American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 348 Arya the Riddler
Mike and Raven both breathed a long sigh of relief, their eyes filled with gratitude as they looked at Lin Yu'an. They had both forgotten that this student was also live-streaming at the same time!

His seemingly cumbersome live-streaming equipment has become the most powerful weapon for catching criminals at this moment!
The comments in the live stream shifted from panic and anger to anticipation of justice being served and praise for the protagonist.

[It's good that everyone's alright! Those bastards are dead meat! They have to be arrested!]

[Anzi not only saved the ship, but also preserved the evidence! At what level does this maneuver occur? In the atmosphere!]

Support the Coast Guard! Severely punish this scum of the sea!

After the call ended, the atmosphere on the ship eased a little.

Mike began to carefully inspect the damage to the boat, cursing under his breath. Raven, meanwhile, quickly walked up to Lin Yu'an.

The waves continued to rise and fall, a strand of wet hair clung to Raven's face, and her T-shirt and shorts were soaked through, tightly outlining her fit figure. But she didn't care about any of that at the moment.

Those clear blue eyes were fixed on Lin Yu'an, their gaze filled with complex emotions.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"It's nothing," Lin Yu'an shook his head.

He wanted to stretch his body, which was a little stiff from exerting himself to the limit, but a burning pain from his palms and the space between his thumb and forefinger made him frown.

"Don't move!" Raven's eyesight was extremely sharp, and she immediately caught this detail.

She immediately stepped forward and grabbed Lin Yu'an's right wrist without any room for argument. "Let me see!"

Lin Yu'an opened his palm in front of her; it was a large, powerful hand with distinct knuckles.

But at this moment, the area between his palms and the base of his thumb was rubbed red from the immense kinetic energy of the ropes he had just gripped against the sail.

Several deep marks were embedded in the skin, and the most serious ones had broken the skin and were oozing blood, which looked shocking.

"Hiss—" Even with Lin Yu'an's strong willpower, he couldn't help but gasp when Raven's icy fingers gently touched the edge of the wound.

"You call this nothing?" Raven's voice instantly rose an octave. "If the rope had been any slipperier, your bones would have been worn down! You're insane!"

Raven's expression instantly became extremely tense, and her professional coaching instincts prompted her to immediately begin checking her injury.

With extremely gentle movements, I carefully guided Lin Yu'an to try moving each of his finger joints.

"Does it hurt here? Can you bend it? What about here?"

“The bones are fine,” Lin Yu’an replied calmly, feeling the gentle touch of her fingers. “It’s just a superficial injury.”

Raven's tense nerves finally relaxed after confirming that he had not injured any bones or joints.

She looked up at Lin Yu'an's slightly furrowed brows due to pain, and at his eyes that remained calm even in this situation. She could no longer suppress the lingering fear and gratitude in her heart.

The next second, she suddenly took a step forward, opened her arms, and hugged Lin Yu'an tightly!

This was a warm, American-style hug, without the slightest awkwardness or affectation, filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and the most sincere gratitude.

Lin Yu'an could clearly feel the softness of her body, the coolness and softness of her skin, and the heart that was beating violently.

A faint fragrance, a blend of seawater and shampoo, lingered around his nose.

He raised his hand somewhat stiffly, hesitated for a moment, and then gently patted her back reassuringly.

The hug lasted only a few seconds before Raven quickly released him. Looking into Lin Yu'an's eyes, she said sincerely, "Lin... thank you for saving us all."

After saying that, she stopped dwelling on her emotions and immediately turned around, rushed into the cabin, and took out the first aid kit.

“Sit down! Hold out your hands!” she said in an unquestionable, commanding tone.

She took out disinfectant wipes and carefully cleaned Lin Yu'an's wounds with focused and gentle movements, a stark contrast to her usual generous personality.

Then, she took out gauze and bandages and skillfully bandaged him up.

During the bandaging process, her fingers would occasionally touch Lin Yu'an's palm, and each slight contact made the atmosphere somewhat subtle.

【Ahhhhh! They hugged? They hugged!】

[Is this even watchable?! It's so sweet! A hug and healing after surviving a disaster!]

[Waaaa, Ms. Raven was genuinely frightened and heartbroken! The way she bandaged her up was so gentle!]

[Anzi: I just did what I was supposed to do. All the perverts: Not only were you being hugged by a bikini-clad beauty, but she was also gently bandaging your wounds! Give me some reaction!]

Captain Mike watched this scene from a short distance away, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

He simply turned away silently and continued inspecting his boat, as if trying to give the two young men some space. But the upturned corner of his mouth betrayed his complex emotions.

Raven stared blankly at the hand she had bandaged for Lin Yu'an.

Just now, at the most dangerous moment, this man, like her father, chose to step forward and then, in an almost impossible way, brought the situation under control.

His tumbling figure, his back as he fought against the out-of-control sail with his bare hands, and that warm and solid chest from just now, were like brand marks, deeply etched into her mind.

Her eyes became incredibly complex, filled with shock, gratitude, curiosity, admiration, and even a hint of...

-----

Lin Yu'an stood up, greeted the fans in the live stream, and said that he needed to wait for the police to handle the incident before quickly ending the broadcast.

All that was left in the live stream was a bunch of question marks among the fans and viewers!
"No, buddy, we can wait for the police with you!"

[This stream ended way too fast! Luckily I recorded a video; please DM me if you need any clips!]

After Lin Yu-an finished broadcasting, a strange calm settled over the ship.

Mike lowered the mainsail, and the ship anchored in place, gently bobbing with the waves, waiting for the Coast Guard to arrive.

About twenty minutes later, a white Coast Guard speedboat with the distinctive orange and yellow stripes appeared on the horizon at high speed and quickly came up next to them.

Two uniformed police officers boarded their boat. The officer in charge clearly recognized Mike, shook hands with him, and then immediately began professional on-site evidence collection and questioning.

They carefully examined the broken pin, took photos, and took statements from each of the three individuals.

Raven was responsible for transmitting the raw data from the live stream recording directly to the official email address they provided.

“Mike, Raven,” the officer in charge said, his face turning extremely grim after watching the video footage, “this isn’t just reckless driving, this is blatant malicious attack!”

“The video is very clear. We have identified the brand and model of the boat, and we can even see the pattern on the T-shirt that one of the guys on board is wearing.”

“We will immediately conduct a search of all the docks along the coast. Trust me, we will find these bastards!”

“Thanks, Tom,” Mike said earnestly.

Escorted by the Coast Guard, the Wanderer slowly returned to the College's dock using its engines.

By the time they came to a safe stop, it was completely dark.

After seeing off the Coast Guard, the day's classes finally ended in a way that no one expected.

“I’m so sorry, Lin,” Captain Mike said apologetically, “that you had to run into this mess on your very first day.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Captain,” Lin Yu’an replied calmly. “On the contrary, I think this is the most valuable lesson.”

"It made me realize that the greatest danger at sea is sometimes not the storm, but people."

These words silenced both Mike and Raven.

After saying goodbye to the complicated-looking Mike and his daughter, Lin Yu'an declined their invitation to dinner and returned to the hotel alone.

He took off his salty-smelling T-shirt, revealing his well-defined upper body, and went into the bathroom to wash away the day's fatigue with hot water.

Just as he stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, his phone, which was on the bedside table, suddenly vibrated. A familiar video call request appeared on the screen—from Arya.

Lin Yu'an's eyes softened instantly as he answered the video call.

Arya's beautiful face, filled with worry and concern, immediately appeared on the screen.

She had clearly just finished showering; her long, wet blonde hair was draped over her shoulders, and she was wearing a black silk nightgown.

“Honey!” She visibly relaxed when she saw Lin Yu’an answer the video call. “Are you alright? We watched the live stream… We didn’t dare call you then, afraid of bothering you.”

Her voice trembled with lingering fear; they had witnessed the terrifying events almost in real time from their apartment in Alaska.

"I'm fine, darling, don't worry." Lin Yu'an gave the camera a reassuring smile and raised her uninjured left hand. "Look, it's perfectly fine."

"What about your other hand?" Arya was clearly not so easily fooled. Helpless, Lin Yu'an had no choice but to raise his right hand, which was also bandaged: "It's just a minor injury, it's already been treated, and the bone isn't broken."

“Okay, but you must be careful…” Arya’s brows remained furrowed.

Just then, the camera shook slightly, and Emily's gentle face squeezed in, her blue eyes also filled with worry:

"You really scared us to death, An. Promise me you won't do such dangerous things again."

"I promise, it was just an accident." Lin Yu'an looked at the two most important women in his life in the video, his heart filled with warmth.

"An accident? I think some hero is enjoying it." A slightly mischievous and sour voice came from the side.

The camera then pans to the center of the screen, revealing McCormick's strikingly handsome face.

She wore a simple sports vest, crossed her arms, raised her eyebrows, and had a half-smile on her lips, perfectly replicating Lin Yu'an's expression when facing Raven's challenge during the day.

"Let me see which hand is injured?" she asked, knowing the answer already.

Lin Yu'an raised his right hand.

McCormick immediately imitated a concerned, slightly exaggerated tone, mimicking Raven's manner during the day, and asked Lin Yu'an on the other side of the screen:

"Oh my god, does it hurt? Are your bones okay? Let me see, can you bend them?"

She imitated it perfectly, even pointing her finger in the air at Lin Yu'an's finger, as if she were checking it herself.

This performance instantly made Arya and Emily, who were standing next to her, burst out laughing.

The two hid behind the camera, their shoulders shaking, clearly enjoying seeing Lin Yu-an get the short end of the stick.

Lin Yu'an rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

"How are December and Amber...?" he could only ask awkwardly, trying to change the subject.

“It’s great,” McCorz continued her performance, her tone becoming even more sarcastic.

"Unlike me, I just watched the live stream and enjoyed a wonderful hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scene. The hot blonde female coach bandaged the hero's wounds and then gave him a heartfelt thank-you hug."

“Seriously, darling,” she said, her joke fading, but the bitterness in her voice growing stronger, “how did it feel? That hug… wasn’t it warm and soft?”

"Cough cough..." Lin Yu'an was a little embarrassed by her direct attack and could only look to the other two people behind the camera for help.

Arya and Emily finally couldn't hold back their laughter and burst into tears.

Arya finally managed to stop laughing before stepping in to defuse the situation: "Alright, sweetheart, stop teasing him. He must be exhausted today."

“Exactly,” Emily chimed in, “and I believe our monster captain wasn’t upset at all, was he?” She winked mischievously at the camera.

There's a reason why Lin Yu'an loves Ailiya the most; she always puts him first.

"Of course." Lin Yu'an immediately seized this opportunity and nodded solemnly.

Watching the video of three women with different styles, yet all loving him, Lin Yu'an's fatigue from the day instantly vanished.

After chatting for a while and confirming that Lin Yu'an really only had superficial injuries, the three of them prepared to hang up the video call.

Just before the call ended, Arya suddenly seemed to remember something. She leaned closer to the camera and, in a mysterious yet seductive tone, whispered:

"Honey, do you like the number four?"

Lin Yu'an was taken aback: "Four?"

“Hmm,” Arya’s lips curled into a mysterious smile, and Emily and McCorz behind her also gave the same meaningful smiles.

“The three of us… lately all feel that ‘4’ is a very good number.”

Before Lin Yu'an could ask any further questions, Alia sent a flying kiss to the screen.

"Good night, our heroic captain, get some rest." With that, she hung up the video call.

The room fell silent again. Lin Yu'an stared at the blacked-out phone screen, his mind still replaying Arya's somewhat enigmatic last words.

What does “4” mean?
He shook his head and laughed, not thinking about it anymore. He walked to the French windows and looked at the dazzling city lights in the distance and the twinkling lights of ships on the sea.

Although the police said they would handle it, the efficiency of American police is questionable. He took out his phone, dialed a number, and made the call.

After the call connected, a familiar voice came through: "Hey buddy, need a ride so soon?"

It was that black driver, Marcus.

“No, Marcus,” Lin Yu’an’s voice turned cold, “I need to buy something else.”

"Oh?"

“I need information,” Lin Yu’an said, a cold glint in his eyes as he looked in the direction the wrecked vessel had fled.

"About a dark blue, roughly 80-foot sport fishing boat with four Yamaha outboard motors. It set sail near Latitude and Longitude this afternoon."

"I want to know who it belongs to, which dock it usually docks at, and the background of all the people on board."

Marcus was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, then let out a low chuckle.

"Dude, you know how it is with this kind of information, it's usually not cheap."

“I know,” Lin Yu’an replied calmly. “Name your price.”

Marcus seemed to click his tongue on the other end, as if assessing the value and risks of the deal.

"Five thousand US dollars, and I need two hours."

"Deal." Lin Yu'an said without hesitation. "Send me your payment account details."

“I like doing business with straightforward people,” Marcus chuckled. “Wait for my news.”

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu'an didn't rest. He turned on his computer and started searching online for relevant legal provisions regarding the U.S. law on "Reckless Driving of Boats".

He needs to make sure that once he finds that group, everything he does is within the bounds of the law.

Less than an hour and a half later, earlier than the agreed time, Marcus called back.

“You’re in luck, buddy,” Marcus said casually. “The bunch of bastards you’re looking for aren’t tough nuts to crack.”

"Expand and tell me."

"That's an 82-foot Viking sports fishing boat, rented at Sea Lion Marina. It was rented for a week using a credit card from someone named Kevin Parker, and today is only the second day."

Marcus's intelligence was extremely detailed.

Marcus chuckled on the other end of the phone, his tone full of disdain: "This Kevin Parker is the leader of a group of rich kids who came from California on vacation. His dad owns a small to medium-sized software company in Silicon Valley."

"Also, I checked the background of this group for you. There are no troublesome locals among them; they are all a bunch of kittens who are still dependent on their parents."

"They have some money, but not enough to be able to do whatever they want in Florida. To put it bluntly, they're just a bunch of middle-class punks who think they can do whatever they want just because they have money. Every summer, these kinds of people are as numerous as flies."

These words completely put Lin Yu'an at ease. His biggest worry was getting involved with the deeply entrenched local criminal gangs, which would bring endless trouble to his subsequent plans.

"Can you find out where they are now?" Lin Yu'an asked.

"I bet they're either partying in their rented villa or throwing money around at some club right now. That boat is most likely docked on their villa's private pier."

Marcus provided the address. "Now it's your turn to have a headache, man. You know who they are and where they are."

"But what can you do? Rush over and beat them up? Then you'll go from victim to criminal."

“The Coast Guard will handle them,” Lin Yu-an said calmly.

“Huh! The Coast Guard?” Marcus said as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. “Yes, they have your video, and they will open a case.”

"But do you know how many cases they have to handle? Smuggling, illegal immigration... Your case, although serious, will have to wait in line as long as no one has died."

"By the time they finish the procedures and find the ship, those California bastards will have already packed up and gone home."

Lin Yu'an fell silent. He knew that what Marcus said was true; this was a common efficiency problem in the United States.

“However…” Marcus’s tone shifted, his voice becoming like a tempting devil, “If you really want to speed up this process, there are ways.”

(End of this chapter)