"It" feared fire. Wu Tianzhen and Fatty had indeed subdued an unlucky golden-scaled fish in the ship's cabin before.
However, the amount of slimy meat paste at that time was not much. Even Fatty's backside and Wu Tianzhen's headbutt were enough to give it trouble, and it was easily sent to meet Buddha by the two of them.
But now—
Wu Tianzhen watched the meat paste gradually spread across the cockpit glass, listening to the constant thudding sounds from outside the cabin, and realized the situation was dire.
He didn't go out to look but instead further increased the speed of his boat, making the entire hull skim across the sea surface, striving to reach the flare launch point before the golden-scaled fish could unleash its full power.
...Fatty had sent a signal. He didn't know what was happening on their end. If there was danger, he couldn't afford to delay for a moment.
Moreover, the previous massive numbers of golden-scaled fish were annihilated by Xiao Ge's "Fire-Stepping Blade Slash." Now, with only him left on the boat, going out to fight the golden-scaled fish would be suicidal and meaningless.
With this thought, Wu Tianzhen forced himself to ignore the grinning, ghost-like faces formed by the meat paste on the glass.
But just then, with a crisp "crack"—
The boat was stuck!
Wu Tianzhen yanked the control levers a few times. The boat's interior emitted a humming sound of high-speed operation, and the cockpit vibrated continuously, yet it couldn't move forward at all.
As it struggled, a "white wall" slowly rose from the bow of the boat. It turned out to be a mountain of golden-scaled fish, blocking the boat's path!
What to do, what to do...
Wu Tianzhen was consumed by anxiety, sweat beading on his forehead. He was almost on the verge of tears.
On the other side of the distant whirlpool, the light of the flare was growing weaker, like a dying star in the night, like hope about to be buried by the deep, dark sea.
He could choose to trust the abilities of Xiao Ge, Fatty, and Hei Yanjing and wait quietly. But he was terrified that this might be their last chance for survival, and his mistake would cause him to lose these friends forever.
The boat suddenly lurched, and he lost his footing, hitting the wall. A series of crisp sounds echoed at his feet.
...It was a case of wine that Fatty had left there.
[“I say, Fatty, you bring alcohol for sailing? Aren't you afraid of leading us all into a ditch?”
“Ah, Tianzhen, you don't understand. I'm hiding it here. You have no idea how much that Hei Yanjing can drink; he's immune to alcohol! Don't tell anyone!”
“Hey, Xiao Ge, when did you get here? Come, come, come! This will be our secret base from now on. You can come and get some anytime you want!”
“Xiao Ge? Xiao Ge! Xiao Ge, don't go! Oh well, our Xiao Ge doesn't drink~”]
...Xiao Ge and Fatty are waiting for me.
Wu Tianzhen suddenly raised his head. He strode to the console, switched the operation mode to automatic rush, and the boat vibrated violently. The sound of golden-scaled fish hitting the cockpit door came from outside.
He looked back and saw that the golden-scaled fish, shaped like liquid, were already flowing in through the extremely narrow door gap. Yet, he felt remarkably calm.
...I'm sorry, Fatty, your wine can't be saved today.
Wu Tianzhen put on his diving suit, smashed the seal of a wine bottle, and as he splashed the wine on himself, he thought of this and couldn't help but laugh.
Then, in the next second, he ignited the wine on his body!
Flames erupted, and the scorching heat rushed towards him through the diving suit. The air instantly crackled!
This was the most fire-resistant clothing, but it wouldn't last long. Wu Tianzhen lifted the wine case with one hand, trying to keep the bottles away from the fire on his body.
Then, he kicked open the cockpit door!!!
The golden-scaled fish surged towards him. Before they could react, they were engulfed in the flames on his body. Wu Tianzhen didn't stop, charging forward like a human torch, passing through the thick meat paste. The golden-scaled fish along the way melted like snow in fire, emitting piercing cries!
In an instant, he reached the bow of the boat. With a roar, he hurled the wine case onto the deck!!
By now, the diving suit had been burnt through. He hastily tore it off. His hands were burning, the pain unbearable. Wu Tianzhen, having never endured such torture, gritted his teeth and flung the suit into the spilled wine on the ground!
"Whoosh!!!!"
The fire spread like a prairie fire, instantly erupting into a massive wall of flames!!!
The scorching wave washed over him, and Wu Tianzhen could even smell his hair burning.
...The deck is metal; it won't be a problem for a while, but the golden-scaled fish must die!
Under his intense gaze, the wall-like golden-scaled fish at the bow instantly retreated. The remaining meat paste was also instantly incinerated, emitting a pungent, burnt odor!
The boat, adjusted to its maximum speed, broke free and shot forward. The surging waves it created crashed down, sweeping away the wall of fire on the deck like a tsunami!
Wu Tianzhen couldn't stand and rolled down, hitting the side railing hard.
He tried to pull himself up, only to realize at this moment that his outstretched left hand was numb and powerless, unable to be lifted.
...For a weakling like him, carrying the wine case with one hand was an extraordinary feat.
The light of the flare was now barely visible. Wu Tianzhen had no time to rest and quickly climbed up to lower the rescue rope.
But at this moment, something in the sea surface soared into his peripheral vision!!!
Wu Tianzhen looked up abruptly. In the distance, directly in front of the boat, those golden-scaled fish, still unwilling to give up, had reappeared, forming a meat paste pile resembling a wall or a giant hand!
...Damn it!
Wu Tianzhen cursed, a fierce expression uncharacteristic of his persona appearing on his face.
...Today, no one will stop him from passing!!
He rushed back into the cockpit, staring intently out the window—
The speed increased, becoming faster and more frantic. He seemed to ignore the obstruction, accelerating madly. The bow of the boat even lifted due to the excessive speed of the rear propeller!
That wall of golden-scaled fish was incredibly solid; crashing into it would surely destroy the boat!
Although Wu Tianzhen's face was stern, inexplicably, in this extreme situation, his heart beat faster, and his emotions grew more manic.
Just as they were about to collide, he even let out a smile.
—The steering wheel was instantly yanked to the right!!!
The boat tilted sharply at this extreme speed, almost capsizing. But Wu Tianzhen wedged his legs into the gap beneath the console, steadying himself, and at the opportune moment, he forcefully yanked the steering wheel back!
Under the immense force, the steering wheel made creaking sounds, as if it were about to break!
Then, the boat suddenly leaped—!
Wu Tianzhen had managed to catch the side edge of the golden-scaled fish wall, riding the tiny arc of friction in an extremely dangerous posture!
The sound of crackling friction filled the air. Wu Tianzhen couldn't see the situation outside. He just held the steering wheel steady until the boat crashed down with a thud onto the sea surface!
The splashing waves soared high, almost submerging the entire boat and then pushing it up again. The leg Wu Tianzhen had wedged into the gap ached so much that if it hadn't been able to move, he would have suspected it had been twisted off.
But at this moment, he burst into loud laughter instead.
The light of the flare had completely disappeared, but the location seemed etched in his heart with perfect clarity.
"Goodbye, golden-scaled fish."
xxs一