The people in the bus were already in a panic, and Ji Feng, as the leader, had to keep calm.
Facing the armed men's guns, he first calmly stepped forward and expressed his willingness to cooperate, and then relied on his language advantage to persuade the other party to put down the gun.
After a few minutes of communication, Ji Feng finally understood the other party's requirements.
Fortunately, they did not intend to completely "detain" their group of people, but asked them to stay on the spot and wait for review.
After figuring out his intentions, Ji Feng felt a little relieved.
This at least shows that our side will not be in too much danger in a short period of time.
He expressed his gratitude to the other party against his will, then returned to the car and informed the driver to drive to the parking spot designated by the other party.
Looking at everyone in the car, he picked up the walkie-talkie and said:
"Everyone, listen up, we are going to stay here to rest for an uncertain time."
"Don't worry, they're just going to check our passports."
"If everything goes well, we may be able to pass in a few hours."
"So, everyone please stay calm. Unless there are special circumstances, it is absolutely forbidden to get out of the car."
"If you want to get off the bus, report to me first and I will communicate with the other party."
"Be careful, everyone must not do anything drastic or provoke each other. This will only bring trouble to you and all of us."
"have you understood?"
Reply messages from other vehicles came through the intercom. Ji Feng breathed a sigh of relief and then informed everyone to prepare their passports and wait for inspection.
However, what surprised him was that the armed men who had clearly promised to check immediately did not get in the car.
It wasn't until he almost lost patience with waiting that the armed man who had communicated with him before finally waved him over.
After several conversations, the other party's fox tail finally came out.
Want money.
And, it still costs a lot of money.
Twenty thousand dollars per person, no room for negotiation.
The anger in Ji Feng's heart suddenly burned up. He suppressed the anger in his heart and said in the friendliest tone possible:
"We really don't have that much money. As you can see, these people are ordinary workers, not corporate executives."
"Maybe we need to discuss it carefully. Twenty thousand dollars is too much and we can't come up with it."
"What's more, no one would carry that much cash with them."
According to Ji Feng, exaggeration is a common problem among these little black people.
They will always first offer a price that is unacceptable to you, and then lower the offer through negotiations again and again.
The final transaction price may even be one-tenth or even a few tenths of the original price.
In other words, if it comes down to $20,000, you may be able to get it done for a few hundred or even dozens of dollars.
"No negotiation, no negotiation."
The armed man's tone was cold, and the muzzle of his gun was raised subconsciously.
Ji Feng quickly took two steps back and said repeatedly:
"I'll go talk to them first and then give us some time."
"hurry up!"
The other party still answered stiffly, with an extremely cold expression.
Something's wrong
Ji Feng returned to the car and explained the situation to everyone.
As he expected, the entire group immediately split.
Someone in the team actually brought more than 20,000 US dollars in cash, and they immediately planned to pay the money to pass the customs.
However, Ji Feng simply rejected the proposal after thinking briefly.
The reason is simple, there is no transportation.
There are less than 10 people who can afford the "ransom", and it is impossible for me to allocate a separate bus for them to use.
There is still more than a hundred kilometers from here to Port Sudan, and it is impossible for them to walk there.
There was a buzz of discussion in the bus, and someone said:
"Their price is too unreasonable. Even if we have money, how can we bring so much cash?"
"Can I use valuables to offset it? If possible, it would be better to discuss it with them."
"Yes, people have to get there first. It's too dangerous here and lives matter!"
"Who doesn't know that life is important? The problem is that there is no way to pay them now - just ask them if they have a POS machine to transfer money."
"Brother, how many years have you been living in Sudan? Don't you understand this? We are still under financial sanctions here, so international credit cards cannot be used at all."
"That's weird. How do they expect us to pay?"
Listening to everyone's discussion, Ji Feng's originally worried heart suddenly calmed down.
Yes, this request is extremely unreasonable.
It can be seen that their true intention has not been revealed yet.
So, he quickly said:
"Everyone, don't worry yet."
"The other party's purpose is nothing more than to ask for money, but you can also see that the way they ask for money is unreasonable."
"So, they probably haven't discussed it yet - let's keep communicating first, and then wait patiently."
"At the same time, I will contact the embassy to seek their help."
"Don't worry, as long as they want money, we won't be in much danger."
After hearing his words, everyone finally became quiet.
Yes, as long as you want money, it basically won't kill you.
As long as you don't die, everything is fine.
At this moment, many people on the bus suddenly had a thought in their minds:
If I had known that I would have to pay back the money I earned, I would not have come in the first place.
After calming everyone's emotions, Ji Feng immediately contacted the embassy using a satellite phone. After learning about the situation here, Lin Tao told Ji Feng on the phone that he would immediately organize communication and plan to solve the problem through high-level relationships with the Revolutionary Front.
At the same time, Port Sudan will also take simultaneous actions to try to enter the interior and take the initiative to pick up people.
Ji Feng put down the phone and was convinced that with official action, his own safety should be no problem.
At most, it will delay for some time.
We still have supplies in the car, so we should be able to last for a few days.
With this in mind, everyone rested in the car until the evening. Some people got off the car to rest. It was convenient and no difficulties or threats were encountered, which made the atmosphere in the car relaxed a lot.
——
However, this relief only lasted a few hours.
That night, a series of gunshots broke Xinkat's tranquility.
Ji Feng woke up in horror, and when he looked out the car window that day, a terrifying scene appeared in front of him.
Several men who looked Arab at first glance were taken to the side of the road, and the black men stood directly behind them and shot them.
Blood flew everywhere, and the large-caliber full-power bullets shattered their skulls. From a distance, those people's heads looked like apples that had been bitten several times, incomplete.
Ji Feng's hands trembled. He picked up the satellite phone. After connecting it, he immediately said:
"We need support!"
"The problem needs to be solved as soon as possible, they are killing people!"
A few minutes later, 052C received information about Karat.
Hu Shuming frowned and asked in a somewhat disbelieving tone:
"Are these people crazy? This kind of stall is asking us for money?"
"They actually dare to kill people. Are they not afraid of causing international disputes?"
Niu Xiaopeng, the diplomat accompanying him opposite, shook his head and replied:
"It doesn't matter whether they are crazy or not. These people are just here to make money."
"Even within the Revolutionary Front, there are actually many factions."
"Obviously, the people in Sinkat are not the same group as the people in Khartoum. They are not very controlled by Hamidi."
"That's why they act so unscrupulously."
"Anyway, for them it's just a matter of making a profit and running away. They're not afraid of offending anyone."
"However, judging from the current news, all the people they killed were Egyptians, which shows that they still have scruples and do not dare to attack people from other countries."
"For a short period of time, our compatriots are relatively safe."
"However, we still have to solve the problem as soon as possible. If we delay it for too long, I'm afraid an accident will happen."
"Yeah, I'm worried about that too."
Hu Shuming nodded slowly, and then asked again:
"Have we contacted the emergency vehicle here? Can we go to Xinkat?"
"can not go."
Niu Xiaopeng shook his head and replied:
"Port Sudan is now under full control. You can't enter or leave. There are no vehicles at all through private channels. If we want to respond, we can only entrust the Revolutionary Front organization."
"But the problem is that the revolutionary front in Port Sudan is on the same side as Karat. They don't pay attention to our requests at all. Their core demand is only money."
“Without money, it’s almost impossible for them to do things.”
Hu Shuming gently clenched his fist and said:
"I can't give it. Not to mention that they want too much and most people can't afford it. Just compromising with them is a big problem."
"Once this is started, it will be even more difficult to deal with later. Their asking price will only get higher and higher. Paying money to redeem people will not work."
After hearing his words, Niu Xiaopeng couldn't help but frown.
"This is the truth, but our first goal is to ensure the safety of our people."
"Should we consider getting over the current problem first and focus on communication in the next few batches?"
Hu Shuming pondered for a moment, and then replied:
".As a last resort, think of other ways first."
"But before that, we have to try to show them our determination."
"We were too soft on them before. Now, it's time for them to wake up."
Hu Shuming has made a decision and the plan will be implemented immediately.
Just half an hour later, the Rainbow-9 drone that was already flying around the periphery started the electronic interference program. In an instant, all communication equipment of the Revolutionary Front garrison in Port Sudan lost contact.
Rumors spread in the military camp. No one knew what happened, but everyone knew that things were getting serious.
After a period of almost hysterical chaos, the leader stationed here finally realized the key to the problem:
They must have been disturbed.
The one who took action could not be Lao Mei. After all, they themselves were the masterminds behind the scenes.
There is only one answer.
Their ship is parked in the port, and with their abilities, there is no difficulty at all in performing interference.
Sure enough, after 20 minutes of communication interruption, the leader of the Revolutionary Front in Port Sudan was summoned. Immediately afterwards, representatives from both sides met in a conference room in the port.
The representative of the Revolutionary Front in charge of negotiations was named Abad. Unlike others, he did not show any nervousness about this summons.
Even in front of Hu Shuming, he still had a condescending expression, as if the electronic interference that had just occurred had nothing to do with him.
——
This is quite normal.
According to his idea, the more than 300 people trapped in Xinkat were his bargaining chips, and now that Hu Shuming was looking for him, he must be asking him to let them go.
No matter what cards the opponent plays, as long as you hold your own cards tightly, you will definitely win in the end.
But soon, he realized something was wrong.
Hu Shuming did not talk to him about evacuation at all, nor did he mention electronic interference. Instead, as soon as he opened his mouth, he asked a question that was completely unexpected to him.
"Mr. Abad, do you know how long it takes on average to destroy a warship with a complete air defense system?"
Abad was stunned for a moment and replied subconsciously:
".I don't know the answer to that question - does this have anything to do with what we're going to discuss?"
Hu Shuming smiled and did not answer, but continued to ask:
"Then do you know how long it will take to destroy an armed force of 500 people?"
".what do you want to say in the end?"
Abad began to become nervous. He sat up straight in his chair and stared at Hu Shuming. Before he could answer, he continued:
"You are threatening me, sir, and this is never a wise decision."
"Your technology is very strong and our communications are completely disrupted."
"But what does that change?"
"Your compatriots are still trapped in Sinkat. Without our help, they will never reach Port Sudan smoothly."
"I guess you don't want them to be in danger, right?"
"For both of us, the best way to solve the problem is not confrontation, but cooperation."
"certainly."
Hu Shuming interrupted him and then said:
"What I'm talking about now is cooperation."
"And I have a good plan."
"You send a team to escort our people to Port Sudan."
"In return, we'll make you an offer you can't refuse. How about this offer?"
Hearing this, Abad relaxed slightly.
Sure enough, in the end, conditions still have to be negotiated.
As long as the conditions are negotiated, the initiative is in your own hands.
He resumed his relaxed sitting posture and asked:
"So, what are the conditions?"
In his opinion, his strategy has actually been successful, and the next process is nothing more than constant bargaining.
But no matter what, in his heart, those people have a reserve price.
Not less than five thousand dollars per person.
More than 300 people, and according to intelligence, more than a thousand more people will come later, and this income has reached 5 million US dollars.
And at least 10% of this money will go into your own pocket.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little excited, and a smile appeared on his face.
However, in the next second, his smile froze on his face.
Because he heard Hu Shuming's answer.
"The condition is that the shells fired by our naval guns will not fall on your heads."
"What's the meaning?"
Aba was shocked.
Hu Shuming did not answer, but continued talking to himself.
"You don't think this electronic interference is targeting you, do you?"
"You think too highly of yourself."
"Our interference is aimed at the financial backers behind you."
"As you know, your communication has been interrupted."
"And what I can tell you is that we are fully capable of making you disappear from this land quietly before your sponsor discovers anything unusual."
Abad looked at Hu Shuming dumbfounded and said subconsciously:
"You can't do this, it's not in line with your principles, you."
"We don't need to tell you principles, Mr. Abad."
"Have you forgotten? Even before Khartoum is defeated, you are still an illegal organization."
A cryptic smile appeared on Hu Shuming's face, and then he continued:
"What's more, it's impossible for your sponsor to catch us with any evidence."
"Because it only takes us 5 minutes to completely destroy your armed force of less than 500 people."
(End of chapter)
