When Zhuang Rui mentioned eating, he couldn't help but think of what had just happened downstairs, and suddenly felt a little nauseous. He shook his head, took out a USB drive from his pocket, and looked at Yun Man, saying, "Yun Man, there are a few transactions here. Could you process them on the computer and transfer them to my overseas account?"
"Okay, I'll take care of it right away..."
Yunman was a little confused, but she still took it, said goodbye to Qin Xuanbing, and went back to her room.
Huangfu Yun glanced at his wife's retreating figure and said, "Zhuang Rui, how about... we turn back first? What if the pirates come again?"
The gunshots at dawn terrified Huangfu Yun. Although he was chivalrous, he was powerless to fight back.
"Oh no, why is my son peeing everywhere?"
After Zhuang Rui diverted Qin Xuanbing's attention with a single sentence, he looked at Huangfu Yun and whispered, "There won't be any more pirates coming, Brother Huangfu, don't worry..."
"You...you guys?"
Upon seeing Zhuang Rui's expression, Huangfu Yun immediately understood what he meant and stared in astonishment.
Zhuang Rui patted Huangfu Yun on the shoulder and said, "It's alright, relax and have fun. Once this shipwreck is salvaged, we'll go back to Beijing together..."
Although the morning passed quickly, the cleanup work left Zhuang Rui feeling somewhat exhausted.
Chapter 946 Honesty
Although many people got drunk at yesterday's drinking party, many others remained sober. After the security personnel lifted the ban, many people left their rooms and went out onto the deck.
The bloodstains on the deck had long been cleaned up, but the bullet holes on the ship's sides and hull could not be erased. In addition, these people had already heard the gunshots and explosions, and with the traces left behind, they immediately knew what had happened.
"Look, those are bullet holes..."
"Really? I heard gunshots, and I thought I was dreaming!"
"Hey, you were sleeping so soundly! The explosion was so loud, didn't you hear it?"
More than a dozen crew members and staff hired by Zhuang Rui gathered around the side of the ship that had been attacked, looking at the dented and battered metal hull, and began to discuss it amongst themselves.
However, the platform staff were relatively excited, while the crew members were pale and looked terrible, because they knew what the consequences would be if they were targeted by pirates at sea.
Whether it's taking hostages for ransom or killing hostages and hijacking a cruise ship, it would be a disaster for these crew members. Seeing the bullet marks left by the 10mm machine gun, many of them even turned around and ran to find Clyde.
"Zhuang, there's no need to release them anymore. I believe Jack is the mole..."
Clyde had already been invited by Zhuang Rui to a room in the lower deck. On the table in the middle of the room was a tape recorder playing Jack's last conversation with the pirates.
Zhuang Rui did not let Jack and the pirates disappear together. The appearance of pirates could not be hidden forever, and the disappearance of a first mate on the ship was something that could not be explained to Clyde.
Therefore, Zhuang Rui selected the last conversation between Jack and the third brother and played it for the captain to confirm that Jack had colluded with the pirates to plot something sinister.
Even after knowing Jack for over twenty years, Clyde could no longer speak up for Jack at this moment. Moreover, since his first mate had run into trouble, Clyde himself was also partly to blame.
"Boss, please trust my professional ethics. I will resign as captain only after I have safely returned this ship to port..."
Clyde's face was somewhat somber as he spoke. He was reluctant to part with the cruise ship he had worked on for over twenty years, and after this incident, he would never be able to sail the seas again.
You have to understand that his first mate colluding with pirates is enough to ruin his reputation, and probably no ship owner would entrust their ship to Clyde again.
What did you say?
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this, walked over to Clyde, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "This has little to do with you. This ship is counting on you to protect it..."
Finding a captain with extensive sailing experience is not an easy task, and Zhuang Rui himself had a very good impression of this bearded captain and had no intention of firing him.
"What? I can be the captain?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Clyde immediately stood up excitedly.
Clyde is only around fifty years old, a time when he is full of experience and energy. If he were to retire now, he would go crazy. Zhuang Rui's words gave him a glimmer of hope.
"Of course, but Captain Clyde, there's something I'd like to remind you of. Many of the crew members on this ship are lazy, addicted to drinking, gambling, and whoring. I personally think they're not very suitable to work on this ship..."
Zhuang Rui had just taken over the ship and it wasn't easy for him to fire some of the sailors who had worked on board for over ten years. However, he really couldn't stand their behavior, so he took this opportunity to bring it up.
"I know, boss, I've been too lenient with them. After we return from this voyage, I'll get rid of some of them and recruit some new crew members..."
Clyde had no room for negotiation at this point, and he knew perfectly well what kind of people his crew members were; the prosperity of Macau had long blinded their eyes and hearts.
Zhuang Rui waved his hand and said, "There's no need to recruit new crew members. I'll send a batch of people over. They've all received professional training and can start working right away..."
"Okay, as you wish, boss..."
Clyde was now completely convinced of Zhuang Rui's abilities and no longer looked down on him because of his age. He was able to successfully repel the pirate attack without a single casualty, something that even Clyde himself could not do.
"Alright, I'll go outside and check on things. You reassure the crew and tell them not to get emotional or upset..."
Zhuang Rui stood up. Now that he had dealt with Clyde, he needed to reassure the platform staff, otherwise their minds would definitely be unsettled upon hearing about the pirate attack.
Seeing Zhuang Rui stand up, Clyde quickly rose from his chair as well, saying, "Boss, I'll order the return flight right now..."
"Return? Oh... no, no, we'll have to stay here for at least another week. The shipwreck has been surveyed, and we're just waiting for the final salvage operation..."
Upon hearing that Clyde was about to leave, Zhuang Rui shook his head repeatedly and said, "Clyde, are you scared by these pirates? Have you forgotten why we set sail in the first place?"
"Oh, of course not, sir, I am a brave sailor..."
Clyde puffed out his chest, but then his face fell. He continued, "Boss, our defenses are inadequate. I'm the only one on the ship with a pistol. If these pirates... if they come again, what... what are we going to do?"
Clyde's words made Zhuang Rui laugh involuntarily. This old guy is really interesting. Did he think that the gunshots he heard this morning were his security personnel setting off firecrackers?
Zhuang Rui frowned and paced back and forth in the room a few times. Suddenly, he stopped, looked at Clyde, and said, "Captain Clyde, can I trust you?"
As a captain, if he doesn't know the defense situation on his ship, he will make wrong judgments and decisions in many cases. Therefore, Zhuang Rui is considering whether to tell this bearded captain the truth.
Zhuang Rui did not intend to work on this ship long-term, nor did he intend to stay with Peng Fei and Li Zhen, so it was essential to be frank with Clyde.
"Boss, if you don't fire me, I'll sell my life to you. You can completely trust me..."
Clyde stood ramrod straight, thumping his chest loudly. Zhuang Rui was a little envious of the old man; at his age, he was in such good shape, and the captain's uniform made him look especially imposing.
Zhuang Rui pondered upon hearing this. He knew Clyde fairly well; the man had been married once, but due to his passion for the sea, he divorced his wife. One of his children lived with his ex-wife and now lived in Ireland, having almost no contact with Zhuang Rui anymore.
Clyde is quite self-disciplined. Although he occasionally goes to brothels, that's only human nature. Most importantly, he doesn't gamble. In Macau, people who can resist the temptation of gambling have exceptionally strong willpower.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui smiled, extended his right hand to Clyde, and said, "Captain Clyde, I think... you should take a fresh look at your cruise ship..."
"Get to know each other again?"
Clyde was a little confused. He had worked on this ship for over twenty years and was extremely familiar with almost every screw. He didn't know what Zhuang Rui meant by "familiarity".
After shaking hands with Zhuang Rui as a reflex, Clyde asked dumbly, "What do you mean, 'know'?"
"Just follow me..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and then led the way to the lower deck.
As "Brother Zhuang" descended to the second floor of the basement via a separate elevator, Liu Wu, who was standing guard outside the elevator, immediately stood at attention and saluted.
Beside Liu Wu was another security guard who also saluted Zhuang Rui with respect. They had already heard about Zhuang Rui's reward of 500,000 RMB to all the security personnel.
It has to be said that money is truly the most effective and direct way to win people's hearts. At least for now, the dozen or so security personnel on this ship are willing to risk their lives for Zhuang Rui at any time. "Why don't you take a rest? You've all worked so hard this morning..."
Zhuang Rui greeted Liu Wu with a smile, then turned around, pointed at Clyde, and said, "Liu Wu, pass on the word: from now on, you must completely obey whatever Captain Clyde says..."
As the saying goes, "If you employ someone, don't doubt them; if you doubt someone, don't employ them." Since Zhuang Rui is prepared to confide in Clyde, he must let the captain control such an armed force so that he can make the most favorable judgment in the event of an emergency.
"yes."
Liu Wu didn't ask for the reason, but answered loudly, his attitude making Clyde quite embarrassed.
There were originally a few security guards on the ship, but they were lazy by nature. When Zhuang Rui kicked them out, Clyde had some complaints. Now it seems that those security guards are no match for Liu Wu in front of him.
Zhuang Rui pointed to the room where the torpedo launchers were located and said to Liu Wu, "Alright, open that door..."
"Boss, what exactly are you going to show me... to... heavens, this... this is a torpedo launcher?"
Clyde was initially puzzled by Zhuang Rui bringing him to the hold, but when Liu Wu opened the door, the bearded captain was stunned. He never dreamed that his merchant ship was equipped with such powerful offensive weapons.
"Oh, I didn't know our captain was a military expert? There's more to come that will surprise you..."
Seeing Claude's excited expression, Zhuang Rui laughed. Now he wouldn't ask to return to base, would he?
Chapter 947 Emerging from the Water (Part 1)
"Boss, hehe, you... I love you to death..."
After Zhuang Rui showed Clyde the three rooms, each equipped with a torpedo launcher and a cannon, Clyde's mouth gaped open in a wide grin, as if he wanted to hug Zhuang Rui and kiss him.
"Clyde, merchant ships are not allowed to carry heavy weapons. Aren't you afraid of being caught?"
Zhuang Rui was a little puzzled by Clyde's behavior. He thought that Clyde should be explaining the dangers of these weapons to him with great concern, but he did not expect the old man to react like this.
According to the conventions of the International Maritime Organization, merchant ships are not allowed to carry heavy weapons, because if merchant ships were allowed to carry weapons, how would they be distinguished from warships? This would be a threat to the sovereignty of all countries.
“Dear boss, don’t be afraid. Oh God, I still can’t believe these weapons are all ours…”
Clyde was clearly a little too excited. Seeing Zhuang Rui's displeased expression, he became serious and said, "Every merchant ship undergoes routine inspections upon entering port. Generally, the inspections are stricter in unfamiliar ports, but this ship has been docked in Macau for twenty years, and no one is interested in it anymore..."
After listening to Clyde's explanation, Zhuang Rui finally understood that he had unwittingly equipped himself with the weapons and had never considered the port inspection.
Zhuang Rui shook his head. He was truly ignorant and fearless. If he were to be found out, probably no port in the world would accept his cruise ship.
Merchant ships are not entirely prohibited from carrying weapons for self-defense. According to international law, even if merchant ships carry weapons, they cannot open fire indiscriminately. They only have the right to retaliate if attacked first by an adversary. The weapons they carry are merely a means of responding to a situation.
Moreover, merchant ships carrying weapons can also be hijacked. Clyde gave Zhuang Rui an example: not long ago, a North Korean cargo ship was hijacked in the Indian Ocean. The crew members were armed, but the experienced pirates still disarmed them.
However, this cruise ship was too famous in Macau, so Clyde didn't care whether it was equipped with heavy weapons. In his view, these weapons would further ensure the safety of the cruise ship.
After Clyde calmed down, he suddenly remembered a question and looked at Zhuang Rui, asking, "By the way, boss, was the explosion this morning caused by a torpedo?"
"Oh, I don't know either. Maybe they were just unlucky, and their own ammunition exploded..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and shrugged, his expression innocent. But his appearance spoke volumes, and Clyde finally understood: the pirate ship hadn't escaped, but had sunk into the sea right in front of them.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Clyde clenched his fist and said fiercely, "Great, boss! Let's slow down on the way back. I'm going to wipe out all the pirates in the Strait of Malacca!" Zhuang Rui replied irritably, "Come on, don't use these weapons unless absolutely necessary. A single torpedo costs hundreds of thousands of dollars..."
Looking at Clyde's indignant appearance, Zhuang Rui was quite suspicious. Could this old man have been captured by pirates and had his anus violated before? Why did he get so excited at the mere mention of "pirates"?
You know, women are rarely seen at sea, and the place where homosexuals are most concentrated is the sailors at sea. If Clyde shaved his beard, he must have been a handsome young man when he was young.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but shudder, and the way he looked at Clyde changed slightly.
"Hehe, boss, those pirates are all rich. They rob merchant ships, so it's only right for us to rob pirates..."