Chapter 223: Final Arrangements Before The Victoria Sets Sail!

Chapter 223: Final Arrangements Before The Victoria Sets Sail!

About three weeks have passed since my breakfast with the giggling preteens, who were coming up with names for their little brother or sister. Even Gretta blushed and pushed me out of the door by that time, telling me to expect more office meetings instead of home sleepovers to avoid her daughters.

Currently, I am in the Velvet Tower office, just three days away from setting sail to the Japan Empire. I am holding a meeting with the special agents to finalize our plans.

Lucy sits snugly in my lap, her fingers tracing tight patterns across my chest to explicitly flaunt her dominant position to the two China Empire women sitting on the opposite couch. She narrows her eyes, her posture turning rigid as she addresses them both with absolute authority.

"Mei and Ling, I cannot go unfortunately, so you two will have to be my hands near Rick," Lucy says, her grip tightening on my shirt as if anchoring me in place. "I cannot risk not being connected to the Web due to the Hungry Ghost and Adam being that big of a threat to Rick. So be vigilant in Japan. I know you two have a separate mission from the Shadows, or rather Rick's father, but do not be put into a suicidal position, or Rick will-not spare China."

I slide my hands around Lucy’s waist, squeezing her flesh firmly to offer a silent, physical reassurance against her growing paranoia. I know her volatile nature too well, and the cold dread in my gut warns me she will pull the world down around us if I end up in actual distress.

"Ling, what is your mission, and can I help you?" I ask, leaning forward slightly while keeping Lucy securely pinned against me.

Ling Ling just smiles mysteriously, her lips curling into a teasing line before she reveals her true objective, making both Lucy and Mei widen their eyes in surprise.

"I need to blow up the emptied Tokyo Tower building, while the Yakuza families are having their private meeting, to destabilize the Japan Emperors hold," Ling states smoothly, leaning back against the cushions. "I can use your help if you have time on that day. I need a van driver after-all, and well, a Grandmaster is a nice sidekick, Ufufu."

"Alright, just give me the details later, so I can hack their systems," I reply without a second thought, nodding along with her insane timeline.

Mei sits frozen, completely shocked by the casual exchange and the absolute ease with which we are discussing high-stakes infrastructure sabotage. She looks between us, stunned first by Ling revealing such a high-level mission detail so freely, and secondly by my immediate willingness to help her.

"Rick, why are you going along with that insane plan?" Mei asks, her voice pitching slightly higher from the sheer absurdity of our collective calm.

I tilt my head, adjusting my position on the chair as I candidly admit my reasoning to the room.

"Father and Grandfather must need this done for a reason, and I am there to take down the Kato Yakuza group for the Kyusho clan," I explain, tracing circles on Lucy's hip. "So making sure this goes well helps a few check-boxes get marked. Plus, I think it is a high risk job for Ling Ling to do by herself, due to the fact she willingly told me her mission. Plus I will help you with your mission as well, Mei."

Lucy glares toward Ling, her protective, yandere vibes flaring up intensely as she grips my arm with white-knuckled force. Her eyes flash with a dangerous, dark light that promises absolute ruin to anyone who threatens my well-being.

"I do not know what you did to make Rick trust you so much, but if he is hurt, do not come back..." Lucy warns, her tone dripping with raw venom.

Ling just waves her hand flippantly at the threat, completely unfazed by the terrifying aura radiating from my lap as she laughs softly. "Hah, I won't let Rick come to harm, I need him in the future, so just support us well," Ling tells her with a playful, teasing shrug. "Rick and I will be able to do this with our eyes closed, just watch us, Ufufu. But your loyalty to Rick is cute."

Imaginary sparks fly through the air between the two women as they stare each other down with frozen, beautiful smiles. I let out a heavy internal sigh, knowing I absolutely cannot explain both of their real identities to them right now.

Mei clears her throat, drawing our attention back to her as she breaks the heavy, suffocating silence with a quiet frown.

"Well since Ling Ling told us hers, mine is to meet a high-level Shadow agent in the Japan Empire and assist her in her mission to deliver some of the sterilization drug to agents in the country," Mei reveals, leaning forward. "I am not sure why they asked me for this mission, and that is why I want Rick, because this sounds fishy as hell."

I rest my chin gently on Lucy's soft shoulder, inhaling her sweet scent as I vocalize the glaring political inconsistency. "What I do not get is, why are China and Japan going at it secretly?" I ponder aloud, staring across the room. "They historically have been ally's for a long time?"

Lucy turns her head slightly, kissing my cheek softly before speaking right against my ear in a hushed, conspiratorial tone. "It is only a rumor, but it was said the current Japanese Emperor had his hand in the death of the current Emperor's parents," Lucy whispers, her breath warm against my skin. "But I cannot find anything concrete about this rumor."

Ling Ling nods in agreement, her playful demeanor shifting into something much more calculating and cold. "I have heard those rumors as well, while I was in China," Ling adds, crossing her legs neatly. "I believe them to be true, but all information is out of my security clearance. So the mission we are doing is to weaken them, probably so they cannot swoop in when conflict actually starts with the Yellow Emperor battles going on."

Mei turns her head, looking at her companion with a sudden flash of deep, unyielding suspicion. "Who's side are you really on, Ling Ling?" Mei asks point-blank, her posture stiffening.

Ling merely smiles, completely ignoring the question as her grey-blue eyes lock entirely onto me with deep, heavy affection. She says absolutely nothing to Mei, but the heavy silence makes her ultimate allegiance perfectly clear to everyone in the room.

Lucy shifts in my lap, her posture rigid as she presses the issue with an aggressive edge. "How did Rick get your loyalty?" Lucy demands, her gaze boring into the other woman.

Ling chuckles, tossing her long black hair back as she effortlessly throws the dangerous question right back at her rival. "Oh, and how did he get yours?" Ling counters smoothly, her eyes gleaming with a predatory light. "I think the safe bet is to assume everyone in this room wants Rick... To win. Ufufu~!"

The three women lock eyes simultaneously, a heavy, unspoken darkness passing between them that only they seem to fully comprehend. I sit beneath Lucy, feeling both incredibly lucky and utterly frightened at the sheer intensity of their shared, possessive gaze.

Then Lucy breaks the silence, a wicked little smirk playing on her lips as she suggests an entirely different activity. "Rick has another hour till his next meeting, I think we should just take him now, what do you girls say?" Lucy purrs, shifting her weight suggestively on my lap.

Mei nods quickly, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson as she predictably goes along with the sudden, aggressive advance. Ling Ling, fully aware that she cannot safely Dual Cultivate with the other two watching, simply smiles mischievously. "I want the first tummy-full, fufu," Ling claims, moving over to the edge of the couch with an eager glide.

Because of Lucy's sudden instigation, this frantic office encounter becomes the exact moment I get Ling Ling pregnant. Unknowingly, it also completely seals Sam's inevitable sad fate...

The day finally arrives for the Victoria to leave Eurasia for its massive, month-long cruise.

My only lovers who are not joining this grand family adventure are Lucy and Jill. Every single one of my other women found clever excuses to join the vacation cruise, with Kate and Ana even securing guest hosts for their respective TV programs.

All of my business heads and the Clan Heads have dedicated offices equipped with high-speed Satellite Connections to handle real-time work. Their personal secretaries remain behind in Star City to act as their physical eyes and hands.

Jill is currently in the middle of delivering critical bad news to Greg, making it impossible for her to openly join the cruise, while Lucy stays behind for her own digital warfare reasons.

The massive vessel is fully loaded for the long sea voyage across the ocean. With so few actual passengers compared to the total number of elite guests and crew, we can easily accommodate everyone in total luxury for an extended period. The Victoria is fully equipped with a couple of state-of-the-art daycares. With all of our most trusted maids handling the children, the internal security is absolute.

My elite Fire Birds combed through every inch of the ship and crew with a fine-tooth comb beforehand. They even utilized highly trained tracking dogs to flush out potential stowaways, successfully capturing a hidden Lee spy who was promptly thrown literally overboard.

I stand tall at the grand entrance to the ship, personally welcoming all of my arriving guests as they walk up the ramp. My lovers made sure to board first before the others, wanting to get all of my children safely settled into their quarters.

Naturally, Gretta and my two new preteen devils are coming along, having already scampered on board to claim their rooms.

The first official guests to walk up the ramp are James, Jenny, Akeno, and Ashley, accompanied by their excited children. I step forward to greet them with a warm smile, extending my hand.

"Hello Jim and everyone, thanks for joining us on our grand outing to tour the seas," I say, shaking James's hand firmly. "Please follow the staff to take you to your own section of the ship. With so little use, it will be like you have a home at sea."

James grins broadly, clapping me on the shoulder with a booming laugh. "Thanks Rick, I will get my wives settled in, and then we can get with Alex and the other guys for some drinks at the bar," James replies happily.

"Sure, see you at the lunch buffet later," I answer, nodding to the rest of his family as they pass.

With those perfunctory words finished, the professional crew swiftly moves their massive pile of luggage out of sight. The wives immediately take the tired children down the corridors to get them settled in for a much-needed nap.

The next guests to arrive at the entrance are Keven and Kameko Kyoto. They walk hand-in-hand, having decided to leave their children behind with Kevin's other wife.

"Hello Rick, thanks for the working vacation, this will be a lot of fun, right dear?" Keven says, offering a bright greeting as he steps onto the deck.

Kameko looks incredibly excited for the impending maritime adventure, stepping forward to bow deeply before me. "When we get to Tokyo, please let me show you around, Rick," Kameko says smoothly in Japanese, her eyes sparkling with hidden meaning. "A native will show you what you cannot find online, fufu."

I nod and express my agreement in the same tongue, watching as the couple happily heads inside to unpack their things.

My next group consists of Alex and Hope walking side-by-side up the ramp. I step forward to welcome the pair, noting that they did not bring any other wives or children along for this trip.

"Thanks for joining us on our sea voyage, and I was surprised you could get away, Hope?" I ask, turning my attention to her with an arched eyebrow.

Hope smiles softly, smoothing down her travel clothes as she looks out over the expanding ocean harbor. "There is no problem with Helen sharing her office with me on the ship, so no issue," Hope explains calmly. "Honestly, going somewhere where the people don't know me is fine too, so thanks."

After a few more polite words, the couple walks past the threshold into the grand lobby.

Finally, the last group arrives at the entrance, and I brace myself slightly as I look at the unexpected layout of the crowd.

"Pam, Ling, Um... You are new, right? And Sam Sun, welcome aboard!" I call out, greeting them with a mixture of warmth and slight reluctance.

The completely new girl, whom I instantly recognize from my memories as Sam's personal maid from long ago, steps forward and shyly waves her hand at me. "I am Tammy Sun," she introduces herself softly, her cheeks flushing.

Pam smiles brightly at me, clearly trying her best to be a good suck-up as she steps closer to the threshold. "Thank you for giving us an entire section to ourselves, and the office to keep working from," Pam says, her voice full of practiced gratitude. "We are looking forward to this family cruise."

"Sure thing, after we set sail, the lunch buffet starts at noon, don't miss it, thanks for coming," I reply, giving her a polite nod.

As the group walks past me into the lobby, Ling slows her pace just enough to brush her body against mine gently. She leans in close, her warm breath tingling against my ear as she whispers. "Don't forget to seed me before you enter the Chi Refining Realm," Ling murmurs, her voice a seductive promise. "I need you in that realm before we get to Japan, love you..."

I hide a sharp intake of breath, knowing exactly what she is playing at. She deliberately refuses to let me advance past the Peak of the Body Refining Realm right now, entirely because my fertility drops significantly once I cross over.

Right now, my physical body has already turned supernaturally strong without even entering the Chi Realm yet. It is completely absurd; I can literally shrug off almost any bullet under 50 caliber now, which feels like a total cheat code.

Ling truly gave me the biggest cheat in this entire world, completely eclipsing the System powers I gained when I turned 18 years old. Because of everything she has done for me, I naturally need to make sure I help her out with her dangerous mission.

As if she is a literal mind reader, she pauses a few steps ahead, turning her head to wink at me mischievously because she knows I am thinking about her.

Stupid connected Dao Hearts.

After that final group boards, we officially secure the main entrance of the ship, locking down the boundary. Within minutes, the massive engines thrum to life beneath our feet, and our grand voyage begins in earnest...