Roy combined his quick analysis of the ship's structure and headed straight for several key points—near the Engine Room, the Fuel Storage Area, and the structural supports of the Central Banquet Hall... The first target was the maintenance passage on the periphery of the Engine Room.
This place was deserted, with only the low hum of machinery.
"Here?" Captain Russell asked, puzzled.
Roy didn't answer. His eyes were like lightning, scanning the intricate pipes and cables. Suddenly, his gaze sharpened; he crouched down and pushed aside a pile of camouflaged debris.
A rectangular object with a cold metallic luster and a crude timer screen appeared before everyone's eyes!
The red numbers on the screen were ticking down heartlessly: 01:21:33... "A... a bomb!" a security guard cried out, his face turning pale.
Captain Russell gasped even harder, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat!
He had still held a glimmer of hope just now, but now only fear and anger remained!
Someone actually dared to tamper with his ship!
Delia and Misty also covered their mouths, their eyes filled with shock and fear. Only then did they understand why Roy had been so serious and urgent just now.
"Cap... Captain... what should we do?" another security guard's voice trembled.
Captain Russell's mind was also in a whirl; his first instinct was to sound the alarm and evacuate the entire ship.
"You can't sound the alarm!" Roy stopped him sharply. "There are thousands of people on board. Once panic and crowding start, a stampede would cause more casualties than the bomb! Moreover, it might alert the people who planted the bombs, causing them to detonate them remotely in advance!"
Captain Russell shuddered and suddenly snapped out of it. "Right... right, right! You're right!"
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The way he looked at Roy had completely changed, now filled with trust and reliance.
"Mr. Roy, tell us, what should we do now? We'll all listen to you!"
"Immediately find the most reliable people on your ship who know a bit about mechanics or electronics, bring tools, and follow me quietly," Roy said quickly. "Bomb disposal! We must disarm all the bombs silently!"
"In addition, strengthen the monitoring of entrances and exits, and keep an eye out for suspicious individuals, especially those trying to leave the ship early!"
"Good! Good!" Captain Russell nodded repeatedly and immediately gave orders to the two security guards beside him. He personally contacted several absolutely trustworthy core crew members.
Roy carefully observed the structure of the bomb.
It wasn't particularly complex, but it was enough to blow the surrounding area sky-high.
He didn't act rashly, instead waiting for the two veteran Engineers called by Captain Russell to arrive.
The Engineers tremblingly but precisely snipped the critical wire.
The timer stopped instantly.
Everyone breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Quick, the next location!" Roy didn't pause for a moment.
With the first successful experience, Captain Russell and the others gained a massive boost in confidence. They now admired Roy immensely and quickly followed him... Meanwhile, in an ordinary guest room on the upper deck of the cruise ship.
"Hehehe~ This mission seems quite simple!" James shook an electronic board in his hand proudly, which displayed a simplified structural diagram of the s.s. anne, with several red dots flashing continuously.
"Exactly! Once the time is up, 'Boom'! The s.s. anne will turn into fireworks, and the fame of our Team Rockets will once again resound throughout Kanto!" Jessie stood with her hands on her hips and laughed loudly.
"Then we'll be able to get a huge bonus, get promoted with a raise, and reach the pinnacle of life, meow~!" Meowth's eyes sparkled as if he already saw mountains of gold coins.
This classic Team Rockets trio had originally been sidelined.
Somehow, they had actually received the mission to plant bombs on the s.s. anne to create panic (and plunder in the process). At this moment, they were happily dreaming of their reward.
"By the way, you've memorized the locations of those bombs, right? Once the explosion happens and everything is in chaos, we'll go to these places where valuables and rare Pokemon are stored..." James pointed to several markings on the electronic board.
Suddenly, two crew members appeared ahead.