“Attention all vessels in the vicinity of Anchang Port! Attention all vessels in distress near Anchang Port! Windwing has dispatched two diesel-powered rescue boats for search and rescue operations. If you require assistance, transmit your coordinates immediately! Put on your life jackets! Make yourselves known to the rescue boats as they pass! If necessary, abandon ship and evacuate!”
Meng Gaoyang repeated the emergency broadcast twice before setting down the high-frequency radio. He then grabbed a portable radio and called out, “Windwing calling Rescue Boats 1 and 2—what’s your status? What are the river conditions?”
“Zzzzt… Windwing, this is Rescue Boat 2! Boats 1 and 2 are in the water. The river… the waves are—HUGE! REALLY HUGE!”
A sudden gust of wind shrieked across the water. Towering waves surged like a thousand charging steeds, crashing down with a deafening roar.
Another violent wave struck the hull, sending the rescue boat lurching precariously. Gu Mengran stumbled, nearly dropping the radio into the churning river.
They couldn’t remain stationary. If they didn’t move quickly, the raging waters would capsize these two small boats like toys.
“Liang Zhao! Are you ready?!”
Shoving the radio into his life vest pocket, Gu Mengran seized a mooring rope attached to the boat’s side and shouted through the dense fog toward Rescue Boat 1.
The two boats were a mere five meters apart, yet the fog was so thick that their outlines were barely visible.
On Rescue Boat 1, Liang Zhao secured the rope Gu Mengran had tossed, deftly tying a tight, flawless knot around the boat’s railing. Now, Rescue Boats 1 and 2 were securely linked—adrift as a single unit on the tempestuous river.
“Gu Mengran, Rescue Boat 1 is secure! Ready to proceed at your command!”
“Acknowledged! Launching now! Countdown—three, two, one… advance!”
The two diesel-powered boats surged forward in unison, side by side, cleaving through the turbulent water toward Heng Rong Sheng’s last reported position.
Eight minutes prior, the three men had formulated a simple yet effective rescue strategy in the control room.
Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao would each pilot a rescue boat.
Given the pervasive fog, navigating separately was deemed too hazardous. They resolved to tether the two vessels together, ensuring they remained a cohesive unit.
Meng Gaoyang would remain stationed in the control room, monitoring radar, satellite navigation, and incoming distress calls. He would then relay real-time information to the boats via radio, directing them toward vessels in need as efficiently as possible.
Thus far, the plan was unfolding as intended.
Their initial rescue target was Heng Rong Sheng—not due to any personal connection Gu Mengran held with the crew, but simply by virtue of its proximity to Windwing.
The dense fog clung to the river as the two rescue boats steadily progressed, their engines a resonant thrum against the backdrop of the storm.
The engines’ powerful churn was a comforting presence amidst the chaos.
Locating Heng Rong Sheng would be a formidable challenge. Gu Mengran possessed the general bearing, but the near-impenetrable visibility rendered their progress akin to navigating blindfolded—he believed he was maintaining a straight course, yet he could easily be veering astray.
Meng Gaoyang, stationed in the control room, proved an invaluable guide. Each time the rescue boats veered off course, he swiftly corrected their trajectory. Fortunately, the distance was relatively short. After approximately five minutes, the rescue boats sighted Heng Rong Sheng southeast of the anchorage.
The scene was grim. Heng Rong Sheng had capsized violently, as if some immense power had overturned it. It lay listing precariously, more than half of its hull submerged in the churning waters.
The bow fared slightly better, with the control room barely protruding above the surface. However, the fully laden cargo hold was relentlessly dragging the vessel deeper into the frigid river.
The ship was sinking rapidly, leading Gu Mengran to assume, naturally, that no one remained aboard. He and Liang Zhao meticulously scanned the surrounding waters, circling Heng Rong Sheng repeatedly, yet no sign of life was visible.
His heart sank. No way… could they still be trapped inside?
A chilling premonition gripped him as he stared at the dark, empty control room.
Heng Rong Sheng was flooded, its power system clearly defunct. The rescue boat managed to approach from the side, adjacent to the control room, but the interior was shrouded in impenetrable darkness. Despite being only a meter or two away, visibility was nonexistent.
A flashlight. He needed a flashlight.
Holding his breath, Gu Mengran hastily rummaged through his storage compartment. Three seconds later, a high-powered flashlight materialized in his hand.
Just as he fumbled for the switch, poised to illuminate the darkness—
BANG! BANG, BANG, BANG!
A series of frantic thuds suddenly reverberated from within the control room.
“Help! Help! We’re trapped in the control room!”
“The water’s rising—please, save us!”
The cries for assistance were muffled, barely audible through the PMMA windshield. By the time they reached Gu Mengran’s ears, only a few faint cries of “Help!” remained, but he discerned two distinct voices—one male, one female.
There was no time to ponder why they had remained inside instead of evacuating earlier. Gu Mengran instantly aimed his flashlight at the control room and flicked the switch.
However, the dense fog rendered the beam nearly ineffective. It was akin to illuminating a void—utterly futile. In desperation, he maneuvered the rescue boat half a meter closer, finally achieving a clear view inside.
The scene was harrowing. It resembled nothing so much as a car sinking into a river—the control room had essentially become a sealed tomb. The door leading to the living quarters was tightly shut, water still trickling through the edges. The portside door hung suspended in midair, while the starboard door was completely submerged.
Gu Mengran hadn’t misheard. A young man and a woman were indeed inside. One of them was the same man he had briefly encountered yesterday.
The two were fully immersed in the encroaching water, desperately struggling to keep their heads above the surface. Trapped without an escape route, they pounded on the windshield, their movements frantic upon spotting the flashlight’s beam.
“Hold on! Conserve your energy! We’ll find a way to get you out!” Gu Mengran shouted, his voice battling against the roar of the river, fearful they would succumb to exhaustion before rescue arrived.
The PMMA windshield’s soundproofing proved too effective—the two trapped inside clearly hadn’t heard him and were now even more frantic.
Gu Mengran’s mind raced. He turned to the other rescue boat, seeking Liang Zhao’s counsel. “What do we do? Should I climb aboard and try to open the door?”
Liang Zhao responded without hesitation. “No. Too dangerous.”
The vessel was tilted at a sharp ninety-degree angle, its bow deck suspended three or four meters above the water. Climbing up barehanded was already perilous. Even if they managed to force the door open, there was no way to hoist two fully grown adults up from such a sheer vertical drop.
Gu Mengran’s thoughts whirled. “Then… what if we cut through the windshield with a chainsaw?”
Before Liang Zhao could reply, he dismissed his own suggestion. “No, no, that won’t work! Breaching the windshield would unleash a torrent of water. A single second’s delay would mean certain drowning.”
As Gu Mengran rapidly proposed and discarded solutions, Liang Zhao remained silent, seemingly lost in thought as he stared at the cargo hold.
The cargo hold… Was he contemplating emptying it?
If they used the rescue boats to tow the ship, they might manage to raise the cargo hold above the waterline, enabling them to unload the cargo and reduce the vessel’s weight. If successful, Heng Rong Sheng might just resurface.
However, there was a significant obstacle.
These were not tugboats—the rescue boats lacked the power to single-handedly right Heng Rong Sheng. At best, they could nudge the ship slightly upright. But the river’s current was relentless. Unless they offloaded the cargo rapidly, the ship would be lost before they had a chance.
Unless…
Unless they could jettison the bulk of the cargo with unprecedented speed.
Gu Mengran frantically searched his space, hoping to find something useful. Unfortunately, it contained no mechanical tools—
Wait. His space?
His mind ignited like a flash of lightning. He clapped his hands together sharply.
“Liang Zhao! Liang Zhao! I have an idea!”
Rumble—BOOM!
The tow rope tautened as the rescue boat roared, its engine straining at maximum power. The deafening din rent the air.
One boat proved insufficient—so they employed another. Two rescue boats now worked in tandem, pulling on Heng Rong Sheng with all their might. A vessel that seemed immovable began to right itself—incrementally.
But it was far from enough.
From ninety degrees, they barely managed to shift it to sixty. Even with the throttles fully engaged, Heng Rong Sheng refused to budge further.
This was the limit.
The engines sputtered thick black smoke, and the tow rope stretched to its breaking point. Time was running out.
Gu Mengran made a snap decision. He entrusted the boats to Liang Zhao and moved swiftly—conjuring another rescue boat from his storage compartment, along with a sharp watermelon knife.
Then, without hesitation, he sped to the opposite side of the cargo hold.
The tarp covering the cargo was tightly secured—even with the ship tilted at a full ninety degrees, barely any cargo had spilled.
Gu Mengran brought his boat close and swung the knife down—only to pause momentarily upon seeing the contents.
Wheat.
The instant the tarp split open, the river surged in, carrying the wheat with it. A golden cascade poured into the Huang River as if it were worthless grain, discarded without a second thought.
Gu Mengran had no time to lament the loss.
He maneuvered his boat along the cargo hold, slashing wildly—bisecting the entire tarp.
In an instant, it was as if a golden downpour had begun.
Golden grains rained down, carpeting the river’s surface. But they didn’t remain afloat for long—absorbing water, swelling heavily, then sinking rapidly into the depths below.
It wasn’t fast enough.
Within mere seconds, the ship had sunk even further into the river.
Gu Mengran acted without further hesitation. He plunged his hands directly into the wheat, scooping it into his space without a second thought.
With both methods employed simultaneously, the wheat within the cargo hold visibly diminished at an astonishing rate. Less than a minute later, the once-bulging tarp collapsed inward. Sensing the moment was right, Gu Mengran immediately reversed his boat and retreated, widening the distance between himself and Heng Rong Sheng by over ten meters in mere seconds.
There was no time to pause for breath. He swiftly grabbed his radio.
“Liang Zhao! Liang Zhao! Mission accomplished! Execute!”
The response was nearly instantaneous.
“Copy that. Increase your distance.”
“Already done—I’m more than ten meters clear,” Gu Mengran replied, adding a caution, “Be careful. Stay safe.”
“Acknowledged. Countdown initiated—three, two, one!”
BOOM!
The distance was too great, and the fog too dense—Gu Mengran could barely see anything.
But he could hear the deafening roar of the rescue boats—a final, desperate cry before the engines gave out. And then—
BANG!
A tremendous explosion obliterated every other sound. Water erupted in all directions, sending waves crashing through the fog. Even from ten meters away, Gu Mengran was thoroughly soaked.
It had to be a success.
He shook the water from his eyes, gripped the throttle, and steered his boat back into the fog.
Following the sound of the explosion, Gu Mengran rejoined Liang Zhao. As expected, Rescue Boat One’s engine was completely destroyed.
There was no time for lamentation. Gu Mengran swiftly stored the ruined boat in his storage compartment, leaving Liang Zhao to pilot Rescue Boat 2 as they sped toward the bow of Heng Rong Sheng to rescue the trapped individuals.
The sacrifice had proven worthwhile—Heng Rong Sheng was now stabilized, afloat once more. The waterlogged cockpit was finally draining, sending torrents cascading overboard.
Scaling the deck required every ounce of their remaining strength. By the time Gu Mengran hauled himself up, he was already gasping for air—but there was no respite.
Without pause, he and Liang Zhao scrambled up three more levels, finally reaching the cockpit door.
The fog had intensified. Even pressing his face against the glass, Gu Mengran could see nothing inside.
Liang Zhao attempted the door—it was locked.
Gu Mengran produced a portable chainsaw and thrust it into Liang Zhao’s hands. “Perhaps we can simply—”
Before he could finish, the cockpit door abruptly burst open from within.
It was as if a dam had broken—a deluge of water surged out, striking them with full force.
With no means of evasion, Liang Zhao seized Gu Mengran’s arm and pulled him behind him, effectively acting as a shield—bearing the brunt of the icy wave himself.
A faint, trembling voice emanated from within.
“Help… please… save my little brother…”
Liang Zhao wiped the water from his face, stepped into the pitch-black cockpit, and reached out blindly.
He held Gu Mengran’s arm firmly. Gu Mengran stayed close behind, his high-powered flashlight cutting through the darkness of the cabin.
As soon as the door swung open, the majority of the floodwater rushed out, leaving only a shallow layer pooling on the floor.
The long-haired girl who had cried out for help slumped against the doorway, her arm still frozen in midair, as if she were yet to fully comprehend that she had managed to open the door.
She gasped desperately for fresh air, her chest heaving.
She had been submerged for far too long—her exposed skin was pruned and wrinkled, her face deathly pale, completely drained of color.
Beside her, the young man with whom Gu Mengran had chatted the previous evening lay supine, unconscious.
Half of his body remained submerged, the stagnant water lapping against him.
His hair was clutched tightly in the girl’s hand, the sole means of keeping his head above water.
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