Chapter 10: Panic

The door was smashed open, and the passengers blocked at the stairway surged upward.

He is still so young; he must be allowed to live. Mu made a firm resolution

As Sima Nan said, on the other side of the ship's railing, Smith was completely panicked, and the second officer Murdoch had to shout loudly to get him to react

"Form a line, hurry up, and stop dawdling," shouted Situ Nan.

"Come here, there is a place over here," Mrs. Brown called to Rose and her mother

The most advantageous and powerful rescue of over 2,000 lives on the Titanic was ultimately lost due to a telegraph operator turning off the telegraph machine to sleep

How could these delicate ladies possibly be a match for the rough sailor Situ Nan? Ignoring their incessant protests, Situ Nan spoke seriously to his colleague beside him, saying: "Move quickly, fill the transport boat."

"It is useless, it can only delay for a few minutes. No matter what we do now, the Titanic is doomed to sink," Andrew said dejectedly

"He is made of iron, he will sink, I am quite sure of it," Andrew said firmly

This has indeed increased efficiency significantly, and the number of people escaping from Situ Nan is also somewhat greater than in the original historical account

But now, at this critical moment of life and death, those noble first-class passengers, under the somewhat rough methods of Situ Nan, no longer cared so much; escaping for their lives was the priority, so it was better to follow the arrangements of this rude man and escape as soon as possible

The people present felt as if the air had turned icy upon hearing that

Shut up! Do you understand? These boats are very sturdy and can withstand the weight of 70 people. If they are not fully loaded, the lives of more than 40 people would be in your hands.

"Are the lifeboats classified by levels? I hope it won't be too crowded later!" Si Tu Nan was preparing to direct the passengers as they waited for the boat when he suddenly heard a woman next to him speak impatiently.

Unfortunately, after the telegram was sent, only the nearby Koshia responded, and it would take at least four hours to reach the area of the incident.

"This is definitely going to make headlines! It will surely cause a sensation around the world!" Smith said despairingly

As soon as the first batch of transport boats was lowered, a firework was launched into the sky. The brilliant firework caused a slight commotion, as the passengers in the second and third class saw that the first class passengers had already begun to evacuate using the transport boats. How could they not be anxious?

Similarly, on the other side, Murdoch also directed the passengers to board the lifeboats

Si Tu Nan thought to himself that he would not allow these people to leave so easily. Coincidentally, there were two wealthy ladies who were not in a hurry to leave and were still chatting away. Without saying a word, he directly pulled them forcefully into the transport boat.

Due to only three winches being available on one side of the ship, only three landing craft can be deployed at a time. With the sailors' efforts, the first batch of landing craft has been loaded onto the winches and is ready to be boarded. However, it is infuriating that, at such a critical moment, some first-class passengers, fearing the cold, refuse to queue outside and instead hide indoors. Among them, some are putting on airs.

How much time is left? Smith was too lazy to argue about these trivial matters; he had a premonition of this before Andrew arrived, so it was better to focus on some practical tasks now

Taking advantage of the remaining time, the first-class passengers were still in line. Mu walked over and pulled Situ Nan aside, saying: "I should have listened to you. If we had directly collided with the iceberg without turning the rudder, the Titanic would not have sunk! It's all my fault." Regret filled Mu's eyes.

Some women, who were relatively slow in their movements, were almost half persuaded and half forced by Situ Nan to board the transport boat

The first transport boat was launched with thirty people on board. Originally, the design of the transport boat allowed for more than 50 people, but the issue was that it could not be fully loaded with passengers when being lowered into the sea. Even so, there were still some who were not satisfied

Still waiting for him? He is on the other side of the ship, nearly thirty meters away, and it has already taken quite some time to go back and forth. At this critical moment, every second counts; even Captain Smith would act this way if he were here. If we don't hurry, things will get chaotic soon

At that time, there was indeed an American ship near the Titanic. Unfortunately, upon receiving the iceberg warning in that sea area, the American ship did not dare to sail at night. Even more despairing was the fact that the telegraph operator on the American ship had turned off the machine and gone to sleep. It was a long, cold night, difficult to endure

"This ship will not sink!" Ismail roared defiantly

Mu was unaware that Situ Nan had foreseen this moment from the very first day I crossed over. He had been troubled and under immense pressure ever since, especially before the Titanic struck the iceberg. Now that it has finally happened, he no longer has to worry about gains and losses; all the pressure seems to have vanished in an instant. Situ Nan now only wants to fight with all his might.

"It is not the good half that dies," Hawke said with a smile, his expression revealing an indescribable sense of pride

When will the ship set sail?" complained Ismail, the chairman of the White Star Line

Tears of regret were about to fall from Smith's eyes

Originally, these roles were supposed to be handled by Mu, but he was also busy directing a winch and could not manage so much at once. At the same time, seeing Situ Nan's face twisted in a grimace could effectively stabilize the situation, so why not take advantage of it?

An increasing number of passengers are being blocked at the stairway entrance, and their frustration is growing. The clever ones have started to move the sofa at the stairway entrance to break down the door

"Damn you all," Situ Nan shouted as he turned around, "Are you all going to leave or not? If you’re not leaving, then let others have the opportunity. Everyone's time is precious, so don’t cling to others while trying to escape."

Rose and Hawk were engaged in conversation, but Situ Nan could not be bothered to pay attention. However, seeing Rose's mother moving so slowly ignited his anger, and he walked over, picked her up in a horizontal embrace, and nearly tossed her inside.

Unfortunately, these Smiths are unaware of this, and even if they were to know, it would not change the outcome of the disaster

"Can we use a pump?" the captain asked, unwilling to give up.

Mu and his team are organizing the sailors to deploy the transport boats. This includes Situ Nan, who is currently under Mu's command. Since the incident in the first year, he has been following Mu, as the captain and Mu possess the most knowledge about the situation, and the evacuation efforts are also organized and arranged by them.

No, it is not your concern. You have done your best. This is not what you wish to see. You are an outstanding first officer, and I take pride in you

At this moment, everyone knew what was happening! Some people can face death calmly, but the vast majority, when confronted with a sudden crisis, instinctively panic and flee for their lives; this is the instinct of all living beings

Mu decisively stood up and shouted to the passengers who were already lined up: "Form an orderly line, women and children first to board the ship." While shouting, Mu also directed the passengers to board the ferry.

Seeing that this transport boat has only accommodated about twenty people, with many empty seats remaining, Situ Nan had discussed with Andrew and knew that a transport boat can carry up to 65 people and withstand the weight of 70 individuals. If this transport boat were to be sunk, it would mean that forty lives that could have survived would be buried in the sea

Sima Nan comforted Mu, "Quickly organize the evacuation efforts now, and try to involve as many people as possible!"

Bang bang bang

Time, what is most lacking now is time, so procrastination is something Situ Nan cannot tolerate

Two flowers bloom, each on its own branch

"Wait a moment, the captain has not given the order yet," Mu said

One must understand that if it were not for this clueless fellow meddling, how could I have dared to order to maintain full speed ahead? It is also my fault for being old and losing my senses, still yearning for some honorable retirement, and now I have finally made a grave mistake

Si Tu Nan turned around and saw that it was Rose's mother. No wonder, this old witch. Just as Si Tu Nan was about to teach her a lesson, he saw that Rose had already taken action. Rose angrily pulled her mother and said, "Enough, stop talking. The sea is frozen, and there aren't enough transport boats; half of the people will die."

Passengers in the second and third class rushed towards the stairway, but unfortunately, the attendants who received the orders had blocked the stairway door, attempting to deal with the frantic passengers with meaningless and rambling responses

Alright, put down the transport boat

Two thousand two hundred people!" replied the first mate Mu.

Let the women and children go up first, said Situ Nan to Mu

Returning to the telegraph room, this time the advanced telegraph machine on the ship finally performed a serious task, sending a message not to the trading markets of London or New York. Unfortunately, the message it was about to send was "The Titanic is about to sink"

Although some people disapprove of Situ Nan's rudeness, the crew usually does not dare to offend these first-class passengers, and it is quite normal for them to be shouted at.

Taking a deep breath, Smith and his companions arrived heavily at the telegraph room. Designer Andrew pointed at the unfolded blueprints and said: "The forward hold, three cargo holds, and boiler number six are all taking on water; now five areas are flooding. This ship is going to sink"

"How many people are on the ship?" Although Captain Smith's expression remained calm, his heart was already in turmoil.

"One hour, at most two hours," Andrew calculated and replied

Four watertight compartments are damaged, which is not a problem, but now there are already five. It is about to sink, with the bow sinking first, and seawater continuously flooding from the bow to the stern, ultimately ... ...

Although it is unclear why this cousin seems to possess some sort of precognitive ability, Mu thought that if he had followed Situ Nan's advice, the outcome would not have been as disastrous as it is now. However, there is no point in saying more; it is better to try to make amends. Mu looked at his cousin Situ Nan, who had a youthful face, and strangely, he appeared completely unfazed, methodically assisting him in lowering the transport boat

Damn it, which ghostly thing is saying such cold-blooded words? Si Tu Nan felt a chill in her heart as she listened. How could these people have such thoughts? Now, even the transport boats are insufficient, yet they still want to make things comfortable. Does she not realize that leaving one more spot open could cost another life?

"It is very dangerous to be fully loaded; we cannot do this!" someone protested

Capsizing in a gutter

Si Tu Nan observed that the transport was nearly full, and immediately instructed the sailors to lower the transport boat.

Sidu Nan is truly speechless; how can these two individuals have such a high sense of hierarchy that they can disregard the lives of others