In the icy cold seawater, Xu Qigang’s face was ashen. If he couldn’t save Xiao Ning, what would be the point of returning? What was the point of living?
Ti and again, he dived to the ocean floor, to the depths, erging only when his lungs were utterly devoid of air. He ceaselessly searched the spot where Sheng Ning fell, tirelessly searching, not leaving a single place unchecked.
He calculated the direction of the ocean currents, the underwater eddies and whirlpools, desperately searching. Even when his entire body was numb, even when his skin was so soaked it bore no resemblance to its original state.
Several tis, he was unable to swim up from the water.
Qin Yue couldn’t watch any longer, and just as Su Hai’s orders ca through, he knocked Xu Qigang unconscious with the butt of a gun.
Three days later
Jingang Pier, and indeed the entire coastline, had been swept through. Departing freighters, fishern setting out to sea, transportation fleets gradually sailed away.
Ships departed, and naturally, ships arrived. Jingang Pier remained bustling, even with a rescue comrade stationed every five ters, ti’s march couldn’t be halted.
A great deal of manpower had been dedicated to the search, yet there was still no trace of the person. To put it bluntly, not even a corpse was found.
"Withdraw! Everyone withdraw," Su Jiang calmly ordered upon arriving the next day.
"Xu Qigang would never agree to withdraw," Shen Feihu said with a heavy heart.
Watching his most valued and capable officer search relentlessly for three days and nights, trying to find soone who was already dead, it was impossible for him not to feel sorrowful.
But now Xu Qigang was like a drunkard, impervious to persuasion, unable to be awoken.
Three days ago, Qin Yue knocked Xu Qigang out, only for him to awaken and furiously beat him up, leaving everyone too frightened to intervene. Even Chen Yingjie refused to rest, unwilling to close his eyes.
Shen Feihu, a straightforward Northern man, felt a deep sense of worry. Both Xu Qigang and Chen Yingjie would likely be wrecked from this.
Especially Chen Yingjie, who reportedly swore that if Sheng Ning couldn’t be found, he would apologize with his life. The incident ca too suddenly to bla him.
No one blad him, but a man with such a strong sense of responsibility couldn’t forgive himself.
Shen Feihu rubbed his temples in frustration.
Su Jiang’s orders were effective, and in less than half a day everyone had withdrawn. Only Xu Qigang, Chen Yingjie, and Qin Yue kept searching.
With his face bruised and swollen, Qin Yue harbored frustration, refusing to leave no matter what Qin Xue said.
The search continued, yet despair slowly seeped in.
A week later, the most unexpected person arrived.
Fan Hengyan.
In the temporary command center by the shore, Fan Hengyan’s expression was grave, "Tell Xu Qigang to see , and tell him it’s an order. I want to see if he’s forgotten the blood and duty a comrade should uphold."
Fan Hengyan was furious. When the order was delivered, Xu Qigang blinked, and tears suddenly stread down his face—sothing he hadn’t done in over a week.
Over the past week, he had been tornted to the point of being neither man nor ghost. A layer of stubble covered his face, his hair was disheveled, and he had long since swapped his rescue suit for a black vest.
His skin had been burned by the sun and soaked by the seawater, peeling off.
He was entirely unrecognizable from his forr self.
"Captain Xu, the leader said if you still rember the oath you took under the national flag, co see him imdiately."
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