Chapter 57: A Boat Approaches, Luring Them with an Act
"Boss, wake up! A boat is approaching!" Lu Jiamei called out softly, standing at the entrance of the shipping container.
Ren Yuanyang woke up instantly. "How far are they?"
"Still some distance away!" Lu Jiamei replied. "I can’t estimate the exact distance!"
Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly, picked up four Spray Melons and Xin Wan’s phone from the table beside him, put on a raincoat, and walked outside.
The two of them climbed onto the roof of the container. Ren Yuanyang stared at the distant lights, squinting as he said, "Looks like our previous guess was right!"
Ordinary survivors don’t move around at night. The visibility is poor, making it hard to find supplies, and it wastes fuel.
The ones still active now were most likely the team from the Feixiang Aircraft Carrier, looking for that lost experimental data!
Ren Yuanyang took out three Spray Melons and said to Lu Jiamei and Qin Haonan, "Each of you carry one of these Spray Melons. Be ready to adapt to the situation, but prioritize using the ones we’ve already set up!"
Qin Haonan took one, and Lu Jiamei took the remaining two.
"Oh, right. Take this phone to Xin Wan," Ren Yuanyang said, handing her Xin Wan’s phone. "Have her add me as a friend. We’ll use this to communicate!"
"Yes!" Lu Jiamei responded, taking the two Spray Melons and the phone back to the speedboat.
"Jiamei, is it really the team from the Feixiang Aircraft Carrier?" Xin Wan asked nervously when she saw Lu Jiamei.
"We’re not certain yet, but it’s highly likely," Lu Jiamei replied.
’After all, the Lvzhi People are cold-blooded and cruel. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be experimenting on living people!’
Besides, the aircraft carrier’s team was sure to have firearms. For Xin Wan, who was born and raised in a time of peace, it was impossible not to be afraid.
Even Lu Jiamei was a little nervous, but to reassure Xin Wan, she forced a relaxed tone and continued, "Don’t be afraid. We’re very well prepared! The Boss asked me to give you this Spray Melon and phone. Go ahead and add him as a friend; we’ll communicate by phone later."
Xin Wan nodded and took the phone to do as she was told.
"They’re close. Everyone protect yourselves, stay hidden, and keep your heads down!" Ren Yuanyang’s voice came through the phone.
"Roger!" Lu Jiamei whispered in response.
Just then, a powerful spotlight from the enemy speedboat swept over them, freezing on the shipping container and their speedboat!
"Captain Inoue, we’ve found several more boats!" a soldier immediately reported to the captain inside the cabin.
"Excellent! I’m coming out now!" Inoue Hitoshi replied, then said to the others in the cabin, "When you’re done, just kill them. It’s too much trouble to explain if we take them back."
"Yes, sir!"
Two sharp gunshots echoed from inside the cabin.
Ren Yuanyang and the others were stunned when they heard the two gunshots.
’Are they just going to start shooting without a word?’ Ren Yuanyang’s brow furrowed.
If they really did that, it would be extremely disadvantageous for his team.
The team from the Feixiang Aircraft Carrier was surely equipped with automatic rifles. If the enemy kept their distance and just opened fire, they would be in real trouble.
But after those two shots, the enemy didn’t fire again. Instead, they began to approach slowly.
"Attention, survivors ahead! You are now being conscripted by the Feixiang Aircraft Carrier. Please lay down your weapons, exit your cabins, and cooperate with our process!"
Hearing the announcement, Ren Yuanyang actually breathed a sigh of relief. At least they weren’t just opening fire.
"Boss, what do we do?" Qin Haonan asked in a low voice.
Ren Yuanyang considered for a moment, then replied in an equally low voice, "Reject them first."
Qin Haonan immediately shouted back, "We have no interest in joining the Feixiang Aircraft Carrier! Go find other survivors!"
Inoue Hitoshi sneered. "That’s not up to you. You have ten seconds. If you don’t come out of your cabins, we’ll open fire!"
Ren Yuanyang observed the enemy boat. It was just over twenty meters away, within the range of the Spray Melons. But he worried that besides the men standing outside, there were others inside the cabin.
Even if they took out everyone on deck, the people inside could still start the speedboat and escape. If even one person got away, it would bring more enemies.
The enemy had already started counting down. While Ren Yuanyang was still trying to figure out how to lure them all out and wipe them out in one fell swoop, Qin Haonan whispered, "Boss, let me go out. Since they want to capture test subjects, they probably won’t shoot to kill me right away. As long as I can draw them closer, we’ll have a chance to wipe them all out."
"That would be extremely dangerous for you!" Ren Yuanyang shook his head slightly.
"It’s fine. Even if I die, I won’t have any regrets. At least I’ve had a few full meals following you!"
With that, Qin Haonan slowly stood up, raising his hands.
"Stop counting! I’m coming out! Don’t shoot!"
Seeing someone from the other side stand up, Inoue Hitoshi smiled with satisfaction.
"Very good! A wise man knows when to yield," Inoue Hitoshi said. "With all these boats, it can’t be just you, can it?"
"There were five of us, actually, but I killed them all. The resources here are too plentiful. There are even watermelons!" Qin Haonan started spinning a wild tale.
Hearing the word "watermelons," the Lvzhi People, who had always lived on an island, immediately grew excited. To them, watermelons were a luxury fruit.
And with the mainland flooded, watermelons were a rare commodity on any large vessel.
Qin Haonan’s single sentence was enough to lure another two or three people out from the enemy speedboat’s cabin.
Seeing this, Ren Yuanyang gave Qin Haonan a thumbs-up.
Inoue Hitoshi’s brow furrowed. "How could you possibly have watermelons here?"
"If you don’t believe me, look! There’s a big tree right over here! We let the vines climb right up it, and there are still some growing on it! How about I pick one and toss it over for you to try?" Qin Haonan said in a fawning tone, pointing to the nearby Iron Melon Tree.
The speedboat’s searchlight swung over to the Iron Melon Tree. When they saw the lush green watermelons hanging from its branches, they immediately began to whoop and holler in excitement.
"There really are watermelons!"
"Captain Inoue, let’s get closer, quick!"
"If we bring these watermelons back, it’ll be a huge contribution!"
Inoue Hitoshi was just as pleasantly surprised, but he remained cautious and asked, "Have you seen the woman from the video on the regional channel?"
"I just got here and dealt with the people on board. I don’t think I saw her," Qin Haonan said, feigning confusion.
"Alright. Don’t move, or we will shoot you on the spot. Understand?" Inoue Hitoshi said in a low, serious voice.
"I won’t move an inch! Please, just don’t shoot!" Qin Haonan acted terrified that they would open fire.
Inoue Hitoshi gave a low command. "Have two men keep an eye on the speedboat over there. The rest of you, focus on the boat he’s on. Approach slowly, don’t rush."
"Yes, sir!"
The men on the enemy speedboat clearly split into two groups. Two of them kept their guns trained on the speedboat, while the rest all aimed their weapons at Qin Haonan.
The enemy’s searchlight continued to move slowly around Qin Haonan, as if scanning for anything unusual.
In the heavy rain, the Spray Melons hidden in the wooden planks were completely invisible. Even if they were spotted, the enemy probably wouldn’t have paid them any mind.
They were just plant fruits embedded in a wooden plank—hardly a threat.