Look at those six cargo ship crew members and executives, they're all in a state of collapse, not even as good as Zhou Xuan, an ordinary person. But it's no wonder, these days the more wealthy and powerful a person is, the more afraid they are of death.
At this moment, Zhou Xuan used his ice energy to measure the two pirates outside the cave. He couldn't detect them because they were more than fifteen meters away, but there was no one else nearby except for the hostages being held here.
This is a secret outpost, the most hidden place for the Somali sailors. They generally don't hold hostages here except for the most crucial ones. This hostage is too important; it's the biggest deal they've ever made, and relatively easy to handle because once they receive the ransom, they can simply kill him. Of course, Johnny's version of events will be that the Fu family failed to raise the ransom, leading to the pirates killing the hostage. This is clearly disadvantageous to the Somali sailors, but because the deal is so large, there are always people willing to take risks for money.
Looking at the dozen or so people, Fu Meng felt despair. The special forces soldiers were also helpless in this thick iron cage. They were unarmed and had no tools. They couldn't open the large iron lock on the cage, let alone break the iron bars. The iron bars were so thick that even if you tried to bend them one by one, it wouldn't be easy. They were all welded together, so it was even more impossible to open them.
Fu Tianlai's expression was somewhat better, although he was still angry and furious about Johnny's matter. He still had high hopes for Zhou Xuan's abilities, after all, Zhou Xuan had given him a very strong impression in New York's Chinatown!
Fu Tianlai was still thinking about whether his eldest daughter, Johnny's mother, Fu Ben, had been involved in this matter. She was his own daughter. Fighting for the inheritance and harming her younger siblings was understandable, but harming her own father was something Fu Tianlai could not accept no matter what.
Zhou Xuan glanced at the dejected look on the mercenaries' faces and guessed that they were unlikely to escape. However, the four of them were in better shape than the six senior officers, who were practically paralyzed.
Fu Tianlai leaned closer to Zhou Xuan and whispered, "Zhou Xuan, is it possible for you to get out of this iron cage?"
Zhou Xuan said calmly, "This iron cage is a minor issue. I think you might want to wait a little longer. Wait until you have more evidence before going out? Could it be a trick by the pirates? Or is it true that you'll return without evidence and won't be able to do anything to Johnny?"
Fu Tianlai snorted, thought for a moment, and then said, "This matter should be true, because regardless of whether it's true or false, it won't affect the pirates at all. They wouldn't bother to lie to us like this, would they? Think about it carefully; every detail is meticulously linked, how could it be fake? Johnny..." He then muttered angrily, each word dripping with venom. "What?!"
Zhou Xuan nodded and asked softly, "Should we go out now and make our move?" Fu Tianlai immediately hesitated. Making a move before being ready would be very dangerous. After all, there were still countless pirates outside. Even if they could get out of this iron cage, it would be unwise to go out unarmed and fight armed pirates.
Just then, Zhou Xuan suddenly whispered, "Someone's coming!"
Fu Tianlai was startled and quickly turned around to look at the cave entrance. He paused for two or three seconds before someone turned on the light. As soon as the light came on, he saw the man who had spoken Chinese, Eladi, walking over, followed by four pirates carrying semi-automatic rifles.
At sea, pistols and submachine guns are rarely used because their bullets have short range and low lethality. They are useful for close-quarters combat on land, but at sea, there are usually distances of several hundred meters or more between ships. These weapons are of little use. Semi-automatic rifles, on the other hand, have better performance and a much longer firing range, often exceeding 800 meters. Therefore, the vast majority of pirates use semi-automatic rifles.
Elady walked over to Fu Tianlai's cubicle, smiled at him, and said, "Mr. Fu, the first deal is done. We've received two million US dollars, and we've released the eighty-odd crew members. Hehe, now we're just waiting for his second cash payment."
The first payment was merely a show of force by Johnny. It helped salvage the Fu family's image on the international stage, demonstrating their willingness to spare no effort in rescuing their employees. Of course, once the second payment arrived and the pirates wiped out the entire Fu family, it would not only eliminate Johnny's rivals for the inheritance but also gain international support, and even more support from the Fu conglomerate. This would ensure the Fu family's survival, leaving him as the sole heir!
Fu Tianlai spat fiercely. Although Johnny was venomous, his ideas and plans were indeed quite good!
Fu Tianlai looked at Elady's expression with some confusion, and when he saw that Elady was holding his satellite phone, his heart started pounding!
Zhou Xuan looked at Ella and said calmly, "You've come here not just to report the results of the negotiations, have you? Do you want Elder Fu to speak with Johnny on the phone?"
Ella was taken aback for a moment, then gave a thumbs up and praised, "Mr. Zhou, I admire you. You really have a good mind. Let me tell you, it's true."
Ella handed the satellite phone to Fu Tianlai, saying, "Talk to Johnny."
Although Ella was talking to Fu Tian, her eyes were on Zhou Xuan. Zhou Xuan's words surprised her, making her feel that Zhou Xuan was somewhat unfathomable!
Indeed, Johnny paid a ransom of two million to the negotiating party, and Ella forced the other party to release the crew members and hostages. However, they ignored Johnny's demand to execute the Fu family, because they also demanded that Johnny pay the cash before taking action.
Johnny was naturally not at ease either, and proposed to pay 100 million in cash first. Because the amount was too large, and the money could not be handed over to them openly, it had to be done secretly. Besides, raising such a large sum of cash without attracting attention was an extremely difficult task.
Ella's leader would certainly not compromise with Johnny. The hostages would only be taken action after receiving the full amount of money. Otherwise, they would be at a loss if they didn't get the money. In the end, although they could do whatever they wanted in Somalia, they were nothing outside of Somalia!
Ella then offered a plan to the pirate leader. They suggested having Fu Tianlai speak with Johnny on the phone. The pressure Fu Tianlai exerted on Johnny was immense; if Fu Tianlai returned alive, it would be a devastating blow to Johnny. The purpose of having Fu Tianlai call Johnny was to pressure him into quickly raising the money and handing it over to them.
The pirate captain appreciated this oppressive tactic and immediately agreed to let Elady implement it.
Fu Tianlai understood the intentions of Elady and his men. They simply wanted to use him to pressure Johnny into handing over the cash more quickly. In the past, he would have let them have their way since he was already dead, but now it was different. With Zhou Xuan there, there was a chance to escape and make a phone call to Johnny. This would both mislead the pirates and further confirm Johnny's identity!
Fu Tianlai held the satellite phone, pondering for a moment. After deciding what he wanted to say to Johnny, he dialed the number.
Johnny has a satellite phone line that connects him to the military; these satellite lines were purchased from high-ranking military officials for an astronomical sum. But for the world's billionaires, these lines, though expensive, can sometimes be lifesavers.
The classic saying is clear.
Johnny's voice trembled slightly, but he remained calm: "Grandpa, how are you now?"
"What else can I do?" Fu Tianlai said calmly. "We were all captured by the pirates. Of the twenty-odd mercenaries, only four are left. Their men have taken my satellite phone and want me to call you. What do you say to that?"
Johnny heard that they had indeed been captured by the pirates. A distinct sigh of relief could be heard.
Fu Tianlai snorted. He said to Elady, "Didn't you demand a billion US dollars? If you let us go, I can give you 1.5 billion US dollars in cash!"
Ella chuckled and said, "Really? That price is very tempting!" To find out what happens next, please log in to Xinmang for more chapters. Support the author and support genuine reading!
Volume One: The Lotus Buds Just Begin to Emerge, Chapter 183: Killing Without a Trace
At the beginning of the conversation, Johnny panicked upon hearing the words, and said, "Cicada!" He handed the phone to him, "I need to talk to him!"
Fu Tianlai said coldly, "Johnny, what else do you want to talk about? Talk about paying more money to have them kill me faster?" Johnny was taken aback, and after a long while, he said, "Grandpa, if you already know, then I have nothing more to say!"
"Johnny, the shares I left you are enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Why do you still want to take everything? And even kill your own cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandfather?"
Fu Tianlai, heartbroken, questioned Johnny, "How could you be so cruel to us?"
Johnny took a long time to reply, "Grandpa, you told me something when I was little that I remember very clearly. You said that to be a successful person, you have to be ruthless. I have always kept that in mind and have always acted accordingly!"
Fu Tianlai was stunned for a long time, then sighed and said, "I just want to ask one more question, does your mother know about this?" Even though Johnny did this, Fu Tianlai was still extremely unwilling to believe that his eldest daughter would harm him!
Johnny seemed to want to further discourage Fu Tianlai, and slowly said, "Grandpa, my mother is a bit sentimental, but she thinks you're too biased. They're all your children, so why is it that your uncle can inherit the vast majority of the shares? If you're biased towards sons, then why is it that your cousin can inherit all of the Fu family's assets?"
Johnny's tone became agitated as he said this, and Xiao added, "My mom thinks you're being too biased!"
One sentence was enough to cause Fu Tianlai immense heartache!
Fu Tianlai has been a prominent figure in the business world for decades. What kind of situation hasn't he experienced? But he has never experienced betrayal by his closest relatives. Johnny's words undoubtedly show that his eldest daughter knows this matter clearly. Even if she feels a little bit of heartache for him, it is unforgivable for her to kill her own brother, niece, and nephew, let alone her father!
Fu Tianlai patted his chest, calmed himself down, and then deliberately put the satellite phone to his lips, saying to Elady, "He offers 1 billion, I'll offer 1.5 billion US dollars, I'll give you cash!"
Ella forced a laugh, picked up the satellite phone, and said to Johnny with a smile, "Mr. Johnny, did you hear what your grandfather said?"
Johnny had certainly heard it all. He had just enjoyed a verbal exchange with Fu Tianlai, feeling a sense of satisfaction at his efforts to undermine Fu Tianlai, but then he heard Fu Tianlai state the condition of "1.5 billion US dollars" to Elady. He immediately panicked!