48 Hours a Day

Panda Novel

“What did he say?”

Orff poured a glass of rum for the old pirate sitting in front of the wooden table.

“He told me that he’s pretty satisfied with the current situation. He also said that he did not sense any danger,” said the old pirate as he stared at the tall figure standing in front of him.

“Does he know that you work for Frazer?”

“Before we set sail, Frazer did come and look for me. He told me about Zhang Heng, and he said that Zhang Heng would talk to me on the ship. Considering that we’ve left the harbor for some time now, he still hasn’t looked for me yet. So, I did what you asked me to do. I looked for him and talked to him instead. It seems like… he doesn’t care about a single thing in this world.”

“How about the others?”

“Billy and Klay are unhappy with how you treat Goodwin. Clifton and a few other pirates are disappointed that the captain went back on his word and killing all the captured prisoners. All of them do no work for Frazer.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t harm them in any way. I just want to have a better understanding of the ship’s current situation. You did a good job. Keep it up, and don’t ever allow Frazer to grow suspicious of you.”

Once the old pirate left, the person sitting in the shadows finally spoke.

“What makes you think that Frazer has another disciple?”

“I got to know him really well after working as a helmsman under his leadership for a long time. Undeniably, he is getting older and older, so he wouldn’t have the courage even if he wants his revenge. He also knows that I have been keeping my eye on him all these years. He’s running out of options. That’s why he was compelled to place his hopes on someone else.”

“Are you talking about the young man named Zhang Heng?”

“I can see the younger you in him. Even if things don’t go his way, he remains resolute and courageous. It seems like Frazer has put in a lot of effort into grooming him. Judging by Frazer’s personality, I’m pretty sure he will not make any pointless investments. I can tell you that he is the key person in Frazer’s plan. Right now, I still can’t figure out his role in it. At our current speed, I believe we should reach Charleston in around two weeks. There is not much time left for us…”

“Orff, you are the best helmsman in the entire Caribbean, but you have a terrible habit. You tend to overthink. Right now, this ship is under our control. You don’t need to figure out Frazer’s plan. If someone causes problems for you on this ship, write down their names. We will deal with them before we reach Charleston.”

…….

Zhang Heng was getting two pirates to fix the broken mainsail. It had been more than ten days since Kent talked to him in secret. Everything sailed smoothly so far. Orff and Frazer had not done anything out of the ordinary yet. The most recent incident of interest on the ship was a pirate trying to have sex with a goat. In the end, he was caught red-handed by the patrol team and was given a whipping as punishment. This incident had become the talk of the vessel of late.

Still, the one thing that everyone cared about was Kidd’s treasure. Soon, Charleston and Queen Anne’s Revenge drew closer, and so did the 5th and 6th piece of the treasure map. Tomorrow’s operation had most of the pirates in an excited frenzy. Considering that they had only robbed merchant ships before, this was their very first time leading an entire battleship to a trade port and looting the whole colony. The 90 cannons on the Queen Anne’s Revenge was their trump card in a raid like that.

That evening, Orff gathered everyone together and announced the plan for tomorrow.

“First, we will disguise as Scarborough to enter the trading port. After that, I will send someone to sneak into the town. Regarding this matter, I think Elmer, the one currently in prison, is more than happy to help us. After that, I will bring 30 men with me to head to the governor general’s house. That’s where the wedding will take place. Our target, Bellomonte, will be waiting for us over there. The rest of the 20 people will follow Owen to the prison in town. The others will stay on board and await further instructions.

“We will all attack together at eight tomorrow. First, we deal with the cannons mounted on the city wall. After that, we will aim at the city center. During that time, Owen will lead his people to the prison. He will then release all the prisoners to create chaos. This will distract the guards, and they will try to deal with it. Lastly, the captain will lead the attack on the governor general’s house. Once we capture Bellomonte, we will need to return to the ship immediately. All clear? Any questions?

“I have a question. Two nights ago, I saw Billy returning, and he looked extremely nervous. During that time, I was lying on my bed, so I believe he didn’t notice me. I saw him hiding something under the wooden floor,” reported one of the pirates.

Zhang Heng knew that the drama he had awaited was about to unfold in front of him. At first, they did not pay too much attention to it, thinking Billy simply stole some food and hid them under the wooden floor. Though thievery was strictly prohibited on the ship, many pirates would often raid the kitchen in search of a late-night slack. That was why they laughed it off when it came to him.

Soon, they noticed that Billy was up to no good. So, Owen brought a few pirates with him to unveil the stuff he was hiding. It was a piece of paper with some words written on it.

“Yes. That paper belongs to me. We suspect that the captain and helmsman are trying to use the treasure as an excuse to convince us to help them to achieve their agenda. So…”

Billy seemed to struggle at first, but in the end, he decided to tell them everything.

“Is that why you looked for Elmer when everyone was asleep? You wanted to let him go in exchange for immunity, right,” scoffed Orff.

“What? What the hell are you talking about? That paper contains the questions that we want to ask you face to face!”

“This means either one of us is lying here.”

Orff then passed the paper to Owen.

“Tell me, am I reading those words wrong?”

“…I, Elmer Anderson, am the captain of the Scarborough. We came across a group of savage pirates on the sea, and they took over our battleship. Luckily, I was helped by someone on the ship. I’m willing to use my family’s influence to provide immunity…”

Everyone was left in shock after hearing what was on the paper. Treason was something that no pirate would forgive. Billy was shaking in fear. At that moment, he realized that he’d been led into a snare. The worst part was that he admitted that the paper belonged to him. Though he tried his best to defend himself, it was too late. After that, Owen placed the paper beside him to let everyone take a look. Most had no idea how to read, and of course, they would rather believe Owen than Billy.

Suddenly, Zhang Heng heard someone mentioning his name. He had to keep calm in moments like this. He had done everything he could in such a situation. It was time for him to put on a good show. If everything went smoothly, this would turn out to be his most fruitful journey ever.