Silence returned to the room, broken only by the soft clatter of chairs and the low murmur of settling conversations.
"Ahem. To welcome everyone who has joined our crew today, I've decided to hold a lucky draw event next."
Director James clapped his hands once. Staff members immediately entered from the side doors carrying several sleek black boxes, which they placed on the long table in front of him with practiced efficiency.
"The boxes in front of me contain specially customized commemorative fountain pens. Each of you can come up later and take one. If you find a slip of paper inside the pen cap, that means you've won a prize."
After explaining the rules of the draw, James began introducing the prizes, his voice carrying easily over the attentive crowd.
"There are three prize tiers, with a total of sixteen winning slots."
"First is the third prize, with a total of ten winners. Each will receive a pair of the latest Apple wireless earphones released this year."
"Next is the second prize, with five winners. Each will receive a refrigerator imported from Asia."
"And finally, the first prize. This lucky one-in-a-thousand winner will receive a Swiss tourbillon watch worth over fifty thousand dollars!"
As soon as James announced the prizes, the entire audience erupted with excitement. Cheers and excited chatter filled the restaurant as people scrambled to rush forward and grab a fountain pen from the boxes.
The line formed quickly, snaking between tables, with some guests laughing and jostling good-naturedly.
Although the number of prizes was small compared to the total number of people, every prize was highly appealing, especially in a setting where most attendees were already enjoying the glamour of a luxury cruise.
However, not everyone was interested in the lucky draw.
For example, Tim and Darren, who were seated in a corner near the windows, the dark sea visible beyond the glass.
While most people lined up to collect fountain pens, the two of them remained in their seats, showing no intention of moving. The glow of phone screens and the flash of cameras lit up faces around them, but their table stayed quiet.
Likewise, the other specially invited guest performers were not about to squeeze into the crowd either.
That naturally included Jack, who had been separated from the two of them earlier in the chaos.
From the moment people began leaving their seats, Tim's gaze swept over the empty tables and the shifting crowd. He searched methodically, row by row, hoping to catch a glimpse of his father's familiar jacket or posture.
But in the end, he still did not spot Jack. He had no idea whether Jack had suddenly decided to join the draw for fun, or whether he had already finished eating and left the restaurant to explore the ship.
Or perhaps Jack had not come to the restaurant at all in the first place?
Tim frowned, a small knot of unease forming in his chest. Jack was usually reliable about staying in touch, especially on an unfamiliar vessel like this.
He decided to check the assigned guest rooms later. If he still could not find him, he would have to make use of the cruise ship's monitoring room.
Although, for certain special reasons, surveillance coverage on luxury cruise ships was often limited, with cameras only installed in a few major public areas and main corridors, it should be more than enough to locate a single person wandering the decks.
With that thought in mind, Tim turned back to look at Darren, only to find him wearing a contemplative expression, clearly lost in thought, staring at the stage where James still stood.
"Fountain pens, Apple wireless earphones, refrigerators, tourbillon watches... Those prizes couldn't be... No, it's probably just a coincidence. I hope it's just a coincidence..."
"Darren?"
Tim called out curiously, tilting his head.
"Hm?"
Darren snapped back to his senses, blinking once.
"What were you thinking about just now?"
"I was thinking, why isn't the first prize a convertible sports car? Giving away a fifty-thousand-dollar watch feels a bit stingy..."
Darren replied with a serious expression, though the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"How could it be! Even if James is a famous director, there's no way he'd give away a sports car at an event like this. Today is just a gathering before filming starts, not an Oscar victory banquet."
Tim could not help but retort, shaking his head.
"And why did you suddenly think of a convertible sports car?"
"I just feel like the grand prize should be a sports car."
Tim was momentarily speechless, unsure whether Darren was joking or genuinely distracted.
For now, I've managed to muddle through.
Darren thought to himself. What he had been thinking about just now was certainly not a sports car, but the prizes James had listed in that precise order.
He could not pinpoint the exact reason, but he kept feeling that some kind of information was hidden within those four items. The sequence felt deliberate, almost like a cipher waiting to be noticed.
Deciphering the information itself was not difficult. One could even say that as long as one's imagination was rich enough, there could be countless logically consistent interpretations of the four items.
The real question was why James would convey information in this way, and who he was trying to convey it to. Or was Darren simply overthinking it, and there was no hidden meaning at all?
That was what Darren had been pondering, turning the possibilities over in his mind.
"By the way, aren't you planning to go try the lucky draw for fun?"
Tim changed the subject, nodding toward the still-active line.
"No. I'm not going to win anyway, so why bother? Just to get a free fountain pen?"
Darren shook his head, leaning back in his chair.
"Right. You still haven't found your dad, have you?"
After Tim gave an affirmative reply, Darren rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"He's not answering his phone, and he's not in the restaurant either. That is a bit worrying... How about this? Let's split up and look for him now. He might have gone back to his room early. You can check there."
Although Darren, Tim, and Jack had arrived together, their assigned rooms were not close to one another. Two of them were in Areas C and D on the seventh deck, while the third was in Area F on the ninth deck.