Chapter 104: Means of Resistance

Chu Dong lay at the bottom of the hull, unaware of the ship’s movements. His phone was in his pocket, but taking it out might alert the guards, so he could only estimate the time by his internal clock.

Little Yu’er slept soundly in her sister’s arms. The others, under the dim light, were growing drowsy as well. Even the guards, seeing everyone so docile, gradually relaxed their vigilance.

One of them hung his gun around his neck, took out a cigarette, and lit it, then offered cigarettes to the other two.

Tan Xue wrinkled her small nose, clearly displeased with their behavior, but under these circumstances, she couldn’t voice her objection. She could only glare at them with a look of disgust.

Perhaps her reaction caught their attention. One of the guards, speaking in muddled Latin slang, made a crude joke and walked toward Tan Xue. The other two, seeing her fearful expression, laughed loudly.

Chu Dong sat with his eyes half-closed, unmoving. The man squatting beside Tan Xue watched Chu Dong from the corner of his eye. Seeing him so timid and weak, he grew even more brazen, reaching out to touch Tan Xue’s face with an irritating laugh.

Tan Xue recoiled in disgust, dodging his hand. She saw Chu Dong’s expression and felt bitterly disappointed, never expecting him to ignore her in such a moment.

The other two guards had initially kept their guns trained on the group, but seeing no one move, their focus drifted. They watched their companion tease Tan Xue, cheering him on.

Little Yu’er was startled awake, kicking wildly until her foot was grabbed and pulled aside. One of the guards seized her, his dark hands pressing down on her thin shoulders, making it hard for her to move.

“Brother-in-law, brother-in-law,” the little girl called out, frightened, but Chu Dong seemed not to hear.

Tan Xue felt a hopeless sorrow, realizing that in danger, Chu Dong truly could abandon her for his own safety. The heroic courage he’d shown in the underground arena seemed utterly gone. She struggled fiercely, her small hands beating helplessly against the guard’s strong body. Her pink wedding dress was torn open, silent tears sliding down her cheeks—not from fear, but from a mysterious sadness at Chu Dong’s indifference.

With the sound of ripping fabric, Tan Xue’s rounded, fragrant shoulder was exposed. The other two guards laughed heartily. With the pressure eased, Little Yu’er lunged at the man assaulting her sister, but before she could bite him, she was pulled back. Her cries were heart-wrenching. The photographer and others huddled in the corner, trembling, afraid to move.

At the height of the guards’ arrogance, Chu Dong, who had been quiet and still, moved.

Like a leopard on springs, he struck with lightning speed, catching everyone off guard. His slender, pale hand gripped a guard’s throat, the other arm wrapping around from behind to press against his jaw. Muscles bulged suddenly—a sharp crack echoed in everyone’s ears.

The guard collapsed, limp.

The moment was as swift as a flash of lightning. The man holding Little Yu’er was still stunned when Chu Dong appeared before him, his elbow smashing into the man’s throat. Seizing the gun, Chu Dong pressed it against the forehead of the black man who had just turned to the sound, assaulting Tan Xue.

Just then, the guard holding Little Yu’er fell, clutching his throat, writhing on the ground.

Little Yu’er threw herself into her sister’s arms, crying and wiping away Tan Xue’s tears. “Sister, sister…”

Chu Dong had no time to comfort them. He tapped the remaining guard’s head with the gun, ordering him to stand slowly. Taking his weapon, Chu Dong commanded him to close his eyes, then struck him hard in the temple with the gun butt.

Blood splattered; the black man collapsed silently.

The bridal photography shop staff were stunned, staring at Chu Dong like he was a demon—not with admiration, but with fear.

Chu Dong walked to the struggling guard. When the man quieted, Chu Dong’s toe pressed against his throat; this time, it was final. The guard’s head tilted—no sound, no movement.

“Aah!” A shrill scream burst from the bridal shop’s female attendant.

“Quiet,” Chu Dong frowned, scolding her in a low voice.

The piercing cry stopped abruptly. The girl covered her mouth herself, nodding fearfully at Chu Dong.

“Xue’er, take Yu’er to the corner.” Chu Dong knew the scream would draw suspicion from those above. If someone came down to check, there would be no turning back—only confrontation.

Tan Xue, still shaken, made no response to Chu Dong’s command, whether she didn’t hear or was silently protesting his indifference to her earlier danger. She simply pulled her wedding dress to cover her shoulder, took Little Yu’er to a corner, and sat down. She could ignore herself, but her sister’s safety mattered most.

For now, Chu Dong’s words carried weight. The bridal shop staff followed Tan Xue and her sister to the edge of the hull.

As Chu Dong predicted, just as they settled, footsteps sounded overhead, followed by someone shouting down.

Chu Dong didn’t have the skill to mimic the guards' voices, so he kept silent. If he tried and failed, a hail of bullets would be his reward.

After a while, hearing no response from below, the hatch moved, a gap opened, and a flashlight shone inside.

“Hey, are you dead or what?” the man above shouted impatiently.

He wasn’t wrong—the three guards below, aside from one bleeding from the temple, were all dead. The last seemed likely to join his companions soon.

Cautious, the man above didn’t come down, instead closing the hatch again.

Chu Dong gripped the gun tightly. He knew when the hatch reopened, a bloody battle would ensue. He didn’t hide with Tan Xue and the others, knowing he was the primary target; his position would be the most dangerous.

He had them shelter beneath the hull, while he hid in the deepest part of the bottom deck. He hung all three guards’ guns on himself, collecting their ammunition.

Now he had two carbines and a pistol. The carbine rounds were less than three hundred, the pistol fewer than sixty.

Overhead, footsteps shuffled—the number of people unknown. After a while, the hatch suddenly opened, and a flare was fired inside.

The interior lights were dim; if not for Chu Dong’s time spent below, he wouldn’t see clearly either. The outsiders needed flashlights to look in. They knew the guards had met trouble, but didn’t rush in. Instead, they used a flare to expose those below.

Brilliant light. Even with his eyes shut, Chu Dong felt scorched, hastily concealing himself. Relying on instinct, he fired a shot.

He knew if his location wasn’t discovered, the dark corner under the stairs would be the enemy’s primary target. If they found he wasn’t there, they’d likely overlook it.

Sure enough, his shot hit someone’s arm, and his surroundings were bombarded in retaliation. Wood chips flew near his hiding spot, but the attackers were rushed, and Chu Dong moved quickly. They wasted a lot of bullets firing blind.

Little Yu’er, seeing Chu Dong disappear and hearing the gunfire, almost called out, but Tan Xue covered her mouth before she could make a sound.

Chu Dong enjoyed an advantage—there were many places to hide, while the attackers had only a small window to enter. If they wanted to come down, the stairway would make them targets; if not, Chu Dong just needed to hold his position. His rushed shot had wounded someone, but no one knew his marksmanship or ammunition supply, nor did anyone wish to test him.

Chu Dong’s position was at the bottom deck—a sensitive spot. The ship lacked any automatic bulkheads that could be sealed. They couldn’t use heavy weaponry; any breach would sink the whole vessel. This was why the enemy delayed their attack.

The one-eyed leader—the ship’s captain—had just received a transaction signal from the buyers, and was steering the ship toward Chinese waters when his men reported that the rescued Chinese passengers had lost control and gunfire had erupted.

After learning the situation, the one-eyed man regretted his decision to confine them to the bottom deck. If the ship was destroyed, he’d be ruined. If these people weren’t dealt with, they’d remain a hidden threat. Chu Dong, in particular, had left a lasting impression. Having such a man on board made any deal unsafe.

The captain ordered the crew to stop the ship and personally led men to the hatch.

The door was open, but the armed crew hesitated, unsure how to proceed. When the captain arrived, they were still arguing over who should go down.

“Idiots, what are you panicking for?” The one-eyed man barked, his authority silencing them. Satisfied, he approached the hatch, peeking inside.

“Bang.”

A gunshot rang out. The captain’s cowboy hat flew off, carried away by a whistling bullet. Clutching his chilled scalp, he hit the deck, fearfully shouting, “Close it, close it, hurry up!”