novelraw Chapter 267: The Shark Struck by Lightning
Chapter 267: The Shark Struck by Lightning
Chapter 267: The Shark Struck by LightningThis Black Tiger Prawn was at least seven or eight liang—enough to fill Jiang Luoluo up on its own. Of course, with such a large prawn, steaming it plain would make the meat a bit tough, so the cooking method mattered.
Chu Mingcheng continued scavenging along the beach, but this was still the first wave pushed in by the storm. Good finds weren't exactly everywhere yet.
He didn't spot many more Black Tiger Prawns after that, though he did find quite a few Red Shrimp.
These shrimp weren't expensive, nor were they large. If you didn't devein them properly, they'd be full of sand.
But An Xiuwen used to buy them often, peel the meat, clean it thoroughly, and then stir-fry a plate.
The stir-fried Red Shrimp meat had an unexpectedly fresh and sweet flavor. Adding some corn kernels made it delicious, and it was one of Chu Mingcheng's favorite dishes growing up.
Thinking that Jiang Luoluo hadn't tried this dish yet, he specifically picked out some large, fresh Red Shrimp.
Unlike the Black Tiger Prawns and mantis shrimp that might still be alive, the Red Shrimp were, without exception, all dead.
So picking fresh ones took some care. Black heads were a no-go, and those whose bodies had separated from their heads were also out.
Because of the appearance of some wild shrimp, more and more people came to the beach. In just about an hour, the beach was almost packed.With few items and many people, Chu Mingcheng and the others couldn't find much good stuff.
Even the mantis shrimp they'd initially scorned were now disappearing at a visible rate, leaving only some dead ones on the sand.
Fish also appeared from time to time—besides some assorted small fish, there were Small Yellow Croakers, sea bass, and occasionally even one or two fresh small Hairtail.
Chu Mingcheng wasn't interested in those. His bucket currently held about ten large mantis shrimp. Though none exceeded twenty centimeters, they weren't small either, and all were plump.
He hadn't found many Black Tiger Prawns—only seven in total.
One was forearm-sized, and the rest were palm-sized.
Finally, there were the Red Shrimp, about two jin worth, which would yield roughly seven or eight liang of meat.
Zhang Wei and Chen Yang had also made some catches. They weren't as picky as Chu Mingcheng and had gathered a bit more.
Just then, as the typhoon pressed in, the tide began to rise, and the waves crashed higher and higher. It was clearly becoming unsafe.
The condensed dark clouds hung even lower, giving the illusion of an apocalypse, with occasional flashes flickering within—obviously thunderclouds.
At that moment, a massive Hammerhead Shark was being tossed about by the waves. It wasn't small, measuring three meters long, but it still couldn't resist the power of nature.
Drawn by hunger, it had been lured over by the food.
But it had underestimated the power of the waves, leaving it in a sorry state.
Chu Mingcheng didn't know a shark was approaching. He called Zhang Wei and Chen Yang over, preparing to leave.
Suddenly, a huge wave surged forward. Cries of alarm erupted on the beach as most people's pants were soaked by the unexpected wave.
But Chu Mingcheng and those nearby saw a large shark suddenly rush out of the wave. An incredibly unlucky woman was swept off her feet by the shark's tail and pulled away by the water.
That wasn't the important part. The important part was that Zhang Wei happened to be beside the woman, and she instinctively grabbed him.
As a result, he was pulled down too, swept into the sea.
The bucket in his hand flipped over into the seawater, and the seafood inside spilled out, washed away completely—all his work for nothing.
"Damn it!" Chu Mingcheng cursed under his breath, immediately handing his bucket to Chen Yang, who had come over from another direction, then quickly ran over and dove headfirst into the water.
The woman and Zhang Wei, caught in the giant waves, had absolutely no control over their bodies, and the shark was right beside them.
Chu Mingcheng's speed was incredibly fast. Although the giant waves affected him, the impact was far less than on a normal person.
By the time he reached Zhang Wei and the woman, he found the shark constantly trying to bite them, but the seawater prevented it from controlling its body, pushing it farther and farther away.
But compared to humans, sharks have a natural advantage in the water. After a short while, it adjusted its body and gradually closed in.
Chu Mingcheng, on the surface, saw the next giant wave approaching. He immediately shot forward, reaching Zhang Wei and the stranger just before the shark did, then kicked the Hammerhead Shark square on the nose.
The shark's head snapped sideways from the kick. It tried to bite back, but the next moment, the incoming giant wave knocked it over again.
Chu Mingcheng seized the opportunity, using the giant wave to quickly swim toward the beach with the two people.
But unknowingly, they were now over a hundred meters from where the people on the beach stood.
With the push of the giant wave, he could have quickly returned to the beach on his own.
But carrying two people, although pushed from behind, he was also blocked by the receding seawater in front, which slowed him down considerably.
He glanced back and saw the Hammerhead Shark attacking again.
Although it was seven or eight meters away, carrying two people, he couldn't possibly outrun it.
And he couldn't let go of them to drive the shark away first. If he let go, the two people in his hands would immediately be swept away by the waves to god knows where.
Just as Chu Mingcheng was wondering what to do, the sky suddenly flashed violently, and a blinding lightning bolt struck straight into the water.
Glancing back at the shark, he was instantly dumbfounded.
Because a flash had suddenly appeared right before his eyes, followed by a deafening roar.
The shark, not far away, stopped swimming and looked like it had flipped belly-up.
Chu Mingcheng had no idea what had happened in the water, but it was a good thing for him.
He took the opportunity to surface and help the breathless Zhang Wei catch his breath. Glancing back, he saw the shark floating on the surface, a strange black mark on its body. It looked like it was really dead.
Chu Mingcheng didn't know what had happened and didn't have time to think about it, quickly bringing the two back to the beach.
Zhang Wei had swallowed several mouthfuls of water and was now coughing violently. Having learned diving, his breath-holding ability was indeed much better. Coupled with surfacing for air occasionally, he hadn't passed out.
As for the other stranger, she had choked on water and passed out halfway there.
Chen Yang saw them and immediately ran over, punching him hard on the chest, his eyes red, his lips and body trembling nonstop, unable to speak.
The surrounding people were stunned, buzzing with discussion.
"Holy crap, he actually saved them?"
"Amazing. A normal person swept away would definitely be gone. This guy managed to pull two people back."
"Damn, look at that shark, there's a black mark on it. Could that lightning bolt just now have hit it?"
"Uh, could it be that one of these three is the main character, and even heaven is helping them?"
The onlookers were clearly astonished. Chu Mingcheng, however, was anxiously watching a woman perform first aid on the rescued stranger.
The woman helping with first aid was the unconscious woman's neighbor. They lived nearby, and hearing about the stranded seafood, they had come together to scavenge, never expecting such an incident.
After first aid, the woman who had choked on water spat out a lot of seawater but still didn't wake up.
Chu Mingcheng knew it was because the rescuer wasn't professional enough. He hesitated, wondering if he should step in, when the sound of an ambulance siren arrived. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
The woman hadn't been unconscious for long after choking. A professional nurse came up, pressed down a few times, performed artificial respiration twice, and successfully revived her.
Then, both the woman and Zhang Wei were taken to the hospital by ambulance. He and Chen Yang would go later.
"Let's go. We'll head back, change clothes, then go to the hospital."
"Okay…" Chen Yang followed behind him, putting the buckets in the car, along with the raincoat Chu Mingcheng had taken off earlier.
As for the shark struck by lightning, it was quickly carried away by the subsequently arrived Fisheries Authority, and everyone on the beach was dispersed and sent back.
Soaked to the skin, Chu Mingcheng had no choice but to take a cloth, wipe the water off his raincoat as much as possible, spread it on the seat, and then sit down.
Chen Yang, on the other hand, hadn't gotten very wet, so he sent him home directly.
Jiang Luoluo heard the commotion and walked out of the dance studio. Seeing Chu Mingcheng soaked through, and Chen Yang holding the bucket and foraging tongs, she looked a bit surprised. "You went foraging? How did you get soaked like this?"
"Zhang Wei got swept away by the waves. I pulled him back, so I got wet. I'm going to take a shower first. I'll tell you the details later."
He'd been filmed earlier and might end up on some Douyin (Chinese TikTok) trending list, so Chu Mingcheng told her the truth, though he downplayed it.
Then, without waiting for Jiang Luoluo to ask further, he rushed into the bathroom to shower.
Chen Yang, left facing her stare, felt awkward. Jiang Luoluo's serious expression carried quite an imposing aura. Coupled with his guilt, he didn't dare hide anything and confessed everything that had just happened.
"Chu Mingcheng!" After hearing the story, she felt a pain in her chest from anger. With a furious shout, she immediately walked into her room, locked the door, and went straight into the bathroom to settle accounts with Chu Mingcheng.
The faint sounds of scolding and Chu Mingcheng's pleading drifted out, making Chen Yang shrink his neck.
Damn, just like scolding her own naughty kid.
He'd known her for a while now, but Chen Yang had never seen her lose her temper. She was like a tigress.
About ten minutes later, Jiang Luoluo, having changed out of her dance clothes and seemingly having quickly washed up, walked out of the room, followed by Chu Mingcheng, grimacing in pain.
His kidney area had been pinched black and blue. A furious wife was terrifying!
"Let's go to the hospital!" Jiang Luoluo picked up her bag, her face expressionless as she walked out first. The two men obediently followed behind.
They first went to Chen Yang's place to grab a set of Zhang Wei's clothes, then headed to the hospital.
They found the ward and walked in. Only two people were lying there—Zhang Wei and the woman who had dragged him into the water, both now changed into hospital gowns.
Their problems weren't serious; they mostly just needed to change their wet clothes and undergo some check-ups.
There was also a group of people standing around, presumably the woman's relatives.
When Zhang Wei saw them arrive, he pointed at Chu Mingcheng and said, "Look, this handsome young man is the one who saved us."
The rescued woman's eyes immediately lit up when she saw her savior, and she quickly sat up to express her thanks.
Her relatives now knew who the rescuer was and rushed forward enthusiastically, grabbing Chu Mingcheng's hand, thanking him profusely, and even forcefully stuffing a very thick red envelope into his hand.
This kind of behavior was very comforting. At least this woman wasn't like those entitled brats online who acted like being saved was their right.
Jiang Luoluo saw this and placed the fruit basket she was carrying on the bedside table next to Zhang Wei, quietly observing the scene.