Everyone knew that their lives had been saved, but there was no joy in their hearts.
They were tricked into going to sea by promises of high returns. Although they have survived, they all understand that they may spend the rest of their lives in pain.
Most of the divers who went to sea on these two occasions will likely suffer from decompression sickness.
For impoverished families like theirs who lack the financial means to afford medicine and medical treatment, the rest of their lives are spent enduring hardship with the aid of crutches.
At the captain's command, the ship began to slowly turn around.
The captain glanced at the remaining sailors on deck, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
These scoundrels, if used properly, could actually generate such huge profits.
The remaining group are all truly skilled.
We need to find a way to make them work for us forever.
After all, even if a scoundrel is worthless, a life still costs two thousand dollars.
The captain stroked his chin, winked at the tall man, and the two of them went into the cabin together.
"Uncle Dasheng, how are you?" Here, let me massage you. Does it still hurt?
"It's alright now. Judging from their appearance, we're safe. We'll never come here again."
"Uncle Dasheng, you must hold on! Xiaoyu is still waiting for us at home!"
Xiaoyu is Xu Dasheng's only daughter, and he risked his life to go to sea with her this time for the sake of his frail and sickly daughter.
He was forty years old after all, and his body couldn't compare to that of a young man. He sat hunched over on the deck, looking ashen and with an air of decaying old age about to pass away.
As Si Gui spoke of his beloved daughter, the ashen look on his face slowly faded.
"Yes, Xiaoyu is still waiting for me at home, I can't let anything happen to her."
"Come on, press down on my spine and tailbone again. You went too deep this time, too much nitrogen entered my body. I can't use my bones at all, it feels like being pricked with needles."
"Alright, alright, let me massage you first. You're young, you can't ruin your health. You have a long road ahead of you. I'm old, and I'm practically halfway to the grave anyway."
"It's okay, Uncle Dasheng, I'm not in pain. Let me massage it for you first."
"Come on, be good, turn around while I still have the strength."
Inside the cabin, the captain took off his coat and casually hung it on the coat rack by the door. He then gestured to the tall man behind him towards the small sofa in front of him.
The tall man nodded and sat down across the coffee table from the captain.
"Big brother, what's wrong?"
The captain took out a cigarette, and the tall man, being very perceptive, quickly picked up the matchbox on the table and lit it for him.
After puffing on his cigarette, the captain stared at the tall man and said, "This trip went very smoothly, which shows that these scoundrels are all quite skilled."
"This is so much more efficient than our previous methods of casting and pulling nets to catch fish."
“We can return fully loaded in less than two months. We stay for ten or fifteen days before heading out to sea again. At this rate, we can go out five times a year. Each trip can bring back hundreds of thousands of yuan worth of fish. After deducting the cost of fuel, the money paid to those scoundrels, food and losses, we can still make two or three hundred thousand yuan.”
The tall man exclaimed excitedly, "Brother, if we make five trips a year, we can generate millions in profit!!!"
The captain tapped his pipe on the table. "The main reason we've been able to succeed so smoothly is because of those bastards."
"Once we get back, the news will definitely get out of control. Everyone will know about the risks and mortality rates at sea. Even if we raise the price, it won't be easy to recruit good divers."
The excitement on the tall man's face slowly faded. "Then, let's find another place to recruit people. There are plenty of poor people on the island. Two thousand dollars for a life, it's not like no one would sell it. Besides, coming out with us doesn't necessarily mean they'll die. Aren't there still 27 people left?"
The captain shook his head. "Yes, there are still 27 people left, and they are all top-notch divers who have all been to depths of 100 meters."
"But they probably won't come back this time!"
The tall man's eyes darted around, and he seemed to understand the captain's meaning. "Brother, you mean you want them to be completely at our disposal?"
The captain stood up, put his arms behind his back, and walked to the window. The pipe behind him trembled, and the sparks on it flickered like the eyes of a lone wolf gleaming in the darkness, ready to attack humanity.
Xu Dasheng and Si Gui took turns rubbing each other's bodies, trying to relieve each other's pain.
One of the henchmen stepped forward and announced some good news to everyone.
To celebrate this bountiful voyage, a party will be held on board tonight.
Not only can you eat as many steamed buns as you want, but there's also wine and meat!
Those present listened with delight, and the crew members in charge of the ship's operations let out excited screams and shouts.
As night slowly fell, the aroma of food wafted out of the cabin, and everyone, inhaling the fragrance, couldn't help but feel restless.
After the dishes of food were brought out, the hungry crowd stared intently at the captain on the platform.
Seeing everyone's gaze, the captain smiled even more broadly, gave a brief speech, and with a wave of his hand, announced the start of the banquet.
The expensive phonograph was filled with CDs, and beautiful music filled the entire cabin.
Everyone seemed to have temporarily forgotten their troubles, raising their glasses to each other and eating heartily.
Xu Dasheng and Si Gui squatted down and ate their food awkwardly, watching the laughter and chatter in the hall with wary eyes.
The crew members, who usually acted arrogantly and looked down on them, seemed to have put down their airs and were getting along very well with everyone.
“Uncle Dasheng, look,” Sigui gestured to Xu Dasheng with her eyes.
Xu Dasheng followed his gaze and saw sailors being escorted into the inner room. He immediately became alert.
One by one, the number of sailors in the ship's main hall decreased. Then he noticed one of the first sailors who had been taken away coming out, looking dejected and desperate.
He muttered to himself, "It's all over...it's all over..."
Why does the sailor, who was just a moment ago beaming with joy and celebrating after forgetting all his troubles, now have this expression?
Unable to contain his curiosity, Xu Dasheng stood up, wanting to follow and find out what was going on.
Si Gui seemed to know Xu Dasheng's plan and quickly grabbed his arm.
Xu Dasheng turned around and said, "You can stay here or go back to your room. I'll go see what tricks they're up to. I won't feel at ease until I find out."
Si Gui shook his head, "Uncle Dasheng, I'll go with you."
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