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墨書 Inktalez
"Ha ha, my friend, how are you? I can guarantee the atmosphere here; my ancestors have fished these waters for generations, and I know this sea like the back of my hand." On a boat converted from a fishing vessel, the Captain grinned at his only passenger.
He was operating this unlicensed private boat, and encountering a charter client like this was an opportunity to serve well.
A typical case of a fool with money; he needed to find ways to squeeze out a bit more from them.
"Not bad," Yang Xiaoyou said casually while standing at the bow, admiring the sea view.
"Well, we should be about there. It will take some time to get there, and if we go any further, we'll enter the Vietnam Twelve Nautical Lines, which could pose safety issues," the Captain reminded him after hearing Yang Xiaoyou's words.
"Safety issues? Didn't the Vietnam War completely dismantle Vietnam? What could possibly happen if we go further?" Yang Xiaoyou replied with a strange expression.
"Ahem, you may not know this, but although their government forces are just a term now, our patrol boats can't just go directly in front of them for inspections. There might be pirates over there. Although Hue is relatively safer compared to Golden Bay, there are still pirates who specialize in kidnapping fishermen," the Captain explained carefully.
The Chinese Empire's ten-year war against Vietnam had fragmented the country into dozens of warlord-controlled autonomous regions while asserting sovereignty over the South China Sea. They had drawn lines right up to the twelve nautical mile boundaries of neighboring countries.
However, due to the practical considerations of territorial gains and losses and interference from other major powers, the Chinese Empire could only achieve this much.
But with Vietnam completely shattered and domestic resources scarce, coupled with a surplus of military equipment circulating around, this led to rampant Vietnamese piracy.
Under this ongoing influence and atmosphere, almost all Vietnamese fishermen had taken up nets for fishing and guns for robbery.
With mutual suspicion and restraint among several major powers, this malignant tumor continued to exist in the region.
"Pirates? Are there really pirates these days? I thought they only existed in movies. This is great! Uncle, let's go take a look; I want to see what life is like for pirates," Yang Xiaoyou said whimsically, trying to persuade the Captain to head deeper into the waters.
Slowly advancing step by step, along with the temptation of money, it was possible that he could be convinced to take them straight to Hue Port. At that point, he could find an opportunity to disembark; once he was gone, the Captain would naturally leave as well. This was a black boat with no records of its own.
"Well, if he refuses to go, then we'll have to resort to some extreme measures."
Upon hearing Yang Xiaoyou's words, the Captain hesitated for a moment, but ultimately gritted his teeth and agreed to his request. It was rare to encounter such a lucrative opportunity; taking a bit of risk was worth it.
Without a second thought, Yang Xiaoyou accepted the price the Captain offered. After all, he could just run away after disembarking, only needing to pay for the initial charter fee.
Once the Wealthy Man agreed, the Captain perked up. He had encountered adventurous rich kids before, and none of those previous encounters had ended badly.
This area was somewhat off the main shipping route, so the likelihood of encountering pirates here was much lower than in the chaotic port of Golden Bay. The numerous warnings were one thing; another important point was that he wanted to intimidate this wealthy man while also justifying a higher price.
However, as the ship traveled further inward, several speedboat-like vessels suddenly emerged from behind nearby reefs, coming into view.
The appearance of these speedboats was not a good omen.
Seeing the boats speeding toward them, the Captain's face changed dramatically. Without thinking twice, he turned the ship around and began sending distress signals from the Signal Station on board.
Yang Xiaoyou's expression turned peculiar at this moment. He had initially intended to trick the Captain into heading to Hue Port but now found himself facing these unexpected threats.
Yang Xiaoyou understood the situation here much better than the Captain did. Indeed, as he had said, there weren't many Vietnamese pirates near Hainan; most were poorly equipped and targeted local fishermen. Perhaps they relied on fishing as their primary means of livelihood.
Yet today seemed to bring an unfortunate stroke of luck as they encountered these petty pirates.
Yang Xiaoyou had his own plans for moving forward. After gathering some information, he intended to meet up with Mo Wenfu and their group.
However, the current situation seemed to be somewhat beyond Yang Xiaoyou's expectations.
"Well, plans can't keep up with changes. It might be better to just follow them," Yang Xiaoyou decided after a moment of contemplation.
Pirates were primarily motivated by wealth; as long as they didn't resist, the chances of being killed were low, especially for these impoverished pirates who might still hope to exchange their captives for ransom.
The modified fishing boat was still too cumbersome, and merely turning around took a considerable amount of time.
Moreover, the opposing vessel was an Agile Boat, which allowed them to cover half the distance quickly. They could already clearly hear the warning shots being fired from the other side.
As they got closer and bullets could reach the bow of the ship, seeing that the Captain of the Signal Station had not reacted, he finally gave up resisting and obediently stopped the boat to await their reception, all while wearing a face that looked like it was about to cry as he glanced at Yang Xiaoyou.
Had he known he would encounter such a situation, no amount of money would have persuaded him to agree.
When several pirates armed with old Rifles boarded the deck, Yang Xiaoyou and the crew members on board complied and squatted down with their hands on their heads.
No matter how shabby the guns were, they were still guns. At such times, those who dared to resist in front of a gun barrel were ultimately few.
There had been instances in the past where fishermen were kidnapped; generally, after paying the ransom, they would be released. The pirates understood that maintaining long-term business relationships was essential; if they killed everyone, they would never receive ransom again.
The visibly sunburned and malnourished pirates boarded and only struck the Captain a couple of times before not troubling anyone else. They simply used some hemp ropes to tie everyone's hands behind their backs.
Then, in a somewhat theatrical manner, they blindfolded several people and took them toward Hue.
Once the ship docked, Yang Xiaoyou and his companions, still blindfolded, could clearly hear cheers nearby, seemingly celebrating their acquisition of loot.
Without things like radar, the chances of colliding with a fishing boat are quite low, especially with the Coast Guard patrolling. Every successful haul is worth celebrating.
Moreover, due to the local culture, the ordinary residents here do not harbor any aversion towards pirates. Pirates bring them money and food, making it easier for them to earn a living.
It is precisely because of this "popular support" that even if there were attempts to eradicate pirates, it would be a challenge. When the time comes, they can simply blend into the crowd; could anyone really carry out a indiscriminate massacre?
According to traditional pricing, excluding this ship, the hostages could be exchanged for around two hundred thousand Renminbi. The currency of the Chinese Empire is considered hard currency here.
Originally, this amount of money would be substantial back home, but for these seemingly emaciated fellows here, it would be enough to sustain them for quite some time.
Because they are essentially walking money bags, the kidnappers did not make things too difficult for everyone. They locked them in a dilapidated house and even provided some coarse grains as food.
Seeing the Captain and crew over there with long faces and seemingly lacking an appetite, Yang Xiaoyou didn’t care much. He picked up an object resembling a stone-like bun and started munching on it.
With his powerful digestive abilities, no food would go to waste. Now that he had successfully landed, all he needed was to find a suitable opportunity to slip away at night.
Naked and seeking support (to be continued).
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