Chapter 103

“What are everyone’s thoughts?”

After a round of discussion, a middle-aged minister spoke up. Longxia had 7.2 million tons of grain in reserve, but unless absolutely necessary, they would never hand it over to these pirates. Giving in to their demands would mean that every overseas citizen of Longxia would become a walking ration ticket.

“We’ve already contacted the Wyman Strait naval forces. Minister Li is currently formulating a plan to eliminate the pirates in the Wyman waters.”

Longxia maintained a permanent naval presence in the Wyman Strait. The navy was confident in their ability to wipe out the pirates, but the operation was complicated. Some countries were accusing Longxia of violating territorial sovereignty and opposed the operation, which introduced a degree of uncertainty to the rescue mission.

After another round of discussion, the middle-aged minister asked wearily, “Has there been any response from the Wyman nations?”

The moment the pirates’ coordinates were confirmed, Longxia had sent maritime transit requests to various countries. To avoid alerting the enemy, they had sent the documents to twenty-seven nations. Seventeen hours had passed since the requests were sent. If no replies came, Longxia would have no choice but to act in the interests of its own people.

The secretary shook his head. “None.”

“Contact—” The minister was about to reach out to the frontlines when the phone suddenly rang.

“This is Li Hai, Navy Minister of Longxia, ID 3A9923, reporting in!” came the voice over the line.

The minister listened carefully, then hung up in a daze.

“Well?” Liu Wensheng asked impatiently.

The minister looked up. “They agreed.”

“The Wyman nations agreed to grant passage?”

“Yes.” The minister nodded, then added, “Not just twenty-seven… fifty-three countries have agreed.”

There were fifty-three nations bordering the Wyman Strait. Longxia had only sent requests to the coastal states, but in addition to the original twenty-seven, the remaining countries had also called in to express their willingness to assist Longxia in the pirate eradication operation.

The moment the replies came in, the minister gave the order: “Issue the command—Minister Li Hai will have full authority over the anti-piracy operation!”

The fact that all fifty-three nations had granted passage was completely unexpected. At that moment, everyone had only one thought: this mission must succeed. They had to show the world that Longxia’s cargo ships weren’t easy targets. If you dared to hijack a Longxia vessel, you would bear the full consequences.

…

The support from the fifty-three nations wasn’t just lip service. As soon as Longxia sent out the alert, each country mobilized its navy to conduct a sweeping search of the four maritime zones around the Wyman Strait. The night of February 5th was eerily quiet, but beneath the surface, the Wyman Strait was a storm brewing.

“This is the southern sea of Delu. Some fishermen reported seeing suspicious vessels here,” said Yorka at 3:00 a.m. on February 6th, aboard a white naval ship. Yorka was a Delu naval officer assisting Longxia in the search operation.

Li Hai opened a detailed map of the waters near Delu. A day earlier, Longxia’s military had pinpointed the pirates’ location within a 500-li radius of Delu’s maritime zone. The area contained nearly a hundred islands of various sizes. Due to the complex terrain, they couldn’t use professional submersibles or diving vessels, and had to rely on small boats to encircle the area from the outside.

“The pirates are likely at the three o’clock position relative to Delu,” Yorka said, pointing at the map.

Li Hai looked at him in surprise.

“We cleared that area tonight,” Yorka said, lifting his communications device.

The hijacked vessel was a heavy cargo ship. A vessel of that size couldn’t evade all international surveillance. The moment cooperation was established, the fifty-three nations began a coordinated sweep. They didn’t have cutting-edge tech, but with the sheer number of ships traveling between ports every day, the pirates’ position became as obvious as a turtle in a jar.

After analyzing the coordinates with his team, Li Hai gave the order for a full naval encirclement. In addition to Longxia’s navy, other nations also dispatched their own naval forces to assist. By 3:00 a.m., the Wyman Strait was closed to all traffic. The entire strait was shrouded in a chilling aura of impending battle.

…

“What’s going on?”

“No idea.”

At 3:10 a.m., Zhang Zhengjie and the others were jolted awake by a commotion. Pressing their faces to the window, they saw figures darting back and forth outside. Women, children, and the elderly were all armed. In the distance, the silhouette of an aircraft flickered across the sky. The village was tense, the atmosphere grim.

Just as they were about to keep watching, the door was kicked open with a loud bang. Five pirates stormed in and dragged them out to a hidden slope behind the village, where over fifty crew members were already tied up.

“###!” one of the pirates cursed as he tied their hands.

Zhang Zhengjie looked up. Most of the pirates had gathered on the slope, all armed and unusually serious. His heart sank. Based on years of watching crime thrillers, he knew exactly what this meant—this was the prelude to execution, a last-ditch move before rescue forces arrived.

“Doo-doo—” A ship’s horn blared in the distance. Flashing lights flickered through the darkness, confirming his suspicion.

“####!”

“#######!”

The pirates cursed all around them. The tension was palpable, and the crew members stiffened in fear.

At 3:30 a.m., Aike dragged Zhang Zhengjie out. Soon after, he and five others were brought to the front of the slope.

Aike yanked Zhang Zhengjie by the hair. “Your country’s people are here.”

Zhang Zhengjie tried to stay calm. “If you surrender now—”

Bang! Aike kicked him hard.

Zhang Zhengjie wisely shut his mouth. He’d been in the village for three days, and in that time, he’d pieced together the truth. These people weren’t just Harma crew members. They were mercenaries working for oligarchic corporations, tasked with handling high-risk toxic waste. They had influence both in Harma and on the international market.

It was precisely because of their powerful connections that they dared to hijack a Longxia cargo ship.

“Have you ever thought about Kaman Nation…” Zhang Zhengjie asked. Kaman Nation was one of the hardest-hit countries by Harma—half of its seventy thousand citizens were already dead.

“That’s a backward country,” Aike sneered.

“Then where’s your country?”

“I don’t need a country.”

Aike was about to start kicking again when the phone in his backpack rang. The caller was speaking the common tongue, and Zhang Zhengjie caught a few words like “powerless” and “you’re safe.” Half an hour later, Aike slammed the phone to the ground and strode off in the direction of the pirate leader.

“You were way too bold just now,” a sailor whispered. The tension between Zhang Zhengjie and the pirates had been thick enough to ignite, and he’d feared the pirates might start shooting at any moment.

“Still alive…” Zhang Zhengjie’s legs felt like jelly.

At 4 a.m., the island was suddenly filled with the blare of sirens. Lights flashed all around, and soon, Longxia soldiers began to appear from every direction. Alongside them were several unidentified military units whose national origins were unclear.

“######.” A diplomat stepped forward to negotiate.

“#####!” The pirates responded with intense hostility.

For the next two hours, both sides were locked in fierce negotiations. Zhang Zhengjie didn’t understand Kamanese, but he could feel the growing panic among the pirates. The Longxia navy maintained a clear and overwhelming upper hand throughout.

At 6 a.m., the pirate leader descended from a dirt mound. After a heated exchange of words, he finally signaled his men to lay down their arms. One by one, the pirates complied. Aike glared from the back, eyes burning with fury, but in the end, he too had no choice but to surrender.

As the morning sun rose over the sea, Zhang Zhengjie squinted toward the horizon and saw the national flags fluttering atop the distant ships. The sunlight today seemed especially brilliant. Half an hour later, the crew members were carried away on stretchers, and the pirates were escorted onto designated military vessels.

International Daily: 6 a.m., February 6th—The Longxia Navy, in coordination with 53 nations, successfully dismantled a pirate hostage crisis. A total of 326 pirates were apprehended.

Pirate leader Mande confessed: The hijacking was orchestrated under the direction of several international grain corporations. Further investigation is underway.

…

For the next two days, international headlines were dominated by follow-ups on the Ship Hijacking Incident.

According to global media reports, the Wyman Pirates, led by Mande, weren’t professional pirates. With shipping profits plummeting, they had already struck deals with major global grain companies like HHSA and Gulda. As long as they could seize food supplies, these corporations were willing to purchase the goods—and, when necessary, provide assistance.

These were well-known food conglomerates. That backing gave the Wyman Pirates the confidence to carry out blatant daylight robberies. According to their plan, even if they were discovered, the grain companies would ensure a safe extraction. But things didn’t go as expected—Longxia joined forces with 53 countries, sealing off all air and sea routes.

They were pirates, yes—but they weren’t going to die for nothing. After being betrayed by the grain companies, they decided to drag them down too, hoping it might improve their chances of survival.

“This is slander.”

“HHSA has always operated in accordance with international law. We categorically deny any involvement in food theft.”

…

The moment the pirate leader’s confession was released, multiple grain companies rushed to distance themselves. Key evidence was destroyed, and the entire incident devolved into a Rashomon—a tangled web of conflicting accounts.

While the world remained fixated on the cargo ship crisis, on February 7th, the Prime Minister of Kaman submitted a formal dissolution request to the Shuilan Alliance: Kaman Nation was officially absorbed into twelve neighboring countries, including Weir and Canpesheng. Kaman Nation became history.

A country must have a defined territory to exist. With Kaman’s islands submerged, the world had long speculated this outcome, but when it finally came, there was still a collective sigh of sorrow.

…

7 p.m., February 7th. Shuilan Alliance International Prison. A guard sat across from Aike, conducting an interrogation.

“Name?”

“Charlemagne Aike.”

“Age?”

“Thirty-seven.”

After a few more routine questions, the guard asked, “Nationality?”

Aike paused. “Kaman Nation.”

The guard’s pen stopped mid-stroke.

“A poor, backward country,” Aike said with a bitter laugh. He held Kaman citizenship, and due to personal issues, had never been able to change it. Though he’d made good money over the years, every time he was asked about his nationality, a deep sense of shame would rise in him.

The guard glanced at him, then skipped over the nationality field and continued recording.

Aike noticed and sneered. “Not worth writing down?”

“It’s not that,” the guard replied, looking up. “Two hours ago, Kaman Nation officially filed for dissolution with the Shuilan Alliance.”

Aike’s mocking smile froze on his face, replaced by a blank, stunned expression.

…

Longxia Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Longxia will spare no effort in uncovering the truth behind the hijacking and will resolutely combat any conspiracy that threatens national security.

Longxia has launched a cargo ship investigation task force. If it is confirmed that grain corporations orchestrated the hijacking, all cooperation will be terminated, and formal appeals will be made to the Shuilan Alliance.

Longxia…

…

As Aike sat in stunned silence, Longxia issued three consecutive international statements.

It had been three days since the pirate hostage crisis ended, but the storm was far from over.