Phi-Fic Chapter 1056
Chapter 1056
Zhou Shuwan's guess was similar to Qi Mingyu's.
They all suspected that the sharp increase in salt content was caused by major changes on the seabed.
"This is one step closer to what Xue Wuwen said." Qi Mingyu said seriously, "The great changes on the seabed have definitely begun, but we don't know it yet."
By the time humans truly realize that day has arrived, it will probably be when the sea boil phenomenon occurs.
But at this moment, they had no time to worry about the huge changes on the seabed farther away.
Looking at the sea surface and ships around being swallowed by the brown fog, the only thought in my mind was to get the cruise ship out of this deadly fog area as soon as possible.
After observing for so long, Qi Mingyu and the others naturally discovered that the salt fog was far more terrifying than they had imagined. It was not the moist and slightly cool feeling of ordinary sea fog, but a "torrent" wrapped in a strong salty and fishy smell.
As soon as it hit the cruise ship, the salt particles condensed in the fog instantly revealed their hideous appearance.
They were like countless tiny but stubborn tentacles, clinging tightly to every empty space on the ship.
The gaps in the deck, the railings, the edges of the glass windows, and even the hulls of the hanging lifeboats were all densely covered, as if they were tentacles, determined to climb this giant steel ship as if it were a "rock" bit by bit.
The sealing strips and plastic sheeting worked.
The salt spray did not invade the interior of the cruise ship on a large scale.
But a small number of them still managed to get in through the gaps at the bottom of the hatch and between the doors and windows.
At first, Zhong Tiyun didn't notice it, but when she took off the protective mask to drink water, she accidentally inhaled some air containing salt mist.
In just a moment, she felt that even her breath was choked by an insoluble salty taste, and her nasal mucosa seemed to be scraped by tiny grains of salt, making it dry and painful.
Zhou Shuwan rushed over almost immediately, holding a bottle of mineral water in her hand, unscrewing the cap and handing it to Zhong Tiyun's mouth: "Mom, rinse your mouth quickly to wash away the salt foam in your mouth, and rinse your nasal cavity with clean water!"
Zhong Tiyun held the water in her mouth and raised her head to rinse her mouth. The cold water flowing through her throat slightly relieved the burning dryness.
She coughed and nodded, then rinsed her nasal cavity with clean water. Soon, countless tiny brown salt grains were rubbed out.
Zhou Shuwan turned to look at Mu Mu and warned, "Wear your protective mask tightly! Don't take it off even if you're thirsty. If you want to drink water, ask me for a straw and pass it through the gap in the mask!"
Mu Mu nodded seriously and bent down to pat his mother's back.
Qi Ming, Yu Zheng and Zhou Jianghai controlled the cruise ship, wanting to escape from the fog as soon as possible.
However, the brown fog was like a sandstorm that covered the entire sky, and visibility was less than five meters.
Qi Mingyu and his friends couldn't see the direction ahead at all, so they could only drive the cruise ship recklessly.
Zhou Jianghai slammed the console hard, his voice filled with anxiety, "If we keep rushing forward like this, it would be too dangerous if we hit a reef!"
"Late night..."
Qi Mingyu had just opened his mouth to speak when the cockpit door behind him suddenly opened.
It was Zhou Shuwan who hurried over.
She could also feel that the cruise ship was not stable at all in the thick fog, so she left Zhong Tiyun in the care of Mu Mu and hurried over to take charge of the direction.
"Wanwan!" Zhou Jianghai's face was full of joy.
Zhou Shuwan, however, had a serious expression. Based on her current perception, she could tell that the brown salt mist was spreading over an area of dozens of miles.
It would be difficult for them to get through in a short time!
Zhou Shuwan walked quickly to the control console, placed his palm against the cold glass and looked out the window.
The brown mist was like solidified mud, not even a ray of sunlight could penetrate.
She closed her eyes, and her perception, like a fine net, gradually penetrated into the depths of the thick fog.
A few seconds later, she suddenly opened her eyes and spoke in a low but remarkably clear voice, "We can't keep charging forward. There's a downward vortex about twelve or thirteen meters ahead. It's all this brown mist merging into the seawater. If the propeller gets caught in it, it'll definitely get stuck in the salt!"
Qi Mingyu's hand holding the joystick suddenly stopped, and he immediately released the throttle. The cruise ship slowly slowed down. Just as it stabilized, he heard a slight "sizzling" sound coming from under the hull.
It was the sea water near the edge of the vortex that splashed onto the bottom of the ship, and the salt particles instantly condensed into brown frost on the metal.
Zhou Jianghai broke out in a cold sweat. "What should I do? There's fog everywhere. I can't just sit here and wait!"
"Turn southwest, but not too far, and adjust slowly!" Zhou Shuwan stared out the window, sensing the trajectory of the dense fog. "There's a horizontal airflow fifteen meters to the southwest. Although weak, it can push the boat forward. Furthermore, the airflow is mixed with fresh water vapor, which can reduce the salt spray concentration by 40%. Let's follow the flow and wait until we find a clearer direction!"
Qi Mingyu immediately turned the joystick, and the cruise ship slowly shifted to the southwest.
Zhou Shuwan stared closely at the airflow trajectory in his perception and reported his position every once in a while.
Suddenly, I sensed a faint vibration. It was not the sound of the cruise ship's engine, but came from the fog farther away.
Zhou Shuwan suddenly stopped, holding his breath as he carefully considered what was happening. His face instantly darkened. "Not good! There's a cruise ship twenty meters northwest. The hull has been corroded by the salt spray and is almost falling apart. We have to speed up and leave quickly. If we get entangled in its wreckage, we will be completely unable to move!"
Qi Mingyu hesitated for a moment: "Cruise ship? Is it our cruise ship? Are there any living people on it?"
Zhou Shuwan couldn't perceive any clearer details.
She shook her head, her voice weak. "I can't see clearly. The fog is too thick. I can only vaguely perceive the outline of the ship. Half of the deck has collapsed, the railings are rusted to the point of being broken, and even the mast is tilted. It doesn't look like anyone is moving."
She paused, biting her lower lip as she added, "We don't have time to worry about this now. The bottom of the ship has already sunk into the vortex, and the hull could fall apart at any moment. If we get entangled in its anchor chain or broken steel plates, and if the propeller breaks down, we'll be trapped here for real!"
A trace of struggle flashed in Qi Mingyu's eyes.
He wanted to confirm whether it was a ship abandoned by the mother ship, perhaps he could find traces of the mother ship and its crew members' departure on it.
However, what Zhou Shuwan said was also right. The first thing they had to do was to break out of the thick fog.
He pushed the accelerator to the floor. "Let's go! Let's make sure we can get out first!"
The cruise ship's engine made a harsh roar, and the hull vibrated slightly as it accelerated, rushing towards the southwest airflow.
"Okay, here it is. Watch out!"
Zhou Shuwan's voice suddenly rose sharply.
It turned out that the cruise ship had been completely disintegrated by the vortex. Countless rusty steel plates and broken anchor chains were like uncontrolled sharp blades, wrapped in thick salt mist, smashing towards their hull.
Zhou Shuwan shouted almost instinctively, "Full left rudder! Turn the boat sideways quickly to avoid the wreckage!"
Qi Mingyu's reaction was astonishingly fast. He twisted the joystick with his wrist, and the cruise ship seemed to be pulled hard, and the hull tilted violently.