This way, they wouldn't dare mistreat the illegal immigrants as they had before, until they had collected all the money. Because if someone died, they wouldn't get the final payment!
“But… those two people who died these past two days…” I asked, frowning.
The old snake raised an eyebrow, a cruel and cunning glint in his thin face: "I was talking about the situation in your China. We are different!"
He then explained that many small countries in Southeast Asia have very underdeveloped national economies, and the rules for human smuggling are still based on those from China more than a decade ago.
That means collecting all the money first, and then boarding the ship!
This situation means that human smuggling syndicates in Southeast Asia don't care about the lives of the migrants... they've already received the money!
"The people on the boat are from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia," Old Snake said calmly. "They all paid before boarding."
Then, as if casually mentioning something else: some ruthless human trafficking groups… after taking the money, will collude with local gangs at their destination to double-cross them! They sell the people on the boat directly to the local gangs, and I've heard that some have even been sold to drug plantations in South America! Their fate is unknown…
These words sent chills down my spine, and I couldn't help but look at the old snake with a deeper meaning in my eyes.
Old Snake laughed heartily, patted his chest, and assured, "Don't worry. I'm a man of my word! You're Fatty's friend. I won't sell you out!"
Looking at this guy's shifty eyes and somewhat lewd smile, I thought to myself, "I'd be a fool to believe you!"
However, I later developed a greater sense of apprehension and vigilance towards these people. I became much more alert when I slept at night. I used to try to get close to the crew members, but now I kept my distance from these people... These are truly ruthless killers!
The ship sailed north day by day. The weather gradually cooled down, and even became a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings!
I don't know if it was because I was lucky, but we had a smooth journey without encountering any bad weather. Since the sixth day, the old snake had been muttering to himself every morning, seemingly praying that we wouldn't encounter any storms.
As the weather got colder, no more people died in the cabins. That was a relief.
Although I told myself that this was none of my business, watching someone die in front of me was never a pleasant thing.
Although Old Snake said those were Vietnamese and Indonesians.
That night, I was still asleep when I was woken up by a commotion outside. I immediately jumped out of bed and just then saw Old Snake push open the door and call out to me, "You're out, you've arrived."
Somewhat puzzled, I walked out of the cabin onto the deck in a daze, only to see a scene that surprised me!
The fishing boat I was on had already lowered its sails and turned off its engine. Next to it, a much larger boat was moored. It looked dark and indistinct in the night, with a metal hull and a much higher gunwale than ours.
Now the two boats are side by side, with two planks laid between them as a makeshift bridge.
Old Snake stood beside me, one hand on his waist... a gun. Several of his crew members also stood nearby, guns in hand.
What surprised me even more was... the door to the cabin below the fishing boat was open! A group of people were coming out from below and then transferring to the larger boat through the two planks on the bottom of the boat!
In the darkness, I couldn't make out the faces of these stowaways; I only saw that most were men, with very few women, and they were all dressed very simply. Everyone carried only simple luggage, with not much stuff. In the darkness, no one spoke; they all quietly lined up to be transferred across the ship's deck.
Most people walked with unsteady steps, appearing very weak. Most walked alone, rarely in groups, and everyone walked with their heads down. Even if they or those around them were extremely weak and about to fall, no one would offer to help each other up!
On that large ship, I saw several dark figures standing on the deck, holding dark guns. Under the dim light bulbs, their eyes gleamed like wolves.
"What exactly happened, Old Snake?" I glanced at the guy next to me with some suspicion.
The old snake smiled somewhat guiltily, but then whispered, "I can only take you this far. You need to transfer boats now. Whichever boat you take, they will continue to take you to your destination."
I was getting a little annoyed: "Why didn't you mention this before? Does Fang... know about these arrangements of yours?"
Seeing the old snake's awkward smile, I immediately understood... It seems even the fat guy didn't know about this arrangement!
Strictly speaking, what Lao She is doing now is a bit like what is often called "middleman" in business. However, the difference is that a middleman resells goods to a downstream buyer, while Lao She sells illegal immigrants!
Although I was somewhat angry, I wisely kept my mouth shut. I knew that protesting to Old Snake at this point would be useless... These people are ruthless killers; what good would it do to say anything more now? If I angered them, they would just shoot me dead and throw me into the sea, leaving me nowhere to cry out for justice!
Old Snake accompanied me onto that big ship, and I then discovered that the crew members on this ship were all foreigners. The leader was a black man, shirtless like half a black iron tower, with a cigar in his mouth, a ferocious face, a sinister gaze, and a military dagger in his hand.
Old Snake went up and greeted him. I clearly saw a hint of disdain in the black man's eyes as he looked at Old Snake. Then Old Snake whispered a lot to him and pointed at me. The black man didn't say a word from beginning to end, just stared coldly at Old Snake until he finished speaking.
Finally, the old snake wiped his sweat, turned to me and said, "Alright, I've given you instructions. You can go with them now. Where are your belongings?"
I patted the bag I was carrying on my back. Ever since I saw the dead people on the ship, I've been carrying that bag with me.
The black man stared at me coldly for a while. I could feel that his eyes were cold, and there was something sinister in them. When he looked at me, I felt as if I was being stared at by some kind of wild beast!
The old snake then exchanged a few words with him, mostly the old snake doing the talking, while the black man occasionally responded with a "hmm".
Finally, the old snake patted my shoulder, his smile insincere: "Have a safe journey!"
He then ran quickly back to his own boat and removed the planks connecting the two boats.
"That bastard!!" I couldn't help but curse.
They're human traffickers and they even resell them!
I sighed and glanced at the black man. He was also sizing me up, but then he turned and left, seemingly uninterested. One of the crew members beside me came over with a gun in his hand and pointed ahead.
That means: the past!
I glanced over and saw that the dozens of stowaways had already gone through a cabin door. It seemed that they would continue to be locked in the cabins below deck on this ship, continuing to live like rats.
The difference was that the crew member next to me gestured with his gun, meaning that I should go with them!
I hesitated for a moment, trying to explain, but the black man had already gone far away and completely ignored me. The crew member, on the other hand, looked menacing and arrogant; it seemed that if I didn't move, he might just come up and hit me with the butt of his rifle without hesitation!
I finally realized my predicament. My first-class treatment all the way here had come to an end! From now on, I would be living with those stowaways in the lower cabins...
I suppressed my anger. I knew that the situation was dire and I had no room for resistance. I could only walk over silently and follow the people outside the cabin into the cabin below the deck. On both sides of the deck, crew members with guns were urging us on.
Probably because he thought I was too slow, when I was the last one to enter the cabin, that bastard behind me kicked me. I stumbled and rushed down, and the cabin door behind me slammed shut!
The cabin was pitch black. I could tell that the place was not large and was quite cramped. It was filled with a strange, foul stench. The dozens of people who had come in earlier had already scattered to find places to sit or lie down. There was hardly any room to put your feet on the ground.
The cabin door was occupied by three or four people. Just as I was about to sit down, they immediately came over and pushed me, gesturing for me to go inside.
It turns out that the hatchway is a highly sought-after spot! Because the crew members would come down every now and then to deliver water and food, and they would just throw it anywhere by the hatchway. So the closer you are to the hatchway, the more likely you are to grab food and water... and only the strong and healthy can get this good spot!
The elderly and infirm were squeezed inside.
The innermost place is where the air circulation is the worst, and it is usually the most stuffy, coldest, or hottest place!
Not wanting to cause trouble, I avoided a confrontation with the people at the door and instead chose to temporarily retreat into the cabin. The space inside was indeed less crowded, but the air was stuffy and filled with a musty, rotten smell. It almost suffocated me. I randomly found a quiet spot to sit down, only to hear a few coughs nearby.
Instinctively, I recognized the voice as belonging to a woman, probably not very old. Moreover, her cough sounded weak, as if she were ill!
Part One: A Man in the Martial World, Not in His Own Hands Chapter 128: A Bunch of Beasts
The difference between this and first-class service is just too great.
I leaned against the corner, but the stench around me was suffocating me. I carefully took out two pieces of paper from my bag, crumpled them into balls, stuffed them into my nose, and breathed through my mouth. That made me feel a little better.
Lying down there, besides the unpleasant stench, what was even more unbearable was the lack of oxygen.
So many people were crammed into the cramped cabin, but the hatch above was tightly closed. Dozens of people squeezed into the cabin to breathe felt like their lungs were blocked by something. After a while, it was inevitable that some people would feel dizzy.
I was sitting on the hard deck, which was a bit uncomfortable. I leaned against the corner, trying to make myself as comfortable as possible, and put my bag behind my back.
As time went on, my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cabin, and I could vaguely see some things. It might have been a hallucination, or I might have been overly sensitive, but I kept feeling like some guys were watching me suspiciously. In the darkness, I could see several pairs of eyes staring at me, as if they were spying on something.
The woman not far from me was still coughing, but her voice was suppressed, as if she was trying her best not to make too much noise... I found it a bit strange. Does one have to suppress the sound of coughing?
Sitting in the cabin, I had no idea what was happening outside, and I couldn't even tell how much time had passed. In the darkness, I sat for a long time, initially trying my best to stay awake, but eventually, I finally closed my eyes…
I don't know how much time passed, but I was still half asleep when I felt someone touching my feet. I woke up with a start and saw two dark figures crouching beside me. One of them was touching my feet, while the other seemed to be reaching towards my waist and abdomen.
I instinctively yelled, "What are you doing!" Then I kicked one person's hand away and swatted away another. Seeing that I was awake, the two of them stopped being sneaky and brazenly reached out to grab me.
One grabbed my waist, the other held my leg! I was shocked and furious, and twisted my body to shake them off. Then I grabbed the wrist of the nearest one and twisted it hard. He screamed and immediately fell to the ground. The guy holding my leg was kicked hard in the face, screaming and jumping away while clutching his face. I immediately sat up, grabbed the guy next to me whose wrist I had dislocated, and choked him, whispering, "What are you doing!"
The man made a few "uh" sounds, and in the darkness, I could only see his eyes staring intently at me. His eyes held a mixture of malice and fear... They were like hyenas on the wasteland, despicable and vicious, yet simultaneously filled with timidity.
He mumbled something, but I couldn't understand a word, nor could I tell if he was Vietnamese or anything else. However, I deduced that these two were also illegal immigrants, not crew members.
I breathed a sigh of relief, but then I saw three or four more people approaching from the side. They looked like they had ill intentions, but seeing that I had taken down two of them in one go, they seemed hesitant to come closer.
Then the person whose neck I was supporting mumbled something in a hurried tone.
I felt that he wasn't struggling. I slightly loosened my grip on his neck, and he immediately sat up, carefully backing away while opening his arms.
This is a gesture indicating surrender or compromise.
He carefully retreated to a safe distance, then kept his eyes fixed on me and suddenly uttered a short word.
"water!"
This time I understood; he was speaking English. Although my English is very poor, I still know a few simple words. After all, I did go to middle school.
I looked at him coldly and said, "NO."
The man then asked, "Food?"
I still said, "NO."
This guy still wouldn't give up. He said a few more words and made a series of gestures. I didn't understand what he said, but based on his gestures, I understood one thing: he seemed to want to exchange food for water, or water for food.
That's roughly the idea.
I smiled coldly and still rejected him.
If it were any other day, I would have already beaten him so badly he couldn't get up!
I know perfectly well that they tried to steal my things while I was asleep! And when I woke up, they tried to rob me! If I hadn't been so skilled in combat, I probably would have been bullied by them!
Damn! You can't beat me, so you want to trade with me?
I stared at him coldly, thinking to myself, "I'm being lenient by not robbing you!"
Those guys didn't dare come near me. They stood in confrontation with me for a while, then backed away.
I absolutely didn't want to cause trouble. Because in the darkness, I didn't know how many of them there were, and in this situation, I told myself not to be too arrogant, and to avoid trouble if possible! This isn't your territory!
The group of people stepped back behind the surrounding crowd, and I noticed that a few people sitting or lying on the ground not far from me were secretly observing me.
These people clearly saw someone trying to rob me while I was sleeping, but not a single one of them said anything to warn me... I'm not surprised, when you're out and about, don't expect anyone to be so great!
To my surprise, the woman closest to me, the one who was coughing, also sat up slightly and seemed to be facing me as well.
However, because it was too dark in the cabin, I couldn't see anyone's face clearly at all, but I could vaguely sense that she seemed to be looking at me.
The woman was still coughing intermittently, but her voice was very soft, as if she was trying to hide something. I felt that her cough sounded somewhat familiar, but I didn't think much of it.
After experiencing something like this, I became more vigilant.
I don't know how much time passed in the darkness, but I started to feel hungry. My mouth was very dry, so I rummaged around in my bag for a while.
I still had two bottles of mineral water in my bag. I took out the first one and realized it was given to me by the Vietnamese burly man who was driving the boat under Fatty's men when I left Fatty's place.