Chapter 103: The Rescue Begins

Chu Dong remembered that he had Luo Feiyu's phone number saved in his mobile, but its exact location was a bit vague. His heart raced with anxiety as his hand continued to search around Tan Xue’s waist, worried that prolonged sitting might arouse suspicion from the guards. Suddenly, he turned and pressed his lips to Tan Xue’s flushed face. Meanwhile, his other hand fumbled through his pocket, slowly flipping through the numbers from memory. In his mind, the first three numbers were unnamed, then two belonged to his father, and after those, it should be Luo Feiyu’s.

Tan Xue was already at a loss with Chu Dong’s wandering hand on her waist; now, with his domineering kiss, her eyes widened, unsure whether to move or stay still. Opposite them was the grim muzzle of a gun, and this was Chu Dong’s one chance. His breathing became hurried, though others might have mistaken it for passion.

At first, Tan Xue was passive, letting Chu Dong "bite" her, but as time passed, she found herself unexpectedly enchanted. The softness of his lips brought an irresistible sensation, even the moist touch of his tongue gave her a sweetness she’d never known. She forgot the danger, forgot the thin line between life and death she was treading...

Little Yu’er’s mouth dropped open in shock; it was so romantic. She never expected her reserved elder sister to share a legendary passionate kiss with her brother-in-law in front of so many people at a life-or-death moment. Everyone’s attention focused on their heated embrace—even the three diligent guards stared, stunned.

Chu Dong’s index finger hovered over the OK key; once pressed, the call would go through. If it wasn’t Luo Feiyu, others would hardly understand or even notice his coded distress signal, and all his efforts would be wasted.

Tan Xue let out a soft cry. Chu Dong’s finger seemed to heed the signal, pressing down to dial. He broke away from her soft lips, whispering for her ears only, “Argue with me, quick!”

Tan Xue sprang up, slapped Chu Dong hard, “Shameless!” Her face was crimson, and that was all she managed to say.

Chu Dong immediately erupted, pointing at Tan Xue and berating her, “You little brat, show you respect and you don’t appreciate it! Kissing you is pity—others I’d have to think twice. It’s your luck, you know? Don’t get ahead of yourself just because you look okay. Let me tell you straight, without you, I’d live just fine. See, even my sister-in-law is better than you—she knows who treats her well and who doesn’t. If I hadn’t tolerated you till now, anyone else would’ve thrown you to the sharks, and that would’ve been your blessing!”

He stamped his feet, thumped his chest, one hand on his thigh, the other pounding the wooden bunk.

Everyone was dumbfounded by this sudden scene, even Tan Xue had no idea what madness possessed Chu Dong. Furious, she kicked him, turned away, and pulled Yu’er close, ignoring Chu Dong.

At first, the three guards hesitated, then burst into laughter. They didn’t understand Chu Dong’s words, but it was obvious—these two, who were just like lovers moments ago, were now fighting.

Even the wedding photography shop staff were bewildered, unable to make sense of the couple’s behavior. Especially the man—one moment a passionate farewell kiss, the next a sudden change of heart.

Yu’er was confused. Moments ago, her sister and brother-in-law seemed so sweet; now, her sister's slap and brother-in-law’s wild rant left her lost. She glanced between the two, unsure what to do.

Regardless of others’ thoughts, Chu Dong kept pounding his seat and shouting until the guards couldn’t take it any longer, prodding him with their guns to silence his endless tirade.

Chu Dong knocked a few more times on the bunk, pointed at Tan Xue, unable to speak, his expression pained as though Tan Xue had betrayed him.

After this uproar, the lower deck fell into an uneasy silence. Everyone was quiet, including Chu Dong, who had caused the most commotion. Over two hours passed; he knew that if Luo Feiyu didn’t notice the distress code he’d sent, even if they notified the police now, it would be too late.

Meanwhile, on Luo Feiyu’s side, today was her day off. Her family lived out of town, and her uncle’s home wasn’t close either. Even on her days off, she usually returned to the precinct’s cafeteria for meals. She’d spent the morning tidying up at home, took a nap, and by the time she went for lunch, it was late. Luckily, the chef knew she’d come and saved her a portion. Just as she sat down, her phone rang.

Seeing the number, she knew it was Chu Dong. She didn’t expect him to call and picked up. Before she could speak, the noise from Chu Dong’s end was overwhelming—he didn’t seem to want to talk, so she assumed he’d dialed by accident and was about to hang up when she suddenly heard a rhythmic tapping.

When Chu Dong kissed Tan Xue, he’d dialed the call and then pushed the phone down near the wooden bunk, pressing it with his leg so the tapping would be clearly heard.

Luo Feiyu, a top graduate of the police academy, was no stranger to coded signals, but she wasn’t familiar with Chu Dong’s particular tapping. She thought it was accidental, but kept the line open upon hearing a girl’s voice and Chu Dong’s frantic shouting about a girl. Curious, she listened while she ate.

Just as she was about to lose interest, she noticed something odd: the rhythmic tapping began to repeat, exactly as before. Luo Feiyu immediately bounced from her seat, realizing this was no accident—Chu Dong was deliberately sending her a signal, trying to tell her something.

She rushed to the precinct office, breathless, and pressed the phone to the ear of Chief Detective Chen Xiao.

“What’s so urgent? You hardly seem like a seasoned, qualified officer,” Chen Xiao joked as he took the phone, but his smile faded as he listened, his expression turning grave. After several minutes, he covered the phone and said, face stern, “Xiaoyu, do you know where the person calling is?”

“No,” Luo Feiyu finally caught her breath, shaking her head. “I just feel he’s sending me a signal. As for where he is or what he’s trying to say, I have no idea.”

“Alert the technical team right away, monitor the signal, and pinpoint its exact location. Do not hang up.” Chen Xiao ordered, then pressed the phone on his desk. “Contact customs, immediately organize a search along the Bohai Sea. A smuggling ship may be about to make a transaction; their firepower is strong, so everyone must be extremely cautious, extremely cautious.”

One command followed another. Chen Xiao felt a tough battle was imminent, his heart pounding as he opened a drawer, poured out some heart pills, and swallowed them with a gulp of tea.

Night approached; the lingering sun finally dipped below the coastline, leaving only the afterglow as its last shadow.

The Dalian Border Guard Squadron, Maritime Emergency Unit, Dalian Public Security Bureau Special Operations Team, Airborne Early Warning Unit, and the Development Zone Precinct—the first to know of the case—all raced against time. The army, navy, and air force worked together, searching outward along the Dalian coast.

An hour passed with no news...

An hour and a half passed, still nothing...

Luo Feiyu couldn’t sit still. The call had long since ended, and there was no signal from Chu Dong. According to the latest frontline reports, nothing remained at the original location where the signal had come from. They searched for a long time and found nothing...

Just as Luo Feiyu was anxiously waiting, the Airborne Early Warning Unit reported that radar had detected a suspicious vessel in the Bohai Sea near the North Korean region.

Waiting for news was nerve-racking; getting news was even worse. No one knew if Chu Dong was safe, nor what unpredictable changes had occurred after so much time. The vessel’s current position was a headache—it was neither in Chinese waters nor on the high seas, but in North Korean territorial waters. Any conflict here could trigger an international dispute.

But North Korea’s navy was weak; even if notified, they could hardly respond with effective measures or muster enough force to deal with the ship.

Everyone waited for instructions from the command center. All participants stood ready. Normally carefree, Luo Feiyu now paced the office like an ant on a hot pan.

Just as everyone waited anxiously, new information arrived from the front.

The suspicious vessel was now heading toward Dalian, estimated to enter Chinese waters in about two hours. Also, several large fishing vessels had left Dalian port, heading directly toward the suspicious ship.

“If the two sides intend to rendezvous, or if the suspicious vessel enters our territorial waters, all teams, pay attention, all teams, pay attention: immediately initiate capture operations, immediately initiate capture operations.” Upon receiving the news, the command center gave the order...

The roar of helicopters, the crashing waves under the ships, a hastily organized capture and rescue operation began.

Standing at the office window, Luo Feiyu pressed her hands to her chest, gazing at the birds flying across the sky, silently praying that nothing would happen to Chu Dong, that he would return safely...