Chapter 394 - 325: A Matter of Utmost Urgency

The captain was incredibly experienced.

As he directed the ship to speed toward the incident site, he also had the lifeboats, life jackets, and rescue supplies prepared.

Before he could even make arrangements, several people offered to give up their cabins for the rescued people to use.

However, the captain didn’t agree.

"The relevant authorities just sent a notice. There are eleven people on the missing fishing boat. We don’t know the specifics of the situation or if they even need rescuing. We’ll head over to check on the situation first. If we really do rescue people, we’ll have time to make temporary arrangements then."

After briefly explaining the situation, the captain looked at his watch and added:

"We’ll be there in twenty minutes. Anyone who can swim and is willing to join me in the rescue, please step forward, put on a life jacket, and grab your gear. When the time comes, you’ll get in the dinghies with me!"

Before the captain had even finished speaking, more than a dozen people scrambled forward and put on life jackets.

Ni Bingyan could swim, but as she stepped forward, the captain stopped her:

"Miss Ni, you’re light and don’t have much strength. The missing fishing boat is full of adult men. After an accident, soaked in water, panicked and scared, they’ll be exhausted and probably very heavy. If you want to help, you can stay on board and assist the chef. They’ll likely need something hot to eat to regain their energy later."

Not wanting to cause trouble, Ni Bingyan quickly agreed and stepped back to the chef’s side, motioning that he could call on her for anything.

Seeing that many non-swimming film crew members were still gathered around watching, the captain worried they might cause trouble later if unsupervised. He cupped his hands and apologized:

"Everyone, I apologize for the poor hospitality, but this is an emergency. The rescue is critical and cannot be delayed. From now on, please look after yourselves and do not create any obstacles for the rescue effort."

His words were harsh, but no one dared to say anything at a time like this.

Everyone agreed in unison. The atmosphere was charged with the gravity of an impending major event.

"Don’t be so nervous. Maybe their positioning device just got wet and their satellite phone happened to break at the same time?"

Thanks to modern technology, sailing isn’t as dangerous as it used to be. However, the weather at sea is unpredictable, and sometimes there are even political risks. Maintaining clear communication and contact greatly increases safety.

A situation like this gave the captain an ominous feeling, but he still tried his best to reassure everyone.

Amid the hustle and bustle, a dozen or so minutes passed quickly.

After losing contact, the other vessel had drifted for a while. It was no longer in its original position, but it hadn’t gone far.

Fortunately, it was right in the path of their ship, which not only didn’t increase the rescue time but actually shortened the journey.

It was already approaching two in the morning. Luckily, the moonlight was strong, and you could vaguely make out some shapes on the surface of the sea.

The captain was standing in his life jacket, his back to the bow, when a voice from the ship’s rail suddenly shouted:

"Captain! There’s a capsized boat at forty degrees to the Northeast!"

The crewmen on this ship were all old hands who had worked with the captain for many years. While he was still organizing things, they had each already picked a direction and started searching with binoculars.

It was much easier to spot a boat than a person.

The boat had just set out to sea yesterday and hadn’t caught much yet. Water couldn’t get into the sealed cargo hold right away, so it just floated on the surface.

It served as a guide for the rescuers.

Everyone on the ship breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Good thing they’d arrived early; the boat hadn’t had time to sink yet.

This was truly good news.

"Calling 601, calling 601! Please respond if you can hear this!"

The captain set up a large loudspeaker, hung it on the bow, and stopped the ship. Then he had three lifeboats lowered into the water.

"Teams of three. Two experienced members on rescue, the other pilots the boat. The main ship will stay here while we approach in the dinghies. Each team take a loudspeaker. Call out a few times, then pause. Search and call. Please form teams voluntarily based on your abilities. The first group should be the most experienced. The rest will stay on the ship and wait for rotation."

It was impossible to know how long the search and rescue would last, so with extra personnel available, it was essential to arrange a rotation.

Everyone agreed, and the captain nimbly led his men down the rope ladder and into a lifeboat.

With the loudspeakers blaring, even if someone was dazed from being in the water, the instinct to survive would make them cry out.

It was late at night with limited visibility. Fortunately, the rain and wind had stopped, so sound carried far across the water. The capsized boat and the rescue ship also helped everyone get their bearings, so the rescue wasn’t considered overly difficult.

The ship’s own inflatable life rafts could seat about ten people and were equipped with motors. The three teams were led by the captain, Brother Hao, and a veteran crewman, respectively. They took the rescue supplies, started the small boats, and set off with a CHUG-CHUG-CHUG.

Soon, a chorus of calls could be heard rising and falling as they headed toward the distressed vessel.

What followed was an anxious wait.

Fortunately, they had arrived early, so the people in the water hadn’t drifted far.

About ten minutes later, Brother Hao’s team found the first person in the water.

It happened to be the captain. Seeing that things were going wrong, he had ordered his crew to put on life jackets and abandon ship. He had stayed behind to make a distress call, but unfortunately, the boat capsized before he could even dial.

He was also lucky that the boat hadn’t sunk after capsizing. He had clung tightly to the window of the captain’s cabin, and once the boat stabilized, he scrambled out, surfaced, and climbed onto the bottom of the hull.

When a ship sinks, it creates a huge vortex that can pull people under. He couldn’t bear to part with his boat and wouldn’t be satisfied until he saw it sink with his own eyes. But he was also afraid of losing both the boat and his life. After a short rest, he swam a safe distance away and expertly assumed the HELP position.

He pulled his knees to his chest with his feet together, kept his elbows tight against his sides, and crossed his arms over his life jacket, keeping his head above water as he waited quietly for rescue.

Fearing dehydration, and though his heart was bleeding, the captain blinked furiously to hold back his tears.

Thanks to his experience and good luck, aside from a few shallow cuts from the mussels growing on the boat’s hull, he had no other injuries.

Hearing the calls, the joy of surviving mixed with the pain of likely losing his boat made him break down and cry out. Once he was helped into the small boat, he unscrewed a thermos, took a few sips of ginger soup, and upon seeing a familiar face, he wrapped himself in a blanket and wept his heart out!

This captain’s luck was really something else.

Because Brother Hao runs a large seafood restaurant in Sanya, this captain was a regular supplier for him, so the two happened to know each other.

Seeing him, Brother Hao didn’t think twice and immediately tried to console him:

"Aiyo, Old Zhu! You really are lucky! You survived! Stop crying, stop crying. The rest of your life will be full of blessings! Don’t cry your good fortune away!"

Knowing he meant well, Captain Zhu embarrassedly wiped his tears, took a small sip of water, and then insisted on joining the team to search.

"Why don’t you head back to the ship and rest first? Don’t worry, your boat hasn’t sunk to the bottom. Maybe it can be fixed up and used again?"

Brother Hao ran a seafood restaurant; he had never bought a boat or dealt with this kind of situation, so he had no idea if what he was saying was right. In any case, it was the thought that counted.

Captain Zhu could tell from his words that he didn’t know what he was talking about, but he didn’t want to make him lose face, so he just started directing everyone to look for the others.

"It’s only been a little over an hour since we capsized, and you’re already here. Everyone was wearing a life jacket. We need to hurry and find them all!"

The men who sailed with him were all from his hometown. The boat capsizing was one thing, but if he lost a man in the short time since they abandoned ship, his whole family wouldn’t be able to hold their heads up in the village.

"We were just in the area. Our captain got the message that your boat lost contact and came right away without a second thought."

Brother Hao briefly explained the situation on their ship, and Captain Zhu couldn’t help but sigh with emotion:

"We seafarers live and die by solidarity. I won’t waste time with thanks. I’ll just say this: I, Old Zhu, have sailed for most of my life, and whenever I heard a distress call, I never hesitated. People say those who do wrong will bring about their own doom. Well, I’ve walked the right path, so with Mazu’s blessing, not even King Yan can do a thing to me!"

This Old Zhu had a lively personality and loved to crack jokes. Now that he was rescued and a little more relaxed, he couldn’t stop his mouth from running.

But there was nothing wrong with what he said, and the other three men all gave him a thumbs-up.

The people in the water were rescued one after another. Meanwhile, back on the ship, Ni Bingyan took off her gloves, looked up, gently pushed the camera away, and waved Pei Jin over.

"Should we really be filming this? I don’t think it’s appropriate to include it in the variety show."

A maritime accident involving eleven people, even with a timely rescue, would make national news. If they just happened to be there, didn’t do much, and still filmed the victims, they would definitely be criticized for trying to ride the coattails of any tragedy for fame.

Going too far is as bad as not going far enough.

Pei Jin was reluctant to let the buzz go to waste. ’What great material this is!’ He hesitated for a moment.

Ni Bingyan sighed in resignation, called him over to a corner, and quietly gave him her advice.

After Pei Jin heard her out, he couldn’t help but give her a thumbs-up. "Sister Bing, you’re the one with the bigger picture in mind. We’ll do it your way!"