Chapter 7

And then I heard the sound of someone rushing to open the door.

Creak!

The door was forced open, and behind it, I saw the triumphant figure of Ilhangsa.

There was still thirty minutes left before I received a call from the headquarters.

Of course, I had also made my own preparations.

It was time to start the war. I steeled my resolve for the final battle.

* * *

“W-What is that! What the hell is that kid!”

Ilhangsa, who saw me standing behind the door, shouted loudly.

His voice sounded almost like a scream.

I revealed myself behind the door with a grand presence.

They must have thought I would give up by now. They probably thought they had already popped the champagne of victory.

But I was a man who didn't know the meaning of giving up.

I had come back from the past to seize this opportunity; the word "give up" was not in my dictionary.

Ta-da!

On my head was a helmet, and on my chest was a bulletproof vest.

I was now fully armed with a helmet and a bulletproof vest.

I had also set up barbed wire inside the room to prevent people from entering.

I had prepared a nearly perfect defensive position.

“W-Where did that kid get those things!”

Ilhangsa screamed as he looked at me. His voice was so strained it sounded like his vocal cords were about to tear.

The biggest topic in the shipping company recently was the rise of piracy.

Container ships, which carry containers, are faster and taller than bulk carriers or oil tankers, making them less likely to be hijacked by pirates.

However, due to the recent surge in piracy, Haesin Shipping had started equipping ships with anti-piracy defense equipment as a precaution.

Captain Lee Hee-yeong was a meticulous person.

While other crew members' equipment was stored together on the deck, Captain Lee Hee-yeong was different. He was the type of person who did things himself.

I had expected that Captain Lee Hee-yeong would keep his personal equipment in his room, and my guess was right.

What I was wearing was the anti-piracy defense equipment that Captain Lee Hee-yeong kept in his room.

As I looked at the stunned people, I began to speak confidently.

The gazes of those looking at me were shaking, perhaps out of fear.

I felt like I was Guan Yu, the general who single-handedly held off Cao Cao's 100,000 troops at the Battle of Changban Bridge.

However, the eyes of those looking at me were shaking for a different reason.

'This guy is crazy. He's completely crazy.'

In their eyes, I was a madman who had suddenly stopped a large container ship, locked the door, and was causing a commotion while wearing anti-piracy defense equipment.

A completely madman. They were looking at me like that.

How do I know?

By the expressions on the faces of those looking at me. Anyone could tell.

'Just a little more, and it will be over.'

Now, if I could just buy a little more time, the matter would be resolved.

It was time for my final show of strength.

“Hyung Ho-yeong!”

I suddenly called out Ilhangsa's name.

“W-What? Yeah! What is it!”

Ilhangsa raised his hand as he looked at me.

“Hyung, we were in the same Taekwondo club in college, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Can you tell Ilhangsa that I’m a 4th dan in Taekwondo and that I also do mixed martial arts as a hobby?”

“Huh?”

“I have a junior who used to box and was always showing off. Can you tell Ilhangsa how I taught him a lesson during sparring?”

You can just say it.

Ilhangsa looked at Ilhangsa with a dubious expression.

“It’s true, Ilhangsa. He’s a 4th dan in Taekwondo and also trained in mixed martial arts.”

“What!”

Ilhangsa shouted at Ilhangsa.

“That’s true? He’s a 4th dan in Taekwondo and trained in mixed martial arts?”

“So what? What do you want me to do about it!”

Ilhangsa glared at Ilhangsa.

He must have decided that I was a madman who couldn’t be reasoned with.

So, he decided to vent his frustration on Ilhangsa.

Seeing this, Ilhangsa also exploded. Even though he had been calm, the anger he had been holding in finally burst out.

Ilhangsa suddenly shouted.

“Ilhangsa!”

“Why are you calling me, you brat!”

“Did I mention that I was the president of the Taekwondo club in college, a 3rd dan in Taekwondo, and a 2nd dan in Judo?”

“You damn brats are really something.”

Ilhangsa’s face was red with anger, and his hands were trembling.

After glaring at Ilhangsa for a while, he turned his head away, as if giving up.

He realized that associating with madmen would only bring him harm.

He started looking for a more reasonable person.

“Chief Officer, go get a fire extinguisher and a fire hose.”

“A fire hose?”

“Yes, we need a water cannon.”

“A water cannon for what?”

“There’s a mutiny on the ship. We need to use a water cannon, or what are we going to do!”

‘A water cannon?’

I should be fine with the helmet and vest, right?

Even with my 60 years of experience, I had never been hit by a water cannon in my previous life.

Captain Lee Hee-yeong

– Captain’s Cabin, M.V. Venus

A water cannon?

Ha! At this point, it’s hard to tell who’s going overboard, me or that Ilhangsa.

Now that things have come to this, I need to show some action.

“Hyo!”

“...”

“...”

“Kyaah!”

I suddenly kicked the air and then demonstrated a downward strike with the edge of my hand.

I was showing off my kicking skills to warm up my body in case of a physical confrontation before the deck officers arrived with the fire hose.

“...”

“...”

While others remained silent, my loyal ally and right-hand man, Joseph, recognized my Taekwondo skills.

“Third Officer, awesome! Sir.”

Turning my head, I saw Joseph smiling and giving me a thumbs up.

I nodded at Joseph, but I was starting to worry if he was taking sides with me for the wrong reasons.

Was Ilhangsa afraid of my Taekwondo skills? He didn’t seem to want to engage in a physical confrontation with me and just stood there glaring at me.

Soon, the Chief Officer and deck officers rushed into the captain’s cabin.

It seemed they planned to use the water cannon to incapacitate me before rushing in.

They were holding fire extinguishers and fire hoses.

Ilhangsa shouted at them.

“Fire! Fire it!”

The Chief Officer, holding a fire extinguisher and looking at me, had a very stiff expression.

No one moved despite Ilhangsa’s orders.

Seizing the moment, I looked at the Chief Officer with a trembling voice.

“Really?”

The Chief Officer looked into my eyes.

“Really, are you going to spray me with a fire extinguisher and a water cannon?”

“...”

“Hey, Uncle! Are you really going to spray me?”

“...”

The Chief Officer’s eyes shook when I called him Uncle.

My father had worked as a Chief Officer at Haesin Shipping for a long time, and he and the Chief Officer of this ship had worked together for many years.

I used to call him Uncle when I was a child.

“... Captain, I don’t think this is right.”

My heartfelt appeal seemed to have worked. The Chief Officer put down the fire extinguisher and shook his head at the captain.

“What are you doing! Damn it! Give it to me! I’ll do it.”

Ilhangsa lunged at the Chief Officer to grab the fire extinguisher.

“First Officer! That’s enough.”

Captain Lee Hee-yeong stopped the charging Ilhangsa.

“Yes?”

“That’s enough. A lot of time has passed, so let’s just wait a little longer.”

“Captain, are you really going to believe that madman?”

“I don’t believe him, but the Third Officer has only been on this ship for three months. He’s not the type to act like this without a reason.”

“Damn! That madman!”

Ilhangsa sighed deeply and sat on the floor, throwing his gloves to the ground.

Captain Lee Hee-yeong looked at me and said.

“Third Officer, you said you needed some time, right?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“So, there’s less than 30 minutes left.”

The captain looked around and said.

“Let’s anchor the ship for an hour. Everyone, go back to your positions and do the necessary maintenance.”

“Yes!”

As the people responded, the captain patted the slumped Ilhangsa on the shoulder.

“First Officer, go to the bridge and rest. Make the necessary preparations. I’ll finish talking with the Third Officer and come up when the time is right.”

“... I understand.”

Ilhangsa got up, glared at me for a moment, and then walked away weakly.

Following Ilhangsa, the other crew members, except for the captain, started to move.

“Joseph! You also go back to the bridge quickly.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Joseph, who had been watching from behind me, left the room and ran to the bridge at the captain’s command.

Although Joseph would likely face severe retribution from Ilhangsa, I wasn’t too worried because things would turn out well soon.

“Third Officer, since we have some time, let’s talk.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The captain entered the room.

“Take off that helmet and bulletproof vest! Aren’t you hot?”

I took off the helmet and bulletproof vest as the captain said.

“It’s hot. Hehehe.”

I laughed awkwardly at the captain. At this point, I felt a bit embarrassed about the commotion I had caused.

“How did you find that barbed wire?”

The captain smiled at me. To be honest, that was a bit unexpected. Even though he was meticulous, I didn’t think he would have barbed wire in his room.

“Sit down and rest a bit.”

“Yes.”

“Third Officer, would you like a cup of coffee?”

“I’ll make it.”

“No need. You didn’t listen to me until now, so what kind of social skills are you showing now?”

“...”

“You look like you’ve expended a lot of energy. Sit down. Take this opportunity to have a cup of coffee that the captain will make.”

My face turned red at the captain’s words.

“So, it’s been about three months. How is your life on the ship?”

“Yes, it’s very good.”

“Good... I was very confused at first, wondering if you were crazy. Occasionally, we have such people.”

“Not anymore?”

“I still can’t make a clear judgment.”

“...”

The captain took a sip of coffee and looked at me.

“Now that I look at you, the atmosphere has changed a lot. Your eyes seem deeper.”

“Is that so? I don’t really notice. Hehehe.”

“Yes, and your laughter doesn’t sound like a young man’s. It feels like I’m talking to someone my age.”