The boat shuddered, and Cao Yanhua fell flat on his back into the hull.

His first reaction was: Had they hit a reef? This reef seemed unnaturally abrupt.

Another heavy impact struck the bottom of the boat, nearly launching the small vessel out of the water.

Cao Yanhua hadn’t been briefed by anyone about Yi Wansan’s family matters, the several shipwrecks from earlier years, or that there was such a spine-chilling old clam in the sea. Typical of the ignorant being fearless, he shouted angrily: “Who is it?!”

He propped himself up against the gunwale, grabbed the wooden oar, and cautiously peered into the water below. A sense of fear gradually crept in: Was it a big fish? Would it eat people?

Strike first to gain the advantage, strike later and suffer the consequences. Cao Yanhua felt nervous, his gaze never leaving the water’s surface, thinking that as soon as the fish showed its head, he would strike it hard.

The rumbling sound of an engine came from the distance. Looking toward the sound, a white fishing boat was rushing over at full speed.

His spirits immediately lifted: Even if he fell into the water, he wouldn’t be afraid now. Besides, he knew a bit of dog-paddle anyway.

Just as his attention wavered, the rear half of the boat suffered another powerful impact. This blow was unprecedentedly forceful, nearly standing the entire small boat upright in the sea. Caught off guard, Cao Yanhua tumbled into the water, clutching the wooden oar, feeling as if he had made a dent in the water’s surface with his fall.

Mu Dai, watching through binoculars from the other boat, was terrified and urged Yi Wansan: “Hurry, hurry, hurry!”

Yi Wansan had practically thrown his entire body onto the speed control lever, as if adding weight would somehow make the already maxed-out speed go even faster. Meanwhile, Luo Ren had already put on his diving suit and instructed Yan Hongsha: “I’ll give you the signal when it’s time. It’s also an opportunity—throw the net directly to catch it!”

Yan Hongsha, infected by the tense atmosphere, kept his hand hovering near the button, feeling his blood pulsing and the veins in his hand throbbing.

After falling into the water, Cao Yanhua had only one thought: Paddle! Paddle! Paddle quickly!

He held his breath deeply, trying to keep his nose and mouth above water, his hands and feet thrashing wildly and without coordination. Simply put, he was flailing and splashing hysterically, his feet spinning like windmills, until suddenly he stepped on something solid and firm as if standing on level ground. His heart leaped with joy as he pushed off forcefully.

Originally, only his nose and mouth had been above water; now his chest and above had emerged.

How strange—what had he stepped on?

The boat was getting closer, almost close enough to see the spray of water at its bow. A nimble, fish-like human figure dived into the water. Cao Yanhua was about to wave to the boat when suddenly a sharp pain clamped around his right ankle. A powerful force pulled him down, and he was dragged involuntarily.

He couldn’t breathe now, bubbles gurgling around his nose and mouth, his heart terrified to the extreme: What is this thing? What is this thing?

His hands and left leg were still free, and he struggled desperately. Just then, someone firmly grabbed his hand.

Although it couldn’t stop the downward force, Cao Yanhua was almost moved to tears.

It must be someone from the boat coming to rescue him!

Luo Ren first caught Cao Yanhua’s hand, using the momentum to flip over in the water, holding his breath as he bent down.

Finally, he saw the old clam up close. Its maximum diameter was about 1.5 meters, with a thickness approaching half a meter. The shell opening was uneven, with many cracks and splits. The mobile phone strap happened to be wedged in one of these cracks.

Cao Yanhua’s ankle was trapped, causing the clamshell to open slightly, like a giant mouth gaping. Although they couldn’t breathe underwater, he felt as if a rancid stench was wafting toward him.

Time was pressing. Luo Ren took the electric drilling rod from his waist and thrust it directly into the gap in the clamshell. Once he felt it penetrate the clam meat, he pressed the power switch hard.

The drill bit below rotated at high speed, causing even the handle above to vibrate. The old clam, feeling the pain, suddenly opened its shell wider. Cao Yanhua seized the opportunity to quickly withdraw his leg. When Luo Ren reached to pull out the drill, the water flow surged, and the clam shell snapped shut with tremendous force. The sound was piercing as the drill’s rotation slowed down and eventually stopped, jammed in place.

Luo Ren knew this was bad—he feared that he had angered it, that the old clam had become bloodthirsty for revenge. He quickly flipped in the water, kicked hard against the old clam, and without waiting to see if he had pushed it away, quickly rose to the surface with Cao Yanhua.

Cao Yanhua was already disoriented from nearly drowning. Though not quite unconscious, his eyes were unfocused when he surfaced. Looking up at Mu Dai’s face on the nearby boat, he couldn’t recall who she was for a moment.

Mu Dai screamed: “Luo Ren, hurry!”

Before she finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed. She saw a huge splash rise behind Luo Ren—the old clam had surfaced!

Mu Dai’s voice became distorted: “Quick! Quick!”

Luo Ren wanted to be quick, but Cao Yanhua was half-dead and deadweight. He had to use one hand to drag him, and besides, how fast could you go in water? Could you outpace a native aquatic creature?

The clamshell made a sound like grinding joints, and then, unimaginably, the shell opened 180 degrees to both sides.

From the boat, it looked like a huge, ugly butterfly floating on the water’s surface.

Mu Dai froze: What was it going to do?

Yi Wansan had also come out from the cockpit, his face pale with tension: “Is… is it going to fly?”

Fly? If it could fly, that would be terrifying!

In the next moment, they all understood what the old clam was planning to do.

It began to rotate slowly, using itself as the center, then suddenly accelerated. The edges of its shell generated wind as it pressed and spun toward Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua.

Yi Wansan was almost stupefied: If it spun any faster, it would be like a blade. Forget people—even the boat might not withstand it.

Hadn’t they said before that when there were many people around, the old clam feared exposure? Like the last time when Mu Dai and Yan Hongsha fell into the water, once they arrived, the old clam disappeared without a trace.

Why was it different this time? Had it been provoked? Was it ready to fight to the death, or was it planning not to spare even the fishing boat?

Mu Dai’s mind was buzzing. Seeing the edge of the clam shell cutting directly toward Luo Ren and his companion, she shouted: “Be careful!”

Luo Ren already knew to be careful, and Cao Yanhua had finally grasped the current situation, his face turning deathly pale as he struggled and splashed.

The old clam was always faster than they were. As the edge of the shell approached, Luo Ren, desperate for a solution, pushed down on Cao Yanhua’s head, and they both submerged.

The heavy shell of the old clam barely grazed over their heads.

The first strike missed, but with unspent momentum, part of the shell scraped against the boat hull, producing an ugly sound of metal being ground. White paint and scattered iron filings drifted down from the boat’s body.

Yi Wansan was right—if the old clam went berserk and attacked persistently, even the boat might not withstand it.

Mu Dai quickly untied the coiled rope from the boat railing, tying one end around her waist. Yi Wansan shouted at Yan Hongsha: “Hurry and throw it! Catch that old clam!”

Yan Hongsha was also anxious, sweating profusely: “How can I catch it if it doesn’t come close?”

As they spoke, Luo Ren surfaced with a splash. Cao Yanhua was still underwater, presumably held in his hand. The old clam instantly spun toward them again. Luo Ren twisted his body, his shoulder grazing the shell. He felt a sharp pain, and a streak of blood quickly dispersed in the seawater.

In a flash of insight, Mu Dai suddenly realized something and shouted: “Hongsha, don’t try to catch the old clam—catch Luo Ren!”

She pushed Yi Wansan: “Go to the cockpit, be ready to start the boat. Once we’ve caught them, we’ll head for shore.”

Luo Ren understood and swam toward the stern, dragging Cao Yanhua along. When teaching Yan Hongsha how to operate the net, he had estimated the positions and knew which location was most advantageous for casting.

But the old clam was still faster—someone needed to cover for Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua.

Mu Dai’s lips went dry as she ran into the cabin. After looking around, tremblingly, she emerged with a quilt.

Staggering out, she saw that Luo Ren had nearly reached the stern, but the old clam was in relentless pursuit, making the situation even more precarious. Yi Wansan couldn’t stay calm in the cockpit and had grabbed a boat pole used for pushing off from shore, constantly trying to block the old clam. Whenever the spinning shell touched the pole, it made a sound like an electric saw cutting wood, and the submerged section was quickly sawed off.

Mu Dai tightened the rope around her body and instructed Yi Wansan: “Hold me.”

Yi Wansan threw the pole at the old clam and came over to help Mu Dai stand on the high part of the boat railing. Mu Dai watched the old clam’s position, spread the quilt in her hands, took a deep breath, and jumped down with the quilt.

Perfectly, the thick quilt covered the entire old clam. Mu Dai landed in the center of the shell and immediately bounced up.

The old clam seemed to sense someone over its heart, and its shell immediately began to close. Mu Dai used all her strength, her toes pushing off the clam’s body, barely escaping between the closing shells as she leaped toward the boat.

Meanwhile, Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua had reached the hanging net and quickly pulled on the chain net. Yan Hongsha had been waiting for this moment and pressed the button hard.

The winch turned rapidly, accompanied by the clanking sound of the chain net. Finally, Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua were scooped out of the water with a splash. Mu Dai was about to grab the railing when suddenly her waist tightened. She screamed in fright. Yi Wansan didn’t have time to think and reached out to grab her arm.

Looking closely, they discovered that the rope tied around Mu Dai’s body had been caught by the old clam.

The old clam’s force was too strong. With another backward pull, Yi Wansan was almost dragged overboard, shouting frantically: “Hold onto me! Hold onto me!”

It wasn’t clear if he was telling Mu Dai to hold onto him or asking Yan Hongsha to pull him from behind.

Yan Hongsha also saw the urgency of the situation and rushed over to help. His wheelchair tipped forward as he tightly hugged Yi Wansan’s waist, while ignoring the pain in his legs as he desperately hooked his feet around the wheelchair’s frame.

The wheelchair had some weight, providing a counterbalance for a second or two, but the old clam’s strength was greater. With another pull, Yan Hongsha felt the wheelchair beneath him starting to lift off the ground.

Yi Wansan shouted anxiously: “Pulling hard isn’t the solution—we need to cut the rope! Go get a knife! Get a knife!”

Yan Hongsha shouted back: “I don’t have hands to get it—if I let go, you’ll both go down!”

As they were at an impasse, the rope suddenly broke. Mu Dai, along with Yi Wansan and Yan Hongsha, fell in a heap on the deck. As she hit the ground, she saw Luo Ren’s knife, its momentum undiminished in mid-air, falling far into the water.

Yi Wansan’s reaction was now lightning-fast. Without stopping to help Mu Dai and Yan Hongsha, he staggered into the cockpit. The boat quickly started, speeding toward the nearest shore.

Looking back, they saw the old clam pursuing them for a while, but it was soon left behind. Clutching the quilt, it seemed to linger reluctantly on the sea surface for a moment before quietly sinking beneath the waves.

Mu Dai finally heaved a sigh of relief, her back against the deck as she lay down.

Nearby, Yan Hongsha was struggling to get up using the tilted wheelchair: “Mu Dai, give me a hand, I can’t get my legs to work…”

The shore was in sight; at least for now, they were safe.

Mu Dai walked to the stern, where the net hung like an extra bundle against the side of the boat. Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua were curled up inside, Cao Yanhua with his head hanging dejectedly, still seeming dazed and not fully recovered. Luo Ren, on the contrary, had his arms folded, continually gazing at the sea, as calm as if watching a show.

Mu Dai crouched down and asked him, “Is your injury serious?”

Luo Ren looked at his shoulder, where the cut wound revealed exposed flesh and blood, looking quite alarming.

“It’s fine.”

“We can only let you down once we reach shore.”

“No problem, it’s cool.”

Mu Dai felt like smiling. After a pause, she said, “You lost your knife.”

She lowered her head, strands of hair falling across her face.

Luo Ren smiled and suddenly felt a stirring in his heart. He wanted to reach out and brush the hair away from her face, but after trying several mesh openings, he couldn’t get his hand through—the chain net’s mesh was too dense.

He had to drop his hand awkwardly and, after a pause, said: “Mu Dai, when you have time today, I’d like to talk with you.”

She suddenly didn’t want to talk. If the conversation were about what she wanted to hear, that would be fine, but if not, then things were better as they were now.

She neither agreed nor disagreed. As they remained in this stalemate, the boat suddenly shuddered heavily.

They had reached the shore.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached as Yi Wansan came over, breathing heavily. His expression was strange, but instead of first releasing Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua, he asked: “Luo Ren, just now, when the clam shell was completely open, did you see what was inside?”

What was inside?

Luo Ren frowned slightly. At that time, he and Cao Yanhua were underwater, desperately trying to escape, and really couldn’t pay attention to what was inside the clamshell.

As for Mu Dai, her attention had been entirely focused on Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua. Trying to recall, her memory was blank.

Only Yan Hongsha had a vague impression.

He said, “I can’t be sure what it was. If it was a pearl, it was strangely square…”

Square?

Luo Ren’s heart skipped a beat.

Yi Wansan seemed to want to smile, but his lips only twitched, making his expression more like crying than laughing: “Just now when I was steering the boat, I suddenly remembered that my father’s urn, after falling into the water, was never found…”