scélérat

Chapitre 27

Between the third year of the Yongle reign and the eighth year of the Xuande reign of the Ming Dynasty, that is, between 1405 and 1433 AD, the Grand Eunuch Zheng He made seven voyages to the Western Ocean, dispatching thousands of large ships and hundreds of thousands of followers. While his power shook the Southeast Asia, countless soldiers also lost their lives in foreign lands, never to return to their homeland.

There are many legends about Zheng He. For example, it is said that the eunuch Zheng He was actually the first to discover the Americas, and that he had already circumnavigated the globe. The legend of Zheng Hai is a continuation of the legend of Zheng He.

Zheng Hai's original surname wasn't Zheng, just as Zheng He's original surname was Ma. The X agency wasn't powerful enough to know such a private matter as this "Sea King's" original surname. They only knew that Zheng Hai was one of the tens of thousands of followers of Zheng He on one of his voyages to the Western Ocean.

In that era, seafaring was a very risky business, and even Zheng He's fleet, which was considered to be among the world's top fleets at the time, was no exception.

During Zheng He's voyages, numerous wars broke out with small countries along the way, along with countless battles against pirates and sudden storms. Many of the accompanying crew members and warriors perished in battle, and many more went missing. Zheng Hai, for some reason, became separated from the fleet and wandered to a foreign land, where he took up the risky business of piracy.

It is speculated that Zheng Hai's position at the time was likely that of a captain, and he was not alone, but rather had at least one ship and hundreds of men. Wherever Zheng He's fleet went, pirate forces were wiped out, and Zheng Hai's ships, in terms of size, sturdiness, and sophistication, were of first-class standard. They filled the pirate vacuum left by Zheng He's departure and quickly grew in strength.

Zheng Hai, having been stranded in a foreign land, became a pirate again. Perhaps feeling he couldn't use his real name, much like how entertainers and writers use pen names today, Zheng Hai also gave himself a pirate name. Zheng He held immense prestige within his fleet, so he adopted the surname Zheng and the name Hai (meaning sea). Zheng Hai is a homophone for Zhenhai (镇海), and its meaning is quite clear.

While Zheng Hai is said to be a person's name, it is more like a title for a pirate leader. Every time a generation of Zheng Hai dies and passes on the leadership to his successor, the title "Zhenhai" (meaning "Suppressor of the Sea") is passed down along with it. Thus, generation after generation, Zheng Hai never dies.

This family-run pirate group gradually grew in strength over six centuries. Even during the Age of Exploration in Europe, Zheng Hai's pirate fleet caused considerable headaches for the navies of England and the Netherlands. Their fleets deployed to Asia dared not directly confront Zheng Hai, each operating independently without interference. In the centuries that followed, despite numerous ups and downs, Zheng Hai expanded his influence beyond Asia, becoming, since the 19th century, one of the world's leading pirate powers.

Unlike on land, terrorist organizations on land, unless backed by a state, cannot achieve anything truly remarkable under the watchful eyes of a national police force and military. Suicide bombers or a few scattered rockets are merely methods of surprise attacks, not direct confrontation.

But the ocean is different. Even for a weak naval nation like China, there are too many areas in its territorial waters that it can't fully protect. As for the high seas, even the US Navy's reach is a tiny fraction. Nobody knows how many of those marked as uninhabited islands on satellite images are actually Zheng Hai's bases.

Making money without any initial investment is the fastest way, and Zheng Hai has been doing this for six hundred years. In comparison, the strongest nation, the United States, has only been established for a little over two hundred years. No one can say for sure how much power Zheng Hai wields at sea, but no country would be willing to raise the banner of eliminating maritime terrorism and engage in a direct war with Zheng Hai.

Zheng Hai couldn't possibly possess a navy of the size of an aircraft carrier battle group. His pirate ships were generally small and agile, but their firepower was no less advanced than that of the United States. With enough money, he could acquire any conventional weapon, and Zheng Hai also had his own naval weapons research institute, with his submarine force being particularly formidable.

A secret research document claims that to fight Zheng Hai, the only way is to pinpoint the locations of all his island bases and simultaneously seize them when most of his submarines are in port. This would cut off his reinforcements and thus have no chance of victory. Otherwise, it would lead to an endless maritime guerrilla war, with at least 80% of shipping disrupted, ultimately crippling the pirates. If we compare a US carrier strike group to an elephant, then Zheng Hai's pirate army is like a swarm of ants. While the elephants have formidable firepower, the ants also possess it. An ant hit will sink, but an elephant hit will also perish—a far less advantageous proposition.

The premise for success in this study is, at present, nothing short of a pipe dream. Putting aside the question of whether accurate intelligence can be obtained, it would be tantamount to requiring the navies of all countries to join forces and fight a protracted war at the cost of decades of economic setback.

On the other hand, the current world theme is touted as peace and development, and One Piece seems to agree with this theme. In recent decades, it has rarely engaged in direct maritime plunder, but has instead reached tacit agreements with shipping companies from various countries to maintain its status as the Dragon King of the Seas by opening safe routes and collecting protection fees.

The wealth accumulated over centuries is, even a fool's guess, an astronomical figure. To leave it rotting in a pirate's lair would be a terrible waste. Therefore, Zheng Hai began investing in land-based society long ago. Now, no intelligence agency can possibly uncover all the corporate conglomerates and financial groups behind them. But at least one thing is certain—the Black Flag Group is one of them.

For these reasons, when he heard that this matter might be related to Zheng Hai, Guo Dong's dark eyebrows immediately furrowed into a knot.

If the target was Zheng Hai, no one on the investigation team was prepared, nor could they be adequately prepared.

When Liang Yingwu handed me the photocopied confidential documents, he coldly watched as my face darkened with each page I turned, a strange look in his eyes. After I finished reading and returned the documents to him, seeing his expression, I was instantly furious.

"Hey, what kind of jerk look is that? I admit I didn't expect this Pirate King to be this much of a king, but now that things have gotten worse, are you going to look at me with pity?"

“You’d better not do anything bad this time you sneak in,” Liang Yingwu said with a shrug, offering no explanation.

"You're making it sound like I'm some kind of terrorist who specializes in destruction. You've got both sides' roles mixed up."

“Actually, what I mean is, you’d better not go,” he said to himself.

"What an adventurous fellow, just a Bixie." I said to myself, trying to cheer myself up.

"This time you sneak in, you'd better not do anything bad." One dark and stormy night, Guo Dong said to me very solemnly.

I let out a muffled groan, speechless.

12. Proceed to the Dragon's Nest (2)

Is my reputation really that bad? No, it isn't!

Actually, I understand. It's a very important matter, and Guo Dong had to give me some instructions.

I understand, but I'm still just as frustrated.

Once you cross this slope, the beach ahead will be the agreed-upon location. In half an hour, the Bi'an people will come to pick up a man named Dai Xing, along with his assistant.

I didn't directly ask Liang Yingwu for help; instead, I passed the case on to Guo Dong. As a result, the investigation team reported to the Ministry of Public Security, which then handed it over to the Special Affairs Bureau, which formally requested Agency X's assistance in the investigation. It was all done strictly by official procedures, going through a huge loop. Fortunately, every step in this loop was highly efficient, and nothing was delayed.

I don't know what connections the X organization used to promote me, this "baboon," and get me connected with Zheng Yu's people so I could accept the invitation.

"Baboon" was the new nickname Kou Yun gave me for this infiltration mission. She said that since I was pretending to be a non-human, I was essentially a fake non-human, or rather, a non-non-human. She rolled her eyes, leaned closer, and said with a fawning smile, "From now on, I'll call you 'Useless'!" Then, in the blink of an eye, she overturned the nickname, "No, no, 'Baboon' is better. Brother, your legs are completely hairless, so 'Baboon' represents my best wishes for you. Grow some hair quickly and become a 'good man'!" Before I could even hit her, she burst out laughing.

My name is Dai Xing, and I'm from Shanghai. A year ago, I was unlucky enough to get hit on the back of the head by a flowerpot falling from a high-rise building while walking down the street. After being rescued, I discovered I had this extraordinary ability. I'm a man of few words (this is intentional; less talk means fewer mistakes). I have a female assistant who helps me connect with various amateur magic troupes, traveling around to perform magic tricks. Because I've gotten used to having this assistant by my side, I always specify that there must be two people when I accept invitations, and of course, I only receive payment for one person.

Kou Yun didn't change her name. Considering the high likelihood of meeting her parents and other relatives during this trip, and that she would be recognized no matter how much she disguised herself, using a fake name would also raise questions about my identity. However, given that Zheng Yu already had a large group of people with the surname Kou, including Kou Feng, this female assistant named Kou Yun would be too easily exposed. Therefore, I gave her the English name VIVIAN, which wasn't considered a lie.

Ideally, we should keep it a secret from Kou Yun and her parents. However, that seems impossible, and we can't get past Kou Yun herself. So, we need to be prepared to tell a lie if Kou Yun is discovered to be an ability user as well. Another potential problem is that if Kou Feng is the murderer of Yang Hongmin, then he will recognize me. To avoid him recognizing me as the person who should have been in prison in his place, I made a great sacrifice.

Just look at my bald scalp reflecting the pale moonlight, and you'll know. Besides, for the past week or so, I've been applying hair growth cream around my mouth twice a day, and now my beard is quite substantial. Hair and beard can completely change a person's image; I almost don't recognize myself in the mirror anymore, let alone Kou Feng, who doesn't know me very well. Moreover, under Guo Dong's strong pressure, I also underwent a stylist's eyebrow transformation, which shortened them considerably. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but eyebrows and eyes are actually interconnected; a change in eyebrow shape can subtly alter the appearance of the eyes as well.

Now I've become an artist-style handsome man who turns heads wherever I walk down Shanghai's most bustling streets.

Guo Dong extended his hand to shake mine in a comradely manner.

“That’s not right. In the movie, underground party members shake hands like that and then die shortly after leaving.” I patted his hand and walked towards the beach with Kou Yun.

The sound of the tide is constant, and the moonlight is like water.

The wind howls, the Yi River is cold, the hero departs... Luckily, there's no wind, and I'm not cold at all; on the contrary, I'm quite warm. Wiping the fine sweat from my forehead, I thought to myself, this is truly a good omen.

I'm not going to cause trouble or do anything bad; I'm just going to take a look around and see how dangerous it could be.

Since it was confirmed that Zheng Hai was involved in the case, the special investigation team had no choice but to adjust its attitude towards this major case.

Arresting Kou Feng, the murder suspect, and the Black Flag Group that instigated him, by force is probably not the way to go. Even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner. Although Yang Hongmin is a scientist of paramount importance to China's aerospace industry, if he falls out with Zheng Hai, the repercussions will extend far beyond the aerospace sector.

Going to war with the world's largest terrorist group? Zheng Hai is not comparable to Al-Qaeda; the consequences are unimaginable.

Moreover, due to his bloodline, Zheng Hai has always had a good relationship with China. Zheng Yu is just one of Zheng Hai's sons, and the current Zheng Hai may not know about or approve of his actions.

Therefore, one of my tasks on this trip is to confirm the matter. If it is indeed Zheng Yugan's doing, then the government will lodge a protest with Zheng Hai through some channel.

That's right, it's a protest, because Zheng Hai has effectively become the monarch of a major maritime power. Dealing with him, while not exactly aboveboard, still follows the procedures and methods of interaction between nations.

The protest could very well result in Zheng Hai handing the murderer over to Chinese judicial authorities. Even if he doesn't hand him over, he'll at least provide an explanation.

These are no longer important.

My initial intention in accepting the invitation while impersonating a non-human was simply to uncover the truth and clear my name. But now, the most important task is no longer these trivial matters.

Finding out how Zheng Yu obtained Helium-3 from the moon and bringing this huge secret back is my top priority for this infiltration.

Retrieving Helium-3 from the moon is something no country could possibly accomplish within ten years through normal space technology channels; a reasonable timeframe would be twenty years, or even longer.

Normally, with Earth's energy reserves, there would be no problem sustaining the planet for several more decades, so obtaining helium from the moon seems relatively easy. However, if someone could now use a miraculous method to travel 380,000 kilometers to obtain helium-3, it would stir up a storm in what was once a calm sea.

Moreover, the current situation is that Zheng Haihui will be the first to control the helium-3 resources!

Zheng Hai is no ordinary energy conglomerate. Once this situation truly occurs, to what extent will Zheng Hai's power expand, having already extended countless tentacles from the ocean to the land? Zheng Hai, which is already a force that even major powers must take seriously, what will happen when he has the ability to grasp the lifeline of all mankind?

Even if Zheng Hai has a good relationship with the Chinese government, this is still an absolute nightmare.

Therefore, this secret must not be revealed to Zheng Hai's family.

It seems that my outcome this time will affect the balance of power in the world and the happiness of millions of people.

I should be carrying a very heavy burden, but why do I feel a little...exhilarated...?

Underneath the disguise, a little man named Na Duo is proudly puffing out his chest and puffing out his belly.

Having figured out my own thoughts, I suddenly felt a little embarrassed. I turned around and saw Kou Yun looking sneaky, and scolded her, "Remember, this time, you're not allowed to do anything bad!"

Actually, before I left, the head of the investigation team, a man with a gloomy face, spoke to me and said this: "Unless absolutely necessary, do not sabotage what Zheng Yu is doing. Be very careful."

I understand what he means. It means that if you're absolutely certain you won't get burned and can completely destroy the enemy, then go for it!

I pretended not to understand and ignored him. I'm not 007; I'm just an ordinary reporter. This time, I'm just doing a side job as a spy with superpowers. If I go too far, I'll get myself killed.

The sound of motors could be heard from the distant sea.

12. Proceed to the Dragon's Nest (3)

A motorboat cut through the sea and rushed onto the beach in the blink of an eye.

A high-powered searchlight flashed, sweeping across the beach before stopping when it shone on us. A shirtless man jumped off the boat, strode over to us, and, in a very江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) manner, clasped his hands in a fist and asked, "Are you Mr. Dai Xing and Ms. Vivian?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"Then please come aboard with me." Without saying another word, he turned and led us toward the motorboat.

After wading through the seawater for a few steps, we boarded the motorboat. There was already another person on board, but he jumped off and, together with the burly man from before, pushed the motorboat a short distance out to sea, turned it around, and then jumped back on and started it up again.

This motorboat was incredibly powerful; at full speed, the bow lifted up, and the whole boat bobbed on the surface of the sea. Tiny water droplets and strong winds lashed at my face like ice pellets, stinging it, but I was quickly numb to the sensation. I estimate its speed to be at least 80 kilometers per hour.

Kou Yun gripped my arm tightly, her face deathly pale.

The boat sped across the sea for nearly an hour before slowing down. A small dark shape appeared ahead on the water; the speedboat slowly approached, and it seemed to be a fishing boat.

This fishing boat is quite large, and should be an ocean-going fishing vessel. Like most Chinese fishing boats, it is quite old and even looks a bit dilapidated.

The motorboat pulled up to the fishing boat. I was a little annoyed. Although I hadn't expected a boat like the New Hope to pick us up, this fishing boat was really too dilapidated. The Bi'an's hospitality was truly terrible.

The fishing boat lowered a rope ladder, which wasn't actually much higher than the motorboat. The burly man in the lead was agile; he took one step on the rope ladder and then climbed onto the deck. I followed suit and boarded the fishing boat, while Kou Yun, standing on the motorboat behind me, wobbled precariously and almost fell into the sea.

I had no choice but to bend down and reach out to pull her up. The man next to her also helped and lifted her up, and we finally got her onto the fishing boat with great difficulty.

Upon arriving at this relatively safe place, Kou Yun's stomach churned after the intense ordeal. He clung to the ship's railing and stuck his head out to gag, but only dry heaved and didn't actually vomit anything.

That's actually the worst part. It would be better to just vomit it all out, but the most disgusting thing is when you're about to vomit but can't.

I remember when Kou Yun went to the carnival, she loved roller coasters and other high-difficulty rides. She'd be screaming with excitement even after a few figure-eights in the air. The half-hour ride we just had was intense, but it wasn't as thrilling as an afternoon at the carnival. Looking at her now, it seems she's seasick. Everyone has their weakness.

After waiting for a while, someone approached and asked, "Are you feeling better? If you are, please come into the cabin."

I glanced at Kou Yun, she nodded, and then followed the man towards the cabin. As we passed the fishing nets on the ground, Kou Yun tripped; if I hadn't been quick, she would have fallen flat on her face. It seemed she was just putting on a brave face and was far from fully recovered.

The cabin was dimly lit, and the door wobbled as they entered, as if it could be easily pulled down. A round floor panel had been lifted, and the light shining through it was much brighter than the cabin itself. The guide climbed down first.

As I followed him down to the bottom of the cabin, I was taken aback.

Before me stretched a meticulously decorated corridor. The floor, a warm, waxed yellow-red, gleamed, and the walls were covered in wood-grain wallpaper of similar color, creating a cozy atmosphere. Besides decorative paintings, metal handrails hung every few steps to prevent people from slipping and falling in rough seas. While it couldn't compare to the extravagance of the New Hope, it was certainly a world apart from the exterior of this fishing boat.

To my surprise, I realized that the discrepancy between the exterior and interior of this vessel probably extended beyond its exterior. Its capabilities undoubtedly far surpassed those of a typical fishing boat. In fact, the fishing appearance was merely a facade; it's quite possible that this vessel even possesses a weapons system.

The young man leading the way smiled slightly at me and said, "Excuse me, would you like one room or two?"

I instinctively wanted to see what Kou Yun thought, but thankfully I realized that given our roles this time, it would be abnormal to ask my assistant before making such a decision.

“One room, two beds,” I replied in a concise manner befitting Dai Xing’s character.

Someone who insists on bringing a female assistant even when invited like this would probably not want two rooms; he was probably just asking out of politeness.

"OK."