Clyde scoffed at Jack's words. A billionaire boss dealing drugs? Unless Zhuang Rui made his fortune through drug trafficking, or he's lost his mind, he wouldn't do something like that now.
"Oh God, a golden anchor?"
Jack genuinely didn't know about this, and the astonishment on his face upon hearing it was real. Watching the ship steadily approach the coordinates on the electronic instruments, Jack suddenly clutched his stomach and exclaimed, "Damn it, Captain, I need to go to the restroom..."
"Go ahead, I've never seen you have so much to do before. If you're not feeling well, go back to your room and rest for a while. I'll be fine here..."
Clyde had no doubts and waved his hand. He was always very lenient with his old buddies. If it were a rookie today, Clyde would definitely not have been so accommodating.
"Damn, that kid is so rich. Half a million dollars is too little. I need to squeeze at least ten million out of him so I can finally leave this godforsaken place..."
After leaving the cockpit, Jack's eyes, gleaming with the effects of alcohol and women, darted around as he muttered in a voice barely audible to himself, "Macau is a great place, and Las Vegas is nice too. Blondes have more allure than Asian women, but that young man's woman was fucking beautiful..."
With filthy thoughts flashing through his mind, Jack walked back to his room, immediately slammed the door shut, and took a satellite phone from the safe by his bedside.
Unlike many other crew members who settled down and started families in Macau, Jack has been single for over ten years. When he's not on a mission, he's either gambling and drinking or fooling around with prostitutes, and his wages always run out at the beginning of the month.
Fortunately, the crew's accommodation and meals on the ferry were free, so Jack could act as a big spender once a month and then go back to the ship to freeload. His life wasn't exactly miserable, but it certainly wasn't good either.
However, a week ago, Jack's routine, which he had been living day after day for years, was disrupted by a bet.
In that gambling game, Jack inexplicably lost more than $30,000, and he didn't know why he borrowed another $50,000 from loan sharks, which he also lost. This almost caused Jack to collapse after he came to his senses.
Having lived in Macau for over a decade, Jack knew all too well how terrifying these loan sharks were. With his salary alone, it would take him six months to repay the $50,000. But after six months, the $50,000 would probably have become $150,000. If he couldn't repay it, he would definitely be missing a part of his body.
Just as Jack was feeling a chill run down his spine as he touched his penis, an Asian man who had just bet with him suddenly appeared in front of Jack.
Jack swore that at first he was sure the man was the devil, but after the Asian man pulled out a full $100,000, he immediately became God in Jack's eyes.
With a $100,000 deposit and an additional $400,000 to be earned after completing the task assigned by the man, Jack had long forgotten about his role as first mate and told the Easterner everything that had happened on the ferry.
The last time he deliberately entered the lower deck under the pretense of being drunk was also at the behest of that Easterner. However, Jack was unable to go down. To avoid being blamed, Jack simply said that everything on the ship was normal, and there were no changes except for the newly built drilling platform and floating crane.
"Hey, this is Jack, oh generous boss, I have some good news to report to you..."
After the call connected, Jack couldn't wait to tell the other party about his latest discovery. He had been at sea for one or two decades and was already pretty much certain about the other party's identity.
So what if he's a pirate? Jack didn't care. As long as he got paid, he didn't mind becoming a pirate. He believed that the other party wouldn't do something like discarding a promising and skilled first mate like himself.
"Boss, Klaus's golden anchor, that one thing is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, not to mention what you can..."
Jack stopped talking there, confident that the other person would understand him.
"Alright, Jack, you're going to get an unexpected fortune. Now all you need to do is keep a close watch on the ship's every move, and also find out which coordinates the ship will stay at for how many days."
The voice on the phone was a little low, probably due to the sea waves. There was a slight hissing sound during the call, but neither Jack nor the other party paid any attention to it; it was a normal occurrence.
"Thank you, boss, I will make you satisfied..."
After hanging up the phone, Jack suddenly felt a chill. How could his words sound so much like those of a prostitute outside a Macau casino, something she'd say in bed?
After sailing for most of the day, the ship finally arrived at the coordinates Zhuang Rui had mentioned. This location is at the entrance to the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca, right in international waters. If it went any further, it would enter Singapore's waters.
The Strait of Malacca is located between the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. It is an important waterway connecting the South China Sea and the Andaman Sea, and linking the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It runs from northwest to southeast and is about 900 kilometers long.
The Strait of Malacca is currently jointly administered by Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Located in the equatorial doldrums, the strait experiences many calm days throughout the year. Its seabed is flat and mostly composed of silt and sand, with gentle currents.
However, at the entrance to the Strait of Malacca, there are many reefs, deep waters and large waves, with the deepest point reaching more than 3,000 meters. Since the Age of Exploration, countless ships have been lost here.
According to relevant records, there are approximately 2,000 ancient shipwrecks in the South China Sea, and this entrance area probably accounts for more than half of them.
Although this place is located in international waters, and all salvaged items can be kept, the large waves and deep waters make it difficult to pinpoint the exact location of shipwrecks. As a result, few adventurers have come here to work, and the shipwrecks are relatively well-preserved.
"Mr. Zhuang, is this the right spot?"
Zhang walked up to Zhuang Rui. Although he spent a long time at sea every year debugging equipment, this was his first time going out to sea on such a luxurious cruise ship.
Moreover, the salvage equipment installed this time is extremely advanced, and it is the latest product developed by their company. If the salvage is successful, it will be a very beneficial publicity for their company.
"Yes, after anchoring is completed, we need to locate it first. Then it'll be up to you, Engineer Zhang..."
Zhuang Rui nodded, watching as massive iron anchors were thrown from the ship's hull, sinking to the seabed with a dull thud. The chains, as thick as a child's arm, rattled as they were pulled towards the seabed by the anchors.
The location is definitely right. On the way back to China on the yacht last time, Zhuang Rui noted down the coordinates of all the sunken ships in international waters. Just now, he also used his spiritual energy to explore the seabed.
Clearly, there was more than one shipwreck in this sea area. Within a radius of four or five nautical miles, on the gentle riverbed of the seabed, Zhuang Rui sensed at least a dozen places radiating rich spiritual energy.
With his spiritual eyes sensing the dense, lingering aura emanating from the seabed, Zhuang Rui felt a surge of excitement.
Among the items found in shipwrecks at sea, besides gold and silver artifacts, salvaged porcelain is generally the most valuable. Salvaged porcelain refers to a category of export porcelain in Chinese history.
During the late Ming Dynasty in China, porcelain was exported in large quantities. The Strait of Malacca, where Zhuang Rui is now, served as a maritime hub for trade between Asia, Africa, and Europe, and became a necessary passage for Chinese merchant ships. Some merchant ships sank here for various reasons, and the porcelain they carried was collectively known as salvaged porcelain.
Industry insiders believe that although salvaged porcelain cannot be compared with Ming and Qing dynasty imperial porcelain, its origin from shipwrecks gives it a distinct historical background, and its cultural and historical value should not be underestimated.
In previous years, the prices of salvaged antiques were not very high, but in recent years they have skyrocketed. Not long ago, someone salvaged more than 300 pieces of Ming Dynasty porcelain, which were auctioned off for more than 40 million US dollars.
Based on Zhuang Rui's intuition, the items inside the sunken ships in this sea area would definitely be worth the ticket price, and the several relatively well-preserved ancient ships inside would also be an important exhibit in his museum.
"Brother Zhuang, if you have time, come to the monitoring room. Something very interesting has happened on our ship..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was talking to Engineer Zhang, his walkie-talkie suddenly rang. The person speaking was Xiu Luo Li Zhen. This guy stayed in his room all day and never came out. Zhuang Rui had no idea what he was doing.
After a brief chat with Engineer Zhang, Zhuang Rui returned to his cabin and entered the elevator. Upon arriving on the fifth floor, he was able to enter Li Zhen's workroom by pressing the fingerprint lock.
When Zhuang Rui entered the room, he was surprised to find Peng Fei inside. Hadn't this guy gone fishing with his wife on the aft deck just now?
"Hey, Brother Zhuang, we definitely won't be lonely these next few days..."
Upon seeing Zhuang Rui enter, Peng Fei revealed a wicked smile, his expression also showing some excitement.
Zhuang Rui assumed Peng Fei was referring to the salvage of the shipwreck and said irritably, "Nonsense, of course I won't be lonely. If you're bored out of your mind, you can go diving, but don't get eaten by sharks..."
"Brother Zhuang, it's not about that. Here, listen to this recording..."
Peng Fei waved his hand, pulled Li Zhen aside, and after Zhuang Rui sat down, played a dialogue.
"These...are our crew members?"
After listening to the recording, Zhuang Rui's face was full of astonishment.
"That's right, Brother Zhuang, this is going to be good..."
Li Zhen laughed triumphantly. Due to his profession, he would listen to any signals sent out from inside the ship, but he never expected to catch a mole.
Chapter 935 The Traitor (Part 2)
As was his usual habit, Li Zhen was very clear about how many satellite phones and communication devices were on the ship, but today he suddenly discovered an unfamiliar new number, which made him start listening.
Upon hearing this, Li Zhen discovered that there was a mole on the ship. Although he didn't know the mole's purpose in inquiring about the ship, he was sure it wasn't for any good. So Li Zhen immediately called Zhuang Rui up.
Do you know who it is?
Zhuang Rui frowned. He couldn't help but worry. His wife and children were all on the ship. If anything happened, he would definitely regret it.
However, we're already quite far from the coastline, and even a helicopter can't fly back. After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Rui said, "Why don't we turn back first? Once we're in the South China Sea, we won't have to worry about anything happening..."
In the South China Sea, many warships patrol the waters, as various countries are vying for maritime resources, making it a place that most pirate groups dare not enter.
"It's First Mate Jack on the ship. Brother Zhuang, there's no need to turn back. Are you saying our captain's hundreds of millions of dollars have been wasted?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Li Zhen immediately laughed. The ship's monitoring and scanning system alone cost over ten million US dollars. No ship appearing within hundreds of nautical miles of the ship could escape the monitoring of the ship's scanning system.
In addition, the weapons Peng Fei purchased, while not exactly armed to the teeth, were certainly enough to hold their own against ordinary small warships.
With such weapons and information monitoring facilities, if even some clueless pirates have to run away, then Li Zhen will never be able to say where he came from again.
"Don't take any risks. There are many women and children on board. It would be terrible if something happened..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. He would rather retreat first, investigate the matter thoroughly, and then resume the salvage operation than put his family in danger.
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Peng Fei shook his head and said, "Brother, it's alright. Tell your wife and the kids to go back to their rooms later. With our torpedoes and cannons, there's no one we're afraid of at sea..."
Fighting at sea is different from fighting on land. Long-range weapons play a crucial role. The weapons equipped on this cruise ship are those of regular warships from various countries. As long as it doesn't encounter medium or large cruisers, Peng Fei feels that it can fight even some small warships.
Moreover, judging from the recording, the other party should be some petty thieves at sea. Peng Fei knows these people very well; they are pirates who rob merchant ships in a dilapidated boat. At most, they have a few heavy machine guns, which are not even in the same league as the firepower on the cruise ship.
"Brother Zhuang, it's really alright. These five-story rooms have been renovated and reinforced with steel plates. Even a regular machine gun couldn't penetrate them. The women inside are absolutely safe..."
Li Zhen was also cheering him on from the sidelines. After leaving the army, life had become increasingly mundane, so how could he possibly let such an interesting opportunity pass him by?
Even if pirates came knocking on his door, Li Zhen was still thinking of deliberately going to some country's waters to chat with some ignorant people, let alone if the journey was smooth sailing.
"Are you really alright?"
Zhuang Rui saw on the monitor in the room that Engineer Zhang had already directed the technicians to get busy. The drilling platform had been moved off the deck and was lying across the sea. The two tall grab arms were also raised high. All preparations were almost complete.
It would be inappropriate to talk about returning at this point, so Zhuang Rui hesitated.
Peng Fei patted his chest and said confidently, "Brother Zhuang, my wife is on the boat too. How could I not worry if anything happened?"
"Alright, we'll go down in a bit. Let them all stay in their rooms. Also, Li Zhen, you need to be careful. If any ships appear around us, we need to be prepared for defense immediately. Not only must we be protected, but everyone on this ship must be safe..."
Besides the crew, Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei's families, there are dozens of staff members on board. If they were to get injured, it would be a very troublesome matter for Zhuang Rui.
"By the way, Peng Fei, go and arrest that first mate. Find out who's plotting against us. He's Portuguese, so there's no need to hand him over to the local court. Just make him disappear..."
A ruthless glint appeared in Zhuang Rui's eyes. He would show no mercy to anyone who wanted to harm his family. In this world, only those who had disappeared from the body could not harm him.
"No, Brother Zhuang, I'm still hoping he can get through to them again. The call was a bit too short to pinpoint their exact location. If I get another chance, I can crack their signal and eavesdrop on their phone conversation..."
Zhuang Rui's idea was rejected by Li Zhen. The information monitoring facilities on this ship, worth more than ten million US dollars, were not installed for nothing. It was a military-grade information ship. If Jack was captured, it would be impossible to keep track of his whereabouts.
Peng Fei chimed in, "Brother Zhuang, don't worry, that kid won't amount to anything. I'll keep an eye on him myself..."
"Alright, I don't understand the technical aspects, you guys handle it. I'll go get them..."
Zhuang Rui was worried about his wife and children on the deck, so after giving them some instructions, he hurriedly left the room.
After Zhuang Rui left the room, Xiu Luo looked at Peng Fei and asked with a smile, "Peng Fei, Brother Zhuang is quite ruthless, isn't he? Has he ever had blood on his hands?"
"Even dragons have their Achilles' heel. As long as you don't provoke Brother Zhuang, he rarely gets angry..."
As Peng Fei spoke, he was thinking of poor Muta. When that guy was bullying others in Africa, he probably never imagined that he would be roasted to death.
Peng Fei, of course, had no idea that it was just Jin Gang wanting some barbecue at the time; even now, he still believed it was Zhuang Rui who did it.
"Assistant Liu, deploy the underwater robot to conduct a seabed scan..."
Inside the room on the drilling platform, Engineer Zhang was giving instructions methodically, while Zhuang Rui sat to the side, watching the monitor opposite him.
So-called underwater robots are actually unmanned remotely operated vehicles, a type of robot that works in extreme underwater operations. Due to the harsh and dangerous underwater environment and the limited diving depth of humans, underwater robots have become an important tool for ocean development.
The ship is equipped with the "Orca," an unmanned, untethered submersible developed by the French National Centre for Marine Development. It has a maximum diving depth of 6,000 meters and can operate continuously for 250 hours.