Chapter 350: Chapter 331: The Variable
Fang Chenyi looked at the crowd before him, cleared his throat, and spoke again, his voice cold.
"Just a few hours ago, your captain, David Rogers, and Wolz led a group of men and tried to kill me!"
The moment he spoke, an uproar erupted from the crowd. Everyone stared in disbelief.
’Captain David was certainly arrogant, but surely he wasn’t brazen enough to try and kill the boss!’
Fang Chenyi gave them ample time to murmur amongst themselves before speaking again in a chilling tone.
"Heh. You heard me right. They wanted to kill me, and they acted on it."
As he spoke, Fang Chenyi gestured with his hand. Behind him, Qi Xiaotian tossed several handguns and an M16 onto the deck with a CLATTER.
The crowd saw the weapons and immediately understood. These must have been what David and his men had used.
Judging by the weapons alone, it was clear David had a considerable number of men with heavy firepower. What they couldn’t fathom was how the new boss and his two companions had managed to defeat them.
As their minds raced, Fang Chenyi’s cold gaze swept over every person present. His voice rang out, devoid of all emotion.
"So, I am not pleased. Is this how you welcome your new boss? Heh. Very well. In that case, allow me to remind you that this cruise ship does not belong to you."
He paused again, his eyes scanning the crowd, a sly smile touching his lips as he spoke.
"You have one hour to pack your things. In one hour, you will return here, board the smaller ship below, and leave. That’s right. Because of David Rogers, all of you are fired."
WHOOSH.
The announcement stunned everyone, and a wave of panicked chatter immediately swept through the crew.
"Oh, no! Boss, you can’t do this! What that bastard David did has nothing to do with us!"
"Goddammit, David! If I find out where he is, I’ll kill that bastard myself!"
"Oh, Boss, I promise I’ll work hard! Please, be merciful and let me stay!"
The voices never stopped. Some cursed David Rogers, while others desperately pledged their loyalty to their new boss, Fang Chenyi.
Fang Chenyi, however, paid their words no mind. After he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and the two squads behind him began to disperse the crowd.
They then spread out through the ship’s corridors to monitor the crew, preventing anyone from attempting to sabotage the vessel out of spite.
The hour flew by. Once it was up, Fang Chenyi ordered everyone to gather on deck immediately.
During that hour, Fang Chenyi had also informed the passengers. He explained that he was the ship’s new owner and was currently conducting some "internal cleaning." He assured them that they would not be disturbed and that, as a gesture of goodwill, all their ticket fees would be fully refunded, especially since the ship would be returning to port that very night.
Soon, the crew members emerged, laden with bags and looking utterly dejected.
A smile touched Fang Chenyi’s lips as he watched the crew members emerge with their luggage. He turned to Liu Yishou.
"How’s it looking, Yishou? Is the security checkpoint ready?"
Liu Yishou nodded to Fang Chenyi. "Don’t worry, Brother Fang. Nothing is getting off this ship without us knowing. Not even a grain of rice."
Fang Chenyi nodded, satisfied, and addressed the assembled crowd.
"Form a single-file line. You will pass through the security checkpoint one by one. After you’ve been cleared, I’ve prepared one thousand US dollars for each of you as severance. Once you’ve received the money, you can board the launch below."
More than half the crew’s faces turned grim when they heard about the security check.
But surrounded by armed young Huaxia men, no one dared to protest.
For a moment, a stalemate. No one wanted to be the first to step forward, and no one would form a line.
Seeing the hesitation, Qi Xiaotian spoke into his earpiece, addressing his men. "Fire a warning shot. Maintain order. Start the security screening and boarding process now!"
Fang Chenyi left Qi Xiaotian to handle the crowd and walked over to a table set up behind the security checkpoint. A large case filled with cash sat at his feet.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The series of sharp gunshots sounded exceptionally clear in the dawn air. The passengers, who had been "escorted" by Fang Chenyi’s men to the recreation area, froze when they heard the shots.
A short while ago, Fang Chenyi had his men guide them to a spacious, open-air recreation area in the center of the ship. It featured not only a massive outdoor swimming pool but also a variety of other water park attractions.
They had no objection to this arrangement. Given their status, none of them wanted to get involved in the unfolding drama. If something went wrong and they got hurt, wouldn’t their immense fortunes just end up in someone else’s hands?
"Dimo, what the hell is going on? Did you hear those gunshots? We’re not in any danger, are we? And why didn’t you tell us this cruise ship belonged to your boss?"
In the middle of the crowd, Demo Did was surrounded by his friends, who were bombarding him with questions. The truth was, he was just as clueless as they were. How was he supposed to know that the world’s number-one cruise ship actually belonged to his boss?
But then, remembering how incredible his boss was, he put on a profound and mysterious air and waved his hand dismissively. "Heh, this is nothing. It’s just a cruise ship. Perfectly normal, right? Let me tell you, my boss is way more powerful than you can possibly imagine. And rich! You guys might come from families with more money than you can spend, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that my boss has way, *way* more than all of you combined!"
...
Leaving Demo Did to sing Fang Chenyi’s praises, back on the main deck...
With Qi Xiaotian and his hundred-plus men enforcing order, the reluctant crew members quickly formed a line. A large Black man had been pushed to the front and was now grudgingly walking toward the security checkpoint.
"Backpack in the scanner! Hands on your head! Move it!"
The sharp command made the man flinch. He quickly scanned his surroundings, apparently making a decision. Instead of taking off his backpack, he lunged forward, slamming into the young man who had shouted at him.
Using his large frame and the element of surprise, he knocked the young man who was about to search him off his feet, sending him stumbling backward to land hard on the deck.
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