"What's the occasion for this trip?" Xu Huo asked from the sofa.
"It's just a regular event," Ran Ying said. "They hold it once a year, bringing high society together to socialize. It's pretty boring, but you can't skip it. If you find it dull, grab something to eat and go watch a show or a concert."
"I don't appreciate anything too highbrow." Xu Huo paused. "Are there other ways to pass the time?"
"Cards, sports, that kind of thing." Ran Ying paused. "You could ask Duke Tar if he'd be willing to take you along. Use the phone in your room to call the front desk, and they'll put you through."
Before leaving, Ran Ying reminded him once more not to wander around until she returned.
Xu Huo agreed, at least verbally. After contacting Bai Kou on his Communicator, he left his room and headed to the fifth deck.
The first three decks of the ship were underwater, and non-staff weren't allowed to walk around there. In effect, the fourth deck was the first one available to guests.
Every deck had restaurants, guest rooms, and places to relax, but most of the entertainment facilities were concentrated on the fifth deck. There were theaters, concert halls, casinos, and function rooms. Expensive liquor was everywhere, and chefs specializing in snacks were on hand around the clock. Every venue was carefully laid out and elegantly decorated. Some even used props with special effects, such as mirrors that beautified whoever looked into them, potted plants that bloomed automatically as people passed, and instruments that played by themselves.
Even the paintings hanging in inconspicuous corners were masterpieces.
What caught Xu Huo's attention, though, were the decorative patterns on the walls. They looked somewhat like a kind of Seaweed. The same pattern had been carved