The Lost Mermaid [Zhongyingmei]

As soon as Karl said this, everyone put on a secretive expression.

Mrs. Bucket was rarely confronted face-to-face, let alone someone she was "favorite". She was so angry that her face turned pale at first, and then the red spread from her neck to her face, and she clenched her teeth in shame and anger.

Everyone is watching her jokes

Ruth tugged at her mother's arm to comfort her, then turned to Carl and said, "I agree with you and Doris, safety is more important than anything else!"

She lowered her voice and whispered in Mrs. Bucket's ear: "Mom, Carl is also worried about the safety of 'us'..."

Captain Smith invited Doris to discuss with them, and Carl invited 1900 to join the gentlemen's conversation with ease.Everyone sat down at the largest table, and the waiters brought coffee and wine.

Sitting among the gentlemen, Doris was particularly conspicuous.

Ruth looked at Doris's back enviously.

Doris boldly pointed out the lack of lifeboats and concerns about the safety of the Titanic in front of Captain Smith, Mr. Andrews, and a room full of powerful people. Ruth suddenly felt that Doris Totally different from her.

Although she is frail and delicate, when faced with an irresistible power, she is not afraid of other people's strange eyes, and boldly contradicts the "authority".

Such a thing, Ruth can't even think about it.

Ruth has never dared to refute his orders in front of Cal Hockley. Even in front of strange gentlemen, she maintains a reserved and dignified posture. She keeps people thousands of miles away, in fact, to protect herself.

She only dared to get angry at her mother, but she was always pushed back by her mother's slightly strong words.

If Karl hadn't asked her to play a play, she might have always been a rag doll, at the mercy of others.Even if the withered grass in her heart has been burned completely, she will not vent such emotions completely.

Before yesterday, Ruth seemed to see her fate clearly at a glance.

She could see herself holding Hockley's arm numbly, stepping into the church; numbly receiving everyone's blessings and giving birth to an heir; numbly handing over the family's title and astronomical debts to her Husband; maybe one day, she finally can't bear it anymore, and she will choose to end her life numbly.

Luckily, Cal Hockley was one step ahead and stood up to fate for his girl.

Ruth really envied Doris, envied her boldness, her freedom, her freedom and her... love.

A is honey, and B is arsenic.Even though Hockley was even an accomplice in oppressing her for Ruth, Ruth could see clearly that he and Doris loved each other.Although they don't know why they haven't really come together yet, Ruth firmly and naively thinks that it will happen sooner or later!

Ruth hung her head down, stirring the coffee, trying not to knock the spoon against the side of the cup.

"Ruth, Ruth!" Mrs. Bucket gently kicked her feet under the table, "The Countess is talking to you!"

Only then did Ruth come to her senses, she raised her head, and saw the gray-haired Countess Rose looking at her lovingly, and quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, I was distracted just now. What did you say?"

"Ah! Ruth has also reached the age of worrying! It's okay, I just want to invite you to my house as a guest. My grandson Edward and his classmates are going back to Eton soon. He likes to play and always hates It was too quiet at home, so he begged me to arrange a picnic party for him."

Seeing that Mrs. Bukett's eyes lit up, the countess added: "Of course he will invite his classmates too. I didn't mean to praise them. Those guys are all young talents. When I see them, I feel like Dozens of years younger!"

Mrs. Bucket flattered: "Yes, young people always have endless energy. It's just that we, Ruth, belong to a girl's family, although she always behaves more ostentatiously than ladies..."

"Where are you thinking! Mrs. Bucket!" The Countess smiled from ear to ear, "You guys are too embarrassed to invite girls, so I have to let me show up! At my age, I don't know too many people." If there are too many, please give me some face, otherwise I will not be able to help him."

Mrs. Bucket took her at once: "Of course Ruth will go! She can't be more fond of boyish things like picnics and rides."

Mrs. Bucket thought in her mind that the countess must be thinking about her grandson when she invited girls of the right age to the picnic—perhaps she was looking for a future wife!

Carl Hockley had dared to disrespect her in person before, and Mrs. Bucket couldn't express her anger, but she felt unhappy in her heart.Now the Countess has the intention of making a match, and Mrs. Bucket does not intend to give Hockley face.

Ruth listened to the polite conversation between the two of them, and felt even more disgusted in her heart. The gold-plated spoon in her hand made a clinking sound on the porcelain cup.

Mrs. Bucket frowned, and reprimanded softly: "Ruth, pay attention to self-cultivation! How can you be careless and impolite like an American!"

These words were obviously satirizing Doris from America.

Ruth's heart was full of blood, she dropped the spoon, and said bluntly to the Countess: "Sorry, I'm not feeling well, maybe I'm seasick." She wanted to go to the deck again to breathe, but Mrs. The hard sole stepped on it.

The spoon slid and rolled over the rim of the glass.

Ruth felt the throbbing of the veins in the bandaged wound on her foot.

That night, with a bright moon in the sky, the Titanic finally approached the port slowly.

Except for the accident caused by the emergency stop, the Titanic never had other problems.The guests were all very sleepy, but none of them planned to check in early, and went ashore in an orderly manner under the arrangement of the crew.

Doris and 1900 stayed until the end, waiting for the elevator, planning to go back to the hotel with the Strauss couple.

The shafts and wheels of the elevator whirled, and Doris felt a little excited when she heard the rhythmic sound.

Under her persuasion, the investors of the Titanic agreed to invest another sum of money to purchase lifeboats—as long as Mr. Ismay signed.She herself was of course the first to offer a donation, but they turned it down.

"Doris, you are too bold today!" Mrs. Strauss was very worried about her, "You actually contradicted Mr. Andrews and the others. I dare say that, except for Mr. Ismay, they have never been seen by laymen. People doubt their profession so shamelessly..."

"However, my thoughts are right! Mr. Ismay is the one who doesn't understand the reason!" Doris said angrily, "He actually reduced the number of lifeboats in order to save costs—or, to be greedy for petty gains. I can see that Captain Smith agrees with me, but I don't know why he doesn't say anything."

Mr. Strauss shrugged: "This is where his brilliance lies. He is just a captain who is employed by others. I believe he must have strongly opposed it because of his professionalism, but Mr. Ismay is the biggest Shareholders, the captain cannot shake his decision."

Thinking of the captain's silence at that time, Doris was very angry: "Then you shouldn't just give up like this! I have already explained the possible problems—"

"—Doris, you think too simply." Mr. Strauss and Mrs. Strauss looked at each other.

"There are too many people who have interests in the Titanic, and any decision is not easy to make. The shareholders must have argued about this before it would lead to such a result-he may have fought, but after the failure I am also disappointed. But fortunately, today I have the support of Mr. Hockley, otherwise it would be very difficult to reverse the situation." Mr. Strauss analyzed slowly.

Today he looked at Cal Hockley with admiration.Whether it is Hockley's sole responsibility before boarding the ship, or his decisive stand up and face up to the problem after the dispute, it is all commendable.

Doris was taken aback for a moment, and said in a low voice, "That's true...I want to thank him today."

"That's not necessary." 1900 listened to what they said, and said at this moment, "You are also thinking about everyone's life, if he can't distinguish what is right, and take a huge risk for the money, it turns out He still needs to be held accountable.”

"Everyone is responsible for such a result!" Doris retorted, "It's not just his responsibility..." It's also the responsibility of that terrible Mr. Ismay!

She swallowed the second half of the sentence under 1900's clear gaze.

The elevator arrived, and a group of people walked into the elevator. The elevator operator with a standard smile pressed the button for them to go to the next floor.The elevator doors creaked shut.

The Strauss and 1900 chatted, and they asked each other about their plans for the next few days.Doris watched the elevator descend floor by floor, and she glanced at each floor through the transparent elevator window.

The decoration in the windows becomes simpler the further you go down from the top floor.The wallpaper on the wall changed from printing big and gorgeous golden peonies to boring stripes, and then to pure white. The last few layers were just walls wrapped in iron sheets.

Arriving at the destination floor, before the elevator door opened, Doris' eyes met those familiar black pupils.

The elevator operator politely opened the elevator door, and the Strauss walked out first. Looking at the person in front of them, they said in surprise, "Mr. Hockley! I thought you had already left first?"

Hockley stood by the door, and his servant Joeylov stood beside him with a serious smile.

"I just want to make sure that all the guests disembark safely." A smile appeared on Carl's face, "Mr. Ismay is not here, of course I have to take responsibility and entertain you well for him."

The Strausses once again politely praised his sense of responsibility, and Karl also humbly agreed.

Then his eyes turned to Doris again: "Miss Doris, thank you for your reminder and suggestion today, which is of great significance to the board of directors of White Star Line."

"But you have also endured the pressure that you shouldn't have to bear because of this, sir." Qiaoyilov suddenly said at this moment.

"Joelov, you don't have the right to speak here." Carl turned around and scolded coldly.

However, Qiaoyilov ignored the master's warning and said to Doris very quickly: "Miss Boardman, what you said today made it difficult for Mr. Hockley! Business matters are not for a person like you... unworldly The young lady can put her beak on it, because Mr Hockley has to—”

"Choilov!" Karl's gaze was like a knife blade, slashing at him fiercely.

The Strauss and his wife looked at each other, and they could see clearly that Joey Love was the right-hand man of old Hockley. Since he dared to say that, he must have the confidence of old Hockley.

Little Mr. Hockley's road to "seizure power" is not smooth!

Mr. Strauss had no intention of participating in their open and secret struggles, but Mrs. Strauss loved Doris very much and did not want her to be the one who was sacrificed, so she said: "Doris is a kind child, maybe Her words today are a little impulsive, but how to decide is a matter for the board of directors."

"Of course!" Karl responded to Mrs. Strauss's words, and then looked at Joeylov coldly, "Miss Doris has the right to be concerned about the safety of the Titanic as a first-class passenger. Question it. It's you, Choilov."

"You don't have the qualifications and position to talk to Miss Doris like this."

The author has something to say: I feel so lonely without leaving a message_(:з」∠)