FGCT CH31.1 “Ying ying ying! Call me Daddy!”

When the beauty Fugui was the first to leap into the water, the splash he created made the sixty-some people doing warm-up exercises pause in surprise.

For a moment, they couldn’t tell whether this long-haired guy was genuinely skilled or just reckless, diving in without even warming up first.

However, his actions inadvertently added psychological pressure and urgency to the other sixty-plus participants. Everyone was here to seize an opportunity, they couldn’t afford to let someone else get ahead.

Soon enough, the man with his own diving gear, after confirming his equipment was in order, put on his goggles and breathing mask and followed suit.

Zhou Hai, the diver, was brimming with confidence. Compared to others who only had waterproof goggles and flippers at best, his oxygen tank gave him a massive advantage in endurance.

Normal people can only hold their breath for around 5 minutes, but with his oxygen tank, but his tank could supply oxygen for at least forty minutes at fifty meters deep.

Those extra thirty-five minutes would be more than enough to thoroughly search the research base’s factory for that precious material synthesis machine.

On the way here, he’d also made sure to ask about why previous attempts had failed. The main reasons were: the depth was too great, the factory was too large, and interference from sea creatures. 

But to someone with proper diving gear, what did those three problems matter? Even if the depth increased by dozens more meters or the area doubled in size, he was certain he could handle it!

With this thought, Zhou Hai quickened the strokes of his flippers.

Soon, he spotted the long-haired young man in plain white clothes and pants, free-diving effortlessly downward.

Seeing him, Zhou Hai froze for a second, not because the youth was descending unusually fast, but because his movements underwater were unexpectedly… beautiful?

How should one describe the way the young man swam? Every motion of his limbs and body seemed utterly fluid, without a trace of stiffness, as if he were born to belong in the sea. The rhythm of his movements harmonized perfectly with the water.

From Zhou Hai’s perspective, the young man’s swimming posture and flowing black hair inexplicably reminded him of a mermaid. His gaze unconsciously followed.

But soon, Zhou Hai’s attention was abruptly snapped back—

He felt the water currents shift behind him, and moments later, three people overtook him one after another?!

The first to shoot past like an arrow was the handsome yet intimidating man he’d been wary of all along. Just standing there, the man exuded an oppressive aura, and a single glance from his wolf-like eyes was enough to make one’s heart pound.

Zhou Hai had already marked him as trouble, but now, seeing him swim like a shark hunting prey, he rolled his eyes. Fine, he wouldn’t compete with this inhuman freak. Even if the man was fast and powerful, he couldn’t possibly outlast an oxygen tank. Soon enough, he’d have to surface.

Zhou Hai just needed to hold third place and overtake later!

Then the Tibetan man passed him too.

The Tibetan’s swimming style was unique as it was unpolished, clearly not professionally trained. But he was tall and robust, and highlanders were probably good at holding their breath? Doesn’t matter. The oxygen tank would still let Zhou Hai reclaim the lead!

Just as he thought this, the petite short-haired woman swam past.

Had Zhou Hai not seen the long-haired Fugui’s swimming first, he might’ve marveled at her technique. Her movements seemed to harness the water’s force, enhancing her diving range and breath-holding time.

But compared to Fugui the Otter’s grace, the pearl diver’s strokes seemed mediocre, imperfect.

Zhou Hai sighed, then paled. He frantically kicked his flippers to dive faster.

What kind of monsters were these?! Even with his gear, they overtook him effortlessly. Were the real experts all latecomers?!

For the sake of the survival of his family of three, he had to find that machine first!

And so, in the dark, abyssal waters, the divers split into two visibly distinct groups.

The first five descended at a speed the trailing sixty-three could never hope to match, even riding fish.

Many of the latter resurfaced within a minute, choking. Real ocean diving without gear was nothing like they’d imagined, or like pool diving.

The pressure mounted rapidly with depth, the water was colder, the currents stronger than expected. Worst was the terrifying darkness, where even waterproof flashlights barely illuminated anything. 

The near-silence, broken only by the sound of water and their own pounding heartbeats, the disorienting void where they could lose themselves in seconds. This wasn’t something humans could easily adapt to.

Splash!

Divers surfaced one after another, gasping in pain or panic, struggling onto the nearby lifeboat.

“Gosh! The water’s freezing! The deeper you go, the colder it gets! And thereäs also the pressure that’s crushing your lungs! Without proper diving equipment, how is anyone supposed to dive?!”

“It’s too dark down there! I bumped into something floating, I even bruised my arm! No way, I don’t wanna die, I’m out!”

“Tsk. I think this time, only the brother who came fully equipped would have time to search for the machines. The others won’t be able to last long in the water.”

“I agree. We might still have to send the military after all, this isn’t something ordinary people can handle! Anyways, we just have to sit and wait until they come up by themselves.”

They haven’t even been here for more than five minutes, and half of the people have already given up the mission.

The mission officer looked at the thirty people who barely even tried before giving and curled his lips. He has seen a lot of these people who only know how to talk big.

Then he checked his waterproof watch and raised an eyebrow.

Five minutes and thirty seconds since the long-haired guy had dived down, and he still hadn’t surfaced for air a sinlge time.

Not bad.

Likewise, the other four people also haven’t come up.

Had they reached the facility?

Otter Fugui had, of course. He’d even pinpointed the room where the machine is placed.

The water in the facility was cold, the surroundings were dark, and there was random debris scattered around, including chairs and computers. But with his sharp senses and water affinity, there’s nothing that can stop him!

Though the chill, the darkness, and random debris like chairs and tablets drifting into his path were nuisances, his otter-sharp senses and water affinity made them trivial.

Yet his expression was grim—he’d underestimated this mission. Or you can say he overestimated his otter form’s diving ability

Only now did he recall: sea otters excel at floating, not deep dives. Their limit is about four minutes. In human form with otter traits, he’d stretched that to ten..

But even ten minutes was hopeless for searching for a single machine in a pitch-black, machine-packed factory the size of a soccer field.

Ugh. This otter misjudged the situation.

Human Otter Fugui rubbed his face, blowing a frustrated bubble. Seems like he has to make multiple trips.

While he was rubbing his face, the persistent werewolf Xie finally caught up. Turning around, he saw the adorable otter rubbing its cheeks and blowing bubbles at close range. In an instant, his wolf heart was utterly smitten, and he couldn’t resist the urge to poke Fugui’s cheek.

The texture was amazing!

Then, Fugui immediately pulled out a solid 24K gold brick from the little pocket under his arm and began chasing the werewolf, swinging it wildly.

The Tibetan man, the pearl diver, and Zhou Hai, who was wearing a headlamp and had just followed the light to catch up with them: “…”

Look at the situation they’re in! And these two are still fooling around in the sea?!

Did they think no one would see them just because they’re underwater?!

But the three of them only complained inwardly before quickly continuing to swim forward. By now, they had already reached the deepest part.

Their feet once again touched the land that had once nurtured all life, yet they could no longer run freely or live ordinary lives as they once had.

Some things are amazing, you never realize how precious they are until you lose them. And once they’re gone, it feels as though everything else slips away too.

At this moment, the five of them drifted lightly over the submerged ruins of what was once a city and land. Even Gou Fugui and Xie Tianlang, who weren’t originally from this world, felt an indescribable heaviness in their hearts.

How had the world become like this?

If only it hadn’t rained, if only the sea levels hadn’t risen, if everything had remained ordinary and peaceful—how wonderful that would have been.

If only it hadn’t rained, if only the sea levels hadn’t risen, if everything had remained ordinary and peaceful, how wonderful that would have been.

But alas, there are no “what ifs.”