One
Two
Three
...
As the team members counted off, everyone was accounted for, uninjured and unharmed, which brought Old Bei a great sense of relief.
Next was the exploration of the lake's heart.
This was also the most dangerous step.
No one had ever ventured into the lake's heart before, and the environment within remained unknown. Was it dangerous? Were there any aggressive creatures?
There was no data for them to reference; everything was shrouded in mystery and uncertainty.
"Check your gear. Everyone stay together. I'll go first. Old Ghost, Ah Quan, San Yuan, you three will monitor the surroundings. Ji Lao and Wang Zai, follow me..."
After giving his orders, Old Bei was the first to dive into the lake. Then came the second, third, fourth...
They worked in coordinated teams, each fulfilling their role with discipline and organization, advancing and retreating in an orderly fashion. They were indeed a highly professional elite frogman unit.
Old Bei led the dive, followed by Old Ghost and Ah Quan. These two had the highest level of synergy with him; a single gesture from him was enough for them to understand his intentions.
Therefore, for this operation, Old Bei only brought them along.
The other team members maintained a distance around them, holding harpoon guns and standing guard.
Personnel on the platform by the lake could also observe the situation in the lake's heart through the synchronized video feed.
The water was not murky, but it was deep, with abundant aquatic plants and vegetation obstructing their vision.
So far, everything seemed fine, but there were no special discoveries. They could only patiently await more footage from Old Bei.
"Ning Beichen, have some water."
Li Wanrong handed Ning Beichen a bottle of water.
"Hmph! Vixen," Ye Ya'er cursed Li Wanrong as a vixen in her heart, then took out food for Ning Beichen to eat.
It was unclear whether Ning Beichen enjoyed it, but everyone around him was filled with envy and resentment, including Zhang Jinhong.
Some women in the world could be won over with money, while others could not. Especially capable women, who were even harder to impress with money, and even more difficult to win over willingly.
However, Ning Beichen would have preferred not to have this kind of fortune. He waved his hand at them, signaling them to be quiet, and continued to watch the screen.
Meanwhile, Old Bei had already descended to the lakebed. After thirty minutes of exploration, he discovered a massive underwater cave entrance before his eyes.
Old Bei immediately, and excitedly, transmitted the scene back to the people on the platform.
The people on the platform were also thrilled to see the enormous underwater cave entrance, as it greatly increased the probability of the existence of a hidden paradise.
"Enter and investigate."
Zhang Jinhong and the man with glasses on the platform simultaneously and excitedly ordered Old Bei and his team to explore the cave, promising increased remuneration.
The personal oxygen supply carried by Old Bei and his team only lasted ninety minutes. Half of that time had already been used. At this point, ordering them to explore the cave was not a good idea.
If the return journey was not factored in, they would have at most twenty minutes for exploration.
If the cave was too deep and complex, leading to them getting lost, or if there was danger, Old Bei and his team would not have enough oxygen to return.
Old Bei conferred with his subordinates, and they all agreed to enter the cave to explore, demonstrating the madness of "man dies for wealth, birds die for food."
However, Ning Beichen felt a vague sense of unease. Through the transmitted footage, he sensed a strange, mysterious danger emanating from the cave.
But this was just a feeling, and it was difficult for him to articulate it clearly to Zhang Jinhong and the others. He could only ask Zhang Jinhong to tell the frogmen to be cautious, not to venture too deep into the cave, and to retreat immediately if anything seemed amiss.
Zhang Jinhong complied, relaying Ning Beichen's instructions to Old Bei.
Old Bei acknowledged, gave an "OK" gesture to the camera, and then led the way into the cave.
As soon as they entered the cave, the scene within completely astonished Old Bei and his team.
The cave resembled a crystal palace. Stalactites hanging from the ceiling emitted a faint blue glow in the water.
Not only the stalactites, but even the aquatic plants and some fish within the cave were luminous. Some of the fish were transparent, their internal organs visible, making Old Bei and his team feel as if they were in an alien world.
"Quick, quick, transmit the footage from here!" Old Bei exclaimed excitedly.
However, at this moment, the people on the outside platform saw no footage transmitted by Old Bei's team. Not only was there no footage, but there was no signal at all. Ever since Old Bei and his team entered the cave, they had lost contact with the outside world.
"Where are the frogmen? Why haven't they sent back any footage?" Zhang Jinhong roared, furious at the person operating the computer.
"Mr. Zhang, please don't rush. It's possible there's no signal inside. Let's wait a moment," the computer operator replied, sweating profusely.
Time ticked by, and fifteen minutes had passed. Old Bei and his team still had not transmitted any images, nor had they appeared from the water, causing anxiety and unease among those on the platform.
Meanwhile, Old Bei and his men were darting around the cave, unaware that their footage was not being transmitted and that they had received no response from the platform.
They had only intended to take a quick look when, suddenly, a monstrous fish several meters long appeared in the cave, startling them into a frantic escape.
In their flight, they became lost within the cave, and now, they could not find their way out.
Fortunately, the monster fish did not pursue them. But now, the problem was that their remaining oxygen was dwindling.
If they didn't find a way out of the cave soon, they would die from oxygen deprivation, even without the monster fish attacking them.
Old Bei repeatedly used his walkie-talkie to contact the outside platform, hoping for help to find a way out.
However, he had been trying for a long time, and there was no response from the platform.
Although Old Bei knew there would be danger when he accepted this job, knowledge was one thing, and the human heart always harbored a sliver of hope that they wouldn't be so unlucky.
Only when faced with true peril did despair set in.
Watching the dwindling oxygen levels, Old Bei gritted his teeth and swam into a cave opening ahead. He refused to give up until the very last moment.
His own life was secondary, but he could not fail his subordinates who had risked their lives with him. If there was even a sliver of a chance to survive, he would fight desperately to seize it.