219: Chapter Two Hundred Seventeen: It’s You Who Should Give Me an Explanation 219: Chapter Two Hundred Seventeen: It’s You Who Should Give Me an Explanation There were now about forty to fifty people on the transfer ship who belonged to one faction, crowding a narrow corridor so tightly that not a trickle of water could have passed through.
The dark muzzles of guns were pointed directly at Gao Yang and his companions, creating a situation that was naturally extremely detrimental to them.
However, as soon as Frey flashed the rocket launcher and grabbed a hand grenade, the stakes immediately changed.
Frey and Bruce each shouldered a rocket launcher, one in front and one behind, aiming at the ceiling above the corridor.
If either of them had a shaky hand that fired off a rocket, it couldn’t be said with certainty that the crowded group would be annihilated—but a great number of casualties would certainly result.
Moreover, Frey was also holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled out, ready to explode in three seconds if he let go.
At the very least, a few more would be joining the dead.
Cui Bo wasn’t holding his sniper rifle since it fired too slowly, so he had a pistol in his hand.
Facing the muzzles of the automatic rifles, he felt somewhat out of his depth.
But upon seeing Frey’s action, Cui Bo was inspired and immediately took a grenade from Frey’s chest as well, pulled the pin with his teeth, and roared, “Come on, come on, if you aren’t afraid of dying, then come!
Do you think I’m afraid of you bastards?
Come on, if you have the guts, we’ll all die together if you pull the trigger!”
The two rocket launchers played a key role.
Although the people on the transfer ship didn’t retreat, their momentum weakened considerably.
But now neither side was willing to back down.
Everyone lived on the edge, licking blood off the blade, and showing weakness was unacceptable regardless of time or place.
Antoncel was scared out of his wits by the sudden and inexplicable turn of events; his eyes were wide open, but he didn’t know what to do.
Though no one had a gun pointed at his head, with so many weapons aimed in his direction in the narrow corridor, even if they didn’t intend to shoot him, he couldn’t avoid being hit.
For the moment, the situation had reached a deadlock that was hard to resolve.
Although the people on the transfer ship had an absolute advantage in numbers, Gao Yang and his group were not lacking in firepower.
If anyone were to fire accidentally, what would inevitably follow would be a gruesome end.
It was difficult to say who among those present could survive, but nobody was willing to give in, none could afford to.
Without a breaking point, this standoff would be hard to resolve.
Fortunately, after Frey used the rocket launcher to stabilize the situation, the atmosphere on the scene grew heavier.
People stopped cursing at each other, and the corridor quieted down.
Once it quieted down, the air quickly became so silent you could hear a pin drop.
The only sound was the occasional groan of the white man Gao Yang had kicked, lying on the ground moaning.
As for the troublemaking n*gger, he lay motionless on the ground, it was unclear if he was dead or alive.
Besides the faint moaning, no one dared to speak now, fearing that any noise might instantly ignite the tense atmosphere.
After regaining a bit of composure, Antoncel slowly raised his hands and, with difficulty, swallowed his saliva before quietly saying, “Fellas, fellas, let’s all calm down.
We got along pretty well, didn’t we?
I know most of you, and we really don’t need to be pointing guns at each other.
Why this hostility?
Cassel, and Loew, we just had a meal together today, why do we have to turn on each other now?
Talk some sense into your brothers.
Let’s all put down our guns, slowly, okay?”
Nobody was willing to put down their guns, especially not; in fact, they didn’t dare to.
For Gao Yang and his companions, being at a huge disadvantage in numbers, they could not lower their weapons without ensuring their own safety.
However, Antoncel’s words still had a significant impact; at least they could now start a dialogue.
A white man, originally set to carry out a mission with that n*gger and also one of the first to confront Gao Yang and his group, barked angrily, “Don’t think this is over just like that.
We don’t even know if Aida is dead or alive.
Unless you guys give me a satisfactory explanation, don’t expect to leave here alive.”
Just then, one of the men Antoncel mentioned furrowed his brow and said, “What in the world happened?
Why has it come to this?”
And a black man standing toward the back, upon hearing that Aida’s condition was unknown, blurted out anxiously, “Don’t let them go, those damn bastards, Aida, are you okay?”
As the situation that had barely calmed was about to spiral out of control again, Antoncel shouted, “Shut up, all of you, listen to me.
This all started because someone among you called Aida committed racial discrimination.
He insulted my friends, and then a fight broke out.
This kind of thing happens all the time, right?
Guys, this is just a dispute that can be easily resolved, which could have been settled with fists at most.
But now you’ve all drawn your guns, and there won’t be any winners like this.
Guys, do you really plan on dying over a trivial matter?”
Out of everyone present, there weren’t many black people, only four in total.
Hearing Antoncel’s words, one of the black men said furiously, “Shut up, I don’t believe a word you’re saying.
It’s our man who’s dead.
This isn’t over that easily.
Shut your damn mouth, you Yankee!
You deserve to die, all of you!”
Gao Yang immediately aimed the barrel of his shotgun at the speaking black man, while Cui Bo yelled, “Come on, you want our lives, right?
F**k, let’s see who dies first.”
With the large barrel of the shotgun pointed at his head, the black man’s bravado noticeably diminished.
It’s one thing to talk tough in the crowd, but keeping up the bravado with a big gun pointed at your head takes real courage.
Antoncel said urgently, “Guys, we’re not to blame for the start of this, it was your people who provoked us first, using extremely offensive words.
We’re all civilized people, especially our friends with black skin—I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be called n*ggers either, right?
Yet that’s exactly what your friend did.
Yes, his situation is dreadful now, and for that, I’m truly sorry, but I really don’t think we should come to blows over this, guys.
To go down defending someone provoking racial hatred, I think it’s not worth it.
Put down your guns, we can find other ways to solve this.”
Antoncel’s words affected many.
Usually, most people would stand up for their teammates in a conflict, especially when they outnumber the other side.
But when their own lives are at risk, many will choose to back down, especially upon learning that the whole incident started with some asshole from their own side provoking the situation.
After being beaten up and dragging everyone else into danger, many resent the person who caused the trouble in the first place.
A man named Loew, who knew Antoncel and had met Gao Yang and the others once, shouted, “Is what you’re saying true or false?
How could Aida possibly be racist?
That’s hard to believe.”
Pointing a hand toward the people with Aida, Antoncel said, “You tell us, did it happen like this, for God’s sake?
You must tell the truth, or many might die over it.”
The three people who had been present from the start fell silent.
They didn’t want to accuse their teammate, but they also knew that speaking nonsense would mean no end to this affair.
So, for their lives’ sake, silence was best.
Seeing the three silent, it seemed they tacitly agreed with Antoncel’s statement, causing many to become dissatisfied.
Although they couldn’t voice it or walk away immediately, they cursed Aida over and over in their hearts.
The tension eased a bit, but still, no one dared to lower their guns.
At that moment, someone shouted, “What’s going on?
What happened?
Everyone put your guns down, now!”
With a shout, some of those standing on the periphery immediately lowered their weapons, for the speaker was the owner of the transfer ship, their boss.
Once Antoncel heard that voice, though he couldn’t see the speaker, he was overjoyed and waved his hands, shouting, “Curry, Curry, it’s me, Antoncel.
This is a misunderstanding.
Let’s all lower our guns, this can be sorted out peacefully.”
“Make way, clear a path.”
Accompanied by a stern voice, someone pushed through the crowd to the front.
When he saw Aida and the white man on the ground, the newcomer gasped sharply and, looking at Gao Yang holding people at gunpoint, bellowed, “What the hell is this!”
Before Antoncel could speak, Gao Yang interjected, “Mr.
Curry, you need to clean up your crew.
Your team isn’t just made up of one color, so if there’s a racist in your ranks, I think it’s best you kick him out.”
Curry was the owner of the transfer ship and the boss of the largest security company on board, commanding over a hundred and thirty people.
Though he was a Brit and already in his sixties, Curry was no English gentleman.
He’d served in the Royal Navy and was known for cursing and crude jokes.
But overall, at least he was sensible.
Hearing Gao Yang’s words, Curry retorted, shouting at Gao Yang, “Shut up, I don’t need you to tell me how to manage.
Damn it, if you don’t give me a satisfactory explanation, none of you will leave here alive.”
Before seeing the two people on the ground, Curry had remained fairly calm.
But upon seeing one of his men apparently lifeless, Curry became even more explosive than his crewmen.
Gao Yang was not one to show weakness; he barked back even louder, “You shut the hell up, bastard.
I don’t owe you an explanation, now you owe me one, got it?
It better be satisfying too, understand?
Asshole, I’ve got six men here, worth trading for dozens of yours, I think it’s a good deal.
Want to die together, huh?
Fine by me!
Let’s see who’s afraid of death!
Come on!
I’ll give you a gun, shoot me if you dare!”
As Gao Yang yelled, he spun his handgun around, the butt end facing Curry, then glared menacingly at him.
Curry’s face changed instantly, because Gao Yang looked not just like a madman, but completely insane.
When one party in a standoff becomes unhinged, it’s usually the rational side that backs down, so whether Gao Yang was mad for real or just bluffing, Curry did not want to risk it.
(To be continued.
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