Hua Qingqing was suddenly overcome with a wave of disgust for Qiu Sihai. She snapped, "Mr. Qiu! I told you following us would cause trouble, but you wouldn't believe it. Didn't you take wilderness survival training? Don't you have bodyguards? Figure it out yourself! I can't believe you’re a man!"

The tremendous roar was now deafeningly close. The diesel boat had slipped past the tributary channel and was being violently swept toward the cliff face by the powerful current. Originally, a ridge before this cliff had diverted the river's course, causing the water to wind down into the valley floor. Due to the recent surge in rainfall, the river level rose rapidly, overflowing the ridge and plunging into the valley as a massive waterfall. We were now being dragged to the very edge of that precipice.

With no time for further words, I snatched a length of rope from the deck, tied it around my waist, and tossed the other end to Qiu Sihai and his bodyguard. Then, I scooped up Hua Qingqing in my arms. "If you want to come with us, hold on tight to that rope!"

Before I could finish speaking, Qiu Sihai lunged for the rope and wrapped himself around it once. The remaining bodyguard clung to him from behind. Just then, the boat tilted sharply, and amidst a chorus of shrieks, the group was flung skyward as if riding the clouds.

I craned my neck to look down. Damn, the drop into this valley was enormous—at least six hundred meters. Everything below was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

Zhu Da shrieked, "Tiger, we're flying!" The three of them sprang clear of the deck and vanished into the spray.

The team members from nations M and R clung desperately to the protrusions on the boat. Some were making the sign of the cross with one hand. Hua Qingqing glanced at Meliya and Jennimafie, who were huddled together. She opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing, wrapping her arms around my neck and closing her eyes slightly.

I knew Hua Qingqing pitied those two women from Nation M, but dragging this dead weight—this whole string of people—out of this situation was a monumental problem. If we all ended up in the water, I wouldn't have the capacity to worry about anyone else.

Taozi sighed and said to me, "Let's go. We'll fly as far as we can. Those two guys together weigh nearly four hundred pounds; even if I give you an extra push, the chances aren't great."

I replied to Taozi, "Don't worry. Water is my homeland; at worst, I’ll just take a bath."

Taozi shot back, "Let me be clear: if things go south, I’m slipping away myself. You know I'm afraid of water."

"Agreed. If we can't contact you, we'll meet at the valley entrance," I said.

"The time is now. Let's go!"

I called back to Qiu Sihai, "Stop clinging! Jump with me!"

Who knew Qiu Sihai was paralyzed with fear and couldn't move? Annoyed, I yanked the rope, pulling the two of them off the diesel boat. Sure enough! The initial acceleration was yanked backward hard by the rope, causing us to stumble twice before all four of us, cat-like, continued our plunge.

I gritted my teeth and tried to accelerate again. This time was even worse than the first; the drag was too great to instantly break the sound barrier. In mid-air, there was absolutely no way to gain leverage for speed.

Frustrated, I told Taozi, "You go ahead. I’ll accompany them for a quick dip first."

Amidst the swirling mist and tremendous roar, Hua Qingqing suddenly forced her eyes open and shouted into my ear, "Zhao Qian, is this very dangerous?"

With one arm around Hua Qingqing and the other gripping the rope, I yelled back, "Yes, it's too heavy! I can't hit supersonic speed. When we hit the water, hold your breath, keep your eyes shut, and hug me tight. We'll just make a quick dive and pop right back up."

Hua Qingqing took her arm from around my neck and wrapped it securely around my waist. "Okay. I've been meaning to take a bath anyway. Might as well soak a little longer."

The rate of descent was rapid. I strained to look down through the spray, vaguely discerning jagged, towering boulders below. They must have tumbled from the cliff top; being too large, the current couldn't sweep them away. This terrain was extremely perilous. The fate of those people on the boat looked grim.

I struggled mid-fall to adjust our trajectory, weaving around the massive rocks standing in the water. Finally, the three of them and I plunged headfirst into the deep pool. The moment I hit the water, I immediately entered a state of oblivion, a comfort akin to lying embraced by Cheng Susu, Yi Xiaorou, and Xiaoyudi.

I maneuvered using the rope, drifting between the boulders. We needed to quickly put distance between ourselves and the large pool because the diesel boat would land any second. If it landed right above us, the trouble would be compounded.

Hua Qingqing suddenly began shaking her head side to side. Underwater, I saw clearly: her cheeks were puffed out—she was clearly running out of air. I had been so absorbed in my own enjoyment that I completely forgot they needed to breathe.

Surfacing now carried some risk. On a sudden impulse, I brought my mouth to Hua Qingqing's and transferred a lungful of air to her. As for the two behind us, if they couldn't hold it, they’d just have to swallow a bit, considering they were the reason I ended up diving into this pool.

Hua Qingqing held on for a while longer after getting that breath, but soon she frowned again, her small lips puffing out automatically, waiting for me to return.

We must have drifted far enough by now. I pulled the rope and leaped to the surface, then ripped the rope away, flinging the two of them toward the bank. "You two wait here to meet up with the others. We'll exit the valley first."

With that, I ignored Qiu Sihai and the other man, dove back into the water, and swam forward with Hua Qingqing cradled close. Hua Qingqing had learned her lesson; every so often, she would pout her lips to remind me to give her air. We swam along the riverbed for five or six kilometers before finally surfacing. By then, the river surface was calm and clear. In the center of the river was a large, exposed blue stone jutting above the water. I carried Hua Qingqing onto it.

Setting Hua Qingqing down, I began shedding my clothes and unbuckling my pack. "Ah, this bath was something. Wish we had a fire to warm up by, or I’m going to catch a cold."

Hua Qingqing opened her eyes, looked around, suddenly touched her own lips with her hand, and then kicked me hard. "Who told you to take advantage of me! See if I don't go tell Xiao Rou what you did!"

I plopped down onto the blue stone. "That's unfair, my lady general! You don't know how deep that pool was. I couldn't surface quickly enough to let you breathe."

Hua Qingqing sat beside me. "Then what about later? We swam all this way, and you were taking advantage of me the whole time."

I laughed and lay back on the stone. "Weren't you initiating it? I thought you liked it."

"Damn you, Zhao Qian!" Her fists rained down on me. "I would never like you! All you think about is how to take advantage of girls. I’m sure nine out of ten of your girlfriends ended up with you only after you got the first advantage, having no other choice but to stick around."

I boldly reached out to embrace Hua Qingqing's waist. "Now that I’ve taken advantage of you, does that mean you’ll be forced to stay by my side too?"

Hua Qingqing's face flushed, and she gently pushed my hand away. "Well, since you took my first kiss, consider the advantage yours for free. Move over, I need to wash up."