booktalesy Chapter 671 Ransom
Chapter 671 Ransom
Chapter 671 Ransom
Connie is an ordinary crew member, and his sister is the mistress of a small executive of the freighter company. This kind of thing is not very honorable, and no one will take the initiative to show it off.
However, he also got a good job because of this, at least it was a legitimate job that allowed him to have a stable income and kept his family from eating relief food every day.
Originally, this was a very normal task. The company wanted to send a ship of goods across the strait. According to the normal voyage, they would be able to return to the Federation in the third day at most.
However, after the anchor was weighed, the chief mate revealed in private that they might stay for two more days, mainly to help the local tourism industry.
Since the native law of Gefra recognizes recruiting as a legal and legitimate occupation, this law has been extended to the concession, and recruiting in Ameria has also been legalized.
Regardless of the chaotic situation in the mainland, the stability of the port area is still guaranteed, which also makes the ports along the coast of Ameria extremely prosperous and the tourism industry is developed.
For a little money, you can not only appreciate the exotic style of Amélia, but also find a local guide to learn about geography.
"50 yuan for three days, any time!"
Everyone on the whole ship jumped up because of this. For the crew, this may not be a great benefit. Everywhere they go, they leave a little bit of their own genetic fragments and make outstanding contributions to the integration of the world.
At noon, the ship was already close to the middle of the strait. Everyone had run this route, without any risk, and the ocean climate did not change much, so everyone was very careless.
This is probably like the feeling of crossing a road. Who would have thought that just crossing a road would cause something to happen?
After one o'clock in the afternoon, everyone was drowsy. The sun radiated on the deck to increase the temperature of the hull. The temperature and humidity were very pleasant. Most of the crew members who had nothing to do had already returned to the cabin.
For example, Connie, he changed into pajamas and lay on the bed. Along with the shaking of the ship, the not-too-hot sunlight shone in through the glass boat on the cabin and fell on half of his face, making him feel very happy soon. Fall asleep.
until……
He was woken by a pistol butt.
Connie, who suddenly woke up, raised his body like a drowning person, but another gun butt hit him, making his eyes stare.
Gradually, there were voices in my ears. Some people were yelling in terror, some were roaring, some were begging for mercy, and there were even gunshots.
The sunlight outside the cabin window was no longer so warm, and there was a piercing chill. His mind was almost blank, and he went to the deck at the request of the pirates without any subjective consciousness.
Yes, pirates, terrible pirates!
In this era, pirates are definitely the most troublesome existence on the sea, because there is no particularly reliable and practical early detection equipment, and pirates often use cover-colored boats to try to attack first. Merchant ships are hard to escape.
This time too, a speedboat followed up from behind, went on the deck from the side of the ship, and then this scene happened.
Connie squatted barefoot on the hot deck with his hands on the back of his head in his pajamas. He kept moving his feet. The deck, which had been exposed to the sun for a whole noon, could slowly cook eggs. He doubted that his feet could It's ripe.
Not long after, all the crew members were brought together. The captain and the first officer stood aside with a sullen face, and some pirates with guns looked around, and from time to time they raised their weapons and used the butts of their guns to hit the crew members who raised their heads.
"I'm sorry to inform everyone, this is bad news, you have been hijacked..." Suddenly, a voice came from the captain's cabin, and the accent sounded a bit strange, not like the accent of the Federation, nor like that of Gai. Fora's accent, if you say it, it's a bit like it, but it's also a bit different.
Almost all languages used in the world are based on the standard pronunciation of the international lingua franca, on which some pronunciation methods with local characteristics or some unique vocabulary have been added.
It is not easy to tell where a person comes from simply by the accent, at least you know that there is such a pronunciation among the accents that can be clearly distinguished.
Connie was spitting all the time, he'd taken two hits, but his feet were so hot he had to spit to wet the deck.
For him, if he really encountered unreasonable robbers who killed him indiscriminately, it would be of no value for him to resist or be honest. He just wanted to be a little more comfortable now.
"Who the hell do you look down on?" A robber suddenly smashed the butt of a gun on Connie's shoulder, glaring at him.
The latter has a terrified face, who the hell do I dare to look down on?
He really wanted to say that, but reason told him that it was best to shut up at this time.
The robber pointed at him with a gun, "Be careful, if I find out that you continue to spit on the leader while he is talking, I will throw you into the sea."
After an inexplicable blow, Connie calmed down. Although the soles of his feet were still hot and a little painful, at least he was able to stand.
"...we have no intention of taking anyone's life, our purpose is just ransom, money, understand?"
"Can someone tell me how much this ship is worth?"
A robber standing in front of the crowd whispered a few words to the captain. The captain didn't seem to cooperate very well, and after being punched a few times, he bowed his waist and spoke out in pain.
Connie, who was squatting below, felt that the captain was stupid. He would give up in the end anyway, so why hurt yourself?
This is the difference between Connie and the captain. In fact, can the captain not know that he will give up in the end?
No, he knew, he knew better than anyone what would happen if he didn't cooperate, but he still did it because he also needed to gamble, need a guarantee, and need something to turn his money around.
These robbers didn't hurt anyone after boarding the boat. As they said, their purpose was for ransom, and they didn't want to hurt the innocent. Climb and fight for something later.
When the company pays the ransom or whatever, as long as they leave, the image of him resisting but losing to the pirates will be publicized, and with some twists and turns after him, at least he won't lose his job.
Capitalists are indeed cold-blooded sometimes, but sometimes they also need to take care of their own image, especially those listed companies. Ordinary retail investors seem to be weak, but when retail investors unite under certain circumstances, they will also be a trouble.
"Very well, I will respect your rights, and I hope you can respect us." After watching the robbers on the deck make a gesture, the pirate leader seemed to have figured out some of the situation.
Under the coordination of the pirates, the cargo ship reopened, but this time their destination was no longer Amelia, but a place they didn't know.
On the third day, when the situation in the Federation had begun to simmer, the freighter docked outside a small island, and the crew were all sent to the island. They also saw the leader of the pirates, a bearded man.
When he spoke, there was an inexplicable breath of fireworks, "My friends, I hope you can cooperate, just like how we get along these days, no one was hurt!"
As he spoke, he asked the crew to kneel in a row, and the captain stood in front of a video recorder with a bruised nose and a swollen face, holding a piece of paper, "I am the captain of..., our ship was hijacked by pirates about four hours after leaving the port, Right now we don't know where we are."
"The other party asked the company to pay a ransom of 600 million to redeem the goods and ships, as well as all crew members."
"You have 72 hours. After 72 hours, the cargo on the cargo ship and us will sink to the bottom of the sea..."
……
"What do you think?" Mr. President sat in the lounge of the Presidential Palace, where there was a TV.
The room was full of people, people from the Security Committee, the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Ministry of Defense, the shipping company and the motor manufacturer all gathered here.
The video tape arrived yesterday, but the other party did not send it directly to the presidential palace, but sent it to all the TV stations in batches.
Some TV stations may still be considering the issue of influence and orientation and did not broadcast it immediately, but when there is the first TV station that is not afraid of death, everyone in the Federation will soon know.
This is definitely the first ever for the Federation!
In the past, merchant ships were also robbed by pirates, but most of the other parties just robbed the goods and killed people, and no one would take the initiative to ask for ransom.
This kind of behavior... people who make plans should go to the brain department, don't they think about how to escape after getting the money?
It is precisely because of this that Mr. President, the cabinet members and everyone feel very fresh, and then there is tension and responsibility.
"Gentlemen, do you have any good suggestions?" Mr. President looked at the people in the room, "Should we pay the ransom, or reject their request?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Mr. Truman coughed, "Sorry, let me interrupt...", he walked to the President and bent down, whispering in his ear, "The people will not want to see a person who gives up casually. The president of the national life, and their request is not impossible, it is just some money..."
Hearing the surprise of the president, I realized that there was no election in this matter from the very beginning, and it was fine as usual, and the fucking general election was about to come.
At this time, if news spread that the president allowed the pirates to kill the crew in order to save the ransom for the capitalists, even if he could be elected, it would be basically useless for him to be re-elected.
In fact, people are like this. When they have no stake in themselves, people hope that everyone can be rational.
But once the development of things has a clear relationship with themselves, people hope that everyone can think more about themselves.
He turned around and patted Mr. Truman's arm, with a trace of comfort in his eyes, "Fortunately, you reminded me..."
(End of this chapter)