Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Lend a hand or stay out of trouble

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Fortunately, the boy did not drown for too long. Although he temporarily lost consciousness and fell into a coma, his chest was rising and falling and he was still breathing steadily.

Liang Zhao and Gu Mengran cooperated, one holding the body and the other holding the legs, and lifted the person from the wet cockpit to the deck at the door.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation cannot be done casually. The boy had no response but was breathing, so Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao cooperated, one holding his legs and the other holding his body, and transferred him from the wet cab to the door deck, letting him lie on his side.

The conditions did not allow it and Gu Mengran had no time to wash his hands. After Liang Zhao helped the man steady, he quickly walked around the boy's head and reached directly into the boy's mouth and nose to clean the foreign object for him.

It only took two or three minutes for a light cough to break the heavy and depressing atmosphere on the deck. The unconscious boy woke up and started coughing violently.

Liang Zhao patted his back gently, and dirty water came out of his mouth and nose as he coughed.

The girl who had recovered from the shock heard the noise and suddenly stood up and rushed to the boy. She couldn't hold back her tears any longer and started to cry. "Xinghe, Xinghe, are you okay? Are you feeling better?"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

She was responded by another violent coughing fit.

After soaking in the water for too long, Xu Xinghe was obviously suffering from hypothermia and his body was shaking constantly. The three of them couldn't find a dry piece of clothing, so Gu Mengran thought for a moment and simply let the girl lie on the deck and hug him.

The body temperature is also warm, and the effect is very significant.

The girl lay down and hugged him tightly. After about half a minute, the coughing slowed down a little, and Xu Xinghe slowly opened his eyes.

After a near-death experience, Xu Xinghe's chest rose and fell violently, and he took deep breaths of fresh air. Seeing Xu Xingran's tear-stained face, he moved his lips and tried to speak, but no sound came out.

Sensing his intention, Xu Xingran stroked his head with her palm and whispered, "It's okay, Xinghe, I'm fine. Don't talk for now, take it easy."

The scene of survivors embracing their loved ones is always moving, even though Gu Mengran had seen it countless times in his previous life.

Having stayed in Hengrongsheng for too long, Gu Mengran was still concerned about other ships in distress around him. He decisively gave Liang Zhaotian a look and left quietly without even saying hello.

"Thank you, thank you!"

Just as he took a step forward, a clear female voice suddenly came from behind him. The voice was a little hoarse, with a sobbing tone, but the tone was particularly sincere, and it contained an apology for not thanking him in time.

Gu Mengran turned around and smiled at her, "You're welcome."

After that, the two turned around and left. Xu Xingran hurriedly asked, "My name is Xu Xingran, and my brother is Xu Xinghe. You are also sailors, right? Is your boat nearby? Wait back, wait for my brother to slow down, and I will bring him to thank you!"

"No need, just take good care of him." Gu Mengran waved his hand without turning his head.

After getting off Heng Rong Sheng, Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao drove the diesel-powered boat at full speed, directly transforming into maritime patrols and conducting a carpet search of the waters of Anchang Port.

Fortunately, they arrived not too late. Under the remote command of Meng Gaoyang, the diesel boat sailed towards the designated direction for less than five minutes. Desperate and helpless cries for help came from the anchorage shrouded in thick fog.

“Help! Help!”

"Help us, we are here!"

"Someone fell into the water, the Heshanda is about to sink, is there anyone who can help?"

…

Manpower was very limited and there was no time to take care of the ships in distress. Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao drove the diesel boat back and forth on the river, searching for the people who fell into the water without stopping for a moment.

It took nearly three hours to rescue 22 people, including two family members of the crew members who were only five years old. There were about eight ships that capsized and sank, and only four ships survived the anchorage, including the Fengyi.

What is even more regrettable is that according to preliminary statistics from radar signals, there are about 16 ships anchored in Anchang Port. According to the minimum staffing standard for each ship, the actual number of people should be around 48.

This means that there are about 4 missing ships and up to 20 missing persons.

As the sky darkened, the boiling river gradually calmed down. Small boats loaded with diesel kept weaving through the thick fog without getting tired. The boats were filled with wailing and heart-wrenching sobs could be clearly heard.

Having seen so much sadness and despair, and also received so much gratitude, Gu Mengran, whose heart should have been numb long ago, felt very uncomfortable, and a deep sense of powerlessness arose spontaneously.

But even so, he did not have the sympathy to bring the rescued people on board the Feng Yi. Instead, he and Liang Zhao made trips after trips to send the "homeless" crew members and their families to the dock one after another.

Gu Mengran has a clear understanding of himself: he can do as much as he is capable of.

This has just begun. Life and death are determined by fate. He can only try his best to protect himself and his family. He cannot be a savior, nor can he save everyone.

After being busy for most of the afternoon, Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao drove the diesel boat back and returned to the Fengyi before it got completely dark.

His clothes got wet and then dried, and then wet again. Gu Mengran was exhausted. He went back to his room, took a cold shower, changed his clothes, and lay down on the bed. He was so tired that he didn't even want to move his fingers.

I have something on my mind and I can't lie down in peace.

The deck of the Fengyi was flooded, and it was unknown whether the cabin was affected. After lying down for only five minutes, Gu Mengran dragged his tired body to get up with difficulty, preparing to go to the cockpit to ask his grandfather about the situation.

However, just as he walked to the door and before he touched the doorknob, there was a knock on the door.

"Liang Zhao?"

The old man didn't have the habit of knocking on the door, so Gu Mengran naturally thought it was Liang Zhao. But when the door opened, Liang Zhao and his grandfather appeared at the door at the same time. Gu Mengran frowned and his expression became serious.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"No, nothing happened." The old man stepped over Liang Zhao and squeezed into the room, then walked to the bed and sat down. "There was indeed some water in the cabin, but I dealt with it in time, so don't worry."

Gu Mengran's brows relaxed, his eyes wandering between Liang Zhao and his grandfather, "So what are you doing...?"

"Are you okay?" Liang Zhao didn't rush into the house. He stood at the door and stared at Gu Mengran intently, with a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Thing? What's the matter?" Gu Mengran was confused and blinked blankly.

"When I come back——"

"Come in first and talk."

Gu Mengran stepped aside to make room for him. Liang Zhao quickly walked into the bedroom and sat down next to the old man. He continued, "I saw that you were in a bad mood when I came back. Were you in a bad mood?"

The old man didn't say anything, but his fleeting eyes seemed to agree with Liang Zhao's intention.

The two pairs of eyes stared at him without blinking, and Gu Mengran breathed a sigh of relief. His tense nerves gradually relaxed, and the slightly pale face regained color.

The volcano erupted as expected, and the devastating earthquake came as expected. Although we were mentally prepared and the Wind Wing survived, the damage caused by this massive disaster was like a huge rock pressing on our chest, heavy and suffocating.

Naturally, he was in a very bad mood. Seeing the concerned looks in their eyes, Gu Mengran forced a dry smile and said in a nonchalant manner, "Am I a fragile child? I will be fine after a while. Why did you come to see me specially?"

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything. As soon as he said this, Meng Gaoyang's shoulders sank, as if a thousand-pound burden had suddenly fallen from his shoulders, and he became visibly depressed.

"What's wrong?" Gu Mengran's heart tightened and he quickly walked to his grandfather.

"Grandpa was wrong." The old man shook his head and sighed, his hands hanging by his side rubbing unconsciously, his brows and eyes, which had experienced years, were shrouded in deep guilt. "I regretted it as soon as you got off the boat. The waves on the river were so big, what if... Oh!"

"Times are different now, and we shouldn't talk about chivalry anymore. Your dream has begun to come true, and the days ahead will only get harder and harder. It doesn't matter to me, an old man, because I've lived a good life, but you two are two grown kids, and your life has just begun, so it's not right to be a good person."

The optimistic and happy old man became depressed and his mentality changed drastically.

Gu Mengran finally realized the seriousness of the problem and hurriedly explained: "Grandpa, don't think too much. We are back safely. I am in a bad mood because I am tired. I just need to take a rest..."

"I was so kind that I let you take risks and endure all this. I was too selfish." The old man hung his head, feeling more depressed than ever before. "Grandpa was wrong. It won't happen again."

We can't go on like this. Gu Mengran squatted in front of his grandfather without saying a word, resting his head on his knees and whispered, "Grandpa, we rescued more than 20 people today, including two children.

Grandpa, you know, it's an amazing feeling, giving them a helping hand when they are desperate, bringing them hope, and in the end, just a simple thank you, it seems that everything is worth it. "

One person seemed less persuasive, Gu Mengran winked at Liang Zhao calmly: "Right, Liang Zhao?"

Liang Zhao understood what he meant and said "hmm" softly.

Meng Gaoyang didn't buy it. He sighed and shook his head: "Danger, danger, silly boy! Disasters will come one after another in the future. Can you save them? If you trade your safety for others', I would rather be stone-hearted and watch you die!"

"We are not fools. We have to be good people according to the situation." Gu Mengran patted his grandfather's knees and said seriously, "It's okay to help someone who falls down at your feet, but let me risk my life to save a stranger. Grandpa, I'm really not as kind as you think."

These words were not entirely meant to comfort grandpa. Having personally experienced the end of the world and seen too much of the evil of human nature, Gu Mengran's kindness and empathy had long been worn away by repeated isolation and helplessness.

But my grandfather was different. He was a good man, a good man in the truest sense of the word. When he was young and working on a ship, he was fined a huge amount of money for saving people, but it still did not stop him from being helpful.

He cares about the safety of his grandson and says that he would not help anyone who dies. But if someone really died in front of him while he could do so, he would probably be unable to sleep or eat, and would never be able to get over the pain in his heart for the rest of his life.

When people are born in a disaster year, they always have to give up something in order to survive.

Conscience, kindness, humanity or something else.

There is a big difference between living and living a miserable life. Within his ability, Gu Mengran is willing to protect his grandfather's kindness.