Chapter 432: We

Soon, Lu Yang led his men back to the fishing boat.

One speedboat was abandoned outright, the other was tied to the rear.

In total there were nine captives, all knocked out, bound, and thrown onto that rear speedboat whose engine had been removed.

On the deck, Tu Hongwei, still shaken, recounted the tense scene to everyone: "It was so dark then, I really didn't notice someone pointing a gun at me; I was only watching Brother Lu's staff, and it went cacka— onto the enemy."

"Fortunately at the critical moment, he lifted the blast‑proof shield and rammed it open for me; otherwise I'd probably have become a martyr."

Just hearing his description, everyone could feel how dangerous that moment was and how close he was to death.

Being locked on at close range by a double‑barrel shotgun is basically a dead end.

Shotgun range isn't far, but its lethal radius is huge.

Moreover, shotgun pellets are mostly steel balls mixed with sand and debris; at close range a single shot blankets the whole body, even a deity can't save you.

Everyone's gaze toward Lu Yang shifted again, the respect in their eyes deepening; under such perilous and urgent circumstances, they might not have the courage to rush in.

It isn't selfishness; it's their first real combat mission, and their hearts can't easily overcome the innate fear of death.

They might choose to rescue, but they wouldn't be that decisive, certainly not so resolute.

But at that critical moment, not even a half‑second of hesitation is allowed; a half‑second slower and Tu Hongwei would have been shredded.

Yet Lu Yang not only leapt forward instantly, but while ensuring his own safety he successfully rescued the person and averted the crisis.

The blast‑proof shield also ricocheted the bullets and debris back, causing the shooter to suffer his own fate; it was a triple‑strike, all in the details!

But immediately after, Jiang Dahai raised a question: "Not firing the first shot is our principle; logically, since the enemy has already fired, we have the right to kill them now, right?"

"That's true," Lu Yang nodded. "But you must understand, either you don't start at all, or once you start it never ends."

"Why the enemy chose a shotgun instead of something else shows they're also afraid of escalating and don't want to openly provoke us."

"The other side is also restraining themselves, trying to avoid blowing things up because it's unnecessary and unknown; there are countless similar islets, and if we treat each as a major incident, we'll never have a moment of peace."

"Our immediate primary goal is only one: to develop the front aggressively; as long as we fully boost our own strength, the enemy won't devise malicious schemes, and we can truly avoid being harassed by these brats."

"Got it, graduate student?"

Lao Mao, cigarette between his lips, gave Xu Ce a discreet tap from behind.

Xu Ce's face flushed quickly, awkwardly looking for a way to slip away.

This time he not only guessed the prompt wrong, but also got beaten; his performance was like a raw, unripe egg.

It seems we must be more cautious with our words, not guess prompts carelessly; we need to stay composed and learn more from Lu Yang.

"Brother Lu, Tu Hongwei said the staff technique you used earlier—where did you learn it? Could you teach us later?"

"Sure. I studied shield‑staff art with the Armed Police, specifically for situations where both sides keep restraint and don't want to blow up; that move is called One‑Second‑Three‑Staves…"

"The one‑staff hits the leg to prevent escape, the two‑staff hits the mouth, right?"

"Exactly, exactly!"

"I wondered why it was so awesome—turns out it's a secret technique of the Armed Police!"

While the crowd gathered on the deck for an eager discussion, Lao Mao steered the fishing boat back and used the radio to contact the island.

"Hotpot, hotpot, this is Fishball, this is Fishball, mission accomplished, currently returning."

"Fishball, Fishball, hotpot received, hotpot received."

Bai Yuan's voice came through the mic shortly.

Each mission requires a specific code phrase.

And the numbers the crew used when landing on the island became their temporary call signs for the operation.

Bai Yuan's voice sounded again: "No one injured, right? Do you need medical assistance?"

Lao Mao, speaking on the intercom: "Twelve lads, all lively as dragons, a few have superficial skin wounds, already lightly bandaged; this operation went smoother than expected."

"However, Team A encountered a mishap when landing; the enemy drew guns, and Number Ten Pai Daxing almost got killed."

"How did he escape?" Bai Yuan asked.

"It was Number Twelve; at the critical moment he lifted the blast‑proof shield and shoved the person aside, exposing himself to the muzzle."

Lao Mao, looking outward at Lu Yang surrounded by a crowd like stars cradling the moon, laughed: "He's bold, daring to rush forward to shield his comrade without knowing the shield's limit."

"Fortunately the shield was sturdy; he was merely blown away, while the shooter was wounded by the ricocheted slugs—not fatal in the short term."

"That kid has learned a lot, even studied shield‑staff with the Armed Police, and can perform One‑Second‑Three‑Staves."

"In my view, we don't even need a whole squad to land; he could handle it alone."

"By the way, he also fired a pair of fish‑guns in rapid succession, like a string of candied hawthorn; I really should have taken a phone video to show you…"

Bai Yuan: "Those who have been on battlefields and seen blood are indeed different from those raised in greenhouses."

Lao Mao, unusually defending others, said: "We can't say the others are greenhouse flowers; they just haven't reached that point yet—experience a few more of these events and they'll improve."

Bai Yuan: "Jiu Hao that guy, still being stubborn?"

Lao Mao burst out laughing: "He doesn't even dare to squeak now; that slap was so loud his face swelled; on the way here he even tried to lecture me on logic, claiming the assessment settings had bugs."

"Heh, there's no logic on the battlefield; absurdities pile up one after another. Next, I'll have to grind his scholar‑like temperament and reshape the trainees' mindset."

Bai Yuan asked: "So what score do you think they'll get on this assessment?"

"What's the full score?"

"One hundred."

"I give them a hundred."

"Me too."

Both laughed over the radio.

It's recognition of everyone's growth and progress.

It's also a comforting acknowledgment of the hard work over so long.

Lao Mao said: "Alright, that's enough. You can start preparing the celebration feast; we expect it around …"

"Lao Mao, there's a situation!"

Before Lao Mao could finish speaking, Lu Yang suddenly rushed in from outside.

Lao Mao followed his pointing finger and looked to the left rear; amid the wavering mist a ship was heading toward them.

The vessel was at least twice the size of a fishing boat, its hull welded from metal; it looked like a fishing boat, yet not quite.

When Lao Mao lifted the low‑light night‑vision device and looked, his complexion changed instantly: "Bad, that's a meticulously disguised law‑enforcement ship, equipped with a high‑pressure water cannon!"

"What do we do now?"

"Dump the speedboat behind us, go full‑throttle, shake them off; stay steady, these guys are after the captives."

Lu Yang showed no hesitation, sprinted to the stern, untied the ropes, and decisively jettisoned the rear burdens.

Some complained it was a waste, saying they'd barely caught them and now let them go.

But Lu Yang knew that in this situation, a single extra second of hesitation could endanger them.

After all, on this endless sea, the fishing boat was their only support; if it failed, the consequences would be severe.

Yet the law‑enforcement ship behind them ignored the captives on the speedboat as if unseen, and accelerated toward the fishing boat.

Even though Lao Mao had pushed the boat to its maximum speed, a civilian vessel's pace was far below that of the law‑enforcement ship.

"They're still chasing!"

"We can't shake them!"

"Throw stuff overboard—everything useless on the boat—dump it into the sea, lighten the load, increase speed!"

Facing the ever‑closing threat from behind, everyone frantically tossed things into the sea, yet the gap kept shrinking.

Lu Yang could even see the few men on the law‑enforcement ship's deck, their faces wearing a cat‑catching‑mouse‑like mocking grin.

If they caught up, they wouldn't even need to board; a couple of rams with the bow followed by a high‑pressure water blast would tear the wooden fishing boat apart.

Lao Mao used the radio to call Bai Yuan: "A law‑enforcement ship is on our tail, most likely allied with them. We released the captives but it's useless; they're still pursuing us. Looks like they won't let us go… damn!"

Before he could finish, a terrifying jet of water from the left front shattered the glass.

The massive impact flipped Lao Mao over, his back slamming against the cabin wall.

Looking along the water jet's direction, they finally realized in horror that within the dense fog ahead lay another disguised law‑enforcement ship.

"Drop down, quick!"

The high‑pressure water cannon swept across the deck, instantly blowing everyone to pieces.

Lu Yang's warning was a step too late, but fortunately no one has been knocked overboard yet.

Soaking wet, he rushed into the slick cabin; the radio on the floor still broadcast Bai Yuan's frantic voice.

"What's happening, what's that sound? If you receive, reply, if you receive, reply?!"

"I am Number Twelve!"

Lu Yang immediately grabbed the intercom and shouted anxiously inside: "It's not one law‑enforcement ship, it's two; we're surrounded! We were just hit by a water cannon, we need support, we need support!"

Bai Yuan on the other end sprang up, his face full of shock, and Lao Mao's angry roar came through the handset: "You bastards, are the intel guys all eating shit?"

Two ships were hiding nearby and nobody even noticed; they're a bunch of blind fools! Send a vessel to support us quickly, we can't hold out much longer!