Waves Rise Again (I)

The air was damp, and the faintly salty sea breeze seemed to still carry the scent of gunpowder.

Though the ship had long left the storm zone of raging waves behind, the low, leaden clouds still hung upside down between sea and sky, blotting out the last glow of the setting sun.

The brutal battle and storm had both passed, but the glaring scarlet stains and sticky feel on the deck, fermenting beneath the gloomy weather, had created a stifling, bleak atmosphere like a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Xia Lun stood in the shadows, silently observing the survivors on deck.

After being tempered by the storm, the Monster, and the savage infighting, the pirate crew that had once numbered nearly a hundred was now reduced to a mere nineteen. The captured crewmen, even counting himself, numbered only four.

At the sound of a gunshot, all twenty-two survivors, exhausted in body and taut in mind, gathered around the female captain, Geliide. The air gained another stuffy stink, sweat and rainwater fermenting together.

Xia Lun noticed that some of them did not seem to welcome the captain's return.

Some gripped their weapons tightly. Some sized up the returning captain with cold, shadowy eyes. Some could not even be bothered to lift their eyelids. One old one-eyed pirate had even noticed Xia Lun standing in the shadows and gave him a teasing smile.

Xia Lun nodded and smiled back at the old man, while his palm rubbed the grip of his flintlock pistol.

Before coming up to the deck, he had already discussed the situation aboard the ship with the captain, planned out the next act, and prepared for any possible accidents.

The one-eyed old man was the ship's boatswain. He, the priest, and the gunner were the only three remaining senior crewmen in the pirate crew. Of them, the lean, shrill-voiced gunner was the first mate's staunchest supporter.

Though Xia Lun's expression remained calm, inwardly, he was on high alert.

—Whether a second rebellion would erupt depended on whether Captain Geliide's performance succeeded.

"Listen up, all of you," the captain called out. The low roar of the sea wind carried her voice high. "The rebels have all been executed. You no longer need to worry about being coerced and dragged along by the first mate."

First step: pardon their crimes verbally, preventing potential enemies from being driven into desperate action.

The oppressive mood on deck seemed to ease somewhat. Xia Lun saw that those harboring hostility appeared to let out long breaths of relief, though they still held their weapons.

"I know things are difficult right now," the captain continued to shout. "But now, we all have only one shared goal—survive, and return alive to Perilous Earth Island."

"Cheer up, boys! As long as we survive, once we reach Perilous Earth Island, you'll have endless strong liquor to drink, endless Gold Dragons to spend, and endless whores to fuck!"

Captain Geliide's voice suddenly rose as she stared down at the crowd with bright eyes.

"As long as we make it back alive, I'll cover a month at the Red Mill for every one of you. On top of that, everyone gets an extra Gold Dragon as a dividend—the part the communal funds can't cover, I'll pay myself!"

With that, she pulled a huge handful of gold coins from her bloodstained coat and flung them directly into the air!

Coins—nothing but coins, glittering golden coins!

A great quantity of gold flew into the air, then rained down onto everyone's heads. The crisp clink of metal striking the deck echoed—

The oppressive deck first fell utterly silent, then erupted into thunderous cheers!

Second step: give them a goal, sell them a dream, and win over most of the sailors.

Watching the crowd come alive, Xia Lun could not help but smile faintly.

Though the dream Captain Geliide had sold was crude and blunt, it was exactly what these dispirited pirates needed.

The pirates did not need threats, intricate calculations of profit, or grand principles right now. They needed direct, powerful stimulation of desire. They needed a clear goal they could see with their own eyes.

At this point, even if the hidden enemies wanted to rebel, they could no longer drag so many people into it.

Just then, a red-haired pirate suddenly threw himself to the ground, greedily scooping up gold coins. But another pirate quickly bit down on his finger and snatched the coin away.

Other pirates picked up a few coins, knew when to stop, then retreated to the edge of the crowd and bit the coins with their teeth.

"Quit fucking fighting over them. Once we're back on the island, this little bit of money won't mean shit," the captain laughed and cursed. "Get your spirits up!"

"Long live Geliide the Undying!" someone shouted excitedly.

"I won't die in a place like this—and neither will you die in a gutter! We've overcome desperate situations countless times. This is nothing!" The captain laughed loudly. Excitement made her eyes seem to glow. "Destination: Perilous Earth Island! Full speed ahead!"

Third step: recall the past and make the story hold together.

Though the plan had gone unbelievably smoothly, Xia Lun still did not step into the open.

He remained like a shadow, quietly observing the pirates.

According to his plan, this standard combination of moves would not only basically stabilize the situation, but also draw the snake from its hole.

His gaze shifted slightly as he searched for a moment. Then, at the edge of the increasingly frenzied crowd, he spotted three pirate ringleaders who stood apart from the rest.

At that moment, the three pirate ringleaders were whispering among themselves.

The old man first said a few words to the lean gunner. The gunner shot the old man a startled glare, his face turning ugly, then looked at Xia Lun with flickering eyes. The old man sneered a few more times. The gunner suddenly clenched his fists, seeming to make up his mind about something, then strode out of the crowd.

He took the bait—but he was cooperating a little too well. Watching the gunner's feigned calm, Xia Lun could not help grumbling inwardly. Young people really shouldn't be so young...

Though lean, the gunner had sharply defined muscles visible beneath his shirt. He grabbed the shoulder of the pirate blocking his path, shoved him aside, then slowly walked toward the front of the crowd.

"The Monster is still in the hold!" he suddenly said. "This isn't the time to celebrate. We need someone to scout ahead and learn the Monster's habits."

His voice was not loud, but it was like hailstones crashing into a wheat field, instantly cooling the heated atmosphere. A few seconds later, the deck fell silent once more.

In an instant, the passion ignited by gold coins and desire, after flashing briefly, was snuffed out again by the threat of reality.

Everyone turned their eyes toward the gunner, who wore a confident smile.

The captain raised a brow, her lips curling in a half-smile.

The gunner picked up a gold coin from the ground and gave a flippant whistle. "Oh, come on, Geliide. Using this coin-throwing trick every time gets boring. Ten years ago, when we robbed the governor of Scarlet Lantern Island, after you showered us with coins, half of us died. Or are you going to say, 'I've got an idea,' again?"

Though her fragile authority had been challenged again, the captain was not angry. She said evenly, "Once you board a ship, you're naturally gambling with your life. There's no need to mock the brothers of the past and make such heartless remarks."