The onlooking passengers, unwilling to give up, kept pushing forward. Uncle Grant and Henry Clark began to persuade them: “Everyone, go back quickly. Don’t worry, with Frank in charge, let’s just wait to see that child-snatcher get fed to the fish.”

Seeing everyone return to the fish hold, Frank Grant shot a glance, and one of the sea scavengers squatted down and opened my rattan trunk, rummaging through it messily. He found only a few changes of clothes and some bottles filled with pills. Annoyed, he slammed the trunk shut and kicked it to the side of the boat, shaking his head at Frank Grant with a look of disgust.

I still couldn’t accept my current situation. Was I, Brian Carter, really going to die on this boat for no clear reason? I tried to struggle, but was quickly dragged under the mast with my mouth covered and thrown to the ground. Two sea scavengers stood behind me, grinning with their arms crossed. Frank Grant leaned against the rail, holding a fish spine in one hand, the other hand running along its sharp tip: “Alright, don’t say I’m not giving you a chance. Now, show me your fairness!”

I knew the situation was out of my control. Struggling to my feet, I softened my tone and said, “Brother Grant, I’m an apprentice at Quanyong Hall in Yanggong Alley, Quanzhou City. My name is Brian Carter. Jack Carter, famous for acupuncture, is my uncle. In another year, I’ll finish my apprenticeship. I can help treat illnesses…” Seeing Frank Grant’s impatient face, I quickly explained, “I only exposed the scam of Uncle Grant and Henry Clark when I boarded the boat. They were trying to trick the woman in the red qipao, and I warned her, so they set me up.”

As I said this, my heart skipped a beat—something was wrong. This didn’t make sense. Would those two human traffickers really chase us all the way to Nanyang just over a woman? Was it because my timid appearance ruined their plan and they couldn’t swallow their anger? Or did Annie have something valuable that they found out about? Cold sweat broke out on my back as I realized my supposedly reasonable explanation couldn’t stand up to scrutiny.

While I was afraid, I noticed Frank Grant completely ignored what I said, waving his hand impatiently at me. “I don’t care who you are or what’s going on between you. But on the Fuchang, anyone who wants justice can get it from me. But there’s no such thing as a free lawsuit in this world, and we seafarers never help others for nothing. Don’t bother with those useless pretty words. Just tell me—how many silver dollars are you willing to pay for this justice?”

I stood there stunned, and after a while, I finally understood, bitterly laughing inside. So that’s how it is—they don’t care if I’m a child-snatcher or not, they just want an excuse to extort some money from me! Horrified, I looked at the three sea scavengers, realizing there was no one left on this boat to uphold justice. I licked the wound in my mouth with my tongue—the blow I’d just taken was brutal, and half my face must be swollen by now. I hurriedly pulled out the ten yuan note from my pocket. But after being pushed into the water and soaked for so long, the money was now a crumpled, wet mess. Embarrassed, I carefully unfolded it and handed it to Frank Grant, saying, “Brother Grant, I escaped in a hurry and only have ten yuan on me, but listen, I’m a doctor. If anyone on the boat gets sick…”

Before I could finish, Frank Grant balled up the ten yuan note and tossed it back at me. “Are you treating me like a beggar, you little pretty boy? From now on, you’re nobody on the Fuchang!”

“Don’t you people have any conscience left!” I watched helplessly as the ten yuan note rolled to my feet, sadly realizing that reasoning was useless here. My chest swelled with grief and anger, and I suddenly roared, “So you don’t care about right or wrong, all you see is money?”

Frank Grant was unmoved, spitting contemptuously and glaring at me. “Listen up! I despise you bookish pretty boys the most, always talking about benevolence and morality, but doing nothing but sneaky, dirty things. Conscience? If you care so much about conscience, why don’t you go reform the Japanese.” As I stood there dumbfounded, he waved his hand again. “You two, hurry up and throw him overboard. No money, and still yapping on and on—waste of breath.”

Immediately, two sea scavengers rushed over to grab me, trying to lift me up. I was scared out of my wits, and the anger I’d just felt vanished instantly. In my panic, I managed only to cling tightly to the thick mast. With my strength, the sea scavengers couldn’t move me for a moment and grew angry, tossing aside the fish spine and first prying at my shoulders, then one of them grabbed my leg and tried to drag me toward the rail. I was terrified that if I let go, I’d be thrown into the sea to feed the fish, so I clung to the mast with all my might. The two sea scavengers grabbed my legs, then suddenly let go of my tensed body. My legs lost their grip, and with a shout, they yanked me outward with all their strength. I couldn’t hold onto the mast anymore and fell face down onto the deck with a thud.

That was it—I was finished. As I struggled desperately, I thought, I never imagined I’d die so young. The thought kept spinning in my mind, a mix of feelings—funny, absurd, and terrifying all at once.

In the midst of the chaos, something white fell from someone’s body, rolling across the deck, finally hitting the mast and changing direction toward the side of the boat.