Chapter 44: Because I believe in you all

Lu Ming raised the wine bottle, lifted his neck, and the wine flowed down his throat into his stomach, leaving a burning sensation wherever it passed.

The wine was unexpectedly strong...

If the taste were still bearable, Lu Ming would probably have spit it out.

"Family Head!" Chang Qinglan sought his opinion again, then snatched the wine bottle from Lu Ming's hand.

Lu Ming found an empty cargo container to sit on, his gaze sweeping over the standing-at-attention crowd: "Sit down, what are you nervous about..."

Those sailors had never seen such a scene—the new Family Head actually drinking cheap liquor with them; before, getting caught drinking would bring severe punishment, light duty or dismissal.

Everyone looked at Chang Qinglan, seeing no objection, they sat back in their original spots, but remained tense.

"Remember, did the Chang Clan's escort ships return two vessels in this transport?" Lu Ming asked: "Let me get to know them— which two ship captains?"

Two hands slowly rose.

"Lu Ming looked at the two: 'Do you still remember the situation when we encountered pirates?'"

"We were suddenly attacked, with no chance to react." One lowered his head.

"The other added: 'Fortunately, from behind, we happened to dodge a few volleys of cannon fire... then many escort ships sank.'"

When mentioning the sunk ships, everyone's mood sank; clearly there was a known route, clearly they had agreed, then tasting the wine from the fallen city, those sunk ships were also brothers, or elder brothers, or younger brothers.

"Sorry, the duty of the escort ship is just to check the surrounding sea conditions; it's my fault."

Chang Qinglan's gaze was very cold; he usually had no tolerance for the fleet, he always held a grudge about this matter, allowing no mistake in the sea fleet.

"Just coming back alive is fine; dwelling on mistakes is meaningless." Lu Ming said: "The other two families aren't any better—they all suffered losses... Of course, compared to that, do you find this attack suspicious?"

"Lu Ming lifted his eyelids, looking at the crowd: 'Or perhaps the other side seems to know the exact location.'"

"You mean a traitor?!" He sharply realized, because this attack was absurd, the pirates' several volleys of cannon fire precisely hit the ships.

"Lu Ming continued: 'Actually, the high-level meeting suspects the Chang Clan of treason, and furthermore, the side also identified them.'"

Everyone looked at each other, faces shocked.

"Being accused of rebellion by ourselves? What a joke!"

"Who?!"

"....."

The relationships among the crew members are very close; even a considerable part are actual brothers, and in such a situation they are willing to believe in a traitor.

"The fleet absolutely has no traitor!" The highest-ranking officer stood up, Zheng Sheng: "I am willing to guarantee with my life! The fleet absolutely will have a traitor!"

"Lu Ming had anticipated this situation, looking at him he said: 'Of course choose to believe.'"

Lu Ming did not mention the matter of the woman he saw yesterday.

"But, belief is useless; the management does not believe, evidence."

", one who drank until his face was flushed red said: 'Gao Yuan, stop saying such things about guaranteeing with your life; just look at that seller—he's definitely a traitor!'"

His words gained little support.

"Gao Yuan still changed his expression: 'Believe, there must be some unspeakable difficulty, and absolutely no traitor!'"

Lu Ming nodded, that indeed was done by the group's highest rank.

"What you said is wrong, that is indeed an unspeakable difficulty." Lu Ming thought of Mu still sitting in the vehicle, about his father's betrayal of his own fleet; although he resented it, he could understand.

Perhaps the other side gave a family, which could make one feel annoyed about being full, could let the child have a better growing environment, while that dark damp building.

"So the traitor belongs to those two families?"

"... Yes." The wine just drunk, its strength already gone, Lu Ming began to feel a bit dizzy: 'The goal can only know the Chang Clan's crew members as traitors, so the high-level placed those suspicions, the Chang Clan directly dropped them.'

"Suspicions? Besides, what other suspicions?" asked.

"All will undergo investigation."

Lu Ming said something, Chang Qinglan looked surprised, knowing that when the suspicion list was released, eight out of ten were Chang Clan crew members.

Accepting investigation will lead to detention; basically there is no freedom of movement.

"Then if all accept investigation, how should we act?" the still self-blaming escort ship captain asked.

"Believe ah." Lu Ming said: "Stop, also absolutely believe the fleet will have traitor."

Chang Qinglan noticed that the gazes looking at Lu Ming gradually became fervent.

"Bright sea, all captains... early sleep?" Lu Ming rose and left.

Seeing no mention of punishment, Chang Qinglan no longer dwelled on it, silently following behind, like a loyal follower.

"Family Head!" Suddenly shouted: "If those two families still kick the Chang Clan out of the high level, what should we do?"

The question was also on the minds of many ship captains; the warehouse fell into silence, everyone seemed to be waiting for an answer.

"Lu Ming stopped his steps, turned his head: 'Have you all been recalled back?'"

A simple sentence, yet it made many ship captains suppress their racing hearts, faces flushing.

"Gao Yuan saluted Lu Ming's back, voice: 'Understood!'"

Walking out of the warehouse, Lu Ming finally couldn't hold back, his body stopped leaning.

Chang Qinglan hurriedly supported him; although she was delicate, she showed no sign of weakness while holding Lu Ming.

"Family Head, you clearly can drink..." Chang Qinglan's tone carried a hint of blame.

The wine's effect made Lu Ming feel dizzy after just a few steps.

"Lu Ming shook his head, stood up: 'Let's go, we still need to send that child to the relief station.'"

"Chang Qinglan stunned for a moment, after a while then slowly nodded: 'Okay.'"

Also good...

"Lu Ming furrowed his brows, knowing why, perhaps the wine's effect, looking at Chang Qinglan: 'Changed my mind, just throw it into the sea to feed the fish.'"

Chang Qinglan obviously didn't expect Lu Ming to say that, her gaze showed willingness.

"... What my parents did has nothing to do with it..." Chang Qinglan raised her head to look at Lu Ming, eyes full of plea.

"What do you want to do?" Lu Ming pressed both hands on the shoulder, staring fixedly at those pitiful eyes.

"... official thinks, stay..." Although it was fragmented, Chang Qinglan still used all her strength to say a sentence.

"Why say that?" Lu Ming said helplessly: "Speak, how would one know?"

Looking at Lu Ming's eyes, Chang Qinglan was stunned, no reaction, her eyes seemed both unfamiliar and familiar.

Just then he knew how to answer, Lu Ming's body swayed and he fell backward.

"Family Head? Family Head!"

Chang Qinglan hurriedly supported Lu Ming.