Chapter 78 The Traitor
"What's going on? Where did this enemy attack come from?"
Luo Yin's lunchbox fell to the ground, and she turned to look at the chaotic area.
Suddenly, several figures appeared near the bow of the Maria, seemingly doing something.
Luo Yin squinted and noticed that someone was shining a flashlight around randomly.
One, two, three, countless beams of light shot over.
"Wait, what's going on?"
Zhao Hongze had just finished organizing the important documents when he saw her staring blankly ahead.
Thinking the girl was frightened, he quickly pulled her over.
He then quickly instructed, "Girl, if something's wrong, come with me right away."
"Brother Zhao, something's not right with those people."
She pointed at the group of foreigners in front of her, her tone full of skepticism.
"Never mind that for now, let's hurry and find Elder Xia and the others. We need to keep these documents safe."
Comrade Zhao ignored everything and quickly led her to the side of the deck, where Huo Sen and others on patrol also caught up.
"How is the situation?"
What are you doing here?
The two sides met and simultaneously brought up the topic.
"Captain Huo, be careful. I suspect those foreigners are acting strangely. They're flailing their flashlights around wildly. I suspect they're setting up live targets. Be careful," Luo Yin said in a heavy tone.
"We were just tidying up the documents over there. Where are Elder Xia and the others?"
"What? Xiao Luo, is what you said true?" Brother Du looked furious, then hurriedly said, "Oh no, then we're in trouble on both sides!"
"I understand the situation. You guys go first; Xia Lao has people protecting him. Leave this to us."
Hosen gave her a deep look, then added, "From now on, don't trust anyone, and don't open the door for anyone until I'm alive and Captain Jiang comes."
Jiang Cong considered the current situation and nodded in agreement.
Luo Yin glanced at them, then at Brother Zhao, and nodded nervously.
"Be careful, everyone, please stay safe."
The two sides quickly separated, and by then Xia Lao and the others had already moved.
Seeing Luo Yin being brought over, Xia Ming breathed a sigh of relief and then told everyone to leave quickly.
When they finally reached the cabin door, they heard gunshots.
"Everyone be careful, don't move forward, take cover."
Everyone started scrambling for their lives, but luckily they were quite familiar with the place after working there for many days.
Despite their disheveled appearance, the people had managed to separate.
"Who fired the shot?"
James was furious and couldn't believe that there was a traitor among his men.
They actually colluded with outsiders to deliver a fatal blow to him at this crucial moment.
Hearing the gunshots in the dead of night, his eyes turned bloodshot and his breathing quickened. "Where's Hatcher? Who exactly went to fetch me?"
He instinctively shouted, and soon Rowan, who was guarding outside the control room, rushed in.
"Sir, something bad has happened on the ship. First mate Hatcher, along with Albert and 15 others, has taken over the weapons room and supply room. It seems they've rebelled."
James's heart was bleeding. "What did you say, Hatcher and Albert?"
"How is that possible?"
He was further enraged when he heard the news that the weapons room and supply room had been forcibly seized.
Where are those people now?
Rowan held the little guy in his hand. "We just ran into that group of researchers. They've probably already started fighting."
"Take your men and come with me. Bring that guy back." Enraged, the captain led his men to the cabin entrance.
At that moment, the fighting was in full swing, with both sides firing shots from the shadows.
Without giving an inch, perhaps knowing who was on the other side, Hatcher ordered his men to unleash a barrage of fire, determined to quickly eliminate the threat and seize control of the ships.
"Rowan, you take your men and flank around to the rear. I'll guard this area."
Team Leader Huo followed closely behind, and he saw many comrades in the shadows. He was both anxious and angry, but he had to proceed according to plan.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
After several rounds of overwhelming firepower, Xia Lao and his comrades were forced into a disadvantageous position, and several of them were subsequently injured.
The researchers who witnessed the incident immediately helped the person up and hid them to the side.
Realizing that the opponent's method was weak, Hatcher gave another order. Looking at the fully armed, tall men who were already waiting, James' team and Howard's team became their home ground with just one command.
"Bang bang bang!"
"Puff puff puff~"
The successive hits and the sound of heavy objects hitting the ground effectively suppressed the opponent.
Hatcher's face hardened with rage, and he roared, his expression contorted with rage. "James, you bastard! You ambushed my brothers! These men are all dead because of you!"
Hatcher looked at his few remaining men; of the original dozen or so, only a handful remained.
Having clearly heard what was said, James's face showed disdain. "Hatcher, Albert, you have no chance. Put down your weapons and come out with your heads in your hands right now, and we can still talk... Otherwise..."
At the same time, some people were sent to help treat the wounded, and those who could stop the bleeding did so, but they still had to go down to find Dr. Yu.
"Old Huo, we need to get this done quickly. They can't wait any longer over there!"
Hossen nodded, gestured a few times to the captain, and then pointed his gun at the cabin.
"You...you're going to kill him?" "No, alive!"
Huo Sen glanced at her coldly, nodded slightly, and quickly moved away under the cover of night.
Albert looked panicked and tried to back away, but before he could move, something blocked him from behind.
"You dare to move again?"
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the conversation between the two sides, Hosen, who had already reached the cabin door, also saw what was happening here.
Hossen and his companion each took one shot and quickly agreed on the timing. In the instant they turned around and stood still, they each fired a shot.
"Bang bang!" One shot hit his right hand, and another hit his left shoulder.
"Ahhhhh~"
The man standing next to them screamed in terror as he watched the first mate and Albert fall.
He quickly turned and ran to the innermost part, his figure disappearing from sight!
"Quickly, arrest the suspect! Everyone else, stay on alert!"
"Go! Go! Go!"
James's men also rushed out, and the two sides took control of the scene one after the other. Then, the remaining small fry were also caught by Rowan.
The wounded were taken by Captain Jiang and others to be treated by Doctor Yu, while Huo Sen and the rest of the crew checked the cabins one by one.
I reappeared in the control room more than an hour later, thankfully there was another first mate in the cabin.
How far are the ships behind us?
"It seems there are less than 100 meters left, but it's strange that they haven't launched a sneak attack?"
Rowan's expression was serious, his blue eyes filled with doubt about the unknown situation.
"How did you contact them? What did they say?"
"It was confirmed that they appeared suddenly. Based on the previous engagement range, they should have been able to launch a successful sneak attack." But they didn't, so their intentions must be much bigger.
As Huo Sen and the others rushed to translate, Xia came up and heard this sentence.
"What's the current situation? Did the ships behind determine that?"
"Captain Huo."
"This is the latest update from Captain Chen."
After receiving the documents, Hossen quickly understood.
"I think we need to coordinate our actions!"
The gunfire on deck had stopped long ago, but the roar of the large ship behind us continued unabated.
Like a bell hanging above everyone's heads, rumbling and rumbling.
It kept playing non-stop!
"Are they preparing for a full-scale attack?"
"Captain Huo, there's new information."
"They said that the one following behind was the same pirate ship they encountered before, and judging from its style and size, it was the same one from that day."
"So, these pirates deliberately followed us, hoping to wipe us out in one fell swoop."
Xia quickly completed the bridge work, seizing every opportunity.
James's expression changed upon hearing this. "Oh no, are we on that island now?"
Someone nearby immediately chimed in, "According to calculations, it should be in the central part of the Thousand Islands, roughly between Gran Island and Guam."
"Where's that girl we were supposed to meet? We need to leave and move out quickly; we can't stop now."
“Young lady, you mean Xiao Luo?” Xia Mingjiang answered quickly, soon realizing what was going on.
"Yes, yes, Luo~"
"We need her to lead the way."
James stood with the map in his hand, gripping his gun tightly. He thought he probably knew why Hatcher had betrayed them.
According to the testimonies of the survivors, it appears that the man made a fortune.
It is said that the amount is huge and belongs to him alone without any risk, provided that they cooperate with the Black Legion pirates to take control of the Maria.
"So, based on my speculation, I suspect that the pirates behind this didn't launch a surprise attack because they wanted this ship." After all, in the dead of night, a cannon shot would definitely cause heavy losses.
“Black Legion pirates, but judging from the red ribbons tied to the ships we met that day, they should be Red Skull pirates,” someone questioned.
"Could it be that the two sides have joined forces?!"
"But what is their purpose?" Hosen questioned.
"I think we'll probably know by tomorrow morning." James changed the subject and continued to ask Xia about Luo Yin.
Xia Mingjiang glanced outside the door; it was said that Old Man Xia would come over as soon as he finished his work.
I had just started mentioning it when the person appeared out of nowhere.
"They've arrived!"
Xia Ming was followed by three people: Luo Yin, Sister You, and Ganda.
Apart from Old Xia, who looked mature and composed, the rest of them all looked ordinary.
Young, small, and timid – that was the first impression these foreigners had of him!
But they will soon realize just how much their ignorance has shocked them.
Based on the clues above, they originally planned to determine the location of the two nearby islands, whether Guam or Glen Island came first.
This is used to determine the ship's direction of travel, since all current navigation guides are no longer valid.
Using the sun, moon, or stars to determine direction is not reliable.
Even the method of determining direction based on the direction of ocean eddies doesn't work.
Their luck was really bad, absolutely terrible!
In the current situation, going into the water is a dead end, a desperate attempt to find a way out.
Therefore, it was only brought up by everyone now, and the most crucial one was Luo Yin, who could temporarily guide their sense of direction.
"Do you need my help?"
The crowd was crammed into a small area, next to the control room.
Of the eight players currently on the field, each side has selected four top players, with James even bringing out everyone who understands Chinese.
"Yes, there are many interesting islands in the Thousand Islands of the Philippines. Guam and Gran Island, which we visited this time, each have their own unique characteristics. Guam is particularly noteworthy because it is suitable for a large number of birds to live on. It not only has natural habitats but also food supplies, so many migratory flocks of birds will rest on the island."
"And that's exactly what you need to know. Because birds have been resting and roosting on Guam for a long time, there's naturally a lot of bird droppings on the island. With so many things mixed together and fermenting, the smell is bound to be very strong."
Luo Yin nodded after listening, "That's true!"
The people around nodded in agreement.
"What about Gran Island?"
"The captain and his crew provided more information about Glen Island. It is said that there is a very unique Glen tree on the island. It looks no different from ordinary trees, but after many years of growth and change, the tree itself emits a fragrance of orchids that is different from ordinary woody fragrances. Therefore, it has great potential in the market and is a new type of perfume raw material."
"And Luo Yin, you will need to take these eight people and use their sense of smell in the nearby waters to determine which island is Guam and which island is Gran Island."
After hearing about Elder Xia's mission, Luo Yin felt complicated and heavy-hearted.
She didn't know if others felt pressured and faced a daunting task when they heard the news.
As she slightly raised her eyes, she saw pairs of determined eyes looking at her from the opposite side.
Blue eyes and black eyes, Western faces and Eastern faces—at this moment, the presentation slides were surprisingly in sync.
Xia Ming suppressed his surging emotions, his tone tinged with guilt and pleading. "Comrade Xiao Luo, I know this task is difficult, and it's unfair to put such a heavy burden on you, but it's extremely urgent right now."
Luo Yin sighed, suppressing the panic in her heart.
"I understand, Elder Xia. When shall we depart?"
"You agreed?"
Luo Yin nodded, looking at the familiar faces: Captain Huo, Brother Meng, Brother Zhang, and Brother Liu.
Hosen clenched his fists nervously, feeling both anxious and apprehensive.
Seeing that she had actually agreed, my heart tightened.
She shouldn't have agreed.
But Hossen really had no right to say such selfish things.
He could only remain silent, clenching his fists and secretly vowing to protect her.
"There are a few more details I need to tell you before we set off."
James clenched his fists and finally managed a smile, his eyes shining as he looked at Loin as if he were seeing an angel.
He sternly warned the four to protect their angel, reminding them that they would only be able to find their way back with her by their side. He then made it clear that everyone would receive an extra bonus for this mission.
As long as they return safely with news, the bonus will more than double.
Rowan led the applause, excitedly indicating that there was no problem.
The remaining three also quickly expressed their support, saying they would protect her.
Eleven people gathered in a circle, listening to Mr. Xia and James explain the upcoming arrangements and itinerary.
It's 10 p.m. now, and there are at least 8 hours until dawn. Based on our prediction, the Red Skull pirate ship won't be moving tonight, so they have less than 8 hours to relocate.
If they can deliver the message within eight hours, they can take advantage of the situation and leave.
"Comrades, this mission is critical. Please take care and thank you for your hard work!"
"Dollar, Dollar, Dollar!"
Both sides cheered each other on and officially boarded the rubber rafts at 10:15.
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