Ian's gaze made Jiro Hirayama extremely uncomfortable. He really wanted to stab the test tube in his hand into Ian's neck.
Ian also wanted to follow Captain Hans and shake hands with Rona Muir, but just as he reached out, Jiro Hirayama beat him to it and grabbed Ian's hand. "Welcome."
Ian glanced regretfully at Rona Muir, then shook hands with Jiro Hirayama without much enthusiasm.
When he let go, Ian felt as if his palm had been bitten by a mosquito.
But Ian was tough and didn't care about a little pain like that.
"Please, come inside." Charles Yin, looking every bit the distinguished host, invited Captain Hans and Ian into the dining room.
As he passed Jiro Hirayama, Charles Yin gave him a barely noticeable nod.
Everything used for Captain Hans's banquet was the best of the best.
Even the staff serving them were top-notch.
Everyone's manners were impeccable.
Once everyone was seated according to their rank, the butler gracefully led the chef team in to serve the dishes.
Captain Hans fixed his gaze on Cecilia Gu, his dark eyes unwavering, making Cecilia's heart sink.
"I heard your two children are also on board. Why not invite them to dine with us?" Captain Hans asked leisurely, as if it were a trivial matter.
Captain Hans squinted and smiled. "If they're already asleep, then never mind. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Charles Yin quickly steered the conversation elsewhere, and Earl Field occasionally sought Captain Hans's advice on maritime matters. Everyone genuinely seemed pleased, both as hosts and guests.
After a while, Jiro Hirayama politely excused himself from the table.
As soon as he left the dining room, Jiro Hirayama ripped off the bow tie around his neck with bold defiance. Someone walked alongside him toward the bottom of the ship, handing him a white lab coat.
By the time Jiro Hirayama reached the bottom of the ship, he had already changed into his lab coat and virus-protection goggles.
"Mr. Hirayama, will these drugs affect us too?" a bodyguard asked nervously, his voice trembling.
He couldn't help but tremble.
None of the drugs Jiro Hirayama was using this time were harmless!
A shadow flickered in Jiro Hirayama's eyes. "No."
After saying this, Jiro Hirayama added, "I've already put an antidote in your drinking water, so you'll be fine."
The bodyguard's face grew even paler.
Once inside the lab, Jiro Hirayama quickly returned and handed a pale yellow reagent to a bodyguard already dressed in a diving suit. "Mix this agent into their water supply. One drop is enough for an entire ship! Tonight, let's make sure none of them leave!"
A wild murderous intent flashed in Jiro Hirayama's eyes.
Who did that big guy think he was, even daring to covet his woman?
Jiro Hirayama had never been afraid of anyone!
If he couldn't protect his own woman, what kind of man was he?
The bodyguard carefully took the reagent, said nothing, and quietly left the ship.
Whether or not Hans could be kept here forever, it certainly couldn't depend on just a tiny vial of reagent.
Hans was a fox on the sea. The fact that he boldly brought only Ian to the meeting meant he had made thorough arrangements within his own fleet.
So Charles Yin didn't expect Jiro Hirayama to be able to wipe out all of Hans's men so easily.
So the real purpose of these drugs was actually to make a show of force and intimidate.
The bodyguard carrying the reagent silently slipped onto Hans's fleet, and while no one was looking, mixed the agent into their water supply.
He was successful at first, but got caught when he tried to poison the sixth ship.
The bodyguard was bold and uncompromising—once discovered, he immediately jumped into the sea and refused to show his face again.
The men threw a few fish into the now-contaminated water. The fish instantly turned into bare bones!
Even the seasoned pirates were shocked by the scene and quickly sent a secret message to Captain Hans, who was still dining elegantly.
Captain Hans's communicator was actually his earring.
He listened to his subordinate's report, then glanced meaningfully at Jiro Hirayama, who was calmly enjoying his dinner.
"I didn't expect Mr. Yin to be so capable. Even the son of the Hirayama family is under your command." Captain Hans turned to Charles Yin. "That's truly impressive!"
Charles Yin smiled generously. "Captain Hans, you flatter me. Mr. Hirayama entrusted his son to me for care, and I couldn't refuse. Besides, Jiro Hirayama hit it off with my wife right away, and he's especially close to President Mu. We're all family here—there's no talk of commanding anyone."
Ian, who was standing behind Captain Hans, suddenly felt itchy.
At first, he didn't think much of it, but the itch kept getting worse, gnawing at him from the inside out.
Ian finally couldn't take it anymore. He nodded to Captain Hans and headed to the restroom.
Captain Hans shot Ian a cold look, then gave Jiro Hirayama the same icy glare.
Ian might be a bit reckless, but as his trusted subordinate, he always knew his place.
If he hadn't really reached his limit, he wouldn't have left so easily.
Was Charles Yin trying to get Ian out of the way so he could target him next?
How naive!
Captain Hans's eyes darkened and his fingers unconsciously traced his waist.
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Charles Yin and Earl Field's eyes simultaneously shifted to Captain Hans's fingers.
Captain Hans suddenly changed the subject. "Do you know how I became a pirate?"
The question came out of nowhere, and everyone was caught off guard.
Captain Hans chuckled and continued, "You can probably guess, I'm Eurasian. From the moment I was born, I wasn't welcome anywhere."
Cecilia Gu listened intently.
"All I remember growing up was endless ridicule, insults, slander, sarcasm, false accusations, and even beatings. When I was five, I finally snapped. I spent three days sharpening a sickle, then used it to slit my so-called father's throat." Captain Hans recounted casually, but everyone could sense the violence and bloodlust in his words.
He was only five years old at the time.
"After that, my whole family put a bounty on me—dead or alive." Hans smiled softly, tapping the right side of his temple with his slender finger. "Too bad, three months later, I sent them all underground to keep my father company. From then on, more and more people wanted me dead, but no one's succeeded yet. Do you know why?"
Charles Yin and Earl Field's expressions changed at the same time.
"That's because I have a miniature bomb implanted in my heart. It's only the size of a fingernail, but its explosive power equals a thousand tons of TNT. If my heart stops beating, the bomb will detonate instantly." Captain Hans seemed completely unfazed by his own life or death, pointing to his chest. "See, it's right here. It's beating with my heart right now."
Cecilia Gu sighed softly. "It's true—those who are hardest on themselves are the safest people in this world."
"Looks like Miss Yun agrees with me," Captain Hans said happily to Cecilia Gu. "I'm honored."
Charles Yin and Earl Field exchanged glances, both seeing denial in the other's eyes.
A thousand tons!
That was enough to turn everyone present into ashes in an instant!
This was the first time Captain Hans had ever revealed this truth to outsiders.
But whether what he said was true or not, Charles Yin and Earl Field, who wanted to kill him, couldn't act rashly—they had to hold back.
No wonder Captain Hans insisted on dining on the ship—because there's no escape!
If he died, the ship would be blown apart, and in these deep waters, the chances of survival would be very slim.
No one would risk that!
Looks like this plan is doomed to fail!
Cecilia Gu's face turned a bit pale as she said, "But you should really take care of your health. After all, your crew has risked their lives for you so many times—if anything happens to you, they'll pay the price too."
"Miss Yun is right. Thanks for your kind words—I'll take good care of myself." Captain Hans replied with a relaxed smile.
Charles Yin chimed in, "That's right. Captain Hans is a true overlord, so of course he should take care of himself. Come, let's raise our glasses and toast to good health."
Everyone else raised their glasses too. Each person had their own thoughts, but on the surface, everything was perfectly polite.
Since they couldn't kill Hans on this ship, what other way could they use to keep him here?
They needed to come up with a suitable excuse to keep him here.
Once Max Mo's people arrived and rescued the hostages, they'd keep as far away from this madman as possible!
But what excuse would be appropriate?
They knew he was up to no good, and keeping him on board was dangerous—they worried...
While everyone was racking their brains, Rona Muir, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, her voice light: "I've heard Fiji is a typical tropical monsoon country, and there are often gusty winds here. Is that true?"
"Of course it's true." Captain Hans turned to Rona Muir. "Miss Muir, do you have any questions?"
Rona Muir looked up at him. "I just want to ask, is it currently the season when the gusty winds are at their worst?"