It seemed as though Mother Nature was making things difficult for Officer Liu. The weather had been fine when he went to sleep under a moonlit sky, but once night fell, the wind began to bluster. His shanty, nestled behind a mound of earth, was protected from the wind by surrounding obstacles. However, the rain falling from the sky was unstoppable. The roof made from leaves was quickly revealed to be inadequate craftsmanship, and water dripped in from all sides.
Liu was awakened by the first clap of thunder. His first regret was not having dug a drainage ditch the day before. But before he could dwell on his remorse, the downpour began. As he watched rainwater dripping into his "nest", he lost all hope of fending off the flood. A good straw bed was soaked in moments, but the wolf skin seemed to repel water, just like a lotus leaf. The rain slid off it, forming beads which rolled down.
Liu put the wolf skin over his head, held Guoguo in his arms, and huddled inside the warm wolf skin, foolishly waiting for the rain to stop.
The rain grew heavier with no signs of relenting. Lightning and thunder continued to strike, churning above the sea willow forest. Liu could feel the ground trembling with every strike. The wind blew the rain around like a curtain of pearls, and the bushes were flattened. The roaring wind made everything else seem insignificant before the power of nature.
A loud noise, as if wood being torn apart, echoed in the direction of the beach where he had made a pot. This terrifying sound could only be compared with the impact of a heavy eight-wheeled truck crashing into a wooden gate.
Amidst the blustering of the wind, Liu could vaguely hear cries for help. He couldn't comprehend what was being said, but the urgency and despair in those cries echoed his own predicament.
There must have been a ship caught in the storm, seeking shelter on this island. But from the sounds of it, they must have crashed onto the reef, Liu concluded.
"I have to save them!"
Without a second thought, Liu bundled himself in the wolf skin, grabbed a Whale Bone knife and dashed into the pouring rain. If there was a ship on this deserted island, this was his only chance to escape. No matter what, he wouldn't let this opportunity slip away, even if it meant risking his own life. He fervently hoped that the ship was still in one piece. His diving trip in the morning made him aware of the treacherous reefs lurking beneath the calm sea surface.
The wind was stronger than he had anticipated. As soon as he ventured out of the cover of the mound, he realized that if he wasn't quick, the wind would sweep away the wolf skin. He couldn't keep it wrapped around him and it became more like a cloak. Every step he took was extremely strenuous in these circumstances.
He had no choice but to crawl forward on the muddy ground, taking care not to drop Guoguo or the wolf skin. The pounding rain pelted his face relentlessly, causing his injured nose to sting and making Liu's journey unbearable.
Finally, he tumbled and crawled into the sea willow forest. Although there was a significant reduction in wind, it was still quite harrowing. The short sea willows were pressed even lower by the force of the gales. Liu had to stoop down to avoid the branches as he made his way forward, keeping an eye out for his markers. The ground was a mess of bird droppings and mud, which made him slip and fall every few steps.
When Liu finally stumbled out of the sea willow forest, the wind and rain had lessened. The gentler rain washed over him, and he even removed the wolf skin, letting the rain cleanse his filthy body. Guoguo's fur was just as water-resistant, only causing beads of water to hang off its long eyelashes without leaving a trace on its body.
Placing Guoguo on his head and wiping the rain off his face, Liu peered into the dark sea during the intermittent flashes of lightning. A huge wooden sailboat was wedged between two coral reefs, with its bow pointing up towards the sky. With every flash of lightning, he could see water gushing into a great hole underneath the hull, causing the ship to sink bit by bit.
The ship's sails and mast were scattered over the sea surface. Judging by the distance between them, Liu estimated the ship was at least twenty-five meters long and over ten meters wide.
The shallow draft of the ship, the style of the fallen mast, and the unique figurehead of a man and snake combined - none of these characteristics helped him recognize the origin of the ship.
Although filled with questions, Liu knew he had to prioritize saving people. He took some strong, long vines and a few coconuts, using the vines to tie them together into a life buoy before daring to go into the water. Guoguo, who he had initially left on the shore, sprang onto his head just as he entered the water, almost driving him mad.