Wu Tianzhen was learning to steer a boat.
He always did what he said he would. He'd said he'd learn before Xiao Ge returned, and in this short hour, Fatty had been bothered to the point of exasperation by his "ten thousand why's."
"So when stopping the boat, you do this first... then this, and then..." He found the buttons on the control panel and repeated the instructions. Turning back, he saw Fatty had already grabbed the offending seagull again and was threatening to roast it.
Wu Tianzhen: ...
"Fatty!!!!!!" He rapped his palm with his notebook, for a moment seeming less like a student and more like a terrifying disciplinary inspector.
"Are you even listening?!"
"Ah? Ah, yes, listening, listening!" Fatty jolted, almost letting the cursed bird escape. He quickly pinned the seagull under a basket and then sat on the basket himself.
"Tianzhen, you've recited that nearly five hundred times. There's no mistake. Why keep reciting?"
"If you keep repeating it to me here, Fatty will start doubting if my boat-steering knowledge is even correct!"
Wu Tianzhen sighed, feeling he was being a bit annoying. But he really didn't want to make any mistakes in front of that detestable Hei Yanjing later. So, he pondered for a moment and began to recite silently.
Fatty: ...
"Fine!" He was speechless. "You truly are a diligent person~"
Fatty pulled the seagull out from under him, letting out a terrifying cackle. With a perverted air, he was about to take the seagull onto the deck for execution.
When Wu Tianzhen followed him out, he saw Fatty had already set up a fire with a stove. The seagull was tied to a nearby stick, trembling as it looked at the flames.
"You think Fatty can't handle you?!" Fatty placed the seagull's stick near the fire.
"Scared? Know you were wrong? If you know you were wrong, nod your head. Fatty will be merciful and let you go!!"
"Fatty, this bird can't understand—" Wu Tianzhen had only half-finished his bewildered question when he saw the seagull, whether it understood or was just scared, shake its head. It actually nodded?!
Wu Tianzhen: Holy cow, a biological miracle!
...It seemed that no matter the creature, facing mortal danger could unleash extraordinary potential.
Just as Wu Tianzhen finished his contemplation, thinking the seagull was about to escape thanks to its cleverness, he saw Fatty, who had been silent after the nod, suddenly lunge!
"So was I asking you to nod? I asked you to shake your head!!"
"Who told you to nod? Huh?! If you shake your head now, Fatty will let you go!"
The seagull, likely out of options, began to give up. It tucked its neck in, as if it were already dead.
Seeing this, Fatty finally felt triumphant. He felt a fraction of the pain of being shat on by this wretched bird on his head finally subside, and he let out a long, upward laugh.
Wu Tianzhen: ...Xiao Ge, come back quickly. I suspect Fatty is going mad!
Unaware of Xiao Wu's inner terror, Fatty raised the seagull's stick, about to bring it closer to the fire to scare it further, when a splash of water suddenly doused him from head to toe, extinguishing some of the fire.
"What the hell was that!?"
He stood up and looked down the side of the boat. The previously calm sea surface had, at some point, begun to ripple.
These ripples grew stronger and stronger. Waves crashed violently against the hull, vaguely forming a giant vortex!!
"Something's not right!" Fatty observed for a while, his expression turning serious.
He placed the seagull's stick on the fire, burning through the rope, and tossed the stunned, unlucky bird aside.
"We need to steer away quickly. Something's definitely happened down there."
"Wait!" Wu Tianzhen suddenly stopped Fatty. "Xiao Ge is still down there. If we leave now, what about Xiao Ge?!"
"Could something have happened to Xiao Ge?!"
Fatty was also worried. He hesitated, then slapped Wu Tianzhen's shoulder hard.
"Listen, Tianzhen, I'll put on a wetsuit and go down to check. You hurry up and steer the boat away!"
"I'll be waiting with a flare. Keep a close watch. If you see any light on the sea surface, quickly steer the boat over!"
"I can also—" (go underwater)
Fatty knew what Wu Tianzhen was about to say and interrupted him directly:
"You cannot."
"Fatty might not find Xiao Ge, but at least I can guarantee I'll come back alive."
"Alright, Tianzhen, that's settled!"
Wu Tianzhen knew he was too weak and going into the water would likely just be a burden. He said no more, but a sense of self-blame began to brew in his heart.
...If only he could become stronger.
Fatty was fast and had already entered the water.
Wu Tianzhen watched his figure disappear and quickly entered the cockpit to start the boat. The small vessel sped away, but the vortex seemed infinitely large. He ran for over ten minutes before barely reaching the edge of the vortex.
He stopped the boat. The increasingly fierce sound of the vortex reached his ears, but Wu Tianzhen's heart was as calm as frozen, settled snow.
He forced himself to clear his mind, his eyes fixed on the sea surface in the darkness—
—He couldn't do more, but no matter what, he had to be the first to support his friends!
This, he absolutely could not mess up, even if it cost him his life!