Behind them, a large Japanese patrol boat followed suit, and above it flew a helicopter.
The Helong was attacked by water cannons, with a significant amount of sea water flooding into the ship cabin. The ship's body had already started tilting, greatly reducing its speed of escape. Although it had already left the waters near the Diaoyu Islands, the two Japanese patrol boats that attacked it did not let up, continuing their assault with the water cannons. If they kept on attacking, the only outcome for the Helong would be to sink after taking on too much water and listing heavily.
In the cockpit of the Helong, Captain Gu Amo watched the Japanese patrol boats on either side with deep concern and asked, "What did the Mainland say?"
The chief officer of the Helong replied, "The Mainland has asked us to hold on for another twenty minutes; their fighter jets are on the way."
Gu Amo asked, "Don't they have a coast guard vessel nearby?"
