Chapter 114 Chapter 114 The Giant
*
After the whistle sounded, Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao each held a strong flashlight as a guide light. About fifteen minutes later, two bright orange lifeboats quickly sailed towards the light source on the sea shrouded in night fog.
Two large lifeboats, each fully loaded with more than 20 people.
Apparently, the other party thought that there would be a group of people seeking rescue in the sea in the middle of the night, so they specially sent two large ships, but when they arrived they found out that there were only two people.
However, even though there were only two people, the two young crew members driving the lifeboat did not show any dissatisfaction. They looked like they had not slept all night and were very tired. After briefly understanding the situation, they invited Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao to board the boat.
It was so straightforward, so straightforward that it made people feel uneasy. Even when he got on the lifeboat, Gu Mengran felt a little nervous, fearing that this was a road of no return.
But what can we do?
The wind and waves tonight serve as a reminder that the vast ocean cannot be conquered by a diesel boat, and they need a larger and safer haven.
As the distance shortened and the vision became clearer, Gu Mengran's attention was soon attracted by the oil tanker that was like a deep-sea steel behemoth, and he no longer had time to think about anything else.
The supertanker was really huge, extremely huge, and the end of the ship was as far as one could see. Gu Mengran roughly estimated it by eye as the lifeboat moved, and the captain conservatively estimated it to be 400 meters.
The height reached a rather terrifying value, half in the water and half above the water surface. Gu Mengran could not see the top and could not estimate it with his eyes, but as he did not have gigantic fear, he passed under the boat and felt a strong sense of oppression.
How to describe it? A diesel boat can't even compare to one of her propeller blades. The Wind Wing, which Gu Mengran was so proud of, was just a small nose in front of her. Even the cruise ship Yongyue would be compared to a small Karami.
This is a ship - a well-deserved steel city on the sea.
My curiosity was gradually aroused. This huge ship was clearly an ocean-going vessel, so why was it staying in the East China Sea? Where did it come from, where was it going, and what was on board?
The driver had a tired look on his face and drove the boat silently, just like a worker who was working hard before a disaster. He just wanted to finish his task as soon as possible and go home to rest. He had no intention of chatting.
Gu Mengran originally wanted to inquire indirectly, but he didn't find a suitable opportunity until he boarded the ship.
Perhaps due to the influence of the wind and waves, even though it was late at night, the lights were still on on the slightly messy deck of the giant ship.
As he followed the young pilot up the gangway to the deck, Gu Mengran immediately felt scrutiny from all directions.
However, it seemed that they were just looking at it with a curious look to see who it was, and there was no other malice. Gu Mengran followed those gazes and quickly scanned around, and saw many people busy cleaning up the deck.
Not only were there mainly young male seafarers, there were also men and women, young and old, and even a few disabled people with missing limbs on the deck.
They looked very comfortable. Although they all had tired looks on their faces, it felt like they were working in their own home. They were extremely harmonious, relaxed and at ease.
Board the ship at the right stern and walk a distance forward to reach the stern tower.
Without giving Gu Mengran time to think, the driver took them into the towering stern deck with ease. After several twists and turns, they arrived at the corner of the second floor, in front of a door with the words "Storage Compartment" hanging on it.
Turning the handle and pushing open the door, the young man who had accompanied them all the way yawned, turned his head and raised his chin towards the two of them, "We encountered a sudden storm tonight, and the ship is busy and chaotic. You can rest here for a night, and we can do the rest when the ship is empty tomorrow."
"Hey man."
After the man finished speaking, he turned and left, and Gu Mengran quickly called him.
The young man paused and turned back, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes, "What's the matter? Didn't I say we'll talk about it tomorrow?"
Gu Mengran looked at his and Liang Zhao's soaked clothes and forced an awkward but friendly smile, "Thanks to you for saving us tonight, but..."
"Hey, let's not say these polite words," the young man waved his hand to interrupt Gu Mengran's words, but the corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably, "In a year of disaster, we will help if we can. It's a convenient thing. We were also rescued by the captain in the first place."
After he finished speaking, the young man realized that he had accidentally interrupted someone else. He looked at Gu Mengran with a slight apology and motioned for him to continue.
It is not convenient to use space in other people's territory. Gu Mengran pointed to his wet clothes and coughed lightly, "I just want to ask if you have any extra clothes? My brother and I are soaked, it's really... too cold."
"Pah," the young man slapped his forehead, "I'm sorry, I didn't pay attention. Hurry up, go in and take off your wet clothes first, don't catch a cold, I'll get them for you now."
Gu Mengran wanted to say something, but the young man had already run away.
"Why!"
Gu Mengran looked at the young man's back and shook his head. He turned back to look at Liang Zhao, then reached out, grasped the door handle, and pushed open the half-open cabin door.
The corridor was lit, but the cabin was not too dark. There were no shelves or sundries, just an empty room. There were some blankets on the floor, which looked like they would be their beds tonight.
"Not bad, it's actually a separate room."
After checking out the room of several square meters at a glance, Gu Mengran was obviously relieved and fumbled on the wall near the door, looking for the light switch.
Just as his fingertips touched a bulge, a dry cough suddenly sounded in the room. Gu Mengran was startled, and his body reacted faster than his brain, and he pressed the switch with a "click".
The bright lights fell on the ground, revealing the small cabin.
There were four beds on the floor in the room, and there was an obvious bulge on the bed on the right side of the cabin door.
The sudden light disturbed people's sweet dreams. The bulge moved, and a slightly haggard middle-aged man poked his head out from under the quilt and glared at the door with dissatisfaction.
It was just a glance. Before Gu Mengran could apologize, the man seemed to have discovered something interesting. He immediately got up from the bed wrapped in a quilt and looked at the two with interest. "You two little brothers look unfamiliar. Are you new here? Are those two boats that just went out to pick you up?"
The attitude changed too quickly. Gu Mengran looked at him suspiciously and said "hmm" softly.
"Hey, there are new people here at last!" The man who had been frowning just now smiled and waved to the two of them, greeting them warmly: "Come on, come on, come in and rest. No one is sleeping in these beds, you can take any one you like."
Gu Mengran frowned slightly and looked at Liang Zhao subconsciously, only to see Liang Zhao nodded at him, pulling his wrist and quickly walking into the house.
It was indeed too cold, and they had no time to care about this roommate who was so different from before. After entering the room, Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao quickly took off their wet clothes and wrapped themselves in a quilt to keep warm. Then they hung their clothes on the window railings to dry, and the two of them squeezed on the same mat.
As if afraid that they would run away, the middle-aged man kept a stare at them the whole time.
Although there was no malice in the look, it was a bit rude to stare at someone while they were taking off their clothes.
The chill gradually dissipated, and the body slowly warmed up. Gu Mengran secretly held Liang Zhao's hand under the quilt, met the middle-aged man's inquiring gaze, and said directly: "Brother, what's the matter? Why are you looking at us?"
"Oh, no," the man smiled awkwardly. Perhaps he noticed the vigilance in Gu Mengran's eyes, so he quickly waved his hand and explained, "I don't mean anything else. I'm just curious. I want to chat with you after you finish cleaning up."
Gu Mengran nodded and readily agreed: "Okay, let's chat!"
The man was about to speak with a look of joy, but Gu Mengran spoke first:
"Brother, what's your name and where are you from? Are you originally a crew member on this ship, or did you join the ship later like us? Oh, right, where did this ship come from? Do you know where it's going? Tonight..."
Gu Mengran truly demonstrated what it means to be talkative, with a question mark after every sentence he said. He would immediately ask a new question after the other party answered it, and if the other party wanted to ask a question, he would just laugh it off.
After a round of chatting, the man didn't even know their last names, but Gu Mengran had already extracted some useful information from the unsuspecting middle-aged man.
The supertanker has a very simple and crude name - Giant.
The roommate Song Jun had no idea where the Giant came from. Like Gu Mengran and the others, he had been wandering alone after the disaster and had only boarded the Giant three months ago.
During the past three months, the Giant has been lingering near the coast of the East China Sea, neither leaving nor entering the deep sea area, carrying about 200 people and making a living by fishing near the coast.
More than two hundred people... Gu Mengran was surprised that there were so many people on the boat.
Song Jun explained that except for some seafarers, the others were survivors rescued after the disaster, just like them.
Talking about the captain and the first mate, Song Jun was filled with awe and sighed sincerely: "The captain, first mate, and management of the Giant... they are all heroes, and they are all really good people. It is said that they never stand by and watch. Whenever they encounter an emergency, they will basically save everyone they see if they can."
If what he said was true, Gu Mengran would admire him very much.
In the past, the cost of rescuing people was low, and bringing people home was considered a good deed. But now, land is disappearing inch by inch, and humans are displaced and homeless. If good people want to do their best, they still have to be responsible for their food, clothing, housing and transportation.
Of course, not all survivors are unable to carry anything, they can also serve as labor, but resources are scarce nowadays, and even if they rely on the sea for food... it is not so easy to fill their stomachs.
But for now, it seems that life on the ship is going pretty well.
The drivers who picked them up, the busy men and women on the deck, and even the roommate sitting in front of them, did not look like they were starving for eight meals in three days, and seemed to be living a very comfortable life.
This is getting off topic. He doesn't need to worry about how other people live their lives. Gu Mengran stopped his divergent thoughts in time and repeatedly pondered over what Song Jun had just said.
The Giant has been hovering near the coast these days...
Then, have they encountered the Wind Wing that went into the sea some time ago?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
