The danger was approaching.
The cargo ship crew was excited when they saw the Chinese Navy vessel.
“Hurry! Sail towards our Navy!”
“Captain, the pirates are about to board our ship!”
“Move faster. Who wants to stop them with me?!”
“I will go out and fight it out with those bastards! Let’s go together!”
The cargo ship turned slightly towards the approaching Navy vessel, hoping to be rescued. A few bolder crew members grabbed poles, knives, and whatever weapons they could find. They bent over to dodge the bullets. Soon, they saw two hooks attached to ropes thrown onto the deck.
A few crew members rushed over to cut the ropes.
The ropes were thick, and the crew members could not cut them. They reached out for the hooks hoping to dislodge them.
But the next moment, bullets zoomed past their heads.
The crew members immediately retreated to the cabin.
Dong Xuebing also returned to the cabin, looking at the approaching Navy vessel. He reminded himself to be calm until he saw Qianqian. He must not act rashly as it might endanger Qianqian. These pirates would not think twice when killing their hostages. He needs to wait until he can confirm if Qianqian is in that main pirate boat.
When everyone had lost hope, the Navy vessel fired a few warning shots on the water. Water splashed up.
The Navy had seen them!
Those warning shots were to scare those pirates away.
The pirates stopped trying to board the cargo ship and hesitated. However, the main pirate ship flashed a spotlight. It was their leader giving them new commands. The pirates on the speedboats immediately sped to the other side of the cargo boat to take cover. They ignored the Navy’s warning shots and threw their ropes onto the cargo ship for boarding.
The pirates managed to get on board.
Five armed pirates boarded the cargo ship. Among them was a black man armed with an AK47. He seemed to be the leader of this team. The pirates pointed their guns and walked towards the cabin. They were laughing.
The pirates shouted towards the cabin.
Niu Dazhao and the rest could not understand but could guess what they meant. The pirates wanted them to surrender.
Niu Dazhao looked at his crew and sighed. They would be dead if the Navy could not reach them in time.
“We are going to die!”
“I will fight it out with them! They are too much!”
“Don’t be rash! They have guns!”
Everyone knew they stood no chance against the pirates. No matter how brave they were, they could not stop bullets. They started to move to the back of the cabin quietly.
Around fifteen seconds passed.
The pirates saw no one had come out from hiding, and they started shooting.
Bang… bang… bang…. Bullets were flying everywhere.
The crew screamed in horror and ducked to the ground. A few timid crew members started crying.
The pirates laughed when they heard the crew members’ cries. One of them kicked the cabin door. The door lock was damaged, and it was kicked open easily.
The five pirates rushed into the cabin and saw the crew squatting in a corner. They looked at each other and spoke in their language. Two of the pirates pointed their guns at the crew members and shouted. The crew members, including Captain Niu Dazhao, did not move. They had given up on retaliating. The three remaining pirates went over to them with ropes and tied them up.
The crew members’ hands were tied.
Captain Niu Dazhao’s hands were tied, and it was Dong Xuebing’s turn.
The crew members were terrified, and only Dong Xuebing remained calm. He looked at the pirates, and one of them started to tie his hands.
The black man nodded and said something in his language.
The rest of the pirates dragged everyone out to the deck and made them stand in a line, facing the Navy vessel.
The Navy vessel was fast and very near to the cargo ship.
Bang… bang… bang…. The Navy vessel fired a dozen rounds into the sea as a warning.
The pirates thought nothing and continued to joke around.
Dong Xuebing can see about a dozen men in military uniform onboard the Navy vessel. They were holding up their guns at the pirates. An officer, which seemed to be a Colonel, was standing at the back of the deck. Dong Xuebing knew these soldiers should be here to deliver the ransom and that the Colonel should be this ship's top leader.
Both sides entered a stalemate.
The soldiers were pointing their guns at the pirates, and the pirates were hiding behind their hostages, pointing their guns at them.
Finally, the main pirate boat started to move slowly towards them. That man with a mustache made a few gestures, and his men entered the cargo hold of their boat.
Dong Xuebing, who was tied up, looked at the approaching main pirate boat. He could see them now.
The few pirates, who went into the cargo hold, returned to the deck with a hostage each. The hostages were the captured crew from the hijacked Chinese ship a few days ago. They were looking listless, and their hands were covered with wounds.
Dong Xuebing’s eyes narrowed. It’s them. He had seen those men’s faces from the pictures, and Qianqian was abducted with them.
Where is my daughter?
The pirate came out last and was holding something in his hand. Dong Xuebing saw him and was furious.
That pirate was holding Qianqian.
Qianqian looked sick and was too weak to cry.
Dong Xuebing took a deep breath. Alright. Since I found my daughter, all of you are dead!