Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

But the fear brought by the gunshots had already spread like a plague, and the commotion inside the cruise ship was even greater than on the deck. In the banquet hall, fragments of crystal chandeliers were scattered on the scarlet carpet, like shattered starlight.

The once-impressive champagne tower had collapsed, and the golden champagne, mixed with various Portuguese dishes and Cantonese dim sum, was smeared all over the table, making it greasy and sticky. The aroma of champagne still lingered in the air, but it had long been masked by the atmosphere of panic.

The guests had long lost their earlier elegance, now dressed in exquisite evening gowns and high heels, running around aimlessly, their expensive skirts crumpled and torn.

Some women were terrified, crouching under the table with their children in their arms, covering their ears tightly, tears streaming down their faces, their cries filled with a mournful and heart-wrenching sorrow.

Some men were unwilling to give up and tried to push through the crowd to rush onto the deck to see what was happening outside, but they were firmly stopped by the crew members responsible for calming them down. In the struggle, many people's clothes were torn.

The TVB and ATV producers, who were all smiles and holding gold-embossed business cards as they tried to get Liu Xiang to act in their shows, were now in a panic, squeezing into the stairwell with the crowd, muttering complaints about their bad luck. All traces of their previous composure had vanished.

Li Binbin was jostled about by the surging crowd, his juice glass shattered in the chaos, and his elegant white evening gown was stained with stains and spilled alcohol.

She gripped the carved railing tightly to steady herself, her gaze fixed on the iron gate leading to the deck, her eyes filled with unwavering worry, as she looked past the crowded people.

The burst of gunfire had already made her heart leap into her throat. She didn't know where Liu Xiang was, whether he was in hiding, or if he was safe. Her heart was hanging in mid-air, and even breathing felt heavy.

At that moment, Liu Xiang was crouching at the corner of the west side of the deck. When the gunfire suddenly rang out, he reacted extremely quickly, swiftly taking cover under the heavy lifeboat, barely escaping the deadly barrage. He saw the security guards huddled behind cover, trembling with fear, the bodies of the bandits hanging over the ship's side, and the deck riddled with bullet holes.

He glanced again at the rapidly approaching fishing boat, his clenched fist loosened slightly, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He had real skills; he wasn't afraid of close combat or street brawls. But the fact that the other party had an AK was a real weakness, and a slight mistake could lead to utter ruin.

The gunfire ceased completely. Armed fishing boats had dispatched small boats that were less than fifty meters from the cruise ship. By the faint starlight, the pirates' figures on the ship's side could be clearly seen. They were all covered with black cloth, revealing only pairs of fierce eyes, and were either carrying gleaming machetes or gripping thick steel pipes.

There were also four or five men on the previously armed fishing boat, carrying AK-47s, their guns pointed at the deck, watching menacingly.

Huang Kun took a deep breath, cautiously poked his head out, and quickly scanned the sea. His heart sank. The enemy outnumbered them and were armed, while his side only had eight members left, two of whom were wounded, and only a few rubber bullet guns and batons. They had no chance of winning. He gritted his teeth, about to yell at his teammates behind cover to fight back with their existing weapons!

Even if it was just a little delay, a tall figure emerged from around the corner, walking steadily towards him in the starlight.

The figure walking towards them was none other than Liu Xiang!

His face showed no panic or fear; his expression was calm, and his eyes were as steady as a towering mountain, as if the deadly barrage just now was nothing more than a trivial breeze to him.

Huang Kun stared at Liu Xiang approaching, momentarily stunned, then his brows furrowed deeply. He lowered his voice and said urgently, "Why didn't you leave? It's too dangerous here! Bullets don't discriminate. Quickly follow the passengers to the staff dormitory! At least there's some shelter there!"

"It would be truly dangerous if you left." Liu Xiang walked quickly to Huang Kun's side, squatted down, and spoke in a very low voice, but each word was clear and penetrating, drowning out the howling sea wind.

His sharp gaze swept across the fishing boats on the sea, and he analyzed rapidly, "Captain Huang, look closely, all the gunners are on the boats behind them. Those four or five AKs are constantly mounted on the gunwales, providing suppressive fire. They haven't sent a single armed man forward! The small boats are full of men carrying knives and steel pipes. They have fewer guns and are even more afraid that we'll disarm them and turn the tables on them, so they don't dare to send any guns forward!"

Huang Kun's heart skipped a beat. Reminded by Liu Xiang, he quickly held his breath and cautiously peered out, using the faint starlight to carefully examine the fishing boats on the sea. Just as Liu Xiang had said, the dark figures carrying AKs remained on the fishing boats, not moving an inch. Although their guns were pointed at the cruise ship, they hadn't fired again.

On those small boats, everyone was armed with cold weapons; the machetes in their hands gleamed coldly in the starlight, but there wasn't a single firearm in sight. His mind suddenly cleared; he had been so startled by the gunfire that he hadn't noticed such a crucial detail.

"Hiding now is useless. Once they climb up, take over the deck, and rush into the cabins, we won't even have a chance to fight back!" Liu Xiang continued, her tone incredibly firm, carrying a convincing power.

Huang Kun nodded in agreement, expressing his deep admiration for Liu Xiang!

Liu Xiang continued, "There are at least two hundred stewards and sailors on board, all of whom make a living at sea year-round. They're strong and healthy, and there are more than twenty martial arts instructors—all trained fighters, so their skills are all top-notch! Let's organize them, grab mop handles, wrenches, lifeboat oars, even wooden chair legs and metal trays—they can all be used as weapons. Let them all lie down on the ship's side and wait. As soon as they climb aboard, we'll beat them to a pulp!"

Huang Kun listened to Liu Xiang's analysis as he pondered all his thoughts.

Liu Xiang paused, then her eyes sharpened further as she continued, "If a fight breaks out, the people on the fishing boat will definitely not dare to continue firing. Just now, to intimidate, they directly killed three of their own! If they really opened fire again, with friend and foe mixed on the deck, it wouldn't just be a few of their own men dying, but most of them—that would be a heavy loss. They would never do something so unprofitable!"

These words were insightful and pinpointed the key to breaking the current deadlock. Huang Kun instantly realized that in this situation, passive defense would only lead to certain death, while proactive counterattacks offered a glimmer of hope! Liu Xiang's words were all reasonable; the pirates had fewer guns but more men, and a chaotic battle was their best chance of winning!

Huang Kun immediately picked up the walkie-talkie to explain to the captain, preparing to let the captain follow Liu Xiang's idea, which might be able to turn the situation around in one fell swoop.

The captain, busy calming the chaotic passengers on the other end of the walkie-talkie, was taken aback at first upon hearing Huang Kun's words, then his eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he immediately responded, his voice filled with excitement: "Roger! Arrange it right away! I'll go get the people myself!"

After hanging up the walkie-talkie, the captain immediately divided the crew around him into two teams. One team continued to guide the elderly, women and children to evacuate to the staff quarters, while the other team followed him to the galley, crew rest room and second-floor rest room to call for people. All the strong and able-bodied people were to gather on the deck, and they also searched for usable weapons.