Chapter Thirty-One

  Chinese New Year is approaching, and the traditional new year is extremely important in the hearts of every Chinese person. Returning home, reuniting with family, and having a reunion dinner are what many people who wander outside their hometowns look forward to all year long. As the end of the year approaches, no matter where they are in the world, all that's on the minds of those wandering afar is one thought: returning home.

  Lucky is looking forward to the arrival of this day, both eagerly and fearfully. He has been away from home for more than half a year and misses his parents as well as his older brother. Just two days ago, his older brother called him on the phone and said that his sister-in-law was about to give birth soon, probably within these few days, so when he returns home for Chinese New Year, he will be able to see his little nephew.

  Lucky to hear that, I'm so happy in my heart. I'll get to see the next generation too! What will this little baby be like? Probably very pretty, hopefully looking like sister-in-law, and strong like big brother... Suddenly thought of it, did big brother say if it's a boy?

  Hehe, anyway, whether it's a boy or girl, in any case I'll be an uncle.

  The anticipation for the new year has added another layer.

  But he was also afraid. He wanted to talk to Minglang about the two of them, but he never had the chance. Minglang's personality was impulsive, and conflicts would inevitably arise when they talked, so Xingyun thought it would be better to wait for a suitable time to bring it up with him, to prevent him from "exploding" and causing too much trouble. Things kept dragging on, but New Year's Day was getting closer and closer. If he chose this happy family reunion time to talk about breaking up, it seemed a bit too inhumane. After all, Minglang had always been kind to him with true sincerity, even if they broke up, Xingyun still hoped that the two of them could remain friends. He truly didn't want to hurt Minglang, but emotional matters were really impossible to force, at least he couldn't do it. It would be better to let go early on, so as not to cause too much harm to either of them.

  Good luck has thought of time, place, how to talk, and made sufficient preparations, but unexpected things are everywhere.

  In the South China Sea, February is usually calm and peaceful, with typhoons typically starting to blow in March. However, due to severe environmental damage, climate experts have been introducing new terms every year, such as "El Ni?o phenomenon", "La Ni?a phenomenon" and "Ramadre phenomenon". These mysterious terms add a layer of mystique to these extreme weather conditions.

  Then I'll tell everyone that now the earth is like this, it's been destroyed, nature is angry, so it's not just the abnormal weather, but also the abnormal sea water. This year's South China Sea is also abnormal.

  Lunar calendar, December 23rd, today is the Small New Year's Day. Some people who came to the ship for scientific research and testing have returned one after another. Ding Ling and Sun Gong, Xiao Li, etc. also took a helicopter back this morning. Yu Su and Xing Yun plan to leave tomorrow. They saw off Ding Ling and his party on the deck. The sky was somewhat gloomy, but the small orange sun still occasionally showed its face from behind the clouds. There were some waves on the sea surface, with grey-white foam rolling around the ship's hull. Seagulls quickly picked up food in the rolling foam and flew over the deck, flapping their wings.

  "See you in a year."

  People on the deck shook hands with each other to bid farewell. Ding Xiaojie had specially changed out of her uniform today, wearing a fitted grey sweater dress underneath and a bright red windbreaker on top, looking particularly striking, adding a touch of elegance to her already impressive demeanor.

  "Wow, you look really beautiful today."

  Ding Ling gave him a glance, "Don't you look good usually?"

  Yu Su suddenly choked and went back: "Uh, beautiful, beautiful, when did Ding Xiaojie become so beautiful?" Yu Su's face, which had been stern for years, was now rich in expression, and all the emotions that had not been expressed in a year were suddenly expressed.

  Ding Ling and Lucky were amused by his awkward appearance, laughing with their heads thrown back.

  Ding Ling covered her mouth and laughed: "Forget it, I won't tease you anymore. It was just a little joke, look at yourself."

  Ding Ling walked over, hugged both of them, and then smiled as she boarded the plane. As she was hugging Xing Yun, she whispered in his ear: "I heard from Gong Xi that you two have made up? Congratulations to you both, may your husband be happy!"

  Good luck really looks like a chicken, stupid and red, with a face that's about to bleed.

  Ding Ling burst out laughing, and on this morning of the new year, she was very happy. When boarding the plane, she even waved happily at Heng Yun and Yu Su.

  The sky was filled with increasingly thick gray clouds, which quickly gathered into a dense mass, pressing down heavily. Lightning flashed like scales of a dragon, darting back and forth through the clouds.

  A violent storm swept in, and in an instant the sky and earth were a scene of wind and rain, with waves several meters high rising up from the sea, the entire South China Sea looking like a scene from the end of the world.

  Experts have explained the abnormal weather on the radio and speculated about the reasons for this abnormality. No measurements, no predictions.

  When the distress signal was received on Kij Star Island, the plane carrying Ding Ling and others had lost control, its propeller shattered by the wind, and its dragonfly-like body plunged headlong into the sea.

  The storm is so big that going out for rescue is like throwing a mud cow into the sea, and the opportunity is almost zero. Even these people who went may not have a chance to survive.

  But the plane is a high-tech personnel, and more importantly, Ding Ling is on it, that's someone's treasure, if this really happens in the South China Sea and people are killed, then the leaders here can't explain to their superiors.

  "Rescue! Organize people to rescue immediately!" The phone call came directly from the highest command center.

  All ten lifeboats on the island were launched.

  Ming Lang also set off with the lifeboat, and the calm sea had already changed its appearance. The dark gray seawater was rolling up and down, and the small boat was tossing about on the waves. People were struggling to open their eyes in the wind and rain to look for abnormalities on the surface of the sea. Suddenly, Ming Lang saw a red patch on the surface of the sea and loudly shouted to his comrades beside him: "Ten o'clock direction, ten o'clock direction, there is a floating object, there is a floating object!"

  The sound was transmitted one after another, and the driver rushed in that direction as soon as he heard it.

  "Who's going down?"

  The temporary captain of this search and rescue team asked loudly.

  "Me!" "Me!"

  There were three or four voices, sonorous and resonant in the rain.

  "I'll go, I grew up by the sea and am a good swimmer." Ming Lang said as he tied the rope around his waist, "I'm going in the water."

  After finishing, he turned around and jumped into the water. The resistance of the waves was very strong, and Minglang tried to get close several times but was washed back. The people on the boat watched nervously, and soon two more warriors jumped down.

  The struggle with the sea is a bloodless slaughter, the surface of the water is broken and quickly surges together, one wave will knock a person down to the bottom, then rise again, and charge forward.

  At the moment when Minglang pulled Ding Ling, there was even a feeling of rebirth. When they swam back, the two people who came later also gathered together, and the three of them pulled Ding Ling onto the lifeboat together.

  The emergency responders on the boat were all ready, but when they saw that pale and icy face, everyone felt a sense of powerlessness in their hearts, as if the situation was more dire than hopeful.