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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 234: Countdown 3
Shaoshan desperately wanted a cigarette. Besides nicotine, he didn't know what else could alleviate his pain. The metal edge of the ship's railing had pierced a hole in the top of his thigh, narrowly missing the femoral artery. Even so, it nearly cost him his life. He had been submerged in seawater for over half an hour and was unconscious by the time they pulled him out, his body limp and cold like a piece of wet seaweed.
The others thought Shaoshan was beyond saving and were reluctant to waste their limited fresh water to clean his wounds. A few strong men, emboldened by their size, planned to toss the unconscious Shaoshan back into the sea to feed the fish. Before they could reach the shallows, a young man came running after them with a rock in hand and launched into a furious attack. The four adult men were knocked down, rolling on the ground as the palm-sized stone shattered into pieces. If it weren't for the women crying out for help, those four might have been beaten to death.
Seeing this scene, others dared not voice their anger; after all, their survival depended on this young man. It would be unwise to turn against him now. So, some who had previously incited the four men to throw Shaoshan back began to criticize them for being so cold-hearted. The mediators calmed everyone down, relieved that the young man had no intention of pursuing further action. They collectively sighed in relief and resumed sitting in small groups under the moonlight. Three young women timidly approached to tend to Shaoshan's wounds. Although they were older than the young man, having just witnessed his fierce methods made them cautious; they feared provoking this youthful brute.
"We need to start a fire to warm him up; otherwise, he won't survive the night," one of the long-haired girls said.
"Will starting a fire really help?" the young man frowned and asked.
"Warming his body will help circulate his blood. It would be best if we had some medicine—anti-inflammatory medicine," she replied.
"I'll go look for some," he said, getting up and taking a couple of steps before turning back. "Keep an eye on him; if anyone dares to touch him, just call for me."
"Got it. What's your name?" asked the long-haired girl.
"Jin Bo."
"I'm called—"
The long-haired girl watched Jin Bo's retreating figure and could only swallow her words, turning back to continue rubbing Shaoshan's hands and feet.
Jin Bo was not dead; he was just lucky enough not to be blown into the sea by the first wave of airstrikes. Otherwise, with his swimming skills, he would have likely sunk to the Mariana Trench by now. He was less fortunate than Shaoshan, who happened to be posing for photos right in the line of fire from the helicopter's guns. The events unfolded so quickly that there was no time to react. The bombardment from the armed helicopters was professional, plowing through the deck and leaving it in ruins, sparing no one in the densely packed crowd. The precision of their fire coverage was textbook perfect.
The shockwave flung Shaoshan two miles away, and by a twist of fate, he got caught on a skewer that had been left on the ship's railing. This bizarre circumstance allowed him to float on the surface of the water; otherwise, he would have surely met a grim fate as well. Jin Bo was even luckier; he was pushed around on the deck by the blast and somehow ended up tumbling into a small yacht moored beside the ship.
To ensure the yacht's safety, Shaoshan had stationed some soldiers there. The height difference between the two vessels was significant, and those guarding inside had no idea what was happening above. Jin Bo, still dazed from his fall, couldn't immediately report the enemy situation. By the time he regained his senses, only he and another soldier remained on board. The soldier looked to be about the same age as Jin Bo and appeared equally bewildered by the sudden chaos. Flames erupted on the large ship's deck, debris flew everywhere, and amidst it all, people were screaming as they fell overboard like dumplings into boiling water—a scene of utter pandemonium.
Jin Bo and Shaoshan were relatively close to each other; although these soldiers didn't know them personally, they recognized their faces. Seeing Jin Bo in such a disheveled state, they couldn't bear to leave him behind. When Jin Bo finally came to his senses, it was clear that rescue for the large ship was hopeless. Despite the significant height difference between the two vessels, thick smoke billowed clearly from the burning fortress at sea; it seemed unlikely that anyone left on board could escape alive. Without hesitation, Jin Bo urged the soldier to start the yacht and at least get away from this sinking behemoth. Initially reluctant, the soldier hesitated because none of his comrades had returned and there was no order from Shaoshan; as a mere private, he felt unqualified to take such action. Besides, he wasn't even a sailor and wouldn't know how to operate it.
Fortunately, the armed helicopters only struck once and did not return for repeated bombardments. Although New Xia Yang had been reduced to ruins, it wouldn't be completely obliterated in an explosion. Sinking required time, and that time represented a final chance for survival for those who remained after the airstrike.
The small yacht became a lifeline for many who had fallen into the sea. The boiling water was filled with cries of despair as both swimmers and non-swimmers alike struggled desperately to reach this vessel that had miraculously survived. However, there wasn't enough room for everyone on board; those in the water wouldn't yield either, leading to a chaotic scramble that could only end in mutual destruction.
In this dire situation, the soldier realized they couldn't stay any longer and agreed to Jin Bo's suggestion. He hurriedly ran into the cockpit. Although he didn't know how to navigate a boat, starting this civilian yacht wasn't complicated. With little effort, he got the yacht's engine roaring to life; however, its propeller swiftly churned up seawater and tragically shredded two nearby drowning victims.
This tragedy was purely accidental; Jin Bo didn't understand anything about ship construction and had no chance to stop it. He felt a sudden jolt as if the boat had been struck hard; screams from those in the water rose several decibels higher as he looked back to see blood bubbling up from the stern of their vessel—quickly staining that part of the ocean red.
As they slowly pulled away from the large ship, Jin Bo spotted two girls crying desperately in the water. Feeling compassion momentarily overwhelm him, he tossed down a life ring attached to a rope. The two girls managed to climb aboard, narrowly escaping disaster—one of them being Long-Haired Girl who had just helped him treat Shaoshan.
Once one person was saved, it became addictive. Jin Bo glanced at the yacht and estimated that accommodating ten more people shouldn't be too much trouble. He discussed with the soldier about rescuing more individuals before they left this perilous place. The incident had occurred so suddenly that they were low on fuel without any clear plan ahead; if they needed to land somewhere eventually, they would require more hands—after all, strength lies in numbers; saving one person at a time seemed better than doing nothing at all.
Determined to act quickly, they began their work; however, since this soldier was inexperienced too—having stopped but not anchored—the yacht spun dangerously with each wave threatening to capsize them.
More people climbed aboard than Jin Bo had anticipated; realizing that compassion could not rule their actions at this moment, he hurriedly issued orders to set sail while abandoning those still struggling in the water as they headed toward an unknown destination. Standing at the stern of the boat watching thick smoke billowing from the large ship along with people thrashing beneath its hull crying out for help left his mind blank.
In total, over twenty people managed to board safely; fortunately, this sightseeing yacht was spacious enough despite being submerged several inches below its waterline—it showed no signs of capsizing yet. The group of survivors lay gasping and moaning on deck while Jin Bo focused on discussing their next course of action with his fellow soldier in the cockpit. Two young men of similar age couldn’t devise any solid plans; just twenty minutes ago Shaoshan had been strategizing with Jin Bo about their future while now his fate remained uncertain—they were adrift at sea without even knowing which direction land lay in.
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