Chapter Nine: First Display of Skill (Part One)

Henry was reclining on a deck chair at the bow of the Star Cluster, the gentle sea breeze teasing open the buttons of his black shirt. His muscular chest basked in the sunlight of the Red Sea, and as he sipped fresh orange juice, he felt an endless sense of ease and delight. “So comfortable. This is truly the life of a god. It would be perfect if a few beautiful, voluptuous bikini ladies were here beside me.” Henry habitually bared his teeth and picked up the walkie-talkie on the little table. “Hey, this is Henry. That old man isn’t causing any trouble, right? Are the guys in the engine room behaving? If not, show them some real force! Keep your spirits up, all of you.”

With his other hand, he raised the orange juice for another sip. “Where did this fly come from? What an annoying little thing.”

After Henry finished speaking, Liu Yunfei went in search of the engine room. The entrance was a small door below the deck, but the space inside was quite roomy, as the yacht had been modified and equipped with the latest Volvo engine. Even when running, it wasn’t noisy, and the room often served as the staff cafeteria. The floor was covered in hard peachwood, and two long tables sat in the center. Around these tables, employees—men and women, young and old—sat nervously, watching the three armed guards stationed by the door and in the corner.

Liu Yunfei then went to the yacht’s control room, where he saw two more kidnappers scanning the surroundings with binoculars. Having roughly determined their numbers, he buzzed back to the old prince’s bedroom.

It was prayer time for Muslims. The old prince knelt in his room, facing Mecca, quietly reciting a passage from the Quran. Every Muslim must pray five times daily—at dawn, noon, three in the afternoon, sunset, and dusk. A devout Muslim washes with clean water before prayer—hands, face, and private parts—to show purity before worship. No matter the time or place, as long as conditions allow, prayer is obligatory, even if the work is urgent or the guest important.

Outside, Liu Yunfei reverted to his human form and stood at the bedroom door, watching the old prince’s devout expression. He suddenly thought: Watching Muslims pray, it almost seems as if they’re all good, kind people. Yet, after prayers, those who orchestrate suicide bombings will still do so, those who conduct terrorist attacks will continue, and those who encounter young couples engaged in premarital sex won’t hesitate to throw stones at their heads. Who is to be pitied—them, or their victims?

When the old prince finished his prayer, he saw Liu Yunfei had returned. Sensing this was no ordinary young man, the prince felt embarrassed to keep calling him “child.” He asked urgently, “My dear friend, Liu from China, what’s the situation? What are you planning to do? You’re truly miraculous—how did you manage it? Did Allah send you?”

“Oh, I went to check. Here’s the situation: Henry is the leader, and there are thirteen of his men on board. Three in the engine room watching your servants, two at your door in the cockpit, two each at either side of the deck, two more at the aft deck, one with Henry. They’re too scattered for a single sweep.” Truthfully, Liu Yunfei hadn’t figured out a plan yet. Though he possessed special abilities, he was still only eighteen, a student, and had never engaged in violence. Killing was out of the question; ideally, he’d knock them out, but unlike TV dramas, he’d never tried it and didn’t know how hard to strike.

“Oh, I have a spray that causes instant unconsciousness. It works very well—it’s a CIA agent’s tool, which I got from a friend. Spray it on the face or the arm near a big blood vessel, and they’ll quickly pass out.” The old prince seemed to have some useful gadgets. “But it’s now in my bag, which they took. It’s a black leather bag.”

Liu Yunfei thought this was a good idea; not killing was best. “Have you used it? How long do people stay unconscious?”

“I have. Those girls usually stay out for half an hour, maybe forty-five minutes. Heh heh.” The prince’s real purpose for acquiring it dawned on Liu Yunfei, who recalled his prayer earlier and couldn’t help but look down on him.

As usual, Liu Yunfei coaxed the old prince out of the bedroom and began searching for the bag, with the prince cooperating, knowing Liu Yunfei was no ordinary person.

After searching for some time, Liu Yunfei finally found the old prince’s black leather bag on the bar counter in the main cabin. “Disgusting—like a woman’s handbag.” Arab robes have pockets, and very large ones at that, but putting anything heavy inside would deform the robe, making it unsightly. So Muslims prefer carrying big bags.

Liu Yunfei easily found the spray the prince had mentioned. Shaking it, he found it almost full—apparently, it hadn’t been used much. There were also some documents in the bag, but Liu Yunfei had no time to check; he tossed the bag into the luminous jade slip.

The hardest part was the three kidnappers in the engine room. They stood at different angles; take out one, and the other two would notice. So Liu Yunfei first went to the engine room to wait for an opportunity.

Among the three kidnappers, the minor leader was called Billy, in his twenties, holding his gun as he watched over the staff. Seeing no signs of resistance, his vigilance waned. His eyes wandered greedily over one female staff member’s enticing chest. Arab women rarely work outside, and when they do, they wear thick black robes. But this woman was exceptionally full-figured; the robe couldn’t hide her prominent bust.

Billy had stared at her from the moment he sat down. Henry had repeatedly warned him to be careful, but nothing had happened. The twenty-odd hostages were like lambs waiting for slaughter, utterly resigned, showing no intention to resist.

Billy felt desire rising from his belly, burning so fiercely that his eyes reddened. He swallowed twice, stood up—he couldn’t wait any longer. Too much tension wasn’t good for the job anyway; he’d done this kind of kidnapping many times, and raping female hostages was hardly new. What was there to fear? He’d already scoped out the spot—a small room next to the engine room, a staff lounge, perfect for his purpose.

“Keep your eyes open. I’m going next door for a bit of fun. When I’m done, you can take your turn.” He barked at his men, then yanked off the full-figured woman’s headscarf, revealing a stunning Arab beauty—large eyes, long lashes, a high nose, sensual lips.

Billy grabbed her brown hair and pulled her from her chair. The woman, knowing a nightmare awaited, clung desperately to the table. Billy kicked the chair aside, bent down, lifted her legs, and scooped her up. She kicked and scratched wildly, but Billy just laughed, carrying her toward the other room.

Liu Yunfei watched as the other hostages cowered like sheep, too timid even to raise their heads to confront the evil before them. All they could do was pray. Liu Yunfei felt a wave of sorrow.

The woman's cries and pleas echoed in his ears, but what could they do? Rage surged within Liu Yunfei; he was tempted to reveal himself, tear this villain Billy limb from limb, and toss him into the sea for the sharks.