurious suites. However, Levi liked this suite very much because it was located at the very front of the deck, and he could easily see the view through the window.

That way, even if there's an iceberg or something in front of you... at least you'll be mentally prepared, right?
As for the room's luxury, that was secondary to Li Wei. After all, in this day and age, guest rooms didn't have satellite TV, game consoles, computers, internet, karaoke… what else could you do besides eat, drink, read, and enjoy the scenery?
In modern times, Li Wei could easily film a short video on Douyin (TikTok) and post something like, "Hey everyone, I'm currently sitting on the most luxurious cruise ship, about to depart. I heard it's supposedly unsinkable! It's definitely worth the trip!"

Li Wei walked around the room once, then went out onto the deck to look at the scenery below. Unlike first class, the deck below was packed with people, excitedly leaning on the railings, waving, cheering, and shouting at the people on shore. It was filled with the joy and excitement of their impending departure.

"Why……………"

Watching this scene, Li Wei sighed inwardly. Although he couldn't shake the feeling about the joke, if he could, he still hoped the ship wouldn't sink. After all, with so many passengers, if something really happened, many people would die—joking aside, Li Wei still didn't want anyone to die.

But the problem is... it's hard to say.

Li Wei had just walked around the boat when he noticed a problem.

This ship...the number of its lifeboats seems a bit off...

Can my luck really be that bad?

Forget it, let's send the dummy bird out to scout ahead every day for the next week. If we really encounter an iceberg or something, it can give us an early warning, right?

"Waaaaahh ...

As the gangway was removed, the giant ship sounded its horn and slowly set sail. Li Wei also composed himself and looked ahead once more.

To be honest, if you remove those psychological barriers and just look at the ship itself, it is indeed exhilarating.

Especially when the North Star departs port and sails into the vast ocean, standing on the bow deck and watching that massive steel ship cut through the waves at full speed truly evokes a sense of human pride in conquering nature. This is also why Li Wei likes this era; although the people of this era sometimes have rather fantastical ideas, their courage and will to fight against nature are truly inspiring.

Conversely, what Livy disliked most were Luddites.

Whether their motivations stem from self-interest, environmental concerns, or a longing for pastoral life, it all boils down to a cowardly act of escapism. Humanity's journey of civilization—from submission to confrontation with nature, and finally to transformation—began with the steam revolution.

Our ancestors could only tremble with fear and pray to gods for rain and peace, but ultimately, humanity must rely on itself. To conquer the ocean, to conquer the sky, to conquer the universe. Perhaps we can't do it now, but one day we will… It is because of this spirit that humanity is moving step by step toward the future.

Instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater... Of course, it would be even better if you weren't the one who choked.

After all, being eliminated is really painful.

As long as you're not one of those who get eliminated, then you won't be in pain.

"Sir, sir?"

Just as Li Wei was leaning against the railing, gazing blankly at the scenery in front of him, he heard a waiter calling from behind him.

"Hmm? What's up?"

Li Wei turned his head and looked at the servant, who bowed his head respectfully to him.

"The captain has invited you to lunch. Are you available?"

The captain is not bad either.

Li Wei knew that he wasn't the only one invited to this social event. And the people the captain was willing to invite were naturally the elites from first class… Hmm, so does that mean he's considered an elite now?
"Of course, I am honored to dine with the captain."

Li Wei thought for a moment and quickly gave an answer.

This is a good opportunity to ask what other safety hazards this ship might have…

Just as Li Wei had thought, the captain had invited not only himself to dinner, but also several other guests.

Besides Captain Edward, there was Claire, a representative of Platinum Company, and Andrews, the chief designer. All three were representatives of the North Star.

Captain Edward was an old man with white hair and a meticulously groomed beard, looking quite serious and spirited.

Claire, the representative from Platinum Company, looked somewhat slick and had a small mustache; she always spoke with a smile.

In contrast, Chief Engineer Andrews had a more professional demeanor, wearing glasses and appearing quite refined.

These three can be considered representatives of this ship.

Li Wei's group consisted of four guests: two men and two women. Besides Li Wei, the other male guest was Howard Kelly, a business tycoon from the Empire. He appeared to be about the same age as the captain, also sporting a long beard and possessing a somewhat otherworldly, hermit-like air. Sitting opposite him was a plump woman named Molly. Rumor had it that her husband had struck gold in a massive coal mine, making them incredibly wealthy.

Of course, in aristocratic circles, this would be considered nouveau riche. Even now, this plump lady lacks the reserve of an aristocrat in her every move, instead displaying a certain bohemian openness.

The last person was a girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old. She wore glasses, seemed quiet and introverted, and had pure white hair…

"I never expected to see you here, miss."

To be honest, seeing her was quite a surprise to Li Wei.

"Oh? Detective, you two know each other?"

Upon hearing Li Wei greet the young girl, the plump lady immediately wore a gossipy expression. Li Wei, of course, didn't hide anything from her.

“I used to see her often in the Imperial Library, so I have some impression of her.”

“Oh, I see. She’s such a good girl. This is my niece, Anne Branson.”

"aunt……………"

The white-haired girl was clearly somewhat helpless with the fat lady, but she still respectfully bowed to Li Wei.

"Hello, Mr. Li Wei."

"Hello, Miss Branson."

Li Wei also nodded politely to the white-haired girl, while the plump lady beside him remained quite enthusiastic.

"Haha, don't let Anne's quiet demeanor fool you, she's actually very clever. She's the one who discovered the coal deposit my husband dug up."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, everyone looked at the girl with some surprise. After all, everyone knew about the fat lady's rise to wealth. They had initially thought she was just lucky and had stumbled upon such a good mine, but they never expected it to be related to this girl.
"That was just a coincidence."

The young girl was clearly not the first time she had heard the fat lady boast about herself in front of outsiders, and she helplessly explained.

"I was just digging for fossils and found it by accident... It was purely by luck."

"You can't say that. If you can find it when others can't, that's your skill. As the saying goes, luck is also a kind of ability."

The plump lady clearly didn't mind the white-haired girl's modesty and chuckled as she spoke. The old captain beside her also chuckled.

"That's true. Luck plays a big role in many situations. I've seen many talented young people who, despite their abilities, have just bad luck... It's just fate playing tricks on them."

"So, Captain Edward, you're the epitome of good luck."

Claire, the representative from Platinum Company, also offered her compliments with a smile, while addressing everyone.

"As you may not know, Captain Edward is the most experienced captain in our Platinum Company. During his tenure, he has never had even the slightest accident. That's why we invited him to be the captain of the North Star."

"And only this once."

The old captain sighed deeply.

"This is my last voyage before retirement. I will stand my post until the very end. I think the North Star will become a wonderful memory for me in the future."

"………………………"

Levi silently put down his fork and glanced at Captain Edward.

"Could you please tell me more about this North Star? I'm very interested in this ship, but the instruction manual is a bit vague."

"No problem at all."

As a representative of Platinum Company, Claire was clearly eager to perform. He took a sip of champagne and then began his self-satisfied introduction.

"As you all know, this ship is the largest vehicle ever built by mankind, and it was built by our Platinum Company with all our might and no expense spared. Our shipbuilding master, Mr. Andrews, designed this ship from the keel."

"It was indeed I who pieced this ship together."

Andrews was clearly not very comfortable in this kind of social situation, and he spoke up somewhat shyly.

"But the core concept is thanks to Mr. Claire, who conceived of this enormous and incredibly luxurious passenger ship. It is because of him that I had the opportunity to design and build it. And now, it has finally come to life from the blueprints."

"Actually, I'm a little curious..."

Upon hearing this, Li Wei spoke up at the opportune moment to ask a question.

"I just took a walk around the ship and noticed that the Arctic Star seems to have fewer lifeboats compared to other ships? Especially considering that it's a much larger ship than others, this makes me quite curious..."

"Uh, this problem..."

When asked by Levi, designer Andrews was clearly unsure how to answer, while Claire chuckled and took over the conversation.

"I think Mr. Levy may not know this, but this ship has been meticulously designed to handle any crisis. As we have said, this ship is unsinkable. Therefore, even if any problems arise, the ship itself can be regarded as a huge lifeboat."

"Hehe... I see."

Upon hearing Claire's reply, Levi chuckled.

Is it too late for me to get off the ship now?

(End of this chapter)