Soldiers' Assault: Veteran Special Agents and New Recruits

Chapter 389 Even Pirates "Get It"

The interior of the An Tai Shan was very large, and given the need to be wary of pirate attacks and act cautiously, searching for it was already very time-consuming.

Now, with the added interference of thick smoke, the difficulty of the search has more than doubled.

In order to speed up the search, Jackie Chan had to change the plan on the spot and find the source of the smoke first to put out the fire.

This also prevents the fire from spreading further and turning into a massive fire that could burn the entire ship.

Finding a source of fire is also very difficult!

It took Jackie Chan and his team nearly two hours, searching through many dead ends and wrong turns, before they finally found the source of the smoke.

At the far end of a passageway in the cabin, there was a pile of burning debris, including bed frames and tires.

"Who set this fire? And piled it up so much, completely blocking the passage. Is it the crew defending themselves? Using fire to prevent pirates from getting through? Or is it the pirates who did it, trying to smoke the crew out?"

Jackie Chan pondered silently, unable to make a judgment. The situation was too complicated, so he could only keep it to himself for the time being.

Xu Sanduo and Wu Liuyi were assigned to guard the area, while others were organized to search the surrounding area for fire extinguishers, water, fire blankets, and any other tools that could be used to extinguish the fire.

Since the fire had been burning for a long time, estimated to be at least an hour, most of the flammable materials had been burned, or only scraps remained, and the gasoline that had been poured out had turned to ash.

Therefore, the fire extinguishing process was not very troublesome, and the open flames were put out in just a few minutes.

Then they dug away the ashes, rinsed them with water, sprayed them with a fire extinguisher, and stomped on them or hit them with tattered clothes to completely extinguish the last embers.

Without the continued smoldering of the fire source, the smoke in the passage thinned at a visible rate.

In other words, once the open flames are extinguished, without the interference of flames and smoke, the situation at the other end of the passage can be clearly seen.

It was only then that Jackie Chan and the others discovered that there was a hatch in the middle of the area where the fire started.

After being baked and scorched by the fire for a long time, the hatch, like the surrounding walls, was completely blackened by smoke.

You wouldn't notice it unless you looked closely.

The fire started right in front of the door, which finally made Jackie Chan realize what was going on.

Even though the hatch hadn't been opened yet, Jackie Chan was absolutely certain that all the crew members were inside the cabin.

The fire outside was clearly set by the pirates.

The purpose of doing this was simply to fumigate the crew members hiding inside.

Jackie Chan could tell with the naked eye that the hatch was very thick, likely made of steel plates thicker than 10 millimeters.

The pirates' AK replicas were made with cheap lead-core bullets, not armor-piercing steel-core bullets.

It's actually quite difficult to penetrate it.

The crew members hid inside the hatch and refused to come out. The pirates had no way to break down the hatch, so all they could do was burn it.

The smoke from the fire seeped in, causing the crew inside the cabin to open the door because they couldn't stand it.

Even if the smoke cannot penetrate into the cabin, the fire in the passageway, if it continues to burn, can still heat the cabin walls and doors to high temperatures.

This caused the paint coating on the cabin walls and doors to char and smoke, or even catch fire, due to the high temperature.

It can also force the people inside the cabin out!

Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the pirates burned the fire for two hours without any effect, and the crew members did not come out; they remained inside.

On the contrary, the pirates themselves might not have been able to stand it and were driven away by the pungent smoke.

They must know the warships are coming, and Mingzhi is no match for them, has no hostages, and has no way to escape.

The pirates most likely chose to hide somewhere on the ship.

They planned to wait until the warships left before trying to escape.

Looking at the monstrous mind and the extensive practical experience he had accumulated, Jackie Chan had already figured out the ins and outs through simulation and deduction.

All that's left is to rescue the hostages!

"Report to explorers, this is a tank. No pirates have been found yet, but a suspected crew hideout has been located. Prepare to begin the rescue operation. Over."

Jackie Chan first reported the situation to the Yangzhou, and then led the way to the blackened cabin door.

"Knock knock knock".

Jackie Chan patted the door three times with his palm, then immediately went to the wall next to the door to prevent pirates from hiding inside from coming out and firing a burst of bullets at him.

Then he approached the door and shouted loudly, "Is anyone inside? We are the ZG Navy Commando Team, and we have been ordered to come and rescue you."

If you hear this, please open the door and come out. We will protect you and take you home safely.

Jackie Chan's fluent Mandarin immediately stirred up a commotion in the quiet cabin.

Having been trapped for nearly twenty hours in total, the crew members, who were on the verge of nervous breakdown, excitedly shouted back from inside.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness, we're saved."

"They are soldiers from China, they are from our country. Our motherland has come to save us, haha."

"Thank God, I survived! I, Liu Tian, ​​actually survived!"

……

The crew inside were so excited that they shouted various things, and at the same time, they started pulling the door bolts. With a screeching sound, the heavy hatch was pulled open from the inside, and beams of flashlight light shone out.

The power in the cabin had been cut off long ago, and only emergency lights could be used for illumination. However, after about twenty hours, the emergency lights had also run out of power.

Looking at the light shining from the flashlights, the crew members could clearly see the Flame Dragon Team outside the door.

If it were at any other time, the crew would definitely be intimidated by Jackie Chan's imposing figure appearing at the door.

But at this critical juncture, none of the crew members were afraid.

Not only are they not afraid, but they are also not afraid.

It even made me feel exceptionally at ease.

The ZG soldiers standing before them, like towering giants, represented absolute strength, enough to make the crew fear no enemy.

Jackie Chan immediately went over to help, asking who was in charge here and whether the captain was here.

"I am here!"

A bespectacled man in his forties raised his hand and squeezed to the front of the crowd.

"Chutou, you're in charge of leading the people out."

Jackie Chan arranged for Wu Ze to rescue the hostages, while he waved to the captain and said, "Come over here first, I have some things to check, please cooperate."

"Okay, okay."

The captain was now completely terrified. Faced with the "divine intervention" that could save him from dire straits, he was willing to cooperate wholeheartedly.

While Wu Zhe led the rescue team, Jackie Chan protected the hostages and led them to the outer deck.

He began to question the captain about various key issues.

It was discovered that the ship lost power because the captain, before leaving the bridge, not only damaged the ship's control systems but also cut off all power.

The culprit behind the mess in the cargo ship's bridge has finally been found.

The point that puzzles Jackie Chan the most—

The pirates set fire to the outside for two hours, which must have brought the inside of the cabin to a very high temperature. If no remedial measures were taken, the paint on the walls would definitely melt and eventually start to smoke under the intense heat.

The crew members were in a cramped safe room, so it's impossible for them to have stayed there until now and come out on their own.

The captain said this cabin is called the safe cabin, and it's specially prepared for anti-piracy purposes. He didn't expect it to be needed, but it saved his life today.

The captain's method of resolving this crisis was actually not a particularly clever one.

It's thanks to thorough preparation.

The safe room has an independent ventilation system, and unless you are a professional engineer with the ship's design blueprints, you simply cannot find the ventilation system's outlet.

Pirates were uneducated and even less knowledgeable.

A well-ventilated and oxygen-rich environment provides the most basic guarantee for survival.

In addition, the safe cabin contained some supplies, including essential drinking water, which played a crucial role at this time.

The crew heard that the pirates were going to set it on fire, and that the paint on the bulkheads was being burned and curled up.

After a brief period of tension and panic, someone thought of using water to cool it down, but pouring water directly had little effect; it would just run off as soon as it was splashed on.

There wasn't much water in the safe room to begin with, so using it like this wouldn't last more than a few minutes.

Ultimately, they took advantage of having more people, and someone came up with the idea of ​​wetting the clothes with water and then sticking the wet clothes to the wall.

This allows some of the water to remain on the walls of the storage tank for an extended period of time.

After the water on the clothes has dried, you can wet them again by pouring water on them to ensure that the paint on the bulkhead will not char or smoke due to high temperatures.

Although doing so would cause the cabin temperature to rise sharply, turning it into a very hot sauna.

But thanks to this ingenious solution, they managed to get through the most critical period and prevented the crew from being suffocated by the smoke.

It was in the high-temperature safe cabin that I was passively steamed in a sauna for two hours.

They had water but dared not drink it, saving it to save their lives.

The crew members were extremely thirsty after they came out; their throats were parched. They all went straight to the fresh water pipes, turned on the taps, and drank straight down the water until their bellies were round.

The deck had been completely cleared, confirming that no pirates were hiding anywhere.

Wu Zhe and the others did not stop them, but let the crew members make a ruckus on the deck, drinking water from the two taps.

When Jackie Chan and the captain finally came out, they counted the rescued personnel; there were a total of twenty-five people, including the crew and the captain.

"Reporting to the explorers, this is a tank. All hostages have been rescued and are currently concentrated on the aft deck. The pirates have not yet been found and are predicted to be in the lower deck or cargo hold. Requesting permission to continue the search. Over." Jackie Chan called out.

"Explorers received. Proceed with the operation. Make sure to wipe out all pirates. Over." Captain Zhang issued the order from the Yangzhou.

"Everyone is here, assemble."

At Jackie Chan's command, Wu Zhe and the others regrouped and lined up.

"The pirates are most likely still on board. There are two speedboats moored under the starboard side. The number of pirates is estimated to be between 6 and 10. In order to eliminate all potential threats and escort the cargo ship to safety, we must find them. Now we will begin to re-inspect the weapons and ammunition."

Jackie Chan briefly described the current situation and then gave the order to inspect the weapons and equipment.

Wu Zhe, Xu Sanduo, Zhuang Yan, Lao Pao, and Wu Liuyi checked the weapons and ammunition for malfunctions, and then replaced the batteries in their night vision goggles and high-powered flashlights to ensure they had sufficient power for the upcoming search.

The previous focus was on finding the crew members and preventing them from being kidnapped by pirates. Now that they have been rescued, the only remaining goal is to find all the pirates.

Even if they're hiding in some back alley right now, we'll drag them all out and kill them.

Excluding the areas previously searched, the Flame Dragon team, under Jackie Chan's command, maintained a small squad to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

This was Jackie Chan's first encounter with Somali pirates from the Gulf of Aden.

However, in his previous life, he had a very clear understanding of Somali pirates through news, military reports, and internal channels, and knew their characteristics.

The biggest difference between Somali pirates and Somali pirates is that they are very good at hiding.

Somali pirates, forced into piracy by the need to survive, are essentially still ordinary people, no different from any other.

When faced with insurmountable danger, Somali pirates would not choose to perish together with their captors.

Unlike vicious terrorists!

Somali pirates would first try to run away, doing everything they could to escape. If they realized they couldn't escape, they would choose to hide.

They would hide somewhere on the cargo ship they were going to kidnap, sneaking into every nook and cranny.

As long as you can squeeze in, it doesn't matter how dirty it is.

When the armed escorts who were supposed to be there couldn't find them, they assumed the pirates had left and withdrew. The crew, thinking they were safe, left the safe room.

The pirates will reappear.

Many pirates have gone through this process, and some of them accidentally discovered a "trick" that allowed them to decide whether to leave or carry out a second hijacking based on the situation.

This trick isn't complicated, but it always works.

Crew members who have been rescued are usually at their lowest point psychologically, completely unprepared, and easily hijacked by pirates.

therefore.

Some pirate gangs would even launch feigned attacks, causing all sorts of destruction from the start, and then pretend to leave while actually hiding.

Once the crew members walk out of the safe room, they can easily steal the goods.

Compared to forcibly attacking the hard and thick safe compartment, this method is much easier and has a lower risk factor compared to pirates.

Based on the current timeline, pirates at this stage have begun to "evolve".

It cannot be ruled out that there were pirates hiding on the ship, and that was exactly what they were planning. That's why they didn't make a sound after hearing the Yangzhou's airburst bombs and shouts, trying to pretend that they had already left.

If Jackie Chan can't find the pirates, the Antares will suffer a terrible fate.

In order to conduct a complete and thorough search of the entire ship, ensuring that every corner is searched, leaving no chance for the pirates, we must absolutely find them.

Jackie Chan spent nearly a minute checking the guns, ammunition, and equipment in the group.

They found the captain of the An Tai Shan again, explained the pirates' second hijacking to him, and asked him to find a crew member to guide the rescue team and ensure that the pirates had no chance.

The captain heard that the pirates might be hiding on the ship, waiting for the rescuers to leave before coming out to hijack them.

Their faces turned pale with fright!

Knowing that leading the rescue team was dangerous, he suddenly stopped being afraid when he thought about what would happen if they didn't find the pirates.

He immediately patted his chest and said, "Let me do it. No one knows this ship better than me. I'll be your guide."

"Don't be too nervous, just stay behind the group, there won't be any danger."

Jackie Chan patted the captain on the shoulder, giving the forty-something-year-old captain some courage, before turning to wave to his teammates and saying:

"Set off!"

With Jackie Chan's command, the Flame Dragon Team re-entered the cabin.

(End of this chapter)