I Am Extraordinary Alone
Chapter 464 - 462 Prohibited Goods

Chapter 464: Chapter 462 Prohibited Goods

The first mission for the Black Medicine Investigation Team came sooner than Wang Ye had anticipated.

days later, on a stormy night, his special forces unit was divided into three teams, each consisting of six members. They boarded the Sethiyan Federation Navy’s destroyer, the "Barkley," and set off to the western Pacific Ocean to track down an ocean-going commercial cruise ship.

Wang Ye and Schweinsteiger were paired up in one group, and among the other four teammates, two were from the Sethiyan Federation Navy. They were the commanders and recorders of this operation. The other two teammates were from the Black Medicine Investigation Team, but Wang Ye did not know them.

When the target appeared on Barkley’s radar spectrum, the three teams took off from the deck in helicopters, flying into the black night against the storm, like peregrines swooping in on their prey.

Cold wind and rain poured in through the hatch. Their uniforms were black, one-piece combat suits similar to wetsuits, with light bulletproof vests equipped with three magazines and a side pouch. They also carried stun grenades and flashbangs on their backs. The weapon in Wang Ye’s hands was a short-barreled HBR rifle, with its muzzle plugged with plastic to prevent water ingress. Tied to his thigh was a Renetti burst-fire pistol.

Schweinsteiger sat silently nearby, facing the Sethiyan Federation Navy recorder, who was chewing gum and kept sizing up Wang Ye.

"The moon has risen, the visibility is too good, we may not have much time," said Captain Price, who threw away the cigar in his hand and put on his night vision goggles.

The dark sea churned up waves high like small hills. The foam created white nets, and the cruise ship could already be seen with the naked eye.

Even the giant ship, which seemed as colossal as a mountain when docked, appeared tiny like a leaf floating in the vast ocean.

"They have no lights on, which is good. They must be on autopilot," Price said.

The helicopter flew over the cruise ship, and the other two helicopters arrived on time. Wang Ye let down the ropes, and Price stood up, grabbed the handle next to the door.

"Open fire at will, GO! GO! GO!" he said, clutching the rope and sliding down.

Wang Ye followed close behind. The pounding rain masked the sound of the helicopter’s rotors. They were rappelled down to the stern and quickly formed a defensive formation.

"You have 15 minutes. We’re heading back to the Barkley to refuel," the helicopter pilot said through the communication channel.

The 18 team members stood still for a moment; everything was quiet and peaceful on the ship. The crew was either asleep or drunk, and nobody noticed them.

Price patted Wang Ye’s shoulder and then led the way with his rifle raised.

Wang Ye removed the plug from his gun and followed him.

The three teams commenced clearing the cruise ship from three directions. Team A, led by another leader, started from the port side. Wang Ye’s Team B went starboard, and Team C headed to the second floor.

Schweinsteiger opened the cabin door, Price was the first to enter, and Wang Ye stayed close behind to cover the area’s blind spots.

The six men entered the cabin, the trailing recorder shut the door behind them, and the narrow corridor reeked of alcohol. At the end of the corridor, a drunken sailor stumbled towards them.

Price didn’t hesitate. He drew his dagger, rushed forward, grabbed the sailor against the wall, and slit his throat. Wang Ye, following the move, caught the body and piled it to the side of the passageway.

The sailor had a pistol tucked behind his waist—it seemed there was no need to leave anyone on this ship alive.

Price continued to move forward stealthily, while Wang Ye leaned against the wall, keeping an eye on the blind spots for him.

"Four of them, around the corner," Price whispered.

He pressed against the wall, peeked around the corner.

"Two for you, two for me," said Wang Ye.

"Don’t screw up," Price replied.

He leaned out from the wall, aimed at two, while Wang Ye, lying on the floor, leaned out halfway and aimed at the other two.

Crisp pneumatic sounds rang out, casings hit the floor, and the four men fell dead.

Their rifles were equipped with silencers and were firing subsonic bullets, which were far quieter than suppressors but came with the tradeoff of having a low initial velocity and slightly less power, possibly unable to penetrate thick bulletproof vests.

Before the mission, the intelligence department had already clarified the crew’s configuration. Their equipment was not sophisticated, with no heavy weapons, and to better resemble a civilian ship, they didn’t even have a single rifle on board.

The team cleaned up the bodies, dragging them into the shadows, and then moved on to the inner cabins.

In a cramped cabin with four beds, the crew was fast asleep, snoring. Price, Wang Ye, and Schweinsteiger entered—white knives went in, red knives came out—and ensured they would sleep forever.

The right flank was cleared, and Wang Ye opened the hatch door. At that moment, he heard Team C’s voice in his earpiece: "Friendly, friendly, take notice."

They emerged from the right flank and saw a team just coming down the iron ladder in front; subsequently, the two teams merged and established a defensive formation.

"The right side is safe," Price said.

A bearded man wearing a hat said, "The top’s been cleared too."

At that time, Team A belatedly arrived, controlling the left flank from a corner, with a Mohawk-haired leader signaling safe with hand gestures.

Price took out a device with a built-in screen that resembled a sonar and scanned the ship’s deck.

"Found anything?" the man with the Mohawk asked.

"Something’s off, the waterline is too shallow," Price replied.

"Perhaps it’s because they didn’t transport a large quantity of Black Medicine," the bearded man with a hat suggested.

"It’s not just about the Black Medicine itself. Black Medicine needs to be preserved in a sealed environment at minus 20 degrees Celsius to prevent activation. Activated Black Medicine will self-consume, turning into useless black water. This means that for the weeks-long ocean voyage, mere insulation boxes won’t suffice—they need large-scale refrigeration equipment," Price explained.

"Could there be another ship?" the man with the Mohawk inquired.

"I’ll take my team down below to check. Team C, you scan the containers above. Team A, stay at the stern to protect the evacuation point," Price commanded.

"Roger that."

"Roger that."

The two teams began moving towards their respective objectives, while Wang Ye’s team returned inside the ship, heading down the stairs.

The cabin below was empty, the whole ship dark and unlit, with many empty containers placed inside the pitch-black hold.

Wang Ye took out a guiding stick from his waist and threw it onto the floor.

This straw-like glue stick didn’t emit light, but in night vision goggles’ HUD, it would show a marker point and create a path on the ground. Several teammates also threw a few guiding sticks in succession, establishing an evacuation route within the dark cargo hold.

Eventually, they reached the innermost part of the ship, nearing the bow.

Over the comm channel, Team C’s leader reported: "We’ve opened all the containers, they’re all empty."

"We’re still checking. There are lots of containers below too, most without closed doors, also empty," Price responded.

"Any contact with the enemy?" Team A’s leader asked.

"None," Price replied.

"There are only six minutes left before the helicopter arrives, what do we do?" Team C’s leader asked.

Price, with his hands on his hips, furrowed his brow in thought.

Wang Ye stood aside, cradling his gun in front of his chest on guard. As he swept his gaze around, his night vision goggles picked up on a red container in a corner.

"Schweinsteiger, over there," Wang Ye whispered softly.

He walked towards the container, with Schweinsteiger following behind. As the two approached the container, Price noticed their movement, gestured, and signaled everyone to follow.

"Open it," Wang Ye ordered.

Wang Ye gripped the handle tightly, struggling to turn the heavy lock. Right as he pried open a small gap, a sour and extremely hot odor rushed out, as though a furnace was stored within the pitch darkness.

However, the heavy container door seemed to be pushed from the inside, suddenly swinging open widely.

In Wang Ye’s night vision goggles, the figure of a muscular, naked man appeared.

He looked up, seeing the man’s face filled with aggression, as he kicked out.

The next second, he felt as if his bulletproof vest’s plate had been kicked to pieces; pain seared through his waist and abdomen, and by the time he came to his senses, he was already soaring through the air.