A cloud of gas hovered above the MV Milady Kins.h.i.+p. The air was dense and a pungent odor was present all around. All crew gathered on the deck. "Block any type of ignition!""Emergency!"
"Bai An!" Among the crew were the pirates from the South in disguise. They sought him for guidance and instructions. After all, they were no more than mere fishermen before their demise.
"Be sharp! This must be a ploy!"
"Perhaps that man is here!"
"Who do you mean, Minhe?" Chen Linyun asked, flabbergasted. He asked even if he could deduce it by himself.
"Disperse the cloud of gas! That"s the top priority!"
"Everyone! Focus all our energy on dispersing the cloud!"
Bai An"s comrades disappeared from the deck. It was a lot of chaos.
Wear masks! Everyone, grab one mask, just one! Don"t inhale the fume! The fume will harm your internal organs! It can suffocate you and faint!"
"Again, block the ignition! Any tiny spark would cause an explosion right away!"
"Mayday, mayday! This is the Captain of MV Milady Kins.h.i.+p! We have an emergency!"
---
The following morning at around six o"clock.
"Is he here yet?" Xue Jinxu anxiously inquired. "It"s time. He"s late! There"s no update about him, Wenbin. I"m worried." She exclaimed her horror in between gasps of pain. "Ahh!!!"
The lady started experiencing contractions. "No, don"t come out yet."
"Jinxu, you have to go to the operating room now. It"s too dangerous for your health to wait any longer."
"I might not see him again…"
Xue Jinxu"s parents as well as Chen Lingfang had all arrived at the hospital.
The doctor explained the situation to them. "The position of the twins is not favorable for any type of labor whether be it via the natural way or otherwise. I"ve told the missus about it but I haven"t had the chance to tell her husband yet. It"s a fifty-fifty chance of survival for both the mother and the twins."
"What?!" Xue Mingli caught his wife"s body as she lost her vitality to even stand up.
"I would be needing the final decision from her guardian who to prioritize. Some papers need to be signed, but her husband isn"t here yet."
Chen Lingfang tried contacting his son, Chen Linyun. Butler Lee did the same and contacted Xue Minhe. They knew that the two were together.
However, neither of the two answered. They could not be contacted, and their phones were both turned off.
Butler Lee called Zhu Li Qiang instead. Fortunately, he picked up. At first, there was a lot of static at the other end of the line. "Butler Lee, I"m glad you called! It"s chaotic in Tianjin. Do you hear? The vessel…"
"Young Master Zhu! What do you mean by that? Please expound further, Young Master Zhu!"
"The vessel was delayed! It hasn"t arrived here yet. They had to stop mid-way."
"I need help to mitigate the area. Send people here! And please also help in keeping the news at bay! The situation"s not clear yet."
"What"s happening?" Master Xue demanded from Bulter Lee as he shook his shoulders. His son and son-in-law were on-board and his daughter is about to give birth. Good thing his youngest isn"t in the picture at this instance. However, Zhao Feiyan"s blood pressure shot up. Nurses a.s.sisted her to be confined in a private room for observation.
"What should we do?" Mo Wenbin probed. "Jinxu"s condition is a ticking time bomb. We have to choose."
"The responsibility is too grave. How can we face Chen Linyun when he gets here?"
"But we don"t know when he"s going to get here or…"
"No! Let"s pray that he gets here soon and safely!"
Xue Jinxu"s bed was ushered out of the room as she was being prepared for her operation. She heard bits and pieces of the conversation and had read through the taut atmosphere. "What"s happening? Where"s my husband? Where"s Minhe-ge?"
"Father!"
"Mother!"
"Dad!"
"Wenbin!"
"Jinxu, please calm your nerves. The doctor had already told the elders about the urgency and criticality of your situation, but they cannot decide over it."
"No one should decide except for me or my husband! Do you understand?! And I"m telling you right now that no matter what happens, choose the twins! I"m going to fight for my life!"
"Answer me! This is a state of emergency! Father, Mother! Promise me, choose my twins over me! That"s my wish. Promise me! Wenbin! Dad!"
Lying on the rolling bed along the corridors, she grasped on the arms of family members that stood by her side.
"And Chen Linyun, when he arrives, tell him I will fight for my life. It"s my own battle. No one"s allowed to interfere, alright?"
Those were Xue Jinxu"s intense wich before she entered the operating room.
Meanwhile, there was no news yet from MV Milady Kins.h.i.+p. On the television, no news was about it either, which was good because it meant that the incident was well-taken care of.
Hw.a.n.g Meilin heard of the Chen madame in labor so she also went to the hospital to visit. Little did she expect the commotion her eyes set on.
Mo Wenbin dragged her to the sides where there was more peace. "Listen, Kang Sola is alone at home. Soon she will wake up and prepare to go here. Can you stop her inconspicuously and accompany her the whole day? She shouldn"t be here at the hospital. She"s still too young to get involved."
"Wait, what"s happening, Wenbin?"
"Jinxu"s in critical condition. Linyun"s missing. Minhe could not be contacted, too."
"Oh my G.o.d!" Hw.a.n.g Meilin covered her mouth. "Should I ask for my daddy"s help?"
"No, uncle will take care of that. Just focus on your task. Just accompany Sola today away from the hospital. Relax and give her alibis. Don"t even let her suspect that anything"s amiss. That"s your task. Are you up to it?"
"Why not tell her straight?"
"What would we tell her? The straight bad news? We will tell her some solid updates when everything"s more certain. Meanwhile, stall her."
Hw.a.n.g Meilin agreed, "I"ll do it, but please let me know all the updates about Jinxu, Linyun, and the Xue young master, please… I won"t tell Sola, though. I swear."
When everything"s agreed upon, each of them went to their separate places and played their respective roles to the best of their abilities towards survival.