Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

Chapter 513: Boat Capsize
The next morning, when Lin Yuan woke up from his deep sleep, there was already a commotion outside the tent, like a busy vegetable market.

Still half asleep, Lin Yuan suddenly realized that he had slept on a large flatbed boat last night, and now his energetic black neighbors had already started a new day.

Lin Yuan rubbed his eyes, dispelled the confusion he felt when he woke up, and sat up from the floor.

This was his first night on the big flatbed boat, and even though he was sleeping on the hard floor, he slept soundly.

He walked out from the inner room of the tent and saw GAKKI-chan and Gary making breakfast together. There was a pile of unprocessed viscera and scales of a freshly killed fish on the ground.

"Good morning, Madam." Lin Yuan greeted with a smile, "Why are you here?"

"Good morning, Mr. Lin. Thank you, Miss Aragaki, for sharing breakfast with us mother and daughter, but I can't wait to eat, so I should at least help out." Gary replied.

GAKKI said with a smile, “I originally just wanted to prepare breakfast and share an extra portion with Gary and Buta, but she came with a fierce mackerel that she caught last night and killed the fish for me.

This morning we will have fish porridge, which is made by Miss Gary. You can try the Congolese breakfast."

After hearing what they said, Lin Yuan understood what had happened.

It should be that when GAKKI went to inform Gary and Buta that she had made an extra breakfast so that they didn't have to prepare it, Gary offered to help.

Gary not only came to help, but also brought a fiercemouthed fish that he had caught in the net hanging over the side of the boat last night.

The smelt is a typical African freshwater fish found in the Congo River. Its name comes from its unique habits and appearance. The smelt gets its name from its robust body and strong adaptability, which allows it to survive in murky waters.

It is well known that carnivorous fish that need to hunt are stronger and more delicious.

For example, grouper, tuna, mackerel in the sea, snakehead fish and locust in freshwater fish all illustrate the deliciousness of carnivorous fish.

The mixed tiger fish is obviously one of them. It is deeply loved by local people because of its delicious meat and rich nutrition.

Gary caught a fierce fish and brought the fish to the door, but this made GAKKI very troubled.

GAKKI is good at cooking, but she really can't kill a lively fish, remove the internal organs and scales it.

So Gary simply did it himself, killed the fish skillfully, and made a Congolese-style fish porridge here.

Congo and India are very similar, both located in low-latitude areas with hot climates. The dietary style of these regions is to like to add various spices.

The fish porridge was almost cooked at this time. Gary opened the lid of the pot and sprinkled the seasoning in his hand into the porridge. Immediately, the fragrance filled the entire tent.

This is different from the plain white porridge in China sprinkled with chopped green onions. The Congolese version uses a lot of spices: cardamom, cloves, pepper, vanilla, cinnamon...

There are also some spice powders that Lin Yuan doesn’t know what they are. In short, they are very fragrant and make people feel hungry.

Gary stirred the ingredients to combine thoroughly, then covered the pot and said, "It'll be ready in two minutes."

Taking advantage of this opportunity, GAKKI-chan said, "I was chatting with Miss Gary just now and learned that she went to Kisangani this time to find a job there and wait for her husband to be released from prison. Can we help her?"

Hearing Gakki-chan's words, Lin Yuan knew that she would not cause trouble for no reason, so he asked, "How can we help her?"

"She just needs a short-term job to support her and her daughter while she waits for her husband to be released from prison. Isn't that what we need to hire?"
Miss Gary is good at washing clothes and cooking, and she is also a very nice person.

If we hire her, it will be a win-win situation for both us and her," said GAKKI.

GAKKI knew Lin Yuan's concerns and continued, "Ms. Gary and her husband are both Tutsi. They both have a university education and originally had a decent job in Kinshasa.

But then the Congolese civil war broke out and her husband was forcibly conscripted to fight.

Before the end of the civil war, the unit Miss Gary's husband was in was captured by Hutu armed forces and was imprisoned in a prisoner-of-war camp for more than a year.

In a month, her husband will be released from prison, so Ms. Gary plans to take her daughter to pick him up. During this time, she needs a short-term job to ensure she has an income to support herself and her daughter.

Lin Yuan nodded. GAKKI explained the whole thing very clearly. She was very tactful and only mentioned that she could help Miss Gary find a job, but she didn't say what kind of job it was.

Without Lin Yuan's permission, GAKKI will not take the initiative to mention Lin Yuan's identity or his employment with the crew.

For Lin Yuan, the crew originally needed to hire a large number of logistical and housekeeping staff. Instead of choosing unfamiliar strangers, it would be better to hand them over to Miss Gary, with whom he got along well.

Although the Tutsi are jokingly called the "Dragon People" of Congo, it is impossible for every Tutsi to be in the upper class. The vast majority are still at the bottom like Gary and her husband:

They still need to work to support themselves, and when war breaks out they will be drafted into service.

But the cultural level of the Tutsis is still higher than that of the Hutus. Gary's university education can greatly reduce the communication costs between the crew and her.

If appropriate, having Gary manage an entire team of domestic employees could be even more valuable than having her do the domestic work.

Thinking about how such a woman who is considered a top beauty in Congo and a highly educated elite has fallen to the point of being a laundry lady on the "hell ship", Lin Yuan doesn't know how to evaluate the post-war life in Congo.

Lin Yuan immediately decided to hire Gary. He smiled and said:

"Madam, I'd love to hire you. Once we get to Kisangani and everything is finalized, let's sign a two-month contract.

The job responsibilities are to help us with laundry and cooking, and the salary is $500 a month. Is that okay?"

Hearing Lin Yuan's words, Gary covered his mouth in disbelief.

After a while, she finally suppressed her excitement and bowed, saying, "Thank you so much, Mr. Lin. I will definitely work hard."

A monthly salary of $500 is a top-tier salary in Congo, where the per capita GDP is less than $300. How could Gary not be excited?
Even if such a high salary can only last for two months, it is already a huge pie falling from the sky for her.

Lin Yuan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No need to thank me. This is a win-win situation. We both gained peace of mind. I hope we can get along happily in the days ahead."

This is just a polite remark. It is impossible for an employee to get along unpleasantly with an employer who offers a sky-high salary. However, in order to show respect, such meaningless clichés must be said.

Gary also politely expressed his gratitude again.

At this time, the fish porridge in the pot was finally ready. As soon as GAKKI opened the lid of the pot, the rich aroma of the fish porridge filled the entire tent.

Lin Yuan immediately felt saliva begin to secrete in his mouth, which was an instinctive reaction to delicious food.

GAKKI prepared two bowls of porridge filled with fish and handed them to Gary: "Thank you for your hard work. Go back and eat quickly. Don't let the children go hungry."

Gary smiled and nodded: "Thank you, I'll be leaving first."

After saying that, she took the porridge and went back to her tent.

After Gary left, Gakki-chan prepared three bowls of porridge and said, "Buta is still sleeping. We'll take it to him later. Let's eat first."

If Lin Yuan was a little dissatisfied when he decided to give breakfast to Buta last night, it was mainly because he made an extra portion because the child was hungry. But after last night's barbecue party, he felt that he and Buta had become true friends.

This seemingly unreliable "Sapu" is actually a very nice person. Lin Yuan chose to respect the local cultural customs.

So after leaving enough for Brother Sap, Lin Yuan and the other two began to taste the delicious fish porridge.

I have to say, the porridge made from freshly killed fish tastes so fresh.

In the thick fish porridge, the delicious flavor of the fish is fully integrated into every grain of rice. Lin Yuan scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and the rice grains were crystal clear, and the fish was white, tender and soft.

As soon as it went into his throat, the delicacy of the porridge and the tenderness of the fish blended perfectly together, and the complex taste layers brought by the spices made Lin Yuan feel comfortable all over.

He was originally a little worried, thinking that adding so many spices to the fish porridge would cover up the original deliciousness of the fish.

But Gary used seasonings in a very restrained manner, which only served to embellish the dish without overshadowing the original deliciousness of the fish.

Lin Yuan was even more satisfied with Gary's cooking skills.

Having such a person in charge of the crew's food during the filming in Congo will definitely ensure that the entire team has good food and accommodation without having to worry about anything.

Lin Yuan was in a good mood and couldn't help but pour another bowl of porridge and ate it happily.

After breakfast, GAKKI-chan cleaned up the dishes and went to wash them.

Saragama walked to Lin Yuan's side and asked quietly, "Mr. Lin, do you feel that the boat is tilting more sharply?"

Lin Yuan nodded. Before going to bed last night, he felt that the boat's roll angle had become larger.

The normal tilt to the right has now reached nearly 10 degrees.

Although this angle seems to be far from 30 degrees, the normal 10-degree roll is already very severe.

If the tilt angle continues to increase in this way, and there is a strong wind or an emergency avoidance route, the instantaneous tilt angle is likely to reach the danger line.

The inclination of 10 degrees is enough to make people feel it obviously, but the African guys on the boat don't seem surprised at all. It can be said that they are very brave.

But Lin Yuan could no longer ignore the situation. Before last night, he turned a blind eye to the danger, thinking that if anything happened, he, GAKKI-chan, and Saragama would be fine.

But now he could no longer ignore the safety of Buta and his son, Gary and her daughter, and the several black men who sang and danced with them last night.

So Lin Yuan said, "Go and report the situation to the ship's management. I think they need to take it seriously."

The large flatbed boat is towed by the cruise ship in front, so there is no captain on the large flatbed boat, only a very small number of staff.

Therefore, no matter how the large flatbed boat tilts, the captain of the cruise ship in front cannot feel it, and naturally it is impossible to take targeted measures.

Saragama nodded and said, "I'll report the situation right away."

After saying that, he walked straight to the bow of the ship.

Seeing this, GAKKI-chan asked, "It seems that it's not my illusion. The ship we are on is indeed tilting more severely?"

"Yes, I am very worried about the safety of this ship. After all, there have been many accidents involving ships that are towed illegally." Lin Yuan replied.

"Will there really be a problem?" GAKKI asked.

"I don't know, but if something goes wrong, I will definitely ensure your safety. If I didn't have this confidence, I wouldn't bring you on this kind of ship. It's just..." Lin Yuan hesitated to speak.

"As for the safety of Gary, Buta and the others, you may be powerless, right?" GAKKI immediately understood.

After all, Lin Yuan is just a human being, not a god. It is already remarkable that he can bring GAKKI-chan back to the shore safely.

At this time, the river section where Lin Yuan and his team were located was more than 1300 meters wide, and the boat was sailing in the middle of the river, which meant that Lin Yuan and his team were more than 600 meters away from the shore.

Such a long distance would take a long time even if walking on land.

In addition, the flow rate of the Congo River is extremely fast, which is mainly because the amount of water in the Congo River is really too large.

As the "deepest" river in the world, the Congo River has an average width of 220 meters.

If you have no idea about this depth, you can compare it with the continental shelf of the ocean, where the average depth is only about 200 meters.

It can be said that the Congo River is even deeper than the water near the coast, which means a huge runoff volume, resulting in particularly complex hydrological conditions in the river.

If you are not careful, there may be rapids, undercurrents, whirlpools, and other dangerous situations. Therefore, if you want to swim to the shore, you not only have to cross a long distance, but also have to overcome complex hydrological conditions, which requires a very high level of water ability and physical strength.

Facing Lin Yuan's worries, GAKKI-chan could only helplessly say: "I hope our worries are unnecessary and no accidents will really happen.

There are so many passengers on this ship, if something happens, it will be too tragic."

The towing cruise ship in front can theoretically carry 50 tourists, but after the interior space was modified long ago, it was carrying at least 100 passengers, with an overload rate of 100%.

As for the large flatbed boat at the rear, it is impossible to calculate the overload rate.

There are 500 tent spaces in total. Considering that many guests bring children with them, the actual number of passengers may exceed 600.

In this way, if an accident occurs, the lives of 700 people will be immediately in danger.

"I hope the ship's management can take this seriously, but I doubt they will pretend not to see it. Congolese people are always very sensitive," Lin Yuan replied.

His concerns are not groundless. In fact, there are more than a dozen major traffic accidents caused by "hell ships" almost every year.

But it seems that security issues have never been taken seriously. The Congolese people continue to do as they please, without making any rectifications, and the government has not issued any security management regulations.

From the government to the people, everyone behaves in a casual manner that is puzzling.

Soon, the returning Saragama confirmed Lin Yuan’s concerns.

Saragama said helplessly, "I have already reported the problem to the ship's management, but I feel that with his perfunctory attitude, he doesn't take it seriously at all."

"How can they be so irresponsible? This involves the lives of seven hundred people! If something really happens to the deck ship, the towing cruise ship in front will not be able to escape unscathed." GAKKI said dissatisfiedly.

It is indeed as GAKKI said, this is not about standing idly by.

The large deck ship and the towing cruise ship are tightly connected with multiple iron chains.

If a large deck ship has a problem and capsizes, or sinks, the cruise ship that is towed tightly by iron chains will inevitably be physically dragged into the water and will never be spared.

Therefore, the ship managers did not take it lightly just because their own safety was not involved, but they were really thick-skinned.

This is a problem. People who ignore safety are unwilling to take immediate action because of Lin Yuan’s warning.

This means that relying on the captain is almost impossible.

How to do this?

Thinking of the new friends he made on the ship, Lin Yuan could not ignore their safety.

At this time, the deck boat seemed to be shaking even more violently, as if it had encountered a more intense current.

The rocking boat made GAKKI-chan look like she was drunk, unable to stand steadily and swaying back and forth.

If this situation occurred in East Asia, Europe or the United States, the passengers on the ship would have started screaming long ago.

But the black guys were really thick-skinned. Not only did no one exclaim, but they were laughing loudly and happily, as if riding this "rocking boat" was even more exciting.

"This 300-kilometer waterway has many rapids and is also a high-accident-prone area. If our ship had not tilted, it might have been okay, but now it seems the risk is indeed high," Saragama warned.

Lin Yuan asked solemnly, "How far away is Kane's freighter from us? How long will it take to get here?"

"About 200 kilometers. If you rush at full speed, it will take about three and a half hours." Saragama replied.

(When approaching head-on, they are moving in opposite directions, and the time depends on the sum of the speeds of the two ships.)
Yesterday's cargo ship departed 6 hours later than Lin Yuan's ship, and is now 200 kilometers ahead. It can be seen how big the speed difference between the two is.

In fact, the cargo ship is not very fast, with a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour, which is equivalent to a speed of about 26 knots.

This is the normal speed of an ordinary cargo ship, but it is still so much ahead of the large flatbed ship, which only shows how slow the "hell ship" that is pulled by a calf is.

Roughly speaking, the large flatbed boat can only travel at a staggering speed of 10 kilometers per hour, which is slower than riding a bicycle. No wonder it takes more than 20 days to get from Kinshasa to Kisangani.

After hearing Saragama's answer, Lin Yuan took out his mobile phone and called Kane.

Under the surprised gazes of GAKKI-chan and Saragama, the call was connected.

Lin Yuan said, "Kane, there might be a problem with the ship I'm on. I'm worried about an accident. So I need you to come back and pick me up immediately. Can you do that?"

Kane on the phone didn't hesitate at all and replied very respectfully, "Don't worry, Mr. Lin, of course we can do it! Your safety is our top priority. We'll be there right away."

Lin Yuan knew that there shouldn't be any problem. After all, as long as the money was paid, the captain of the cargo ship would not raise any objections.

If it cannot be done, it only means that the money given is not enough, but this is obviously not a problem for Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan continued, "There are more than just the three of us on the boat. If something happens, we can't just stand by and watch. You should prepare some life-saving equipment, at least enough matching swimsuits and swimming rings."

"How many sets do you need? I'm worried there aren't enough on the cargo ship." Kane said with some embarrassment.

It's really not Kane's fault. The cargo ship can't carry so many people. He was worried that even if he took out all the life jackets and swimming rings, they wouldn't be enough.

"About 700 sets are needed," said Lin Yuan.

"This... there are at most 300 sets on the cargo ship, and it wouldn't be enough even if we took them all out." Kane replied.

"Are there speedboats on the cargo ship? How many are there?" Lin Yuan asked.

Lin Yuan knew that cargo ships were generally equipped with speedboats, which could be used as lifeboats in the event of an accident, or they could be used to purchase supplies by speedboat when the cargo ship did not dock at the port.

"Two," Kane replied.

"That's enough. Your cargo ship should rush towards where I am. At the same time, let a few people take a speedboat to the small town of Otos nearby to get their swimsuits and then rush over." Lin Yuan said.

"Does Ottos have so many swimsuits? Even if it does, we won't be able to get them all right away." Kane said.

"Don't worry, I will call President Kabila and ask him to help me gather life-saving equipment. Your people just need to go there directly to collect it." Lin Yuan replied.

The small town of Otos is not far from the capital Kinshasa and is of course under the direct control of President Kabila. As long as he is willing to help, it should not be difficult to collect a few hundred life jackets.

As for whether President Kabila will help?
Of course, Lin Yuan was not worried at all. If an accident really happened, the political achievement of saving the lives of 700 passengers would be enough to make him famous.

This is definitely beneficial to President Kabila Jr.

If nothing unexpected happens, Lin Yuan will owe him a favor. Lin Yuan is the richest man in the world, and he can get his favor with just a little effort. It will still be a sure profit for President Kabila.

If President Kabila Jr. is a simple-minded fool, Lin Yuan is worried that he will not be able to figure out the bill and will refuse his request.

But judging from his communication with the second-generation president yesterday, President Kabila is definitely a smart man with a quick mind.

Sure enough, after Lin Yuan made the call and explained his purpose, President Kabila accepted Lin Yuan's request without saying a word.

He patted his chest and assured Lin Yuan that the local area had been a war front and was equipped with a large stock of life jackets.

If Ottos was not just a small city without rescue personnel and ships, they could even be sent directly out of the port to participate in the rescue.

Lin Yuan expressed his gratitude. President Kabila has already done a lot, and it is really impossible to expect local staff to join in the rescue.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yuan felt much more relaxed.

He has made all the efforts he can, and what happens next is up to fate.

"If you mobilize such a large number of people and nothing unexpected happens, wouldn't it be difficult for you to explain?" Saragama still had some hope and didn't want Lin Yuan to get into trouble.

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "If they're wrong, then so be it. It's better to believe it than not. If they really made a wasted trip, at most I can pay them some money to appease them. Anything that can be solved with money is not a problem."

Lin Yuan, who is already the world's richest man, has every reason to say such things.

Over the years, he has not pursued a life of extravagance because of his wealth, but in such occasions, Lin Yuan is not stingy in spending money, and he truly feels the satisfaction brought by using money in this way.

As time passed, the ship began to tilt more and more.

This is definitely not a simple situation caused by an imbalance in cargo weight. There must be a problem with the hull structure of the large flatbed ship, or even a slow leak somewhere.

Now Lin Yuan is becoming more and more worried about the occurrence of accidents.

He just hoped that no accidents would happen before the rescue cargo ship and speedboat arrived.

But when it rains, it pours. Murphy's Law arrives late.

Soon, the last straw that broke the camel's back appeared.

When a cargo ship came from the front and towed the cruise ship to make an evasive maneuver to the right, the large flatbed ship, which was already tilted, suddenly tilted more than 30 degrees to the right.

With such a large angle of inclination, even the thick-skinned black guy couldn't laugh anymore.

Everyone lay on the deck in fear, lowering their center of gravity to prevent themselves from rolling to the right.

But when I realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

Once the balance is broken, it will be like a chain reaction that follows, just like a domino effect.

The large flat boat did not right itself quickly like it had done before, but continued to tilt to the right.

At this moment, the black guys on the boat finally started screaming in fear:

"The ship is sinking! Everyone, get ready to run!"

"What should I do? I don't have a life jacket and I can't swim!"

"Mom! I'm so scared!"

"Don't be afraid, Mom will protect you, we will be fine! May the gods bless us!"

Lin Yuan was also lying on the deck, holding GAKKI tightly with his left arm.

"Don't worry, we will be fine." Lin Yuan said seriously.

GAKKI-chan in his arms nodded: "I'm not worried. With you, I have absolute confidence."

How amazing is Lin Yuan, how could GAKKI not know?
This is a man who fought sharks in the ocean, jumped into Niagara Falls, was plunged from the top of Hukou Falls, and was swept away by the rapids, and he remained fine.

The Congo River in front of him could not threaten Lin Yuan at all. GAKKI felt very safe at this moment.

At this time, the large flat boat began to tilt more and more to the right. In just one minute, it reached an astonishing angle of 50 degrees and was about to capsize.

Many people have already fallen into the water like dumplings...

(End of this chapter)