"We are still in danger. If Old Goat's side gets exposed, we will have to take the heat. But if they don't, then we have got to keep the fleet moving past Colusa. By the time the enemy realizes something is off and turns back to chase us, it will already be too late."
Yang Yang's plan was insane, but brilliant. He aimed to steal all the supplies from twenty-three cargo ships in one go. That's millions of tons of goods; it was equivalent to two-thirds of both factions' grain reserves. As for the slaves, oil, and minerals loaded on the ships trailing behind them, none of that mattered as much as food. Without food, China wouldn't last.
Millions of tons of supplies could feed fifty million people for half a year, or maybe even a full year if they rationed carefully. This one operation could literally save China from the brink of total starvation.
Of course, taking it all was impossible. Yang Yang knew where to hit and where to hold back. He left the enemy a share of the goods. It was just enough to keep them from going mad with desperation. If they had stolen every last bit, those two factions would have hunted them to the ends of the earth. But now, with twenty-some cargo ships still intact, the enemy would be too busy guarding what is left to go all out in a pursuit.
Brother Fa checked his watch, the metal strap clicking, and said, "We are about to reach Colusa. Keep it together!"
Everyone was on edge in the cramped control room. This mission would decide whether their first operation in America succeeded or failed. Ling Ling kept wiping the barrel of her sniper rifle with a soft cloth, fine-tuning the night vision scope with precise clicks. Ah Huang sat on the metal floor, restless, his fingers drumming against his knees. Monkey carefully oiled his gun, the sharp scent of the lubricant filling the small space. Tank was doing push-ups on the vibrating deck to burn off the mounting tension.
Only Jing Shu quietly crouched in a corner, playing with her Rubik's Cube, the plastic clicking rhythmically as she twisted the sections. She had been in America for barely two weeks, and her Cube Space was already packed to the brim. She needed to upgrade it fast and gather more supplies while she still could. Even in this land of abundance, people were starting to starve every day as the social order crumbled.
The captain slowly eased the cargo ship back, widening the distance from the one ahead to avoid any accidental collisions. The canal was narrow, lined with dark, muddy banks, so only one ship could pass at a time. They just needed to follow in line and maintain their position.
Colusa was at last visible on the horizon.
Everyone stood up, watching the ships ahead with tight nerves and shallow breath. The freighters crept forward, one by one, their massive hulls groaning. The leading ship drifted farther away until it finally split off at a fork in the canal, following the curve to the west, while their captain kept sailing straight ahead into the main channel.
Jing Shu's heart pounded wildly in her chest. From this point on, the ships behind them would head for Austin seeking shelter, while Yang Yang's twenty-three ships would slip away toward Williams. As long as no one caught them mid-route, they would be home free once they reached the designated handoff point.
"Good. First step is a success," Brother Fa exhaled in relief, the sound loud in the quiet bridge. "These lazy bastards always run their ships on autopilot, just following the one in front. If nothing goes wrong, we will reach Austin before anyone even notices."
Of course, that was if nothing went wrong.
Ships No. 1 through 23 successfully headed for Williams, while No. 24 led the rest of the convoy toward the original destination. The nobles were too busy with their own affairs to notice the discrepancy, and the slave kingdom's upper crust was holding a grand party with over two hundred aristocrats. They were discussing future plans, routes, and, most importantly, how to divide the spoils of their recent raids.
But chaos struck in the noble district. Two nobles were found dead in their quarters, and the whole place erupted in a sudden panic. Whether it was murder or infighting, no one could tell in the confusion. Their deaths immediately triggered a heated dispute over their property. Peggy's brother, George, declared that he would inherit all her wealth, but the underground aristocratic guild had strict rules: every member's estate was to be split among the collective.
Before they could even finish arguing, they realized Peggy's valuables were already gone: her diamonds, jewelry, and everything of worth. Only a few bottles of wine and some cheap trinkets remained on the shelves. Even the so-called "energy stones" had vanished from her safe. That's when all eyes turned toward finding the killer, and the two guards who had been at the door were dragged into the mess for interrogation.
Meanwhile, the cargo ship moved steadily along the water, the engines humming a low, constant tune. Jing Shu finally let out the breath she had been holding. No one else in the world would have dared pull off something this gutsy and silent. The captains and crew never even considered the possibility that someone would split a convoy mid-route without a single shout or gunshot.
Everyone just followed habit. That's how this industry worked: follow the ship ahead. The one in front won't get lost, and even if it does, that is their problem.
It reminded her of that marathon where the leading runner took a wrong turn at a crucial junction, and everyone behind followed blindly into the wrong street. Only one person noticed and ran the correct path, winning first place in the end.
People always follow the crowd, not just in China but everywhere. Under pressure, they ignore the small details that matter most.
Just as everyone finally relaxed—
"Ship 23 to Ship 24, Ship 23 to Ship 24, why can't we see your vessel anymore?"
The voice crackled through the intercom, distorted by static. That was the biggest flaw of these ships; the radio system relied on the same frequency network across the entire fleet. No one realized they were already on completely different routes miles apart.
Xiao Hei quickly translated the message for the group. Everyone's eyes turned to Brother Fa. Whether they would stay hidden or blow their cover depended entirely on his next move.
He cleared his throat, leaned into the microphone, and replied, "Oh, damn it, guess you caught us. Fine, I admit, it's on me. We had a slave uprising on Ship 24. Someone broke through the hull in the lower deck, so I had to slow down and deal with those bastards before patching the damage."
"Haha, man, you are in for a fine. Good luck with that! We will go on ahead."
Everyone finally exhaled in relief. To make the lie believable, Jing Shu and the others even had to stage it for real. They quietly executed every remaining crew member onboard to ensure no one could contradict the story.
"Ship 23 to Ship 24, hey man, why haven't you caught up yet? You are falling way behind. Damn, something feels off today. Who is running the nav system?"
"Oh hell, this isn't the route to Austin! What is going on—"
The transmission cut off mid-sentence into a burst of white noise. Other captains seemed to realize something was wrong and started checking their digital maps.
"We are about to be exposed," Brother Fa muttered. He lit a cigarette, the ember glowing in the dim light, and blew out a slow ring of smoke.
Tank frowned, his hands clenched. "Then what now? What do we do?"
Brother Fa sighed, looking at the radar. "Guess we will have to buy you some time. Draw their fire." He slammed the red alarm button, and a blaring siren echoed through the metal canal. "Oh shit! Ship 24 has been hijacked! Pirates on board! We are under attack!"
Right after shouting into the open channel, he gunned the engines to max speed. The massive freighter roared like a racing car, the deck shaking violently, and shot down the canal in a blur of churning water.
Might as well have shouted, "Come on, hit me with everything you have got!"