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I shot her a glance, remaining silent, but Professor Zhang said, "Moya, you and Squad Leader Wang go on the boat and prepare some diving gear. When Squad Leader Bi arrives, we can head down right away."
I thought it made sense; to save time, Old Bi would surely have everything ready when he arrived. We just needed the diving suits and high-pressure tanks, so it was better to prepare them now. I looked at Xiao Mo Ya, only to find her giving me another glare. I shook my head helplessly and slowly maneuvered the Assault Boat alongside the ship. Once it was secured, I gestured for Xiao Mo Ya to go ahead. She huffed and walked over to grab the rope to climb up. The boat's edge wasn't high, but being in the water made it a bit wobbly. Seeing Xiao Mo Ya struggling to get up, I couldn't help but tease her, saying, "If you can't get up soon, I'll come over to help you." Then I moved under the rope, pretending to grab her legs.
"Ah! No, no!" Xiao Mo Ya exclaimed as she hurriedly increased her pace and finally managed to pull herself onto the boat. Watching her flustered state filled me with a sense of satisfaction. However, when I climbed up myself, I found Xiao Mo Ya arguing with a middle-aged man who was already dressed in diving gear.
"Captain Zhao, you can't go down now! Professor Zhang is here; the situation is unclear, and we need professionals to assist in assessing it."
"Xiao, that guy going down is my brother! Time is of the essence; we can't wait any longer!" The middle-aged man strapped on a high-pressure tank.
"Captain Zhao, at least wait until the People's Liberation Army arrives so we can have backup," Xiao Mo Ya insisted as she grabbed his tank.
"It's too late! I've tied a rope around myself; going down without one would be reckless. We wouldn't be able to control his whereabouts at all. Now that I'm going down with a rope, if anything happens, I'll signal you to pull us back up—it's settled!"
Captain Zhao was clearly impatient; he pushed Xiao Mo Ya aside and fastened his helmet before preparing to dive. I glanced toward our training area and saw an Assault Boat approaching. Knowing I couldn't stop him now, I quickly walked over to Xiao Mo Ya and said, "Don't worry; hurry and prepare some gear. Squad Leader Bi will be here soon; they can dive in to support Captain Zhao."
Xiao Mo Ya reluctantly nodded while watching Captain Zhao's retreating figure before leading me into the cabin to gather equipment. By the time we transferred everything onto the Assault Boat, Old Bi's vessel was already coming alongside. Meanwhile, Captain Zhao had entered the water, and the crew at the bow was slowly lowering the rope.
Seeing that time was tight and there was no room for delay, I called out to Old Bi, "Old Bi, there's a Diver missing in a hole below; another one has already gone down with a rope to look for him. You need to gear up quickly and help out."
Xiao Mo Ya was also discussing Captain Zhao's insistence on diving with Professor Zhang. Professor Zhang was anxiously pacing back and forth. "This Zhao! After all these years, he still hasn't changed his temper! Always so hasty!" Old Bi brought someone along; while tossing a connecting rope onto the larger ship for securing it, he said, "We'll send two people down shortly with waterproof Flashlights and several ropes—each about 100 meters long—this should be enough. If we still can't find him after this, then there's nothing we can do; maybe there's an underground river that swept him away."
I turned back to see how much rope had been released from the larger ship and remarked, "At this rate of releasing rope, they've probably let out over twenty meters by now. I wonder if they've found any clues."
Professor Zhang approached me. "The hole is just past that side of the larger ship; this section of river is only about six or seven meters deep. If they've released twenty meters of rope already, then Zhao must have entered the hole."
Just then, we suddenly heard someone at the bow shout in alarm, "Not good!" We immediately turned our heads to see that the worker at the front had empty hands—the connecting rope had been yanked straight out of his grip. The line from the boat to the River Surface was taut as if something underwater was forcefully pulling it down.
The crew at the bow were confused about what had happened and were at a loss for what to do. "Quick! Release the rope!" Professor Zhang shouted urgently. At that moment, the taut rope suddenly went slack! The workers at the bow scrambled to retrieve it. "The rope might have snapped," I heard Old Bi mutter.
Indeed, they only managed to pull up a length of empty rope; since it wasn't far away, we could still see where it had frayed at the end—like something powerful had torn it apart! Was there something underwater? I felt a chill run down my spine. Turning back to ask Professor Zhang what was happening, I found him pale-faced with sweat pouring down his forehead. Old Bi leaned in closer with a puzzled expression; clearly rushing into the water now would be pointless as we quietly awaited Professor Zhang's instructions.
Professor Zhang wiped his brow and said shakily, "Everyone back on board." It was serious if two Divers had gone missing one after another.
We all climbed back onto the larger ship and gathered at the bow while waiting for Professor Zhang's next command. He appeared to be in charge here; he first instructed a Buddy dressed like staff personnel to urgently report to headquarters leadership and request immediate support from salvage teams and relevant departments.
At that moment, Old Bi had finished examining the broken rope and whispered in my ear, "It wasn't cut; it was torn apart. Although it's not as tough as the ropes used by our unit, this is still a three-strand twisted rope. It's quite sturdy; it would probably take a truck to break it." I was astonished. Was there really that much force in the river water five or six meters deep?
Just then, Professor Zhang seemed to have made a decision. He looked at us and said, "At this point, we can't just do nothing. Before the professional deep-water rescue team arrives, we need to at least ascertain the situation to pave the way for the next steps in the rescue."
Old Bi and I remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"Comrade from the People's Liberation Army, our boat is equipped with an underwater camera and a high-powered underwater searchlight. However, due to insufficient prior assessment, we currently lack professional divers. I would like to ask for your help to dive down and capture the situation around and inside the hole. We need to determine how deep it is and what the conditions are inside. Can you do that?"
"How many people do you need?" Old Bi asked Professor Zhang.
"Three would be best: one with the searchlight, one for filming, and another for assistance."
"I can go take the footage. They aren't professionals and won't know what to film. I've learned diving; I can do it!" Xiao Mo Ya interjected from the side.
"Moya, this isn't a game!"
"I'm not afraid! I must find out what happened! I'll handle the filming, and Comrade from the People's Liberation Army will protect me." At that moment, Xiao Mo Ya turned her head to look at us, and I quickly turned away, not wanting to engage.
"Old Wang, what about you?" Old Bi seemed hesitant; he must have sensed that things weren't so simple and didn't dare make a decision on his own.
"Old Bi, I think it's not that straightforward. If it's just a simple look around, it might not be a big deal." I had another thought lingering in my mind—what if this bold girl really wanted to dive? Who knows what could happen?
"Yeah, I also think investigating the situation shouldn't be a problem." Old Bi clearly didn't understand my concern.
"Are you all afraid to dive? Aren't you soldiers?" Xiao Mo Ya mocked from the side.
"Beautiful lady, who says we're afraid? Liu, you go down with me!" Old Bi's composure was clearly slipping.
The soldier named Liu beside Old Bi hesitated noticeably. Anyone who had seen the whole process wasn't foolish; they knew there was definitely something wrong here. The fear of the unknown is a common human trait. I noticed this and sighed inwardly. Before Old Bi or Xiao Mo Ya could speak up again, I quickly said, "Old Bi, I'll go with you."
"You?" Old Bi looked surprised.
"Don't worry; I can't swim anyway. I'll just handle the searchlight while you lead the way," I whispered, not wanting Xiao Mo Ya to know that I couldn't swim.
"Alright then. Hey, beautiful lady, come here."
"What's wrong?" Xiao Mo Ya had already taken off her helmet and was starting to tie up her long hair. I suddenly noticed how beautiful she looked with her neck tilted slightly, the white skin forming a graceful curve. Backlit by the sunlight, it almost resembled a work of art.
"Nothing much, just a quick communication. Old Wang and I will take you down. Once we're down, you'll be responsible for filming. You stand at the back while I lead the way in front, and Old Wang will be beside me with the light. We'll leave you space to shoot, but please don't take any initiative on your own."
"Got it." Xiao Mo Ya nodded impatiently and turned to head into the cabin, probably to change.
It was simple for me; in no time, I had removed my life jacket and camouflage gear, revealing my shorts and tank top underneath. I began putting on my diving suit and equipment piece by piece.
"Old Bi, what should I pay attention to when going down like this?"
"Not much. The water isn't deep; once you go down, you'll be standing directly on the riverbed. Just lean forward as you walk. We're upstream here, so the current will carry you towards the cave's edge. Remember, don't get too close; just focus on your light."
Old Bi paused for a moment. "You can't swim, so if anything happens, don't try to help—just retreat quickly!" Old Bi was a good brother. But then again, if I didn't retreat, I wouldn't be able to help much anyway! I held my diving helmet in hand and called out to the soldier named Liu, "Get those two soldiers from the boat up here to hold onto the rope. If anything happens, I'll pull on the rope continuously; you guys need to pull us out quickly. If you feel the rope tighten suddenly, reel it in fast. Got it?"
Liu nodded quickly and went to call for them. Looking back, I saw Xiao Mo Ya walking over in her diving suit, carrying a machine that was likely an underwater camera. I couldn't help but walk up to her and say, "Xiao, make sure not to act recklessly once we go down. Stick with us at the back; if we tell you to retreat, you must do so."
"I know, I'm not a child," Xiao Mo Ya replied impatiently.
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