When the Zhang brothers fell into the water, the Great White Shark had once again disappeared into the depths of the sea. Otherwise, they might have become the shark's prey immediately. But who knew if the Great White Shark would suddenly emerge from the seabed beneath them in the next moment?
Chen Jin quickly gathered his strength, steadied himself, and turned off the engine before leaping into the water. He swam over to Zhang Weihao, who was closest to him in the water, and then headed towards Zhang Weixiong, who was starting to feel fatigued and disoriented.
When Chen Jin grabbed Zhang Weixiong, the young man had finally lost his composure. His eyes were red, and he let out a hoarse thank you. It was clear that the recent ordeal had taken a toll on him, and he was both exhausted and terrified.
After all, he was still a young man, and his life experiences so far had not prepared him for this. However, he had shown remarkable resilience. If it were someone else, they might have already screamed or burst into tears.
Fortunately, the Great White Shark did not reappear for the time being. Chen Jin helped Zhang Weixiong climb back onto the boat swiftly. After the intense struggle and the two full-throttle bursts of speed, Chen Jin was also feeling a bit drained.
Zhang Weihao restarted the fishing boat, expressing his gratitude to Chen Jin. Chen Jin waved it off, saying, "There's no need for so much politeness between us. If we're talking about thanks, I haven't thanked you for saving my life earlier!"
Zhang Weixiong, who seemed to have recovered somewhat, said, "You're right. We're all brothers, and we're in this together at the moment. No need for formalities."
Chen Jin smiled, stood up, and picked up the last weapon on the boat – a large iron anchor. He slowly gathered his focus again. He didn't believe that the Great White Shark would give up so easily. Provoking such a ferocious creature meant that its next attack would likely be even more vicious.
However, in the next moment, a cry from Zhang Weihao shattered Chen Jin's composure. He turned to look at him and saw Zhang Weihao looking flustered. Seeing Chen Jin's gaze, he appeared somewhat regretful and embarrassed. "The compass fell into the water."
Chen Jin's heart sank. He knew that the compass was not just any compass; it had special markings that allowed for precise navigation. Without it, they could still roughly gauge their direction by looking at the sun, but the compass provided more accurate guidance, and in their current situation, it was essential. Losing it could make it much harder to find their way back to Lamma Island or any other populated area. They were in the middle of the open sea, and being off course by even a little could be disastrous.
It seemed that their problems were piling up. The Great White Shark was lurking beneath them, and now they had lost their compass. Chen Jin had to stay calm. He thought about the direction they had been heading when they left Lamma Island two days ago and didn't see any significant changes today. He looked at the position of the sun to confirm the northwest direction and pointed firmly, issuing a command that sounded like an order. "Don't worry about anything else for now. Head in that direction!"
The northwest direction was their best bet, as even if they didn't reach Hong Kong, there was a larger landmass ahead – mainland China. In such a vast area, they were bound to find land eventually.
Chen Jin's calm demeanor infected Zhang Weihao, who scratched his head and said, "I got it. This seasoned sailor is not as composed as you are. I'm embarrassed."
Chen Jin didn't reply and turned his gaze back to the sea, waiting for the Great White Shark's next attack. This time, the boat sailed for several minutes without any sign of the shark. Chen Jin and the Zhang brothers were tense and solemn, knowing that the danger was far from over.
After a few more minutes, Chen Jin suddenly had a feeling. He shouted to Zhang Weihao, "Hao, quickly, turn the rudder 180 degrees!"
Zhang Weihao, trusting Chen Jin completely at this point, immediately turned the rudder. Just as the boat began to turn, the Great White Shark shot up from the sea floor, positioned exactly where the boat's bow had been moments ago. If they hadn't turned the rudder, the outcome would have been disastrous.
The Great White Shark missed its attack, and with lightning speed, Chen Jin commanded the boat to move back a foot. Simultaneously, the massive shark created a huge splash as it returned to the sea, drenching Chen Jin in the process. He could clearly see the shark's cold, giant teeth and the foul odor emanating from its mouth. With a thunderous shout, he exclaimed, "You beast, die!" He hurled the large iron anchor, which struck the Great White Shark's head dead center, sending a spray of blood and flesh into the air.
This powerful blow, nearly exhausting all his strength, sent the Great White Shark back into the sea. Chen Jin's body went limp, and he sat down on the boat. The turbulence caused by the shark's descent shook the boat, almost toppling him over the side.
Zhang Weixiong, who was closest to him, grabbed his hand to steady him. Chen Jin caught his breath and immediately shouted to Zhang Weihao, "Hao, head forward as fast as you can!" They had exhausted all their weapons, and Chen Jin knew they couldn't afford to let their guard down.
Zhang Weihao understood Chen Jin's intent and said with a wry smile, "This boat is not very fast, and that monster is known for its speed. There's no place to run!"
Zhang Weixiong, who had become more relaxed at this point, patted Chen Jin's shoulder and said, "Ah Jin, we did our best. The rest is up to fate."
Zhang Weihao added with a smile, "I made offerings to the gods before we set out. The deities should protect us, right?"
Chen Jin also relaxed a bit and joked, "That last strike was quite powerful. I practically smashed that creature's head to pieces. Even if it survives, it probably won't dare to bother us again. It doesn't know we're unarmed now. It's like when the Americans dropped atomic bombs on Japan. They used two, but we just gave it three!"
Doing everything within their power and leaving the rest to fate seemed to be the only option now. The boat continued to move forward, but Chen Jin was determined not to give up. As long as he had a little strength left, he would fight to the end.
He stood up slowly and firmly, grabbing a large bamboo pole from the side of the boat. It was probably the most suitable weapon at hand. Once again, he focused his gaze on the sea, but when he looked, he was stunned.