Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

Subsequently, Huang Kun arranged for four team members to guard the bandits, escort them to the duty room of the power room, lock the iron gate, and instructed the team members to keep a close watch and not to be careless.

After doing all this, he picked up the walkie-talkie and contacted the captain, reporting the situation in a calm voice: "Captain, all the bandits in the engine room have been subdued. There were eight of them in total, armed with machetes, steel pipes and other weapons. Two crew members on watch were killed. The engine room wiring and fuel valves were damaged. The team has temporarily shut off the main valve and checked the damaged wiring. There is no risk of explosion or oil leak at the moment."

The captain's relieved voice was clearly audible over the walkie-talkie. He was about to give a few instructions when suddenly a crew member shouted in panic, "Captain! Captain! Something's wrong with the lookout at the stern! There are ten converted fishing boats in the distance, rapidly approaching the cruise ship at an alarming speed. They look hostile!"

At that moment, both Huang Kun and the captain felt a sinking feeling. The captain's voice instantly turned panicked as he shouted into the walkie-talkie, "Did you see clearly? What kind of boat is it? How many people are on board?" "I saw clearly, it's a small, modified fishing boat. The hull is low, the gunwale is raised, there are many dark figures on it, and I can see knives and guns. It looks like...like armed pirates!"

"Pirates?" Huang Kun gasped, his scalp tingling instantly, and a cold sweat breaking out on his back. He immediately realized that these eight bandits were not the main force at all, but rather the vanguard of the pirates. Their real goal was to sabotage the cruise ship's propulsion system, rendering the ship immobile and turning it into a lamb to the slaughter at sea, making it easier for subsequent pirates to board, rob, or even kidnap hostages.

Although pirates occasionally appear in the South China Sea, they are mostly small groups that grab some valuables and leave. I've never seen such a large-scale operation before—ten converted fishing boats, with at least forty or fifty men. They clearly came prepared. The captain's voice trembled as he spoke into the walkie-talkie: "Huang Kun, this is extremely dangerous. Prepare for battle."

Huang Kun forced himself to calm down; his more than ten years of security experience allowed him to make quick judgments in critical moments.

He glanced in the direction of the duty room, where eight pirate vanguard members were being held. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he said in a deep voice into the walkie-talkie, "Captain, I have a plan. We can take these eight pirates on the deck as hostages. If the pirates dare to board the ship, we can use them as hostages. Maybe we can force them to retreat, or at least buy some time and buy the best opportunity to repair the power system."

After a few seconds of silence, the captain also felt that this was the only solution at the moment.

He immediately replied, "Okay! Do as you say. Quickly take your men and bring the man onto the deck. I'll wait for you by the ship's railing. Be careful!" "Roger!" Huang Kun hung up the walkie-talkie and immediately shouted towards the duty room, "Ah Ming, take two men and bring the bandits out. Tie them up tightly with thick hemp rope, gag them with strips of cloth, and bring them to the ship's railing on the deck. Hurry!"

Amin and two team members immediately responded and quickly brought eight bandits out of the duty room. The bandits had their hands tied behind their backs, their mouths gagged with strips of rags, and could only make "muffled" sounds. Their eyes were filled with fear and panic, and they struggled but could not move at all. Huang Kun had his team members find thick hemp ropes and tie the eight bandits together in pairs to ensure that everything was safe.

Afterwards, Huang Kun led his team and escorted the criminals toward the elevator.

As the elevator ascended, Huang Kun's mood grew increasingly heavy. He could imagine the scene on the deck: ten pirate fishing boats lurking menacingly, while the cruise ship only had ten security personnel armed with rubber bullet guns and ten batons. Such weaponry seemed extremely weak in the face of the vicious pirates. But now there was no turning back; he could only grit his teeth and press on.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, a strong, salty sea breeze carrying a heavy, fishy smell rushed out. The night was as thick as ink, and the moon was completely obscured by thick, dark clouds. Only the searchlights on the deck emitted a pale light, reflecting the surging black waves on the sea. The waves crashed against the hull, making a "whoosh" sound that was particularly jarring in the silent night.

The captain stood by the railing on the ship's side, holding binoculars in his hand, his back ramrod straight, his face as pale as paper, and even his lips were trembling slightly. Several crew members and waiters surrounded him, all with solemn expressions and eyes full of fear. The searchlight focused its beam on the distant sea, instantly illuminating the ten rapidly approaching modified fishing boats clearly.

The fishing boats were fitted with sharp metal rams at the bow, clearly specially modified, with only small windows visible. Several dark figures stood on the ship's side, seemingly holding weapons; under the searchlight, the gleam of blades could be vaguely seen. Several others were carrying long metal boarding ladders, ready to climb onto the cruise ship's side at any moment, their hostile intentions obvious.

Huang Kun and his team quickly escorted the eight bandits to the captain's side. The team members immediately pushed the bandits to the railing of the ship's side, tightly tied their necks with thick hemp ropes, and stretched half of their bodies over the railing. With just a little force, these bandits would fall into the vast sea and become food for sharks.

Sensing the threat of death, the bandits struggled even more violently, their fear reaching its peak, and the gags in their mouths made even more rapid, muffled sounds.

The captain took a deep breath, trying to calm his trembling hands, picked up the megaphone beside him, and shouted at the rapidly approaching fishing boat: "Listen up, you over there! We've captured all your men! If you dare take another step closer, I'll throw them all into the sea to feed the fish! You'd better retreat immediately, or we'll all die together!"

The sound from the loudspeaker echoed across the sea, trembling slightly, yet still carrying far into the night. The fishing boats in the distance indeed slowed down, stopping a hundred meters from the cruise ship. A stir arose among the shadowy figures on the gunwales, seemingly discussing something. At that moment, everyone on deck held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the fishing boats.

The sea breeze whipped up waves that lapped against the hull, causing the cruise ship to rock slightly. The atmosphere was so tense that even breathing felt heavy and terrifying.

Liu Xiang witnessed everything that happened on deck. The cruise ship had suddenly lost speed, and the captain's attempts to calm him had made him wary. The lively atmosphere of the banquet no longer put him at ease, so he excused himself and went to check on the deck. As soon as he pushed open the deck's iron door, the salty sea breeze hit him, and the scene before him made his pupils shrink instantly.

Huang Kun and his security team held eight bandits hostage by the railing. The captain shouted into the sea through a megaphone. Ten modified fishing boats were watching them menacingly in the distance. The security team members on the deck were only armed with rubber bullet guns and batons. Their poor weaponry was immediately apparent to Liu Xiang.

The sea breeze, carrying a fishy smell, swept across the deck, lifting the hem of Liu Xiang's clothes. He stood at the corner of the deck, his gaze fixed on everything before him, his fingers slightly clenched. The fishing boats on the sea remained anchored there, showing no sign of retreating. The struggle between hostages and pirates had only just begun.