Chapter 40
Gu Jing returned to the cabin but did not close the door. He leaned against the shadows on the inside of the door frame, his hearing and senses heightened to the extreme, capturing every movement on the ship.
The roar of the engines continued, but it seemed to be mixed with a different, more rapid sound, coming from afar. On the deck came the sound of hurried, but not hurried, footsteps. The shouts of the sailors were faintly audible, shredded by the sea breeze. An invisible sense of tension quickly spread throughout the ship.
They weren't Qin Zhengfeng's men. If they were pursuers from that old lunatic, they wouldn't be greeted with this level of security; more likely a direct exchange of fire. Qin Xiao's reaction was more like he was encountering an unexpected problem rather than an expected enemy.
So, who could it be?
Customs? Coast Guard? Or... some other predator smelling blood?
A few minutes later, footsteps came towards the cabin area where he was. Not one person, but a group of people.
Gu Jing slowly stood up, his muscles slightly tense, but no emotion could be seen on his face.
The person stopped at his door. It was Qin Xiao, followed by two tall, sharp-eyed sailors—more like mercenaries. Qin Xiao's face had lost its cynical slouch, replaced by a cautious, slightly annoyed expression.
"It looks like our peaceful days are over," Qin Xiao said, his tone lacking any tension. "Interpol, we're boarding the ship with a 'temporary maritime inspection permit.' It's nominally a spot check, but the objective is very clear."
Interpol?
Gu Jing's mind raced. Was it for the antibodies? Or for Qin Yu? Or... was it for him? He'd been under Qin Yu's protection (or imprisonment) for so long that he'd almost forgotten the dirty laundry he still carried, smeared by multinational pharmaceutical companies and certain other forces.
"How much do they know?" Gu Jing asked calmly.
"They don't know everything, but it's disgusting enough." Qin Xiao clicked his tongue, "They received an anonymous tip-off that the ship was suspected of illegally transporting highly dangerous biological agents and was involved in multiple international terrorist activities. The characteristics described in the tip-off... are very similar to the gadget we just got." He patted the antibody box in his pocket.
An anonymous tip? Qin Zhengfeng? Or someone else trying to muddy the waters?
"They're demanding a full inspection of the ship, including identity verification of all crew members and passengers." Qin Xiao looked at Gu Jing. "You, and the people you brought with you, are all illegal immigrants now. Your identities cannot withstand any scrutiny. Especially you, Gu Jing, the 'deceased' former heir of the Gu family, and the key figure involved in Qin Yu's unclear relationship... Your face is the biggest problem."
Once Gu Jing is discovered, Interpol's attention will be completely drawn, and the subsequent troubles will be endless. Qin Xiao's ship and plan will be exposed in the spotlight.
"What do you need me to do?" Gu Jing asked directly. The fact that Qin Xiao came to him instead of handing him over or hiding him meant that he had a plan.
Qin Xiao showed a somewhat satisfied expression. "It's unwise to deal with them head-on, but letting them search at will is not an option either. I have to deal with them. And you—" He pointed at his feet. "There's a hidden compartment in the lower cabin, originally used for 'cargo transport'. It's soundproof and isolated from scanning. You and your people, all go down. Don't make any sound until I deal with them. Act as if you never existed."
This was the safest way. To avoid on-site inspections, Qin Xiao might be able to temporarily forge identity documents or interfere with verification.
"Where are the antibodies?" Gu Jing asked. If this thing was found, it would be irrefutable evidence.
Qin Xiao smiled cunningly. "The most dangerous place is the safest place. Of course it followed me." He patted his pocket. "It's only natural for a prominent businessman to carry important medical samples developed by his company. They can't take them away by force, right?"
Gu Jing nodded silently. This was risky, but it was the only way to preserve the antibodies at the moment. Qin Xiao's identity and apparent legitimacy were his best protection at the moment.
"Hurry up." Qin Xiao signaled to a sailor behind him, "Take him down, and get the other two over as well. Clean up all traces of their stay."
"This way." The sailor gestured to Gu Jing in stiff Chinese.
Gu Jing followed without hesitation. When passing by Qin Xiao, he whispered, "Don't mess around."
Qin Xiao raised his eyebrows and whispered back, "Mind your own business. Remember, no matter what you hear, don't come out."
Gu Jing looked at him deeply, turned around and left quickly.
The air in the hold was dark and damp, a mixture of the complex smell of engine oil, rust, and mildewed cargo. The sailors skillfully moved several huge cargo boxes, revealing an extremely hidden entrance, only wide enough for one person to pass through.
In the medical room, Hai Dongqing (seriously injured but conscious) and 739 had been brought in, both with wary and questioning expressions. Seeing Gu Jing, they calmed down a bit.
"Go in," the sailor ordered, handing them a backpack filled with water and simple food. "Keep absolute silence."
The compartment was small, barely enough for three people. There was no light, only the faint hiss of the vents. The door was closed and locked from the outside, plunging into a dead silence. The faint scraping sound of the cargo box being pushed back into place could be heard, blocking out the last of the outside world's sounds.
In the darkness, all they could hear was each other's suppressed breathing.
Time became extremely long.
I don’t know how long it took, maybe only a dozen minutes, or maybe a few hours.
On the deck above, heavy footsteps and a faint conversation in English began to be heard. The inspectors had boarded the ship and were deep in the cargo hold area.
All three of them held their breath.
Footsteps were moving back and forth overhead, tapping and banging. Someone was asking something loudly, and the crew member leading the way was giving a vague explanation.
Suddenly, a sharp metal scraping sound was heard very close to the partition!
Someone seems to be moving the cargo box that is obscuring them!
Saker Falcon moved subconsciously, his wound being pulled, and he let out a very soft groan. 739 immediately reached out and covered his mouth tightly, almost stopping his breathing.
In the darkness, Gu Jing's eyes were as sharp as a knife, and his hand slowly reached for his calf - there was a life-saving knife hidden there, which was secretly given to him by 739 before.
The sound of the moving boxes stopped.
The inspectors outside seemed to be distracted by something else, and the footsteps gradually faded away.
The three people in the compartment still did not dare to relax and remained absolutely still.
After another agonizing period, the footsteps above my head finally disappeared completely, and the roar of the engine became the dominant sound again.
But they still weren't released.
Obviously, Qin Xiao's maneuvering is not over yet, or he needs to make sure that everything goes well.
Under the oppression of absolute darkness and silence, every second seemed to be stretched infinitely.
Gu Jing leaned against the cold cabin wall and closed his eyes.
He knew this was just the prelude to another storm.
Hiding and silence are never the end.
When the door opened again, he was ready whether to face Qin Xiao's smiling face or the muzzle of Interpol's gun.
His fingertips unconsciously touched the torn piece of paper in his pocket again.
This time, he had nothing to lose.
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