Chapter 897: Set sail
Chapter 897: Set sail
Afternoon.
A city by the sea.
Dong Xuebing got off a plane and boarded a long-distance bus to a port.
On his way to the port, Dong Xuebing switched on his phone for the first time after leaving home. Beep… beep… beep…. He immediately receives numerous SMSs from Qu Yunxuan, Xie Huilan, Luan Xiaoping, etc. They wanted to know where he was and asked him to return home. He did not reply to them. He said he would not return home if he could not rescue his daughter. He must bring Qu Qian home even if it costs him his life!
Dong Xuebing started calling his friends.
“Hello, Old Qian? I am in C City now. Do you know anyone working in the port? No? It’s fine…. Thank you.”
“Hello, Mr. Mu. Do you know any ship captain in the port here? Oh, it’s alright. I am just asking.”
“Brother Zhou, do you know anyone in C City? I need a boat. Do you have any solution? It’s fine. I will ask someone else.”
“Hello, Director Liu? I am Xiao Dong….”
Dong Xuebing made seven to eight calls but yielded no results.
One of Dong Xuebing’s former subordinates in Yan Tai County Public Security Bureau asked him to look for Hui Tian Village Police Station Chief Liu Dahai. One of Old Liu’s relatives is working in C City. Dong Xuebing had saved Liu Dahai’s life before, and they were life and death buddies. He immediately called Liu Dahai and told him he must go to sea.
Liu Dahai asked. “Where do you want to go?”
“Any ships, including cargo ships, going to Fujian Province is fine.”
“You don’t have the paperwork even if you reach there….”
“I just want to board a ship for fun. It’s a vacation, and I will not go on land.”
“Oh, okay. Fine. I will help you since you ask. One of my relatives is a cargo ship captain, but he does not sail the shipping lines to Fujian Province. Let me ask him first. Maybe he has friends who can help.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Wait for my call.”
Dong Xuebing has many enemies and friends after working in Fen Zhou City for many years. He finally found a way to get on board a ship to Fujian Province.
Around twenty minutes later, the bus reached the bus station near the port.
Dong Xuebing walked towards the port and saw strict security checks at the entrance. Everyone entering the port was checked and must show an entry permit. Outsiders could not enter. This was not a problem for Dong Xuebing. He looked around and found a secluded place to hide. He mumbled under his breath. “STOP!”
Time stopped.
Dong Xuebing walked past the security and went into the port.
STOP deactivated, and time resumed.
At the same time, Dong Xuebing’s phone rang. It was Liu Dahai.
“Director Dong, I will send you a location. Go there and look for Niu Dazhao. He is my relative’s close friend. He can help you get onboard a ship, but you got to get through the port’s security yourself.”
“I am in the port now.”
Liu Dahai paused for a second and did not find it strange. If Director Dong could not even get through port security, he would not be called Dong Xuebing. Getting past security checks should be a piece of cake for him.
Dong Xuebing could board any ships with STOP and sneak out to sea. But he did not do it. First, he did not know which ship would sail to Fujian Province. Second, he only has a few minutes of remaining time. He got to use it wisely. Lastly, he would be discovered on board the ship, and it would be troublesome to explain himself.
Dong Xuebing went to the third dock according to the location given by Liu Dahai. A small cargo ship was there, and the crew loaded goods onto it. They looked like they were going to set sail soon.
Dong Xuebing switched off his phone and walked toward the ship.
“You are….” A man in his late forties looked at Dong Xuebing from the ship.
Dong Xuebing said. “You must be Captain Niu. I am Xiao Dong.”
Niu Dazhao looked at Dong Xuebing. “Are you the one Old Liu referred?” Old Liu should be Liu Dahai’s relative. “How did you get past the security?”
“I walked in like that.”
Niu Dazhao laughed. “Alright. Come onboard.”
The crew looked at Dong Xuebing suspiciously as he boarded the ship.
Niu Dazhao did not say anything as he brought Dong Xuebing into a cabin. “Xiao Dong, I heard you wanted to go to sea for a vacation.”
“Yes.” Dong Xuebing replied.
Niu Dazhao shook his head. “Listen to me. You should go back.”
Dong Xuebing looked at him. “Why?”
Niu Dazhao sighed. “It’s not as simple as you think, young man. I am sure you don’t have the relevant paperwork or identification. It would be smuggling if you go out to sea, and you can’t get off the ship when you reach Fujian Province.”
“I am not getting off and will not cause any trouble for you.”
“I am not scared of trouble. I had brought my friends and relatives out to sea before. Nothing would happen if you remained in the cabin when we docked. But that was the past. I believe you have heard about piracy near Fujian Province. Ours is a small cargo ship, and we could not afford to hire Navy vessels to escort us. Without escorts, we might be attacked by pirates there. Although the probability is low, it is still dangerous.”
“It’s alright.”
“You must consider carefully.”
“I am sure. Sorry to trouble you, Captain Niu.”
Niu Dazhao looked at Dong Xuebing and nodded. “Alright. I shall not say more since you considered the danger. Don’t blame me for not reminding you when something happened.”
Pirates?!
Those bastards were the reason why Dong Xuebing was going out to sea.
Dong Xuebing agreed to accept the risk, and Niu Dazhao did not say anything else. “It will take a few days to reach Fujian Province, and this will be your cabin.”
The cabin was small and simple. Other than a bed and a small table, there was nothing else. Although it could not compare to other ships, it was considered the best cabin on this small cargo ship. Niu Dazhao had arranged this cabin because of his old friend, Old Liu. Another reason was Dong Xuebing looked skinny and weak. He feared his body might not take it if he shared a cabin with the other crews.
“Thank you.” Dong Xuebing thanked Niu Dazhao.
Niu Dazhao waved his hand and left to do his work.
Dong Xuebing was illegally onboard the ship and did not walk around. He lay in bed, thinking about his daughter.
Half an hour later.
The ship’s engine started rumbling, and the ship started rocking. It had set sail.
Dong Xuebing waited for a while and walked out of the cabin. A cold wind hit him, and it felt like needles on his skin. He could see the ship getting further away from land and surrounded by water. The crews were moving goods, and some were tidying up the ropes. A few of them were chatting among themselves. Niu Dazhao should be on the bridge, as Dong Xuebing did not see him around.
“Sigh… I hope it will be smooth sailing this time.”
“My wife had gotten an amulet for me. I wonder if it works.”
“Those pirates are getting out of hand. I heard they are only targeting Chinese ships.”
“That’s right. Old Li, abducted by pirates, said the ship he was on was sailing through that area, and there were other countries’ ships too. But the pirates purposely targeted them and ignored the other ships. It seemed they were only after them and started firing at them.”
“Are you sure? Why are they targeting us?”
“It’s because our country is willing to pay the ransom. Some countries don’t even care when the pirates capture their citizens.”
“Those bastards….”
“Yes. The news reported another Chinese ship was hijacked by pirates yesterday, and many of the crew were killed. The pirates asked for ransom again.”
“We should not give them!”
“If we don’t pay them, what will happen to the hostages?”
“I hope someone would kill all those pirates.”
“A Navy vessel can easily sink those small pirate boats. But they are revengeful. It’s easy to kill one or two of them, but they will take revenge by killing the crew on Chinese ships. Small ships like ours will be targeted as we cannot afford to hire armed escorts.”
“Didn’t they kill the crew now? They had killed six crew this time.”
“Sigh…. Those pirates should be killed.”
The crew was angry when they talked about pirates.
Dong Xuebing’s eyes turned cold after hearing the crew’s conversation. The situation was like what everyone was talking about. The Government had given in to the pirates again and again because of the hostages’ safety. This made those pirates bolder, and they started to target only Chinese ships. They would shoot the crew and rob the ship. After that, they can still get money from the Government.
These people must be stopped.