NOVPUB
Chapter 1000: Chapter 878: About to Die (Please Subscribe!)
He hung up the phone.
Maruyama Ken stared at the salvage ship silently moored in the distance.
His heart remained restless for a long time.
This was by no means just a salvage ship.
It was more like a giant beast lying on the surface of the sea, which you might think harmless and easily bullied, but it possessed the ability to devour people. Anyone who underestimated it had to pay a price.
For example.
The increasingly distant glimmer of fire.
"Father, what did they say on the other side?" Maruyama Miyuki became extremely curious about the ship in the distance.
Maruyama Ken narrowed his eyes and said, "It will escort us to New York; the total fee for this escort and weapon consumption is five million dollars, plus a gratuity."
"That’s not too expensive," Maruyama Miyuki had little concept of money.
"Mm, Ryota, get ready to head back to New York," Maruyama Ken ordered the captain beside him.
"Yes."
After the captain left.
"Father, are there survivors over there?"
Maruyama Miyuki pointed to the distant ship that had plunged into the pitch-black sea area. The gunboat had been completely submerged into the Atlantic Ocean. Logically, there should have been time to react to the recent attack, so there must be survivors onboard.
"Maybe, but what’s that to us?" Maruyama Ken scoffed coldly.
He had never intended to rescue anyone; those people wanted to kill him, they deserved to die. Moreover, bringing them aboard might not yield any useful interrogation and could increase safety hazards. Why bother?
Maruyama Miyuki also agreed with her father’s decision.
Next.
Under the captain’s organization.
The crew of the rescue vessel began urgent repairs.
The hole was too big to be patched up; it needed to be returned to the factory for repairs.
For now, they could only check if the explosion affected any other equipment or components on the ship and eliminate safety hazards. In the end, apart from the compartments affected by the blast, other areas were unaffected.
The ship was slightly tilted.
But still operational.
And after another watertight compartment was filled, the ship regained balance. The only issue was, the extra weight increased fuel consumption for traveling the same distance and reduced speed.
Fortunately, there was enough diesel on the ship.
Besides.
Even if there wasn’t enough, just a bit of fuel from the distant salvage ship would refill their tank.
After half an hour of effort.
The rescue ship followed behind the salvage ship, heading towards New York.
...
In the sea area behind them.
Watching the two ships depart.
They didn’t attempt a rescue; each face showed anger and a faint hint of despair. Leaving them there, their survival chances wouldn’t exceed five percent.
That was already considering that they had signal transmitters.
The organization would come to their rescue promptly.
The whirlpool caused by the recent sinking took a few more people down. Now only five were left floating on the surface, each only clad in a life jacket, without canoes.
As the sea waves continued to surge.
In this water temperature.
Their body heat wouldn’t last more than two days.
"Captain, how is it?" watching the bald American man with the satellite phone, one team member kept asking.
The response was still a head shake.
"The clouds are too thick, the signal interference is too strong, can’t get through."
"Then what do we..."
As he spoke.
Suddenly.
Right before their eyes.
"Gurgle."
Two team members were pulled down as if by something and instantly vanished from the surface.
A chill ran from their feet to their heads.
"MY GOD, what is beneath us?" one of them screamed in fright, swimming hastily to the side, but before getting far, another "gurgle" and he disappeared right in front of the bald man.
"Hiss..."
~~I’m going to die.~~
This was the only thought in both of their minds.
Half a minute later.
The sea area had returned to calm.
Only the big waves continued to rise and fall.
...
Three days later.
United States.
West coast.
The salvage ship stopped just outside the U.S. territorial waters.
Here, one could already see various ships, returning to civilization, and Maruyama Takeshi was very excited. The big hole in the rescue ship also attracted the attention of the passing vessels, some even asked if they needed help.
"Mr. Maruyama Takeshi, I can only take you this far, ahead is the United States’ territorial waters, and it’s not convenient for the salvage ship to enter," Tang Qing said, standing on the deck to Maruyama Takeshi. Salvage ships normally don’t have large weapons.
But Maruyama Takeshi didn’t know that.
"Thank you. Once I return to Japan, your people are welcome to come and take care of the transfer procedures for the Mingzhong Transportation," Maruyama Takeshi also thought it was natural. This ship entering U.S. territorial waters—it wasn’t a trivial matter.
A few more words of polite conversation followed.
The two ended their communication.
To this day, Maruyama Takeshi still didn’t know Tang Qing’s name, but he believed that he would find out when the transfer of Mingzhong Transportation was processed. His curiosity about such a ’mysterious person’ was growing.
Such a person.
He also wanted to forge a good relationship.
The salvage ship turned and headed back into the depths of the Atlantic, while the rescue ship went straight towards New York.
...
Standing at the stern of the ship.
Maruyama Takeshi watched the salvage ship growing smaller and smaller.
His expression was puzzled.
In the past few days, he had also used the satellite phone to have his subordinates investigate the company that owned the salvage ship. He discovered that it was recently established and bought from a destitute American.
Looking at the registered photos.
They were very different.
The entire salvage ship had definitely been heavily modified.
Moreover, after the modifications, it had not been reported to the relevant U.S. departments, and Maruyama Takeshi also discovered that the ship had no fueling records at any of the major Atlantic coastal ports.
This thing definitely wasn’t nuclear-powered.
So there was only one reason.
The weapons on board were sensitive, and since the modifications were not registered, it meant that all the documents were worthless. Therefore, it could not stop in the territorial waters of various countries, and even fueling had to be done using specialized transportation ships.
...
As the rescue ship approached the harbor.
"Father, it’s grandma’s call," Maruyama Miyuki walked up and handed over her mobile phone.
Close to the coast.
They got an operator’s signal, it was just that Maruyama Takeshi’s phone had been spoiled by water.
Maruyama Takeshi took his daughter’s phone.
"Mother."
"When do you plan to return?"
"The day after tomorrow. I need to meet some friends here in the United States and have some arrangements to make. Don’t worry, I will be careful." Maruyama Takeshi’s funeral had already been held, and many American friends had attended.
This incident, which may or may not have been a misunderstanding,
Needed to be concluded.
"That’s good, the Board of Directors is already aware of your situation, and they’re waiting for you to come back. However, before you return, I hope you think carefully about how to deal with the upcoming matters. They have been quite restless lately."
Upon hearing this, Maruyama Takeshi’s expression darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "I know, mother, don’t worry. Now that I’m okay, they won’t be able to cause any trouble."
Their family’s problem was simple.
An internal struggle over power and assets in a wealthy family.
After his father’s accidental death,
Maruyama Takeshi and his cousin began to fight for control of the corporation, but Maruyama Takeshi had always maintained the upper hand. He just never expected his cousin to resort to such despicable means this time.
They shouldn’t blame him for not being courteous in return.
