The Beginning of Natural Disaster, I Won by Hoarding Tens of Billions of Supplies

Chapter 543: Useless Pirates

As they approached the bridge, sure enough, multiple voices came through, overlapping with one another. 

The two moved in quietly and found the door slightly ajar. Inside, about ten people sat or crouched, covered in blood, looking like they had just crawled out of hell.

Even the once-romantic sailors had turned into butchers in this apocalyptic disaster. 

Judging by their bloodstained clothing, they could barely be identified as the ship’s crew. 

In other words, the crew had fought back and killed the pirates. 

Though their language was incomprehensible, they seemed deeply engrossed in their discussion. 

Jiang Ning pushed the door open, holding a grenade in her left hand and a submachine gun in her right. 

Leaning casually against the doorframe, she smirked and said in English, “Sorry to interrupt.” 

The crew jumped in shock. Some raised butcher knives, and others pointed guns. 

But before they could act, a man stepped out from behind Jiang Ning, wielding a flamethrower. 

If any of them dared to move, they’d be roasted on the spot. 

And that explosive in her hand? It looked real. If she decided to throw it, they would all be caught in the blast. 

The overwhelming firepower was obvious. Though tense, none of the crew dared to make the first move. 

Jiang Ning, however, didn’t play fair. She fired a shot, wounding the right hand of a crew member holding a battered gun. 

The man screamed in pain as the weapon clattered to the floor. 

Jiang Ning smiled faintly. “If your gun’s empty, why even bother showing it off? I’ll give you all one more chance—drop all your weapons, or don’t blame me for what happens next.” 

The captain, who understood English, masked his unease and forced a calm tone. “What do you want?” 

“Relax, I’m not here for your lives,” Jiang Ning said politely. “I just need you to change course and take us somewhere.” 

“Where to?” 

“You’ll find out soon enough. But for now, I need you all to do something for me.” 

She tossed a bundle of ropes onto the floor. “Tie each other up.” 

The fight against the pirates had drained them; many were injured. Seeing no better option, the captain decided to negotiate. “We can take you there, but we won’t allow ourselves to be tied up. And you must guarantee our safety.” 

Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow and aimed her gun at his head. “Are you trying to bargain with me?” 

The captain had no choice but to give in. He ordered the crew to tie each other back-to-back with the ropes, making tight knots. 

Huo Yishen stepped forward to inspect the knots and searched them one by one. 

Jiang Ning had guessed correctly—their broken guns had no ammunition. They were just for show. 

All knives, clubs, and other weapons were confiscated. 

But Jiang Ning wasn’t done yet. To everyone’s shock, she used ether to knock out the entire crew. 

The captain, still conscious and visibly angry, shouted, “We already did everything you asked! What more do you want?” 

Jiang Ning twirled her gun and smiled. “No rush. I just want to know—how did you end up like this?” 

With a gun aimed at his head, the captain had no choice but to explain. 

“This was originally an official Highland evacuation ship. At first, there were over 3,000 people aboard, fleeing across the ocean after the mainland sank. 

There had been more than 30 official vessels, and at the start, everyone worked together to survive the ocean storms. 

We, the crew, tried to resist the violence, but we were powerless. All we could do was watch as the survivors turned on each other. 

Because we had technical skills, we barely managed to stay alive. Otherwise, we would’ve been killed too.” 

He paused; his voice heavy. “Eventually, the survivors who remained turned into pirates, attacking other ships to steal supplies. If they encountered someone stronger, they’d flee. 

We even tried going ashore once, but the wasteland was uninhabitable, so we returned to the sea to drift endlessly.” 

Jiang Ning listened quietly. “Have you killed anyone?” 

The captain shook his head. “We haven’t, but we couldn’t stop others from killing and looting.” 

Jiang Ning’s smile remained unchanged. “You’re lying.” 

He repeatedly insisted that they hadn’t killed anyone, claiming that today’s events were simply a desperate attempt to fight back after years of oppression.

But in this apocalyptic world, whether someone’s hands were stained with blood was obvious at a glance. 

It was likely that the crew had been forced to kill long ago, especially when the survivors-turned-pirates started their rampage. Pirates wouldn’t fully trust anyone unless their hands were equally bloodied. Otherwise, the crew wouldn’t have had the chance to strike back so successfully. 

Jiang Ning couldn’t bring herself to feel sorry for their situation. This kind of bloodshed was far too common to evoke pity anymore. 

She knocked the captain out with ether. 

To guard against any trickery, all the crew members were thrown into a converted container and locked from the outside. 

The cargo ship was massive, so Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen carefully searched every floor, starting from the second level. 

The third and fourth floors were cargo holds, filled with all sorts of messy things. 

There were a few sprouting potatoes, moldy wheat, bloodstained or tattered second-hand clothes, and mismatched shoes and socks. 

There was also a large portion of the hold filled with wood… 

Indeed, there was wood of various lengths and shapes, likely salvaged from the sea to be used as firewood. 

What a useless group of pirates. They were so impoverished that Jiang Ning almost felt bad for taking over the ship. They seemed to scavenge anything they could find, no matter how worthless. 

The fourth level, the lowest deck, was used to store dangerous materials. Among the items, they found over 200 large barrels of fuel. 

Although it seemed like a lot, it wouldn’t be enough to keep the ship running for long. It was probably saved by the pirates scraping together what little they had. 

After thoroughly checking every spot and confirming there were no hidden dangers, the two of them returned to the bridge and released the crew. 

Once the unconscious crew members regained consciousness, Jiang Ning pressed her gun against the captain’s forehead and recited a set of coordinates. “Head to this location. Don’t try any tricks. As long as you take us there safely, we will spare your lives.” 

Still groggy from the ether, the crew members were plagued by splitting headaches and confusion. 

Jiang Ning wasn’t entirely heartless; she allowed them to rest for two hours. 

By the time the sun rose in the east, the cargo ship turned toward the designated coordinates. 

The weather was clear, and standing on the bridge, facing the morning sun, the sparkling waves stretched out as far as the eye could see. 

They didn’t restrict the crew too much. If someone needed to use the restroom or cook food, their requests were granted. 

The cargo ship sailed at a steady pace, and Jiang Ning appeared entirely unbothered, as though she wasn’t in a hurry at all. 

After two days of sailing, Huo Yishen raised a pair of high-powered binoculars. “We’re getting close.” 

Over the past two days, Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen took turns resting, ensuring that at least one of them was always on the bridge to supervise. 

Initially, the crew was extremely cautious and fearful of the two, but over time, seeing that they never stopped them, they slowly let their guard down.

The captain and the ship’s crew proved to be skilled navigators. When the ship encountered a moderate storm on the way, they were able to steer it through without difficulty. 

Although Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen appeared to be supervising, they were far from idle. They took the opportunity to have the captain teach them how to operate the ship. 

The captain hesitated. “This is a cargo ship. It requires a full crew to operate properly.” 

Jiang Ning was patient. “That’s fine. I’ll learn how to operate each station.” 

The captain silently wondered how these two had even managed to get on board without knowing how to steer a ship. 

Though he grumbled inwardly, he couldn’t help but suspect that these two had come from the ghost ship. 

The captain, who believed in God, secretly tested them with a crucifix, but it had no effect on the two. 

So the ghost ship was a fake, and they had encountered skilled pirates who used overwhelming methods to crush them. Not only did they silently eliminate the crew, but they also created psychological trauma before easily taking over. 

Still, the mystery of how they wiped out an entire crew silently and effortlessly gnawed at him. 

Two people could wipe out an entire ship, and if they were taken to the pirates’ lair, did they still have a chance of survival? 

Everyone was extremely nervous but had to pretend to remain calm. 

When they saw the two looking into the distance with binoculars, the crew exchanged glances. 

Huo Yishen’s sharp eyes spotted something. “Looks like there’s someone ahead.”