Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

Once in the car, Liu Xiang leaned back in his seat, outwardly calm but inwardly racing. He knew this trip would be anything but easy; the other party's questions were far from simple. However, he couldn't yet fathom their purpose, so he could only proceed cautiously, taking it one step at a time.

The car drove for about half an hour before finally stopping outside a secluded courtyard. Liu Xiang was taken into a simple meeting room in the courtyard and interrogated for two whole hours. The questions were all about the pirate leader. Liu Xiang became more and more certain that the other party's target was not him at all, but the leader of that group of pirates.

As expected, the middle-aged man finally laid his cards on the table, asking Liu Xiang to stay in Penang as bait to lure out the pirate leader Black Shark. He threatened her with intentional homicide and forced prosecution, while promising a reward of 300,000 US dollars and helping her with her return to China.

Liu Xiang cursed the shamelessness in his heart, but he also knew that it would not be easy to get away now. He could only pretend to agree and put forward three conditions, which the other party agreed to one by one. In the end, he was given a specially made mobile phone and told that he was free to move around from the next day and only needed to report his whereabouts every day. That afternoon, Liu Xiang was taken out of the courtyard by the black car and regained his freedom. It was also arranged for him to stay in a bed and breakfast.

Liu Xiang pushed open the door and entered the courtyard of the guesthouse. The courtyard was not large, but it was clean and tidy. There were several coconut trees and many green plants and potted plants. There was a rattan table and chairs in the corner, which exuded a peaceful and homey atmosphere. A middle-aged woman in her forties was sitting in the courtyard picking vegetables. She was wearing a simple floral top, with healthy wheat-colored skin and gentle eyes. When she saw Liu Xiang come in, she immediately stood up with a smile.

This lady is the owner of the guesthouse. Her name is Lin Lizhu, and everyone calls her Sister Zhu. She is a native Penang Chinese. Her ancestors came from Fujian and have been working hard here for generations. She is warm and kind, very efficient, and speaks fluent Mandarin.

"We're both Chinese, so it's easy for us to talk!" Sister Zhu smiled happily and warmly led Liu Xiang inside. "There are two empty rooms on the second floor with excellent natural light. Let me show you, and you can choose one to stay in."

Liu Xiang followed Sister Zhu upstairs. Both rooms were clean and tidy, simple and unpretentious, with a wooden bed, a desk, and a small balcony. Liu Xiang chose the room on the east side, which had a good view and could see the courtyard and the distant harbor, making it easy to observe the situation. It was a safe room with both offensive and defensive capabilities.

"It's good for you to stay here. You can get sunshine in the morning, and it's not damp. I clean it every day. Just let me know if you need anything, don't be shy." Sister Ah Zhu helped him put his luggage away and thoughtfully reminded him, "The kitchen is on the first floor. I'll cook all three meals, all home-style dishes. If you don't like Malay food, I'll cook Chinese food for you. I can make rice, noodles, and stir-fries. I guarantee it will suit your taste."

Liu Xiang nodded and thanked her, "Thank you for your concern, Sister Azhu. I'm fine with any of your tastes."

"It's only right to entertain guests!" Sister Zhu waved her hand with a smile. "You tidy up first, dinner will be ready in a bit. My mother-in-law is busy in the kitchen. Her braised Hokkien dishes are super delicious. I'll let you try some later."

Liu Xiang agreed, and Sister Azhu turned and went downstairs to get busy. After putting his luggage away, his first task was to check the room. The doors and windows were secure and there was nothing unusual. He then made simple marks behind the door and near the balcony window to ensure that anyone who had moved in would be notified immediately. Next, he took out the checks he kept close to his body, confirmed they were intact, and then hid them again.

Finally, he hid the sharp dagger he had prepared beforehand under his pillow, and only then did he feel a little relieved.

Just as he finished tidying up, Sister Zhu called out from downstairs, "Sir, dinner is ready, come down and eat!" Liu Xiang responded and went downstairs. The dining room was next to the living room on the first floor. A small round table was set with four dishes and a soup, which smelled delicious. There was braised Fujian cuisine, steamed fish, stir-fried vegetables, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and a bowl of winter melon and pork rib soup. All of them were authentic home-style Chinese dishes.

Sitting at the table was an elderly woman with gray hair, kind eyes, wearing a blue floral short jacket, and full of energy. She was serving food to Liu Xiang. She was Sister Zhu's mother-in-law.

Grandma Chen, who is over seventy years old, is still nimble and has excellent cooking skills. When she saw Liu Xiang coming over, she smiled very kindly: "Young man, please sit down and have a seat. Try the braised dishes I make. It's a family recipe that many guests love. They are all home-style dishes, so please don't be picky."

"You're too kind, Grandma. It looks delicious. Thank you, Grandma." Liu Xiang smiled as she sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite of the braised dish. It was tender, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned—absolutely delicious. She couldn't help but praise, "Grandma, your cooking is amazing! It's even more authentic than what I had back home!"

Grandma Chen beamed with joy at the praise, her eyes crinkling into slits as she kept piling food onto Liu Xiang's plate: "Eat as much as you like. You look tall and strong, you must be able to eat a lot. You need to eat more to have energy. You can't go hungry when you're traveling."

Sister Ah-Zhu also said with a smile, "My mother-in-law is a very good cook. She used to run a small restaurant in Chinatown, but she closed it down when she got old. Our guesthouse guests all love to eat the meals my mother-in-law cooks."

During the meal, the three chatted. Grandma Chen was the most talkative. She asked Liu Xiang where she came from in China and whether she was visiting Penang. Liu Xiang gave a vague answer, saying that she came from the north and originally wanted to go back to China, but something came up and she could only stay in Penang for a few days.

Grandma Chen didn't ask any more questions, but just kept nagging and advising: "Then you must have a good time to explore Penang. Now is a good time to visit, the weather is comfortable, but it's not very peaceful lately. There are many pirates in the coastal waters, so don't go to remote areas by the sea. The coast guard said it's not safe recently."

Sister Ah-Zhu chimed in, her voice tinged with worry: "Yes, sir, I heard recently that a fishing boat was robbed by pirates, and the coast guard couldn't handle it all. You must be extra careful while you're out there alone. Try not to go out at night. Our residential area is safe, but the beach area is very chaotic."

Liu Xiang's heart skipped a beat, and she deliberately asked, "Sister Zhu, Grandma, have you heard of Black Shark? I think he's the leader of that pirate gang in the coastal waters."

Upon hearing this, both Granny Chen and Sister Zhu's expressions changed slightly. Granny Chen quickly waved her hand and lowered her voice, saying, "Young man, don't mention that name carelessly! Black Shark is a ruthless and vicious criminal with hundreds of men under his command. He runs rampant in the coastal waters, robbing fishing boats and hijacking cargo ships, committing all sorts of evil deeds. Even the coast guard can't do anything about him. We ordinary people don't dare to mention him, lest we get into trouble!"

Sister Azhu nodded, her face full of fear: "That's right, this guy is a monster. Everyone in this area avoids him. I heard he's extremely vengeful, and anyone who offends him will suffer a terrible end. You must never mention him to anyone outside."

Seeing this, Liu Xiang stopped asking questions and simply nodded with a smile. He became more and more certain that Black Shark was indeed arrogant and domineering, and had a great reputation in this area. It wouldn't be difficult to lure him out, but the risks were greater than expected. He had to be more cautious and never reveal his purpose. He also hoped to finish this soon and return to China.