Connie was an ordinary crew member. His sister was the mistress of a small supervisor in a cargo ship company. This was not something to be proud of, so no one would take the initiative to show off.
However, he had also gotten a decent job because of this. At least, it was a legitimate job that could provide him with a stable income so that his family would not have to rely on relief food every day.
This was a very normal mission. The company had to send a ship of goods to the other side of the strait. According to the normal sailing schedule, they would be able to return to the Federation in three days at most.
However, after the ship weighed anchor, the first mate privately revealed that they might stay for two more days, mainly to help the local tourism industry.
Since the Geffra local law recognized employment as a legitimate job, this law was extended to the concessions, and employment in the Amelia region was also legalized.
For the time being, the chaotic situation in the mainland was not a problem. The stability of the port area was still guaranteed. This also made the coastal ports of Amelia particularly prosperous, and the tourism industry developed.
With just a little money, not only could one enjoy the exotic scenery of Amelia, but one could also find a local guide to learn about geography.
"Fifty dollars for three days, any time!"
Everyone on the ship was excited because of this. For the crew, this was a rare benefit. Wherever they went, they would leave behind a little bit of their genes to make outstanding contributions to the world.
At noon, the ship was already close to the middle of the strait. Everyone had traveled this route before, so there was no risk. The ocean climate did not change much, so everyone was very careless.
This was probably the same feeling as crossing a road. Who would have thought that crossing a road like this would lead to something like this?
At around one o 'clock in the afternoon, everyone was drowsy. The sun shone on the deck, raising the temperature of the ship. The temperature and humidity were very pleasant. Most of the crew members who had nothing to do had already returned to their cabins.
For example, Connie. He changed into his pajamas and lay on his bed. As the ship rocked, the sun that was not too hot shone through the glass cabin and fell on half of his face, causing him to quickly fall asleep.
Until …
He was awakened by a gun butt.
Connie, who was suddenly awakened, propped up his body like a drowning man. However, he was met with another gun butt, causing him to see stars.
Some people were screaming in horror, some were roaring, some were begging for mercy, and there were even gunshots.
The sunlight outside the cabin window was not as warm as before. It was bone-piercing cold. His mind was almost blank. Without any subjective consciousness, he went to the deck under the pirate's request.
Yes, pirates, terrifying pirates!
In this era, pirates were definitely the most troublesome existence at sea because there was no particularly reliable and practical equipment to detect them in advance. In addition, pirates often used small boats to try to attack first. Once they did not notice pirates approaching, it was basically difficult for merchant ships to escape.
It was the same this time. A speedboat followed them from behind and went up to the deck from the side. Then, this happened.
With his hands behind his head, Connie squatted on the hot deck barefooted in his pajamas. He kept moving his feet. The deck, which had been exposed to the sun for an entire afternoon, was slowly roasting eggs. He suspected that his feet were about to be cooked.
Not long after, all the crew members were gathered together. The captain and the chief officer stood aside with a sullen face. There were pirates around them with guns, occasionally raising their weapons and hitting the crew members who raised their heads.
"I'm sorry to inform you, but this is bad news. You've been hijacked …" Suddenly, a voice came from the captain's cabin. It sounded a little strange. It did not sound like the Federation's accent, nor did it sound like the Galfra's accent. It was a little similar, but also a little different.
Almost all the languages used in the world were based on the standard pronunciation of the international lingua franca. On this basis, there were some special pronunciation methods or unique vocabulary.
It was not easy to tell where a person came from just by their accent. At least, one could clearly tell that there was such a pronunciation in their accent.
Connie kept spitting. He had already been hit twice, but the deck was too hot. He could only spit to wet the deck.
For him, if he really encountered an unreasonable robber, there was no value in resisting or being honest. He just wanted to be a little more comfortable.
"Who the f * ck are you looking down on?"
A robber suddenly hit Connie's shoulder with the butt of his gun and glared at him.
Connie was terrified. Who the f * ck am I looking down on?
He wanted to say so, but his rationality told him that it was best to shut up.
The robber pointed at him with the muzzle of his gun. "Be careful. If I find out that you continue to spit at the leader while he's talking, I'll throw you into the sea."
After an inexplicable blow, Connie became obedient. Although the soles of his feet were still a little hot, at least he could stand.
"… We have no intention of taking anyone's life. Our goal is only ransom. Money, understand?"
"Can someone tell me how much this ship's worth?"
A robber standing in front of the crowd whispered a few words to the captain. The captain did not seem to be very cooperative. After a few punches, he bent over and said in pain.
Connie, who was squatting below, thought that the captain was stupid. Since he would admit defeat in the end, why would he hurt himself?
This was the difference between Connie and the captain. In fact, how could the captain not know that he would admit defeat in the end?
No, he knew. He knew better than anyone else what would happen if he did not cooperate, but he still did it because he also needed to gamble. He needed to make sure that he could make a comeback.
After this group of robbers boarded the ship, they did not hurt anyone. As they said, their purpose was for the ransom. They did not want to hurt the innocent. This meant that they had a high chance of leaving alive. Then, he could climb up the pole and fight for something in the future.
After the company paid the ransom or something else, as long as they left, his image of resisting but not being able to defeat the pirates would be publicized. Coupled with his subsequent dealings, at least he would not lose his job.
Capitalists were sometimes cold-blooded, but sometimes they also needed to take care of their own image, especially those listed companies. Ordinary individual investors seemed weak and vulnerable, but when individual investors united under certain circumstances, it was also troublesome.
"Very well, I will respect your rights, and I hope you can respect us."
After looking at the robbers on the deck and making a gesture, the pirate leader seemed to have figured out some of the situation.
Under the coordination of the pirates, the cargo ship set sail again, but this time, their destination was not Amelia, but a place they did not know.
On the third day, when the Federation's situation had begun to ferment, the cargo ship docked outside a small island. The crew was sent to the island, and they saw the pirate leader, a bearded man.
When he spoke, there was an inexplicable smell of smoke and fire. "Friends, I hope you can cooperate, just like how we have been together for the past few days. No one was hurt!"
As he spoke, he asked the crew to kneel in a row. The captain stood in front of a video camera with a piece of paper in his hand with a bruised nose and swollen face. "I am the captain of … our ship was hijacked by pirates about four hours after leaving the port. At present, we do not know where we are."
"The other party wants the company to pay a ransom of 16 million to redeem the goods, ship, and all the crew."
"You have 72 hours. After 72 hours, the goods and us on the cargo ship will sink to the bottom of the sea …"
…
"What do you think?"
The president sat in the lounge of the presidential palace. There was a television here.
The room was full of people. People from the Safety Committee, the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Ministry of National Defense, the shipping company, and the motor manufacturer were all gathered here.
The videotape had arrived yesterday, but the other party did not send it directly to the presidential palace. Instead, they sent it to all the television stations in batches.
Some of the television stations might still be considering the impact and direction, so they did not broadcast it immediately. However, when the first television station was not afraid of death, the entire Federation soon knew about it.
This was definitely the first time in the Federation's history!
In the past, there had been merchant ships that were hijacked by pirates, but most of them just robbed the goods and killed the people. No one had ever taken the initiative to ask for a ransom.
This kind of behavior … the person who made the plan should go to the brain. Did they not think about how to escape after getting the money?
It was also because of this that the president, cabinet members, and everyone else felt that it was very fresh, and then there was nervousness and responsibility.
"Gentlemen, do you have any good suggestions?"
The president looked at the room full of people. "Should we pay the ransom or reject their request?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Mr. Trumann coughed. "Sorry, I'll interrupt …" He walked to the president, bent down, and whispered in his ear, "The people don't want to see a president who casually gives up the lives of his people. And it's not that they can't do what they want, it's just some money …"
Hearing this, the president was shocked. Only then did he realize that there was no choice in this matter from the beginning. It would be fine if it was during normal times, but the f * cking election was coming soon.
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 was elected, there was basically no chance for him to be re-elected.
In fact, people were like this. When it had nothing to do with their interests, they hoped that everyone would be rational.
However, when the development of the matter had a clear impact on them, people hoped that everyone would think more for themselves.
He turned around and patted Mr. Trumann's arm, a trace of comfort in his eyes. "Fortunately, you reminded me …"