Fair Trade - chapter 1

48 hours ago.

Boasting of a top resort on the sea, the luxurious cruise ship called itself Ground Paradise. More than 2,000 people began boarding the Petrov’s DE:A. After the preparation, the crew members moved in a perfect order to greet the passengers.

DE:A’s main characteristic was that the number of cruise ship attendants was almost equal to the number of passengers. DE:A’s system, which focused on one crew member being responsible for two passengers, has boosted passenger satisfaction and continued to record sold-out cabins every year.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Cecilia Lawrence and I am here to help you travel comfortably. Your room is here in room 821. Your itinerary and meal tickets have been provided in your bedroom. So if you have any questions, please feel free to visit me anytime.”

“Thank you, Miss Lawrence.”

“Well, have a nice trip.”

She took the card and opened the door to the room. Then a man pulled his luggage and entered the room.

The man lifted his eyes from the alluring back of the woman and looked around the room contentedly. Satisfied with the room, he offered her a tip.

“Miss Lawrence’s service gets better day by day.”

“Thank you.”

Taking the tip, she turned around with a smile. Seeing her leave, the man suddenly reached out his hand to stop her. At this, the corners of her mouth slightly curled up. Then her brown eyes shook in confusion.

“What’s going on…..”

Stefano Luciano. Age 39. Italy’s best F1 player, retired from active duty due to a knee injury. However, he later turned to be a team’s investor, and became a millionaire. Stefano Luciano’s main hobby was collecting high-end watches.

Sei stared at the man with reddened cheeks. Then he slowly bent his body and whispered as if telling her a secret.

“Miss Cecilia Lawrence. I heard that the cruise ship attendants have no time to go home. So, how do I apply for a date?”

“By date….you mean me?”

“I think I fell in love at first sight. You’re really quite charming.”

Black-haired Asians were common, but her appearance was rather unique. She was tall with pearly white skin, and had mysterious features that made one unable to guess her nationality. She truly looked like an actress or a model from a famous magazine.

If it weren’t for the name tag of Cecilia Lawrence, no-one would have thought of her as an ordinary cruise ship attendant.

Sei smiled at the man who showed his interest in her.

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“Reject?”

“Unfortunately, we are prohibited from having personal meetings with customers. DE:A is also famous for casinos and bubble pool parties. Please refer to the schedule and enjoy it.”

Emphasizing that she was really sorry, she opened the door and came out. Fortunately, the man had good manners. He only sighed and didn’t stop her.

With quick steps, she reached her room, escaping the eyes of the busy people. Her face became cold in no time. Her smile and the name tag of Cecilia Lawrence hanging on her chest were all fake.

Click!

She locked the door and then opened her laptop straight away. She plugged in the card that she had just used to open the door to Stefano Luciano’s room. He probably didn’t know yet that his one and only room key had disappeared.

The key of room 821 was quickly copied. Using the spare card she had, she made two copies of room 821’s key. Then she left her room and placed the key back in Stefano’s room with a relaxed smile.

When she heard the sound of door unlocking, she quickly escaped from the room. But before leaving, she took a quick glance at the man’s expensive watches.

“See you later.”

__

Outside the window, the sight of the shimmering sunlight lightening up the open Mediterranean sea entered her eyes. It was an exceptionally clear weather. As she got closer, she saw people gathered at the lido deck. She observed that the people smiling satisfactorily were all wrapped up in high end goods and jewellery.

[T/N: On a cruise ship or ocean liner, the lido deck features outdoor pools and related facilities.]

‘Bravo.’

She smiled happily and clapped her hands. She had waited a year for this day. She finally obtained the passenger list of DE:A, joined it’s crew and successfully copied all the security codes of the ‘state of the art‘ security system.

‘It’s a place where I can meet the creme de la creme of the society and take them to the cleaners.’

She only had one purpose.

Isn’t there a proverb that says those who don’t work should not eat? She decided to work to be full. They will complete their journey of 15 days and 14 nights without ever knowing they had encountered her.

She remembered the words of an old man who said that her hands are faster than her eyes. She quickly changed her name tag and untied her hair.

Just by changing the color of the lens, Cecilia Lawrence turned into Diana Olsen.

Wrapped in a white apron, she took a round tray and headed to the deck, where the bubble pool party was in full swing. Her eyes quickly and accurately scanned all the valuable customers. Knowing that she would be set for a whole year, an exuberant smile came up on her face.

And her second ‘customer’ was decided.

“Would you like some champagne, mister?”