Chapter 332: The Winners Act like Kings While the Losers Pay for Their Sins
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Mu Chenwu discovered that Yuan Tangzhong had met with disaster during the Yuan Family’s banquet. He realized that he would be the next one to suffer tragedy if he did not take action now.
He had gathered almost a thousand of his subordinates. They consisted of the scum of society, such as criminals.
This massive but secret contingent was based in the construction site in Green Smoke Mountain that was used to plan battles. They would be easily discovered if their operations and goals were too grand.
They avoided being captured by Yuan Xuan because the Yuan Family’s second son had been protecting them before this. Now that they lost their shield, hiding here was no different than waiting for death.
Shao Yibai brought elite soldiers from Capital City along with several other men. These men accompanied him to ride horses and engage in shooting practice when he was bored. They were stationed near the Yuan Family Mansion. After all, Yuan Xuan spared no effort when setting up the mansion’s defenses. It was impossible to penetrate the perimeter because there were numerous hidden lookouts there.
Mu Chenwu’s target and primary focus was Yuan Xuan’s oil field in the South China Sea.
Most of the Yuan Family’s financial and material resources were concentrated there. This was a national project. If Yuan Xuan lost this platform, it would be impossible for him to turn the tide in Luo Hai, much less Country Z.
Mu Chenwu enlisted all of his forces from the very start. He had set his sights on the ships that belonged to the South China Sea Oil Field and the Yuan Family that were entering and leaving the port.
However, Yuan Xuan had meticulously thought this through. He marked the routes of his ships, such as when they entered and left the ports, as classified information concerning his business. This showed how much he valued that oil field.
Obviously, Mu Chenyan was unaware of this. Unfortunately, Mu Chenwu had previously wasted a lot of time poring over the file that had given him.
...
The first light of dawn appeared in the east.
The silent port stirred as the cold early morning breeze blew past.
The surface of the sea and the sky were the exact same shade. Shen Muqiu watched as the helmsman adjusted the ship’s heading as it sailed forward. The man lazily laid down on the deck and gazed at the seagulls in the sky that were chasing the ship. He poured himself a glass of red wine while crossing his legs.
The sky felt like a warm blanket while the world was so quiet that he felt like the last person on earth. Days like these were truly the best.
Shen Muqiu squinted when he recalled how easily the fleet that was used for military and commercial purposes had been dispatched. The Yuan Family were the only ones in Luo Hai who could do this as they pleased.
Shen Muqiu had a dream when he was younger. He wanted to sail a yacht and find a route that would allow him to explore uninhabited islands.
However, he could not find the location of these uninhabited islands. He also needed a highly experienced crew that could sail a sturdy and strong seafaring ship to maneuver past the numerous undercurrents. In the end, the dream that he had in his youth was delayed day after day.
Nonetheless, his restless nature never changed. England was one of the oldest nations known for its sea voyages. When Shen Muqiu was exiled overseas for several years, he learned numerous sailing techniques and maritime battle tactics while he was in England.
“Mr Shen, are you sure that Mu Chenwu will proceed from this route?” The captain had spent several days with Shen Muqiu at sea, but he had no idea what Third Young Master Yuan’s friend was waiting for.
The fleet that Shen Muqiu led consisted of four light ships of medium tonnage and two great ships of large tonnage.
The advanced configuration of the weapons allowed these six ships to resemble normal trading vessels while being able to instantly transform when needed. They formed a small-scale ambush fleet. They were a formidable force that could take down multiple enemies at a time.
“I don’t know.”
Shen Muqiu swirled the wine in his glass and smiled as he spoke.
The captain was speechless.
Yuan Xuan had placed the fleet on standby for the past few days. However, he had not mentioned when they would launch their attack, nor had he informed them of the exact location. The Young Master of the Shen Family seemed to be taking them sightseeing around the massive South China Sea. When were they going to act?
The captain watched as Shen Muqiu leisurely sipped his wine and watched the sky. A sense of gloominess could not help but stir in his heart.
...
Shen Muqiu observed the sea through his binoculars for some time. He finally saw four seafaring vessels marked by blue gulls. These ships were slowly travelling along the designated route.
The man turned over like a carp before he leaped up. He waved at the captain and whispered, “Go after those four Blue Gulls! Our six ships will circle the perimeter. Follow the instructions and formations that I mentioned earlier. Don’t get too close to avoid being discovered.”
There were almost one hundred crew members on each ship that Shen Muqiu led. Some of them were elites that he had brought with him, while the rest were highly experienced and battle-hardened sailors that Yuan Xuan had allocated to him.
The group of men gathered in one place. When they heard that they were to move out immediately, they could not help but roll up their sleeves in anticipation of the battle.
These two ships looked like normal trading vessels, but they would never meet the requirements for maritime vessels if they were steered in the regular channels.
They moved extremely slowly and needed to be sailed cautiously. It was no surprise that Shen Muqiu seemed unenthusiastic earlier and only now did he appear excited.
They used satellite phones to communicate at sea. Yuan Xuan was in a helicopter that was about to take off at the airport near the dock. He was about to meet his wise and resourceful brother-in-law whom he spent two whole years pursuing throughout Luo Hai...
...
Mu Chenwu’s ship had not encountered any obstacles after sailing for almost an hour.
He could not help but feel slightly excited.
He had made the necessary arrangements at the port. A ship that was carrying two containers of specialized fire bricks would come into close contact with the Yuan Family’s oil field fleet before they docked...
When the moment arrived, everyone in Luo Hai would discover that the Yuan Family was unable to manage their fleets properly. This error would lead to an explosion at the South China Sea port when their fleet collided with another ship...
He needed to know the specific uses, schedules, routes, and rules for all Zhong Heng International’s ships that entered and left the port.
...
On the offshore platform, he would personally direct the group, including the four trading vessels that had come prepared.
He wanted to ensure that the Yuan Family of Luo Hai would never rise again. He was going to destroy Yuan Xuan’s economic lifeline to do that. Aside from the Yuan Family, the Shao Family of Capital City was also involved with this oil field.
“Young Master, several medium-sized cargo ships have been following us this whole time. I’ve had a constant uneasy feeling throughout this operation. Why must you come along? You should just wait at the coast for us to give you the news!”
The butler who had accompanied Mu Feng for many years could not comprehend Mu Chenwu’s insane behavior.
They were going up against the Yuan Family, but there was no need for Mu Chenwu to personally attend to this matter. Nonetheless, his young master seemed overly persistent.
“Uncle Li, you don’t understand. This is a contest between me and Yuan Xuan!”
A malicious aura enveloped Mu Chenwu’s entire body while his sinister eyes gazed at the surface of the water where the sky and the sea met. The stormy sea tossed about forming turbulent waves. The man sneered. “I could use the Mu Family’s remaining riches to hide in a city where no one knew me. I’d be able to drift along and live a meaningless life for the rest of my days.
“However, I wouldn’t be satisfied with a life like that. Do you understand?”
The old butler had spent many years by Mu Feng’s side. He had lived through the Mu Family’s glory days and their tragic downfall. The young mistress was locked up in prison while her mother fell into a coma due to a car accident.
Mu Chenwu had frantically escaped with Mu Feng and they hid in various places for over half a year. Mu Feng was diagnosed with cancer, but he could only treat himself while they hid in the construction site. He was basically waiting to die.
These bleak circumstances created numerous issues with Mu Chenwu’s mental state. As a result, he had gone mad. Mu Chenwu’s energy was completely focused on vengeance for the last few years.
On one hand, the second son of the Yuan Family gave them support because he wanted to scare Yuan Xuan and limit his influence. On the other hand, Yuan Tangzhong was too afraid to challenge Yuan Xuan directly. Although Yuan Xuan was a businessman, he was backed by a powerful military force. Thus, he decided to enlist the Mu Family’s help to destroy Yuan Xuan.
Unfortunately, Yuan Tangzhong’s wishful thinking did not yield positive results and in the end, they were forced to retreat.
“You could probably complete the task without me. In the worst-case scenario, all of us will die at sea today, but I’m not going to retreat. As long as I’m alive, I will see the Yuan Family ruined. If I’m going to die, it’s not going to be while I’m hiding in a corner miserably!”
A sinister smile appeared on Mu Chenwu’s face as he spoke.
The old butler sighed. He turned around and glanced at the crew. There were three ships here that were carrying specialized fire bricks. They were going to blow up the three offshore platforms of the Yuan Family’s oil fields...
...
Shen Muqiu’s fleet trailed them for some time. As they grew closer to the drilling platforms in the South China Sea, the three ships began to go their separate ways as they sailed towards the three platforms.
Shen Muqiu was certain that these were Mu Chenwu’s ships. The corners of his lips curled upward before a smirk appeared on his face. Yuan Xuan’s predictions were not far off the mark. It looked like that man was truly skilled at tactics.
Shen Muqiu was slightly disappointed when he saw the condition of those ships. “You might have experience with land battles, but there’s a lot of room for improvement when it comes to the sea. I thought that we were going to have a huge fight, but those just look like toys. This is boring!”
Shen Muqiu instructed the captain to follow the previous orders and intercept the three ships that definitely carried explosives. He told him to attack and sink those ships immediately if their enemies tried to resist.
Gunpowder smoke rapidly filled the air between the ten ships at sea when the battle cry rang out.
Shen Muqiu’s fleet gave the signal to order the Blue Gull ships to stop.
Mu Chenwu never expected that Yuan Xuan would have thought of this strategy long ago.
He assumed that his movements were highly secretive. Since Yuan Xuan had transferred Shao Yibai back to Capital City to deal with Yuan Tangzhong’s remaining allies, the person who was commanding the fleet to ambush him here was definitely one of Yuan Xuan’s forces from abroad.
Mu Chenwu remembered that he had previously clashed with this force in Luo Hai several times. Despite his father’s vast experience with land battles, he could not gain the upper hand. It would be useless for him to panic if they met again today.
If he died now, he would make sure that was an honorable death. He instructed his subordinates, saying, “Don’t waste your time talking to them. Use the mortars to attack!”
The old butler trembled with terror when he heard this. Their opponents would surely return fire if they started attacking first. Worse still, their ships were carrying highly explosive fire bricks...
“Young Master, you’re fighting against overwhelming odds!” The old butler could tell that the situation was far from reassuring. Their movements had been exposed and their opponents were clearly well prepared.
“You should leave with the people on this ship first. I’ll stay behind and command the others.” The old butler wanted to ensure that the Mu Family’s lineage continued. He would do whatever it took to protect his master’s only son and heir.
Mu Chenwu laughed maniacally. “Yuan Xuan might be in a rush to kill me, but I’m not afraid of him because I have a trick up my sleeve. I’m going to drag Mu Chenyan down so that she’ll be buried with me!”
When Shen Muqiu’s fleet gave their signal, his opponent returned the gesture by firing a mortar...
“That motherf*cker actually fired first! Get him. Don’t hold back!”
Dull blue light seeped through the surface of the murky sea water during this late autumn day.
The two fleets engaged in a fierce battle for an hour. In the end, they managed to sink two of Mu Chenwu’s Blue Gulls and two of Shen Muqiu’s medium-sized ships were significantly damaged.
The other Blue Gull ship filled with fire bricks gave up during the battle. They raised their white flag and surrendered. Shen Muqiu’s fleet managed to quickly surround the ship Mu Chenwu was using to lead the voyage.
“Mr Mu, put your weapons down and surrender immediately. Third Young Master Yuan has been waiting for you at the platform for quite some time!”
Shen Muqiu used a wireless megaphone to relay his message to the Blue Gull.
Mu Chenwu sneered, “The winners act like kings while the losers pay for their sins. Please lead the way!”