When the wealthy and beautiful woman was the first to leap into the water, the splash she made startled the more than sixty people who were warming up.
For a moment, it was unclear whether this long-haired kid was truly capable or just recklessly ignorant, as he didn't even bother to warm up before going into the water.
However, his actions also put some psychological pressure and a sense of urgency on the more than sixty people present. Everyone was here to seize the opportunity, and they couldn't let others beat them to it no matter what.
So, very quickly, the man who brought his own diving equipment checked that there was nothing wrong with his equipment, put on his goggles and breathing mask, and went down.
Zhou Hai, the diver, was very confident in his dive. Compared to others who at most wore waterproof goggles and fins, he was able to significantly outpace and outrun them with his oxygen tank.
The longest an average person can hold their breath is about five minutes, while his oxygen tank, at a depth of fifty meters, can provide oxygen for at least forty minutes.
The extra thirty-five minutes he had was enough for him to sneak into the research base's factory and search thoroughly for that precious material synthesis machine.
On his way there, he specifically inquired about the reasons why the people who came before him had failed. In summary, the water was too deep, the factory was too big, and there were also some fish and shrimp in the sea interfering with the process, which caused the first group to return empty-handed.
But what are these three problems to him, with his diving equipment?! Even if the diving depth were tens of meters greater, or the area were twice as big, he was confident!
With that thought in mind, Zhou Hai quickened his fin strokes.
He soon saw the long-haired youth who was swimming freely downwards in only a white shirt and trousers without any protective gear.
When Zhou Hai saw him, he was momentarily stunned. It wasn't that he was surprised by the young man's unusually fast diving speed, but rather that he was surprised by how...beautiful the young man's swimming posture was.
How can one describe the young man's diving movements? It's as if every movement of his hands, feet, and body is perfectly fluid and natural, as if he were born to be part of the sea, his rhythm and cadence blending seamlessly with the ocean.
From his perspective, the young man's swimming posture and long black hair inexplicably reminded him of a mermaid in the sea. His gaze unconsciously followed him.
However, Zhou Hai's gaze and thoughts were quickly interrupted and abruptly returned to their original state.
He felt the ripples in the water behind him and soon saw three people passing him one after another from behind!
The first man to dart past him like an arrow was the handsome yet somewhat fierce man he had been most wary of along the way. This man could intimidate others just by standing there, and being looked at by his wolf-like eyes made them tremble with fear.
He had already sensed this man was difficult to deal with, and now, watching him swim like a great white shark searching for prey, Zhou Hai rolled his eyes. Fine, he wouldn't compete with this inhuman. Besides, even if the man swam incredibly fast and strong, he definitely couldn't hold his own against him, and soon he would see the man helplessly surfacing.
He just needs to stay in third place and then overtake them!
Then Zhou Hai was overtaken by that Tibetan man again.
This Tibetan man's swimming style is rather peculiar, quite rustic. He doesn't look like he's had professional training at all, but he's tall and strong, and people from high altitudes are supposed to be good at holding their breath? But that's okay, he has an oxygen tank, so he can still overtake others!
As he was thinking this, the last petite, short-haired woman swam past him.
If Zhou Hai hadn't seen the long-haired, wealthy woman's swimming style at first glance, he would have definitely admired the short-haired woman's swimming movements. Her movements seemed to allow her to move flexibly in the water, using the force of the water to increase the distance she could dive and the time she could hold her breath.
Unfortunately, with the pearl-like beauty of Otter Fugui preceding her, this pearl diver's swimming movements seemed somewhat mediocre and less than perfect.
Zhou Hai sighed twice, then his face turned green. He quickly began to swing his legs to make himself descend rapidly.
What kind of weirdos came this time?! Even with his diving equipment, they could easily surpass him. Does this mean the most powerful figures always arrive later?!
But for the sake of his family's survival, he had to find that machine no matter what!
Thus, in the dark and deep sea, the people who were diving down towards the research base were divided into two visible echelons.
The five people who went into the water first swam at a speed that even dozens of people riding fish could hardly catch up with, while the sixty-three people behind them were noticeably slower.
Some people even choked on water and quickly surfaced within a minute of entering the water. Diving in the real ocean without any protective gear is completely different from what they imagine, or even what they think of as diving in a swimming pool.
Not only did the water pressure increase rapidly as they went deeper, and not only was the actual seawater colder and more icy than they had imagined, but the most terrifying thing was the fear of the deep sea where almost no light could be seen, and even waterproof flashlights could not illuminate the surroundings.
The feeling of being able to hear only the sound of the seawater and one's own blood flowing, and being able to see only two or three meters ahead, easily forgetting one's surroundings and becoming completely lost in the tranquility of the deep sea, is not something humans can easily adapt to.
Whoosh!
One by one, divers with pain or fear on their faces quickly surfaced from the sea and then scrambled onto the lifeboats moored to the side.
"Oh my god! Why is the water so cold?! It gets colder the deeper I go, and it's putting pressure on my lungs. How can I possibly dive down like this without a professional diving suit?!"
"No, it's too dark down there! I think I bumped into something floating by! My arm is all bruised, I'm not going, I'm not going! I'm not cut out for this!"
"Tsk, I think only that one well-equipped guy will have a chance to find the machine this time. All the others who didn't dive down will have to come up."
"I also think that in the end the military might have to be involved. This is something that ordinary people can't solve! Anyway, I'll just sit here and wait for them to fail one by one."
Within five minutes of arriving, half of the people had given up on the mission.
The mission officer standing by the ship watched as the thirty-odd people who went down and immediately came back up without ever trying again twitched his lips slightly. He had seen far too many people like this who only knew how to talk big and who kept complaining.
Then the guy glanced at the waterproof watch on his wrist and raised his eyebrows slightly.
Five minutes and thirty seconds have passed since that long-haired guy jumped into the water, and the guy he thought would be the first to come up hasn't surfaced yet to take his first breath.
They've got some skills.
Similarly, the other four people he favored haven't come up yet.
Did they infiltrate the research institute?
Of course, Otter Fugui had infiltrated the research institute; he had even located the factory where the target machine was located.
Although the water was a bit cold, the surrounding environment was a bit dark, and every now and then there were random floating objects such as stools, bottles, and tablets that would suddenly come flying at him with the current, nothing could become an obstacle for Otter Fugui, thanks to his innate keen hearing and perception of the water flow!
Even so, Otter Rich's expression was somewhat serious—he had underestimated the difficulty of the task, or rather, overestimated his adorable otter's diving ability.
Only then did he realize that sea otters are not best at diving, but at floating on the sea. The maximum diving time for a sea otter is only about four minutes, but now, in human form and with the added benefit of Seaka's bloodline, he has increased his maximum diving time to ten minutes.
But clearly, even ten minutes wouldn't be enough for him to find that one and only machine in a dark factory with hundreds of different machines.
Oh. This is really frustrating for otters.
The humanoid otter, Fugui, rubbed his face dejectedly and blew out a large bubble. It seemed this was something he'd have to do one trip at a time.
While he was rubbing his face, Xie the werewolf, who had been chasing him, finally caught up. He turned around and saw the adorable humanoid Yuanyuan rubbing his face and blowing bubbles. His wolf heart was instantly struck, and he couldn't resist pinching Otter Rich's face.
It feels amazing!
Then Otter Rich pulled a 24K pure gold brick from his little pocket under his arm and chased after him, beating him relentlessly.
The Sichuan-Tibetan men, pearl divers, and Zhou Hai, with a searchlight overhead, who swam towards them one after another following the lights: "..."
What kind of time is this to be playing in the sea like this?!
Did you think no one would see you two while you were in the sea?!
However, Zhou Hai and his two companions only complained inwardly before quickly continuing to swim forward. By this point, they had actually reached the deepest part of the lake.
Their feet once again trod on the earth that had once borne all life, but they could no longer run freely on the earth or live an ordinary life as before.
Some things exist in a magical way; you never appreciate their value or rarity when you have them. But when you lose them, it feels like you've lost everything.
At this moment, the five people walking lightly on the former city and land submerged by the sea, even Gou Fugui and Xie Tianlang who did not belong to this world, felt their mood was gloomy and indescribable.
Why has the world become like this?
How wonderful it would be if there were no rain, no rising sea levels, and everything were as ordinary and peaceful as ever.
Unfortunately, there are never any "what ifs".
Otter Fugui, who was leading the way, found the gate of the machine factory. He first flashed his glowing watch twice, then knocked twice on the tightly closed factory gate.
The dull thud of metal striking the sea and the vibrations of the water served as a stark reminder that no one could enter.
At this moment, Otter Fugui had already sensed the danger signals his body was sending, indicating that he was running out of breath.
He glanced at the others turning towards the door, then at Xie Langren who seemed to be able to hold his breath a few more times, rolled his eyes dramatically, and with a slight push of his legs, he quickly rose to the surface like a nimble otter.
It will take at least another minute for him to reach the surface. He's already been submerged for more than nine minutes, so he can't hold his breath any longer.
As he moved, the Sichuan-Tibetan man, Ye Huo, who had accurately positioned the gate, stomped his leg and swept his hands upwards, floating to the surface.
Clearly, he had reached his limit.
But the remaining three—Xie Tianlang, Caizhu Nu, and Zhou Hai—still seemed quite at ease. However, they looked at each other, none of them having figured out how to open the massive factory gate.
Zhou Hai decided to walk around the factory to see if there were any windows or ventilation openings that he could enter. Cai Zhu Nu and Xie Tian Lang obviously had the same idea. Without electricity to open the door, even if they had the key to the factory gate, it would be difficult to push open the heavy steel door.
Fortunately, this machine factory was not used for production and processing, but only for testing the performance of the machines. It was relatively well-ventilated. I remember that the building photos showed four large windows on both sides.
Xie Tianlang and his two companions were looking for a way to enter through the window.
Otter Fugui popped his head out of the sea with a splash.
When he popped his head out, everyone on the lifeboat, including the mission officer, turned their attention to him.
Most people looked on with admiration, while some had red and sour eyes.
Ten minutes and forty seconds!
This kid actually held his breath underwater for ten minutes and forty seconds! To be able to dive for such a long time in a real ocean environment without any props or equipment is definitely pushing the limits of human capability.
And since he's been able to hold out for so long, this long-haired youth is very likely to find that machine.
The next person to surface was the man from Sichuan and Tibet. After surfacing, he took several deep breaths. Without resting, he only calmed himself in the seawater for a minute or two before diving back into the water to continue his descent.
This time, he already knows the exact location of the factory and is familiar with the marine environment, so he will arrive at the factory in less time than last time, giving him at least three more minutes of search time.
As the people on the boat watched the Sichuan-Tibetan man pop up and then dive back down, they couldn't help but marvel at the difficulty of the mission and the ferocity of the man.
Then everyone turned to look at Otter Fugui, who had arrived earlier, waiting for the long-haired youth to take a few deep breaths and dive down again.
A minute passed, and the young man was still adrift at sea.
Three minutes passed, and the pearl diver came ashore, while the young man remained lying on the sea like a corpse.
Ten minutes passed. The pearl diver went down, and the Sichuan-Tibet man came up and went down again. The young man was like a dead man, with his hands on his stomach in a particularly peaceful state, closing his eyes to rest and looking up at the sky.
Everyone on the lifeboat: "???"
What kind of attitude is this?! Everyone is working diligently, going up and down, trying their best to find the machines in that factory. How can you just go down once and then stop moving?!
They're not proactive in the salvage operation; they have a problem with their mindset!
If we weren't lacking your ability to hold our breath for ten minutes, we would have already dived down several times over!
But Otter Fugui floated peacefully on the sea without moving.
Because he was thinking seriously.
Although he had only caught a glimpse of it before, he could sense that the factory below was enormous. At least the size of a football field.
Imagine being in such a large factory, with hundreds of machines of different functions and appearances... and it was filled with seawater and had no sunlight. Checking them one by one would probably lead to blindness, swollen lungs, and exhaustion.
This is assuming there's no interference within the factory and every dive goes smoothly. If something were to happen, it would take dozens or even hundreds of dives and three to five days to find that machine.
Although he could join the diving team searching for the machine, it would be too troublesome and too much effort.
Most importantly, this machine is not unique and has a high degree of uncertainty.
The guy with the oxygen tank would be exhausted in forty minutes at most and wouldn't be able to participate in the subsequent search and salvage. But he could tell that the Sichuan-Tibetan man and the pearl diver... even Xie Tianlang, all had a chance to find the machine.
What if a pearl diver or a man from Sichuan or Tibet finds the machine before him? Wouldn't all that holding his breath over and over again be for nothing?
If he becomes rich and powerful, he never does anything futile.
Therefore, the machine in the factory could be abandoned. He didn't want to compete with the Sichuan-Tibetan men and pearl divers who had risked their lives for this sliver of hope.
Therefore, we need to broaden our horizons and expand our perspective.
Let's go retrieve those two machines from the underground warehouse.
Although the underground warehouse is larger, deeper, and more complex, it doesn't matter.
It's time to summon the third quirky little cutie.
Hmm, I guess this guy can't really be considered "cute".
Just as Otter Fugui finally went from lying flat like a corpse to swimming regularly, Werewolf Xie, who had been underwater for twenty-five minutes, finally came up to the surface.
When his spiky, short hair emerged from the water, Otter Rich's face turned a little green as he subconsciously glanced at his watch.
So this guy is definitely not human! Diving for 25 minutes without any equipment! That breaks the human diving record! And he did that in real, flowing ocean water! This guy must have some kind of weird alien or magical creature lineage, right?!
Even after holding his breath underwater for twenty-five minutes, Xie Langren's expression didn't change much when he surfaced. His mood improved a bit when he turned his head and saw the round, human-shaped figure.
"Yuanyuan, why did you stop? Did you give up?"
The round, human-shaped figure chuckled twice at him.
Giving up? The word "giving up" doesn't exist in Dad's dictionary! Just wait until Dad transforms and slaps you out of the water!
Xie Tianlang seemed not to hear the two chuckles: "It's alright, extreme diving like this isn't good for your body. Leave it to Dad! Dad will take you flying after he finds the machine!"
As soon as Xie Tianlang finished speaking, Xinshang Yuanyuan next to him gave him a big middle finger: "You little brat, if you kneel down and call me 'Dad' after Dad finds those two machines, I'll give you a ball for free!"
After saying that, the humanoid otter Fugui finally plunged into the sea again, leaving Captain Xie with a face full of glistening water.
Xie Tianlang smiled first, then his eyes narrowed. Two machines?
That guy is going to the underground warehouse?!
After realizing what was happening, Xie Tianlang took a deep breath and chased after them, but he couldn't find the person he was looking for.
Meanwhile, the humanoid otter Fugui, who had already swum quickly to a deep, dark body of water, had taken off his white shirt and black pants and put them in his pocket.
Then he closed his eyes and opened the "Handbook of Weird and Cute Things" in his mind. The golden pages of the handbook flipped through the pages, and suddenly stopped on one page.
Then it shone brightly!
In the dark sea, the long-haired youth's left wrist emitted a faint glow; the next second, his body suddenly began to swell—
When the light faded, a killer whale, a "panda of the sea" with smooth skin, flowing lines, a round head, a round mouth, even a round body and round white eye circles, appeared—Whale Fugui!
It appeared on the "land of the ocean" in Sichuan Province.
"Waaaaah~"
The tiger-headed, chubby whale Fugui unconsciously let out a cheerful shout, then suddenly remembered that orcas are whiny creatures.
Whale Rich: "..."
Unless absolutely necessary, I absolutely must not whine anymore!
Then the chubby, round whale Fugui happily swam towards the research institute, crashing around as if he were the father of the entire ocean!
At that moment, he suddenly felt the ripples in the water and smelled the blood in the water.
With a wide glare of its round, black eyes, the whale began to wildly swing its two oval fins and tail, carrying huge waves as it rushed toward the direction from which the smell of blood was coming!
He soon saw the scene he wanted to see—
A great white shark appeared out of nowhere and was biting Zhou Hai's oxygen tank, while Zhou Hai's right foot was already covered in blood.
The pearl divers beside him looked anxious and terrified, but dared not step forward, while the Sichuan-Tibetan men searched everywhere for tools to fight back.
But the most reckless of them all was Xie Tianlang, who was holding a sharp dagger and stabbing it viciously into the great white shark's eye!
However, it was obvious to the naked eye that he was at a significant disadvantage in the water; the great white shark's huge mouth almost bit off his arm!
In that instant, Whale Rich, who had just been feeling happy, suddenly became furious and his eyes turned red.
A roar-like whimper came from his mouth, and then the round, fat orca, weighing more than a thousand pounds, rushed towards the great white shark like a giant underwater cannonball!
Just as Xie Tianlang was about to trade his arm for Zhou Hai's life, he saw what appeared to be another enormous creature charging towards them, and then...
He headbutted the great white shark that was about to fight to the death.
Another slap, and the great white shark was flipped over!
He looked up in shock and was met with the kingly disdain of Whale Wealth.
"Waaaaah!"
Call me Dad!
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