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墨書 Inktalez
"Don't worry, young master. We will do everything we can to protect you. Besides, this group of pirates only captured us for ransom; once the money is paid, everything will be fine." Trapped in that dark room, the Captain watched as the young master despondently began to eat food he wouldn't normally touch. Gritting his teeth, he continued speaking.
This time, the loss was significant for him. Although the ship was insured, he was ultimately engaging in illegal trade without a license. He would have to find a way to deal with the ransom himself. If he could convince this young master to help cover the ransom, that would be ideal.
Seeing the Captain's righteous demeanor, Yang Xiaoyou took a bite of the hard bun that felt as tough as stone and casually remarked, "It's fine; this kind of situation is exciting! Being captured by pirates—how many people get to experience that in their lifetime?"
Yang Xiaoyou understood the Captain's calculations. However, it was clear that without using funds from Hive Security Company, he was quite strapped for cash himself. Relying on his own resources to pay the ransom was unrealistic.
When the Captain realized that Yang Xiaoyou wasn't going to take over their situation, his expression darkened slightly, and a flicker of something passed through his eyes—thoughts unknown.
Noticing the change in atmosphere, Yang Xiaoyou glanced at him before continuing to work on his bun.
Soon enough, Yang Xiaoyou understood why this fellow had changed. After excusing himself to use the restroom, he returned with an additional person—a man dressed like a fisherman who was clearly part of the pirate crew.
Upon entering, the newcomer whispered something in Vietnamese to the Captain. The Captain responded in a rather stiff tone before gesturing toward Yang Xiaoyou.
With a solid grasp of language aspects, Yang Xiaoyou easily understood their conversation.
It seemed that the Captain had informed the pirate about him being some 'wealthy young master' in an attempt to lower his own ransom.
For pirates who specialized in kidnapping, encountering a fat sheep like him was undoubtedly a delight; it promised much more profit than an ordinary fisherman would yield.
A few years ago, a son of a super-rich tycoon from Hong Kong was kidnapped by pirates while out on his yacht and was held for a ransom of one hundred million. The speed at which they made money from such schemes surpassed even Yang Xiaoyou's current arms dealings. However, such methods were highly detested, which is why many wealthy individuals from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan had collectively donated substantial amounts to enhance Coast Guard facilities.
Recently, these pirates seemed to be lingering only along the fringes without opportunities to delve deeper into lucrative ventures. Thus, chances of encountering big deals had significantly decreased. Now hearing that Yang Xiaoyou was a fat sheep stirred up considerable excitement among them.
As for the Captain who betrayed him, Yang Xiaoyou felt no anger at his inconsistent behavior. They were not related; it was entirely normal for someone to make such choices for their own benefit—just as it was normal for Yang Xiaoyou not to lend him money.
"Young master, please follow me; they have arranged a new place for you. Hehe, I assure you it’s much better than here," said the dark-skinned man dressed as a fisherman while waving at Yang Xiaoyou. The Captain also chimed in with encouragement in Chinese.
A shrewd expression flickered across his face.
Originally, Yang Xiaoyou had planned to sneak away in the evening, but now, faced with this sudden situation, he didn't pay much attention to it. Being alone meant he could act freely without any concerns.
Seeing the somewhat sinister smile of Captain, Yang Xiaoyou also chuckled casually. Once this group of pirates realized he had escaped, they would surely thank him for it.
Following the fisherman out of the wooden house beside the dock, Yang Xiaoyou raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sunlight. This town or city, based on Hue Port, looked no different from an ordinary coastal city at first glance.
Everywhere he looked, there were simple fishermen and various vendors, and with the pleasant climate, it seemed quite peaceful.
However, when they were brought in initially, the cheers that erupted around them made it clear that these part-time fishermen who were also pirates were almost completely open about their activities in the area.
As Yang Xiaoyou stepped out behind the dark-skinned man disguised as a fisherman, two others immediately blocked his path at the entrance, and one of them awkwardly instructed him in broken English to follow along.
Although there was no direct binding, it was evident that the three guards recognized Yang Xiaoyou's importance.
Hearing their words, Yang Xiaoyou paid no mind and followed closely behind the man in front as they walked down the road.
Currently, Vietnam was in a rather strange state. Although internally fragmented with various warlords ruling their territories, due to a decade-long war with the Chinese Empire, a significant portion of their strength had been consumed. Despite the chaotic internal forces, direct conflicts among warlords were relatively rare.
They all tacitly maintained their own little domains.
The general occupying Hue Port was among the more powerful factions; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to control such a decent port.
However, while this port had an official owner and similar institutions like a police station, based on Yang Xiaoyou's memories of coming here, unless someone was caught red-handed committing murder in broad daylight, these police officers hardly intervened. Sometimes, due to disparities in firepower, even if a murder occurred on the street, they might not be able to handle it.
Aside from the general's influence in the city, there were also considerable local powers at play. These pirates likely belonged to one of those factions; most places in Vietnam were similar.
In this chaos, there seemed to exist some sort of tacit underground order that allowed these unsavory characters to maintain an appearance of calmness.
However, in secret, thefts, robberies, rapes, murders, and other heinous acts were alarmingly common.
Walking along the cobblestone path, Yang Xiaoyou observed some vendors on either side and occasionally passing locals. It was truly difficult for him to connect this place with some information that surfaced in his mind, leaving him somewhat astonished by its oddity.
The Hive Security Company was preparing to establish a branch, estimating that it would be similar to this kind of place. What they needed to do was turn the Hive Security Company's branch into a local power within the city.
For outsiders wanting to take root here, the difficulty was significant, but there were also many success stories. Some exiled soldiers from the Soviet Union, drug lords from Myanmar, and even organized crime groups from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan had all made their mark here. Each faction that chose to settle had its own objectives, and it was not uncommon for some to operate under the guise of Vietnamese pirates while engaging in illicit activities.
Just as Yang Xiaoyou was observing and preparing to slip away into the street, the mixed powers of this place became evident.
On the street where the three were located, figures began to emerge from both sides, and they openly drew their guns.
Seeing the armed individuals on both sides, nearby patrons at food stalls and passing pedestrians seemed experienced enough to disperse quickly. Although the scene appeared chaotic, it was far less disorderly than situations back home where armed criminals roamed the streets.
It was clear that those armed fellows had their sights set on Yang Xiaoyou and his group.
"Hey? You all take your time; I’ll be on my way," he thought, estimating that those fellows had somehow learned he was a 'fat sheep' worth robbing.
Although they seemed primarily focused on him, Yang Xiaoyou had no intention of drawing attention from other factions. He took advantage of the moment when chaos erupted among the crowd and vanished from the sight of the three guards who had begun to alert themselves.
By the time they regained their senses, the 'fat sheep' who should have been surrounded in the center had completely disappeared without a trace.
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