Chapter 1334: The Cost of Internet Access
This afternoon, Han Suiping felt like he was running a fever, alternating between feeling hot and cold.
At one moment, he thought it was too risky; what if he got caught? But then he remembered the novel he hadn't finished reading online last time and couldn't resist the itch. He even registered for a social networking site account, and he was wondering if anyone had replied to him after all this time. He had paid such a high price to get online. He couldn't bear the thought of sneaking back home empty-handed. Besides, if he didn't do it this time, would he ever have the chance to go online again in his lifetime?
Would it be safer to go when it's late and quiet?
Clutching the railing tightly, Han Suiping scanned the area, spotting several surveillance cameras watching over the deck.
It's fine, it's fine. His cool breath trembled in his abdomen. He was afraid to exhale as if fearing it would reveal his thoughts. There were cameras on the ship, but not out at sea. If he faced the sea, with his back to the surveillance, he could still hide the presence of the computer.
First, he needed something for illumination to cover the light from the computer screen. Although the phone was small, turning on the flashlight was quite bright, and he also had a portable reading lamp, which solved this problem. Secondly, he needed to cover himself and the computer with a blanket. Although it looked strange, it made sense in the cold sea breeze of the night.
He decided not to take the computer out of the color book but to open it directly. If someone came by, he could just close the book. The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Besides, it's not like someone would stare at every surveillance screen without blinking 24 hours a day. If he went to the top deck of the cruise ship, it would be even safer; there would be fewer people there, fewer cameras, and less surveillance value.
He tossed and turned about his plan to go online and walked the route from his room to the top deck several times, ensuring nothing unexpected would happen. Finally, he nervously awaited the night. Due to nervous exhaustion, he fell asleep in a daze around seven or eight in the evening. By the time it was past one o'clock, he suddenly woke up without an alarm clock, his heart pounding, and he couldn't sleep anymore.
It was time.
Han Suiping packed everything into his bag, intentionally wore a large coat and hat, and quietly left the room. The corridor was quiet, with dim lights, leftover trays piled up next to the neighboring rooms, and most people should be asleep.
He didn't take the elevator because the lights in the elevator shaft were too bright, making him feel exposed. He climbed up the stairs floor by floor, and when he reached the fourth floor, he suddenly heard faint music and laughter from a room at the end of the corridor - it seemed that some young people were still playing in the middle of the night.
Han Suiping swallowed a mouthful of saliva, thinking it shouldn't affect him, and continued upstairs. As he approached the top of the stairs, he saw a pair of feet appear, causing him to hold his breath momentarily. Pretending to be nonchalant, as the two were about to pass each other, the person suddenly asked, "Hey, you're not asleep yet?"
Han Suiping looked up and saw a somewhat familiar girl holding a tray of drinks, apparently heading back to the room downstairs. He remembered that non-alcoholic drinks were provided on the fifth floor.
"I sat next to you this afternoon," she said, looking at him strangely. "Where are you going?"
Han Suiping's ears were filled with the rushing sound of blood, his heart beating almost without pause, and he heard himself stutter, "I... I can't sleep; just going out for some fresh air."
Going out for fresh air in the middle of the night with a hat and a backpack?
When the girl walked past him, he seemed to hear her doubts in her mind. She had already turned her head, and her footsteps seemed to quicken slightly.
What if she reported him as suspicious? That wouldn't be new. Colleagues, students, and teachers report each other without hesitation, and what's more, it was a stranger. He couldn't afford the risk of someone checking the surveillance footage of his actions.
"Um." Han Suiping knew he had to do something, so he hurriedly asked, "Are you here with friends?"
The girl stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up expressionlessly. "Yeah."
"I'm here alone. It's a bit boring. I'm just going out for some fresh air, but I have to bring a book or beer; otherwise, there's nothing to do. How about we all go swimming together tomorrow? I'll treat you to beer." Han Suiping smiled, making himself sound like he was hitting on her. "My room number is 1023. If you're interested, call me on the internal line."
His room number wasn't 1023 at all.
The girl's expression changed. She was a pretty girl and must have been approached by many people before, so it was normal for her to consider him one of the suitors. "I'll ask my friends, but there are guys too."
"Your boyfriend?" Han Suiping deliberately asked.
"No, I'm still single," the girl said, apparently thinking she understood the situation completely, and walked away with dignity.
He passed one test. Now that he knew her room was on the fifth floor, he could avoid her and go his way. In such a large cruise ship, the two could completely avoid each other; if he was unlucky enough to encounter her again, he could claim he got the room number wrong.
When Han Suiping safely reached the top deck, facing the vast sea covered by night, he exhaled. Although he had never harmed anyone or stolen a penny, his actions were enough to warrant a prison sentence; now, he could stand here peacefully because he was quick-witted and had slipped out of danger several times.
During the day, he selected a bench far from the surveillance cameras. The top deck was curved, and the cameras could only see the back of the bench, just as planned. When he opened the color book and pressed the power button, the music, and flashlight from his phone stirred the night, covering his actions.
'Please, connect,' he silently prayed. The ship was now deeper into the open sea, farther from the satellite signal isolation zone, as it should be. Suddenly, with a ding, he jumped, almost dropping the blanket.
Success! Connected!
The old thing still worked, and he wished he could kiss the computer. Something inside him that had been tightly closed suddenly opened, and a cool sea breeze blew in, making him want to cry. The open sea, he thought, this is the open sea.
"Hey, what are you doing in the middle of the night?" someone suddenly shouted from behind, startling Han Suiping and almost making him cry.
He quickly closed his notebook, turned around, and saw a man walking over in slippers—someone drinking late at night. With a can in hand and unclear speech, he looked like he had just come up.
"Did I disturb you?" He hurriedly said, "I'll turn off the music immediately."
The half-drunk man came over and sat down with a grunt, saying, "Don't turn it off. Show me what songs you have... Why are you covering yourself with a blanket? What's in your arms?"
"I'm just sitting here for a while, looking at some drawings," Han Suiping said, trying to suppress his anger. After some thought, he handed over his phone, hoping to divert the man's attention. "Take a look and see if there's anything you like."