Abandoned the Immortal Cultivator, returned to his hometown to farm and sing

Chapter 1374 1361 Red Sea Horror

Chapter 1374, page 1361: Horrifying Experience in the Red Sea
Red Sea.

The 8.2-ton Panamax bulk carrier flying the Liberian flag, known as the "Serpent," has sunk.

It is traveling from south to north at a speed of 15 knots.

The Sleeping Giant Sea Demon belongs to a small shipping company registered in Djibouti, East Africa.

The shipping company owns only one ship, and the owner, who is also the captain, is a Qatari named Karim.

The crew on board included Indians, Filipinos, and Vietnamese.

The Liberian flag being displayed is merely a convenient flag; it has absolutely no connection to Liberia and is simply a way to obtain lower taxes and less stringent regulations.

Liberia is one of the world’s leading countries of registration for flags of convenience, with over 20% of merchant ships registered there.

In short, the Sleeping Giant Sea Demon is a hodgepodge.

"The canal zone is ahead, seventeen nautical miles away."

A voice speaking in English with a curry accent came from the driver's cab of the navigation bridge.

Immediately afterwards, from the captain's seat at the rear, a hoarse, slurred English voice rang out, "Prepare the vehicle, prepare to slow down."

The person speaking is Captain Karim.

He doesn't usually talk like that.

But we were almost at the Suez Canal, so I was a little nervous.

All day long, Karim sat in the captain's seat, his face full of worry, smoking one cigarette after another, his heart pounding.

I was nervous, and a little regretful.

A moment later, I realized I shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess.

Then I thought, "I've made so many trips, will there be any problems... but I'll do it for the money."

Anyway, it's been a long and complicated process, and I'm really torn.

However, the job had already been accepted, and two-thirds of the journey had been completed.

Furthermore, the passage application was submitted 24 hours ago, and detailed vessel information was provided.

We can't turn around either.

We had no choice but to grit our teeth and keep going.

As it approaches the Suez Canal.

The cargo ship, the Sleeping Giant Kraken, is moving slower and slower.

The speed gradually decreased from 15 knots to 3.8 knots.

During this period, the entrance channel buoys have been spotted.

The ship's pilot had already connected to the canal communications center and was reporting the ship's information and location in heavily accented English.

The helmsman turned the servo and adjusted the direction.

The cargo ship slowly turned and further reduced its speed.

Until the engine gave a soft whistle and came to a complete stop.

With a loud crash, the ship's bow was thrown overboard.

The Sleeping Giant Kraken arrived at its designated anchorage and began to queue.

Captain Karim was becoming increasingly nervous.

He hurriedly opened the small bag he was carrying and rummaged through its contents once again.

Karim frequently travels this route, making the trip almost twice a month.

So he knew it very well, and knew that people would be coming to his ship soon...

really.

Only a dozen minutes had passed.

A speedboat glided across the sea and skimmed close to the hull of the Sleeping Giant Kraken.

The three people climbed up the suspended ladder to the deck.

They are the canal inspectors, quarantine personnel, and navigators of the Suez Canal.

Karim took a drag on half a cigarette, then crushed the remaining half in the ashtray as if he harbored deep hatred.

Set your mind.

As if heading to the execution ground, he slung his bag over his shoulder and led his men out to meet them.

I've been there too many times.

I'm extremely familiar with the procedures for opening the air route.

There's no need for further explanation.

The ship's pilot, speaking with a strong curry accent, led the canal navigator away to arrange the navigation channel and traffic control.

The quarantine personnel were taken away by the first mate to check for infectious diseases according to the crew list.

Karim took a deep breath and went to meet the canal inspector.

He squeezed the bag on his shoulder, forcing a smile and trying to appear calm.

But his trembling hands betrayed his inner unease.

'Something's wrong. He doesn't recognize the prosecutor who came this time. And judging from his serious expression, he doesn't seem like someone easy to deal with.'

Sure enough, when the canal inspector met Karim, he looked serious. "Cargo manifest, destination."

Karim quickly pulled out the packing list from his bag and handed it over with both hands.

"The Sleeping Giant Sea Monster departed from Muscat, Oman, carrying auto parts and industrial raw materials to Limassol, Cyprus."

The canal prosecutor took the list, squeezed it, and felt that the thickness was off.

His brows furrowed immediately, and he asked in a deep voice, "Industrial raw materials?"

Karim, forcing himself to speak, continued, "Yes, industrial raw materials."

The canal prosecutor flipped through the cargo manifest and scoffed, "6.2 tons of chemical raw materials?"

Karim broke out in a cold sweat.

We're all just trying to make a living around here; everyone knows each other.

Cyprus, a small island nation in the Mediterranean, has a population of only 90 and an area of only 9000 square kilometers, with virtually no industry.

More than 60,000 tons of chemical raw materials, enough to last until the next century.

However, Karim took on this job, and his ship couldn't just sail around aimlessly; Cyprus was the only suitable option on the entire route.

Even knowing there are loopholes, there's nothing we can do.

Karim could only hope that Plan B would work.

So Karim didn't answer, but instead secretly gave him a wink.

The canal prosecutor understood.

He rubbed his fingers together on the goods list, revealing a corner of a green banknote.

It's the green of the US dollar.

The canal prosecutor remained calm and pushed that corner back.

Karim breathed a sigh of relief.

But then the canal prosecutor added, "Go check out the warehouse."

After saying that, he turned and walked away.

Panamax cargo ships are all similar in structure, and the canal inspectors know where the cargo holds are.

Karim's heart skipped a beat, nearly leaping into his throat; he almost threw up.

But the canal prosecutor had already left, and he could only follow.

He quickly ran a few steps ahead to lead the way.

As he walked, he reached into his bag and squeezed it again, cold sweat pouring down his neck.

Damn it, what bad luck! I ran into someone so impartial.

The two of them went down the suspended ladder into the warehouse, one after the other.

The cargo hold was piled high with goods.

In the corner, there was a bunch of things like car engines, suspension components, and coolant bundled together.

However, it only occupies a small portion.

The remaining vast warehouse space was filled with bags.

The pocket was still round and bulging.

It doesn't look like an industrial raw material at all.

"Are these all industrial raw materials?" the canal prosecutor asked again.

"Yes, industrial raw materials." Karim went all out, lying through his teeth.

As he spoke, he moved closer to the canal prosecutor and secretly pulled out a wad of US dollars from his bag and handed it over.

The canal prosecutor glanced at it, but then pushed the money back.

Then he signed his name on the goods list.

"Yes, industrial raw materials."

After finishing writing, I put away the packing list, including the stack of US dollars inside.

He kept a straight face, his expression unchanged.

"Next item to check: fire equipment..."
-
The canal prosecutors and their entourage saw them off.

Karim clutched his chest, slumped in the captain's seat, and gasped for breath.

Finally... he came back to life.

Then he started to think about it.

What exactly did that person who came mean?
They discovered the problem but still let them pass without charging them.

The first transaction doesn't count; that's standard practice.

It seems so, just to check out the warehouse.

What's the secret behind this?

The key is that these Middle Eastern countries are too dangerous to confront directly.

But since someone has taken the lead, they are willing to provide some conveniences in private, and they are very proactive in doing so.

They're scared too.

Karim pondered for a while and roughly figured it out, but dared not think any further.

This has nothing to do with him; he's just a sailor.

They had the kitchen bring out all the meat, vegetables, and beer they had brought. The entire crew, including Karim himself, enjoyed a delicious meal to soothe their "wounded hearts."

I had another good night's sleep.

Early the next morning.

After waiting in line for sixteen hours, the sleeping giant sea monster sailed out of the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean Sea.

At this point, four-fifths of the journey had been completed, with only four hundred kilometers remaining.

"Accelerate, accelerate, increase the speed to eighteen knots, no need to save fuel."

Karim was overjoyed; the sky was high and the sea was wide open, like fish swimming in the ocean.

Over 400 kilometers, at a speed of 18 knots, it only takes 12 hours.

It will arrive tonight, we'll unload the cargo overnight, and then return tomorrow.

This job was comfortable.

Karim sat leisurely in the captain's seat, smoking a cigarette.

Blow a beautiful smoke ring.

He kept calculating how much money he could make on this trip, and the more he calculated, the happier he became.

The entire journey is 2,500 kilometers long, entirely along inland waterways. We drove fast, and even including the queues to cross the Suez Canal, the whole trip took just over four days.

Normally, for such a short distance, even if you include port entry fees and canal fees, the boat charter fee should be around $120,000.

But this time the customer was very generous, paying a full six hundred thousand US dollars, five times the original amount.

Moreover, the port entry fee is waived, and even the fuel is given away for free.

Benevolence and righteousness.

After making one trip, it's almost pure profit.

Go back and ask around to see if there are still any jobs like that available.

If there are any more, how about... we come again?
Karim had forgotten how terrified he had been yesterday, and was now dreaming of getting rich again.

Unfortunately, his dream didn't last long...
-
After leaving the Suez Canal, the Sleeping Giant Kraken headed north towards Cyprus.

However, it deviated slightly from its course midway, heading east a little bit, and getting further and further east.

It veered off course by more than 100 kilometers.

Afternoon, three o'clock.

When we were still more than 140 kilometers away from our actual destination.

Suddenly, the pilot shouted rapidly in his heavily accented English, "Starboard, speedboats, two. Calling for the ship to stop for inspection!"

Karim jumped up.

He rushed to the pilot's platform in a panic and yelled at the pilot, "Where did you come from?"

"Towards Haifa!" the pilot shouted back.

He also knew what he was going there to do.

The sweat on Karim's forehead poured down again.

He muttered tremblingly, "Haifa, Haifa...we're in international waters, aren't we?"

The pilot glanced at the navigation information again and immediately confirmed, "Yes, high seas!"

Karim clenched his fists. "How dare they!"

He knew perfectly well that the speedboat from Haifa wasn't part of their operation.

That's the little tyrant of the Middle East, what wouldn't he dare to do?

They also have Mossad, whose name alone is enough to send chills down your spine in the Middle East and stop children from crying at night!

That's Mossad, not Samoyed!
Karim knew he had been exposed, otherwise the Haifa ships wouldn't have come straight to the high seas and ordered them to stop for inspection.

If we let them come aboard, we're doomed, and everyone on this ship is doomed.

"Distance! How much further is it?!" Karim shouted anxiously.

“Twelve, twelve nautical miles!” The pilot’s voice trembled.

"How come it's so close..." Karim panicked on the spot, and then quickly ordered, "Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate, top speed!"

His boat can reach a top speed of 27 knots, but going that fast is very uneconomical, as fuel consumption increases exponentially.

Therefore, the economical cruising speed is usually around 18 knots.

But there's no time to worry about that now.

Although he knew in his heart that he couldn't escape.

Because the speedboat can reach 35 knots, it only takes about 20 minutes to catch up with the boat when it is 12 nautical miles away.

Sigh, let's do our best and leave the rest to fate.

Then quickly call the first mate and tell all the crew members to retreat to their cabins and not stay on the deck.

There are guns on the speedboat opposite; those bastards definitely won't hesitate to fire.

He frantically searched for cash everywhere, forgetting about the ship and the money, only thinking about how to save the lives of everyone on board.

They were busy and flustered.

The pilot shouted again, "Warship! Warship! There's a warship ahead!"

"Me!" Karim nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

He thought to himself, "Surely it's not that serious. Why would they need a warship to deal with just one of my cargo ships?"

Do they intend to just blow it up?

Why make such a big deal out of it?

Is that crazy?
Karim hurriedly ran back to the pilot station, his eyes wide as he searched the radar screen. "No, there's no warship there."

The pilot patted him on the shoulder and pointed straight ahead.

"over there."

Karim looked up, startled, and stumbled back several steps.

There were no warships on the radar.

But in front of him, two massive warships, as large as mountains, were sailing toward him.

Karim was immediately relieved.

There are no warships that big on the other side.

Even the entire Middle East, regardless of size, doesn't have a warship this big.

But there are two ships in front of us.

They definitely weren't targeting me.

Karim raised his binoculars to observe carefully.

what!
Karim put down his binoculars and rubbed his eyes.

Hold it up again and look at it once more.

You read that right, the warship is flying a red flag!
"Quickly, quickly, send a clear message!" Karim exclaimed excitedly, patting the pilot frantically.

The pilot stumbled from the slap, looking completely bewildered. "What are you sending?"

"Hello, friends from the East. This is the Sleeping Giant Sea Demon, en route to Cyprus to transport industrial raw materials."

Karim is quite quick-witted; he said everything without explicitly stating anything.

Soon, the warship ahead sent back a message.

"We are the 44th Escort Fleet, on our return voyage after a round-the-world visit."

Karim felt relieved once again.

His shipping company is based in Djibouti, where there is a military base in the East.

Very well-known.

He knew that the Eastern escort fleet rotated every four months, and then, irregularly, after completing its escort mission, the escort fleet would directly embark on a global visit.

I never expected to run into you here.

What great luck!

And at this time.

The approaching speedboat was also spotted on the warship.

Another message came in.

"Please allow the Sleeping Giant Sea Demon to pass through our western side."

West side?

Karim immediately understood that the speedboats from Haifa came from the east.

"Quickly, quick, listen to the command, head west!"

Karim quickly ordered the helmsman to change course.

The warship in front of us was also accelerating and moving slightly eastward.

Ten minutes later.