ushernet Chapter 936 This is what they mean by "If you're not family, you won't enter the same
Chapter 936 This is what they mean by "If you're not family, you won't enter the same
Under normal circumstances, the main sea passenger route from Hong Kong to Geneva, Switzerland in the 1960s was to pass through the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca into the Indian Ocean, and then through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea. There was absolutely no need to go south into the inland waters of the Indonesian archipelago.
But history often has unexpected twists!
Following the Suez War in 56, the Mummy Government, in retaliation against France and the Lobster Kingdom, announced the imposition of exorbitant tolls on ships from both countries.
This policy has forced many shipping companies of both nationalities, especially cruise lines, to abandon the shortcut and instead choose the long route around the Cape of Good Hope in order to avoid costs.
Surabaya was an important port for resupply and stopover on this long shipping route.
"Go around the Cape of Good Hope?"
After hearing the more detailed information the monkey had gathered, Mulan almost laughed in anger.
She rubbed her temples: "Just to save that damn canal toll, they're making a whole ship take an extra half month? Those Frenchmen are really cunning! If I'd known this would happen, I would have just spent more money to take the Bald Eagle's ship; at least the route is normal and the time is controllable!"
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. "The little bit of money saved on the ship tickets isn't even enough to cover the cost of upgrading those translators' cabins and providing them with extra meals! It's a double loss."
"Uh, boss...didn't you say we needed to keep the enemy guessing? The original plan was to use the Bald Eagle's ship, wasn't it you who asked us to change ships at the last minute? We even had a nice chat with the captain before we were allowed to cut in line..."
Mulan began grinding her teeth as she looked at the simple-minded Xiao Qiang.
The monkey on the side sensed that things were not going well and wisely took two steps back.
"The true face is revealed here!"
Mulan whipped the thing that had drunk its fill of seawater so hard that it sprayed water three feet high...
Okay, I'm out of danger...
The cruise ship slowly docked at the Surabaya port. The deep roar of the engine stirred up the humid and stuffy air, a stark contrast to the dryness of the Mediterranean.
They docked at Tanjung Perak Port, the core seaport of Surabaya.
The dock was bustling with activity. Dark-skinned dockworkers, barefoot and shouting, carried bundles of rubber and sacks of coffee beans onto rusty steamships.
Ragged vendors weaved through the rising steam, hawking boiled corn and sweet tea infused with spices. The air was thick with the pungent odor of tropical spices, fish, fuel, and sweat.
Just as Mulan was trying to raise her guard and instruct the mission members not to disembark,
"boom!!!"
A muffled and sudden explosion came without warning from the edge of the dense mangrove forest on the east side of the dock, right next to the port area!
The deafening roar seemed to be a starting signal; before the echoes had completely dissipated over the harbor, then…
"Boom! Boom boom...!"
Several more, noticeably shorter, explosions followed, coming from a point deeper within the same area! The layers and directions of the sounds were slightly different, suggesting that it wasn't a one-off accident, but rather a chain reaction triggered by the first main explosion.
In an instant, several tree canopies along the eastern edge of the mangrove forest shook violently, and more birds flew into the sky in panic. Several plumes of gray-black smoke rose from the gaps in the forest, mingling with the initial plume of smoke. A faint smell of gunpowder mixed with the unique odor of burning plants also drifted in the air.
The hustle and bustle on the dock was instantly cut off by the series of explosions, leaving a terrifying silence that lasted for two or three seconds.
Immediately, an even bigger commotion erupted like a tidal wave!
The workers abandoned their goods and fled in panic in the opposite direction from the mangroves, while vendors overturned their stalls, scattering fruit everywhere. A commotion erupted among the passengers and crew on deck, all looking in that direction.
"What's going on? Is there a war?" Xiao Qiang tensed up instantly and reached for his waist.
Mulan's eyes suddenly narrowed, and she quickly exchanged glances with the monkey.
"The activity is very close to the dock, but the target should not be the port itself."
"Monkey, take two clever ones, change into local clothes, and sneak over to the stalls near the east end of the dock. Listen to what's going on and watch the excitement, but don't go too far into the woods. Xiaoqiang, watch the house and keep a close eye on those 'gentlemen' on our boat. Don't let them cause trouble."
She quickly moved to the best observation position on the east side of the ship's side, hiding behind a mooring bollard, her sharp eyes scanning the direction from which the explosion came.
The explosion startled a flock of birds in the mangroves on the edge of the port area, and a few wisps of black smoke could be seen rising from the treetops. Some local workers were pointing and talking on the dock, but the large-scale chaos did not spread there.
A few minutes later, just as the murmurs subsided, Mulan's pupils contracted slightly. She saw a figure emerge swiftly and nimbly from the shadows of the mudflats at the edge of the mangrove forest, moving towards the piles of timber crates in the dock's loading and unloading area.
The man was dressed as a local laborer, his face and body smeared with mud, but his agile movements and evasive maneuvers, and his tactical rhythm that remained alert and efficient in complex environments...
Dude, I wouldn't believe you if you weren't wearing red collar tabs and a green military uniform!
Just as the man was about to disappear into the shadow of the cargo pile, as if sensing something, he suddenly looked up and gazed in the direction of the cruise ship.
Their gazes instantly crossed the noisy dock and the murky air, meeting abruptly in mid-air.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment.
The other party was clearly taken aback, and his movements faltered for a moment. But he quickly disappeared from Mulan's sight.
Mulan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. Who else could it be but Company Commander Tang? How did he end up here, looking like he'd just rolled out of a mud pit?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, she subconsciously and with a hint of annoyance raised her hand and lightly flicked her forehead with her fingertips.
She was so busy! Wasn't it through her that she arranged for Company Commander Tang's spare passport and cover identity? At the time, she only vaguely knew that he was ordered to go south to "bring back a guy who acted on his own initiative," but she didn't ask too many questions about the specific route and the rendezvous.
But... does "bringing back" really need to cause such a commotion?
This series of explosions was practically announcing "I'm here!" through a loudspeaker!
She glanced behind her toward the ship's cabin, where the core mission and vital national assets she had to protect were located. Reason swayed her, and she immediately turned away, pretending she hadn't seen anything.
However, her gaze swept across the dock and saw a group of native soldiers riding sidecar motorcycles, wearing wrinkled khaki short-sleeved uniforms and American M1 steel helmets, carrying M1 Garands, rushing towards her noisily!
The dust kicked up by the motorcycles and the tense and fierce expressions on the soldiers' faces showed that they were definitely not there to maintain order.
"Tsk!"
Mulan squeezed out a short syllable from between her teeth.
The last reason to stay out of it has also disappeared.
She couldn't possibly stand idly by while her comrades were in danger.
……
On the east side of the dock, deep within a jumble of rubber bags and wooden crates, the light was dim. Company Commander Tang, like a shadow, silently slipped into this makeshift shelter.
He found the person he was looking for under a pile of waterproof tarpaulins in the corner.
“Master…you’re back?” a weak voice asked.