Somalia was one of the least developed countries in the world. It was located in the easternmost part of the African continent, the Somali Peninsula. It was bordered by the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, Kenya and Ethiopia to the west, and Djibouti to the northwest. It was the transportation hub of Asia, Africa, and Europe, as well as the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Its geographical location was of great strategic importance.
Ever since the fall of the West German regime, Somalia had been in a state of armed separatist warlords, serious tribal conflicts, and anarchy.
Due to the ongoing civil war, the security situation in Somalia had deteriorated. Prices had skyrocketed, and there was a shortage of daily necessities. The local people had no guarantee of life, and the medical care level was the lowest in the world.
Mogadishu was the capital of Somalia. It was an ancient city with a long history. However, after decades of civil war, the ancient city no longer had its former glory. It was filled with the smell of decay and dilapidation.
No airline was willing to bear the huge insurance premium, so they simply closed the flights here, causing people to have to travel by land or sea if they wanted to enter Mogadishu.
Two days later, outside the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean, the sky was blue, and the sea breeze was gentle. A giant cargo ship with the flag of Anping was sailing on the sea toward the port of Mogadishu.
"Big Sister Yan, it's really beautiful here."
On the deck, two girls stood by the railing and breathed in the slightly damp air. A girl wearing glasses, who was full of youthfulness, stretched her arms with a satisfied expression, as if she was hugging the sea, and said excitedly to Tong Yaner, who was next to her.
Tong Yaner smiled. Thinking that she would soon arrive in Mogadishu and see the man she missed day and night, her mood inexplicably lifted. She said emotionally, "Somalia is a country that has been in war for years. Whether it's the economy or the social system of education, it has long collapsed. However, it is also because of this that this barren land has not been polluted by too much modern industry, and it can retain the natural beauty given by nature."
"Big Sister Yan, you're the one who sees the problem clearly. No wonder you're the pillar of our station."
The girl wearing glasses smiled and flattered.
Her name was Chang Hong, and she was a newcomer who joined the work with Xiao Chen. She was the only person in the station who volunteered to take over Xiao Chen's job and become Tong Yaner's new partner.
For the veterans on national television, coming to Somalia, a chaotic place with no guarantee of life, to carry out an interview mission was definitely a dangerous thing to do.
But for a newcomer like Chang Hong, it was a shortcut for her to make a name for herself quickly. Therefore, she disregarded her family's objections and resolutely came with passion and dreams.
Tong Yan 'er smiled faintly and did not reply. She narrowed her eyes and looked at the distant horizon.
Although she was well aware of Chang Hong's thoughts, she did not feel disgusted. After all, everyone had something they wanted to pursue.
Compared to those giants in slogans and dwarfs in action, she admired people like Chang Hong who were ambitious, motivated, and willing to take action to pursue their dreams.
"Eh?"
Tong Yan 'er suddenly let out a cry of surprise. Her face became serious as she stared at the few black spots that suddenly appeared in the sky and the sea.
"What's wrong? Sister Yan? "
Chang Hong did not notice Tong Yan 'er's expression and asked casually.
She did not think that Somalia would be very dangerous. She was thinking about how to leave a good impression on the pillar. It would be best if she could gain her trust and appreciation. That way, after successfully completing the interview mission, she might be able to become a permanent partner. This would be of great benefit to her future in the workplace.
"Look, what is that? Is it a speedboat? "
Tong Yan 'er stared at the distant sea with a solemn expression and asked in a hurried voice.
Chang Hong narrowed her eyes curiously.
After a moment, she nodded. "It really looks like a speedboat, and it's coming toward us."
Tong Yan 'er's expression changed drastically, and she cried out involuntarily, "Oh no, it's Somali pirates. Hurry and inform the captain."
Chang Hong's body trembled, and her face instantly turned pale. With a trace of hope, she said while trembling, "It can't be? This is a merchant ship from An Ping country. Would pirates be so bold? "
"Pirates only have money in their eyes. They don't care which country's merchant ship you are from. Besides, how could there be a speedboat in this vast sea? If it's not pirates, then what is it? "
Tong Yan 'er did not expect that she would be so unlucky to encounter pirates on her first trip to Somalia. Seeing Chang Hong's pale face and trembling legs, she knew that she had reached her limit and could collapse at any time. She did not bother to comfort her. She turned to the sailors who were sunbathing on the deck and shouted, "Pirates are coming, pirates are coming."
"What? There are pirates? "
Many sailors on the deck were peeking at the beautiful Tong Yan 'er. When they heard her shout, their expressions changed drastically. A sailor climbed up the mast like a nimble monkey, took out his binoculars and looked into the distance.
Woo woo woo!
A moment later, the urgent alarm sounded. Although the sailors on the ship panicked, they quickly picked up the walkie-talkie and reported to the captain.
Two minutes later, two fierce-looking men with flattop hair hurriedly walked out of the cabin and stood on the deck. They looked at the speedboat galloping in the distance with a pair of binoculars, and their faces became extremely solemn.
"How is it? Are they pirates? "
Tong Yaner's heart was perturbed as she approached the sailors and asked.
"Yes, they are indeed pirates, but don't worry, we have professional escorts."
Although a sailor was anxious, he still comforted her confidently.
"Escorts?"
Tong Yan 'er repeated with some confusion.
In her opinion, escorts were just security personnel on the ship. What could they do in the face of a large number of armed pirates?
"Yes, Somalia is a war-torn area. In order to ensure the safety of our merchant ships, the country has specially assigned retired special forces soldiers to serve as escorts on every large merchant ship. These escorts are armed and have gun licenses. With them, the safety of the merchant ship can definitely be guaranteed."
The sailors seemed to be very confident in the escorts. Their expressions also became calm, and they spoke proudly and confidently.
Tong Yan 'er suddenly understood, and her tense heart also relaxed a little. She subconsciously looked at the two men with flattop haircuts who were observing the situation, and secretly prayed that they were really as powerful as the sailors said and could resolve the pirate crisis.
As they spoke, the two men with flattop haircuts quickly moved. One took out a walkie-talkie and whispered something, while the other quickly ran towards them.
"Ladies, please return to the cabin immediately. This group of pirates is obviously prepared, and they are armed with heavy weapons. It will be very dangerous to stay on the deck."
The man with the flattop haircut came in front of them and said in an unquestionable tone.
In this regard, Tong Yan 'er was not dissatisfied. After all, they had good intentions. She quickly nodded and agreed. She pulled Chang Hong, who was trembling all over, and ran into the cabin.
"Ouch!"
However, Chang Hong's legs were trembling, and all her weight was on Tong Yan 'er. She was caught off guard and staggered. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground with Chang Hong.
Da da da!
A series of submachine gun bullets flew past Tong Yan 'er's scalp, and she was scared out of her wits. She hugged Chang Hong tightly and screamed in fear.
"Ugh!"
There was a muffled sound, and Tong Yan 'er only felt a warm liquid sprayed all over her head and face.
The liquid sprayed all over her head and face. Through her blood-red vision, she was horrified to find that the previously calm escort had been shot between the eyebrows. He fell beside them with a thud, his eyes staring at the blue sky, filled with unwillingness and disbelief.
"Danger, lie down and don't move. They have a sniper."
Another man with a flattop haircut was arranging tasks for his companions through the walkie-talkie. He could not care less about the death of his comrade. When he saw the frightened Tong Yan 'er and Chang Hong screaming at an extremely high decibel level, their survival instinct made them want to stand up and run into the cabin. He quickly squatted down and shouted loudly.
Unfortunately, how could a woman who was in a state of fear and panic have any rationality to speak of? While screaming, she stood up and ran away.
"Damn it."
The rapid sound of submachine gun gunfire sounded again. The flattop haircut man cursed angrily. He stomped hard on the ground and rushed toward Tong Yan 'er and Chang Hong like an arrow.
Puff, puff, puff!
A series of gunshots sounded. The flattop haircut man grunted and used his body to block the bullets for them. He then threw them under his body.
Fortunately, he was well-prepared. He put on a bulletproof vest immediately. Although the impact of the bullets hit him and made him grimace in pain, fortunately, he was not really hurt.
"Are … are you okay?"
Tong Yaner was sent flying several meters away by the man with a flattop haircut and fell to the ground. She felt that her bones were broken and painful, but she finally calmed down. She looked at the man with a flattop haircut in horror and guilt and asked. However, when she saw Chang Hong sprawled on the ground and the man with a flattop haircut lying on her body, she couldn't help blushing and turning her head away. "What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you?"
The flattop haircut man climbed up from the blushing Chang Hong and shook his head slightly. Then, he rolled over like a dexterous leopard cat and picked up the walkie-talkie that had fallen before. He shouted into the walkie-talkie, "Fire, suppress their firepower. Pay attention to concealment. There are snipers among the pirates."
"Roger that, captain. Are you okay?"
A concerned man's voice came from the walkie-talkie.
The captain's expression darkened. He took a deep breath and said sadly, "Zheng Guowei has sacrificed himself."
"These damned pirates, I'm going to kill them all."
A sorrowful and angry roar came from the walkie-talkie.
"Calm down, don't be impulsive. This group of pirates is a little unusual. They are not like ordinary pirates. Everyone must be careful."
The captain's eyes flashed with a thoughtful look, and his tone was calm and steady.
"Roger that."
As soon as the voice fell, there was a rapid exchange of gunfire on the deck. Smoke filled the air, and bullets flew everywhere.
Tong Yan 'er and Chang Hong had never seen such a scene before. They trembled on the deck and did not even dare to move, lest they were hit by stray bullets.
The captain was relieved when he saw this. As long as Tong Yan 'er and Chang Hong did not panic and run around, they would not be in much danger if they lay on the deck and did not move.
He immediately rolled a few times and climbed to the bow of the ship under the hail of bullets. He opened the military backpack on the ground and quickly took out the gun parts and assembled them. In less than a minute, he had a Type 97 sniper rifle in his hand. He slid behind the container and with a few flips, he occupied the high ground and set up an ambush at a favorable sniping point to search for the enemy sniper.
The pirates were not scary. What was scary was the sniper hidden among them. He had to find the sniper as soon as possible and eliminate him. Otherwise, the cargo ship would be in danger.
At this moment, the speedboats were less than a hundred meters away from the cargo ship. It could be clearly seen that there were a total of eight speedboats surrounding the cargo ship in a fan shape.
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