Just as Zhao Ang had guessed, the topic in the livestream chat had shifted from debating whether the strange fish was real to discussing the cruise ship passengers.
Some viewers felt the passengers were too cold-blooded and selfish. A young man had sacrificed himself to lure the strange fish away, yet not only did the others not help, they even tried to stop the captain from rescuing him.
Or rather, their reason for doing this was to prevent the captain from taking the only diesel-powered boat, which would leave them unable to escape this dangerous place.
【If I were the one saving people, I would be heartbroken. They are a bunch of ungrateful people. Luckily, some passengers are still normal.】
【It’s just acting. Are you all taking it seriously?】
【Human nature is inherently selfish. What’s wrong with doing whatever it takes to survive?】
【I don’t think so. If a person loses their conscience, what’s the difference between them and animals?】
The barrage of comments grew more intense. The influx of new viewers joined the heated argument.
Zhao Ang became more excited. He was now ranked twelfth on the popularity chart. Although he was just barely on the list, it was his best ranking ever, with his follower count climbing from a few hundred to seven or eight thousand.
Zhao Ang wanted to express his gratitude. But given the situation, he couldn’t speak up without possibly getting hit, so he had to give up.
Several passengers, worried about Xu Dongyou, gritted their teeth and said to the captain, “Let’s help too. One more person means more strength.”
They couldn’t just watch him die, especially since he was risking his life to save everyone.
“No, this is the only boat that can get us out of here. What if it gets damaged?” one person immediately retorted.
“Risking everyone’s lives to save one person, are you out of your mind?”
These people were relentless, even trying to pull the captain away. Finally, those who had remained silent but were suffering from their conscience burst out, stepping forward to stop them.
“Let’s vote. The minority should obey the majority,” said an elderly person. “Those who agree to help save him, stand by me. Those who don’t, stand over there. No coercion, no moral blackmail. Everyone decides for themselves.”
The few immediately tried to persuade others to join them, but most people gradually calmed down. Though they had been hiding in the cabin earlier due to fear for their own safety, they couldn’t rationally think then.
But now, they couldn’t bear to watch the young man who saved them get eaten by the strange fish.
Most importantly, they weren’t stupid. The small boat could only hold seven or eight people at most, no more.
And there were nearly thirty people on the ship.
Moreover, this type of small boat couldn’t last for an hour-long journey without running out of diesel.
If they were unlucky and the strange fish caught up, they might as well stay on the ship and wait for rescue.
Due to the various reasons mentioned above, those who had weighed the pros and cons immediately made their choice and stood beside the elderly man.
They decided to help, aiming to delay the strange fish’s attacks while waiting for rescue to arrive.
Only two people chose not to help. Along with the troublemakers from before, there were eight in total.
Besides these two groups, there were a few others who looked uneasy and hesitant, not knowing what to choose and decided to observe the situation quietly.
To avoid being noticed that he was livestreaming, Zhao Ang quietly put his phone down, hanging it around his neck with the camera facing the crowd. He then mingled with the others, making no choice.
No one forced the remaining undecided to choose because it was clear that the vast majority supported the rescue.
The captain immediately called the crew to lower the small boat and equipped it with tools, including a crossbow, the only long-range weapon they had.
Others took harpoons and machetes and put on inflated life jackets.
Several male passengers who were good swimmers volunteered to help.
The captain naturally refused.
However, the passengers insisted on helping. After some discussion, the captain allowed two strong passengers on board.
The remaining ones stayed on the ship, while the youngest crew member was equipped with a bow and arrow crossbow to help distract the strange fish.
After reaching an agreement, the captain slowly lowered the small boat, then started the engine, and the speedboat roared like a swift fish and sped away.
The people on the small boat waved their clothes and shouted in the direction of the strange fish, trying to attract its attention.
Xu Dongyou, swimming ahead, heard the commotion behind him. He turned his head and was stunned. The spotlight was on the strange fish, and he could vaguely make out the faces of the people due to the light.
It was the captain, crew members, and the passengers who had helped earlier.
“We’re here to help distract the fish. You hurry back to the ship,” the captain shouted at Xu Dongyou.
Hearing this, Xu Dongyou felt a mix of surprise and emotion.
After all, the strange fish was enormous. One swipe of its tail could smash the small boat.
Yet these people were willing to take the risk to help him, making Xu Dongyou feel that his efforts were worthwhile.
As the small boat neared the strange fish, one person immediately shot a crossbow bolt into the fish. Due to its large size, there was no need for precise aiming to hit the target.
After shooting, the man waving his clothes shouted even louder, trying to draw the strange fish’s attention.
Xu Dongyou did not do as the captain said. Instead, he gripped his harpoon tightly and started attacking the strange fish, specifically targeting its wounded areas.
Blood quickly stained the dark lake, emitting a strong smell of blood.
The captain grew anxious and shouted at Xu Dongyou, “Get back to the cruise ship now!”
Their boat was meant to distract the strange fish, allowing Xu Dongyou to return to the cruise ship safely.
Xu Dongyou’s thinking was simple:
If he went back to the ship, the people on the boat would inevitably be attacked by the strange fish. The captain and the others were just ordinary people, whereas Xu Dongyou had the means and ability to protect himself. It was better to take advantage of the fish being distracted and launch a sneak attack.
Perhaps he could seriously injure the fish. Even if he couldn’t, at least he could hold out until the police arrived.
He believed that the authorities, based on the emergency report, would recognize this as an abnormal situation and that help was on the way.
While thinking, Xu Dongyou continued his sneak attacks on the fish. Despite its tough skin, the fish couldn’t withstand Xu Dongyou’s repeated stabs. Enraged, it turned to bite at him.
The calm lake surface erupted with splashes as the monstrous creature went into a frenzy, attacking Xu Dongyou, causing the captain to urgently shout to his crew, “Quick, quick, attack it now!”
The others complied, trying their best to redirect the fish’s attention.
Especially when the crossbow bolts tied with steel cables pierced the fish’s flesh and were then yanked out, causing unbearable pain. This made the fish turn back to attack the small boat.
The small boat immediately sped up to distance itself from the fish. As it chased the boat, Xu Dongyou resumed his sneak attacks on the fish.
This back-and-forth happened twice, making everyone on the cruise ship extremely anxious and unable to relax.
Zhao Ang, meanwhile, quietly moved to a corner, filming the distant lake with his phone. Thanks to the spotlight illuminating the scene, the viewers in the live stream could clearly see the strange fish.
This proved that it couldn’t be a hoax.
The chat was buzzing with comments.
【How can such a terrifying mutated giant fish exist in this lake?】
【Oh my god, that fish is huge! That small boat looks tiny in comparison!】
【Hasn’t anyone called the police? There are so many lives at stake!】
【Someone on the ship must have called the police, but maybe they haven’t arrived yet due to the distance.】
【This giant fish is so ugly. Could it be a prehistoric creature that recently awakened from the lake’s depths and started eating people? That’s how it happens in movies.】
While the fish chased the small boat, the captain held his harpoon, ready for the fish to get closer, while urging Xu Dongyou to return to the ship.
Xu Dongyou still didn’t comply. Instead, he shouted to the captain, “Captain, let’s work together to stall the fish. Help will arrive soon.”
The captain, realizing he couldn’t persuade Xu Dongyou, also understood that this cooperation was the best way to delay the fish and protect everyone.
However, this meant that Xu Dongyou would have to stay in the water and keep swimming. No matter how fit he was, how long could he last?
At this moment, while everyone’s attention was on the fish, the few people who had tried to seize the small boat earlier quietly retreated to a corner. One of them whispered, “I saw an inflatable raft in the ship’s storage room earlier. We can use this chance to escape.”
Staying on the ship meant waiting to die; it was better to leave while the strange fish was distracted.
They quickly inflated the raft and quietly left from the back of the cruise ship, carrying the raft. Since it was an inflatable raft, they had to paddle. None of them had much experience rowing, and their coordination was poor. It took a long time to move just ten meters.
Meanwhile, Xu Dongyou and the captain’s team were working together more smoothly. Even the dullest person started to notice that there was something unusual about Xu Dongyou. Was his stamina really that good?
Regardless of why the man in the water could maintain such high energy and not get tired, at least everyone saw the hope of seriously injuring the strange fish.
Maybe they could scare it away.
The man who had earlier suggested voting proposed, “Let’s also help distract the fish. The speedboat’s diesel won’t last long. Our ship is larger and can withstand the fish’s attacks, and we can tire it out.”
“But this ship can’t move. If the fish comes, we’ll be sitting ducks,” someone said, still uneasy.
“We won’t be the only ones distracting the fish. When it attacks us, the speedboat crew will help draw its attention again.”
Others were persuaded.
However, they needed a plan to attract the fish. They tried shouting and throwing things into the water, but nothing worked.
The fish was hundreds of meters away from the cruise ship. As night fell, Zhao Ang’s phone couldn’t capture clear footage. He ignored the need to conceal his livestream and leaned halfway over the ship’s railing, almost hanging out, trying to get clearer footage. Excitedly, he shouted, “Can you all see this?!! This thing is definitely a mutated prehistoric creature!”
Others tried to stop Zhao Ang from this dangerous behavior, urging him, “Don’t lean out like that. It’s too dangerous, especially since we’re about to attract the fish over here. If it comes…”
“Mind your own business!!” Zhao Ang turned and shouted, his expression so fierce it looked like he might hit someone, like a madman, scaring everyone into silence.
“Good intentions get you yelled at. We’re worried about your safety, and you shout at us,” someone muttered quietly, afraid Zhao Ang might hear and come over to hit them.
That guy was a lunatic.
Ignoring Zhao Ang, the others resumed discussing how to help. Throwing things and shouting hadn’t worked, leaving them momentarily at a loss.
The youngest crew member had a ranged weapon, but its range was only about 100 meters, while the strange fish was several hundred meters away from the cruise ship.
Suddenly, an elderly lady slapped her thigh and said, “I brought some chickens and ducks from the countryside. How about we kill them and let the blood into the water? It might attract the fish.”
Other elderly passengers mentioned that they also brought live chickens and ducks, though most had died due to the ship’s shaking.
Even though they had only been dead for a few minutes, the blood could still be used.
As the duck and chicken blood dripped into the lake, it quickly spread. The distant strange fish suddenly abandoned Xu Dongyou, turning towards the cruise ship.
The enormous fish, moving at great speed, created immense pressure on everyone onboard. The youngest crew member tightly gripped his weapon, ready to attack at any moment.
The captain, unaware of what was happening on the cruise ship, saw the fish heading towards it and quickly instructed the driver to steer in that direction while continuing to attack the fish.
The fish paused and angrily began to chase the small boat again.
Xu Dongyou reappeared out of nowhere, stabbing the fish in its wound. This time, a gush of blood flowed out, and Xu Dongyou forcefully pulled out the harpoon, revealing glimpses of the fish’s internal organs.
Xu Dongyou’s eyes lit up, as his arduous efforts finally bore fruit.
Sensing a mortal threat, the fish’s forehead, resembling a fleshy tumor, began to pulse. Its pitch-black, hideous back suddenly sprouted strange spikes, and a nauseating mist started emanating from its body.
This mist wasn’t the usual eerie gray but carried the stench of a foul sewer.
Xu Dongyou, sensing imminent danger, shouted to the approaching captain and his crew, “Stay back!”
As soon as he spoke, the fish’s forehead tumor sprayed an oily substance, resembling gutter oil, towards the small boat.
Not knowing what it was, Xu Dongyou knew he couldn’t let it hit the captain and the others. He quickly summoned his demon power, conjuring a massive water shield to block the oily substance.
Instantly, everyone fell silent, their faces filled with disbelief.
The captain and his crew, closest to the scene, nearly dropped their weapons into the water upon seeing the water shield appear out of thin air.
How could such an unscientific phenomenon exist in this world?
Everyone’s worldview began to waver.
Zhao Ang captured the entire scene on his phone.
The livestream chat fell silent for a moment, then exploded with a barrage of 【!!!】
