It took six days to travel one thousand miles. Chen Fan stayed in the car and put down the driver's seat and laid down on it until 12 noon. Then he let the electric eel stop and rest. While the eel rested, he drove his car to the fast-food restaurant nearby, and grabbed something to eat before heading home.
When he got home, Chen Fan immediately continued to control the electric eel and make a rapid voyage to the Gulf of Aden.
It just devoured a ghost moon incense the day before. After it had been fully digested, the eel demonstrated the strongest power yet which was like the after effect of taking a drug. After he continued to sail near to Vietnam, Chen Fan could not bear the tired feeling in his mind anymore. He set the alarm clock to ring six hours later, then hugged his pillow and slept.
Vietnam.
A total of fifteen hundred miles from the Zhongyun city.
That was to say, the electric eel had almost no rest over the last 24 hours.
When Chen Fan was awakened by the alarm clock, he ate something as quickly as possible and then continued his journey to the Gulf of Aden.
...
Five days later at 3 PM local time!
After struggling hard for nearly six days, the electric eel finally reached the location 120 nautical miles north of the region of Somalia [Candala].
Lying on the sofa, Chen Fan once again dialed the bunch of foreign numbers!
"Hello," It was still the man with the strange accent who answered the phone.
"My men have arrived near Candal and the ransom is ready, and it is in the right amount. Can you call someone to pick it up?" Chen Fan's voice was emotionless.
"Very well, the ransom has been delivered in just seven days. We like to deal with such merchants as you."
"The next time you have a cargo ship hijacked by us, we will offer you a preferential price and you could have it due in ten days, and the hostage situation will be upgraded. Of course, it's all based on after we got the ransoms!"
F**k you! Chen Fan cursed secretly in his heart, then took two deep breaths, made himself calm down, and said, "You could say a place, and then I'll throw the ransom into any region of the sea. Of course, your crew can't be there!"
"Afraid that we'll hijack your boat again? Rest assured, we pirates do also have a good reputation if we say we would release your crew, we would do so."
"But you must understand one thing. If you work with the government ships to hijack our people, then I can most assure you that by this evening, you can hold a memorial for them!"
"I am a businessman. I only want money and peace, you don't worry!" Chen Fan vigorously rubbed his chin. "You give me a coordinate. There is no place as reference in the boundless sea. In two hours the ransom will be delivered on time."
"OK, I'll ask my men to call you in half an hour."
"Damn you! Giving me a discount next time? You all are going to cry and beg me in no time!" Chen Fan hung up the phone angrily.
Before he could wait for two minutes, the phone rang again, and Chen Fan looked at the number, it was Ma Rongtao.
"Hey, Uncle Ma, what can I do for you?"
"Chen, when will the money be delivered? If there is no redemption in two days, the Maritime Bureau will surely ask you why the ships haven't joined the convoy now?"
Ma Rongtao hesitated, and said, "If this matter is not settled within two days, let me know in advance. I'll let my ships pretend to be your ship's radio frequency and inform the escort ships that the ship's wheel is broken and had to be repaired and that we have to delay for a few days."
"Thank you, Uncle Ma. My people had arrived this afternoon, and they will be able to release them tomorrow."
Chen Fan smiled bitterly twice. The ship was hijacked, but he had to conceal this information.
"That's good, once they are released, call me."
"Sure, goodbye, uncle." Chen Fan agreed and hung up the phone.
...
Eleven o'clock, east longitude, forty-nine point five two!
In the Candala district, a compound of more than 2,000 square meters.
As one of the least developed countries in the world, and located in Africa, it is a miracle to be able to see buildings no less than the Zhongyun city.
At the age of 27, Bertrand, the Somali Marine corps chief executive of the Candala division was the man who called Chen.
As part of the largest pirate gang in Somalia, though he was not part of the ammunition ship that was hijacked, he had seized the world's second-largest oil tanker, the Sirius. Bertrand was sincerely proud of his accomplishments.
He was poor in his early years and could only learn to speak Mandarin fluently while working in a shop opened by a Chinese businessman.
But since the incident of the September 11 attack on the United States, the government had been overthrown by a foreign power dominated by the Americans which caused him to live a dog's life on the streets.
Ever since he joined the Somali pirates, he had been on the rise, not only owning a villa, but also a brand-new Audi. And the girls were enthusiastic, like fire, and even more desperate to enter his house.
Opening the front door of his Villa, he was excited as he entered the room where the hostages were kept. In no time another deal would be done. As commander in chief of this incident, he would be sure to be awarded at least one million.
"Great and mighty Mohammed!" Bertrand piously held both his hands together, and made a prayer. "May you bless me and make this deal so Leader Abadi will transfer me to the Erigavo headquarters to work!"
"Greetings, Sir!" Several pirates armed with AK's saw the arrival of the officer and immediately saluted as standard protocol.
"Well!" Bertrand nodded, and then walked into the middle of the group of the hostages. After touring a lap, he said, "Dear friends, your boss has sent the ransom to Candala, and as soon as I get the money, after verifying the number, I'll immediately release you."
"And our ship? Would you let it go too?" Captain Ren Jiang sat on the concrete floor and asked the black man in a white suit in a friendly tone..
"Of course. Your boss is paying 50 million as a ransom. Why would we make things difficult for you?"
Bertrand showed his white teeth. "About half an hour, my men will be able to collect the money. After I get the money, you could sail away."
On hearing the promise, Ren Jiang, including all the crew, was greatly relieved. This thing had caused the boss to lose 50 million. If they can't sail the ship back, they would be embarrassed to go back to Zhongyun.
A blue pickup truck came a half an hour later and inside it were three black man sitting with AK's beside them. There was also the two-meter-long iron shell yacht that Chen Fan booked from Xia Qingqing.
With a choking dust, the blue pickup came to a stop in the yard, and the black men on the bus darted off.
"Sir, we have received the goods at sea." A black man in his twenties with a five-star beret ran up to Bertrand and saluted.
"Very good, very good... go ask the finance official to verify at once." Bertrand clapped his hands. "You see, the money has arrived, and you will be free once the number is verified."
"Yes, sir!" The black man came out of the compound and shouted to several companions telling them to carry the iron boat down to a nearby building.
Twenty minutes later, the black man returned to Bertrand. "Report sir...there are no counterfeit notes and there was an extra thirty thousand dollars."
"Then give the boys a thousand dollars each!"
Bertrand pulled the cigar from his white suit pocket, lit it in his mouth, and said to Ren Jiang, "Congratulations, you are free. My men will take you to the beach and wish you a pleasant journey."
...
Wang Zhi, who was pushed into a pickup van, sat in it and whispered to Ren Jiang. "Captain, this gang of pirates are so good to deal with. Are they pulling us into the sea to shoot us?"
"I don't think so. There was nothing like this reported in the news." Ren Jiang glanced at the black man next to him. "We can't escape from this disaster, but if we really were to encounter it, we'll just have to surrender and not do anything."
After a while, Ren Jiang and the others could clearly see the spire of their ten thousand ton ship on the sea. There was no one on board and only the two front chains could be seen sinking into the sea, gently shaking with the sea breeze.
Cruck… Cruck…Cruck…
Seven pickup trucks rolled up a cloud of dust and simultaneously put on their brakes.
When everyone got out of the car, the black man with the five star beret hat came up to him and pointed to the wooden pier, which was built with a wooden stake. He pointed to the three-meter-long rotten wooden boat, which was tied to the dock, and the person said a bunch of words that they didn't understand.
With that, the man in the five-star beret did not even bid farewell. He got into the driver's seat and then the seven pickup trucks that carried the dozen pirates drove away.
"Captain, what the hell are they doing?" Wang Zhi looked puzzled.
"I think they were telling us that we should row ourselves to the big wheel!" Ren Jiang looked at the distance between the two ships which was about a kilometer. "This boat can take six people at a time so we will have to come back and forth six or seven times. Wang Zhi, you take three of our brothers on the boat first and then bring the rubber raft on the ship to pick us up."
"Ok!" Wang Zhi was not melodramatic. He ordered three strong men, and rowed the boat with all their might towards the ship.
Half an hour later, two orange rubber boats sped up to the beach, and Wang Zhi jumped down and ran to Ren Jiang. "Let's hurry, captain!"
On the big ship, Ren Jiang immediately rushed to the cabin, without a second thought, and picked up the maritime satellite phone and called Chen Fan.
...
Ring...
Chen Fan, who was sitting on the sofa and rubbing his nose, immediately picked up the phone when he heard the ringtone.
"Boss, I'm Ren Jiang. The pirates have set us free. We're all on board now." On the other end of the telephone came the panicked voice of Ren Jiang.
"Great!" Chen Fan clicked his fingers and clapped his legs then sat up on the sofa. "What about the crew? Did anyone get hurt?"
"No, all is good...no one's hurt..." After speaking for a while, Ren Jiang said with a weeping tone as he whined, "Boss, we are sorry. If we were more careful, you would not have lost fifty million for no reason and have had to take such a big risk to ask someone to send the money over."
"You're a man...why are you crying? And plus you are a former soldier? Act like a man!" Chen Fan finally felt relieved and smiled gratefully. "As long as you all are safe, money can be earned again. Hurry and set sail. Then use the wireless to contact the navy ships in the Gulf of Aden. Call me when you meet the ships."
"Ok, sure." Ren Jiang inhaled and choked with sobs. "Boss, I can not thank you enough! From now on, even if you ask me to kill, I, Ren Jiang will take the order without hesitation!"
"Don't mention it. When the ship comes back, I'll give you a good catch!"
"Right!" Chen Fan quickly added. "About this incident, do not tell the military, otherwise, there will be a lot of trouble."
"No problem boss!"
Hanging up the phone, Chen Fan took a deep breath of relief, then dialed Ma Rongtao's number to tell him that everything was fine now.
"Pirates... pirate..." Chen Fan walked to the balcony of the 3rd floor and looked at the sapphire blue lake in front that was in the forest. His heart felt a temporary unknown feeling.
After a few minutes of fresh air, Chen Fan went to the second-floor bedroom. He had not slept for a whole day and needed to have a good night's sleep.
He did have a good sleep that night and rubbed his eyes as he woke up the next morning with the gentle sunshine on his face.
Soon after breakfast, Chen Fan received a satellite phone call from Ren Jiang.
"Boss, it's 3 a.m. local time and we are with the Zhongshan convoy fleet following the big troops to the red sea!"
"Well, very good, very good!"
Chen Fan smiled. "After you get to Saudi Arabia, don't rush back. Go to the city to relax. All the expenses are on me!"
Hanging up the phone, Chen Fan smiled insidiously, then dialed that bunch of foreign numbers!
"Hello! My dear honored guest, would you like to buy me a drink?" Bertrand squeezed the little girl's breast beside him a few times, and the black girl on his other side was breathing heavy.
Just now, the leader, Abadi had called to tell him that he would be able to work in the Erigavo headquarters in three days, so Bertrand was in a very good mood today.
"Haha, not to talk about drinking."
"I'm here to tell you something you don't want to hear!" said Chen Fan, as he picked a piece of watermelon with a toothpick and put it in his mouth.
"My dear guest, what is it?" Bertrand, like Chen Fan, had a carefree expression as he sat on the sofa in his villa. The only difference, was that beside Bertrand were two ladies who were dressed very sexy, while Chen Fan only had a plate of freshly cut watermelon next to him.
"You've got the money, but I bet you'll regret it. Because of what happens next, you will not like it very much!"
The expression on Chen Fan's face was extremely insidious. "Remember, you will dislike it immensely!"
"Oh great and all mighty Muhammad, I am threatened, I am afraid!" Bertrand laughed.
"Haha" Chen Fan smiled. "Now, I solemnly declare, you have only two choices!"
"First, immediately return all the dollars, and then... and then quietly give me an extra seven thousand three hundred dollars. That is 500 million RMB, and those things that you will dislike will not happen.The second way: things that you dislike will happen again and again, and you will end up crying and screaming and give my money back! "
"Sure, I know you're going to choose the second route. We have an old saying here: "refuse to be convinced until one is faced with grim reality." It is normally used to describe people like you. For the moment, with your poor wisdom, you cannot understand such a profound proverb! But as time goes by, it will eventually be explained to you by the facts of the meaning of this sentence!"
It took six days to travel one thousand miles. Chen Fan stayed in the car and put down the driver's seat and laid down on it until 12 noon. Then he let the electric eel stop and rest. While the eel rested, he drove his car to the fast-food restaurant nearby, and grabbed something to eat before heading home.
When he got home, Chen Fan immediately continued to control the electric eel and make a rapid voyage to the Gulf of Aden.
It just devoured a ghost moon incense the day before. After it had been fully digested, the eel demonstrated the strongest power yet which was like the after effect of taking a drug. After he continued to sail near to Vietnam, Chen Fan could not bear the tired feeling in his mind anymore. He set the alarm clock to ring six hours later, then hugged his pillow and slept.
Vietnam.
A total of fifteen hundred miles from the Zhongyun city.
That was to say, the electric eel had almost no rest over the last 24 hours.
When Chen Fan was awakened by the alarm clock, he ate something as quickly as possible and then continued his journey to the Gulf of Aden.
...
Five days later at 3 PM local time!
After struggling hard for nearly six days, the electric eel finally reached the location 120 nautical miles north of the region of Somalia [Candala].
Lying on the sofa, Chen Fan once again dialed the bunch of foreign numbers!
"Hello," It was still the man with the strange accent who answered the phone.
"My men have arrived near Candal and the ransom is ready, and it is in the right amount. Can you call someone to pick it up?" Chen Fan's voice was emotionless.
"Very well, the ransom has been delivered in just seven days. We like to deal with such merchants as you."
"The next time you have a cargo ship hijacked by us, we will offer you a preferential price and you could have it due in ten days, and the hostage situation will be upgraded. Of course, it's all based on after we got the ransoms!"
F**k you! Chen Fan cursed secretly in his heart, then took two deep breaths, made himself calm down, and said, "You could say a place, and then I'll throw the ransom into any region of the sea. Of course, your crew can't be there!"
"Afraid that we'll hijack your boat again? Rest assured, we pirates do also have a good reputation if we say we would release your crew, we would do so."
"But you must understand one thing. If you work with the government ships to hijack our people, then I can most assure you that by this evening, you can hold a memorial for them!"
"I am a businessman. I only want money and peace, you don't worry!" Chen Fan vigorously rubbed his chin. "You give me a coordinate. There is no place as reference in the boundless sea. In two hours the ransom will be delivered on time."
"OK, I'll ask my men to call you in half an hour."
"Damn you! Giving me a discount next time? You all are going to cry and beg me in no time!" Chen Fan hung up the phone angrily.
Before he could wait for two minutes, the phone rang again, and Chen Fan looked at the number, it was Ma Rongtao.
"Hey, Uncle Ma, what can I do for you?"
"Chen, when will the money be delivered? If there is no redemption in two days, the Maritime Bureau will surely ask you why the ships haven't joined the convoy now?"
Ma Rongtao hesitated, and said, "If this matter is not settled within two days, let me know in advance. I'll let my ships pretend to be your ship's radio frequency and inform the escort ships that the ship's wheel is broken and had to be repaired and that we have to delay for a few days."
"Thank you, Uncle Ma. My people had arrived this afternoon, and they will be able to release them tomorrow."
Chen Fan smiled bitterly twice. The ship was hijacked, but he had to conceal this information.
"That's good, once they are released, call me."
"Sure, goodbye, uncle." Chen Fan agreed and hung up the phone.
...
Eleven o'clock, east longitude, forty-nine point five two!
In the Candala district, a compound of more than 2,000 square meters.
As one of the least developed countries in the world, and located in Africa, it is a miracle to be able to see buildings no less than the Zhongyun city.
At the age of 27, Bertrand, the Somali Marine corps chief executive of the Candala division was the man who called Chen.
As part of the largest pirate gang in Somalia, though he was not part of the ammunition ship that was hijacked, he had seized the world's second-largest oil tanker, the Sirius. Bertrand was sincerely proud of his accomplishments.
He was poor in his early years and could only learn to speak Mandarin fluently while working in a shop opened by a Chinese businessman.
But since the incident of the September 11 attack on the United States, the government had been overthrown by a foreign power dominated by the Americans which caused him to live a dog's life on the streets.
Ever since he joined the Somali pirates, he had been on the rise, not only owning a villa, but also a brand-new Audi. And the girls were enthusiastic, like fire, and even more desperate to enter his house.
Opening the front door of his Villa, he was excited as he entered the room where the hostages were kept. In no time another deal would be done. As commander in chief of this incident, he would be sure to be awarded at least one million.
"Great and mighty Mohammed!" Bertrand piously held both his hands together, and made a prayer. "May you bless me and make this deal so Leader Abadi will transfer me to the Erigavo headquarters to work!"
"Greetings, Sir!" Several pirates armed with AK's saw the arrival of the officer and immediately saluted as standard protocol.
"Well!" Bertrand nodded, and then walked into the middle of the group of the hostages. After touring a lap, he said, "Dear friends, your boss has sent the ransom to Candala, and as soon as I get the money, after verifying the number, I'll immediately release you."
"And our ship? Would you let it go too?" Captain Ren Jiang sat on the concrete floor and asked the black man in a white suit in a friendly tone..
"Of course. Your boss is paying 50 million as a ransom. Why would we make things difficult for you?"
Bertrand showed his white teeth. "About half an hour, my men will be able to collect the money. After I get the money, you could sail away."
On hearing the promise, Ren Jiang, including all the crew, was greatly relieved. This thing had caused the boss to lose 50 million. If they can't sail the ship back, they would be embarrassed to go back to Zhongyun.
A blue pickup truck came a half an hour later and inside it were three black man sitting with AK's beside them. There was also the two-meter-long iron shell yacht that Chen Fan booked from Xia Qingqing.
With a choking dust, the blue pickup came to a stop in the yard, and the black men on the bus darted off.
"Sir, we have received the goods at sea." A black man in his twenties with a five-star beret ran up to Bertrand and saluted.
"Very good, very good... go ask the finance official to verify at once." Bertrand clapped his hands. "You see, the money has arrived, and you will be free once the number is verified."
"Yes, sir!" The black man came out of the compound and shouted to several companions telling them to carry the iron boat down to a nearby building.
Twenty minutes later, the black man returned to Bertrand. "Report sir...there are no counterfeit notes and there was an extra thirty thousand dollars."
"Then give the boys a thousand dollars each!"
Bertrand pulled the cigar from his white suit pocket, lit it in his mouth, and said to Ren Jiang, "Congratulations, you are free. My men will take you to the beach and wish you a pleasant journey."
...
Wang Zhi, who was pushed into a pickup van, sat in it and whispered to Ren Jiang. "Captain, this gang of pirates are so good to deal with. Are they pulling us into the sea to shoot us?"
"I don't think so. There was nothing like this reported in the news." Ren Jiang glanced at the black man next to him. "We can't escape from this disaster, but if we really were to encounter it, we'll just have to surrender and not do anything."
After a while, Ren Jiang and the others could clearly see the spire of their ten thousand ton ship on the sea. There was no one on board and only the two front chains could be seen sinking into the sea, gently shaking with the sea breeze.
Cruck… Cruck…Cruck…
Seven pickup trucks rolled up a cloud of dust and simultaneously put on their brakes.
When everyone got out of the car, the black man with the five star beret hat came up to him and pointed to the wooden pier, which was built with a wooden stake. He pointed to the three-meter-long rotten wooden boat, which was tied to the dock, and the person said a bunch of words that they didn't understand.
With that, the man in the five-star beret did not even bid farewell. He got into the driver's seat and then the seven pickup trucks that carried the dozen pirates drove away.
"Captain, what the hell are they doing?" Wang Zhi looked puzzled.
"I think they were telling us that we should row ourselves to the big wheel!" Ren Jiang looked at the distance between the two ships which was about a kilometer. "This boat can take six people at a time so we will have to come back and forth six or seven times. Wang Zhi, you take three of our brothers on the boat first and then bring the rubber raft on the ship to pick us up."
"Ok!" Wang Zhi was not melodramatic. He ordered three strong men, and rowed the boat with all their might towards the ship.
Half an hour later, two orange rubber boats sped up to the beach, and Wang Zhi jumped down and ran to Ren Jiang. "Let's hurry, captain!"
On the big ship, Ren Jiang immediately rushed to the cabin, without a second thought, and picked up the maritime satellite phone and called Chen Fan.
...
Ring...
Chen Fan, who was sitting on the sofa and rubbing his nose, immediately picked up the phone when he heard the ringtone.
"Boss, I'm Ren Jiang. The pirates have set us free. We're all on board now." On the other end of the telephone came the panicked voice of Ren Jiang.
"Great!" Chen Fan clicked his fingers and clapped his legs then sat up on the sofa. "What about the crew? Did anyone get hurt?"
"No, all is good...no one's hurt..." After speaking for a while, Ren Jiang said with a weeping tone as he whined, "Boss, we are sorry. If we were more careful, you would not have lost fifty million for no reason and have had to take such a big risk to ask someone to send the money over."
"You're a man...why are you crying? And plus you are a former soldier? Act like a man!" Chen Fan finally felt relieved and smiled gratefully. "As long as you all are safe, money can be earned again. Hurry and set sail. Then use the wireless to contact the navy ships in the Gulf of Aden. Call me when you meet the ships."
"Ok, sure." Ren Jiang inhaled and choked with sobs. "Boss, I can not thank you enough! From now on, even if you ask me to kill, I, Ren Jiang will take the order without hesitation!"
"Don't mention it. When the ship comes back, I'll give you a good catch!"
"Right!" Chen Fan quickly added. "About this incident, do not tell the military, otherwise, there will be a lot of trouble."
"No problem boss!"
Hanging up the phone, Chen Fan took a deep breath of relief, then dialed Ma Rongtao's number to tell him that everything was fine now.
"Pirates... pirate..." Chen Fan walked to the balcony of the 3rd floor and looked at the sapphire blue lake in front that was in the forest. His heart felt a temporary unknown feeling.
After a few minutes of fresh air, Chen Fan went to the second-floor bedroom. He had not slept for a whole day and needed to have a good night's sleep.
He did have a good sleep that night and rubbed his eyes as he woke up the next morning with the gentle sunshine on his face.
Soon after breakfast, Chen Fan received a satellite phone call from Ren Jiang.
"Boss, it's 3 a.m. local time and we are with the Zhongshan convoy fleet following the big troops to the red sea!"
"Well, very good, very good!"
Chen Fan smiled. "After you get to Saudi Arabia, don't rush back. Go to the city to relax. All the expenses are on me!"
Hanging up the phone, Chen Fan smiled insidiously, then dialed that bunch of foreign numbers!
"Hello! My dear honored guest, would you like to buy me a drink?" Bertrand squeezed the little girl's breast beside him a few times, and the black girl on his other side was breathing heavy.
Just now, the leader, Abadi had called to tell him that he would be able to work in the Erigavo headquarters in three days, so Bertrand was in a very good mood today.
"Haha, not to talk about drinking."
"I'm here to tell you something you don't want to hear!" said Chen Fan, as he picked a piece of watermelon with a toothpick and put it in his mouth.
"My dear guest, what is it?" Bertrand, like Chen Fan, had a carefree expression as he sat on the sofa in his villa. The only difference, was that beside Bertrand were two ladies who were dressed very sexy, while Chen Fan only had a plate of freshly cut watermelon next to him.
"You've got the money, but I bet you'll regret it. Because of what happens next, you will not like it very much!"
The expression on Chen Fan's face was extremely insidious. "Remember, you will dislike it immensely!"
"Oh great and all mighty Muhammad, I am threatened, I am afraid!" Bertrand laughed.
"Haha" Chen Fan smiled. "Now, I solemnly declare, you have only two choices!"
"First, immediately return all the dollars, and then... and then quietly give me an extra seven thousand three hundred dollars. That is 500 million RMB, and those things that you will dislike will not happen.The second way: things that you dislike will happen again and again, and you will end up crying and screaming and give my money back! "
"Sure, I know you're going to choose the second route. We have an old saying here: "refuse to be convinced until one is faced with grim reality." It is normally used to describe people like you. For the moment, with your poor wisdom, you cannot understand such a profound proverb! But as time goes by, it will eventually be explained to you by the facts of the meaning of this sentence!"
