I chose one of four options at the start, and I chose the number one clan in Lingnan.

Lin Fei did not touch the iron door of cabin number two.

He raised two fingers, and the third group of security personnel moved along the outer wall of the cargo ship toward the aft hold. The breaching crew took out hydraulic tools, first cutting the chains outside the hatch, and then sealing off the passageways on both sides.

"Captain Wang, everyone retreat to the middle of the cabin, away from the doorway. We'll clear the deck and stairs first; we won't try to force our way in from the front."

Upon receiving the order, Wang Dehai immediately organized the crew to retreat.

On the deck, Basong could already see seaplanes and speedboats.

More than sixty pirates ran to the ship's side, their old-fashioned rifles, short-barreled firearms, and homemade shields piled haphazardly in their hands.

Basong had been operating in the local waters for over a decade, seizing fishing boats and ore transport ships.

He initially thought it was just a routine hijacking, and the cargo owner would only send negotiators. The arrival of three large seaplanes changed his mind.

"Force everyone off the plane and hold the deck!" Basong raised his hand. "Whoever boards first will be the first to fall!"

A loudspeaker broadcasted onto the deck.

"This is the Lin's Security Services Group. The crew and cargo belong to the Lin family. Lay down your weapons, leave the cargo ship, and hand over the cargo according to local laws. If you continue to resist, everyone will be detained."

After hearing this, Basong shouted out of the cabin, "This island does not belong to the Lin family. Your cargo ship has been seized. If you want the crew back, bring twenty million US dollars!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several pirates opened fire from the edge of the deck.

Bullets struck the hull of the seaplane and the railings of the cargo ship, sending debris flying in all directions.

The first security team did not retreat; their shields blocked the gunfire, and remote positioning buoys transmitted the location of the deck personnel to each team member's terminal.

Lin Fei boarded the cargo ship from the stern, and his bulletproof bio-fiber suit blocked sporadic shots.

Instead of stopping behind the guardrail, he led six security guards along the container aisle.

"Group two to control the bridge, group four to hold down the speedboat. People on deck, handle them separately, and don't let them get near the fuel tanks."

Lin's security personnel split into four groups and entered the cargo ship. The first group used shields to hold off the gunfire and forced back the guards on the ship's side.

The second team cut off the power near the bridge and sealed off the control room. The third team cleared the container area, and the fourth team went down the gangway to find the crew.

The pirates' equipment was haphazard, and there was no unified command among them.

Bassong shouted several times from the deck, but the guards each sought cover, and the right side of the cargo ship was quickly left undefended.

Basong grabbed one of his men by the collar.

"Bring the speedboat closer and drag the crew out!"

Before the subordinate could respond, Lin Fei had already stepped out from behind the container.

Basong raised his gun and aimed, but Lin Fei raised his arm to block the gun while grabbing the other man's wrist with his other hand.

The gun fell onto the deck, and Basong drew his short knife from his waist, the blade grazing Lin Fei's shoulder.

Lin Fei dodged the blade, grabbed Basong's arm, and disarmed him with his bare hands.

He grabbed Basong's shoulder and pressed him onto the beach, pressing his knee against the man's back, while the dagger fell two meters away.

"Tell your men to lay down their weapons." Lin Fei pressed down on Basong. "If you continue to give orders, you'll be the first one taken away."

Basong's face was pressed against the sand, his hands were handcuffed behind his back. He looked at the fallen armed men around him and realized for the first time that this group of foreign security personnel had not relied on sheer numbers to suppress them.

The enemy blocked all escape routes in advance at every step, and the speedboat, fuel, and cargo container were all controlled separately.

"Stop firing!" Bassong shouted across the island. "Put down your weapons and stop shooting!"

Gun barrels on the deck began to droop, and several pirates placed their weapons on the ground. The fourth security team opened the iron door to cabin number two, and Wang Dehai led his crew out.

Lin Fei scanned the group: "All crew members, assemble on deck. Medical personnel will check for external injuries. The container area is sealed off; no one is allowed to touch the seals."

Wang Dehai walked to Lin Fei's side. His clothes had marks from being rubbed by ropes, but he was otherwise unharmed.

"Before the cargo ship entered the island and reef area, the navigation screen received a port dispatch instruction, requiring us to change course and wait for a connecting ship."

The instruction used the Haiqing Port code, which the crew didn't suspect at the time. After the shuttle boat approached, they used firearms to take control of the bridge.

Lin Fei relayed this message back to Tazhai.

Lin Ting was reviewing the footage at the overseas emergency center. He instructed Lin Fu to add the cargo ship's communication records and the Haiqing Port code to the evidence catalog.

"First, get all the crew onto the plane. The engine room crew will stay behind to check the main engine and fuel lines. The fact that the other side did not damage the cargo indicates that the purpose of this operation was not to steal the cargo."

Lin Fu retrieved the communication equipment seized on the island.

"There are three sets of contacts in Basong's satellite phone: one from the South Island, one from the outsourced warehouse in Haiqing Port, and one that only shows a numerical code. The payment records have not been deleted; the most recent one is $2.8 million."

Lin Ting said, "Make two copies of the phone calls and payment records and give them to Captain Chen and the local maritime department. Basong should first clarify things with the employer."

Lin Fei had someone bring Basong to the temporary command post.

Basong's wrist had been untied, and in front of him were a satellite phone, a payment screenshot, and a vehicle pass for the South Island Park.

"You don't have to answer." Lin Fei placed the recording equipment on the table.

"Local police and maritime authorities are on their way. The evidence of your detention of the cargo ship, restriction of the crew's movement, and use of weapons is all here."

"By handing over the responsibility to the employers now, the people on the island can bear less of the burden."

Basong stared at the pass.

"My only responsibility is to detain the ship; the cargo cannot be moved, and the crew cannot be injured."

The people on the South Island provided the route, crew list, and communications jamming equipment; they said the cargo ship would lose signal near the high seas.

Lin Fei asked, "Who gave the order?"

Basong looked up at him.

"The payer was Mitsui Minami Island Industrial Park, and the person who contacted me was Murakami. The transfer went out from Mitsui Southeast Asia Materials Company."

The other party demanded that the Linhai No. 7 be towed into the island reef to await a transport ship flying the South Island flag to pick up the cargo. We only received the money and had no idea where the cargo was actually going.

Have you ever met Murakami?

"I met him twice. He said the Lin family's fleet couldn't reach Haiqing Port, and the first batch of goods had to stay here. If the Lin family sent people to chase after us, they would take the crew onto the deck and force us to hand over the containers."

After listening to the transcript, Lin Ting did not allow Lin Fei to ask any further questions.

Maritime patrol boats have appeared on the sea east of the island.

Chen Qihai also transferred local lawyers and port representatives from Haiqing Port to prepare for the handover of the crew and the pirates.

Lin Fei walked to the bridge of the Linhai No. 7, where the engine room crew gave their results after completing the inspection.

"The main unit is intact, the oil system is undamaged, and the cold storage temperature is within the standard range. Only two communication antennas were removed; the backup terminal is still there."

Wang Dehai gripped the rudder.

"The crew is willing to continue sailing. Haiqing Port is still 600 nautical miles away. After replacing the antenna with a spare one, the cargo ship can depart tonight."

Lin Ting issued instructions via remote channel: "The cargo ship continues to Haiqing Port, and the route is changed to double verification."

Without confirmation from the Lin's Dispatch Center, the maritime authorities, and Qihai Holdings, no rerouting orders will be accepted.

Wang Dehai responded: "Linhai No. 7 received it."

Lin Fu compiled the pirates' confessions, payment screenshots, and South Island Park access passes into a file package and sent it to Captain Chen and Chen Qihai.

"Qihai Holdings has already sealed the port code. Chen Qihai said that Haiqing Port will arrange local escort, but we need to wait for Lin to issue formal negotiation documents."

Lin Ting opened the email editing page.

Recipient: Mitsui Group Southeast Asia Headquarters.

The attachments include a photo of Basong kneeling on the beach, a photo of the seal on the Linhai No. 7 container, pirate payment records, and vehicle passes for the South Island Park.

The main text consists of only two lines:

"The people you hired have been taken into custody, and the cargo ship will continue its journey to Haiqing Port."

"The Lin family demanded that Mitsui compensate for double the loss and provide a response within 24 hours."

Lin Ting attached the last piece of evidence and pressed the send button.

Mitsui's Southeast Asia headquarters received an email from the Hayashi family.