They could only blame themselves for not being strong enough to protect them. Hugo sat in a daze, shaking his head slowly without saying a word. Seeing him like this, the others grew increasingly uneasy. Spencer and Nancy began to panic. “Mr. Hugo, what happened to them? Are they safe right now?” Spencer asked as he reached for his phone to call Arthur. Hugo finally spoke. “No need. They’re safe.” Right now, the ones who should be worried about safety were Tamaria and President Holland. “Safe?” Hugo’s certainty confused everyone in the room. No matter how you looked at it, this trip was dangerous. Who knew if President Holland had set up an ambush along the way? How could they possibly be safe? Hugo finally lifted his head. “They went on an aircraft carrier,” he said. “Huh?” The others were stunned, not sure what Hugo was talking about. “An aircraft carrier? What aircraft carrier?” Spencer asked. “A real one. A naval aircraft carrier!” The three of them froze. Nancy asked hesitantly, “Wait... are ferries getting nicknamed ‘aircraft carriers’ now?” Who would have the guts to give a ferry that name? Nancy knew that couldn’t be the case. But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t figure out what Hugo meant.Surely he didn’t mean an actual aircraft carrier? Even though she wasn’t involved in government affairs, she knew enough to be sure about one thing: aircraft carriers weren’t civilian transport vessels. They were rare, high-level military warships—Lioran itself didn’t even own that many. He said Arthur went on an aircraft carrier. An actual carrier. The only explanation Nancy could think of was someone recklessly naming their ferry “Aircraft Carrier.” Oh—if Arthur was the one going on this “carrier,” then maybe he was also the one reckless enough to give it that name? Arthur’s Cloudia Corporation had been doing better and better these past few years. Buying a ferry wouldn’t be out of the question. Then Hugo said it again. “They really did go on an aircraft carrier.” Hugo wasn’t the type to joke around. Seeing how serious he was now only deepened their confusion. Instead of explaining further, Hugo pulled out his phone and initiated a video call with Arthur. Once they saw it with their own eyes, everything would be clear. The video call tone chimed. Not long after, Arthur picked up. The screen filled with his strikingly handsome face. And behind him—a sophisticated control room. Hugo recognized it instantly. That—that was the control room of a real warship! Hugo asked cautiously, “Arthur, where are you right now?” He tried to keep his voice level, resisting the urge to scream. He was too old for that. A university professor, a senior official in Evergrand City—he had to keep his composure. Before Arthur could respond, Ashley’s head popped into the frame. She lit up when she saw her parents and quickly greeted them. “Mom, Dad, we’re on an aircraft carrier. We’ll reach Tamaria by tomorrow. We’re safe—don’t worry!” Everyone on Hugo’s end was speechless.Hugo and Mateo had both seen real aircraft carriers before. They’d even been involved in their development. They immediately recognized the distinctive control room layout. It wasn’t identical, but it was close enough. Both men’s hands were trembling. Spencer and Nancy had never seen a carrier. They didn’t know how to respond to their daughter’s words. The same thought crossed both their minds. Why would our daughter make up something like this? But what was even stranger—why had Mr. Hugo just said the exact same thing? Mr. Hugo wasn’t someone who lied to himself. After a long pause, Hugo asked, “Where’s Ryder? Is he with you?” “Mr. Ryder?” Arthur looked around. He finally realized Ryder was missing. Turning to Wind, Arthur asked, “Where’s Mr. Ryder?” Wind pointed helplessly toward the deck. “He’s been out there this whole time. No matter how we try to convince him, he refuses to come inside.” Arthur raised an eyebrow. “He was out there when the jets took off?” Wind shook his head. “We dragged him into the command tower for that. But after they launched, he went right back to the deck.” Arthur fell silent for a moment, then walked over to Ryder with the phone still in hand. The video call was still connected, and Arthur turned the camera toward Ryder. “Mr. Ryder, Mr. Hugo wants to speak to you.” Ryder’s blank stare shifted from the trailing formation of ships behind the carrier to the screen in Arthur’s hand. When he saw Hugo’s face, he spoke again, his tone as “calm” as ever. “Hugo, I’m really standing on an aircraft carrier.”