The fishing boat rocked violently in the torrential rain, its diesel engine emitting a dying roar. Zhou Yuan clung to the rusted railings as the salty water mixed with rain slapped her face.
She looked back and saw that the flashing police lights on the dock had become blurred dots of light, but three speedboats were cutting through the waves in pursuit.
"Get in the cabin!" Captain Lao Geng grabbed her arm. "We're about to enter a thunderstorm!"
The cabin was filled with the smell of fish and diesel.
Lin Man knelt on the damp deck, bandaging Zhou Ziqian's abdominal wound with torn sheets. Blood mixed with rainwater slithered across the iron plate like small scarlet snakes.
"Mom...chip..." Zhou Ziqian weakly pointed at the teddy bear in Zhou Yuan's arms.
His lips had turned pale, but his eyes were remarkably clear. "The black account book Old K mentioned... is in the bear's eyes..."
Zhou Yuan trembled as she unbuttoned the teddy bear's right eye. The microchip glowed coldly under the dim cabin light.
Even more shocking was the number engraved on the back of the button: S-17-0923.
"It's the safe deposit box number..." Lin Man suddenly covered her mouth, "Your father stored something in Bangkok..."
Suddenly, a loud bang erupted from the stern, and the entire ship tilted violently. Lao Geng roared from the cockpit, "They're firing! Hold on tight!"
The first speedboat had closed within fifty meters. A searchlight pierced the rain, and Zhou Yuan saw three men in black tactical uniforms standing on the speedboat. The one in front was holding a sniper rifle.
"Lower your head!" Lao Geng turned the steering wheel sharply.
The bullet shattered the cockpit glass and sparked on the iron plate.
The fishing boat zigzagged among the waves like a drunkard. Zhou Yuan's stomach churned, and vomit mixed with the smell of blood rose up her throat.
Zhou Ziqian suddenly struggled to his feet, the bandage on his abdomen instantly soaked with blood. He stumbled towards the tackle box in the corner and pulled out an old-fashioned spear gun from the bottom.
"Are you crazy?" Lin Man wanted to hold him back.
"Remember... Dad taught me..." Zhou Ziqian smiled wryly and handed the speargun to Zhou Yuan, "Aim... at the thruster..."
The deck heaved wildly beneath her feet. Zhou Yuan lay prone on the slippery side of the boat, the sight of her speargun swaying violently in the waves.
The speedboat was thirty meters to starboard, and the sniper had already remounted his weapon.
"Hold your breath..." Zhou Ziqian held her hand from behind, "Now!"
The harpoon, carrying the steel cable, shot out of the air and accurately hit the engine at the rear of the speedboat.
The exploding fireball illuminated the sea surface, and the speedboat spun like a top and sank into the waves.
"Well done... well done..." Zhou Ziqian slid to the ground, blood oozing out from between his fingers.
The moment the fishing boat rushed into the thunderstorm area, the whole world suddenly became quiet.
In the eerie calm, Zhou Yuan saw dark clouds spinning overhead into a huge funnel, and the sea water formed a whirlpool as if stirred by an invisible hand.
Old Geng turned the steering wheel frantically, the wrinkles on his face filled with salt grains.
"May Mazu bless you..." the old fisherman muttered, and suddenly pointed to the distance, "What is that?"
A flash of silver light pierced the dark clouds. Zhou Yuan squinted and saw that it was a low-flying helicopter. The words "Coast Guard" on the fuselage flickered in the lightning.
"They are not pursuers!" Lin Mangang showed joy, but his expression suddenly froze - the side door of the helicopter opened, and someone was setting up a rappelling rope.
Zhou Ziqian coughed violently: "It was the Shen family... who bribed them..." He pointed to the secret compartment under the cockpit, "There... is a flare..."
At this moment, the second speedboat collided with the fishing boat. Amid the sound of metal tearing, Zhou Yuan saw two men in black leaping onto the deck, their machetes gleaming coldly in the lightning.
Lao Geng suddenly took out a rusty revolver: "Take them to the lifeboat!" He shouted something in Teochew dialect into the communicator, then pushed open the cockpit door and rushed out.
At the moment the lifeboat was lowered, the fishing boat was hit by the third speedboat and tilted 45 degrees.
Zhou Yuan held the signal gun tightly and saw Lao Geng standing on the gradually rising deck, firing continuously at the helicopter.
"Hold on tight!" Lin Man bit the life rope with his teeth and controlled the boat with one hand.
Zhou Ziqian was lying at the bottom of the boat, his face pale.
Signal flares exploded like red fireworks in the dark clouds. Unbelievably, a light suddenly appeared on the distant horizon—a Panamanian freighter turning.
"They...saw..." Zhou Ziqian's voice grew weaker. He tremblingly took out half a chess piece from his pocket and stuffed it into Zhou Yuan's hand. "Bangkok...Chinatown...chess shop..."
The moment the lifeboat was thrown up by the huge waves, Zhou Yuan saw the fishing boat was finally swallowed by the waves.
Lao Geng's figure flashed in the helicopter searchlight, and then disappeared forever in the boiling sea.
The freighter's whistle blared through the air. When the lifeboat finally reached the rope net lowered by the freighter, Zhou Yuan discovered that Zhou Ziqian's hands were already cold.
Lin Man pried open her son's clenched fist, revealing a blood-soaked photo inside - Zhou Hui standing in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, with a man wearing sunglasses standing behind him. The date was written in the corner of the photo: 2009/09/23.
In the cabin of the Panamanian cargo ship "Emerald", Zhou Yuan was wrapped in a blanket and shivering all over.
Lin Man sat opposite her, holding the blood-soaked photo in her hand, her eyes empty.
"September 23, 2009..." she murmured, "This is the day your father first went to Bangkok to discuss 'business'."
Zhou Yuan stared at the man wearing sunglasses in the corner of the photo, her heart pounding. "Who is he?"
Lin Man's fingertips gently brushed across the photo, and her voice was hoarse: "Chen Yanxiu."
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