127 I’ll Give You Two Choices (1/2)
It took six days to travel one thousand miles. Chen Fan stayed in the car and put down the driver's seat and laid down on it until 12 noon. Then he let the electric eel stop and rest. While the eel rested, he drove his car to the fast-food restaurant nearby, and grabbed something to eat before heading home.
When he got home, Chen Fan immediately continued to control the electric eel and make a rapid voyage to the Gulf of Aden.
It just devoured a ghost moon incense the day before. After it had been fully digested, the eel demonstrated the strongest power yet which was like the after effect of taking a drug. After he continued to sail near to Vietnam, Chen Fan could not bear the tired feeling in his mind anymore. He set the alarm clock to ring six hours later, then hugged his pillow and slept.
Vietnam.
A total of fifteen hundred miles from the Zhongyun city.
That was to say, the electric eel had almost no rest over the last 24 hours.
When Chen Fan was awakened by the alarm clock, he ate something as quickly as possible and then continued his journey to the Gulf of Aden.
...
Five days later at 3 PM local time!
After struggling hard for nearly six days, the electric eel finally reached the location 120 nautical miles north of the region of Somalia [Candala].
Lying on the sofa, Chen Fan once again dialed the bunch of foreign numbers!
”Hello,” It was still the man with the strange accent who answered the phone.
”My men have arrived near Candal and the ransom is ready, and it is in the right amount. Can you call someone to pick it up?” Chen Fan's voice was emotionless.
”Very well, the ransom has been delivered in just seven days. We like to deal with such merchants as you.”
”The next time you have a cargo ship hijacked by us, we will offer you a preferential price and you could have it due in ten days, and the hostage situation will be upgraded. Of course, it's all based on after we got the ransoms!”
F**k you! Chen Fan cursed secretly in his heart, then took two deep breaths, made himself calm down, and said, ”You could say a place, and then I'll throw the ransom into any region of the sea. Of course, your crew can't be there!”
”Afraid that we'll hijack your boat again? Rest assured, we pirates do also have a good reputation if we say we would release your crew, we would do so.”
”But you must understand one thing. If you work with the government ships to hijack our people, then I can most assure you that by this evening, you can hold a memorial for them!”
”I am a businessman. I only want money and peace, you don't worry!” Chen Fan vigorously rubbed his chin. ”You give me a coordinate. There is no place as reference in the boundless sea. In two hours the ransom will be delivered on time.”
”OK, I'll ask my men to call you in half an hour.”
”Damn you! Giving me a discount next time? You all are going to cry and beg me in no time!” Chen Fan hung up the phone angrily.
Before he could wait for two minutes, the phone rang again, and Chen Fan looked at the number, it was Ma Rongtao.
”Hey, Uncle Ma, what can I do for you?”
”Chen, when will the money be delivered? If there is no redemption in two days, the Maritime Bureau will surely ask you why the ships haven't joined the convoy now?”
Ma Rongtao hesitated, and said, ”If this matter is not settled within two days, let me know in advance. I'll let my ships pretend to be your ship's radio frequency and inform the escort ships that the ship's wheel is broken and had to be repaired and that we have to delay for a few days.”
”Thank you, Uncle Ma. My people had arrived this afternoon, and they will be able to release them tomorrow.”
Chen Fan smiled bitterly twice. The ship was hijacked, but he had to conceal this information.
”That's good, once they are released, call me.”
”Sure, goodbye, uncle.” Chen Fan agreed and hung up the phone.
...
Eleven o'clock, east longitude, forty-nine point five two!
In the Candala district, a compound of more than 2,000 square meters.
As one of the least developed countries in the world, and located in Africa, it is a miracle to be able to see buildings no less than the Zhongyun city.
At the age of 27, Bertrand, the Somali Marine corps chief executive of the Candala division was the man who called Chen.
As part of the largest pirate gang in Somalia, though he was not part of the ammunition ship that was hijacked, he had seized the world's second-largest oil tanker, the Sirius. Bertrand was sincerely proud of his accomplishments.
He was poor in his early years and could only learn to speak Mandarin fluently while working in a shop opened by a Chinese businessman.
But since the incident of the September 11 attack on the United States, the government had been overthrown by a foreign power dominated by the Americans which caused him to live a dog's life on the streets.
Ever since he joined the Somali pirates, he had been on the rise, not only owning a villa, but also a brand-new Audi. And the girls were enthusiastic, like fire, and even more desperate to enter his house.
Opening the front door of his Villa, he was excited as he entered the room where the hostages were kept. In no time another deal would be done. As commander in chief of this incident, he would be sure to be awarded at least one million.
”Great and mighty Mohammed!” Bertrand piously held both his hands together, and made a prayer. ”May you bless me and make this deal so Leader Abadi will transfer me to the Erigavo headquarters to work!”
”Greetings, Sir!” Several pirates armed with AK's saw the arrival of the officer and immediately saluted as standard protocol.
”Well!” Bertrand nodded, and then walked into the middle of the group of the hostages. After touring a lap, he said, ”Dear friends, your boss has sent the ransom to Candala, and as soon as I get the money, after verifying the number, I'll immediately release you.”
”And our ship? Would you let it go too?” Captain Ren Jiang sat on the concrete floor and asked the black man in a white suit in a friendly tone..
”Of course. Your boss is paying 50 million as a ransom. Why would we make things difficult for you?”
Bertrand showed his white teeth. ”About half an hour, my men will be able to collect the money. After I get the money, you could sail away.”
On hearing the promise, Ren Jiang, including all the crew, was greatly relieved. This thing had caused the boss to lose 50 million. If they can't sail the ship back, they would be embarrassed to go back to Zhongyun.
A blue pickup truck came a half an hour later and inside it were three black man sitting with AK's beside them. There was also the two-meter-long iron shell yacht that Chen Fan booked from Xia Qingqing.
With a choking dust, the blue pickup came to a stop in the yard, and the black men on the bus darted off.
”Sir, we have received the goods at sea.” A black man in his twenties with a five-star beret ran up to Bertrand and saluted.