Chapter 436: Physical Salvation

"Holy crap, what's going on? The Suez Canal's blocked again?!"
Du Yuanhang felt like he'd been struck by lightning. He floored the accelerator and rushed to the company like his pants were on fire.
On the other end of the phone, his subordinate's voice carried the panic of impending doom.
"Reporting, Mr. Du, a Singaporean oil tanker suddenly lost control of its rudder while passing through the canal and plunged into the sand on the shore, it's aground!"
"What the hell!" Du Yuanhang was so angry he almost crushed the steering wheel. "If it wanted to break down, why didn't it break down on the main road? Why did it have to be thrown into the canal? Was it doing this on purpose?!"
The epic ship-blocking nightmare caused by the "Changci" was still vivid in his mind.
Back then, cargo ships from all over the world were lined up at the canal entrance like dumplings being dropped into a pot—it was a spectacular sight, enough to give anyone a heart attack.
"Thank goodness, Mr. Du," his subordinate quickly added,
"This time it shouldn't be like last time, stuck for ten days or half a month. Egypt learned their lesson the hard way last time, they've already prepared contingency plans, and they're currently using five high-powered tugboats to pull it out with all their might!"
"So when exactly will it be open to navigation?" Du Yuanhang's heart finally settled halfway down his chest.
"They said it'll be done within six hours!"
Du Yuanhang let out a long sigh of relief. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, muttering under his breath:
"Yesterday someone already gave me a heart attack, and today, Monday, this happens again! Is this some kind of joke?!"
"Yesterday? Mr. Du, what happened?"
"Cough...cough cough, nothing much, just a little thing." Du Yuanhang stammered.
Just kidding, is this something you can talk about?
Lin Fan's sarcastic words from yesterday had been playing in his head like a demonic chant all night, filling his mind with conspiracy theories like a movie.
"Alright, this mess should be resolved soon, right?" He quickly steered the conversation back on track.
"Yes, the sailing time will be slightly delayed, but it won't be crippling.
Mr. Du, there's another big problem... at the port!"
"The port?"
"That's right. The port strikes that started in the US have escalated like a virus.
This wave of strikes is blowing from North America all the way to Asia and Europe, and it looks like it's about to sweep the globe."
Du Yuanhang's brows furrowed instantly.
At this critical juncture, ports around the world suddenly seemed to have conspired together, unleashing a wave of strikes.
To be honest, he could understand it.
When the pandemic first started, shipping business plummeted, and the ports naturally suffered as well.
But what happened next? Global trade rebounded dramatically, and shipping volumes surged like wildfire, with cargo piling up in ports almost crushing them.
"Those dockworkers have completely lost it," a subordinate's voice was filled with helplessness.
"The workload is several times greater than before, they're working like dogs, and when they look back, their pay slips are still the same. Anyone would be furious!"
"That makes sense... but to just quit without a word, isn't that a bit too much?"
Once the ports shut down, those of them in the shipping industry are completely helpless.
The cargo couldn't be unloaded or loaded, leaving the ship adrift at sea like a fool, slowly succumbing to exhaustion.
This threw all shipping plans into chaos, a systemic disaster.
"Currently, it's just a few scattered ports causing trouble, but judging by the momentum, it'll soon spread like wildfire, sweeping the globe."
"Damn it, when it rains, it pours! Is there anything we can do to get involved?"
"Mr. Du, this isn't a strike within our shipping company; it's a port workers' issue.
It requires the local government and the companies that control the port operations to resolve it. We... are too far away to help."
This was the most frustrating part.
If it were an internal problem within the shipping industry, Du Yuanhang had plenty of ways to quickly resolve it.
Whether it was spending money or pulling strings, he could always find a solution.
But now it's like the neighbor's kitchen has exploded, and he has to worry about it blasting his own gas cylinder—he can't do anything but watch helplessly.
"Send the word immediately! Keep a close eye on those ports we operate! Don't let them join the fray!"
"Or...how about giving them a raise?"
"Raise them! Aren't their wage standards always aligned with local levels?
Tell them to raise it a little higher! In these critical times, don't skimp on a few pennies!
This is a crucial moment in the chip industry's new cycle; those chip components are extremely urgent, not a day can be wasted!"
Chips are precious; finished products are usually transported by air.
But the basic components for manufacturing chips are numerous and heavy, requiring shipping containers to be hauled in ship after ship.
If the shipping chain breaks down, chip production will be delayed.
The downstream high-tech companies, all relying on chips for survival, will be in a state of panic.
"Listen! The chip components absolutely cannot have any problems! Even if the sky falls, they have to be delivered on time!
If all else fails, send people over to keep an eye on them. In short, ensure our goods leave port smoothly!"
"Understood! I'll keep a close eye on the chips! But… Mr. Du, the real problem isn't this…"
"Hmm? There's more?" Du Yuanhang felt his blood pressure soaring again.
"Pirates… the pirates have become rampant again. Several of our company's ships have been targeted."
"What?!" Du Yuanhang's voice suddenly rose. "Ships have been hijacked?"
"This week alone, five ships have been attacked. Three of them are ours."
These days, pirates are incredibly cunning, and their methods have evolved.
In the past, they liked to hijack ships, kidnap people, and then demand exorbitant prices.
But since the navies of various countries started conducting joint exercises every few days, they've adopted a "zero-tolerance" policy towards these guys.
"As soon as they spot someone trying to hijack a ship, without a second thought, they're dealt with by cannon fire, and the ship and crew are sent away—a true 'physical extermination.'
So these bastards have learned their lesson. They no longer try to hijack the entire ship; the risk is too high.
They've switched to beach landings—no, 'ship-grabbing landings.'
They rush up in speedboats, unleash a barrage of fire with rocket launchers and heavy machine guns, not to hijack the ship, but to steal the cargo, and then run."
After all, if they really seized the ship, and the troops from various countries rushed in like they were on steroids, they wouldn't be able to withstand it.
In the past, rescue operations had to consider the safety of the hostages, making them hesitant to act rashly.
Now, the guiding principle of the navies around the world is highly unified:
Eliminating the root of piracy is the top priority! The hostages… well, good luck to them.
They must show their power, instill fear, and make those desperados understand that if they dare to make a move, no matter who's on board, they'll blow them and the ship to smithereens!
And surprisingly, for a time, this "fight fire with fire" tactic really worked.
But then a problem arose: the pirates stopped hijacking ships, but they switched to "free-for-all" tactics!
This hit-and-run harassment tactic is incredibly difficult to defend against and extremely annoying.