Chapter 428: Determined to Win
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Dr. North and Qin Wan are both on the island. Qin Wan arrived here on a layover with Dr. North. Qin Wan still has one more year to complete her graduate studies, and it happens to be during the summer break when Jiang Junlin assigned her a mission. They’ve been traveling throughout Europe and the Americas, and this time they are here to assist Dr. North in bringing Tang Mingzhou back to their home country.
“Tang Mingzhou, that old fox, why did he disappear for no reason? Did the Black Hawks’ people take him away, and has he left Paradise Island?” Dr. North conducted a thorough search, but to his surprise, he couldn’t find Tang Mingzhou. This island isn’t particularly large, and there aren’t many places to hide. Where could he possibly be hiding?
“He vanished, and the island has been locked down. There’s no way out by sea or air. He can’t just sprout wings and fly away. He must still be on the island,” Dr. North said. “Don’t worry; it’s not so easy for him to escape.”
Qin Wan studied the map of the island. “The lockdown will only last for two days, and the natural gas supply on the island will only last for three days. No cargo ships can come in from the sea either. In three days, everything will have to be reopened.”
“I understand. So, within these two days, we must find him. Don’t let him get away; he’s scheming something,” Dr. North replied.
Qin Wan continued to examine the island’s map. Despite the lockdown, it hadn’t caused much disruption. Tourists were stuck on the island, hotel costs were halved, and the outside world was told that the island had been attacked by terrorists. However, inside the island, everything was calm. The regular citizens and tourists didn’t feel any danger, and the shops remained open. Qin Wan even visited nightclubs and bars, where the atmosphere was lively. She was approached by a stranger and politely turned him down three times, but he persisted, so she had to resort to using physical force.
A punch brought him back to his senses. “Still up for it?”
“No, no, I’m not…” The man covered his bleeding lip, scared and repeatedly backing away.
Qin Wan insisted, “This won’t work. Nightclubs, casinos, and stores are all open. Searching for one person like this is too difficult. Let’s close all the casinos, nightclubs, and stores tomorrow, shut them down for a day.”
Dr. North sighed, “It’s challenging to implement. The island is already under lockdown, and the tourists are getting upset. We received a bunch of protest letters this afternoon. If we close down the entertainment facilities, restaurants, and stores, they will cause a commotion. It’s different here than in our home country; there aren’t many troops, and our personnel are limited. We can’t execute such a plan.”
This country had police, fire services, and maritime police, but it lacked a significant military presence. In the case of any incidents, it fell upon the local police to handle them. However, the local police force’s resources were also quite limited.
Qin Wan was growing increasingly frustrated. The lack of manpower was indeed a significant issue, and she couldn’t risk disrupting the island’s basic order by having the local police go after a member of the criminal underworld. They had to come up with a solution.
On the island, surveillance wasn’t extensive, so Dr. North deployed drones to the skies while information officers conducted personnel checks. Three people were responsible for each designated area, and since the island wasn’t particularly large, they were essentially conducting a meticulous search.
“Dr. North, there’s a ship approaching the northern side of the island. I’ve already sent a drone to investigate, and I suspect there might be someone attempting an illegal landing,” an information officer reported.
Dr. North inquired, “Is it a cargo ship or a fishing boat?”
“It’s a cargo ship.”
“I’ll go check it out,” Qin Wan said. She left to investigate, feeling a bit restless in the information room. She took her bike, and the information officer kept in touch with her.
“Today, most of the cargo ships are waiting in the open sea, mostly staying in place. Some may attempt to dock in smaller ports to unload secretly. We haven’t spotted anyone on surveillance. If your inspection doesn’t reveal anything suspicious, come back early,” Dr. North advised.
“Understood!”
The island was relatively small, and it took Qin Wan about thirty minutes to reach the designated location, which happened to be a cliff. Just a kilometer away, there was a village where a bonfire party was in full swing, creating a lively atmosphere. People by the coastline were also setting off fireworks.
Wherever Qin Wan went, the drone followed closely, and there wasn’t a single seabird in sight.
“It’s likely just a cargo ship. Come back,” Dr. North said. There didn’t seem to be anything suspicious, but Qin Wan remained cautious. She was convinced that the Black Hawks’ operatives were responsible for taking Tang Mingzhou. When they discovered Tang Mingzhou’s whereabouts, there couldn’t be many Black Hawk members on the island. To successfully take Tang Mingzhou away, they must have found a way to infiltrate the island either by waiting for the lockdown to be lifted or by finding a way to sneak in themselves.
Having studied the island’s map, she knew this area was a good landing point. Ships couldn’t get too close, but individuals could swim to the island from the sea and then climb the cliffs. Qin Wan suggested, “Let the drone fly closer to the sea surface, lower it a bit, and see if there are any people on the water.” “Alright!”
The drone circled the sea surface for about ten minutes, capturing all the footage, but nothing out of the ordinary was spotted. Qin Wan glanced down at the cliff, the waves were turbulent, and there were no signs of anyone attempting to climb.
Perhaps she was just being overly cautious.
Qin Wan left on her bike, and below the cliff, Ji Chi, Rong Li, and others breathed a sigh of relief. They had heard the sound of the motorcycle when it approached and saw the drone flying overhead.
Certainly, it was the yakuza searching for something. Their drone posed a risk, so they swiftly retreated, hiding behind the rocks and remaining motionless. When the drone descended, they all submerged underwater to avoid detection.
Fortunately, it was dark at night, and visibility was poor, or they would have definitely been exposed.
“Let’s wait a while longer,” Ji Chi said, showing caution based on his experience. He didn’t want to climb recklessly.
“Wait for what?” Rong Li asked.
“What if someone on the shore opens fire when we try to climb up?” Rong Li said in a hushed tone.
Indeed, Qin Wan had fired a warning shot earlier. This time, she had left her bike parked halfway up the slope, lit a cigarette, and walked back to sit on a rock. She leisurely gazed at the cliff. After finishing her cigarette, she moved quietly towards the cliff again. She had calculated the timing; it should be just enough time for them to swim to the shore after the cargo ship departed. If there were no disturbances, they would likely start climbing.
Waiting for nearly half an hour, Qin Wan had the drone scout ahead again, but there was still no sign of movement. She decided to return.
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Meanwhile, Ji Chi, Rong Li, and the others were submerged in the water, shivering from the cold. Ji Chi glanced at his watch, “It’s about time. Let’s go.”
The group gathered at the base of the cliff and changed into dry clothes. They then climbed the cliff with their bare hands. It was only about twenty meters high, and rock climbing wasn’t particularly challenging for them. Qin Wan had made a trip to the cliff but had found nothing, which was quite disappointing.
Soon, Gu Ci sent a message, “Rong Li and Ji Chi have both gone to Paradise Island. Be careful.”
Dr. North and Qin Wan were both surprised. Rong Li and Ji Chi had different responsibilities within the Black Hawks. Ji Chi was the successor to Lu Zhiyuan and wasn’t typically involved in risky missions. The fact that both of them were near Paradise Island at the same time indicated that Lu Zhiyuan was determined to capture Tang Mingzhou.
“This is getting interesting; they’re probably already on the island,” Qin Wan remarked..
