Chapter 10: Money Over Life
In the distance, one can see that the pirate ship is crowded with a throng of dark figures. The pirate ship is not large, yet it appears to have at least twenty to thirty people on board. The number of pirates has already exceeded the number of people on their own ship by about double, and it seems that each pirate is wielding a variety of weapons. Clearly, the combat capability of the opposing side far surpasses that of their own ship.
Brothers, today we shall not be swayed by this evil! Let us ignore them and continue on our way! We have cannons and guns on our ship; how can we fear these country bumpkins? If they dare to approach, we will blow them to smithereens! Ma Biao, set up the cannon properly; if they dare to come over, make sure to blast them to pieces!
After hearing this, the faces of the people on the ship turned grim. Their anticipated outcome had once again fallen through. It seemed that Manager Liu was as stubborn as a turtle on a scale, resolutely determined to protect the ship and its cargo, forcing them to confront the pirates. Although they were unwilling, they had no choice; after all, they were employed by Manager Liu and had to obey his orders.
As the Liu family's ship changed direction, the pirate ship, which was already positioned to the left and behind the Liu vessel, swiftly adjusted its sails and rudder. Seizing this opportunity, it cut in on the left side of their ship, thereby rapidly closing the distance to the vessel where Yu Xiaotian was located. Given that the pirate ship was inherently faster, it soon approached to about 300 meters from the Liu family's ship, and the shouts and threats from the pirates could now be clearly heard on their vessel.
After hearing the pirate's response, everyone on the ship immediately turned their gaze to Captain Liu. Currently, whether to fight or surrender depended on Liu's opinion. To be honest, the crew did not want to resort to violence; the ship and its cargo did not belong to them, and the only thing they truly owned was their lives. If they surrendered to the pirates, the losses would fall on the shipowner, which had little impact on them. At worst, they would have made a fruitless trip, but at least their lives would be preserved. The crew did not want to resort to violence; the ship and its cargo did not belong to them, and the only thing they truly owned was their lives. If they surrendered to the pirates, the losses would fall on the shipowner, which had little impact on them. At worst, they would have made a fruitless trip, but at least their lives would be preserved.
However, the response from the pursuing pirates left Captain Liu utterly disappointed. Among the pirates, someone shouted loudly, "I am the third mate under the Sea Hawk! Today, I have been chasing you with my brothers for most of the day, and you think you can send me off with fifty taels of silver? Do you take me for a beggar?"
We are engaged in a small business, and making a living is not easy. Today, I trouble you all; I have prepared fifty taels of silver for you brave gentlemen to enjoy a drink. I hope you will show mercy and let me pass on to the next leg of my journey
Fortunately, this person with the surname Liu is somewhat perceptive. He has preemptively offered a reward of fifty taels of silver, indicating that if they can successfully break through today, the fifty taels he originally intended to use for buying passage would be distributed among the people on the boat. In this way, combined with the one tael he initially promised each person, everyone would have varying amounts of silver to take home after the task is accomplished, which somewhat boosts their morale.
Listen up! Quickly lower your sails and stop the ship. We are here for wealth, not for lives. As long as you do not harm us, you cannot escape! It would be wise to stop the ship obediently! If you choose to ignore our warning, be careful, for if we catch up to you, we will leave no one alive! A loud-voiced pirate, with a voice like a broken gong, began to shout at the Liu family's ship.
He twisted his head and reached out to pull out a single-edged knife, gripping it tightly in his hand, his face pale with anger as he scolded the pirates: "Bah! You shameless scoundrels, you go too far! I am not made of clay; what do you country bumpkins want?"
However, if Captain Liu decides to take a hard stance, engaging with the pirates could lead to unforeseen consequences, risking lives. If victorious, it would be acceptable, but if defeated, everyone would face dire consequences. Therefore, the crew members on the ship are internally inclined to hope that the captain will choose to back down, halt the ship, and surrender to mitigate losses and avert disaster
Hearing the cries of the Liu surname shipowner, Yu Xiaotian felt both anger and amusement in his heart, secretly thinking that there were indeed such things at sea, that one could actually negotiate with pirates and pay for safe passage!
Enough of the nonsense, you all quickly lower your sails and stop the ship. I am in a good mood today, so I won't kill you. I only want your ship and cargo, and I can spare your lives! If you do not stop the ship, do not blame me for being ruthless! If you delay any longer, I will surely kill all of you!
At this moment, the people on Liu's ship were somewhat panicked. They were still quite a distance from the shore, and it was certain that they could not escape today. However, if they were to lower the sails and stop the ship, their fate would be entirely in the hands of these pirates. The shipowner, surnamed Liu, felt a pang of regret for the cargo on board. After a moment of contemplation, he steeled his heart, gritted his teeth, and stood at the stern, cupping his hands around his mouth. He shouted at the pursuing pirate ship: "I do not know which brave heroes are here! I am merely passing through this place and was unaware of your activities. I failed to make prior arrangements, and I sincerely hope for your understanding!"
Under the lure of great rewards, there will surely be brave men. After hearing this, Ma Biao immediately gritted his teeth and agreed with Tu Shu, hastily calling over several subordinates to forcefully move the mouth of the cannon at the stern of the ship, adjusting the cannon's aim to keep it trained on the pirate ship that was gradually closing in.
Liu has treated you well on ordinary days, and today is precisely the time to make use of you. As long as you can get through today, I, Liu, will definitely not treat you unfairly! I have fifty taels of silver here; once the task is accomplished, we will share it! It is far better than letting those scoundrels benefit!
In his heart, Yu Xiaotian silently cursed again. There is a saying in this world that rings true: people die for wealth, and birds perish for food. Liu Chuan Dong, being a maritime merchant, values this ship more than his own life; he is certainly unwilling to part with the vessel that has brought him prosperity. Today, it is clear that he intends to take a gamble. For Liu, this is not a good thing; he is merely a passerby and truly does not need to risk his life for someone with the surname Liu. However, the current situation leaves him with no choice; he must act, whether he wants to or not! Liu Chuan Dong refuses to surrender, and he has no way to counter this! Now, it seems that he has encountered every misfortune imaginable! Today, it is likely that for the sake of his life, he too will have to take a gamble!
In fact, Xiaotian does not know that such matters are quite common in this era. Pirates are not necessarily all ruthless villains; many among them are driven by necessity to take risks and turn to piracy. Generally, unless they encounter particularly vicious individuals, pirates are unlikely to kill or plunder. More often than not, they do not wish to fight to the death, forcing the crew of the captured merchant ship into desperate resistance. It is important to understand that if they resort to violent means to seize a ship, merchant vessels typically do not surrender easily, as they possess a certain level of defensive capability. Once a real fight breaks out, it is inevitable that the pirates will also suffer losses. Life is precious, and as long as they do not encounter particularly vicious individuals, pirates are unlikely to kill or plunder. More often than not, they do not wish to fight to the death, forcing the crew of the captured merchant ship into desperate resistance. It is important to understand that if they resort to violent means to seize a ship, merchant vessels typically do not surrender easily, as they possess a certain level of defensive capability. Once a real fight breaks out, it is inevitable that the pirates will also suffer losses. Life is precious, and everyone wishes to live a little longer.
When he saw Ma Biao and the others start to fiddle with the cannon at the stern, he instinctively crouched down and began to move towards the center of the boat, trying to keep as far away from that cannon as possible. God knows if it were to fire, whether it would explode on the spot. He was still young and did not want to become a martyr for Liu, the shipowner, who was not particularly trustworthy, so it was better to keep a safe distance.
Another option is to confront them head-on, to engage in a battle. If luck is on their side and they manage to defeat a few of the opponents, it may deter the pirates, causing them to retreat and abandon their pursuit. In that case, it would be equivalent to winning this round today, allowing them to leave with both the ship and the cargo, without incurring losses. However, the consequence of taking such action is that if they do engage and fail to deter the pirates, the pirates may forcibly board the ship and kill everyone on board.
While everyone was focused on the pirate ship at the back, Liu Laoliu had quietly approached Yu Xiaotian at some point and discreetly pulled him aside.
The group of pirates watched as the two ships drew closer, their excitement mounting. One by one, they leaned over the ship's railing, waving their assorted weapons while shouting loudly from a distance on the pirate ship. The display was quite intimidating, as if they were already certain of their victory over this vessel
After hearing the pirate's response, the shipowner surnamed Liu's expression became even more unpleasant. Gritting his teeth and hesitating for a moment, his eyes darted around, and his expression was one of great anguish. He carefully scanned the pursuing pirate ship once more, and ultimately, with a sudden clench of his teeth, his face began to take on a somewhat ferocious look, as if he had made up his mind.
It is evident that Liu Chuan Dong's determination came a bit late. As Tu Shushu lay on the ship's railing, he saw that the pirate ship was now just over a mile away, almost close enough to see the faces of the people on board.
The pirates' response effectively declared the negotiations to be broken off. The pirates made their stance clear: they were determined to seize both the ship and its cargo. The condition previously proposed by Captain Liu, to buy safe passage for fifty taels of silver, evidently did not satisfy their appetite at all. For Captain Liu, there were only two options left. One was to comply with the pirates' demands, lower the sails, and allow them to take both the ship and the cargo, then resign himself to his misfortune, preserving his life to be set ashore at the nearest land to return home.
Under normal circumstances, if the owner of a merchant ship that has been pursued actively shows weakness and is willing to offer some money to the pirates as a toll for safe passage, the pirates are generally quite willing to take the money and leave. This situation is mutually beneficial for both parties: the pirates can avoid greater risks while obtaining a certain amount of wealth, and the ship owner can preserve both their cargo and their life. Therefore, when Captain Liu proposed to offer fifty taels of silver for safe passage and asked the pirates to take the money and leave, it was not an unrealistic idea but rather a customary practice.
Yu Xiaotian gazed into the distance, observing the pirates. However, after taking a look at their attire, he felt a mix of amusement and disbelief. It was evident that these pirates had no understanding of fashion aesthetics, nor did they possess any sense of uniformity in their clothing. Some wore ordinary tattered garments, while others donned luxurious robes, yet exposed their hairy thighs. Even more absurd were a few pirates who were dressed in what resembled women's clothing, adorned in a flamboyant manner akin to a theatrical performer. It was truly laughable. In summary, their attire clearly reflected a lack of coherence; they wore whatever they had, and whether it looked good or not was not a concern for them.