Chapter 1 Uncertain Tides

The tide had crested and begun to recede slowly. The downpour had paused for the moment, but occasional gusts of wind pushed the swaying hull of the boat like a pendulum swinging back and forth.

Bai Ma Shan followed Grandpa Wang to the side of the boat to fish for a while. His mood for fishing was completely different from before.

Before, it was for leisure and entertainment; now, it was for survival.

But for some reason, the fish seemed to have deserted this area. They fished for a long time, only catching a few small fish. The difference between this and the constant bites they had before was enormous.

Grandpa Wang remained silent. He probably hadn't eaten or slept well in the past two days and looked terribly haggard. He was nothing like the rosy-cheeked, talkative man who had enthusiastically taught them how to fish the other day.

"Xiao Bai," the old man suddenly said, "do you think we can go back?"

Bai Ma Shan looked at the vast ocean, unsure himself, but he still tried to comfort the old man, "Although we can't contact rescue right now, our families must have already called the police. There was a strong wind and heavy rain last night, so the search and rescue teams couldn't set out. Now that it's cleared up today, they should be able to start searching in earnest. We must have faith in the national rescue team. Besides, no matter what, you're the person on this boat with the fewest regrets."

Grandpa Wang gave a wry smile. "Yes, I've lived for more than seventy years, and that's enough. But people are greedy. My grandson isn't married yet, and I still want to see him settle down and hold his child. I don't know if I'll have that chance."

Bai Ma Shan smiled. "You have long ears and large earlobes, a sign of longevity. Don't worry, you'll not only hold your great-grandson, but you'll also watch him go to college. All of us on this boat will benefit from your good fortune."

The old man's mood was soothed by these words, and his spirits were no longer so low. Thinking of his grandson, who was more outstanding and filial than his own son, a smile finally appeared on his face.

At this time, the relatives on shore were indeed gathered at the police station, urging the search and rescue team to find the people on the boat as soon as possible.

"Comrade, the sea conditions are normal today. When can you send a boat to search?" The person speaking was a young man who looked about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, his voice anxious.

"Don't worry, sir. We started searching along the route you provided this morning after the wind and waves subsided." The maritime bureau worker in charge of reception looked at the man in front of him, wearing a white shirt and suit pants, but with a pair of sneakers on his feet.

"When will there be news?" Wu Peng was extremely anxious. He hadn't been able to contact the old man since Sunday morning, and now it was already Monday. The search team had just set off. How could he not be anxious?

His phone rang, and he answered it impatiently. It was another intern from the law firm asking where he was. The boss was in a bad mood and wanted him to come back quickly. The morning meeting was about to start.

Wu Peng had a headache just thinking about those tedious meetings. "I have something to do today. Can you ask Attorney Tang for a day off for me?"

"You're taking another day off?" The other person advised him to come in unless it was something important. As an intern, he took more leave than the partners. He clearly didn't want to work there anymore.

"It's important. My grandfather is missing, and I'll be at the maritime bureau waiting for news for the next few days. Forget asking for one day off; just ask for a week." Wu Peng really didn't want to work at the law firm anymore. If it weren't for his grandfather forcing him to study law and pulling strings to get him into the law firm, he would already be a hip-hop singer pursuing his dreams.

The colleague on the other end was nearly scared to death and hung up, telling him to call in himself so as not to be implicated.

Wu Peng sent a message to Attorney Tang, explaining that his grandfather was missing and that he needed to wait for news, so he was requesting a week's leave.

The other party didn't reply. Wu Peng didn't care because he didn't care about the job anyway. It wasn't what he wanted to do. It would be better if he got fired so he could pursue his music.

Thinking this, he threw his briefcase on a chair in the hall and sat down beside it, tearing off the tie around his neck and stuffing it into the bag.

Unbuttoning the collar of his shirt, Wu Peng felt like he had come back to life. Beneath his short, cropped hair were striking features, and a tiny, sparkling stud earring on his left ear was particularly eye-catching. He took off the rimless glasses perched on his high nose bridge and pinched the space between his eyebrows. He had been worried ever since his grandfather went missing. He had also called his father, but the unreliable man's phone was always busy. He could only send messages, but his father hadn't replied to this point, and Wu Peng didn't even know if he had seen them.

He felt a little tired, resting his arm and head on the back of the chair, wondering what he could do to find his grandfather besides waiting foolishly.

At this time, a couple in their fifties or sixties rushed in, looking travel-worn. The woman, with red-rimmed eyes, asked the staff, "Maritime Police comrades, my daughter, my daughter took a boat out to sea a few days ago and hasn't come back yet. I haven't been able to contact her for two days. She was supposed to arrive on Sunday afternoon, but it's Monday now, and she's still not back. Can you send a helicopter to search and rescue her immediately?"

The staff understood as soon as they heard this and asked, "Are you from the Ludao residential complex? What's your daughter's name?"

The couple immediately knew that someone had already reported the case and nodded. "Yes, yes, Ludao residential complex. My daughter's name is Jia Wenjun. She's an employee of the property management company. Their residential complex organized a yacht fishing trip, and she went along. The boat is called...what was it called?"

"Seashell," Jia Wenjun's father added from the side.

Sitting in the waiting area, Wu Peng turned his head and glanced at the couple.

The staff registered the missing person Jia Wenjun's information and the couple's contact phone number, saying that they had already sent a search team out and would call them if there was any news, asking them to go home and wait first.

The old couple were worried about their daughter. They braved the strong wind and heavy rain last night, unable to buy plane or high-speed rail tickets, and had taken a hard-seat train overnight. How could they possibly go back and wait for news?

The staff had no choice but to point to the area where Wu Peng was sitting. "The family members from the residential complex are all waiting over there. Why don't you go sit there and wait as well?"

The worried couple could only come over and sit down. Seeing Wu Peng leaning against the seat next to them, Jia Wenjun's mother said, "Young man, is your family member on that boat too?"

Wu Peng opened his eyes, turned to look at them, and nodded. "My grandfather is on it."

Jia's mother didn't expect there to be such an old owner on the boat, and her eyes reddened again, thinking that her daughter was at the prime of her youth.

Jia's father asked, "What's your surname? Were you the first to report the case?"

Wu Peng shook his head. "My surname is Wu. When I came to report the case on Sunday evening, someone had already been here. I heard it was a friend of the boat owner."