Chapter 95: The pink sperm whale’s cry for help

Chapter 95: The Pink Sperm Whales' Cry for Help

It wasn’t until the helicopter’s roar echoed overhead that Little Dumpling understood what her father had meant by flying higher and further away.

Fu Cheng had learned to pilot a helicopter in his early years to accompany clients.

When the helicopter landed, the wind from its spinning blades rippled the emerald grass on the surrounding hills.

Nearby, Song Yanzhi and Fu Yuchen, who had just finished their training but hadn’t yet taken off, were startled by the helicopter’s presence and rushed to Fu Cheng’s side.

"Uncle Fu, it’s a helicopter!"

The little boy was obsessed with all kinds of vehicles and aircraft.

Even Song Yanzhi was no exception.

The moment he saw the helicopter, his eyes couldn’t just be described as shining—if it hadn’t just landed, he would’ve dashed straight into it.

Fu Yuchen sighed helplessly beside him. "Dad, how is Yanzhi supposed to enjoy his flight now?"

Fu Cheng laughed heartily, scooping up the excited, bouncing Song Yanzhi and handing him to his second son’s arms.

"This time, Uncle’s only passenger is your little sister. Once you and Yu Chen finish your flight, Uncle will take you up too."

With the answer he wanted, Song Yanzhi—who would get to experience two high-altitude adventures in one day—clapped his hands in delight and immediately dragged Fu Yuchen toward the paragliding instructor.

The helicopter took off first.

Little Dumpling obediently sat in the co-pilot seat, wearing a noise-canceling headset and bundled up securely.

She was so tiny that Fu Cheng, still uneasy, had added two extra seatbelts for her.

Only after ensuring she wouldn’t fall did he finally start the helicopter.

"Zhi Zhi, we’re taking off!"

At that moment, as the helicopter’s control stick was gently pushed forward, the rotor blades spun rapidly, and the aircraft dove toward the ocean.

Little Dumpling had flown before, but never in a helicopter.

The sensation of flying low enough to see the ocean and the entire Maldives islands outside the window instantly chased away the last traces of drowsiness in her mind.

"Daddy! Big fish!"

The helicopter skimmed over the sea, with Fu Cheng deliberately lowering the altitude so they could clearly see the schools of fish below.

Though marine life had grown scarce in recent years, leaving fishermen with poor hauls, as the helicopter glided over the water, Little Dumpling immediately spotted a group of unusually large fish.

"Pink fish! Big ones!"

Enormous, entirely pink sperm whales leaped out of the water one after another.

They seemed to be chasing the helicopter, swimming persistently in its direction.

Fu Cheng adjusted the controls and glanced down at the pod of whales, a grin tugging at his lips.

"Pink sperm whales—they’re the largest known mammals on Earth."

"Zhi Zhi really is our Little Lucky Star. Even Daddy’s never seen pink sperm whales before."

Little Dumpling pressed her entire face against the window.

Watching the pink sperm whales relentlessly following the helicopter, she murmured, "Pink... sperm whales."

As if hearing her words, the lead whale suddenly let out a long, plaintive call.

One after another, the haunting calls echoed across the sea.

Muffled by her noise-canceling headset, Little Dumpling could barely hear them.

She pressed against the window, her tiny hand clenching into a fist against the glass.

Fu Cheng glanced over and chuckled softly when he saw the pink whales still chasing them. Leaning toward the mic, he murmured, "Hold on tight, Zhi Zhi. Daddy’s going up higher."

But his usually obedient daughter didn’t respond.

Frowning, Fu Cheng turned to see her small body trembling slightly, her clenched fists straining.

"Zhi Zhi?"

Turning her gently toward him, he found her face already wet with tears, her little baby teeth biting her lip so hard her expression contorted with distress.

His heart wrenched. Fu Cheng wiped her tears away softly and asked in a low voice, "What’s wrong, Zhi Zhi? Is flying too high making you uncomfortable?"

Shaking her head tearfully, Little Dumpling reached out for a hug, but the seatbelts restrained her. Stuck in the co-pilot seat, she sobbed, "Daddy... Whale brother... is crying."

The whales’ cries had gradually faded.

Only then did Fu Cheng notice the pod had stopped following them, turning away to an unknown destination.

Seeing his daughter’s tear-stained face twisted his heart into knots. "Is it because of the bad things? Does Whale brother... have no home?"

Voicing his suspicion, he watched as she nodded weakly. His throat tightened before he turned his gaze toward the coral reefs.

"Don’t cry, Zhi Zhi. Daddy will find all the bad things. Whale brother will find his home again and be with his mommy and daddy."

"My sweet girl, if you keep crying like this, Daddy’s heart is going to break."

As her tears fell like an endless stream, Fu Cheng nearly ordered a digger to the reef area on the spot to dig up every last rock.

He was dying to see just what this "bad thing" looked like—the one that could not only drive people crazy but had also devastated the ocean into the state it’s in.

After flying loops around the Maldives twice, Little Dumpling’s emotions finally calmed down.

They never encountered the pink sperm whales again. If not for her reddened eyes, Fu Cheng might’ve wondered if he’d imagined it all.

The helicopter eventually landed atop the hill.

Carrying his daughter out, Fu Cheng saw Song Yanzhi huddled against Fu Yuchen’s arms, looking just as glum.

"Well, what’s going on here?"

Pushing his worries aside, Fu Cheng walked over, carrying his daughter, only to find Song Yanzhi sniffling, eyes swollen—clearly having just cried as well.

Fu Yuchen soothed his little brother, "Yanzhi’s afraid of heights and going fast. Paragliding was a bit too much for him."

Song Yanzhi also turned around, reaching out toward Fu Cheng with a tearful voice, "Uncle Fu, the helicopter!"

Fu Cheng couldn't help but laugh. "You're still hung up on the helicopter in this condition? Alright, let’s go back and rest first. When the weather clears tomorrow and you feel better, Uncle Fu will take you up in the helicopter again."

Song Yanzhi’s helicopter dream was shattered. Feeling sick and gagging, he buried himself in Fu Yuchen’s arms, whimpering pitifully.

Fu Yuchen couldn't help but chuckle at him.

He glanced at his sister in their father’s arms and, noticing she seemed worn out, asked softly, "Dad, what’s wrong with Zhi Zhi?"

Fu Cheng patted his daughter’s back. "When we flew over the sea earlier, we encountered a group of pink sperm whales."

Fu Yuchen was surprised. "Pink?"

Encountering sperm whales was already an extremely rare occurrence, but to think his sister had come across pink ones was unbelievable.

Fu Cheng nodded. If possible, he would rather not have encountered those sperm whales at all.

Sperm whales were typically solitary creatures. For a group to appear together, emitting long cries for help, was virtually unprecedented.

"We need to hurry up with the reef zone work. Otherwise, this place will be wiped out by those creatures sooner or later."

After hearing his father’s words, his heart ached for his sister’s sensitivity and maturity.

Some people in the world possessed amazing empathy—his sister was one of them. But he never expected her to empathize with animals as well.

With a small smile, Fu Yuchen stepped forward and gave his sister's hair a gentle tousle. "Don’t cry, Zhi Zhi. We’ll definitely help the whale brother find his home again."

Little dumpling turned her red-rimmed eyes toward him and nodded firmly. "Zhi Zhi trusts Daddy and Second Brother!"

As long as Daddy and her brothers were with her, Zhi Zhi felt completely safe.