Perhaps it was because he arrived too early that on the deck, Feng Yuan only saw the staff members and did not see any tourists similar to him. As for the entrance Zhou Weijun mentioned, Feng Yuan managed to find it himself.
He couldn’t understand what considerations the designer of this cruise ship had, as there was no sign or anything similar at the entrance. If Zhou Weijun hadn’t mentioned it, Feng Yuan could easily have overlooked the unmarked staircase.
But now, Feng Yuan realized that this thing was quite different from other stairways leading to the lower deck.
"Made of glass? That’s really special."
Watching Feng Yuan walking on the semi-transparent stairs, Veronia said in amazement. From the deck, the entrance seemed unremarkable, but stepping inside revealed a whole new world.
With a gentle stomp, Feng Yuan inspected the semi-transparent stairs beneath his feet and said,
"It doesn’t seem like glass; this material feels more like some kind of special high-strength crystal, naturally occurring."
"The stairs are designed so wide, it must be for sightseeing purposes."
Observing the wide steps, Feng Yuan muttered. Normally, stairs are not designed to be particularly wide, but this was clearly not normal. However, the width is within a reasonable range, at least it didn’t make the stairs harder to walk on.
Walking on these wide steps, there was little worry about accidentally stepping off and falling.
The staircase wasn’t long, and Feng Yuan, chatting leisurely with Veronia, reached the bottom. Staring at the shimmering underwater view to the right, Feng Yuan was momentarily stunned.
"Panoramic glass? No, it’s not strong enough; they’re quite... bold."
The stairs led to a relatively spacious corridor. Unlike the interior of the ship’s corridors, on the outside, the entire wall was made of a substance resembling transparent glass. The glass was so clear it seemed like an invisible barrier keeping the river water at bay.
An entire wall of floor-to-ceiling glass was visually stunning, and Feng Yuan was surprised they dared to incorporate this into the ship’s design.
It’s important to remember that this transparent wall is part of the ship underwater. It’s not that it can’t be done, but the cost could be several times or even dozens of times higher to achieve the necessary strength.
Even so, the ship’s strength would definitely be inferior to a standard cruise ship unless incredibly rare materials were used, which would be exceptionally costly. Feng Yuan found it hard to understand this approach.
As for saving money? Sure, but only if they weren’t afraid of the ship leaking, not to mention the hassle of regular maintenance.
If left submerged for too long without cleaning, it would be overgrown with aquatic organisms, but cleaning it would also be troublesome. Even if the material is strong enough, few would dare treat it casually.
"Low-key luxury, though ’low-key’ might not be the word," Veronia remarked. Doing this on a ship’s body doesn’t exactly scream subtle, but considering it’s underwater and not visible from outside, it perhaps explains it.
"Maybe there’s camouflaging paint outside that makes everything appear normal from the outside?"
Feng Yuan chuckled as he casually remarked, not expecting that he accidentally hit upon the truth.
From inside, the transparent underwater walkway is breathtaking, but from underwater, this unique transparent structure appears no different from the ship’s steel plating.
The costly paint effectively hid this unusual feature, driving up costs further. At least, this cruise ship was priced beyond what Qi Chen and his group could afford.
It was even too much for Feng Yuan unless he planned on looting a substantial treasury of high-value resources.
"When the ship sets sail, visiting here should be nice. River surface views are common, but underwater sights are rare," Feng Yuan said, strolling down the corridor. It wasn’t just idle talk; while the Mao Mu River’s bottom can’t compare to the sea, such designs are rare on cruise ships.
Unlike aesthetics, it’s more about rarity and uniqueness, even if the riverbed view isn’t particularly attractive.
"Looks like you’ve already visited, huh? How was it? Pretty unique, right?" Just as Feng Yuan was returning to the deck via another staircase, he ran into Zhou Weijun, holding a tray. Seeing Feng Yuan emerging from below, Zhou Weijun knew he had walked through the underwater observatory.
Truth be told, when he first saw it, he was astonished. After all, in his mind, incorporating this on a ship could easily lead to accidents.
"Yeah, quite interesting. If it were an ocean liner, it would be even better; still, no complaints. Ocean liners require much stronger structures, which current materials aren’t capable of producing," Feng Yuan replied with a calm nod, not overly amazed by the unique underwater observatory, seeing it merely as a frivolous indulgence.
"I thought you’d be shocked, given how rare such a design is. I wonder what they were thinking," Zhou Weijun chuckled. Feng Yuan rolled his eyes and said,
"Well, what are they thinking? It’s not their money, so they can splurge all they want. Otherwise, who would approve of such a project? The costs and benefits don’t align."
"Haha, if they hear your comments, they might not be pleased. Kind invitation met with criticism," Zhou Weijun laughed.
"Tsk, you say that, but do you support this approach?" Feng Yuan coolly asked, looking at Zhou Weijun, who pondered a bit and replied,
"Neither support nor oppose. After all, the ship serves a special purpose, so disregarding costs might be understandable. But I agree, the expense seems excessive."
"Exactly," Feng Yuan shrugged, uninterested in dwelling on the topic. It was pointless; what Maomu City officials do has nothing to do with him. If things go awry, Great Xia has departments for handling such affairs, leaving Feng Yuan unaffected.
"What are you planning to do? Hosting a cocktail party?" Perceiving the tray in Zhou Weijun’s hand, Feng Yuan curiously asked. Zhou Weijun, glancing at the tray, restrained his smile and sighed,
"No, just... to bid farewell, though the mood isn’t right..."
"Sorry, I didn’t mean..."
"It’s alright. Who would expect me to do something so out of place when it’s time to be happy?"
With a bitter smile, Zhou Weijun didn’t continue the chat with Feng Yuan but rather headed towards the stern, tray in hand. Seeing his desolate figure, Feng Yuan sighed and said,
"Really..."
"A spoiler, huh? Clearly dealing with so much unhappiness inside, forcing oneself to smile amidst others. That’s something I genuinely dislike—forcing oneself due to social obligations amidst inner sorrow," Veronia commented. Agunas, tail swishing, glanced at Veronia and said,
"Once choosing to blend into the crowd, how can one be so heedless? Even if one’s capable, doing so would still be disrespectful to others."
"That’s why, don’t get involved from the start. Shoving oneself in only to end up troubling oneself and others; humans, truly perplexing," Veronia sighed.
"Just like how I can’t fully understand myself," tossing its tail, Agunas ignored Veronia’s words. Agunas wasn’t clear on Veronia’s experiences, as it hadn’t experienced the late Mythical Era, and was oblivious to what transpired back then.
As for Veronia’s dramas, it couldn’t care less as long as it didn’t affect others.
This encounter had momentarily dampened Feng Yuan’s mood for fun. He moved to the front deck, unable to head to the rear deck with Zhou Weijun there, not wanting to disturb him.
The boat still docked at the pier, bustling staff around and occasionally a couple of people boarding.
This didn’t surprise Feng Yuan. The ship couldn’t possibly serve him alone or just a few people. Besides, given its special structure, a single trip’s maintenance would not come cheap.
Feeling the river breeze, Feng Yuan took in the surroundings and said,
"Pity two days and a night feels too short. The ship is fascinating; wish the trip were longer~"
"Then you’d miss the canyon expedition; that’s opening in only a few days," Veronia lightly huffed.

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