"help……"
Just as they were working together to pull a man onto the boat, Li Haochen, with sharp eyes, saw a man struggling in the water about ten meters away, his hands flailing, his eyes filled with pain and desperation.
"Brother Yuan, you guys handle the ones nearby, I'll go for that one."
With that, he leaped into the sea. In seconds, Li Haochen was six or seven meters away. With a stroke, he kicked his legs up and down powerfully. Just as he was nearing his target, he dove underwater, circled behind the man, clasped his neck with his right hand, and kicked hard with his feet, instantly pulling the man who had just sunk up.
"Ah~ *Phew*, onboard... save... Your Majesty..." the man stammered a few English words before losing consciousness.
"Onboard? Your Majesty?" Li Haochen frowned as he looked at the towering inferno, "Is there anyone else up there?"
"Haochen, Haochen... what are you spacing out for, push him quickly."
"Uh... okay!"
After pushing the newly rescued man onto the lifeboat, Li Haochen looked at the sea of flames before him and made a resolute decision. To dispel Zhang Yuan's doubts, he immediately shouted, "Brother Yuan, this man is unconscious, you take him back first. I'll swim over to Brother Gang's side. Hurry!"
"Then be quick about it." Zhang Yuan, knowing the urgency, didn't dwell on his concerns and paddled the lifeboat towards the Zhanzheng.
Seeing Zhang Yuan turn his back to him, Li Haochen immediately swam quickly to the stern of the ship and climbed up along the boarding ladder.
As soon as he got onto the ship, a scorching, suffocating heat hit him. The strong, irritating smell made Li Haochen frown instinctively, and he squinted, scanning his surroundings.
"Hmm... got it!"
Li Haochen rushed to the right side where the life rings were hung, put on a gas mask, and grabbed an axe nearby. He then charged into the smoke-filled cabin.
While quickly checking, he shouted loudly in English, "Anyone still here?"
One cabin, two cabins... until the last one. Seeing the blocked door, Li Haochen shouted again.
Suddenly, a few thumping sounds from behind the door caught Li Haochen's attention, and he shouted again, "Is anyone inside? Anyone else?"
After a few seconds of silence, Li Haochen grew puzzled, "Did I mishear?"
The smoke thickened, with a hint of flames. Li Haochen, fearful, turned to run out, but heard a few sounds again.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
"I didn't mishear, there's someone in the room."
Li Haochen was certain someone was inside. Without thinking, he swung the axe and began smashing the obstructing debris. After several minutes, a large opening was cleared.
He rushed to the door and twisted the handle. It was locked tight. Li Haochen had no choice but to swing the axe again and chop forcefully. With a loud "clang," accompanied by a harsh metallic grating sound, the lock was violently removed. He pushed hard, and the door creaked open a gap.
Li Haochen rejoiced and then resorted to shouldering the door.
"Thump... thump..."
After several impacts, the door finally burst open. He saw a man lying unconscious on the floor. Li Haochen's heart sank. He quickly crouched down and placed two fingers on the man's carotid artery.
Feeling a faint pulse, Li Haochen breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness."
He immediately fitted the gas mask onto the man's face, then hoisted him onto his shoulder and, holding his breath, quickly rushed towards the exit...
"Boom..."
Suddenly, a massive explosion sounded, and the immense shock caused the ship's roof to collapse.
Outside the ship, after all the overboard crew had been rescued onto the Zhanzheng, the sudden violent explosion startled everyone. Several awakened men from the sailing nation looked terrified and rushed to the ship's railing, trying to jump into the sea, shouting incomprehensible words. Fortunately, Zhang Yuan and the others were quick-handed and grabbed them.
"Don't go, that ship is sinking." Liu Xiying, speaking in broken English, said.
Seeing them beating their chests and stomping their feet, their heartbroken cries directed at the slowly sinking ship, it was clear that important members were still on board.
Although moved by their grief, it was too late to turn back. Rescuing them was already a miracle. In these open seas, even if they didn't die of thirst, they would likely become shark food soon.
"Captain, let's move further away. Otherwise, the strong vortex will be very dangerous."
Wang Yan, aware of the terror a vortex could bring, immediately rushed back to the cockpit to start the engine.
"Phew~ That was terrifying. Young Haochen is quite something, saving several people." Looking at the scene, Zhang Yuan was still shaken and full of admiration for Li Haochen.
"Indeed, we must give him extra chicken legs tonight. Right, Haochen, hahaha!"
After more than ten seconds of no response, a sense of unease settled upon everyone.
"Zhigang, where's... where's Haochen? Didn't he swim past your boat?"
"No... no."
"Could it be..." Zhang Yuan and the others' hearts pounded, and fear immediately surged. They rushed to the ship's railing and shouted hoarsely, "Haochen..."
"Li Haochen... you damn well answer me, ah...!"
"Boom~"
At this moment, the ship erupted in another explosion, sending countless fragments flying. The flames illuminated a vast stretch of sea. Suddenly, a few men from the sailing nation became agitated, grabbed Zhang Yuan and the others, and started shouting frantically.
"Get away, don't you dare..."
"Zhang Yuan, Zhang Yuan, stop yelling, quick... quick, look over there."
Following Li Zhigang's direction, they saw Li Haochen struggling to drag a man about fifty meters away, swimming towards them. Everyone rejoiced, then panicked, as a massive vortex began to pull Li Haochen and the other man back.
"Seize the opportunity and press the hoist."
Just then, a roar sounded. Liao Weixiong, with a rope tied around his waist, leaped down and swam rapidly towards Li Haochen.
"Weixiong... Weixiong..."
"Quick, quick, be ready. If it doesn't work out... protect Weixiong." Liu Qinghe, with teary eyes, made the most difficult decision of his life.
Everyone clenched their fists, falling into silence. They knew this was the most sensible course of action.
Looking at Liao Weixiong struggling, Li Zhigang, who had just argued with him, shouted through tears, "Weixiong... keep going!"
"Go...!"
At this moment, Liu Qinghe's finger, resting on the hoist button, trembled with tension, and he was covered in a cold sweat. Watching the vortex's pull grow stronger, Liu Qinghe sighed heavily, tears streaming down his face, and gritted his teeth as he pressed the button...
At that moment, Liao Weixiong plunged his head into the sea. Three figures disappeared from the surface.
"Weixiong... Haochen..."
"Prince~"
Watching the figures disappear from the sea, Liu Qinghe seemed to have his soul ripped out. His eyes became vacant, and he slumped down.
"They're still alive, come help quickly..." The rope was taut, but the hoist was too slow. Chen Yaohong was straining, pulling the rope back with both hands. Seeing this, everyone's faces lit up with joy, and they joined in.
More than ten seconds later, three figures reappeared on the surface. Overjoyed, they sped up...
"Cough, cough, cough..."
A few minutes later, on the ship, Li Haochen and Liao Weixiong were coughing up seawater, lying on the deck, shivering.
"Being alive... is really f**king good!"