215: Chapter 213: Toll 215: Chapter 213: Toll “If possible, please don’t kill them, I don’t want to see any bloodshed—just scare them away.”
Upon hearing the captain’s request, Gao Yang climbed onto the deck and roared down, “Listen here!
As long as we’re on this ship, you can forget about striking it rich.
I don’t want to trouble you, but you better understand your situation and get out of here fast, otherwise, we won’t be firing warning shots anymore.”
The pirate boat alongside the tanker didn’t respond.
Gao Yang worried that the pirates couldn’t hear his shouting, but they also had radios for monitoring the public frequencies at sea.
Just by setting the walkie-talkie to the public frequency, you could contact the pirates.
Gao Yang said to the captain lying beside him, “Set your walkie-talkie to the frequency that can reach the pirates.”
The captain lay next to Gao Yang, nervously saying, “These pirates are out of the ordinary, pirates never did this before.
They used to abduct both people and ships together and then demand a ransom, but pirates asking for merely a hundred thousand US dollars?
I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Gao Yang smiled and replied, “Maybe these pirates are thinking of a career change.
They plan to set up a mobile toll booth at sea, just collecting tolls from ships passing by.
If you ask me, that would make money faster than piracy.”
After joking with the captain, Gao Yang grabbed the walkie-talkie and said loudly, “Listen up, clear off immediately.
I have no patience to play games with you any longer, and if it wasn’t for this ship’s captain, who doesn’t wish for your demise, you’d all be dead by now.”
After saying that, Gao Yang released the walkie-talkie and said sternly, “Rabbit, give them a taste of our color.”
Cui Bo aimed at the pirate who was waving a skull head.
A crisp gunshot followed, and the skull fixed onto the stick was punctured with a hole.
The sudden gunfire startled the pirates; the one standing at the boat’s bow immediately ducked inside the cabin, while those pointing guns at the tanker opened fire.
Bullets clanged off the ship’s hull, sparking a string of sparks.
Gao Yang and the others, lying on the deck, didn’t need to worry about getting hit by the bullets.
He ignored the shots fired by the pirates, grabbed the walkie-talkie again, and said disdainfully, “Final warning shot.
You have thirty seconds.
If you’re not gone by then, it’ll be your heads that are blown off.”
Gao Yang saw the man waving the skull head shouting something.
The pirates on the speedboat stopped shooting quickly, and at this moment, the voice of the pirate who had first called out to them came through the radio in Gao Yang’s hand.
“Listen, you people haven’t grasped the situation.
We’re not pirates; we’re the Skull Gang.
We don’t hijack ships.
It doesn’t matter whether you have armed guards or not; we don’t hijack ships.
What we did just now was to show that we have the capacity to take this vessel, but still, we’re only collecting tolls, understood?
Just pay the toll, and we assure your safety.
In these waters, no pirates will bother you again, I assure you.
We’ve driven off the pirates in this area; there will be no more pirates, on land or sea.
So, all you need to do is pay a fee to ensure safety.”
Gao Yang hardly could believe his ears; he incredulously said to the people beside him, “Can you believe it?
These guys are actually planning to collect tolls.
Did I just call it?
But honestly, these pirates are finally getting wise—collecting tolls is way faster than robbing.”
Seeing no response from the tanker, the pirate—no, not a pirate now, but a toll collector—continued, “Captain, you can hear me talking.
Now listen, our fees are reasonable.
We charge by tonnage, ten thousand US dollars for ten thousand tons.
But this is business, right?
If you think my price is too high, we can negotiate a price that’s satisfactory to both sides.
Ten thousand dollars, the very least, and you can safely pass through these waters.”
After hesitating for a bit, the captain said to Gao Yang, “Please pass me the walkie-talkie; I really want to say a few words to him.”
Since the walkie-talkie belonged to the captain, Gao Yang had no reason not to hand it over.
With an air of disbelief, Gao Yang watched as the captain took the walkie-talkie and said in a deep voice, “Hello, I am the captain of this vessel.
Regarding your mentioned fees, I don’t have the authority to decide, and besides, ten thousand US dollars is too high.
If it were a thousand dollars, I think we could reach a deal.
Of course, that would be for next time—and how can I be sure you’ll keep your word?”
The man waving the skull flag laughed heartily and said, “A thousand US dollars is impossible, that’s too little, but five thousand dollars is a very nice number.
However, since it’s our first time, we can choose not to charge a fee and let you pass through this sea area for free, just remember to pay next time.
Consider this a notification before the charges begin.
And soon you will see if I’m telling the truth.
My boss is not one to make empty promises, he will ensure that all ships on this route no longer worry about pirates, as long as you’re willing to pay, good luck, we’ll meet again next time.”
After saying goodbye to the captain through the walkie-talkie, those rifle-wielding fee collectors on the speedboat left, and Gao Yang looked at the captain in astonishment, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but you aren’t really planning to pay the pirates in the future, are you?”
After thinking for a moment, the captain shrugged and said, “That’s a question for the shipowner, not for me.
But if it were up to me, why not?
If a small amount of money can ensure a safe passage through these dangerous waters, I’d be quite willing.
Of course, it’s up to the shipowner to decide whether it’s better to hire you or pay the pirates a toll.
Frankly speaking, if all Somali pirates decide to do this, it seems you will be out of a job.”
Gao Yang shrugged and said, “I’m not worried about unemployment, I just find it incredible.”
The captain smiled and said, “Anyway, I’m truly grateful for everything you’ve done today, otherwise we would have been in trouble, and my boss would have had to pay a hefty ransom.
Now that it’s nighttime and dinner time, you don’t have to stay on deck.
We have radar and can detect pirates approaching in time, so you can go into the cabin for dinner and a good night’s sleep.
I’ll notify you when we’re close to the transfer ship.”
Gao Yang also felt a bit hungry, and after a day of sea breeze, he also wanted to rest in the cabin.
As for pirates, there was really no need to worry too much, as merchant ships all have radar that can detect any approaching vessel.
Their standing on deck during the day was purely out of boredom.
On security duty on the ship, of course, the merchant ship would take care of Gao Yang and their food and accommodations.
When Gao Yang and the others returned to the cabin, the meals were already prepared, but meals on the ship were served in shifts and there were no other people when Gao Yang and his team ate.
Generally, the cooks on all merchant ships were quite skilled.
No matter which ship they were on for their missions, Gao Yang and his team always enjoyed delicious meals of various international flavors, which was something they were quite satisfied with.
After a satisfying meal and drink, Cui Bo burped contentedly and said with a hint of emotion, “Maybe our time on the sea won’t last long.
If the pirates start changing professions, those of us relying on armed escorts to fight pirates will also have no work.
This is what’s called harboring one’s own demise.”
Even though Gao Yang felt like Cui Bo’s prediction was unlikely to become a reality, upon further consideration, the situation seemed to have some chance of materializing.
The question lay in whether the pirates could successfully transform.
The income of pirates had significantly declined.
Although there were still occasional acts of piracy, what used to be frequent heists have now turned into a rare event, going months without a single successful capture.
Main shipping lanes were difficult to target, fleets with naval escorts couldn’t be approached, and even merchant ships that were not far from naval forces were off-limits because if they neared the military vessels, helicopters would quickly be dispatched if the pirates couldn’t board the ships quickly.
In fact, naval ships played a secondary role.
The main reason piracy had become a poor business was due to their own doing; piracy had become too common, giving rise to a large number of armed maritime security teams.
It was exactly these types of armed escorts, like the one Gao Yang belonged to, that had almost completely shattered the pirates’ hopes of getting rich through hijacking vessels.
Gao Yang wasn’t worried about unemployment.
He chuckled and then said gravely, “Let those Brits worry about it.
Without pirates, they’ll be the first to cry.
These past few years, the British have made a killing thanks to Somali pirates.”
No sooner had Gao Yang finished, than Bruce replied with an indifferent look, “Don’t worry, these pirates’ methods won’t last long.
Right now, the military turns a blind eye to the pirates, and armed escorts don’t actually engage in real battles with them, but if these pirates decide to change their ways, substituting low fees for hijacking and ransom, they will truly be in danger.
Not to mention the armed escorts, they will be the first to wipe out the pirates who attempt to change their ways.
Just wait and see, those Brits will definitely take out any pirates that threaten their business.”
Gao Yang laughed and said, “Believe it, why wouldn’t I believe it?
We, in Huaxia, have an old saying that goes ‘to raise one’s importance by threatening with an enemy’s power’.
What does it mean?
It means that only when there are bandits, or say enemies, can the importance of the army be emphasized.
So the more powerful the enemy, the stronger the army appears.
But no matter how strong the army is, it can’t completely eliminate the enemy, or else what’s the use of an army that’s meant to fight an enemy when there isn’t one?
Besides ‘raising one’s importance by threatening with an enemy’s power’, there is also a saying in Huaxia called ‘nurturing bandits for self-interest.’ Without enemies, just cultivate a group of them, and as long as there are powerful enemies, one can continue to exist.
So I also believe that if Somali pirates really dare to change their ways, those Brits will crush these naive ideas of the pirates and let all the pirates know that they have no choice but to continue being pirates.
And if there really are no more volunteers to be pirates, perhaps those Brits will manufacture a bunch of pirates themselves.”
(To be continued.
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