Chapter 311 - 221: Armed Forces Beyond the Border
The primary task for this operation is to rescue Pomelo; everything else is secondary.
To maximize the success rate of the rescue mission, Su Mo devised a meticulous combat plan based on intelligence, dividing the four people into three groups, each responsible for different tasks.
Su Mo was in a group by himself.
Shangguan Li was in a group by himself.
Dongdong and Chu Nanyi were in a group.
The three groups were arranged by Old Bang onto three different smuggling boats.
It was already late at night, and the vast coastline of Saint Rivelan was shrouded in darkness, with only the moonlight painting the landscape in hazy outlines.
On the outskirts by the seaside, a freight ship lay at anchor, unlit, while stout sailors in night-vision goggles walked around, attentively observing their surroundings.
In the darkness, over a hundred people were queuing to board the ship, mostly young, both men and women, appearing somewhat timid, yet they still stepped onto the cargo ship with the sailors’ help, cramming into containers.
Just then, a car with no lights on drove up and stopped.
Old Bang got out of the car.
The boat captain bumped fists with Old Bang: "If you hadn’t come, I would have left. Why the sudden decision to squeeze someone in last minute?"
"Hahaha, I got another young guy wanting to make a fortune on the other side, introduced by a friend, so I had to give him a little face." Old Bang opened the back door and dragged Su Mo out.
Su Mo, wearing wrinkled clothes and looking disheveled, nodded and bowed repeatedly to the boat captain and Old Bang, exuding a cowardly demeanor: "Hello, brother."
Old Bang gave Su Mo a push and said to the boat captain, "Please take good care of him."
"No problem." The boat captain waved, signaling Su Mo to board the ship.
Su Mo was pushed by the sailors into a container, which was already crowded with people.
Once the doors closed, it quickly became stuffy inside, occasionally filled with the stench of unwashed bodies.
Soon, with a lurch, the ship set off.
The long voyage was tedious; some people were dazed, some dozed off, while others took the opportunity to chat and network.
"Hey, brother." Next to Su Mo, a fat guy nudged him with an elbow, laughing as he asked, "Where are you from?"
Su Mo casually lied, "I’m a local from Saint Rivelan."
"Oh... Being local is convenient," the fat guy sighed, "Unlike me, coming all the way from the Capital City; it was such a hassle."
Su Mo asked puzzledly, "Why smuggle to the Land of No Master if living in the Capital City is good?"
The fat guy showed a cynical expression and said heavily, "What’s so good about the Capital City? Damn, it’s full of rich kids; the wealthy look down on others, think their only merit is being born lucky. They really think they’re something special."
"I tell you, the women in the Capital City are truly despicable, their eyes light up at money, bowing and scraping to rich men. Those women at my company, every single one has been with the boss. They act cold towards me, pretending to be high and mighty, but they’re just sluts."
Once on this topic, the fat guy opened up, complaining endlessly to Su Mo.
From the fat guy’s grievances, Su Mo learned that he was a low-level employee of a private company in the Capital City, working nine-to-ten hours with only a single day off, with no money for a car or house, unlucky in love, and with poor family relations, leading a life of dissatisfaction.
The reason for his decision to smuggle to the Land of No Master was simple—he wanted to get rich.
Excitement flashed in the fat guy’s eyes: "My friend told me, over in the Land of No Master, there’s no government oversight, you can do whatever you want, and opportunities are everywhere."
"I struggled in the Capital City not because I lack ability, but because of the social environment and the system! Once I switch to a better place, I’ll surely achieve success!"
"Once I’m rich in the Land of No Master, I’ll become a tycoon. Then when I meet those sluts again, I’ll throw money in their faces, let’s see if they’ll still look down on me, damn."
As soon as wealth was mentioned, others around joined the discussion.
Most of these smugglers were like the fat guy, at the bottom of society, dissatisfied with life, and believed their circumstances and environment were to blame. As long as they moved to a different place, their abilities would surely shine, and they’d rise to the top.
Su Mo just smiled after listening; he didn’t say anything, closing his eyes to rest as the conversation around him grew more animated.
"Dongdongdong!" Suddenly, there was a knock on the container door.
The small window on the door opened, and a sailor nervously said to everyone, "Shut up! Everyone quiet! There’s a patrol boat coming!"
Everyone quickly fell silent, and the container instantly quieted down.
Soon, outside the container came the sound of short alarms, footsteps constantly moving as a group visibly boarded the ship.
The boat captain was talking with someone, but the specifics were unclear through the container door.
Tension filled the container, with the only sound being the rapid, irregular breathing.
"Tap, tap, tap..." Gradually, footsteps approached the outside of the container.
Everyone shrank back uneasily, some even covering their mouths and noses, too afraid to make even the slightest sound.
"Whoosh—" Suddenly, the small window opened, and a flashlight’s beam shone inside.
By the light, everyone saw a pair of indifferent eyes and the Public Security Bureau hat on the figure’s head.
The container was thrown into panic; everyone resembled startled chicks, not knowing what to do.
The boat captain shuffled over, chuckling obsequiously: "Officer... this... hahaha..."
The sheriff coldly said, "Cargo seems quite full; wasn’t it supposed to be empty?"
The boat captain licked his dry lips, laughing apologetically, and slapped himself hard on each cheek.
Then he gestured to a sailor, handing over two black oilcloth-wrapped parcels, which from their square shape, appeared to be two large bundles of neatly stacked Moon Currency Paper Money.