Chapter 9
Yan Sui is not tall, standing at 1.7 meters, with a small frame, perfect body proportions, a slim waist, and long legs
However, when the next call will come remains an unknown.
She harbors a deep-seated animosity towards evil, perceiving right and wrong as a clear boundary in her eyes. When the bottom line is crossed and principles are violated, a fighting spirit arises within her, leading to a relentless pursuit until the end.
Pirate River is the leader of this rebel group. Twenty minutes ago, he saw a helicopter land on the helipad of the warship and suspected that the shipowner had arrived. At this moment, he demanded to speak directly with Yan Sui.
Due to her long-term avoidance of sunlight, her complexion is very fair, her features are exquisite, and her beauty is non-threatening. However, her demeanor is sharp; as someone who has held significant power for many years, she naturally possesses a commanding presence that exudes authority without anger, making her appear as if she is standing at the pinnacle, surveying the world.
Yan Sui let out a soft "oh" and obediently picked up the paper cup to take a sip.
With the hem of her garment billowing behind her, she finally felt warmth and stepped towards the cabin.
The other party's attitude is firm, with a heightened sense of vigilance, and coupled with a boat full of hostages, the situation has momentarily reached a deadlock, where one can enter but cannot find a way out.
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This thought lasted only for one second
At this moment, with lips pressed together in silence, the contours of the profile are soft, positioned at the intersection of half sunlight and half shadow, resembling a flawless oil painting, exuding an indescribable sense of mystery
She steadied her mind and responded according to the emergency team's prompt: "I would like to know if my crew member who sustained minor injuries is currently in good condition"
A hush fell over the command room, and everyone turned their gaze towards the two individuals.
Yan Sui Fu E, the fatigue from a sleepless night and the anxiety over the safety of the hostages weighed heavily on her, making it difficult for her to breathe. She nodded slightly and quietly sat in the chair: "I will cooperate with the arrangements"
Fu Zhengzheng lowered his head to listen to Hu Qiao speaking, and at the moment he stepped off the aircraft in Yansui, he seemed to sense something and turned his head to take a glance.
With a smile on her face, Yan Sui approached him and extended her hand: "Hello, Chief. I am Yan Sui, the President of Yan Group, and I am also the person in charge of the 'Yan An' incident."
Shao Jianan is not pleased with this solution, nor is Yan Sui
River is a rebel from Budasaya. Taking this step is inherently risky, and he plans to make a quick fortune and leave. Especially since he has already been on the ship for three days since boarding, the longer he delays, the more unfavorable it becomes. He intends to resolve the matter swiftly today, so he unhesitatingly refused: "In three hours, drop ten million US dollars in cash onto the deck. Once I receive the money, your crew will be safe."
That kind of chill is akin to the feeling of having a gun pressed against your back in the early hours in Somalia, where your life is entirely at the mercy of another, hanging by a thread
A pair of eyes, having not rested well, is slightly reddened at this moment
She frowned, did not think for too long, and asked: "Chief, what do you mean?"
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Shao Jianan reached out to grasp the fingertip she extended, repeatedly responding with "good" while inviting her to sit down: "Your journey has been fraught with difficulties, but fortunately, you have arrived safely. Time is of the essence, so let me first explain the current situation to you."
Three hours is too short; with so much cash, I need at least 24 hours to mobilize it
Shao Jianan furrowed his brows in contemplation: "I will arrange another dialogue in half an hour. With hostages in hand, we are in a passive position. Previously, because the shipowner had not arrived, they refused to communicate and remained vigilant against our approach."
There are a total of 20 pirates on the ship, who are a faction of rebels from the Budafaya forces. The ratio of pirates to hostages is nearly one to one, making it very difficult to make any breakthroughs
In the command room of the cabin, the captain was discussing the rescue plan with the temporarily formed emergency team. When Fu Zheng led Yan Sui in, he paused for a moment, seemingly surprised by Yan Sui's youth, and was taken aback for a brief moment
Stray strands of hair obscured her vision, as Yan Sui tilted her head and delicately tucked away that lock of hair with her fingertips
The sky is clear, and there is no wind
Just as she attempted to inquire whether River was still there and willing to resume the conversation, a cacophony of conflicting arguments erupted from the other end
In the next moment, Yan Suiyu astonishingly said: "Liar, I smelled the scent of smoke on you when you held me."
Three hours is actually sufficient. The ten million dollars in cash arranged by Yan Chen is already prepared. As soon as she needs it, this cash will be immediately arranged to be airlifted to the Yan An vessel for airdrop.
He said, give him 10 million US dollars, and he will release the person if the money is provided
The sunlight spilled onto the deck of the Yan'an, and the calm sea surface exuded a disquieting stillness.
This ship, floating on the surface of the sea, does not evoke the immense sense of oppression it did while in port; at this moment, it drifts with the waves, like a leaf on the water, waiting for a rope to pull it back to shore
It was supposed to be a nice day
Someone placed a cup of hot water in front of her. Yan Sui looked up, and Fu Zheng's hand had not yet retracted; he was being stared at by her, slightly raising an eyebrow, indicating: "Drink water"
The chaotic gazes in the room made Fu Zheng unable to stay any longer. He stood up, lightly tapped the table in front of Yan Sui with his fingers, and said in a low voice, with an air of authority that brooked no refusal: "You, come with me."
She stared at the horizon outside the window for a long time, then suddenly turned to Fu Zheng and asked, "Do you have a cigarette?"
The tea was somewhat hot. She took a small sip, and her somewhat pale lips were immediately tinged with a faint red from the temperature of the water. She was distracted and did not notice that Fu Zheng was called aside by Shao Jianan. After a few minutes of conversation, Fu Zheng was left behind.
Yansui has no experience in handling the hijacking of ships, nor does it have any past experiences to refer to
Yan Sui came to his senses and gathered his coat
Shao Jian'an shook his head, and after a brief but intense silent discussion lasting just a few seconds, a new sentence was written on the board.
There was suddenly silence on the other end of the phone
On the table lay a scanned internal structure diagram of the Yan'an ship. Shao Jianan circled the captain's cabin and the inner cabin with a pen: "There are two hostages in the captain's cabin, the captain and a crew member. The crew member sustained minor injuries while resisting the pirates' boarding. I attempted to have the ship's doctor come aboard for treatment, but was refused. The other twenty crew members are all detained in the inner cabin and are currently safe"
Fu Zheng curled the corners of his lips and decisively denied, "No."
The mere success of hijacking a vessel necessitates a compromise to pay the ransom, and such actions undoubtedly condone piracy
Before Yan Sui's arrival, he had done his homework; Budafaya is the largest pirate force in the Somali waters that instills fear. Even among the rebels, the armed forces should not be underestimated
But soon, they realized that this argument could not be overheard by Yan Sui, and immediately fell silent. A few seconds later, River left with his final words: "You prepare the money, come alone with the computer in a small boat in three hours, bank transfer. If you fail to comply, I will not spare anyone here."
The helicopter flew over the sea for about half an hour, when Xin Ya in the back seat exclaimed, sitting up excitedly and patting Yan Sui on the shoulder: "President Yan, Yan An is here."
A few minutes later, the helicopter landed steadily on the helipad of the warship
The cabin was somewhat high above the ground. As Yan Sui disembarked, the wind generated by the rotating propeller instantly swept her windbreaker back, and she faced the wind as if donning a battle cloak, filled with a sense of combat readiness
Yan Sui followed the direction she pointed to.
Yan Sui bit her lip, took a deep breath, and maintained a steady tone: "Can we discuss the ransom further?"
In the next moment, she stood in front of the helicopter, gazing into the distance, her narrowed eyes resembling a crescent moon, with sharp corners that betrayed none of the softness she had just moments ago.
As Yan Sui's feet firmly touched the ground, her unbound long hair was swept back by the wind, revealing her elongated neck. At this moment, the slight curve of her head as she lowered it to pay attention to her feet made Fu Zheng momentarily think of an elegant white swan
Yan Sui glanced at the Yan An ship in the distance through the glass, her gaze seemingly capable of penetrating all obstacles to see the captain's cabin. However, in reality, there were several nautical miles between them, and with the intense sunlight, all she could see was a halo shimmering with white light.
On a massive merchant ship, several nautical miles away, the large characters "Yan'an" are prominently engraved, gazing at the gray warship in the distance.
Throughout history, the ratio of ships embarking on long voyages that faced natural disasters or human calamities is as low as one in six hundred, and being hijacked by pirates is an unprecedented occurrence.
This will not be the last call
The sea water of the pavement, under the influence of the tide, clings closely to the skin as it is blown by the wind in the shade
This silence made Yan Sui feel tense as well
A woman full of mystery
This is the first time in three hours that Fu Zheng has seriously scrutinized this woman
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Yan Sui had just digested this sentence and was about to propose further conditions when the other party seemed to anticipate her response and directly hung up the phone without waiting for her to answer
She turned her head and gazed out at the merchant ship several nautical miles away, which appeared less imposing due to the distance.
She sipped the tea slowly, only until it had cooled down, when Yan'an finally took the initiative to start a conversation
River speaks the local language of Somalia, Somali, which has a pronunciation quite similar to English, so there is no need for translation; Yan Sui can also understand it
River expressed some impatience, raising his voice: "It is good now, but who knows about later."
The sun has long risen above the horizon, radiating its warmth fervently. The golden sunlight illuminates the surface of the sea, making it resemble a mirror, stretching endlessly, with undulating waves that are dazzling to the point of being blinding
The more difficult the problem Yan Sui encounters, the calmer he becomes
Shao Jianan immediately cast a complex gaze at Fu Zheng, a look that made Fu Zheng feel tense.