The two men leaped to the stern of the boat, accelerating towards the green light.
The green light bobbed up and down on the surface, moving slowly with the currents. However, it couldn't match the speed of our speedboat, equipped with four engines.
In the blink of an eye, our speedboat gradually approached the green light. Due to the proximity, we didn't need binoculars to see clearly. The green light emanated from the stern of a speedboat.
The younger Japanese man glanced at me, his face filled with satisfaction. Painting luminous paint on the enemy's stern was indeed a good method for tracking, and the young man had reason to be proud.
From the moment we spotted the green light to catching up with the speedboat, only a few minutes had passed. The two men threw out a rope and hooked onto the stern of the speedboat.
However, at that moment, I felt that something was amiss.
Indeed, the speedboat was adrift on the sea, possibly due to a leaking fuel tank. But it could also mean that there was nobody on the speedboat at all, which seemed more likely!
Just now, the three of us were filled with joy at catching up with the enemy, so we hadn't thought about this!
While the two men seemed oblivious, I couldn't shake off the thought. It struck me as the simplest thing; if there were people on the enemy's speedboat, why didn't they open fire as we approached?
As I pondered this, I wanted to stop the two men from boarding the speedboat.
But before I could speak, it was too late!
The two men were extremely agile and had already leaped onto the enemy speedboat. Almost as soon as their feet touched the speedboat, causing it to vibrate slightly, there was a deafening explosion.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, the night turned into day, and before me appeared a scorching white light, reminiscent of when Fang Tian attacked me with his weapon in Hokkaido, but the intensity was many times greater.
In an instant, it felt like I was plunged into the fiery center of the earth. I felt my speedboat sinking into the boiling sea, with countless pillars of water ready to engulf me, like monstrous tongues ready to devour me!
I am not slow to react, but in that moment, I was dumbfounded.
After my body suddenly sank, I immediately felt a tremendous force propelling me upward.
That throw propelled me tens of meters above the sea!
Thankfully, that throw saved my life. From mid-air, I looked down and saw my speedboat engulfed in flames, and there was no trace of the speedboat we had been chasing!
That speedboat wouldn't fly into the sky, nor would it sink to the depths of the sea in such a short time. It must have been completely destroyed by the explosion!
Those two people...
As I thought of them, my body plunged heavily into the icy sea once again.
I struggled to resurface, only to see our speedboat sinking into the sea, where water and flames seemed to wrestle, emitting a hissing sound. In less than two minutes, the sea returned to calm.
Where were those two lively people just five minutes ago? Thinking of myself, who had almost boarded the speedboat with them, I couldn't help but shudder.
Floating on the water, I didn't want to think about anything, only wondering if I was still alive.
Clearly, I was alive, albeit with minor injuries on my forehead. I took a breath and couldn't help but smile.
Just now, I thought things had been too easy to succeed! Now, as I floated alone in the dark and cold sea, thinking of those four words, what irony!
I should have known that the Moon God Society wasn't easy to deal with, considering their preparedness after the car attack, and how their speedboat had been sabotaged without us noticing?
They must have noticed it long ago, so they laid down explosive materials on the speedboat, waiting for someone to take the bait!
It's regrettable that we didn't think of this!
I fiercely tugged at my hair, soaked with seawater. The incident happened in an instant, and the shocking outcome left me unable to calm down and consider how to save myself.
It wasn't until a long time later that I thought of this problem.
I was still immersed in the sea, not yet dead, but returning to the shore was no easy task. I submerged my head in the water, then resurfaced, and began swimming in what I thought was the direction of the shore.
I swam for a long time, but as far as I could see, it was still the vast ocean, and my limbs were gradually becoming numb. Besides floating on the surface, even moving my hands and kicking my feet felt very difficult.
During that time, I not only had to fight against deadly cold and the rolling waves but also struggled against the idea ofdying rather than enduring such painful struggles for survival.
I gritted my teeth and looked up.
Finally, I waited until dawn. The sky was terrifyingly dark, but at least it was daytime. In the daytime, did my chances of survival increase?
But it seemed that day and night were the same.
I tried to conserve energy because it seemed impossible to swim to the shore.
My only hope of rescue was waiting for a passing ship to hear my voice!
If I hadn't undergone rigorous training in Chinese martial arts, I believe by now, I would have sunk to the bottom of the sea, keeping company with those two Japanese who took me out to sea.
I held on until noon before I saw another speedboat approaching from afar.
I raised my right arm and called out loudly. I never imagined that my own voice, on the ocean, would sound so weak. I tore off a sleeve and waved it vigorously. After about five minutes, the speedboat began to head towards me!
As I saw the speedboat approaching, I suddenly felt that all my strength had been drained. I couldn't even muster the strength to raise my arm again.
I could only float on the water, preventing myself from sinking. I closed my eyes until I heard the sound of the speedboat's engine getting closer. I wondered, if the people on the speedboat were from the Moon God Society, then I would undoubtedly become their captive.
But fortunately, it didn't come to that. Suddenly, a voice rang out beside me, it was Nelson's voice, filled with fear and surprise, calling out, "Wei!"
I opened my eyes, and Nelson was standing at the bow, his eyes wide open. I could only manage to say three words, "Nelson."
Mr. Nelson immediately threw down a rope, and my numb fingers grabbed onto it. He pulled me onto the speedboat.
I curled up, barely able to stand. Mr. Nelson bent his leg, knelt down, and lifted my head, urging, "Brandy, quickly! Drink up!"
A burly man emerged from the cabin, and Mr. Nelson took a bottle of brandy from him and poured it into my mouth. I took two sips, and he tried to lift me up again.
I felt immensely grateful to him, but all I could do was look at him with my eyes, expressing my gratitude.
Mr. Nelson lifted me up forcefully, but I quickly said, "I can walk." He ignored me, and the burly man came over, and together they carried me into the cabin, removing all my wet clothes and wrapping my body in a blanket, rubbing me vigorously until I felt warm all over.
It was only then that I grasped Mr. Nelson's hand.
Mr. Nelson just smiled faintly. "How long have you been drifting in the sea?"
"About twelve hours," I replied.
Mr. Nelson sighed, "That explosion..." I shook my head, "We fell into a trap, those two friends..."
I couldn't help but sigh sadly.
The burly man standing behind Mr. Nelson suddenly cried out in pain. I looked at him and saw his face contorted in agony. I only then noticed the resemblance between his face and the younger of the two men.
Mr. Nelson patted his shoulder, saying, "Suzuki, you lost a brother, but the International Police Force lost two detectives. You should believe that my feelings are even more difficult than yours!"
The burly man sobbed, "I know, poor brother, he was still... just a child!"
I said sadly, "Mr. Suzuki, your brother is no longer a child. He was smart and brave, truly a hero in the International Police Force!"
Suzuki stopped crying and showed a hint of pride on his face. I recounted the whole story to the two of them.
Mr. Nelson said, "I received a report of an explosion at sea, discovered by a night-flight passenger plane, and when I waited for Suzuki and Haruta's report, it didn't come. I knew something had happened, so I rushed over."
I smiled bitterly and said, "Every time I come back from an adventure, I feel that I can survive because of my own efforts, but this time..."
Mr. Nelson didn't let me finish and grabbed my hand. "Let's not dwell on this anymore, okay?"
I paused and said, "Okay."
Mr. Nelson smiled again and said, "That metal box, I have placed it in the most secure place possible this time, and twenty-four well-trained police officers have been ordered to keep an eye on it every minute. We'll open it when Fang Tian is with us."
I calculated the days, and by now, the ambassador of a certain country was probably as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Although the deadline given by his superiors hadn't arrived yet, losing track of me in Tokyo would have made them quite anxious.
Nelson mentioned the factory, and I thought of the death of the chief engineer of that factory, Kimura Nobuyuki. I asked hurriedly, "What was the reason for Engineer Kimura Nobuyuki's death?"
Mr. Nelson furrowed his brows. "I have asked the medical officer to conduct a more detailed examination."
I asked anxiously, "What were the preliminary results of the medical officer's report?"
Mr. Nelson spread his hands. "After what was said to be an extremely detailed examination, the medical officer said that Kimura Nobuyuki was fine, completely healthy, with no reason for his death!"
I was dumbfounded for a moment, thinking back to the night when Fang Tian and Kimura Nobuyuki conversed in the language of Saturn, knowing that there must have been some great secret between them.
But now, I couldn't figure it out.
Mr. Nelson looked at me. "Wei, I feel that we have to risk our lives for Fang Tian, but he insists on keeping his secret from me. This is really unfair."
I sighed, "Then you have to forgive him. He really can't say it. If his identity is exposed, he will suffer greatly!"
We had been speaking in English all along. But after hearing my words, Mr. Nelson suddenly spoke in his not-so-fluent Mandarin, "Actually, there's nothing remarkable about it. He is just from a planet outside Earth!"
I was originally wrapped in a blanket, lying on a lounge chair, but as soon as I heard that sentence, I jumped up along with the blanket and exclaimed, "You, you..."
Nelson reached out and pushed me back onto the lounge chair, continuing to speak to me in Mandarin.
He said, "You don't need to be surprised. I figured it out myself. You didn't break your promise by revealing his secret to me."
I just stared at him blankly, not saying a word.
Nelson shrugged and said, "Wei, this really isn't worth being surprised about. In the vast expanse of space, there are billions of planets like Earth, and naturally, there are advanced beings on other planets. Just as Earthlings are exploring space, so are the 'humans' on other planets. It's not strange at all for someone to come from another planet once you think about it!"
I continued to stare blankly at him.
Mr. Nelson smiled proudly and said, "I consulted an authority in anthropology, and he told me that on planets in the solar system where there are advanced life forms, their evolutionary processes and appearances are likely to be similar to those of advanced life forms on Earth. The radiation from the sun influences life. Without the sun, there is no life. With the same sun, the same life forms appear!"
I chuckled bitterly and said, "Fang Tian and us are indeed similar, except for the color of his blood."
Mr. Nelson pointed to me and said, "There's another difference, his brainwaves are exceptionally strong."
I had to admit that Mr. Nelson's abilities surpassed mine because although I had doubted Fang Tian's identity in various ways, I was limited by Earth and never once thought that he was from outside Earth!
But Mr. Nelson broke through that limitation.
This proved that his ability to infer and imagine was much stronger than mine.
Mr. Nelson continued, "But I don't know which planet he comes from."
Things had come to this point, and I really had no need to keep Fang Tian's secret anymore. I said, "He comes from Saturn."
Mr. Nelson clapped his hands and said, "That solves the problem!"
I asked, "What problem?"
Nelson said, "Why he added a single-person space capsule to the rocket bound for Saturn. The mystery is now solved!" I nodded and said, "Yes, he is a poor soul. Although he comes from Saturn, he's not a space hero, just a poor soul homesick to the point of madness. I think we should help him get back home."
Mr. Nelson paced back and forth for a moment, saying, "Of course, but how do we explain to the country that commissioned us to investigate his origins?"
I said, "That's easy. We can teach Fang Tian to say that the single-person space capsule on the rocket is for launching space monkeys. When the rocket launches, he's the one doing the final check, and no one knows who exactly is in the space capsule."
Nelson said, "That's one way, but first, we need to rescue him from the Moon God Society."
I said, "The Moon God Society won't harm him. They want him to perform a flight to the moon to solidify the believers' faith in him!" Then I detailed to Mr. Nelson the founding of the Moon God Society and the incident of Fang Tian and another Saturnian crash-landing on Earth.
Mr. Nelson listened quietly, only asking questions when I described the meeting between Kimura Nobuyuki and Fang Tian.
He asked: Was the language they spoke really from Saturn?
He asked again: Did Kimura Nobuyuki have any last words before he died?
Because it was a few days ago, I remembered every detail very clearly, so I could give correct answers to Mr. Nelson's questions.
Mr. Nelson thought for a while but still couldn't figure it out. We only confirmed that the five characters "huoke" were the name of something or something in Saturnian, but what exactly it was, we didn't know.
We didn't think much about it because Fang Tian said that even if he explained it, humans on Earth would find it difficult to imagine and understand. So why bother thinking about it too much?
After I was rescued onto the speedboat, the speedboat raced forward. At this moment, Suzuki Dairo walked in and said, "Through the telescope, you can already see the headquarters of the Moon God Society, and the radar detector indicates nine nautical miles."
I jumped up again. My clothes weren't dry yet, so I put on Suzuki Dairo's sailor suit and put my original belongings back into the bag. The specially made repeating gun could still be used. I strapped it to my waist and, along with Nelson, left the cabin.
The radar indicator showed that we were only six nautical miles away from the cliff.
Looking through the telescope, I could see the devil-like gray castle-shaped building that had once imprisoned me, the headquarters of the Moon God Society.
There were several windows in the building, still lit up. I believed that in some of those windows, the elders of the Moon God Society were discussing how to reclaim the "extraterrestrial object," while in others, people were threatening Fang Tian to perform a flying performance.
But were there some windows where Sakuragi Kisuke was also being threatened? I sighed, knowing that Nelson and I were about to venture into a castle with thousands of modern jet dragons! The hope of success was indeed slim!
I looked up at the dark sky. Where was Saturn? Saturn was in a place beyond our naked eyes, but we had to take risks for someone from Saturn, which was not "human sympathy" but only "life sympathy."
I thought blankly, and the speedboat quickly approached the headquarters of the Moon God Society.
When the dashboard of the radar detector pointed out that we were only two nautical miles away from leaving the front shore, suddenly, we heard two "boom" sounds, followed by two blazing balls flying over our speedboat!
Those two balls of light hovered motionless in the air not far above our speedboat, and the light was so intense that it illuminated the sea surface as if it were daytime!
Those were super-durable illumination flares!
At the same time, we heard the sound of more than one seaplane taking off. Mr. Nelson immediately ordered: full speed away from the range of the flares!
On the sea surface, our speedboat, like a spinning horse, turned around and headed back.
Three minutes later, we sailed out of the flare range and disappeared into the darkness. We heard the sound of machine gun fire and saw a series of splashes on the sea surface!
Mr. Nelson told Suzuki Dairo and me to put on life jackets, and he did the same. Our speedboat sped away from the shore, apparently the flares were launched from the shore and could no longer reach the area where we retreated. The seaplane was circling, and Suzuki Dairo turned off the engine.
Mr. Nelson sighed, "They have radar detection equipment, armed seaplanes, and super illumination flares. What's the conclusion?" I responded, "The conclusion is that our speedboat simply cannot approach the shore!"
Mr. Nelson rested his chin on his hand and squatted down.
Suzuki Dairo said, "We can dive over!"
Mr. Nelson immediately corrected him: "You should say 'you' instead!"
Suzuki Dairo protested, "Sir, my brother..." Mr. Nelson said, "Yes, your brother sacrificed, and you want to kill the enemy to vent, but the speedboat cannot be left unmanned, and we cannot afford to have no one to support us. This is an order!"
Suzuki Dairo bowed his head and fell silent.
Mr. Nelson patted him on the shoulder. "Good friend, don't be sad anymore!"
He was comforting Suzuki Dairo, but his own words choked up. It was a very touching scene, but unfortunately, I couldn't capture the scene with very moving words at that time.
The sound of the seaplane had subsided, and the light of the flares had gone out.
Since our speedboat had stopped its engine, the sea surface seemed surprisingly calm.
Mr. Nelson's voice regained its firmness and calmness: "Their seaplanes can take off within three minutes, and we were lucky to have just escaped. There's no need to risk it again. I accept Suzuki's plan to dive."
I said, "I accept too, but I think I can go alone."
Mr. Nelson laughed, "What's this? Do the Saturnians think that out of Earth's 3.7 billion people, only one person is a hero?"
(1986 note: The population was 3.7 billion at the time, and more than 4 billion after more than 20 years.)
I knew I couldn't keep Mr. Nelson on the speedboat. It was just useless talk. So I said, "Can your stamina hold up?"
Mr. Nelson laughed heartily, "There's a submersible with plenty of fuel on the boat now."
I couldn't help but be overjoyed. "Then what are we waiting for?"
The submersible looked like a long board with propellers that could be mounted on top and submerged underwater. Although its speed was not very fast, it could save energy, and we only needed to travel about three nautical miles.
We packed everything in waterproof bags, changed into wetsuits, and strapped on oxygen tanks.
Suzuki Dairo silently helped us, and in less than half an hour, Mr. Nelson and I were side by side underwater. We turned on the lights, which could reach about twenty meters, and our depth was also twenty meters.
It was not easy to discern direction underwater, and rich diving experience was necessary. In this regard, Mr. Nelson was not as experienced as I was.
We were both very nervous, so although we had instruments for underwater communication, no one spoke until we saw a row of black spheres hanging in the water when the light reflected. Then we each exclaimed softly.
Each black sphere, floating in the greenish sea, seemed motionless. At first glance, it looked a bit like colorful glass balls hanging on a Christmas tree.
But we both knew that once the thin iron wires at both ends of the black ball touched, it would cause a fatal explosion of the sea mine!
Those sea mines were very old-fashioned, relics of the Japanese Navy during World War II, but their power was still considerable. We turned right and swam along the densely laid sea mines, but the line of sea mines seemed endless!
In my estimation, after we turned right, we had already dived for more than two nautical miles, but the sea mines were still there.
I reached for the switch of the communicator and said, "Shouldn't we take the risk and go through?"
Mr. Nelson replied, "I don't think we need to. Going forward, there should be a bay. Even if the Moon God Society is reckless, they wouldn't dare to lay mines in a bay where ships often pass."
Following Mr. Nelson's words, I continued to swim forward. It didn't take long for the sea mines to come to an end, but instead of abruptly ending, they turned a corner!
Rows and rows of sea mines formed a semicircle, completely blocking the sea surface in front of the Moon God Society headquarters!
Mr. Nelson and I looked at each other!
We both knew that since the sea mines had completely blocked our way forward, the only way for us to continue was to cross the sea mines. I didn't hesitate for long before saying, "You go back, there's no need for both of us to take risks."
Mr. Nelson naturally understood my intention. I intended to take the risk of removing the detonators from the sea mines so that we could pass through smoothly.
Mr. Nelson immediately said, "Wei, don't forget that during World War II, I led an engineering battalion."
I replied promptly, "So, as of today, you're completely outdated. This task must be done by me!"
Mr. Nelson remained silent for a while before saying, "We haven't lost hope yet. There's no need to take the risk of that final step."
I pointed forward, "Didn't you see how dense the sea mine network is?" Mr. Nelson said, "I assume they've fortified against approaches from deep-sea divers to their headquarters. However, the Moon God Society isn't an openly armed force. Despite their power, if their minefield is detected on the surface, it could lead to trouble!"
After hearing this, I pondered and asked, "So, you mean we can cross over on the surface of the water?"
Mr. Nelson replied, "Not on the surface. If we surface, we'll definitely be caught in the radar net. And underwater, we won't get past the minefield." I nodded, "I understand. You mean we have to navigate between the minefield and the radar net."
Mr. Nelson said, "In my estimation, the mine tendrils can't reach the sea surface directly. As long as there's half a meter of space from the surface, our bodies can pass through."
I sighed, "Even if your idea is right, we'll have to abandon our diving gear and the submersible to do so."
Mr. Nelson said, "I think swimming a few miles barehanded is much better than risking dismantling the detonators on the sea mines. Engineers would rather dismantle ten landmines than one sea mine because the ocean's mysterious vibrations could trigger an explosion!"
Of course, I knew that removing the detonators from the sea mines was not an easy task. Therefore, I first pulled the control lever on the submersible, and it slowly began to rise.
Originally, we were at a depth of twenty meters. When the indicator reached three meters, we could still see the devilish tendrils of the sea mines.
Mr. Nelson and I continued to ascend until our backs were almost out of the water, and we saw that indeed, there was a gap between the sea mines and the surface.
But that gap was only about one and a half meters!
That meant, even if we discarded all our equipment, we had to be extremely careful to pass through without surfacing or touching the tendrils of the sea mines in that gap.
We sank back down, and at a depth of ten meters, Mr. Nelson reached out and shook my hand. He said, "If by chance our bodies may touch the tendrils of the sea mines, it's better to let our bodies float to the surface, because even if the radar net detects us, we still have a chance to escape!"
While I removed my wetsuit, I nodded in agreement with Mr. Nelson's insight.
Soon, the submersible and everything else sank to the seabed. I hung the non-waterproof bag around my neck and began to swim upwards. As I neared the surface, I swam forward at an extremely slow pace. The sea was very calm, but my heartbeat felt like it could be heard even amidst the biggest waves.
I swam slowly forward, not knowing if I would succeed in passing through.
As I slowly approached the tendrils of the sea mines, which were finger-thick iron rods protruding vertically in the sea, reaching down to the seabed and up to half a meter from the surface!
And I had to pass through that half-meter gap!
As my body reached the top of those tendrils, all the muscles in my body stiffened. Death was too close for comfort!
That moment, although it might have lasted only a minute at most, felt like a century to me!
Finally, I made it through!
I breathed a sigh of relief, and my body involuntarily stretched out, with my arms reaching above the water like a person who had been bound for a long time and finally got to stretch.
But as soon as I extended my arms, I realized that my body hadn't sunk yet, but my arms had already reached the surface.
I quickly retracted my hands, only to see that Mr. Nelson had already swum over. He grabbed me and began to sink down. Neither of us spoke as we swam forward.
As we swam forward, we both saw flashes of light above the sea, which was undoubtedly due to the illumination flares.
As I swam forward, I couldn't help but feel shocked!
Just now, my hands had briefly broken the surface, but had they been immediately detected? We had abandoned all our equipment, so Mr. Nelson and I had no way to communicate underwater. We just kept swimming forward.
About an hour later, we could see towering strange rocks ahead. We swam forward about a dozen meters, grabbed the slippery corners of the rocks, and floated up.
Before long, our heads were above the water.
At that moment, both of us were exhausted. As soon as our heads emerged from the water, we let out a big sigh of relief because when we were swimming underwater, we could only barely touch the surface with our lips to quickly take a breath.
We were both gasping for air, and neither of us spoke. After a moment, Mr. Nelson said, "Although they haven't found us, they've noticed something invading their waters."
I asked, "Can they be sure it's people? Wouldn't big fish in the sea come close?"
Mr. Nelson replied, "Fish? If marine creatures could come close, the minefield would have exploded long ago. Using high-frequency waves, all marine life can be expelled from a distance. This is not a new scientific discovery."
I was silent for a moment. "So you mean they can be sure it's people invading their waters?"
Mr. Nelson said, "Not necessarily. For example, if an injured seagull falls on the surface, the radar net can also detect it immediately. It depends on their judgment."
I sighed, "I never thought that by reaching out my hand, I'd bring so many troubles to our future."
Before I could utter the last word "difficult," Mr. Nelson suddenly covered my mouth with his hand. I could hear footsteps coming from above the rocks where we were.
Not only did I immediately stop talking, but I also lay motionless on the rocks. The footsteps grew closer, and the beam of a powerful flashlight swept over the surface of the sea.
But luckily, we weren't discovered.