Chapter 509: Incomparable (16)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
There wasn’t any fence that could be seen with the naked eye between the area of the blue hole and the area of the open waters, but the invisible electric fence was even more powerful. The moment Gu Nianzhi managed to get out, she swam towards the water’s surface. This time around, there weren’t violet electrical arcs attacking her from the top. She surfaced from the sea, removed her diving mask, and inhaled deeply.
The people on the lifeboats and s.h.i.+ps nearby saw Gu Nianzhi surface and cheered loudly. They were all glad that she managed to escape death from the horrendous violet electrical arcs. Gu Nianzhi heard the cheers and waved cheerfully at them. Everyone forgot which side they were on at that moment. They only felt that someone had managed to surpa.s.s a threshold, which no one had done before, and were all happy for her.
It was similar to being in the Olympics with the motto, “Faster, higher, stronger” in the compet.i.tion. Each time a record was broken, everyone would be happy about it, no matter if it was a comrade or compet.i.tor.
He Zhichu held onto the s.h.i.+p’s rails tightly. His heart skipped a beat. Seeing Gu Nianzhi out of danger, his face finally did not look as tense. He Zhichu boarded the lifeboat as he issued the command, “Send a lifeboat. Get an emergency doctor to bring a first aid kit and get on the boat to stand by.”
As Gu Nianzhi’s head surfaced from the water, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to get fresh air into her lungs. She had never realized how amazing oxygen could make a person feel until then. No wonder our lives depended on it…
A small lifeboat filled with many necessities cruised over towards her and stopped nearby. He Zhichu was on the lifeboat, waving to her. “Come here, Nianzhi.”
Gu Nianzhi blinked. She remembered that Brother Ze had been unconscious for such a long time and definitely needed a doctor immediately. It’d be bad if his brain were damaged… Such a clever Brother Ze, she still wanted to consult him on many things regarding computers.
Gu Nianzhi swam towards the lifeboat that He Zhichu was on. She held onto the side of the boat and asked, “Professor He, Brother Ze fainted underwater. We don’t know how he is. Could you please do me a favor by lending me your doctor to take a look at him after I bring him up?”
Gu Nianzhi’s expressive eyes looked at the doctor with all his medical equipment behind He Zhichu. He Zhichu stopped smiling and raised his hand towards her. “Get out. You’ve been in the water for too long. It’s bad for you.”
Gu Nianzhi continued to hold onto the side of the boat and asked flightily, “Okay, okay. Can you please do me a favor, Professor He?”
He Zhichu hadn’t seen Gu Nianzhi being flighty in front of him in so long. His heart skipped a beat, and he bent down to grab Gu Nianzhi by the wrist immediately. With that, he pulled her out of the water. Since Gu Nianzhi needed He Zhichu’s help, she allowed him to pull her onto the lifeboat.
The nurses behind He Zhichu were quick. They covered Gu Nianzhi with a thick towel the moment she got on the boat. However, Gu Nianzhi began to panic. “I still need to go back and save people! Professor He, can you wait for a moment, please?”
“Since you’re able to come out, do you think they need you to save them?” He Zhichu rolled his eyes at her and turned to his subordinates. “Get people to go down. See the direction she came from? Dive in from there, and you’ll be able to save the people within the blue hole.” That way, they’d be able to bypa.s.s the violet electrical arcs.
Seeing that Gu Nianzhi, such a young lady, managed to get out from under the waters over at that side, the men felt that being big and buff, they’d be fine. A strong diver took the lead and dove underwater in the direction Gu Nianzhi came from. Following him, a couple more dove down and swam in the same direction.
Seeing that there were people who could help her save Huo Shaoheng and Zhao Liangze, she was extremely grateful and bowed to them repeatedly in grat.i.tude. He Zhichu put both his hands into his pockets and couldn’t bear seeing this anymore. He pulled her to him and looked at her coldly. “Why are you even thanking them? You think they would’ve gone if I hadn’t commanded them to?”
“Of course I must thank Professor He even more.” Gu Nianzhi thanked He Zhichu as well and began to sweet talk him. “But, since Professor He and I know each other so well, it’s too formal to say thanks. They’re not close to me, so even if they’re just following your commands, I’m still thankful.”
Seeing her eyes darting around as she spoke, He Zhichu knew that she was trying her best to make him happy. However, since she was willing to make him happy now, it was way better compared to trying to shun him, wasn’t it? He Zhichu asked, concerned, “Hungry?”
“Of course! How could I not be? I could eat a cow!” Gu Nianzhi said exaggeratedly and even sighed.
He Zhichu was speechless. Turning around, he got someone to bring him a crab sandwich. “Here, see if you like it.”
As Gu Nianzhi was looking at the guys who were swimming towards the blue hole, she did not realize what He Zhichu had prepared for her. She only realized that it was one of her favorites, a crab sandwich, after taking a bite. “Wow, Professor He, this crab sandwich is really delicious! Thank you so much.” Gu Nianzhi smiled her brightest smile and took the sandwich. She finished it quickly.
The moment she finished eating her sandwich and cleaning her hands, she heard a scream from the waters near the blue hole where she had come from just a while ago. Looking over, she saw the three swimmers who supposedly had gone down to save Huo Shaoheng and Zhao Liangze. Two of them were unconscious and were brought up by the third swimmer. That third person surfaced and called out to them for help with all his might. They had not managed to save anyone, and on the contrary, they needed to be saved.
“We swam to the area that she came out from. The moment we dove down, the electrical currents were still extremely strong! They swam first. The moment they reached the intersection, they were electrocuted. Me, being at the back, saw what happened to them and didn’t try my luck. Otherwise, all of us would’ve blacked out underwater and would’ve just died.” The person who wasn’t electrocuted continued blabbering. As he spoke, he kept looking at Gu Nianzhi. He felt that Gu Nianzhi had not actually come out from there. How could she be fine if she really had?
He Zhichu’s doctors examined the swimmers who were unconscious and whispered to He Zhichu, “Yes, these two were electrocuted.” Then they, too, looked at Gu Nianzhi. They all looked at the two muscular swimmers who pa.s.sed out, then looked at Gu Nianzhi who looked so frail and slender, and everyone fell into silence.
Gu Nianzhi stood up. The smile on her face disappeared. She put on the diving mask quickly and told He Zhichu, “Please give me five minutes, Professor He. I’ll bring Brother Ze up.”
“No way!” He Zhichu protested, but Gu Nianzhi had already jumped off into the water and was diving quickly downwards in the direction from which she had come just a few moments ago.
“Nianzhi! Nianzhi! You come back! Come back now!” He Zhichu held onto the low railings on the lifeboat and shouted with all his might. He looked on the verge of going crazy and becoming depressed, and it made everyone’s hearts go out to him. The nurse who was looking at him quietly already had tears in the corners of her eyes. Turning around, she quickly wiped them away.
“Be on standby. I’ll go down and take a look.” He removed his jacket revealing a dive suit that he was wearing underneath. Holding onto the railings, he flipped himself into the water and swam in the direction Gu Nianzhi had disappeared into. His subordinates followed quickly after him in order to offer protection.
…
Gu Nianzhi returned to the place where she had managed to get out. She swam around the area and did not manage to see anything out of place. She was puzzled as to why the swimmers were electrocuted. The electricity felt painful when she swam across, but it wasn’t to the extent that it would make people fall unconscious, was it? This was weak compared to the violet electrical arcs on the surface…
Gu Nianzhi pursed her lips and found the entrance she had exited from previously. It was about three meters wide. Without any hesitation, she dashed over with her eyes open this time around.
It was the same pain – the electrical shocks that went all the way into her bones, just like someone taking millions of needles to p.r.i.c.k her at her bones. It was so extremely painful that she trembled from the pain. Her trembling created ripples in the water, and they traveled outwards. However, this pain did not render Gu Nianzhi unconscious.
She returned to the area of the blue hole. Huo Shaoheng was waiting for her in the same spot, carrying Zhao Liangze. He only stopped worrying when he saw Gu Nianzhi return after she managed to get out.
“It’s been tough on you.” Huo Shaoheng signed to Gu Nianzhi as she swam to his side.
Gu Nianzhi smiled as she shook her head. She was already recovering from the current. Pretending to be fine, she signed to Huo Shaoheng, “Give Brother Ze to me. I’ll take him out. Professor He is here. He brought lifeboats and doctors with him. He brought medication as well. Brother Ze will be saved as long as he gets out.”
Huo Shaoheng was taken aback when he heard that He Zhichu was here again. However, when he saw that he had brought doctors and medicine, the unhappiness he felt disappeared immediately. Zhao Liangze would definitely be fine with He Zhichu’s help.
Huo Shaoheng patted Gu Nianzhi on her shoulders and put Zhao Liangze down. He swam towards the place Gu Nianzhi had come from with her. When they arrived at the waters with the narrow three-meter exit, Huo Shaoheng stood atop a reef and placed Zhao Liangze on Gu Nianzhi’s slender shoulders. “Thank you,” he said.
Gu Nianzhi shook her head. “Brother Ze has been so nice to me. I wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Huo Shao, you don’t have to thank me for this.” Dragging the unconscious Zhao Liangze, she embraced his head and shoulders as protection. Then, she kicked a reef nearby and shot herself and Zhao Liangze upwards towards the invisible electrical barrier.
She did not know if it was due to the fact that she had someone with her and the surface area was greater, but she felt that the current had become stronger. It was way stronger compared to when she had entered just now. Gu Nianzhi bit her lip and bore the pain. She put in every ounce of effort she had and finally managed to drag Zhao Liangze past the electrical barrier!
He Zhichu managed to arrive shortly after. He took Zhao Liangze from her arms and got his men to take him up. “He’s out! He’s really out!” Everyone on the lifeboat cheered. The doctors and nurses rushed to care for Zhao Liangze, giving him a full body checkup and emergency treatment.
Gu Nianzhi turned around, preparing to swim towards the blue hole again. He Zhichu pulled her back. “You’re still going?! Look at you!” he yelled angrily at her.
Her lips were already bruised from her bites. It showed clearly how painful it had been… However, Gu Nianzhi had come here because she wanted to save Huo Shaoheng. How could she give up now?
“I’ll be back in a blink of an eye, Professor He. I’ve already done so much. You wouldn’t want me to give up at the eleventh hour, would you?” Gu Nianzhi smiled at He Zhichu, but her eyes showed utmost determination.
He Zhichu tightened his grip on her, but Gu Nianzhi pried his fingers off one by one. “I’ll be fine, Professor He.” She turned and swam towards the blue hole and tried to force her way in again. Going through the electrical fence twice seemed to be her body’s limit. The pain increased by multiple folds. She was only worried that Huo Shaoheng would see through that, so she tried her best to pretend that she was all okay.
The moment she returned to the blue hole, she reached her hand out to Huo Shaoheng and went into his embrace. They hugged each other tightly. They felt relieved that their partners were fine but also felt blessed to have each other in such moments of danger.
“Huo Shao, let’s go.” Gu Nianzhi nudged Huo Shaoheng’s arm and pulled him into her embrace. She did not have any worries anymore this time, since the person she was hugging was Huo Shaoheng.
Her chest was soft. Huo Shaoheng opened his arms and hugged her tightly as well. They remained in a hug and swam towards the invisible electric fence.
They were arriving at the place she had entered and exited twice. Gu Nianzhi opened her eyes and looked at Huo Shaoheng. Right at that moment, she wriggled and pulled Huo Shaoheng’s head into her embrace. Huo Shaoheng was stunned as his face was engulfed by softness. Right at that moment, Gu Nianzhi bore a pain so strong that she almost screamed out loud. Using all her remaining strength, she dragged him out of the blue hole!
All Huo Shaoheng felt was needles p.r.i.c.king his arms. After only a short while, that feeling disappeared. The quality of the water was clearly different as well. Huo Shaoheng lifted his head and saw a clear shade of blue above him instead of all the violet electrical arcs. He was overjoyed. Hugging Gu Nianzhi with one arm, he used the other arm to propel them both upwards, legs kicking nonstop.
They had finally surfaced!