Chapter 147: Returning Home

Pirates—robbers of the sea. Endless legends have imbued this profession with a deep sense of mystery. Most people go their entire lives without ever crossing paths with a pirate, which only fuels their intense curiosity about the trade.

Qin Yang, however, felt quite differently.

"These damn scoundrels," he muttered. "They are absolutely full of it." Sitting at the stern of a heavily armed pirate vessel—a converted transport ship—Qin Yang felt the cool, refreshing sea breeze. Behind him emerged a Chinese man in his forties, his face covered in a thick beard. His muscles were so massively developed that they put most bodybuilders to shame, straining against his clothes as if they were about to burst at the seams.

"Listen here, you brat," the man said with a mocking grin. "We’ll reach the Chinese coastline in two hours. You’d better take your yacht and get lost by then."

Qin Yang rolled his eyes. "If we weren't in the middle of the vast ocean, I would’ve left long ago. Tell me, Third Uncle, have your men never received a proper education? They talk absolute nonsense! Every one of them acts like they’ve never seen the world before; they start shouting to charge every time they spot a boat, and they even talk about kidnapping women. Have they no sense of morality?"

"Get lost," Third Uncle retorted with a curse. "If we’re talking about a lack of morality, none of my men can hold a candle to you. Don't you dare preach to me about 'higher education.' Don't think that just because I spend my life at sea, I don't know what you've been up to. You’re a real troublemaker, kid. If I hadn't happened to be doing business off the Nili coastline, you’d be dead by now."

This man was Zhao San. Qin Yang didn't even know his real name, but according to their family hierarchy, he addressed him as Third Uncle. He was a sworn brother of Qin Lie and had spent years roaming the Atlantic, occasionally turning to piracy and moonlighting in arms smuggling. The crew he had gathered was notoriously fierce, making him a true king of the Atlantic pirates with over thirty ships under his command. Qin Yang didn't know much about him, having only heard stories; had Zhao San not called his name first, Qin Yang might never have realized the man was his father's brother. It had been many years, and in his youth, Qin Yang had mostly hung around the sons of his other uncles, rarely paying much attention to the adults.

"Pah! I could have wiped out that bunch of scum with one hand," Qin Yang said dismissively. "Didn't I kill Azalias? Didn't I run their army of seven thousand troops in circles?"

"Enough, enough," Third Uncle said, waving a hand. "What are your plans now that you're back? Why don't you just stay and join me? Don't waste such incredible talent."

"Forget it. My grand plan for making a fortune has only just begun," Qin Yang replied, rolling his eyes. "My startup capital is already secured."

At the mention of startup capital, Zhao San felt a wave of helplessness.

Not long after coming aboard, this damn kid had blown open a safe. Seeing the glittering jewelry inside had nearly made Zhao San die of envy. Even more speechless was the sight of another large chest filled to the brim with precious stones—sapphires, rubies, emeralds, all of them top-tier. It had made Zhao San so jealous that his own men had nearly considered giving up the noble profession of piracy to go raid the mainland. Back then, it had infuriated Zhao San enough to dump Qin Yang on a boat to send him home, telling his crew to get back to work and stop wasting time.

Still, it was understandable. The little brat had spent half a month in Nili and raided a royal palace; it would take Zhao San a long time of careful planning to acquire a haul of that value.

"What are you going to do back home? Take over your father's business?" Zhao San asked.

Qin Yang shook his head and shifted his posture. "No, I’m going solo. The old man isn't so old that he can't walk, so why should I take over his business? It’s a hassle. It’s more fun to start my own. Up to this point, my record in China is clean as a whistle; it would be a shame not to be a legitimate businessman. Once I’m back, I plan to recruit some business talent and go all out. Besides, these gems are enough to keep me living large for a while."

"Heh, take my son with you," Zhao San said with a smile.

"Hey, didn't you always say you wanted him to follow in your footsteps?" Qin Yang asked, puzzled.

Zhao San sighed, lit a cigarette, tossed one to Qin Yang, and said, "That’s easier said than done. That was just talk. Being a pirate, having to watch your back every day, living in constant fear—I’ve had enough of it. Zhao Xiaoqi has a few doctorates from the States. Since I’ve finally managed to keep his record clean, it would be a shame, as you said, not to make him a proper businessman. Let him work for you when he gets back. Damn it, after the stunt you pulled in Nili, I trust you."

Qin Yang chuckled.

Before long, they neared the coastline. Zhao San didn't go any further, instead arranging a yacht for Qin Yang. Before leaving, Qin Yang gifted the golden dagger he’d looted from Walker to Third Uncle, left behind a generous portion of the gems, and instructed him to have Zhao Xiaoqi look for him in China soon, as his company would be opening shortly.

Stepping onto the yacht and waving goodbye to the crew, he sped toward the Chinese coast.

However, soon after, a warship blocked his path. A group of soldiers boarded and shouted, "This is Chinese territorial water. Please submit to an inspection."

Too lazy to argue, Qin Yang tossed his ID and military credentials over. Moments later, an officer with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel hurried out, met Qin Yang on the deck, and saluted. "Major Qin, I’ve heard much about you."

"Not at all," Qin Yang said with a smile. "My return was delayed, so I hitched a ride. Could you help me contact the Ministry of State Security?"

"Of course, please follow me." The Lieutenant Colonel nodded and led Qin Yang to the communications room.

The connection was established quickly. Soon, Major General Zhao appeared on the screen. Seeing Qin Yang, he let out a long sigh of relief. "Qin Yang, what have you been doing? Do you have any idea how frantic we’ve been over the past half-month?"

"Oh, spare me," Qin Yang said, curling his lip. "The armed rebels in Nili looked at me like I’d killed their fathers—their eyes were bloodshot. I barely managed to shake them off when I ran into the Black Death outbreak, which delayed me a bit. I don't believe for a second you were 'frantic.'"

Major General Zhao felt a sense of helplessness. Qin Yang was the only person in the military who dared to ignore rank.

"Anyway, I'm heading straight to Haitian City. I won't be reporting to Beijing; it’s too much trouble," Qin Yang said, stretching. "As for the mission report, Xie Chengyang should have already given it to you, so I won't bother. Also, where are my brothers now?"

"Don't worry, the old General keeps his word," Major General Zhao smiled. "If you go back to Haitian City, you’ll still be able to see some of them. Well, I have to file my report. But I should warn you—your rank is being revoked. You should head to the Haitian Military District."

"Do as you please." Qin Yang waved a hand and hung up.

The Lieutenant Colonel stepped forward, looking at him with admiration. "Major Qin, you are a true hero. Holding off thousands in Nili single-handedly to buy time for the hostages to retreat—I salute you."

"Not at all," Qin Yang said with a grin, though he thought to himself that if this guy knew the Black Death outbreak was of his own doing, he might not be so complimentary.

"Major Qin, would you like us to take you back?" the Lieutenant Colonel asked.

Qin Yang shook his head, stepped out of the communications room, and jumped back onto his own boat. "No need. If you drop me off, people will think I'm some wealthy playboy out for a joyride. If you escort me, someone might mistake me for a traitor. You carry on with your duties; the coast is a busy place, and I won't trouble you any further."

After Qin Yang left, a Captain stepped forward and asked curiously, "Chief, what’s the background on this Qin Yang?"

"You idiot, call him Major Qin," the Lieutenant Colonel snapped.

"Yes, sir!" the Captain barked, then whispered, "What kind of big shot is he?"

"He was the commander of the rescue team personally approved by the Chairman, the Premier, and General Jiang to go to Nili. Rumor has it he’s the soul of the God of War squad. Not long ago, he was the one who led those seven thousand Nili troops on a wild goose chase. He even rescued our three hostages right under the noses of tens of thousands of soldiers. Do you have that kind of courage?" the Lieutenant Colonel scolded.

The Captain stood frozen.

"Even though he’s been stripped of his rank, the military is a place that honors the strong. We must never forget his contributions," the Lieutenant Colonel said, his tone softening. "So, calling him Major Qin is certainly no indignity to you."