On the open-air deck, where the sea breeze gently blew, the three of them couldn’t help but admire Zhushi Jiu after working out in the gym. They almost suspected that Zhushi Jiu was an alien in human skin.
Zhushi Jiu, with a refreshed look, led the three of them to the deck, leaning against the railing to watch the passengers boarding the ship. After a morning of interacting with each other, the three of them had basically gotten familiar with Zhushi Jiu.
Although they still didn’t know Zhushi Jiu’s identity, they were impressed by his conversational skills. His rational thinking always managed to catch the unusual aspects of everyday conversations, giving people a fresh perspective. Moreover, when leading a conversation, he could accurately grasp the listener’s interests and judge whether they were genuinely interested or just pretending to be.
Just like when they met Du Fei before… no, it was more like a high-end version of that encounter.
After a morning of chatting, Zhushi Jiu had basically won them over with his charm. The four of them were now observing the passengers boarding the ship from a distance.
Zhushi Jiu remained silent, focusing on the people below. These individuals, all invited by Wang Chong, were prominent figures in various fields, including business, politics, literature, science, art, and entertainment.
Zhushi Jiu matched the faces with the names in his memory, one by one, filtering and excluding possibilities.
“Hey, great detective,” Ji Hui poked Zhushi Jiu with his elbow. “Can you deduce something about those people?”
Zhushi Jiu pretended to hesitate, then hesitantly replied, “I can try, but how would you verify the results?”
Qian Zele laughed, “What’s the big deal? We can ask them afterwards!”
Zhushi Jiu revealed a reluctant expression, “I don’t want people to know I’m analyzing them behind their backs.”
Ma Qunbo also chimed in, “We promise not to tell anyone.”
Ji Hui egged him on, “Go ahead and try!”
Zhushi Jiu reluctantly agreed, “Alright, I’ll give it a shot, but you have to promise not to leak the information.”
For the sake of witnessing Zhushi Jiu’s extraordinary deductive skills again, the three of them quickly made a promise.
Zhushi Jiu pretended to be hesitant, but in reality, he had already anticipated this scenario.
“Let’s start with that man in his thirties with a backpack,” Zhushi Jiu pointed to a man checking his watch.
The man wore gold-rimmed glasses, a windbreaker, and a purple-black suit. He carried a black briefcase in one hand and checked his watch with the other. From a distance, they couldn’t see what brand of watch he wore, but the gold color was quite eye-catching.
“What do you think he does for a living?” Zhushi Jiu asked.
“Some sort of businessman?” Qian Zele ventured.
“I think he looks like a writer,” Ji Hui said.
“I think he might be a lawyer,” Ma Qunbo added, “judging by the size of his briefcase, it can’t hold too much stuff.”
Zhushi Jiu neither affirmed nor denied their speculations, instead asking, “What is the first impression that comes to your mind when you observe someone?”
The three of them were stumped.
Zhushi Jiu smiled, “The answer is their attire and accessories, followed by their demeanor and actions. If you engage in conversation with this person, you’ll pay attention to their tone of voice. Only when you get to know them better will you discover their hidden qualities, such as their abilities, knowledge, and financial resources.”
The three of them nodded in agreement, recalling how they had initially noticed Zhushi Jiu’s attire and the two bodyguards’ armed equipment when they first met.
“Shouldn’t we start by looking at his attire, then?” Ji Hui asked.
Zhushi Jiu nodded, “Exactly. His clothes are quite ordinary, but what stands out is his watch and briefcase. Although we’re too far away to see more details, we can still notice that he’s carrying very little.”
The three of them looked puzzled.
“What does that imply?” Qian Zele asked.
“Well, considering the cruise will last for a week, and the ship will be docked for three days, it’s reasonable to assume he would bring more luggage. Would you, if you were him, choose to put all your clothes in that small briefcase or check in a larger luggage?”
“Ah, yeah!” Qian Zele exclaimed, “Other people seem to have brought more luggage!”
Ji Hui also looked surprised, “It does seem that way…”
“And have you noticed his briefcase-handling movement?” Zhushi Jiu asked.
The three of them shook their heads, admitting they hadn’t noticed anything unusual.
Zhushi Jiu gave the answer, “His briefcase is very light.”
They observed carefully, and Zhushi Jiu explained, “His right shoulder doesn’t seem to be under much pressure from the briefcase, almost maintaining the same level as his left shoulder. Of course, this is just one piece of evidence, and another hint is that he’s using his right hand to carry the briefcase during the boarding process, which suggests he doesn’t find it too strenuous.”
“That means the briefcase probably contains some documents, and I doubt there’s much else inside,” Zhushi Jiu concluded.
They were amazed by how much Zhushi Jiu could deduce from a simple briefcase.
Zhushi Jiu continued, “Now, let’s observe his demeanor and actions. Have you noticed he keeps checking his watch?”
Ma Qunbo thought for a moment, then said, “That means he has something to attend to!”
Zhushi Jiu smiled, “You’re right. With the ship docked for three days, he doesn’t need to rush to board. So, what could be the reason he’s in a hurry?”
The three of them thought for a moment, and Ji Hui suddenly exclaimed, “Maybe he needs to use the restroom!”
Zhushi Jiu remained silent, Qian Zele burst out laughing, and Ji Hui’s face turned red.
Zhushi Jiu calmly continued, “Combining the previous clues, it’s possible that someone has already boarded the ship and is waiting for him, carrying his luggage. That would explain why he’s only bringing a briefcase.”
Zhushi Jiu added, “Of course, there’s also the possibility that he’s a simple person who doesn’t bring much luggage, or that he’s just really urgent to use the restroom.”
Throughout the morning, Zhushi Jiu analyzed one passenger after another, leaving the three of them in awe.
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