"Come on, Guan Heng. Try some of my cheesecake." Lily, with her cute doll-like face, brought him a plate.
"Thanks. It's delicious." Guan Heng took a bite and immediately praised it. Lily was a good cook.
"Hehe, have as much as you like if you enjoy it." Lily looked delighted.
Nearby, Tony and Ai Wei were wrestling with a huge tuna. The group's lunch was lively, punctuated by bursts of laughter.
After lunch, the two girls went to the entertainment room on Tony's yacht to play pool. Tony stood by the observation window in the wheelhouse, constantly scanning the waters with binoculars. "Tony, when are we going to reach our destination? You've taken this yacht farther and farther out. I'm starting to worry whether we have enough fuel for the trip back," Guan Heng said.
"Buddy, our goal is to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and find a secluded paradise where we can relax and enjoy the pure air of nature." Tony lowered his binoculars and turned to Guan Heng. "If we're taking a vacation, we should find a good place."
"Of course. But..." Guan Heng glanced up at the clouds. "The weather at sea can change without warning. It might rain any minute. I hope we find an island to land on before a storm blows in. I'd hate for this beat-up dinghy of yours to get flipped over by the wind and waves. I don't care if you end up as fish food, but the girls and I can't handle a scare like that."
Seeing Guan Heng teasing him, Tony laughed and swore at him. "Shut your jinxing mouth!" Then he said confidently, "I remember clearly: there's a deserted island in these waters, about a dozen kilometers across. It has woods, an inland lake, and a swamp. It's a great place for a vacation."
Guan Heng frowned. "Why does the island you're describing sound like an ominous place? Just hearing about it gives me the creeps. How about we pick another island nearby and camp there for the night?"
"Buddy, you have to trust my judgment. It's an absolutely picturesque place. And from what I can tell, the island shouldn't be far from here. Turning back or giving up now would just waste all the effort it took to come this far. Don't worry—we'll be there soon."
Guan Heng shrugged. "Whatever. I'm going to chat with the girls." Then he headed to the game room to play cards and talk with them.
More than an hour passed in the blink of an eye. It was already past two in the afternoon.
In the cockpit, Tony stretched, yawned, and rubbed his tired eyes. He activated the yacht's autopilot, then went to his room to take a nap.
The two girls, Ai Wei and Lily, had grown tired of playing cards and each went back to her room to rest.
The yacht had two decks, with one below the main deck. There were more than a dozen rooms for resting, and the interior included a game room, dining room, gym, kitchen, restrooms, showers, storage rooms, and more. Full of energy, Guan Heng was currently working out alone in the gym.
"Four thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven, four thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight, four thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, five thousand!" After finishing his weighted push-ups, Guan Heng rolled to his feet. "Whew, that was a great workout. Time for a shower."
As Guan Heng wiped away his sweat with a towel, a sudden boom rang out, and the yacht lurched violently.
"What was that? I'll go check the cockpit." Guan Heng dropped the towel and hurried upstairs.
"Hmm, since the yacht's hull sensed something unusual, it must have noticed something." Guan Heng rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He walked up to the autopilot screen and knocked on it twice. "Hey, Jarvis, you there? I have a question for you. Who's stronger, me or your boss?"
A magnetic voice with a metallic quality suddenly sounded from the screen. "Sorry, Mr. Guan. I refuse to answer a question that would damage Tony's reputation." It was the voice of Tony's super-intelligent butler, Jarvis.
"Thanks for your answer, Jarvis." Guan Heng grinned. "That was quite the tactful response."
"I was merely stating a fact," Jarvis replied. "Without his armor, Tony wouldn't be able to withstand a single punch from you."
"Hey, why are you two still standing around chatting?" Tony had been napping, but the noise had woken him, and he rushed into the cockpit. "Guan Heng, you could at least ask Jarvis what caused that loud bang."
"Mr. Stark, the yacht collided with an unidentified sea creature. Please rest assured, it was startled and has already fled the area," Jarvis replied calmly.
"Good." Tony had planned to navigate to the island himself from memory, but it seemed better to let Jarvis help. "Jarvis, we haven't found the island I'm heading for yet. Start a satellite search and navigate the yacht straight to it."
"Understood, sir." Jarvis fell silent for half a minute, then reported, "Based on satellite observations and the coordinates projected onto this vessel's radar, the island you're looking for is about ten nautical miles to the southwest."
"Excellent. Jarvis, full speed ahead. Let's get to the island first. You have full control of the yacht." Tony looked up at the sky, where dark clouds were gathering. "I hope we can reach the island and set up our tents before it rains."
Guan Heng chuckled. "Jarvis really can do anything. Tony, at this rate, he might spoil you into becoming a lazy bum."
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Guan. I'm glad you recognize my abilities. I'll continue striving to do even better," Jarvis replied with his usual humility.
"Enough fooling around. I think I heard the girls scream when I came in," Tony said. "Go check on them. I'll inspect the deck." With that, he left the cockpit.
Guan Heng hurried to the girls' room. Ai Wei happened to be in Lily's room, and the two were clinging to each other and trembling with fear.
"Don't be scared, girls. That was just a little mishap." Guan Heng went in and comforted them. "It's nothing serious. Tony and I have already taken care of it. And I have good news: the yacht will be docking soon. We'll be back on solid ground, enjoying a bonfire dinner and the beautiful sight of the bright stars and moon."
"Really? Whew, that's great!" Ai Wei said. "That noise scared me so much."
"My heart's still pounding," Lily said, still shaken.
"Listen, Tony just decided that, to make it up to you for the scare, he'll give each of you a seaside villa after the vacation." Guan Heng wasn't worried that Tony might hear and take it back; Tony would definitely honor the promise.
"So that's how it is? Then I'm not scared anymore," Ai Wei said first.
"Me neither," Lily chimed in, not to be outdone.
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