Chapter 528: I Don't Know, and I Don't Want to Know

The sea stretched for ten thousand miles without a cloud.

A fishing boat was cruising at a steady speed across the water.

Four men dressed like fishermen, faces full of nervousness, gathered in the cockpit, discussing something.

"Lao Fang, you told us before that after finishing this job each of us would get thirty thousand yuan— is that really true?"

"Of course."

"Uncle, you can't fool us, can you?"

"Don't worry, we're relatives; how could I harm you?"

"Lao Fang, give us the details—what exactly are we smuggling this time, and how can the profit be so high? Is it phones, designer bags, or high‑end watches? Is this run safe or not?"

The man called Lao Fang, in his early forties, was the captain of the vessel, and now he was clearly getting impatient.

"Why ask so many questions? They give us the money and the address; we just bring the goods back, right?"

"Uncle, you can't put it that way."

Among the four, there was a young man in his early twenties who was a relative of Lao Fang.

"If we smuggle a few phones or a TV and get caught, at worst the cargo gets seized."

"But if we smuggle something really serious and get caught, it could mean a death sentence..."

The moment the words left his mouth, Lao Fang slapped the young man hard: "Shut your crow‑mouth, if you're scared of death stay far away!"

"If my old lady hadn't begged me to take you out to sea for a run, you wouldn't have gotten a chance like this to make quick money!"

"From now on, keep your mouth shut, or I'll toss you into the sea and make you swim back!"

The young man's face flushed red instantly after the slap.

The others, seeing this, quickly tried to persuade and comfort him.

"He's still young and inexperienced; don't argue with him over this."

Lao Fang muttered curses, and, still angry, kicked him twice, sending him rolling into the cabin, where he was a nuisance to anyone who saw him.

"Calm down, calm down, don't hold a grudge against the kid; but what you said makes sense—we're also thinking about safety. Nobody wants to get rich only to end up in prison, right?"

"Swallow your worries; this handoff is different from before. The cargo is hidden in the safest, most unexpected spot, so there's absolutely no risk."

"Good, then we can rest easy."

"Honestly, I'm pretty scared dealing with those guys; everyone's armed, and they don't look like good people at all."

"In Southeast Asia guns are everywhere; without some firepower, how could you dare do this business?"

"Trouble, trouble, there's a coast‑guard vessel over there!"

"What?"

Upon hearing about the coast guard, the few in the cockpit all panicked.

Only Lao Fang, who regularly smuggles at sea, remained relatively calm.

"Why panic? We have nothing on board; the coast guard can't find anything. Let's go out and take a look!"

On the deck, everyone instantly spotted a ship approaching from afar.

Lao Fang's expression turned sour, and the others were completely thrown into confusion.

"Damn, I told you today was inauspicious and tomorrow was the auspicious day—yet you didn't listen, Lao Fang!"

"Damn it, if only I'd tossed a holy grail before leaving, what now? Could they seize both us and the boat?"

"There are no other fishing boats nearby, so they must be coming after us; what do we do—maybe someone dug up old stuff and is specifically after us?"

Just as everyone was at a loss, a chaotic mess, the young man who had been slapped spoke up.

"No need to be scared; it's not the coast guard."

"What?"

"Kid, why are you spouting nonsense? Isn't the flag up?"

The young man rubbed his bruised eye and said, "That's a Navy 073A landing ship, not a coast‑guard vessel; its size and tonnage are completely different."

Someone, not fully understanding, asked, "What's the difference?"

The young man replied, "The PLA only deals with warfare, not smuggling; they're probably just passing by or training nearby, definitely not coming after us."

"Really?"

"That's great!"

"As long as they're not coming after us, whatever the case…"

Lao Fang gave his nephew a glance, half‑believing and half‑doubting.

Lao Fang hadn't read much, so he wasn't clear on the difference between the coast guard and the PLA.

Naturally, he also couldn't tell law‑enforcement vessels from warships; he only knew they both caught bad guys.

Even though he never went to school, he knew smuggling is illegal; if caught you not only pay fines but also go to prison, and he understood that well.

But the payoff in this trade is huge—sometimes tens of thousands come in a single run—making it a wildly profitable business, which is why he keeps taking the risk.

Soon, the warship arrived nearby, and soldiers appeared on the deck; just as the fishermen's hearts were pounding, the cockpit radio crackled to life.

"This is Southern Navy ship 073A, I am Political Commissar Tan Yuanzhou…"

"I—I'm the captain, Lao Fang. Any orders, commander?"

The last two words from the captain left Tan Yuanzhou, who held the microphone, completely stumped.

"Just call me comrade; are you heading southeast for fishing operations?"

"Yes, yes, we're going to fish; our paperwork is all in order."

"The forecast shows a wind cluster gathering over there; if you go, you'll likely run into a storm. We recommend you turn back to shore immediately and wait for better weather."

Hearing that, Lao Fang's lingering anxiety finally eased.

He had thought it was a stop‑and‑search, but it turned out to be just a safety reminder.

Lao Fang hurriedly used the radio to express his thanks, then quickly turned the helm, speeding away from the area.

The few who escaped the mishap unscathed now have their hearts in a flutter.

"Lao Fang, what should we do now, still go? I've checked the old almanac; today nothing is auspicious, we might even run into a typhoon."

Lao Fang is also the type who prefers to believe it exists rather than not.

The old almanac does have some merit.

Although we could take the risk, it's better to wait.

You never know—there might be a warship conducting training nearby, so it's best to find out.

This shipment is too important, the price offered is absurdly high, it's not comparable to the usual smuggling of watches, phones, designer bags; therefore we must ensure it's flawless.

"First return, we'll discuss tomorrow."

"They won't charge us, will they?"

"I'll talk to the boss over there; you don't need to worry."

Lao Fang went outside, found the nephew he had previously scolded, and handed him a can of beer.

"Uncle, I can't drink."

"Take it, big man, you still can't drink?"

"Well, then I'll have just a little…"

The young man opened it and took a small sip.

Seeing his distant nephew's timid, cowardly demeanor, Lao Fang wore a helpless expression.

"Fang Wei, don't blame me for being ruthless; in front of so many people, I still have no choice."

"It's fine, Uncle; as long as I can earn money for my mom's treatment, anything goes."

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Aren't you scared?"

"Not scared."

"Not even afraid of prison?"

"Not even afraid of death."

Seeing the steadfast determination in Fang Wei's eyes, Lao Fang felt quite gratified.

In this line of work, you need family backing; outsiders are ultimately untrustworthy, and a slip could get you ripped off.

"If this run goes smoothly, I'll add twenty thousand for you; don't tell anyone else."

"Thanks, Uncle!"

Fang Wei gulped a big mouthful of beer, then coughed, "Uncle, can you reveal what exactly we're smuggling this time?"

Lao Fang also took a sip of beer, shook his head: "I don't know, I don't want to know; if there's a buyer, there's a buyer, we're just handling the legs, the rest isn't my concern."

"If you want to earn more for your mom's treatment, stop asking so many questions; say less, do more, and your benefits will follow."

"Alright, I'll definitely do my best."

"Are you full?"

"I'm full, I'm full, I'm so full I could vomit!"

"How does this seafood stew noodle taste?"

"Good, very good, even better than a five‑star hotel."

The sun set, Lu Yang crossed his arms, watching the Raptor Team members who were stuffed.

The pot was practically empty, and on the ground lay a pile of shrimp shells, fish bones, and even a couple of sea urchins.

These were all gathered by him using wilderness survival skills, hauled from the sea, specifically to give everyone an extra meal and replenish nutrients.

Fresh shrimp and fish cake noodles, with proper seafood and canned braised pork—so tasty he couldn't bear to discard even a couple of slaps.

"Instructor, what exactly is the next training item…?"

Guo Yongwen asked, his food still undigested, nearly spitting it out.

Lu Yang didn't answer; instead he picked up the pot on the ground, frowned, and said, "There's still a bit of broth, a shrimp, and two pieces of meat left. Who wants to eat?"