Chapter 143: Unknown Creature

Chen Cao quickly dialed a phone sequence, pressed a few more digits, and a rapid mumbling sound immediately came from the other end. After listening for a short while, Chen Cao hung up and dialed another number. Connection was established soon after. Flower Buddha was holding the small metal box containing the gemstones, looking at the colorful gems inside with a surge of excitement, occasionally making clucking sounds in his mouth. The more than one hundred gemstones of varying quality inside could bring him tens of millions of US dollars in revenue. Although he still had to take certain risks to smuggle them out, high profits implied high risks, a principle he fully understood.

Holding his cell phone, Chen Cao heard a puzzled voice from the other end: "This is Domado Central Hospital, may I ask who you are!"

The image of that proactive and responsible female doctor instantly emerged in Chen Cao's mind—she was the one who had left him her phone number when he first arrived in the jungle. He steadied himself, changed his tone, and said, "Hello, Doctor, this is Mr. Chen!"

"Mr. Chen, it's you..." An exclamation of surprise came from the other end, which immediately turned into a tone of reproach. "Goodness, where have you been? Is this how an older brother behaves? I thought you had simply abandoned her and was preparing to transfer Mei Mei to the welfare hospital!" Pausing briefly, she continued in a different tone, "However, you've called just in time. Regarding the medical expenses..."

The female doctor chattered on for a long time over the phone. Chen Cao listened, knowing that with such a genuine angel in white, he had to let her finish her piece. However, glancing at Flower Buddha’s murderous glare, he changed his mind and said into the phone, "Doctor, I have wired a sum of money directly into the hospital's account. Wonder if you can check it right now?"

The female doctor was momentarily stunned, but still replied, "No problem, I'll check it right away!"

Holding the phone, Chen Cao urged, "Be quick!"

The female doctor on the other end responded, "Alright, no problem!"

Chen Cao held the phone and listened quietly. Before long, the voice on the other end rang out with astonishment once again: "My goodness, how did you suddenly get so much money? Still, this settles everything for now. By the way, when are you coming back?"

Chen Cao softened his tone slightly as he held the phone: "I will be back in Domado before long. Please give my regards to Dr. Li and take good care of my sister. I have urgent matters to attend to, goodbye!" With that, he hung up the phone and handed it over to Flower Buddha.

Flower Buddha put the gemstones away, took the phone, pressed the power-off button, and then carefully wrapped it in a plastic bag again. He smiled at Chen Cao and asked, "Chen, is everything settled? Is it time to execute our plan now?"

Chen Cao nodded. When he turned around, he caught Stanley looking at him with eyes full of shock and disappointment, yet not daring to utter a single word. Compared to Chen Cao, Stanley was simply too insignificant.

Chen Cao walked over to the cabin door, patted Stanley on the shoulder, and said, "Don't worry. Once this matter is over, I will give you ten more gemstones, plus three hundred thousand as your reward for this trip." As he spoke, he miraculously produced five gemstones from his hand.

Gazing at the gleaming gemstones in Chen Cao's hand, Stanley’s disappointment instantly turned into hope. "Boss, I trust you!" he said.

After tossing the gemstones to Stanley, Chen Cao walked up to Lu Tianming and said, "Let's go, 'Engineer Lu', let's start our plan now!"

Leaving Stanley behind to take care of the vulnerable, Flower Buddha, Lu Tianming, and Chen Cao descended into the ship's hold once again. Everything here remained completely unchanged, except that now, equipped with an authoritative status, Lu Tianming appeared considerably more composed. He quickly located various tools from the warship. Compared to Flower Buddha's fumbling at the beginning, Lu Tianming looked much more professional. Without pausing, he immediately began inspecting the cabin using simple tools like wrenches.

Compared to the warship, rank amateurs like Flower Buddha and Chen Cao could only follow behind Lu Tianming out of sheer boredom, watching him work up a sweat.

Watching Lu Tianming—who was scrawny, always wore a decadent expression, yet became full of vigor and worked enthusiastically the moment he started inspecting the ship—Flower Buddha felt a sensation akin to finding a long-lost lover. He snapped his fingers at Chen Cao and said, "Chen, I never knew this guy had such skills. I suppose this fellow couldn't afford those five thousand US dollars anyway, but for the sake of this, let's waive his reward!"

Chen Cao replied, "I think you already knew I was bluffing when I said he was a billionaire, and that he couldn't afford it either. But right now, we are all in the same boat. You can't abandon him; otherwise, even if I go down there and manage to swing the iron chains, we won't be able to get this ship floating."

Flower Buddha asked, "What does 'same boat' mean?"
Chen Cao smiled faintly, "It's an idiom... meaning we share the same fate, though I can't quite explain the details right now!"

Flower Buddha frowned and said, "NO, I hate idioms!"

Chen Cao smiled and said, "Alright, enough about idioms. Let's get down to business!"

"What business?"
As soon as Flower Buddha asked, he suddenly realized what business Chen Cao was referring to! It was figuring out a way to lure that hypnotic creature up and capture it.

"Lu Tianming, how is the ship inspection coming along?" Chen Cao called out.

Hearing this, Lu Tianming immediately turned around, walked up to Chen Cao, and said, "I've just checked all the equipment at the bottom of the hold. There shouldn't be any problems. The fact that it floats sturdily on the water surface means buoyancy is fine. Although there is no fuel to drive the ship forward, fortunately it's the rainy season now, and the river is swelling. As long as we can haul the chains and anchor up from the riverbed, I believe we can sail out of this jungle!"

Hearing this, both Chen Cao and Flower Buddha felt a surge of joy, but Chen Cao's expression quickly dropped. "That's great, but now we have something even more important to do. Since you've heard of Colby's plan, you should have some understanding of the structure of the creature-luring mechanical device. As a ship engineer, understanding mechanical construction shouldn't be a problem for you. I want you to figure out how Colby lured that unknown creature up."

After Chen Cao finished speaking, Flower Buddha lazily chimed in, "You know the water down there is full of piranhas. Without anyone diving down to fish it out, everything is zero."

Listening to the two young men who held the power over his life and death, Lu Tianming nodded heavily.

Night descended swiftly, and the drizzle continued to fall ceaselessly. However, the presence of a warm campfire and a room that temporarily shielded them from the wind and rain brought a little peace of mind. Although their stomachs were rumbling, this was a thousand times better than being pursued by natives or suffering torment in the dark caves and breeding grounds. Ultimately, a person's fate is most secure when grasped in one's own hands.

By now, the campfire had been burned down to its smallest possible size. Flower Buddha and Chen Cao squatted quietly beside the flames. Chen Cao already had that black diamond tucked inside his clothes. He couldn't be certain whether Lu Tianming's method of modifying the machinery would work, but life is precious, and it is always better to play it safe.

Right at this moment, within the quiet surroundings, a faint sound echoed through the massive warship.