Chapter 149

October 5th, 10:00 AM, Xinchuan Port.

“Emergency forecast: Typhoon Gar is approaching our coastal areas and is expected to reach Jiang Province within 24 hours. The typhoon’s center will have an average wind speed of around force 12. The meteorological station has issued a red alert. The entire province is now in typhoon preparedness mode. Please ensure proper precautions are taken against the typhoon, halt outdoor activities, and keep track of the latest typhoon updates through radio, TV, or online sources. Stay indoors and secure doors and windows. Fishing boats and fishing raft workers should follow the directives or notifications from the fisheries department and must return to port or go ashore to avoid the storm by 6 PM today. If you encounter danger at sea, please immediately dial 12397 to report to the Maritime Search and Rescue Center for assistance…”

The Golden Week holiday hadn’t ended yet, but the typhoon was approaching. This year’s typhoon had indeed come a bit late, but its strength was not to be underestimated.

Several coastal provinces and cities had made flood prevention preparations, bracing themselves for the typhoon.

Due to the impending typhoon, all tourist boats were supposed to be halted today, and tourists had been canceling their tickets. However, the He Ping, which had long been scheduled for departure, did not alter its original sailing time.

Thus, a few travelers were waiting at the port for this boat to arrive. They were scattered in a loose line, having already had their tickets checked, in front of the port’s sloped pier.

To ordinary people, they seemed like those who were asking for trouble and unaware of the need to stay safe.

On such a day, one should stay home, stock up on essentials, and stay put. Yet these young people seemed utterly relaxed, showing no signs of tension.

Among them was a female student with twin ponytails. She looked up at the sky, skeptically asking, “Is this weather really going to bring a typhoon? Some strong typhoon, probably just a story for kids.” The girl was petite, with naturally large eyes that gave her a mischievous look. She had a camera hanging around her neck and wore an exaggeratedly styled dress.

The weather was clear, with no clouds and not even a hint of wind. The entire sky looked like a piece of bright blue amber, very clear and pure.

Such good weather was rare even on normal days.

Standing next to her was her classmate, a girl with short ear-length hair. This girl’s attire was more typical of a student, exuding an air of naivety. From her hairstyle to her outfit, she was meticulous, conveying a sense of rationality.

At this moment, she also looked up at the sky and said, “You live inland, no wonder you haven’t seen it. The weather is often like this just before a typhoon.”

The twin ponytailed girl didn’t understand and blinked her large eyes, asking, “But why is that?”

The short-haired girl was momentarily at a loss for words, “Uh… it’s always been like this. The elders always say so.”

As they chatted, a middle-aged man walked over. He opened a bag and handed them some food and drinks. The two girls chorused, “Thank you, Teacher Su.”

The man referred to as Teacher Su looked to be in his forties. He was well-maintained, wore glasses, and had a refined appearance. Age had not made him look old; instead, it made him appear more composed and reliable. He looked at the calm weather and explained to the students, “The center of a typhoon has low pressure, while the surrounding areas have high pressure. The difference in pressure causes air to flow from the high-pressure area to the low-pressure area. In the high-pressure zone, the air sinks, resulting in clear weather. So, the saying that the clearer the weather, the stronger the typhoon is not wrong.”

Hearing his explanation, the two students suddenly understood. Looking up at the sky again, they felt that the clear sky held a different significance, as if something was brewing beneath the surface, temporarily suppressing the storm.

These three were students and a teacher from Jiang Marine University’s School of Marine Biology.

The short-haired, serious girl was named Jiang Jiang, and the lively twin-ponytailed girl was named Qiu Lan. They were classmates and roommates, as well as good friends.

They were working on a research project about the habits of migratory seabirds and had followed Teacher Su to this place for their field study.

Teacher Su was a professor at the Marine University, knowledgeable and experienced. He had previously researched marine fish, turtles, and mollusks, conducted several projects, and published a paper on the impact of marine pollution on marine life in an international journal.

Recently, he had developed an interest in seabirds, which led him to organize this trip to Nansha Island.

In October, numerous seabirds flew to Nansha Island, using it as a stopover during their southward migration. They rested briefly before continuing their journey.

During peak times, tens of thousands of seabirds could arrive on the island in a single day. Studying these birds was the purpose of their trip.

Their itinerary had been set long ago, and they planned to stay on the island for several days. They didn’t change their schedule and saw it as an opportunity to study the impact of typhoon weather on migratory birds.

It was almost time for the ship to depart. It seemed that many tourists had been frightened off by the impending typhoon, as there were only a few people waiting for the boat.

In fact, the boat was scheduled to depart at 10 AM and would reach Nansha Island by 1 PM. Although there was some risk, they could make a round trip before the typhoon hit.

The three from the Marine University split into two groups. Teacher Su played on his phone while Jiang Jiang and Qiu Lan stood aside, enjoying the scenery.

Not far away, a slightly unconventional-looking couple was flirting and joking around.

There was also a tall, thin man with glasses standing alone at the front of the pier.

Jiang Jiang glanced at him a few times and couldn’t help but tug at Qiu Lan’s clothes, saying, “Look!”

“Look? Look at what?” Qiu Lan looked around, her braids swinging.

“Over there…” Jiang Jiang said, turning Qiu Lan’s head with her hand, while she shyly lowered her own head.

Qiu Lan looked in that direction. The man in the distance was adjusting his camera. He had a hiking bag with a tripod sticking out of it. He was focused on his adjustments, head down, showing only his side profile.

Qiu Lan glanced over and said, “That camera and lens are really expensive!”

“Shh, keep it down,” Jiang Jiang wished she could cover her mouth. “Why are you only interested in that? I was pointing out the handsome guy!”

“Yes, it’s really expensive… The lens is a professional telephoto, and the camera is also very pricey. The lens alone must cost over a hundred thousand. It’s perfect for photographing seabirds! It can zoom in to see the feathers and details clearly.” Qiu Lan said as she looked at her own camera, feeling it was quite shabby in comparison. Then she turned to Jiang Jiang and said, “Haven’t you seen a handsome guy before? Brother Li was very handsome. I admit this guy has a nice build, long legs, but he looks a bit skinny. You know I prefer men who are a bit more muscular…”

As they were talking, the man turned his head and glanced in their direction, seemingly looking for someone. Under the clear sky, his features were as if painted, his skin so fair it almost glowed, with a distinct and smooth jawline.

Qiu Lan finally saw him clearly and grabbed Jiang Jiang’s hand, whispering excitedly, “Ah, I take back what I said earlier, he really is very handsome. His skin is so nice, that jaw, that nose, those eyes… He’s even more handsome than the school heartthrob. But, if he were a bit more muscular, he’d be perfect.” She was excited, eating her words while expressing her delight.

The two girls finally reached an agreement. After a while, Qiu Lan whispered, “When we get on the boat, let’s see if we can get his WeChat.”

Although the weather wasn’t great, the thought of traveling with a handsome guy made the two girls extremely happy. They gossiped about the man’s profession and age, completely forgetting about their teacher.

At that moment, a medium-sized double-decker tourist boat appeared from the sea. As it approached the dock, a tanned boatman jumped off, calling out, “Hurry up and get on the boat! We need to get back before the typhoon hits!”

Everyone had been waiting for a long time. They quickly grabbed their bags and didn’t dare delay. The handsome guy with the camera was the first to stride on board. The others followed, one by one.

A tall, thin boatman on the boat looked around and asked the middle-aged man who seemed to be the captain, “What is the boss thinking? With just a few people, we won’t even cover the fuel costs.”

“Maybe the company has made arrangements. Anyway, we won’t be short on wages and will get triple overtime pay. Whether we are taking a few guests or many, we have to make this trip.” The captain-like middle-aged man signaled to the crew to keep their voices down so the guests wouldn’t hear. As the saying goes, money makes the world go round, and the triple pay was worth the small risk.

The boat captain didn’t quite understand why the company took this job. Although the typhoon hadn’t arrived yet, there was still a risk of it changing course. He had been running this route for over ten years, relying on his familiarity with the route and his extensive sea experience. Only then did he dare to accept this job from the main company.

A few people boarded the boat one after another. This two-deck tourist boat, which could accommodate over 200 people, now had only a handful of passengers, making it a VIP experience.

The dark-faced boatman looked around the empty dock and asked, “Is everyone on board?”

The captain ordered, “Don’t wait any longer. It’s almost time. Set sail. If the weather changes, we won’t be able to leave.”

The other boatmen, following orders, began to reel in the ropes and prepare for departure.

“Wait! I think there’s someone else coming,” Jiang Jiang suddenly pointed towards the shore.

Following her direction, they saw a figure running rapidly from the other side of the dock. The boatmen saw it was a young man in his twenties with a backpack, clearly another passenger, just a bit late.

The captain quickly said, “Stop the boat, stop the boat.”

But stopping a large boat was not that simple. The boat was already two meters away from the dock, moving forward with the momentum of the engine. Stopping and getting closer again was not an immediate task.

Qiu Lan and Jiang Jiang, just having boarded, turned to watch, holding their breath for the young man.

Jiang Jiang saw the boat already three meters away, with the deep sea below, and sighed, “It’s too late…”

At that critical moment, the young man didn’t stop. Using the boarding plank as a springboard, he took a heavy step and launched himself into the air. In a swift move, he leaped towards the deck, nearly four meters away, with a backpack on his back.

The girls couldn’t help but scream in surprise. The entire action was seamless and agile, making them worry and admire him simultaneously for how cool it looked…

In an instant, the man gracefully jumped over the ship’s railing, landing steadily on the deck.

The crew was stunned by the dangerous maneuver, cold sweat forming on the back of their necks.

At this point, the captain finally reacted, “You… do you know how…” He couldn’t finish the word “dangerous” before the man, unfazed, waved his thanks and walked into the cabin, leaving the captain dumbfounded.

Qiu Lan and Jiang Jiang, having witnessed the entire scene, were speechless. After a moment, Jiang Jiang poked Qiu Lan and whispered, “Here comes the handsome man who is manly enough…”

Qiu Lan finally reacted, “This one is mine!”

Inside the cabin, the passengers had settled in. With plenty of space and empty seats, everyone sat scattered.

The man with the camera, who had just entered the cabin, put down his backpack and sat on the east side, not noticing the dramatic scene on the deck. Just then, he saw someone enter and looked up.

With that one glance, he was completely stunned…