Crisis at Sea

Shen Bing shook her head: "If you carry so many supplies by yourself, no one can help you if something happens."

Lu Zhe thought for a moment, it was also a problem. He pondered for a while:

"How about this, I'll make another paddle, then let's divide these supplies into five parts evenly. I'll take someone and one-fifth of the supplies across each time, transporting five times, and finally everything will arrive."

Lin Qianqian said: "But this way, you need to go back and forth five times!"

Lu Zhe smiled: "Seeing the same scenery five times, but with different people accompanying each time, I feel it won't get boring!"

Tang Xiaoguo said: "What boring or not, people are worried about your physical strength."

"You five are not enough to exhaust my physical strength yet."

"This sounds a bit weird."

"Alright, eat something, then decide the order." We found a lifebuoy, didn't we? We can blow it up as a life jacket."

After the girls ate something, they divided the supplies on the raft into five parts, leaving one-fifth behind, and moved the rest down first.

They also discussed the order:

Finally decided on Ning Shu first, Qianqian second, Jiang Yao third, Xiaoguo fourth, and Shen Bing last.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, Lu Zhe transported his companions.

He took Ning Shu, pushed open the bamboo raft, carefully controlled the balance, and the bamboo raft slowly entered the deep water. He put down the punting pole and switched to a paddle.

With the "rustling" sound of paddling, the bamboo raft turned around the rock mountain in front, revealing the rugged scenery of strange rocks behind.

These boulders were perpendicular to the water surface, looking as if they had grown out of the water.

This was a typical karst landform.

Looking at the steep mountain, Ning Shu lamented: "Fortunately we took the water route, climbing the mountain route would be exhausting even if we don't scrape off a layer of skin."

Ahead in the water there was a stone pillar, the top connected with the rocks on the shore to form an arch, not too big or small.

"Hey, Lu Zhe, it feels a bit like the Elephant Trunk Hill in Guilin."

Lu Zhe nodded: "The landform features are a bit similar."

The two carefully maneuvered the bamboo raft and paddled through the archway.

"Hey, Lu Zhe, do you feel like passing through this archway is a bit different, as if entering another world through this archway?"

"It really does feel like that!"

Lu Zhe nodded, what he sensed was a temperature difference, although so subtle it was hard to discern.

"But this is not another world. I guess it's two currents of different temperatures converging around here. Like the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meeting at the boundary, the two different colored seawaters do not mix, forming a dividing line extending hundreds of miles at Cape Agulhas. We have also entered from one environment to another, so naturally there will be a feeling of difference. We need to be careful."

After paddling forward another ten meters or so, suddenly a surge of currents came from nowhere, tilting the bamboo raft and pulling it away from the rocks.

"What's going on?"

"It should be an undertow, don't panic, just keep paddling in the original direction."

The two hurriedly paddled harder to break free from the pull of the current.

"Look, there's a small tree over there on the cliff crevice!"

Ning Shu looked up and saw a towering rock not far away, like a giant half-submerged in water, standing upright facing the ocean.

And that little tree grew in the unmentionable place of the giant.

"The position of this little tree is a bit inappropriate!"

"Just focus on paddling the boat! Don't mess around!"

"Got it!"

The two paddled hard towards it. Soon the bamboo raft approached the little tree and Lu Zhe tied the rope onto it.

Safe now.

They continued paddling.

After paddling for more than thirty meters, the rope pulled taut and could just reach the diving area on this side.

Lu Zhe untied the rope from the bamboo raft and tied it to the rock wall.

"When I come back later, I can take it off and use it as a safety rope to tie the other side."

"Yeah, this is foolproof now."

It was easy once they reached the sandy area. Lu Zhe and Ning Shu jumped into the water, pulled the bamboo raft onto the beach, then stacked all the supplies under the rocks on the beach.

"Exciting yet safe, mission accomplished!"

Lu Zhe checked his watch, this trip took fifteen minutes: "Hmm, wait here for a while, I'll bring Qianqian to accompany you in half an hour."

With that, Lu Zhe pushed the empty bamboo raft back into the water.

"Wait a moment first."

Ning Shu grabbed Lu Zhe's arm. Before Lu Zhe could react, she had already leaned over and deeply kissed him on the lips.

This made Lu Zhe's heart beat a little faster.

Ning Shu said sternly: "Lu Zhe, you must, must be very careful, you hear me?"

"Okay..." Lu Zhe appreciated Ning Shu's concern, and nodded seriously as well.

The second time back, he first paddled to the rope, then pulled along the rope to the other side, then tied this end of the rope to a rock on the other side, and easily paddled back.

Jiang Yao asked worriedly: "How was it, Lu Zhe!"

Lu Zhe nodded: "It was thrilling yet safe. There's a rapid current in the middle, but it's not a big problem. I've tied a safety rope."

Lin Qianqian said: "Then let's hurry, the class monitor is too lonely by herself over there."

"Alright, put your calves through the lifebuoy when paddling the raft. Wear it immediately if anything happens!"

Lin Qianqian smiled sweetly: "Got it!"

On the way, Lin Qianqian couldn't help asking questions, and Lu Zhe tried his best to answer her.

It was also thrilling yet safe, and they successfully brought Lin Qianqian and one-fifth of the supplies to Ning Shu.

Seeing Lu Zhe bring Lin Qianqian back, Ning Shu finally felt relieved.

The third time, sending Jiang Yao!

It was fine at first, but just after passing through the archway, Jiang Yao's body suddenly shuddered.

"Lu Zhe, did you feel that?"

"I felt it!" Lu Zhe clearly felt the change in temperature was more pronounced, and he was secretly surprised.

"Hurry and paddle forward with all your might!"

"I'm already paddling!"

The two paddled hard forward, but the bamboo raft didn't move!

The paddles were too small, and the rapids were too strong to easily break free like before.

In this moment, the intensity of this current had increased several times!

"What's going on?"

Lu Zhe quickly put down the paddle and grabbed the rope.

Without Lu Zhe's resistance, Jiang Yao had no way to resist the powerful rapids, and the bamboo raft was immediately pulled away from the islet by that force.

"Bang!"

The rope pulled taut, and the bamboo raft stopped. Jiang Yao was flung out by the tremendous inertia, and in a split second Lu Zhe grabbed her ankle, preventing her from falling into the water!

"Are you okay, Yao Yao!"

"I'm fine..."

"Let's pull the raft back together!"

Jiang Yao climbed up and pulled on the rope with Lu Zhe to start pulling it back!

Lu Zhe was relieved this safety rope was tied properly. As long as they pulled it back, they could potentially get to Ning Shu by staying close to the rock face.

But soon, he realized the problem.

He could hold on, and the rope could hold on, but the little tree was about to give out.

Lu Zhe looked back!

He saw what looked like something unusual appear on the sea dozens of meters away.

It wasn't big, but the flow of the surrounding seawater seemed to be affected by it.

"What...what is that!"

Cold sweat rolled down Lu Zhe's face: "Damn, it's a whirlpool!"

Then Lu Zhe started pulling the rope forcefully: "We have to get back immediately, we're screwed if we get sucked in."

Jiang Yao fearfully nodded and hurried to pull with Lu Zhe.

But just then, with a "whoosh", the little tree was uprooted entirely, and Lu Zhe and Jiang Yao's raft drifted out into the open sea.