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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 242: Azure Sea
On the night when Song Yao and Jones reached a "five-day agreement," Shaoshan and his companions finally decided to enter the water. They had waited all day, and if they continued to delay, the cold and dampness of the night would take them down without needing the tides to repeat. Fortunately, the heavy rain that Shaoshan had feared did not arrive, and they were lucky enough to hit the timing of the ebb tide. The large rocks that had been submerged during the day were now exposed, giving them more room to maneuver.
Jin Bo's impromptu swimming training ended in failure. Fang Fei worked hard to teach him, and Jin Bo studied earnestly, but alas, the sea was not a swimming pool. The low temperature and hunger continuously eroded their remaining strength. Coupled with the relentless waves, they had no choice but to stop what seemed like a futile last-minute effort. Shaoshan's physical condition was visibly deteriorating; during the day, he could still joke around with the others, but as the sun sank below the horizon, Xiaoye noticed that Shaoshan had become much quieter. Upon closer inspection, he found that this once jovial soldier had developed a high fever again. Under the pale moonlight, Shaoshan's face looked ashen, his breathing shallow and labored.
The Suit Man and his group had been watching them coldly from another pile of rocks. Earlier, Ye Qingmei had picked some shellfish under Shaoshan's suggestion to fill their stomachs. The Suit Man's group watched enviously but felt too embarrassed to ask for any. Instead, they resorted to foraging for food themselves. Nature was generous; the fresh food clinging to the rocks did not abandon them due to their lowly behavior. The group of men and women happily gathered on the cold rocks, feasting without a trace of their earlier despair. Humans can be easily satisfied at times; living on borrowed time might not be enough to drive someone insane, but going hungry can easily crush many people's spirits.
As previously mentioned, while the ocean could provide emergency sustenance, it was not a substitute for proper meals. In a situation lacking medical supplies, any case of diarrhea could be fatal. Ye Qingmei wanted to remind them to stop while they were ahead but thought better of it after recalling everything that had happened during the day. In truth, she also wanted to eat more; there was still a lingering taste of saltiness in her mouth that was far from unpleasant.
The remaining half bottle of fresh water was poured into Shaoshan's mouth. Jin Bo and the others licked their dry lips, hoping this little water could bring Shaoshan back from death's door. Shaoshan's throat moved slightly as he slowly swallowed the water; his breathing appeared more even now. After waiting a bit longer, Shaoshan finally emerged from his stupor and hoarsely muttered something.
"He's awake!" Fang Fei quickly called over Jin Bo, who had just returned from relieving himself, pulling him back toward the rocks. Jin Bo hurriedly tightened his belt as he ran back, nearly tripping over his own pants several times.
"How is he?" Jin Bo asked as he adjusted his belt in the darkness, seeing Ye Qingmei helping Shaoshan sit up slightly; he still had his eyes closed and wasn't fully awake.
"Is there any water left?" Ye Qingmei gently patted Shaoshan's back and whispered, "He wants to drink."
Jin Bo's face fell at that moment. The previous night he had brought down half a bundle of water from the boat and had already shared most of it with others. He and the two girls had hardly drunk any during the day; all that precious water was saved for Shaoshan. Earlier, Ye Qingmei had just fed him the last half bottle; where could he find more water now? Fang Fei understood their current supply situation and felt helpless upon hearing this; Shaoshan’s high fever persisted, clearly showing signs of dehydration. The combination of dampness and blood loss suggested that his brief revival during the day was merely a flicker of life before darkness set in again. She wanted to say something comforting to Jin Bo but feared it might irritate him; after all, they had only been through this ordeal together for a day and a night.
Jin Bo squatted in front of Shaoshan with clenched teeth, his brows knitted tightly together. A clever woman cannot make a meal without rice; on this barren rock, there was truly nothing he could do. After pondering for a moment, Jin Bo gritted his teeth and raised his arm to his mouth, biting down hard.
"What are you doing?!" Fang Fei exclaimed in shock at his actions and quickly pulled his arm away. However, Jin Bo’s teeth were evidently sharper than she anticipated; he had already bitten into his wrist, drawing blood.
Jin Bo raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Let him drink a bit."
"..." Fang Fei was momentarily taken aback, exasperated as she replied, "That's useless."
"What else can we do? We can't exactly make him drink urine, can we?" Jin Bo shot her a sideways glance, attempting a joke that fell flat.
"Neither option is acceptable!" Fang Fei was both angry and anxious as she explained, "You’re so skinny that if you bled out, it might quench his thirst, but relying on just that one bite won’t help. And what if you get infected? This isn’t the time for mutual destruction!"
Seeing her flustered expression made Jin Bo chuckle slightly, but he quickly lowered his arms and sighed. "Do you have any other ideas? Besides... isn't there water in human blood? Why can't it be used in an emergency?"
"Most of that blood is made up of blood cells; what good is that?" Fang Fei shot him a glare, realizing his ignorance and recklessness anew. However, knowing he was eager to help softened her heart a bit. Her tone became much gentler as she continued, "The tide is going out now. Why don’t we try going into the water? Otherwise, he might not last through the night. Even if he does survive tonight, the tide will come back in during the day, and without food or water, he won't hold out for long."
Jin Bo licked his lips and gazed at the dark sea surface, feeling a twinge of anxiety. For someone like him who wasn't a strong swimmer, just standing at the edge of a deep pool made his legs feel weak—let alone facing the vastness of the ocean. But the current situation left no room for cowardice; Fang Fei was right—this was a gamble they had to take.
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