Chapter 469 Rescue Arrives
Shi Qianmian's expression was conflicted. His eyes kept darting towards the ventilation duct, and as a Grandmaster, he could faintly sense that Lin Xichen and Chen Yang were hidden there.
For Shi Qianmian, he could directly jump into the main hall and tell Captain Tardor the exact hiding place of Chen Yang and Lin Xichen.
He could also, in the dead of night, climb up there himself and take what he wanted.
But Shi Qianmian hesitated, he dithered, his heart filled with fear.
Shi Qianmian let out a long sigh. He suddenly realized that this action of his was filled with such timidity and indecision. This was not like himself!
Even when he decided to steal from the Zhang family's Treasure Pavilion, he had never experienced such immense psychological pressure. What was the reason for this?
Shi Qianmian frowned, and then Chen Yang's indifferent smile appeared before his eyes.
Thinking of this, Shi Qianmian suddenly understood. In the depths of his heart, he was still filled with fear, confusion, and incomprehension towards that young man, Chen Yang.
He dared not provoke that young man, not even to secretly tell Captain Tardor their hiding place, he dared not!
Because he was afraid that Chen Yang would directly step forward to investigate the matter, afraid that Chen Yang would pursue him in a fit of rage.
Shi Qianmian let out a wry smile at this thought. He didn't even fear the Zhang family, the foremost family in China with a thousand years of history, yet now, he was afraid of an ordinary young man.
Shi Qianmian swallowed, and finally made up his mind.
As a thief, a thief passed down through generations, his ancestors were the renowned Shi Qian, the "Drum-On-The-Hair," and even further back, their ancestors were the illustrious sect leaders of the Kongkong Sect, the patriarchs of the Thieves' Way in later generations!
As a professional thief, Shi Qianmian had great faith in his intuition, and at this moment, he chose to believe it!
He would not provoke Chen Yang. He would simply pass this night peacefully!
With this thought, Shi Qianmian felt a weight lifted from his heart. He casually strolled back into the crowd with his hands behind his back, acting like an ordinary person, leisurely gazing at the sea.
Time ticked by second by second.
The night sea was tranquil and beautiful, but the atmosphere aboard the ship was unusually heavy. Hundreds of crew members, using all sorts of advanced methods, were still unable to find Chen Yang and Lin Xichen.
This made Tardor furious, yet helpless.
He paced back and forth with a frown. The first mate, Harden, immediately ran over and said to Tardor, "Captain Tardor, based on the current situation, it is highly likely that Lin Xichen and her nanny have drowned in the sea."
"Otherwise, they would absolutely not have been able to escape the eyes of so many of us on the ship."
Tardor clenched his fist in anger and said, "Even if they have drowned, I am still consumed by this burning rage. That nanmu box is the only path for me to become a Grandmaster."
"If I could also become a Grandmaster, why would I be a captain out here on the sea? Why would I live like a rat?"
"So, keep searching for me! Even if there is only a one in ten thousand, one in a hundred thousand chance, keep searching! The ship will remain here. When daylight breaks tomorrow, using this ship as a reference point, search the surrounding area for that nanmu box."
"Perhaps the nanmu box will float up, perhaps the nanmu box hasn't drifted far, perhaps by the time the sun rises tomorrow, we'll be able to spot the box at a glance!"
Tardor said, clenching his fist, and waved his hand, "All crew members, rest immediately. Drop all anchors and do your utmost to secure the ship's position."
The ship returned to a state of quiet, and everyone went back to their usual rest.
Inside the ventilation duct, Lin Xichen leaned into Chen Yang's embrace with complete peace of mind and fell asleep soundly.
Chen Yang looked at the beautiful woman in his arms with a helpless expression and a wry smile. He truly hadn't expected that coming to this ship for a mission would develop into this situation.
Fortunately, his heart was steadfastly devoted to Liu Ran, otherwise, he would have been unable to resist.
The entire night seemed peaceful, but beneath the surface, turbulent undercurrents churned.
Tardor did not sleep at all. He yearned for the arrival of the sun, for the light of the next day. He was determined to search the sea surface meticulously for the nanmu box.
Most nanmu wood does not sink. No matter where the box was taken by Lin Xichen, it might have a chance to float up, including the bodies of Lin Xichen and Chen Yang.
Tardor sat by the window, glancing at his watch from time to time. At this moment, he truly wished the ship was equipped with bright searchlights that could illuminate the entire surrounding sea.
However, in the deep night sea, even the strongest lights were useless. They could only wait for the sunrise the next day.
Around five in the morning, Tardor stood up excitedly. Soon, dawn was about to break.
However, at this very moment, in the distant sky, over thirty giant armed helicopters were rapidly approaching the ship.
Chen Yang, who was sitting in the ventilation duct, suddenly opened his eyes. He glanced at the time, 5:20 AM. His ears twitched. The "buzzing" sound from a distance was clearly the sound of helicopters.
And they were heavy-duty cargo helicopters!
Each helicopter could carry a special forces team and be equipped with various weapons.
Hearing this sound, Chen Yang's lips curved into a smile. He looked down at Lin Xichen, who was still sleeping soundly in his arms. She was sleeping so soundly, pressed against him, and her blanket had already fallen off.
In the dim light, her youthful body was accentuated by her beauty.
Chen Yang looked at her for a few moments before finally restraining himself.
He gently placed Lin Xichen on the blanket, then stood up, and like a ghost, left the ventilation duct.
With a "swish," Chen Yang landed safely in the ship's cabin in the darkness. He returned to Lin Xichen's bedroom.
Lin Xichen's bedroom was in disarray. Chen Yang looked around, picked up a set of clothes from the floor.
Then he walked out of the cabin, holding the clothes. Chen Yang's figure was graceful as he leaped up again, easily returning to the duct.
When he returned, Lin Xichen was still fast asleep. Chen Yang did not wake her. He placed the clothes to the side, stood at the ventilation duct, and looked back, waiting for the helicopters to arrive.
A few more minutes passed, and the sound of the helicopters was already very clear.
At this moment, Captain Tardor in the main hall suddenly looked up. He finally realized something was wrong. He ran to the observation deck with hurried steps and looked towards the rear.
In the dark night, dozens of helicopters, their indicator lights flashing on and off, were clearly visible.
Seeing so many helicopters, Tardor's face suddenly changed. He felt a sense of foreboding.
While Tardor was still guessing, these helicopters had already surrounded the ship.
On one of the helicopters,
Before the helicopter could even land, a middle-aged man jumped out from the helicopter and landed heavily on the deck.
Then the man roared, "Chen'er, Chen'er, where are you? I've come to pick you up. What happened?"
The middle-aged man's voice resounded throughout the entire ship.
Inside the ventilation duct, Lin Xichen was suddenly startled awake. She leaped up, and excitedly said to Chen Yang, "Chen Yang, I… I think I heard my dad's voice. Is he here to pick me up?"
Chen Yang nodded and pointed to the deck outside, "There is a middle-aged man."
Hearing this, Lin Xichen ran towards where Chen Yang was standing. She stood at the ventilation duct and looked out at the deck.
Under the bright lights, a middle-aged man in his forties with a round face and greying hair was anxiously shouting loudly on the deck.
Seeing this, Lin Xichen's tears immediately flowed.
She instinctively wanted to call out.
At this moment, Chen Yang covered Lin Xichen's mouth.
Lin Xichen turned and looked at Chen Yang with confusion. Chen Yang said with exasperation, "Miss, can you please put on some clothes before calling your dad over? Look at yourself, it's not proper at all."
Lin Xichen was taken aback. She looked down and her face turned red. It was indeed quite inappropriate.
She said dejectedly, "But I don't have any clothes. Oh dear, I can't possibly go to see my dad in just a blanket, can I? Look at my dad, his hair is already greying. He… he must be very anxious."
Chen Yang pointed to the side and said, "I've already got some clothes for you. Go and change quickly."
At this moment, on the deck, Captain Tardor was already rushing towards Lin Sian Geng in a panic.