Looking at Cecilia Gu's pleading eyes, Charles Yin's heart ached so much he could hardly bear it.
How could his Little Mole make him feel so much pain?
Charles Yin sighed, reached out to cup Cecilia Gu's cheeks, his shimmering eyes closing for a moment before he finally gave in.
"Alright, I'll do as you wish. But from now on, you have to listen to me! You must listen to me!" Charles Yin looked seriously at Cecilia Gu. "No matter what I ask you to do, you have to obey!"
Cecilia Gu nodded vigorously.
Charles Yin pulled Cecilia Gu into his arms, but inwardly he made up his mind—he would make sure Captain Hans stayed on this ship for good!
Anyone who messes with his people has no reason to be allowed to live!
Charles Yin turned the communicator back on and formally invited Captain Hans: "Captain Hans, I've always admired you. Unfortunately, you rarely come ashore, so I've only been able to admire you from afar. Today, I'm lucky enough to meet you here. My wife is delighted to encounter a foreign friend who appreciates Chinese culture overseas, so we'd like to invite you aboard for a chat. Captain Hans, would you honor us with your presence?"
Captain Hans's smile grew wider, but the murderous intent in his eyes also became more obvious.
Interesting, very interesting.
This Charles Yin is truly interesting.
Even though he planned to let him off this time, Charles Yin still dared to walk right into danger.
If he weren't in a hurry to move the hostages, he wouldn't have let them off so easily.
He hadn't expected the other side to be so bold, actually daring to invite him over.
Hehehe... He really likes people with this kind of confidence!
Even if it's a trap, even if it's a banquet meant to kill him—so what?
This is the open sea!
Since becoming a pirate, Captain Hans has never lost.
He's cunning and smart, but he's also arrogant enough!
The trap set by the other side was hardly clever—Captain Hans saw through it at a glance.
But Captain Hans still decided to attend the banquet!
Not for anything else—he just wanted to see that woman with his own eyes!
Such an interesting woman—she deserved to be destroyed slowly!
It would be such a waste to kill her all at once.
Ian, standing beside him, continued to voice his dissatisfaction: "Why not just sink them with a cannon? Why bother with all this trouble?"
Captain Hans kicked Ian, who obediently stood there and took it.
"What do you know?!" Captain Hans shot Ian a sideways glance after kicking him and ordered, "Ian, you're coming with me. The rest of you stay on the ship and be ready! If anything seems off, fire at the hull without hesitation!"
Ian was stunned: "Huh? I have to go too?"
Captain Hans gave Ian a wicked look: "Didn't you have your eye on that big-chested woman? Consider her your reward!"
Ian's eyes suddenly lit up!
That woman really was something!
Judging by her looks, she was probably a fiery one! He liked that kind!
Captain Hans immediately replied to the message: "It would be my honor. I'll be there on time!"
With Hans's reply received, everyone on the ship started busying themselves for this murderous banquet.
Jiro Hirayama asked in confusion, "Why go to all this trouble? If I just release the poison, wouldn't that solve everything?"
Rona Muir stood by the window, arms crossed, gazing outside. She answered softly, "If we kill Hans on the ship, none of the hostages on the other side will survive."
This was something Jiro Hirayama found hard to understand.
In his world, everything was black or white.
But now, for Rona Muir, he was willing to try stepping into those gray areas.
"Your poison is our last line of defense," Rona Muir said coldly. "If I'm not mistaken, Charles Yin will make a move against Hans at the banquet tonight, but he won't kill him. Charles will use Hans to exchange for the hostages, or maybe some other deal. And the prerequisite for any of this is making sure we're safe first."
Jiro Hirayama scratched his head and said, "Alright, I guess I'll just follow orders."
Captain Hans suggested that the scenery here wasn't great for dining, so why not move elsewhere and find a prettier spot for the meal.
Charles Yin had the same idea—he wanted to see where Hans's base really was!
So Hans's fleet led Charles Yin's ship away from the original spot, turning and heading toward Fiji.
Fiji is a beautiful island nation, made up of many smaller islands.
Originally, Cecilia Gu had considered Fiji too, but the kids chose Silverwave Island, so she went along with them.
Now Cecilia Gu felt a bit of regret—if she had chosen Fiji, maybe they could've avoided Hans, that madman.
But avoiding Hans would also mean missing the chance to find out where Grandpa Mo was.
This trip really had its pros and cons.
The journey from Silverwave Island to the Fiji Archipelago wasn't exactly short.
But these ships were deep-sea vessels, so they were powerful enough.
Plus, the weather was perfect—smooth sailing for days. With luck on their side, they actually made it to the waters of one of Fiji's uninhabited islands.
Fiji sits in the heart of the southwest Pacific, a hub for transportation in the region. The land area is over 18,000 square kilometers, with 1.29 million square kilometers of ocean territory. There are 332 islands, most of them volcanic and ringed by coral reefs; 106 are inhabited.
However, the island where everyone docked was a deserted, uninhabited island.
Cecilia Gu couldn't say what this little island was called, but she thought it was truly beautiful.
The surrounding sea was so clear, you could see straight to the bottom.
The island was lush with trees and blooming with flowers.
The average annual temperature here is between 22°C and 30°C. The 180th meridian runs through it. It's a tropical maritime climate, often hit by hurricanes.
So nobody went ashore, nor did they plan to.
Hans's fleet lined up in a row, not in a fan-shaped formation to surround them.
This chapter isn't finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the exciting story!
Charles Yin's ship also docked alongside, and to show goodwill, he even let his ship moor right next to theirs.
There were still thirty-six hours left.
They had to stall for those thirty-six hours to give Max Mo the best chance for a rescue!
After a day of preparation, everything needed for the banquet was ready on the ship.
A long table was set up in the spacious dining room, covered with an exquisite, hand-embroidered white tablecloth, and set with pure silver cutlery.
Even the fresh flowers on the table were newly picked lilies.
Droplets rolled on the petals, filling the room with fragrance.
The butler in a tailcoat stood sternly to the side, waiting for the work to begin.
Cecilia Gu and Charles Yin stood together, both dressed in very formal attire, ready at the door to welcome their distinguished guest.
Earl Field stood on Cecilia Gu's other side, embodying perfect British aristocratic etiquette. His pristine white gloves and meticulous attention to detail were flawless.
Monica Mu and Jiro Hirayama stood behind them, but the two children weren't present.
Tonight's operation would be far too dangerous if the kids were here!
Because tonight, everyone would use all their skills to keep Hans here!
A speedboat gracefully broke away from Hans's fleet and quickly approached Charles Yin's ship.
Cecilia Gu's palms started to sweat as she forced herself to stay calm.
This occasion was completely unlike any she'd ever attended before.
It was a Hongmen Banquet—and she was the host.
Her mission was to stall Captain Hans, giving Charles Yin's people enough time to sneak over and rescue Grandpa Mo!
But Cecilia Gu wasn't sure if Grandpa Mo would catch on—did he really understand her hint that morning?
Hans's fleet had so many ships—just which one was hiding the hostage?
Would the people they'd sent out really be able to find the hostage?
Charles Yin patted the hand holding his arm, comforting Cecilia Gu: "Don't worry, I've got this. No matter what, we have to keep him here tonight!"
Cecilia Gu nodded.
Hans actually came aboard with no one but Ian.
Hard to say if he was just daring, or simply overconfident.
Hans had even dressed up for the occasion, wearing an exceptionally sharp military uniform.
Cecilia Gu couldn't tell which country's uniform it was, but she had to admit Hans looked very handsome.
He was about the same height as Earl Field—tall and slender, with wine-red, shoulder-length hair slicked back and tied into a neat ponytail.
A full forehead, high nose bridge, ink-black eyes, and fair skin.
A classic Eurasian look.
Ian stood beside him, making Hans look even more striking and charismatic.
Still, in terms of looks, he was just a little behind Charles Yin.
After all, men as strikingly handsome and intense as Charles Yin were truly one of a kind.
Compared to Charles Yin's intensity, Hans was more like Earl Field—gentle and elegant.
The classic case of "playing dumb to catch the tiger."
"Welcome, Captain Hans," Charles Yin greeted first.
Captain Hans removed his gloves and shook hands lightly with Charles Yin. "It's truly an honor to receive such a grand invitation."
After letting go of Charles Yin's hand, Captain Hans took Cecilia Gu's hand and bowed to kiss the back of it. "Beautiful lady, you always surprise me. I'm growing more and more interested in the beautiful culture of the East!"
Ian stood behind Hans, muttering to himself: "Clearly, you're interested in this Eastern woman, aren't you?"
"Thank you," Cecilia Gu replied calmly, unfazed. "Welcome."
When it was Earl Field's turn, the two exchanged formal British aristocratic greetings. "Earl Field, it's wonderful to see you here! I've tried to meet you several times, but never managed it."
Earl Field smiled harmlessly, "Likewise."
When it was Rona Muir's turn, before Hans could speak, Ian's eyes lit up like lightbulbs, staring at Rona Muir without looking away.
Hans also gave Rona Muir a hand-kiss. "A truly stunning lady! So Eastern women can be just as awe-inspiring."