I Have a Penglai Immortal Island

When the Coast Guard operator reported the phone call to the on-duty captain, who was drinking tea, the captain spat it out.

"What? Is this a joke?"

The operator replied, "I've confirmed it several times. Captain Bai, it sounds absurd, doesn't it? What should we do?"

Captain Bai, unable to even wipe the table, said, "Quickly check the location of the fishing boat she mentioned. We have to treat this seriously; we can't just ignore it. If it's false, we'll deal with her. Xiao Wang, check the boat owner's details!"

As the report moved up the chain of command, the information became richer, and the Coast Guard dispatched a speedboat to the coordinates. It didn’t take long for this report to reach the military. If true, it was indeed a significant matter.

A senior military leader, after hearing the report, pondered, "Call the girl again to verify the situation. As a Beijing University graduate, she should know the consequences of making a false report. There's little point in lying. Also, contact the nearest warship."

Zhao Zhao was helping in the kitchen when her phone rang, displaying a hidden number. She returned to her room to answer it. On the other end was a deep, magnetic voice: "This is the South Sea Command of the Chinese Navy. Are you Miss Zhao Zhao?"

Huh? Even such a nice voice is enlisted by the state?

"I am," she responded seriously.

The voice continued, "Is your report about the submarine true? How did you discover it, and how do you know it's a foreign military submarine?"

"I found it while diving. As for it being a military submarine, that's my guess. It has a New Zealand Navy fleet emblem on its tail section. The submarine is sleek, about sixteen meters long, and looks new. It resembles the photos of New Zealand’s new nuclear submarine on military forums. It seems to have malfunctioned and capsized on the seabed. That's all I know. Our ship is still in this area, keeping an eye on it. The submarine hasn’t moved."

The other side was silent for a moment, then said, "We understand. Please do not enter the water and ensure your safety. The Qinzhou ship is in the nearby waters and will reach you soon. Keep your phone on."

Next to the caller, a thirty-something officer, leaning on the desk and openly eavesdropping, smiled and said, "This girl is interesting. If the submarine moves, can she stop it? This seems genuine. The New Zealand Navy has been probing lately, those bastards. Wait, a new model, sixteen meters? Could it be the SD-752? This could be huge news!"

As the officer prepared to leave, he called out, "Hey, Qiao Jinnian! Take me with you!"

On the sea

After lunch, Zhao Zhao took Yaoguang to the bow to continue watching. The submarine hadn’t moved, indicating its hatch was likely stuck. The four people inside were still alive, suggesting the submarine was indeed advanced.

The ship was quiet. Uncle Haiming said they would use fish-attracting lights for night fishing, and the crew went to rest peacefully.

Arriving faster than the Qinzhou ship was a helicopter, much quicker than a one or two hundred-meter warship. The helicopter circled the ship, and the pilot called out, waking up those not in deep sleep.

The helicopter hovered over the deck, and Zhao Zhao went over. She saw a tall, long-legged soldier in navy combat uniform nimbly jumping down from the ladder.

He stood straight, adjusted his cap, and Zhao Zhao saw his face.

Thick eyebrows, deep phoenix eyes, a high nose bridge, and a jawline sharper than her life plans.

She paused, inwardly yelling to Yaoguang:

"Ah! I am indeed a shallow woman! This person is exactly my type! He looks like an immortal, especially with those two dark guys behind him. I wonder if this jade tree is taken? Even in combat uniform, he has such presence! I wonder if he likes money, because I can fish and support him! …!!!”

Yaoguang, not disdaining her chatter, was merely surprised, "You actually like men?!"

"What's so strange about that? Who else would I like?"

"I hadn’t noticed you had such mundane thoughts all these years."

"That’s because I hadn’t met someone so good-looking!"

Fine.

Their exchange of absurdities happened in an instant. Three people jumped from the helicopter, led by the man she fancied, walking towards her. The two behind him, a smiling man in his thirties and another young man in his twenties with a large backpack, matched her image of navy soldiers: dark and shiny.

As the man approached, Zhao Zhao realized he was very tall, probably over 185cm. His mother must be excellent.

The handsome man spoke, "Are you Miss Zhao?" She was the only woman on the deck.

Hmm?! His voice was similar to the one on the phone, even better in person!

"That’s me," she replied, smiling broadly.

The handsome soldier extended his hand, and they briefly shook hands.

"I’m the one who called earlier. I’m Qiao Jinnian from the South Sea Fleet Command. Here are my credentials."

"Oh, nice to meet you."

In her mind, Zhao Zhao continued: "Even his name sounds nice." This time, Yaoguang rolled his eyes.

The thirty-something man squeezed in, extending his hand warmly, "I’m Meng Hui, and this is Xiao Zhang."

After brief introductions, Qiao Jinnian got straight to the point.

"How deep is the water? We need to go down and assess the situation."

"The submarine is about a hundred meters ahead, in roughly two hundred meters of water. Do you have deep-sea diving suits?" Some people have rich inner lives but very serious exteriors.

"200 meters? That deep? Your diving skills must be impressive!" Meng Hui exclaimed in surprise.

Qiao Jinnian added, "We came in a hurry from the command center and didn't have time to contact the divers. We only brought underwater filming equipment. You don't have deep-diving suits on board?" He assumed she must have reached the seabed to see the submarine's emblem, and 200 meters deep was pitch black.

"We only have standard suits on board, but I can go down for you. Give me the filming equipment." Zhao Zhao strapped on a portable scuba tank. Standard diving suits couldn't go beyond 100 meters, so she was the only one who could make the descent.

Zhao Zhao directed the boat back to its original position. Uncle Haiming chased away the onlookers, who had thought it was a routine Coast Guard inspection. As they were driven away, they strained their necks, reluctant to leave.

Even Qiao Jinnian, who had maintained a calm demeanor, showed concern. "You discovered the submarine with this equipment?" He started to think the situation was doubtful. "This equipment isn't rated for deep diving. It's not safe."

I have a cheat, but you wouldn't believe that if I told you.

"I've trained for this. 200 meters isn't difficult for me. I found the submarine with this gear. If we wait for your equipment, it'll be dark. The sooner we confirm, the sooner we can take action."

Actually, I don't even need this oxygen tank for show…

Seeing her confidence, Qiao Jinnian finally agreed to let her try. Some humans could indeed dive over 200 meters without equipment, and today they might encounter such a person. Xiao Zhang handed her the adjusted equipment and a bottle of shark repellent. Zhao Zhao, uninterested in waiting for a ladder, leapt directly from the deck.

Rao Jianyang guided the three military men to the pilothouse. Xiao Zhang activated the monitoring screen. The footage immediately shocked the onlookers.

"Holy crap! A shark is swimming over! It's four or five meters long! Did she spray the shark repellent?" Meng Hui exclaimed in panic.

Qiao Jinnian’s face changed. "It's a killer whale!"

Rao Jianyang hurried to explain, "No worries, it’s Siren. Little Zhao’s pet! Uh… not exactly a pet, but this killer whale has been following her, almost like a pet…" How to explain? National laws don't allow keeping such animals...

Qiao and Meng exchanged a glance. Meng Hui, staring at the screen, whispered, "This girl is something else. She seems to be riding the killer whale down… making us look inexperienced..."

The deeper she went, the lower the visibility. Although the equipment was advanced and automatically adjusted, she turned on the lights. Riding Siren, she quickly reached the seabed, bringing the submarine into view.

Leaving Siren’s head, Zhao Zhao circled the submarine, placing the signal device Xiao Zhang had given her on it. She zoomed in on the front, back, hatch, and the New Zealand Navy emblem, using her expertise to ensure steady shots without any shake, and finished with a wide-angle view.

Qiao Jinnian, who had maintained a stern face since boarding, finally smiled. "It really is a new model nuclear submarine."

Meng Hui laughed heartily, "SD-752! What a find! This is a surprise package. The crew inside might still be alive, ha ha ha!"

"Xiao Zhang, send the video to Chief Gu. Lao Meng, inform the Qinzhou ship to expedite their arrival. Call the Songyang ship too." Qiao Jinnian started making calls, reporting the situation, mobilizing reinforcements, and planning to seal off the area.

As they busily worked, Xiong Quan and Rao Jianyang looked at each other wide-eyed, witnessing a major event. This was huge.

Zhao Zhao, floating back to the surface with Siren, took her time. Along the way, Siren even caught a large yellow croaker. Its taste had become picky, now preferring only the best. So, by the time they surfaced, they had drifted quite far. Siren, being smart, knew to head back to the ship without needing directions.

On the deck, Meng Hui watched the approaching whale-riding girl, leaning on his chin, stroking an imaginary beard. "With that temperament and looks, is she a sea nymph? She dove to 209 meters, her hair still styled, her jade hairpin unchanged, and her clothes barely wet. The killer whale listens better than a police dog…"

Meng Hui, despite his carefree exterior, had a keen mind.

"Jinnian, say something!"

Qiao Jinnian, putting down his phone, also watched the distant figure, lost in thought. He replied, "Read more books."

Actually, Zhao Zhao had deliberately wet her hair. Up close, it was noticeable. But her clothes, made from special fabric, truly didn’t absorb water…

Meng Hui remained puzzled. "That wild killer whale, can someone sit cross-legged on it?"

"Footsteps. She knows martial arts," Qiao Jinnian reminded.

 

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