Chapter 1
The young man turned from his seat, slightly pursed his lips, and reported softly: "The 'Yan'an' vessel immediately contacted the company and the Chinese navy after encountering pirates. The warship promptly initiated a rescue operation. Negotiations are currently underway with the pirates who have taken control of the 'Yan'an' vessel..."
"It is a security vehicle," the young man explained. "Once we are on the highway, there will be another vehicle following behind to ensure our safe arrival at the helicopter landing site"
She leaned back against the chair, pondered for a moment, lightly tapped her fingertips on her knee, and asked again: "What about the navy?"
Yan Sui furrowed his brow and then slowly relaxed it, his slightly heavy voice infused with the chilling darkness of the night, yet it seemed to shed some of the weariness: "As long as the hostages are safe"
Several dozen meters ahead, the headlights of a car parked by the roadside suddenly illuminated, forming two beams of light that shot straight towards a thatched shed piled with various debris not far away
That kind of exhausting fatigue left her feeling somewhat weary, Yan Sui closed her eyes and pressed out a sentence from deep within her throat: "Call me when you arrive"
"Mr. Yan, there will be someone to meet you as soon as you exit this small path." He glanced out through the dark car window and could faintly see the remnants of walls on either side of the path under the moonlight.
Yan Sui finally relaxed at this moment, kicked his somewhat stiff leg that was crossed over the other, raised his hand to pat the headrest of the passenger seat, and asked: "What is the situation now?"
After a pause, the young man's tone became slightly somber, as if he were avoiding the topic, and his voice lowered a bit: "This time, the 'Yan'an' was hijacked by the largest local pirate group. These pirates are equipped with heavy weapons, and with hostages in their hands, they are acting with impunity, demanding a ransom of 10 million dollars."
Xin Ya was abruptly pulled from her bed in the middle of the night by Yan Sui for a business trip. Still in a daze, she followed him to the airport, only to learn that this urgent and impromptu journey was due to the "Yan An" vessel being hijacked by pirates in the waters off Somalia
At nearly three o'clock in the morning, a scheduled flight landed on the runway and taxied for several hundred meters before stopping at the designated position under the guidance of the ground crew
The yellow sand stirred up by the security vehicle danced like a wisp under the headlights, while fine grains of sand were blown against the windshield, producing a rustling sound.
The sound of high heels clicking to a stop in front of the car, a young man stepped forward to open the rear door, slightly bending at the waist and turning to greet the person: "Mr. Yan."
The young man silently swallowed the comforting words that were on the tip of his tongue, and did not speak again
-
Mogadishu International Airport
She recalled the phone call that Yan Sui received before the plane took off. At that time, Yan Sui was taking off her coat, and she picked up Yan Sui's phone. Being close by, she vaguely heard that the ransom was to be ten million.
At the foot of the disembarkation steps, a four-wheel drive George Patton was parked. Its black paint, coated with a crystal finish, reflected a brilliant sheen under the lights of the airport.
Her brows and eyes remained bright in the night, her gaze calm, with a hint of coldness lingering between her brows and eyes, showing no sign of fear or tension. Even her sitting posture was casual and lazy, devoid of any sense of pressure or dread
Although it is the early hours of the morning and everything is silent, it is not entirely safe
Xinya zha she
The nerves are a bit taut; even when asleep, it feels as if someone is holding a thread tied tightly at both ends. Whenever her breathing becomes slightly deeper, her entire heart feels as if it is being squeezed and forcefully kneaded into a ball by someone.
The standoff continues, with dozens of heavily armed and experienced pirates holding the 'Yan'an' hostage. So far, they have not harmed the hostages, but are demanding a ransom of 10 million US dollars.
Ten million US dollars
The assistant, Xin Ya, was conversing with the young man in the passenger seat, speaking in a hushed tone to avoid disturbing her: "I heard that the pirates who lay down their guns are actually fishermen from Somalia. Is that true?"
Two days ago, the merchant ship "Yan'an" under the Yan family group encountered pirates while navigating the waters off the coast of Somalia, and all twenty-two crew members, including the captain, were taken hostage
Yan Sui did not respond; she had been unusually silent since getting into the car
She opened her eyes and looked out the window
There is a refugee camp nearby, and such camps are scattered throughout the city, with a mix of people. The northern part of the city has a higher concentration of gangs, and most conflicts and battles occur in the northern region of Mogadishu. The young man turned back to glance at Yan Sui, just as she raised her eyes to look at him.
-
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Somalia is the most dangerous country in the world, and its dangers are not confined to time or place
"Not entirely. " The young man chuckled lightly and patiently explained, "Pirates are also divided into organizations and factions, with leaders and structured management. In the past, they only used traditional tools such as ropes, nets, large knives, and spears. Now, they have kept pace with the times, using a portion of the ransom they obtain to upgrade their equipment
However, in a moment, as if there were no end, the narrow path branched off in several directions. After turning a corner into a cramped alley, it quickly led to the highway
But if the young girl were to know that Mr. Yan's calmness stems from her intention to not pay the ransom at all, she would probably be so furious that she would spit out five liters of blood
Immediately following, the roar of the engine resounded, and the high and low beam lights flashed several times. The rough tires swiftly crushed through the mud and sand, surging over a mound of earth and leading the way forward.
Yan Sui casually handed the bag to the assistant accompanying him, pressed down the corners of his long coat with both hands, and leaned in to sit inside the car
Yes
But it was unclear, and Xin Ya did not think about the US dollar at all. ... Looking back at that moment, her big boss did not even furrow his brows at all.
The sandy road surface is uneven, and the bumpy mud pits hinder the vehicle's progress. The heavy armored vehicle, under the cover of night, resembles a hunched tiger or bear, significantly restricted in its movement
... ...
The road was just leveled, and a black cruiser quietly followed into the gas station on the left side of the highway
The car left the airport not long ago and turned onto a small road
The interior of the vehicle was so quiet that one could hear the faint sound of the heavy bulletproof tires grinding against the gravel as they made contact with the ground, which subtly intensified the tense atmosphere that had begun to solidify since the moment the plane landed
As the cabin door opened, the young man who had been waiting for a long time in the co-pilot seat also pushed open the car door and stepped out to stand in front of the car
Somalia has been plagued by prolonged conflict, where armed militants equipped with heavy weapons can be seen casually on the streets
After the car had been driving for nearly three minutes, Yan Sui focused her attention and looked towards the roadside
There has been no progress yet
About ten minutes later, the leading vehicle lowered the driver's side window halfway and gestured with an arm.
Yan Sui is the president of the Yan Group and also the owner of the "Yan An" vessel. She must be present for both negotiations and the payment of ransom.
I originally thought it would just be a matter of bargaining, that once the ransom was paid, everything would be resolved. It was not until this moment, upon hearing that the pirates who had hijacked the ship were the largest force in Somalia and were fully equipped with heavy weapons, that I realized... the situation was not as easily resolved as she had imagined.
Yan Sui only dozed off for a while before waking up on her own
In the dim light of the car, she lazily lifted her eyes and let out a soft "mm" sound
Yan Sui furrowed her brows and remained silent