Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Yan Bubu followed Colonel Yu and the soldiers to the main elevator. After they headed to the surface, he took the next elevator to follow them.

Since the last time he waited in the tunnel for Feng Chen, resulting in Feng Chen's anger, Yan Bubu hadn't been to the surface. Now, gripping the slightly shaking handrail, he felt apprehensive, but his concern for Feng Chen overrode his unease, suppressing it once again.

Let him be angry, then. If it comes to it, I'll cry, throw a tantrum, lie on the ground motionless, cling to the bedpost and refuse to let go. They won't be able to make me leave.

Lost in his thoughts, the elevator reached the top and stopped. Yan Bubu stepped out and walked along the corridor.

This time, he didn't feel the oppressive heat; the temperature was normal. But he heard the sound of rain pouring at the entrance, amplified as it echoed through the corridor.

The entrance door was wide open, revealing the expansive underground shelter entrance. The squad of soldiers and Colonel Yu he had encountered earlier were standing at the entrance, looking outside.

Bright lights penetrated the heavy curtain of rain. As Yan Bubu drew closer, he saw that the ground below the entrance was flooded, a dim yellow expanse. Half of the entrance steps were submerged, leaving more than two meters above the water.

Colonel Yu, using a searchlight, peered into the distance, and a soldier beside him nudged him, "Colonel Yu, that kid you brought has also come up."

Colonel Yu slowly turned around, looking at Yan Bubu, "Little Curly Hair, how did you end up here?"

Yan Bubu, feeling nervous, replied in a small voice, "I'm Fan Renjing, waiting here for my brother."

"What?" Colonel Yu only saw his lips moving.

Yan Bubu raised his voice, "My name is Fan Renjing, beautiful and intricate like a crystal, waiting here for my brother."

"Waiting for your brother? Where is he?"

"He’s in the warehouse."

Upon hearing this, Colonel Yu's expression grew complex as he regarded Yan Bubu. A soldier nearby asked in a low voice, "Colonel Yu, should we send him back down?"

Yan Bubu, lips tightly pressed together, stood quietly as rain from the entrance wetted his forehead hair. He stood silently, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Colonel Yu.

"Let it be, let him stand there and wait," Colonel Yu turned back, continuing to watch the water.

"Yes, sir."

At that moment, on the second-floor balcony visible above the water, a string of people jumped into the water, swimming towards their next destination.

The person next to Feng Chen was making large movements, his strong legs churning up a spray of water, obscuring Feng Chen’s clear face shield. Fortunately, everyone was connected by a rope and led by a team leader, so visibility was not crucial.

Their next target was 400 meters away, a distance not too far to swim. Once there, they could rest briefly before heading straight to the 800-meter distant entrance of the underground shelter.

After the first trial, everyone felt this method was feasible, swimming confidently towards the building indicated by the detector. However, upon arrival, they discovered it was a church, only the top half of its roof visible above water, offering no place to rest.

"Damn, no chance to rest," someone cursed in disappointment.

The team leader, panting heavily, shouted while looking at the detector, "Only 800 meters left, swim directly to the shelter entrance! Everyone, put in more effort, swim straight there!"

Amidst the stormy rain and fierce currents, swimming another 800 meters was a challenge, as many had already exhausted their strength to get this far. With no other choice, they continued to swim, cursing their luck, pushing forward.

Feng Chen remained silent from start to finish, conserving his energy. The person beside him, flapping his arms like a whale's tail, was gasping for air, exhausted like an old ox. When he heard they had to continue swimming for another 800 meters without rest, he furiously ranted, declaring he'd rather sink and give up.

Amidst the chaos, the team leader soldier said, "Conserving energy is crucial right now. Except for the leaders, everyone should swim using the backstroke. Don't face the current directly; instead, use an S-shaped path to kick forward."

Feng Chen flipped over, lying on his back on the water. With his heat-resistant mask removed, the raindrops made it impossible to open his eyes. He could only judge the direction based on the pull of the rope.

In the relentless downpour, everyone struggled to move towards the designated safe point.

At the entrance of the safe point, Yan Bubu stood at the forefront. Drenched, he continually wiped the rain off his face. Despite the heavy curtains blocking the view, he strained his eyes to see more clearly into the distance.

The rain showed no signs of easing, and the water level at the steps kept rising, now only a meter away from the entrance.

Colonel Yu stood silently beside Yan Bubu. A soldier asked in a low voice, "Colonel Yu, the water is rising. Should we close the door now?"

Colonel Yu glanced at him, and without a word, the soldier immediately shrank back in silence.

"Let's wait a bit longer," Colonel Yu inhaled deeply, unsure if he was speaking to the soldier or to Yan Bubu beside him.

Feng Chen floated and sank in the water, maintaining a steady breath and heartbeat, kicking forward. Each time he sank, the world became eerily quiet. But upon surfacing, the noise of the wind, rain, and shouts of others returned, overwhelming and all-encompassing.

The team leader, eyeing the detector, shouted, "Put in more effort, we're only 400 meters away."

"Understood."

"Ah, my leg is cramping."

"Stop being scared, the rope will drag you along."

"Move to the left, will you? You've kicked my head several times."

……

As they neared the safe point, though the group cursed and complained, a sense of relief was evident in their voices. Feng Chen, feeling less tense, was about to turn over and swim the final stretch when he suddenly heard a cry for help nearby.

He turned towards the direction of the sound but couldn't see anything. Then, another cry: "Help..."

The others heard it too and began asking, "What happened? I think I heard someone yelling for help."

"I heard it too. Which team is it? Which vehicle's person? Speak up!"

Someone on the right shouted in panic, "I think they're people from vehicle number five. They were swimming beside us, but suddenly a few disappeared. I saw someone come up for air, shouting for help, then sinking again."

"Quick, get in the water and look for them."

The group nearest to vehicle number five, all strong swimmers from vehicle number four, immediately dived into the water.

Other teams, farther away, remained floating on their backs, tense yet silent, waiting.

A minute later, several heads resurfaced, gasping for air, "No, didn't find them. It's too dark underwater, and we can't see far. They’re gone."

Knowing they couldn't afford to linger under the circumstances and with everyone's energy waning, the team leader decisively ordered, "Stop searching, keep swimming forward."

Everyone resumed swimming towards the shelter, no longer speaking, their silence and heavy breathing lost in the overwhelming storm.

Feng Chen, feeling the icy chill of the water, his body temperature rapidly dropping, lay back on the water's surface, adjusting his breathing while deep in thought.

Everyone was tied together with ropes, so if someone couldn't swim or got snagged, they wouldn't all sink. There was always time to stay afloat and call for help. But the people in Car Five drowned together, only managing to cry out briefly, which was illogically quick and lacked any chance for rescue.

Could it be... Could there be something else underwater?

As Feng Chen thought this, a chill ran down his spine, and he turned to look at the water. The headlamp illuminated the area in front of him, but the murky water obscured his view. Just as he was about to look away, he noticed a disturbance in the water about ten meters to his left, something rapidly approaching him.

The object moved swiftly, and in a blink, his left foot was firmly gripped by something. The next second, he was dragged underwater.

Feng Chen was pulled rapidly through the water, his mind blanking for a moment until he choked on some water and came to his senses, holding his breath and looking ahead.

The water churned, and the dark shadow in front of him, fluttering its tail fin, appeared to be a fish about half his size, holding his left foot in its mouth and swimming towards the dark depths.

He tugged at his left foot, but the fish gripped it tightly, making it impossible to break free. However, he felt only pressure, no pain – the fish's teeth weren't sharp.

He felt a strong pull at his waist and turned to see that the string of 'gourds' attached to his waist rope was also dragged underwater, following him closely.

"Gurgle..." The person beside him stared in terror, bubbles escaping from his mouth.

Feng Chen didn't have time to think about where the fish was taking them; he desperately tried to pull his left foot from its mouth. However, no matter how much he struggled, it was futile, so he kicked at the fish's head with his right foot.

It was hard to exert force in the water, especially while being dragged. Feng Chen kicked several times without freeing his left foot, and the air in his lungs was almost depleted, causing a dull pain in his chest.

He looked at the others and saw that the person beside him had rolled his eyes back and fainted, while the rest struggled desperately to surface.

But the fish was extraordinarily strong, and everyone together couldn't resist being dragged forward.

The team leader, at the end of the rope, was trying to untie the knot at his waist, but it was too tight and soaked through, impossible to untie. He had discarded his gun and knife before entering the water, and now, besides the walkie-talkie around his neck, he had no weapon.

As he tugged at the rope, he looked ahead and locked eyes with Feng Chen, who was turning his head.

Feng Chen nodded at him, and without hesitation, drew the broken-blade dagger from behind his waist. In the leader's astonished gaze, he cut the rope around his waist.

Even with a broken blade, the dagger was still sharp enough to slice through the rope instantly.

The team leader felt a sudden lightness as the dragging force disappeared. He quickly kicked his legs, leading the group towards the surface, but in the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the young man named Qin Shen being dragged into the dark depths by the large fish.

When they finally broke the surface, they greedily inhaled fresh air and revived the person who had passed out.

The leading soldier glanced back, seeing nothing but vast darkness.

Knowing the young man was beyond rescue, he rasped a shout: "Everyone, swim back quickly!"

At the entrance of the underground shelter, Yan Bubu stared fixedly ahead, occasionally wiping his eyes but otherwise remaining as still as a statue. The rain was heavy, streaming down his curled forehead and into his eyes, reddening them before he could wipe the tears away.

Colonel Yu stood silently beside him, eyes fixed on the ground, watching the water line rise step by step, submerging each level of the stairs.

When only the last step remained, he finally spoke in a grave tone: "Liu Cheng."

"Present."

"Prepare to close the door and activate emergency lockdown."

"Understood."

Yan Bubu, who had been motionless, trembled at these words and suddenly turned to look at the soldier named Liu Cheng, watching him walk to the left of the door and open a panel on the wall, revealing a row of buttons.

"Don't close the door, don't close it, my brother hasn't come back yet," Yan Bubu yelled, rushing over and hugging Liu Cheng's legs, pushing him aside. "Don't close it, my brother isn't back yet."

Caught off guard, Liu Cheng stumbled a few steps to the side, scolding: "Get out of the way, kid. Don't cause trouble here."

"No, you can't close it, you just can't," Yan Bubu continued to push him, blocking his way to the control panel.

Just as Liu Cheng was about to move Yan Bubu aside, a soldier at the door cried out in alarm: "Look, there seems to be someone in the water!"

Everyone looked towards the water, and Yan Bubu turned his head in surprise, seeing several heads bobbing in the water, illuminated by the searchlight and swimming towards them.

"Quick, save them!" Before Colonel Yu could issue the command, several soldiers had already jumped into the water, swimming rapidly towards the people.

Yan Bubu, seeing Liu Cheng leave the control box, rushed to the doorway, peering outside anxiously. He stared intently into the distance, fists clenched, his body trembling with tension.

The first few people were quickly rescued, lying on the ground, ashen-faced, with ropes tied around their waists, too exhausted to speak.

Not seeing Feng Chen among them, Yan Bubu continued to look out anxiously, waiting.

More and more heads appeared in the water, groups of people floating, as soldiers continuously jumped in to push the exhausted individuals ashore.

The entrance corridor soon filled with people, some leaning over to spit out water, most lying powerlessly still, with only a few quickly sitting up and untying their ropes.

Yan Bubu stood at the forefront of the doorway, reaching out to help each person the soldiers pushed out of the water, searching their faces.

When the last few drenched individuals were pulled in, Yan Bubu looked behind them to find the water surface empty, no other figures in sight.

"Did you see my brother? Uncle, did you see my brother?"

Yan Bubu's eyes brimmed with tears that didn’t fall, full of hope as he gazed at the person before him.

"Who is your brother?" one of the soldiers, wiping water from his face, asked Yan Bubu in a hoarse voice.

Yan Bubu: "My brother is Qin Shen."

The soldier's motion of wiping water paused as he gasped for breath, looking at the child in front of him, yet he remained silent.

"Uncle, you know my brother, right? Where is he? Is he still behind us?" Yan Bubu leaned in and asked repeatedly.

The soldier shifted his gaze away hastily, his voice slightly unnatural: "He should still be behind, I guess..."

Hearing this, Yan Bubu sighed in relief and turned back to look at the water. Meanwhile, Colonel Yu had already understood everything and, after a light cough, quietly instructed Liu Cheng beside him: "You can close the door now."

"Yes."

Yan Bubu changed his angle to see further. As he adjusted his position, he caught a glimpse of the soldier walking towards the wall-mounted cabinet in his peripheral vision, instantly alert and staring intently at his movements.

Liu Cheng pulled open the cabinet door, and just as his finger touched the red button, a small figure rushed over, slamming into him like a cannonball.

Caught off guard, he was pushed back several steps.

Yan Bubu stretched out his arms, using his back to block the cabinet, and while warily watching everyone, he screamed shrilly: "Don't you dare close the door! Don't close it! Wait a bit longer, my brother hasn't come back yet!"

。

Due to lack of oxygen, Feng Chen's lungs felt like they were about to burst, and a buzzing noise filled his ears. He didn't know where the fish was taking him; he only knew he had to quickly free his foot from its mouth and surface.

Holding a dagger, he tried to bend over to stab the fish, but the rapid forward motion and the strong currents made it difficult for him to even bend his body.

Without the cover of rain, the light on his forehead shone further underwater. He could see the large fish body vigorously moving its tail to swim forward, and he could also see that less than a hundred meters ahead, the color of the water deepened, resembling a black long strip.

Trouble!

Feng Chen realized that it must be a fissure formed during an earthquake.

There was no time for contemplation in the current situation; the big fish, like an arrow, rushed towards the fissure, dragging him downward into its depths.

The sudden drop in water temperature enveloped Feng Chen in a chilling embrace, snapping his confused mind into a moment of clarity.

No, this won't do. He had to break free quickly; he couldn't sink down. He needed to find a way out urgently.

Fortunately, the large fish had slowed down, no longer charging wildly but swimming steadily downward. Feng Chen bit down hard on himself, tasting the salty, metallic tang of blood in his mouth before coiling up and lunging forward, his left hand reaching out to gouge the fish's eyes.

With his body secured, he raised his right hand, plunging the dagger viciously into the big fish.

He used all his strength, burying the blade completely into the fish's back.

Then he pulled it out, stabbed again, pulled out, stabbed again...

Blood gushed out, staining the surrounding water red. The fish thrashed in pain but continued dragging Feng Chen deeper into the fissure, as if sensing his impending drowning.

Feng Chen was indeed nearing his limit. Oxygen deprivation left his mind blank, his vision filled with flickering, distorted images, and the noise of water pounding in his ears. His blood rushed like a surging tide, violently striking his veins.

But with the last shred of consciousness, he mechanically raised his arm time and again, stabbing the fish relentlessly.

The fish's movements slowed, stopping its descent. After a few convulsions of its tail, its mouth gradually loosened, lifelessly sinking deeper into the fissure.

Finally free, Feng Chen's consciousness began to scatter, his limbs weakly floating in the water, his eyes half-open, gazing upward.

Memories flickered through his mind like a spinning lantern: his father's advice, his mother's tender gaze, and Yan Bubu, his face smeared with mud, squinting in the sunlight, holding up a wriggling worm: “Young master, this is for you…”

Yan Bubu...

“Brother, brother, brother…”

Yan Bubu's voice kept entering his ears, sometimes playful, sometimes aggrieved, but always filled with deep dependence.

In Feng Chen's increasingly sluggish mind, a thought suddenly struck him like a bolt of lightning: If he died, how would Yan Bubu survive alone?

This thought, like a flash of bright light, jolted him back to some semblance of consciousness. Though his body had no strength left, his fingers in the water twitched slightly.

Through his blurred vision, he thought he saw a massive shadow appear before him, a lithe and powerful figure with amber eyes, and long mane softly floating in the water.

It was the black lion, the one he had seen once before and never again since.