Chapter 46: Thrilling Surfing (Part II)

Suspended in midair, the rubber raft below seemed to fly past at astonishing speed, and in an instant, Kang Hongyuan’s body drifted beneath him. Then Zhao Li plunged straight into the water.

His unnamed inner energy had already been pushed to its limit, yet the pain of being slammed into the sea at such high velocity still left Zhao Li momentarily dazed. Fortunately, the cool water quickly revived him. With his head breaking the surface, he spat out the seawater that had flooded into his mouth—thankfully it was fresh, not salty and bitter.

Suddenly, the rope around his waist yanked tight. With a strong motion, his body seemed to lift free from the water, skimming across the surface with his back nearly grazing the waves, sliding as if flying.

This was a good sign. Zhao Li grabbed the rope with one hand and, with a forceful pull, once more lifted himself into the air. Righting himself, he managed to stand steadily atop the water.

He’d seen people water-ski on television plenty of times, especially those daredevils who used only their bare feet instead of skis. He’d never imagined he’d one day go through the same experience himself—especially without any practice. Thankfully, Zhao Li found his balance surprisingly good. He stood firmly, maintaining a relative equilibrium, which eased his nerves considerably.

He couldn’t tell if he was acting on a whim or if some latent madness within him had surfaced—how else could he explain doing something so reckless? From staying behind alone to now risking everything to save someone, this was nothing like the low-profile, reserved Zhao Li he used to be.

Strangely enough, in this critical moment, his mind wandered to such thoughts. Shaking his head to clear away distractions, he focused on how to tackle the immediate problem.

Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted his free right hand—it had struck something. Turning his head, he saw a slab of alloy, about the size of a narrow tabletop, floating on the waves—no doubt debris from the prison, carried here by the sea.

Zhao Li’s eyes lit up. With a practiced flip of his wrist, the months of diligent training in grappling and wrist techniques paid off: he seized the alloy slab firmly.

It would make an excellent surfboard. Drawing his body in, he lifted both feet from the water, and in midair, placed the alloy slab beneath him before stepping back down onto the waves. With the strong pull of the rope, his makeshift “surfboard” immediately sliced through the water, trailing a long plume of white foam behind him—Zhao Li felt as if he were flying.

Had any of those streetwise skater kids seen his last maneuver, they would surely have cheered in admiration. The motion was smooth and seamless, worthy of a demonstration video.

Ahead, the speed seemed to slow. Was it because both he and Kang Hongyuan were affecting the boat’s pace? A moment later, Zhao Li realized James had seen his recent feat and had deliberately eased off. At this slower speed, rescues were far easier.

“Thank you,” Zhao Li murmured inwardly, now focusing on Kang Hongyuan’s position. The rope at his waist was longer than Kang Hongyuan’s; with little effort, he could see his companion behind him.

At this moment, Kang Hongyuan was most likely unconscious, his body bent into a downward V by the rope, his head and feet trailing behind, limp, dragged rapidly across the surface.

Locking onto Kang Hongyuan’s figure, Zhao Li began to pull himself inch by inch along the rope, drawing gradually closer. He’d thought that under these conditions, it wouldn’t take much effort, but the reality was quite different. With the rope’s pull, every advance required him to overcome the resistance of both water and air.

More importantly, after closing the gap, he could no longer rely on the waist rope for leverage—instead, he needed to grip the rope with both hands, using his own strength to maintain his position. Otherwise, he’d be dragged backward again.

He’d never imagined that waterskiing or surfing could be so intense—his mind was blank, focused solely on maintaining balance and inching toward Kang Hongyuan, with no room for showy moves.

A monstrous wave loomed behind, nearly slapping at his heels. Clearly, James had calculated the speed precisely, maintaining just the right balance—any faster or slower, and they would have been swept away by the sea.

After several strenuous efforts, Zhao Li finally drew close to Kang Hongyuan. Carefully maneuvering his alloy board to avoid striking his companion, he racked his brain for a way to get Kang Hongyuan onto the makeshift surfboard.

He’d never trained for anything like this, nor had any idea what method to use. As the massive wave closed in, Zhao Li gritted his teeth and reached out for Kang Hongyuan.

The tense sensation in his hand told Zhao Li he’d seized hold of Kang Hongyuan’s body, but the sudden tilt beneath his feet made it clear he was losing his balance.

With a splash, Zhao Li fell into the water once more. Unlike before, this time he was holding onto Kang Hongyuan—at least he’d achieved his first objective.

On the boat, everyone’s eyes were fixed on the pair. All they saw was Zhao Li grab Kang Hongyuan, then both were swallowed by the towering wave behind them. If it weren’t for the taut rope, everyone would have thought the two were lost to the sea.

“What now?” The speed had already dropped, almost matching the pace of the incoming wave. If this continued, it seemed inevitable that everyone would be swept away. As Zhao Li and Kang Hongyuan vanished, silence fell over the group, but their glances exchanged the same unspoken question.

The burly man closest to Zhao Li—and to the ropes securing both him and Kang Hongyuan—rested his hand on Kang Hongyuan’s taut line. With a few quick motions, he could untie or cut the rope, freeing everyone from danger. But could he really bring himself to do it?

Zhao Li had risked so much, not for his own sake—shouldn’t they give him one more chance? The burly man hesitated, glancing around. The same doubt shone in everyone’s eyes. In the end, whether convict or guard, all were pitiable souls forced to make hard choices in moments of crisis.

One pair of bright eyes conveyed a different message, catching the burly man’s attention: a look of urgency, coupled with a gentle shake of the head.

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