Chapter 5: The Fury of the Wild Sea

Nitrogen narcosis refers to a phenomenon experienced by divers underwater, characterized by a state of mental sluggishness similar to intoxication, and may even lead to hallucinations and unusual behavior. The exact medical explanation for this condition remains unclear; however, it is widely believed that under high pressure in deep water, a significant amount of nitrogen from the inhaled compressed air dissolves in the fatty substances that cover nerve cells, interfering with nerve conduction. The conditions under which nitrogen narcosis occurs vary from person to person, much like individual differences in alcohol tolerance. Some individuals may feel its effects in relatively shallow waters, while others may remain unaffected even at depths of over 40 meters. Furthermore, even the same individual may exhibit different reactions depending on their physical condition at the time. There is also the so-called "Martini Law": at around 30 meters, the level of nitrogen narcosis is equivalent to consuming one martini; at around 40 meters, it is akin to having two martinis. For every additional 10 to 15 meters, it is comparable to drinking one more martini.

Qiao shook off her hand and strode to the bow of the boat to sit down

"Hello, are you worried about me? Don't worry, didn't you also say that I am a good student?" Su Anyi splashed water on him, "Actually, there is no need to worry. I have signed a contract before, and regardless of life or death, you do not need to be responsible for my safety. Since Tianwang has also been here, I probably won't be able to find any new clues that could change his mind. Even if I really get stuck on the ship and can't come up, it doesn't matter to me." Since Tianwang has also been here, I probably won't be able to find any new clues that could change his mind. Even if I really get stuck on the ship and can't come up, it doesn't matter to me.

Su Anyi shook her head, if this is the truth, it is indeed too dark and tragic

She cannot resist, and neither can Shen Tian'en

Qiao tilted his head slightly, indicating that the Qingye Pill was over there, but it was not visible

Su Anyi felt a chill in her heart, the underwater world was a vast expanse of blue, the light fading into the depths of the sea, and all she could hear was the sound of her and Qiao exhaling bubbles, "gurgle gurgle". She flipped back and forth in the water a few times, closed her eyes, and a picture of a sunken ship gradually became clear in her mind. Su Anyi shivered, glanced at the compass, which pointed southeast.

Pakun steered the small boat to the area where the Qingye Maru was located, not far from which lay an underwater cliff plunging hundreds of meters deep. The originally shallow blue and light green, glass-like surface of the sea transformed ahead into a deep, tranquil blue. Beneath the water loomed the gray shadow of a sunken ship, lying still in the undulating waves like a colossal beast in ambush.

When Xu Zongyang and Shen Tian'en arrived, it was already close to the end of the peak season, and the howling winds of the monsoon season were about to set in. The island was sparsely populated with tourists, and on the vast beach, only the two of them went diving, accompanied by their guide, Zan Wansi Li. During their second visit to the Qingye Maru, they had not surfaced half an hour past the agreed time, and it was reasonable to deduce that the gas in the tank could not sustain them for such a long period. The boatman sought help from his companions to search the nearby waters and discovered Xu Zongyang and Zan Wansi Li on the beach of Island No. 8, but Shen Tian'en was missing. Subsequently, a search and rescue operation was launched, and lead weights belonging to A Zan and Xu Zongyang were found on the Qingye Maru. Several days later, near the underwater cliff edge close to the Qingye Maru, someone discovered a weight belt belonging to Shen Tian'en.

What accident

Facing his stern face, Su Anyi instead smiled: "But I have you"

Xu Jiarui waited at the dock for three hours, yet the sea remained devoid of even a single ship's silhouette. During the monsoon season, there are not many ferries; however, on this day, the waters were calm, and not even the supply ship from Sucha Island, which had come to procure goods, was in sight

Not far southeast from the Qingye Maru lies a several hundred meter deep underwater cliff, where deep ocean currents collide with the rocky walls, creating turbulent waters that bring a large quantity of plankton from the seabed to the shallows, providing abundant bait for various fish species. Thus, this area is densely populated with fish, and the coral thriving on the sunken ship serves as a paradise for them to forage. Hundreds and thousands of fish swim around the Qingye Maru, gently waving their fins in the swift currents, suspended against the flow, content and at ease. A school of small yellow fish is chased by predatory barracuda, darting in a panic as they rush between the two individuals. Su Anyi seizes the moment when Qiao is distracted and dashes towards the steps below the tower. Qiao quickly lunges to grab her fin, but halfway there, he is caught by the fixed line, watching helplessly as Su Anyi twists her waist and gracefully glides away. He curses under his breath, regretting having let her practice too much, as she has become so agile in the water. After untying the line, Su Anyi has already disappeared beneath the deck, with a faint white light from her headlamp flickering in the passage. She feels secure, knowing that Qiao will be helpless, following her with a fierce demeanor, perhaps intending to throw her back into the water once they return to the surface. However, at this moment, she pays little attention to that and turns on her headlamp to carefully inspect the cabin.

Once the ability to resist is lost, the airbag will be deflated, and under the drag of the ballast, a person will fall increasingly faster into the deep sea, never to see the light of day

The needle on the barometer has entered the red zone. Qiao grabbed An Yi, unfastened the weight around her waist, and threw it to the seabed, then inflated her buoyancy control device. In an instant, the buoyancy increased significantly, enough to maintain balance in the downward current. Su An Yi remained calm and made an OK gesture. Qiao gestured that he would remove An Yi's flow hook from the boat and then, like flying a kite, let her slowly float to the surface of the water, with the rope always in his hand to prevent the downward current from suddenly disappearing, which would cause An Yi to experience excessive buoyancy and shoot up to the surface like a rocket, risking damage to her lungs. She nodded but felt uneasy, continuously pointing at Qiao and making question marks in the water, unsure of how he would save himself. Qiao gestured that he would remove An Yi's flow hook from the boat and then, like flying a kite, let her slowly float to the surface of the water, with the rope always in his hand to prevent the downward current from suddenly disappearing, which would cause An Yi to experience excessive buoyancy and shoot up to the surface like a rocket, risking damage to her lungs. She nodded but felt uneasy, continuously pointing at Qiao and making question marks in the water, unsure of how he would save himself.

The Aoba Maru was a warship of the Japanese Navy during World War II, measuring 123 meters in length and 20 meters in width. It was sunk by the United States Air Force in March 1945. The maximum depth of the ship was 43 meters, and the deck was located 28 to 35 meters above the water surface. This wreck was originally situated near Island No. 8 in the Sucha Islands, and since the 1990s, it has attracted a large number of tourists, gradually becoming a popular diving site

Illusion! Qiao clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms, using the pain to remind himself to return to reality. He had experienced the intoxication of nitrogen before, but this time it came without warning, and the sensations were so vivid that if he allowed himself to sink into the illusion, the only outcome would be to perish in the vast ocean.

Qiao Qing pressed her palm down to calm her, and then said no more. Su Anyi felt a warmth in her eyes; bound by the equipment, she could only give him a clumsy embrace. The two of them, wearing masks and respirators, burdened with oxygen tanks, embraced in a manner that was exceedingly awkward, resembling more of a mutual support.

Qiao Danran smiled lightly and stepped boldly into the water, signaling Su Anyi to sink quickly. The two were swept sideways by the swift current, as if struggling against a forceful wind of level eight. Descending over twenty meters, the water flow became somewhat calmer, but visibility was only about five meters; the underwater scene was a murky gray, with indistinct shapes, revealing only the outline of a sunken ship that rose from the seabed like a hill. After being carried to this point, the Qingye Maru capsized to the left, with its starboard side more than twenty meters from the water's surface, and the buoy's cable was tied to the ship's stern propeller. Descending over twenty meters, the water flow became somewhat calmer, but visibility was only about five meters; the underwater scene was a murky gray, with indistinct shapes, revealing only the outline of a sunken ship that rose from the seabed like a hill. After being carried to this point, the Qingye Maru capsized to the left, with its starboard side more than twenty meters from the water's surface, and the buoy's cable was tied to the ship's stern propeller.

Qiao saw An Yi suddenly lose her balance not far away. Although she kicked her fins, she was still falling as if from a great height, unstoppable. He was startled, knowing she had encountered a rapid downward current. He leaped forward, using the water's momentum to catch up with An Yi, firmly grasping her arm. He then took out the two sets of flow hooks tied around their waists and threw them forcefully as they passed by the Qingye Maru. An Yi's flow hook caught on an obstacle on the starboard side, the rope taut, and she swung violently in the water, like a kite caught in a strong wind. In her struggle, she lost one of her fins, which spun and disappeared at the bow of the boat. Qiao was alarmed, realizing she had encountered a rapid downward current. He leaped forward, using the water's momentum to catch up with An Yi, firmly grasping her arm. He then took out the two sets of flow hooks tied around their waists and threw them forcefully as they passed by the Qingye Maru. An Yi's flow hook caught on an obstacle on the starboard side, the rope taut, and she swung violently in the water, like a kite caught in a strong wind. In her struggle, she lost one of her fins, which spun and disappeared at the bow of the boat. Qiao's flow hook dragged over a cluster of coral, slowing the descent. Then came the sound of metal striking, as it hooked onto the railing, leaving the two of them separated by more than ten meters. He gripped the rope, alternating his hands, moving closer to An Yi.

It seems that two individuals went to Qingye Maru, but only one has returned. The newcomer shook his head, stating, "There is still one person missing."

A large hole had been blown in the forward deck, and the light gradually became clearer, resembling a spotlight in the center of a stage. Su Anyi found nothing and felt somewhat disappointed as she swam out of the cabin. She still needed to swim around to the bow of the ship when suddenly the weight of her waist belt was caught, and turning around, she saw Qiao glaring at her. He made a gesture to ascend, leaving no room for argument. Su Anyi, aware of her own shortcomings, nodded in agreement

Returning to the surface of the water, Su Anyi tried hard to recall where she had seen the image of the Qingye Wan in a newspaper clipping. She asked Qiao: "Was a large hole blown in the bow of the ship, causing the forward part of the side to flip up?"

Yet there was always a great force pulling at her waist, preventing her from moving forward. Su Anyi felt a surge of anxiety within her; just as she managed to loosen the grip slightly, before she could adjust her direction, she was pulled back again.

She has a myriad of reluctances, yet she cannot help but substitute Shen Tian'en and her elder brother into this hypothesis. In this way, Shen Tian'en's disappearance, Xu Zongyang's silence, and Shen Tianwang's righteous indignation seem to have a legitimate explanation

However, after the incident, the ocean currents near the Qingye Wan suddenly changed, exhibiting tremendous force, and surprisingly carried the steel and iron wreckage to the edge of the underwater cliff. The underwater topography in that area is complex, with turbulent waters, making it extremely difficult to predict both time and direction. Attempting to find any traces from that year is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.

Under the bombardment of the United States Air Force, the bow of the Qingye Maru was severely damaged, with the deck twisted and compressed downwards like a crushed soda can. The spacious cabin was extremely constricted, with the narrowest point measuring no more than 1 meter, making it very difficult to turn once inside; there was only one way forward. Su Anyi swam down the steps to the bottom of the cabin, gently swaying her fins from side to side to avoid stirring up the accumulated silt. The cabin was dimly lit, with beams of pale blue light filtering through the rusted holes in the walls, resembling drifting in the dark expanse of space, surrounded by countless stars. Su Anyi swam down the steps to the bottom of the cabin, gently swaying her fins from side to side to avoid stirring up the accumulated silt. The cabin was dimly lit, with beams of pale blue light filtering through the rusted holes in the walls, resembling drifting in the dark expanse of space, surrounded by countless stars.

Qiao nodded

Qiao Fei reached up to grab the long rope, the force of the descent was immense, and the sharp hook pierced half an inch into his forearm, leaving a deep gash. He tightened his grip on the rope, while Su Anyi on the other end showed no cooperation, fiercely pulling downstream as if a small fishing rod had hooked a massive tuna, straining to shake off its shackles. The long rope gradually slipped down in Qiao's palm, slipping away from his grasp, along with Su Anyi's hope of survival. He took a deep breath, slightly loosened his grip, and the rope whooshed past. The long rope gradually slipped down in Qiao's palm, slipping away from his grasp, along with Su Anyi's hope of survival. He took a deep breath, slightly loosened his grip, and the rope whooshed past

The two individuals entered the water near Island No. 8, where the sea was turbulent with high winds and waves. After diving more than ten meters, the water became much calmer. Not far beneath them, the seawater shimmered, with images shifting between clarity and obscurity, resembling the heat rising from an asphalt road in summer. Qiao held onto An Yi, indicating that they were at the junction of warm and cold water currents, suggesting the presence of ocean currents nearby. Indeed, after descending a few more meters, she felt a chill envelop her body, and she was swept forward by an external force. An Yi felt a surge of anxiety, using her hands and feet to struggle and maintain her position. Once again, after descending a few more meters, she felt a chill, and was again propelled forward by the current. An Yi was tense, using all her strength to stay in place. Qiao made a gesture for her to relax; he crossed his arms, slightly bent his legs, and allowed the current to carry him forward. An Yi kicked her fins, curled her body, and swayed to follow behind him. This area was far from the land and the large island, with clear water and abundant coral beneath the sea, displaying dark red, deep green, deep purple, and light brown hues, reminiscent of picturesque autumn mountain scenery. Schools of fish swam among the corals, like birds flying into the forest. Guided by the current, the two glided through the water, as if soaring above the mountain peaks.

Su Anyi came to her senses, put on her gear, and seeing him organizing various equipment, she asked: "What are all these for?"

There is a worn-out buoy ball on the surface of the sea, tied to the stern of the Qingye Maru with a long rope. The waves are high and the current is swift; as Su Anyi entered the water, she was swept away two meters. She hurriedly reached out to grab the ship's railing, alternating her hands to inch closer to the buoy.

The two swam towards the buoy at the stern of the ship. Su Anyi gazed at the massive creature sleeping on the seabed, feeling greatly disheartened. Although the situation on the ship was relatively complex, it was by no means dangerous enough to cause Xu Zongyang to panic to the point of losing consciousness

Moreover, at that time, the water flow near Qingye Wan was gentle, with occasional small rapids, and the guide would lead the guests to take shelter behind the coral reefs on the seabed or at the sides of the boat. Azan, having grown up on Sucha Island, was well-acquainted with the current conditions of the nearby waters and would never place the guests in danger.

As the cable came into view, Su Anyi extended her arms and had just grasped it when a sudden current surged from the right, sweeping her aside. The palms of her hands were cut and bled profusely by the oysters that grew on the cable, and in the dim light of the deep sea, the blood lost its red hue, appearing only as dark brown streaks. Su Anyi calmed her mind and adjusted her posture, intending to swim vertically to free herself from the grip of the current. However, as she turned, she realized that the current had changed direction, pulling her diagonally downward. Su Anyi calmed her mind and adjusted her posture, intending to swim vertically to free herself from the grip of the current. However, as she turned, she realized that the current had changed direction, pulling her diagonally downward.

Beyond a cluster of coral reefs lies a flat sandy seabed. Qiao adjusted his posture and secured the flow hook to the rocks. The two of them were swept up by the current, like two kites tethered underwater. He wrote on the notepad: "The old site of Qingye Maru"

The compressed air was running low, and if they did not return to the surface within a few minutes, their lives would be in danger. Qiao pushed An Yi away and swam with all his strength to untie her line, wrapping the long rope around his own arm. The current suddenly changed direction, stirring up mud and plankton, creating a chaotic scene around them. The two seemed to be on the edge of a whirlpool, with the world turned upside down, unable to distinguish up from down or left from right. The arm bound by the long rope gradually became numb, and consciousness slowly faded away. The sound of the turbulent water seemed to vanish from his ears, and even the bubbles from the breathing apparatus ceased to appear. He felt as if he were surrounded by the clear seawater, so transparent and tranquil, as if he were suspended in the air. In a daze, he saw a fish gliding over like a delicate feather, smiling sweetly.

Su Anyi could not help but imagine that if someone were to turn off the air valve from behind her while she was underwater and then grab her ankle, she would undoubtedly be powerless to escape. Once the remaining air in her lungs was exhausted and in a state of oxygen deprivation, not only would her heart and lungs be in disarray, but irreversible damage to the brain would occur within 4 to 6 minutes. Even with excellent swimming skills, she would be unable to fight back against a tall and strong man.

A dark-skinned local approached him and advised him to stay in town: "There will be no boats today; there has been an accident, and all the boats on the island have gone to provide assistance"

Qiao leaned over the boat and said: "Are you scared? It's still not too late to go back now."

In the same situation, he feared that Su Anyi's level of intoxication would be even worse. Looking up, she was releasing the air from the buoyancy control device, plummeting straight down with the current. Qiao tightened the long rope, trying to pull her back. Su Anyi brought her legs together and made a gentle leap, moving as gracefully as a swimming dolphin, seemingly breaking free from the constraints of the current, and in an instant, she was in front of Qiao. Taking advantage of her momentum, she spread her arms and suddenly pushed against Qiao's shoulder, attempting to reclaim her flow hook from his grasp. Su Anyi brought her legs together and made a gentle leap, moving as gracefully as a swimming dolphin, seemingly breaking free from the constraints of the current, and in an instant, she was in front of Qiao. Taking advantage of her momentum, she spread her arms and suddenly pushed against Qiao's shoulder, attempting to reclaim her flow hook from his grasp. Qiao caught her left wrist, and as Su Anyi leaned forward, she pulled out the diving knife from his waist and swung it towards him. Qiao was caught off guard; his left arm felt a chill as a stream of brown liquid dispersed like smoke. She did not stab again but instead turned the blade to cut the flow hook rope tied at her waist. Qiao held her wrist, but despite twisting it, he could not force her to let go. In the struggle, the long rope wrapped around his arm gradually loosened. She did not stab again but instead turned the blade to cut the flow hook rope tied at her waist. Qiao held her wrist, but despite twisting it, he could not force her to let go. In the struggle, the long rope wrapped around his arm gradually loosened.

Qiao threw the flippers in front of her: "Get ready"

"I cannot possibly take you across from inside," Qiao asserted. "You know that an accident occurred four years ago, where someone, unaware of the depth and without a guide, got trapped inside and ended up feeding the fish."

"What use am I?" Qiao scoffed, "We have no oxygen tanks, no underwater detectors, no defibrillators, no medical oxygen, no decompression chamber. If something were to happen, all I could do is pull you out of the water."

She could not speak with the respirator in her mouth, only shaking her head vigorously

I trust you. " Su Anyi supported his palm with his left hand and gave a heavy pat with his right hand, " Now, I place my life right here.

He remained silent, took out a metal hook attached to a long rope, and fastened the buckle at the other end of the rope around her waist: "No matter the circumstances, stay close to me"

In retrospect, Xu Zongyang recalled that the underwater currents were strong, and everyone was exhausted, experiencing nitrogen narcosis. He could not remember what had happened and was greatly ridiculed by the newspapers

Qiao is not afraid of death. But now, he is not alone

Who is whispering softly, smiling gently, and humming a melodious lullaby? In a daze, Su Anyi seems to see her mother, whom she has never met. She died during childbirth, exchanging her life for a life. Su Anyi has never experienced the warmth of her mother's embrace, yet in the azure sea, the gentle caress of the waves feels so intimate and familiar, granting her an endless sense of security. Her mother's kind gaze seems to be just ahead, drifting away with the current. She wants to catch up, she wants to catch up!

Su Anyi exhaled the respirator, smiled gracefully, and leaped forward towards the Qingye Pill, moving with elegance and agility. The diving knife slipped from her hand, striking the boat with a crisp sound.

"You talk too much, it's quite annoying." Qiao lit a cigarette and turned to look at the sea

Su Anyi calmed her mind and, under his guidance, freed herself from the water flow, making an OK gesture. Qiao did not let go; instead, he gripped tighter. The two crossed over to the starboard side and reached the deck. The Aoyama Maru had once been used to transport Japanese military seaplanes, and faint parallel lines could be seen on the aft deck, indicating the guidance for takeoff and landing. There was strong convection nearby, and the two cut through the flow, being pushed to the center of the deck by the lateral forces. Below the sharply rising observation platform, a set of stairs led down to the cabin. Su Anyi glanced at the barometer; less than half had been consumed. She made a gesture to indicate crossing, but Qiao slowly and firmly shook his head, gripping the flow hook and securing it to a section of the railing. There was strong convection nearby, and the two cut through the flow, being pushed to the center of the deck. Below the sharply rising observation platform, a set of stairs led down to the cabin. Su Anyi glanced at the barometer; less than half had been consumed. She made a gesture to indicate crossing, but Qiao slowly and firmly shook his head, gripping the flow hook and securing it to a section of the railing.

Is this large hole connected to the steps below the central tower of the deck

These Su Anyi have all read the diving manual. When Qiao first took her for a deep dive, he wrote a dense array of letters and asked her to circle her name, precisely to test whether her cognitive ability was affected by the depth of the water. Unlike her younger sister, Xu Zongyang is an experienced diver with hundreds of dives recorded, and he also holds a lifeguard qualification for diving. It seems somewhat far-fetched to suggest that he would become disoriented due to nitrogen narcosis at a depth of over 30 meters, even forgetting to assist his partner.

The hull was covered in rust, overgrown with various corals and sponges, with numerous large shells attached in the gaps, some of which were already dead, leaving only sharp empty shells, half open and half closed; in the flat areas, there were clusters of sea urchins with spines measuring several dozen centimeters in length. Near the hull, there was a current, and Su Anyi was highly focused, fearing that a moment's inattention would result in being cut by these weapons guarding the sunken ship. Qiao guided her to swim along the starboard side towards the bow, and through the porthole, in the dim light, a school of swimming barracuda seemed to be enveloped in a gray mist, their bodies long and narrow, baring their teeth in a menacing manner. Su Anyi paused slightly and felt herself being pushed by the current, as if she were being drawn into the porthole. She kicked her fins with all her might, yet still felt powerless, inching closer to the hull, unable to help but wave her hands in panic. Qiao grabbed her hand, signaling her to rotate her body and apply force to the side.

The semicircular flow hook had already submerged most of its arc into the palm, with blood gushing out. One could almost hear the sound of metal scraping against bone, as if the palm were breaking, the pain penetrating to the marrow. If this were on land, beads of cold sweat would surely be dripping from the forehead. However, at this moment, thirty meters underwater, Qiao could only feel the chill surging in waves, his arm muscles trembling uncontrollably. He took a deep breath, rolled his wrist, and wrapped the rope around twice; with his other hand, he secured the rope around his waist, turning his body to slowly pull Su Anyi over like a winch. She was tossed by the current, her head thrown back, the breathing apparatus no longer in her mouth, clearly having lost consciousness.

Although Shen Tian'en is an excellent swimmer, descending into the sea with a tank on his back is not a matter of swimming skills, but rather buoyancy control. The buoyancy control device on the diver's body functions like a life jacket, allowing for the regulation of air intake and release through a valve connected to the tank. Additionally, there is a weight belt with lead weights fastened around the waist, which not only ensures the diver's smooth descent but can also be quickly discarded in an emergency to guarantee sufficient buoyancy to return to the surface.