Chapter 52: United Against the Enemy

"Don't panic." Just as everyone was in a state of chaos, John's voice rang out. "The Phinis will not sink." John's words had a calming effect; people became noticeably less frantic.

"They intend to kidnap us. Sinking the Phinis and killing us would do them no good." John's steady voice continued.

Hearing this, everyone felt there was reason in his words. These people were after money; killing their captives would bring them no benefit.

"The Phinis is equipped with a thousand armed personnel. Even if they board us, we have enough force to wipe them out. We will never let ourselves fall into the hands of pirates," John said once more.

Gradually, the panic subsided in the crowd. They still believed in the Rockefeller family’s capabilities. These mercenaries-turned-pirates only wanted to kidnap them for ransom; they wouldn’t waste firepower sinking the Phinis. Eventually, they would have to board, but with a thousand armed crew members, the ship had ample firepower to fight back.

Though the pirates’ goal was only to take them hostage, no one wished to fall into such hands. They were all accustomed to a life of luxury—who could tell what the pirates might do to them? For ransom, these men would stop at nothing. And who could guarantee that even if the ransom was paid, the pirates would actually release them? Having their lives in the hands of others was something none of them wanted to experience.

As long as there was the slightest chance to resist, they would fight to the end.

At this moment, seeing the crowd had quieted, John spoke again: "Contact the family headquarters immediately and ask them to send rescuers. All armed crew, prepare for battle."

At his command, the screens on the walls showed a flood of fully armed crew pouring out from every compartment, rushing to their posts.

Seeing this, everyone’s tense hearts eased a little.

"Report the ship's damage."

"Captain, the outer hull of the ship has suffered heavy damage; many compartments are taking on water."

"Assess the danger."

"Overall damage is at twenty percent. The propulsion system is intact. As long as the damaged compartments are sealed, the ship can continue to sail."

"Good. Seal off the damaged compartments immediately."

"Yes, sir."

The Phinis had been designed with the most advanced technology; each section of the ship had its own isolation system. Should a compartment be breached, closing the isolation doors would stop the flooding from spreading and the voyage would continue unaffected.

Hearing this, everyone felt a little more at ease and focused on the images on the wall.

Under the barrage of the warship’s three main cannons, the cruise ship had been pierced with three massive holes. But the Phinis was enormous, and these breaches were not enough to cripple her.

Still, under the pounding of the cannons, the ship shook violently, making the gunners lose their aim. Pirate speedboats surged up to the cruise ship and were already making contact. Behind them, hundreds more speedboats were racing in.

The first wave of speedboats fired grappling hooks, preparing to climb aboard. By now, some armed crew had reached the deck’s perimeter, and a fierce exchange of gunfire erupted. The crew had the high ground and favorable positions, and pirates were being picked off one after another. For the moment, the defenders had the upper hand.

Witnessing the crew’s combat prowess, those in the hall rejoiced. After more than ten minutes of fierce fighting, not a single pirate had managed to board the ship.

Suddenly, a dozen rockets streaked through the air, their burning tails trailing behind as they screamed towards the crew firing down from the deck.

As the explosions thundered, the deck was thrown into chaos—pirate reinforcements had arrived and launched rocket attacks.

"Have you reached headquarters?" Seeing the situation take a turn for the worse, John asked sharply.

"We made contact, but headquarters says the nearest secret base has been attacked by unidentified armed forces. All armed helicopters have been destroyed. Other reinforcements need at least twenty-four hours to arrive."

"Fakeyou," John cursed aloud.

This was clearly a long-planned operation. The enemy knew the Phinis could use satellite communications, making it impossible to cut off their contacts. So they attacked the nearest secret base instead, destroying any forces that could offer rapid support, buying themselves precious time.

"Resist with everything you've got. Distribute weapons to all unarmed crew and prepare for close-quarters combat."

As John gave this order, the pirates, under the cover of relentless rocket fire, began to climb onto the deck.

A brutal fight broke out. The Rockefeller family’s armed men fought well, but these mercenaries-turned-pirates were even more ferocious. Under their fearless assault, the defenders were forced to give ground.

Now, panic swept through the hall once more. It was obvious the crew could not withstand the pirates. If they were captured, their fates would be out of their hands.

Some of the older guests managed to keep their composure, instructing their men to prepare for battle. The younger generation, less seasoned and more coddled, were already hopelessly lost in fear—especially Feng Xifan, a rich heir who had grown up under his father's protection. Terror was written all over his face as he pulled his two bodyguards behind him, shivering uncontrollably. As for Chen Xijun, she was already too frightened to care about anything else.

Lu Ming watched all this, shaking his head inwardly. Fierce before the weak, cowering before the truly strong—such spineless people could never amount to anything.

The scene in the hall was chaotic; everyone feared for their lives. With pirates already entering the ship, battling the crew in the narrow corridors and steadily advancing towards them, people were at a loss for what to do.

At this moment, an elderly Chinese man raised his voice: "Mr. John, I hope you can distribute weapons to our men so they can resist the pirates here and wait for reinforcements to arrive."

At these words, all eyes turned to John.

No weapons were allowed on board, so everyone was unarmed. But the aides they had brought with them were all formidable; if given weapons, they could mount an effective resistance.

However, John only shrugged regretfully. "All reserve weapons have already been given to the unarmed crew. We have none left."

At this, everyone’s hearts sank.

After a brief frown, the old man spoke again, this time more loudly. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Huo Xiangying from Hong Kong and Taiwan. The situation is dire. I hope we can stand together against the enemy. Surely no one wants to fall into the pirates’ hands?"

No one refuted him—who would willingly be captured by pirates?

Seeing no one respond, Huo Xiangying pressed on: "In that case, let your men stand guard at the hall entrance to buy time for reinforcements."

With that, he turned to two robust men in their forties at his side and said, "Sorry for the trouble."

The two men nodded and took up positions on either side of the hall’s entrance. With the narrow doorway, they would be able to take on intruders one by one and slow the enemy’s advance.

At that, Huo Xiangying patted his wife’s hand in reassurance. "Don’t be afraid. Everything will be all right."

His wife smiled. "After so many years at your side, what haven’t I seen? There’s nothing to be afraid of."

Lu Ming watched Huo Xiangying’s actions and nodded to himself. This was a true heavyweight from Hong Kong and Taiwan, a man who made his name young as the top enforcer—the Double-Flower Red Stick—of the Triad, the largest syndicate of his time. Later, he became the boss, the undisputed number one in the underworld of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Unlike mainland China, the syndicates there held significant sway—even the government had to give them some respect. Only in recent years, after China regained control of Hong Kong and Taiwan, had things improved.

When China took over, Huo Xiangying had shifted to legitimate business, leveraging his vast connections and wealth to quickly become the region’s top tycoon. Years later, he gradually retired, paving the way for others like Li Chao-ren to emerge.

Though Huo Xiangying was now an old man, his composure in the face of danger was still admirable.

Inspired by his example, others began sending their own bodyguards to the entrance to form a last line of defense.

Lu Ming noticed that among this group of bodyguards, some were truly top-notch—no weaker than Huang Zhen. After all, these were important figures and would have only brought their best. Aside from grandmasters, who wouldn’t work as bodyguards, those at the peak of innate skill would be the strongest present.

Meanwhile, Feng Xifan, with his two bodyguards, hurried to the back of the hall. As he passed Lu Ming, he snapped viciously, "Why the hell are you still sitting here instead of fighting the pirates?"