Chapter 74

The next day, facing Annie and Zhu Jinyan's threats and inducements, Lei Huanxi firmly refused their request to accompany them to the Great Buddha Temple.

What a joke, going with this brother and sister could only lead to trouble. Besides, he had important things to do.

After confirming that Annie and Zhu Jinyan had left, Lei Huanxi finally came out of his room.

He had a simple breakfast, asked the front desk attendant, and walked out of the hotel.

Closer to the sea, the wind grew stronger, howling and blowing, making those with slighter builds feel as if they would be lifted by the wind.

Going out to sea to the Great Buddha Temple in a typhoon? Lei Huanxi couldn't help but worry about Annie and Zhu Jinyan.

He called Annie, who was already on the boat. She reported that the typhoon would officially make landfall in Hai Shan the next evening, and what they were experiencing now was just the vanguard.

Hearing this, Lei Huanxi felt somewhat relieved.

Following the hotel attendant's directions, he called a taxi and arrived in Hai Shan City.

After wandering for a while, he finally saw a store specializing in various diving equipment. As soon as he walked in, a pretty young girl greeted him: "Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Do you have diving watches?"

"Yes, we do." The girl immediately pointed to a model of a watch in the counter: "The Ma Rine 5817 diving watch, a legacy of Breguet's exclusive timepieces for the French Royal Navy, combines the elegance and performance of sports watches. The silver-gold dial contrasts sharply with the black rhodium, exuding power and masculinity. It is waterproof to a depth of 100 meters."

The black and white dial looked elegant and noble. Lei Huanxi liked it at first sight.

"How much is it?"

"We don't have the actual watch here, only the model. If you want it, you'll need to pay a deposit. The price of this watch is 101,800 yuan..."

Lei Huanxi swallowed hard. 100,000 yuan?

100,000 yuan for a watch?

He composed himself: "Do you have any cheaper ones?"

"Yes, sir. The Delong Jin diving watch, with a waterproof depth of 120 meters, is priced at 24,000 yuan."

"Any cheaper ones?"

The girl understood, but business is business. She took out a watch from the counter: "This one is domestic. To be honest, it's a knockoff, but the quality is not bad. Just like our knockoff phones, they are cheap but have many functions and are durable..."

Lei Huanxi couldn't help but touch the knockoff phone in his pocket: "How much is it?"

"2,500 yuan."

Hmm, this price was within his budget.

After some haggling, they finally agreed on 2,200 yuan.

"Sir, would you like to see a diving flashlight?" The girl didn't rush to close the deal but seized the opportunity to ask.

Most people who came here to buy diving equipment were not professionals but rather hobbyists. These hobbyists generally didn't know what diving equipment to buy.

Lei Huanxi asked: "Do you have diving flashlights?"

"Yes, and there are many types." The girl knew this deal was sure to be made: "Diving flashlights are divided into freshwater and saltwater diving. Freshwater diving requires less robust casing because of lower corrosivity and clearer water, so the lumens requirement is not high. Saltwater, however, is highly corrosive..."

The girl took out a flashlight: "For example, this aluminum alloy diving flashlight. Its exterior is made of military-grade hard material, making it more corrosion-resistant. The difference between night and day diving is not significant, but a brighter diving flashlight is better for night diving because it's the most active time for marine life, creating a silent symphony of plants and animals..."

Though young, the girl was a business expert, and her few words sparked Lei Huanxi's desire to buy.

"How much is it?"

The girl gauged the price Lei Huanxi could afford: "I recommend a domestic one. This one is waterproof to a depth of over 100 meters, with a brightness of 1,000 lumens and a battery life of 9 hours in low-brightness mode. It's affordable, just 600 yuan."

This price was completely within his budget.

Having made two deals in a row, the girl decided to strike while the iron was hot: "If you want to dive, you'll need a good diving suit, diving mask, and oxygen supply system..."

No matter how shrewd the girl was, she couldn't guess that Lei Huanxi wouldn't need these things and that they would be a burden to him.

"No, the watch and flashlight are enough." Lei Huanxi quickly interrupted her.

After settling the payment, though he spent over 3,000 yuan, Lei Huanxi felt it was worth it.

Underwater, he could only roughly estimate the time, and the longer he stayed, the more he lost track.

Yesterday's dive wasn't very deep, and even though it was at night, with the help of bioluminescent creatures, he could barely see his surroundings.

If he went deeper, he would definitely need a diving flashlight.

The underwater scenery the girl described also greatly attracted Lei Huanxi.

After leaving the store, he bought a lot of food.

He took a deep breath, the air filled with a strong sea smell, and the cold wind howled, as if to show the power of nature.

When he returned to the hotel, the front desk attendant specially reminded him that due to the arrival of the typhoon's vanguard, for safety reasons, guests should not go out to avoid danger.

But Lei Huanxi wanted this kind of weather.

In such weather, almost no one would go to the seaside, otherwise, it would be like playing with death.

In this weather, no one would notice him going into the sea.

He took out the food, and Xiao Pang didn't hesitate, eating heartily until he was fat and round.

Lei Huanxi also filled his stomach as much as possible.

He decided to take advantage of Annie and Zhu Jinyan's absence and enjoy himself this time. It would take about a day and a night, and there would be no place to find food underwater.

He turned off his phone, and if Annie called and couldn't reach him, he would say the typhoon had affected the signal.

Thinking he was well-prepared, he put on his gear and told the front desk that he wouldn't stay at the hotel today and was going to a friend's place in the city center.

"Would you like me to call a taxi for you, sir?"

"No, my friend will pick me up soon."

"Okay, sir, please be careful."

After leaving the hotel, he walked for a while, looked back to make sure no one was following, and turned into a corner he had scouted earlier.

Why did he feel like a spy?

He continued walking until he reached the place where he had dived last night. No one was around, and looking out to sea, no fishing boats dared to venture out in the typhoon.

He took off his clothes and put them away, put on the diving flashlight, and checked the time: 11:20 AM.

It began.

With the experience from last time, Lei Huanxi was almost eager.

Xiao Pang was even more excited, jumping and cheering.

The howling wind was just the appetizer for their adventure.

The man and the worm raced toward the sea. Xiao Pang, despite his speed on land, was the first to reach the water.

As Lei Huanxi fully entered the sea, he suddenly understood Xiao Pang's feeling:

Home!

Even for Lei Huanxi, it felt like coming home.

This time, Lei Huanxi took the lead, but Xiao Pang soon caught up and surpassed him.

Man and dragon chased each other, playing and frolicking as if this was their paradise.

Xiao Pang, who was leading, suddenly stopped, turned around, and spat a jet of water straight at Lei Huanxi.

Caught off guard, Lei Huanxi was hit by the water jet, tumbling several times in the water before finally stopping, feeling a slight pain in his body.

What kind of skill was this?

Seeing Xiao Pang's mischievous smile, Lei Huanxi was furious, but he couldn't do the same, so he kicked off and swam hard toward Xiao Pang, hoping to catch the rascal.

But how easy was it to catch the rascal?

Xiao Pang, with his fat body, always kept a distance from Lei Huanxi, sometimes even slowing down on purpose. When Lei Huanxi got close, Xiao Pang would suddenly turn and spit another jet of water, sending Lei Huanxi tumbling again.

Lei Huanxi was almost driven to despair.

Cheater, too much of a cheater.

In the water, Xiao Pang was the king, and Lei Huanxi was helpless.

But as the saying goes, debts must be repaid quickly. Yesterday, Lei Huanxi used his advantage to make Xiao Pang sign an unequal treaty.

Xiao Pang had to help Lei Huanxi with 216 tasks for free. When would this be completed?

Now, once in the water, it was Xiao Pang's world. Lei Huanxi, who was one of the best divers among humans, was not in the same league as Xiao Pang underwater.

What was even more infuriating was that the force of Xiao Pang's water jets varied, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, and it hurt when it hit him.

Each time Lei Huanxi tumbled in different ways, it was like a water ballet.

After dozens of times, Lei Huanxi suddenly paused.

Tumbling? Each water jet had a different force? Could Xiao Pang be teaching him some underwater skills?

Yesterday, he learned to stop and turn while swimming fast, and although he had learned a lot, he clearly hadn't met Xiao Pang's standards.

What about this time?

Once Lei Huanxi calmed down and thought carefully, he became more convinced.

Each water jet came from a different direction and angle, and each tumble had a different posture. Connecting these tumbles, wasn't he learning some turning techniques in the water?

When he realized this, Lei Huanxi suddenly understood.