979 A New Friend
Lion Hunter regrettably returned back to the yacht and sulkily said, "I thought I would get to change my name to 'Shark Hunter.' Seems like we have to delay this."
Li Du spread his hands and said, "Or, you can go and get the trapping tools. I don't think these sharks will leave any time soon. If they do, new ones will come anyways.
Lion Hunter laughed and waved his hand. "It's alright, Li, I just want you to have fun here. Go and dive. I will continue to enjoy the sunlight. Wanna join me for a soak in the sun? Hey, my friend, the weather is going to get really hot soon. The heat from the sun will be able to roast someone to death. It's a rare experience."
Li Du laughed, "Later. I might want to enjoy that later."
They had already been floating on the sea water for some time. After lunch, in the afternoon, Lion Hunter moved the yacht further away from shore. He wanted to show them a new diving spot.
"This time, you have to be extremely cautious in the water," he warned. "Better bring along some shark proof sachets. If a shark does appear, hide or escape immediately."
A shark proof sachet was a small bag. Divers usually wore them around their waist or on their back. It would discharge substances to repel the sharks, preventing them from getting close.
This time, Li Du and his group were going to dive deep into the sea.
The Sea of Nemo had been named after a ship. In 1884, a British cruise ship named "Nemo" sank here. However, communication was difficult, and sometimes impossible, during that time period, so no one knew if it sank or the location it could have sank in.
A year later, a Norwegian freighter named "Nemotala" also sank here. As people searched for and found the Nemotala, they found Nemo not far from it.
The two ships had "Nemo" in their name, so the sea was given the nickname "Nemo Killer." It was at first named "Sea of Nemo Killer." Later, the name was changed to "Sea of Nemo."
Under this sea, there were many seamounts. During the ebb tide, the sea level fell which led to ships grounding and even sinking. This is what had happened to both Nemos.
The reason Li Du and his group wanted to dive deep was to visit these two shipwrecks. Their wreckages had rested underneath the ocean for a very long time. Many coral reef fish and a lot of shellfish resided within them, so they had become quite the underwater attraction.
Lion Hunter had arranged professional divers to ensure their safety. Thus, the diving journey was simple, with no accidents. Soon, they arrived somewhere near the two ships.
The two sunken ships had been in the sea for over a century. Being in the water for so many years, both of them had decayed like the dead bodies of two giant creatures. Fish and prawn roamed around the corpses.
For the sake of safety, the sunken ships were not allowed to be touched. One of the ships already had its prow split open, and its deck was slanted. It seemed that it would break apart at any time.
The ship could hardly be recognized with the rust stains all over it. Li Du released a gasp of breath. This is the power of time!
After this adventure, they spent another two days on shore. Lion Hunter was hospitable to Li Du and his group, giving them delicious seafood and fine wine as much as they wanted.
Although Li Du felt pressured to search for a diamond mine, these days were incredible. He indulged in pleasure and almost forgot about his duty.
Going into September, he prepared to say goodbye. He wanted to explore various regions to search for a diamond mine.
When Lion Hunter found out that Li Du was leaving, he made a request. "Li, may I be so bold as to ask a favor? I am not sure if it's alright."
Li Du nodded. "I respect you, my friend. Ask as you please."
Ever since he came to South Africa, Lion Hunter had always been extremely friendly toward him, which was quite unusual. Lion Hunter's request might not be that simple.
If Lion Hunter felt embarrassed about it, well, then Li Du would just let it be.
He overestimated Lion Hunter's modesty. He grinned and said, "Alright. I have a friend who heard about you and is interested in becoming friends with you. I would like to introduce you two to one another—with your permission, of course."
Li Du suddenly realized why Lion Hunter had been acting so friendly. It turned out that he had a request.
However, it was just to meet a friend, so he did not mind. "What friend? How is this a presumptuous request? We have a saying in China: 'More friends leads to more ways.' I would be pleased to meet your friend."
Very soon, he regretted that he himself had been presumptuous with his words.
After hearing that, Lion Hunter was overjoyed and said, "That's great. I will inform my friend. Then, we can go over right after that. He can't wait to see you."
"Where is he?"
"Mozambique." As Lion Hunter said this, his face split into a weird smile.
Mozambique? Li Du;s heart thumped with a fright. He realized that this would not be that simple.
This was South Africa's neighbouring country. It was the same as South Africa, located in the eastern region of the continent, close to the Indian Ocean. It was north of South Africa, just separated by the border.
Compared to South Africa, its political situation was not that stable. Up until the 1990s, the United Nation Peacekeeping Force was still present in Mozambique. Although it was known that their government had been unified, in fact, the country was not domestically peaceful at all.
Mozambique was historically under the colonization of the Portuguese. The natives were extremely courageous and continuously rebelled against their oppressors.
Especially after the Second World War, the people of Mozambique became increasingly aware with each passing day. In 1948, the capital of Mozambique went on strike. In 1956, the dock workers went on a strike. In the 1960's, Mozambique started a nationalist campaign, with slogans demanding independence.
In 1960, the National Democratic Alliance of Mozambique was established in Salisbury, South Rhodesia. The following year, the African National Union of Mozambique was established in Kenya. The independence of Mozambique led to the establishment of the African Union in Nyasaland.
The three political parties mentioned above possessed armed forces. In June 1962, the Mozambique Liberation Front was formed in Dar es Salaam.
Later, the Mozambique Liberation Front started a guerrilla warfare campaign. After ten years of valiant battle, they took the opportunity to take back national sovereignty when there was an upheaval in Portugal.
These people were good at war but they were inexperienced in governing the country.
Mozambique still had many regional armed forces. These armed forces were nominally incorporated into the government troops, but claimed to be the military of the native tribal chief.
Li Du was free so he took the time to do some research on Africa and became familiar with this information. These armed forces were local warlords, and the government had little control over this.
He was hoping that Lion Hunter's friend was not affiliated with any local warlords. These people were not nice. In their eyes, the lives of humans were no different than the lives of animals. They implemented high pressure political rule over their jurisdiction and their tribe.
Unfortunately, he was disappointed as Lion Hunter said the name of that friend. "General Remonin. He is a generous and straightforward guy and loves to make friends!"
Li Du left Durban in the helicopter as before. After the South African border inspection, the helicopter took off once again and left for Mozambique. Lion Hunter was very vague about the exact location they were heading.