A Desperate Leap into the Storm

The abrupt shift in weather caught everyone unprepared. Each person hurried to seek refuge from the torrential rain, leaving no one to notice the unfolding situation beneath the bridge.

The rain descended with a devastating intensity, a fine, relentless assault that hammered the ground and cascaded into the river flowing beneath the bridge. The rumbling thunder in the clouds, combined with the incessant patter of raindrops, transformed the once-quiet stretch of road into a cacophony.

‘If someone were to fall into the river at this moment,’ Jian Ye thought, ‘even their loudest cries for help would likely be drowned out.’

He swiftly shifted his gaze to the river below the bridge, unwilling to miss even the slightest detail. Vaguely, he thought he heard a child’s cry. This faint, intermittent sound was often muffled by the rain, making it impossible to discern clearly. The curtain of rain acted like frosted glass, obscuring vision and blurring everything into a misty haze.

Jian Ye slowed his pace to pinpoint the source of the sound, but his hand was still clutched by Mo Huan. The other man felt a tug and turned back, looking at Jian Ye with a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong? Did you twist your ankle?” Mo Huan’s first thought was that Jian Ye had been injured; why else would he suddenly slow down in such heavy rain?

Jian Ye shook his head, unable to reply immediately. The moment he stopped, he clearly saw a white speck in the middle of the river. The white speck would be submerged by the current, then resurface, repeating the motion endlessly. Jian Ye tore free from Mo Huan’s grasp, his body suddenly pressing against the bridge’s railing. He stared intently, his eyes wide.

That white speck was clearly a small girl dressed in white. The little girl thrashed and cried in the water, having swallowed a great deal of it. Her will to survive made her desperately stretch her head towards the river’s surface.

“Help, help me! Brother! Brother, save me!”

The little girl was losing strength rapidly from her struggles in the water, her stamina plummeting, and her voice growing weaker and weaker. Jian Ye couldn’t make out her words, but he knew that if he didn’t save the girl soon, she would quickly sink and be swept away by the river.

“Little Ye?” Mo Huan was startled by Jian Ye’s sudden dash to the railing and followed him immediately. Following Jian Ye’s gaze, he, too, saw the little girl struggling in the river. Mo Huan’s pupils constricted sharply. “Th-that’s…” he stammered in disbelief.

Jian Ye frowned, his expression cold and grim. “It’s a child. We have to save her quickly.”

“I-I’ll call for rescue, and the police!”

“There’s no time. By the time rescue personnel arrive, the child will be long gone,” Jian Ye declared before swiftly rushing towards the crew’s prop vehicle up ahead.

“Little Ye, what are you doing?!” A wave of panic seized Mo Huan, and a terrible premonition suddenly gripped him. He chased after Jian Ye, but couldn’t match his speed.

The film crew members naturally saw Jian Ye running towards them. Director Wu, soaked to the bone by the rain, noticed Jian Ye’s distressed expression and asked, “Little Ye, what’s wrong?”

Jian Ye spoke succinctly: “A child has fallen into the river. Do you have a long rope here? A sturdy one.”

The prop master’s assistant instinctively replied, “Yes, we do, but you…”

“I’ll tie the rope around the child later; you all pull hard!” It was then that Jian Ye, sharp-eyed, spotted a long rope in a cardboard box inside the vehicle. His hand shot out, pulling the rope free. He slung it over his shoulder and sprinted to the railing.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Huo Kai, still in his car, noticed the unusual situation. He floored the accelerator, driving onto the bridge. Rolling down his window, he shouted, “Director Wu! What’s happening here?! Why haven’t you evacuated?”

Director Wu had no time to respond to Huo Kai. Seeing Jian Ye charge towards the bridge’s edge, he was utterly terrified. He instantly understood what Jian Ye intended to do. Before he could fully process Jian Ye’s earlier words, he was struck by the sight before him.

Despite his age, the Director’s run was exceptionally clumsy. His foot slipped on the water-slicked ground, but he pressed on, heedless, running towards Jian Ye. He yelled as he ran, “Hold him! Quickly! Stop Jian Ye!”

Huo Kai, seeing the gravity of the situation, pushed open his car door and rushed out into the pouring rain.

Upon seeing the little girl drift further and further away, Jian Ye no longer hesitated. He tightly secured one end of the rope to a railing post, while wrapping the other end several times around his wrist.

“Little Ye! I’ve already called! Rescue personnel are on their way!” Mo Huan rushed to Jian Ye’s side, reaching out to grab his arm, but Jian Ye deftly dodged him.

His hair was plastered wetly against his forehead, his eyes dark and clear, filled with resolute courage and tenacity. Jian Ye swept his bangs entirely upwards, instantly revealing his striking features. He flashed a smile at Mo Huan. “Make sure to hold the rope tightly later, Senior Mo. I’m counting on you.”

With a nimble flip, he effortlessly leaped down from the bridge, a drop of over ten meters.

“Little Ye!!!”
“Jian Ye!!!”

Huo Kai and Director Wu were both a step too late. Huo Kai, in particular, watched helplessly as his friend’s spouse plunged from the bridge!

Just… what?

His mind nearly exploded in that instant. Such a scene would be utterly explosive in the entire entertainment industry. Director Wu was also stunned. This wasn’t acting, and it was a dangerous stunt with no safety measures! Even with professional stunt doubles, Director Wu wouldn’t dare let them directly jump off a bridge!

Jian Ye, a mere novice who barely qualified as an actor, how could he just jump like that?

In an instant, everyone gathered at the bridge’s edge, looking down. Few among them could swim, and even those who could wouldn’t dare jump directly into the rain-swollen river to save someone.

They watched as Jian Ye resurfaced quickly after hitting the water, their hearts seizing with anxiety. The prop rope was quite long, and Jian Ye, carrying it, was swiftly swimming towards the little girl. But the weather grew increasingly severe. Strong winds whipped up waves on the river, and the surging currents completely submerged the little girl.

Jian Ye suddenly lost sight of his target, his eyes fixed on where the little girl had vanished, hoping she would resurface as before.

[Jian Ye: System, can you help me pinpoint the child’s location?]

[System 748: Host, the child is not far from you. Would you like to exchange for the ‘Underwater Gift Pack’ tool?]

Jian Ye wasn’t sure what this gift pack contained, but in this critical moment, he unhesitatingly chose to leverage the system’s power.

[Jian Ye: Exchange! Quickly, exchange!]

[System 748: The ‘Underwater Gift Pack’ costs 500 Green Tea Coins. The Green Tea Coins you exchanged with Green Tea Value last time will be fully consumed, leaving your balance at zero.]

[System 748: System exchange in progress, please wait…]

Before long, Jian Ye felt a layer of energy envelop his body. He suddenly became incredibly light in the water, as if he were a creature born to live in the aquatic realm. He dove, plunging his head directly into the water. Astonishingly, he could easily open his eyes underwater without any stinging sensation, and his vision was exceptionally clear.

Almost immediately upon opening his eyes, Jian Ye spotted the little girl’s submerged location and swiftly swam towards her. The little girl had already lost consciousness. Jian Ye tried to grab her several times, but the underwater currents pushed her further away.

Director Wu was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. This talented child had a bright future ahead; if something happened to him on set, Wu would live with a troubled conscience for the rest of his life.

Huo Kai, forcing himself to calm down, had already started making calls to dispatch his private helicopter for the rescue. Time was life itself. Those on the bridge could only help by holding the rope, doing their utmost to assist Jian Ye.

The firefighters arrived quickly, with rescue personnel already hurrying towards the riverbank below. There was practically no clear path from the bridge down to the riverbank; it was completely overgrown. The firefighters also had to secure themselves with safety ropes and slowly slide down from the bridge.

Underwater, Jian Ye successfully grasped the little girl. He brought her to the surface, swiftly securing the rope from his wrist around her waist, tying it several times to ensure it was firm. After confirming it was secure, he signaled to the people on the bridge.

Seeing Jian Ye was alright, Mo Huan’s heart, which had been in his throat, finally eased a little. He rallied everyone: “Quickly, pull the rope up! One, two, three! Pull hard!”

On the riverbank, firefighters also arrived with an inflatable boat. However, the rain intensified, making it impossible for their boat to get close to Jian Ye in the turbulent water. A rescue worker struggled immensely to stabilize the boat with a rope.

As they neared, Jian Ye first pushed the little girl, who was being pulled out of the water by the rope, onto the inflatable boat. Gasping for breath, he urged, “Save the child first. She’s choked on water; she needs CPR immediately, or her life is in danger.”

A single raft couldn’t support too many people. The rescue workers, hearing Jian Ye’s words, made their decision; at this moment, saving the drowning girl was the most urgent priority.

Seeing the rescue workers place the little girl onto the inflatable boat, Jian Ye suddenly let out a sigh of relief. With that release of tension, he failed to hold onto the inflatable boat, and the current instantly swept him away.

“Little Ye!!!” Mo Huan on the bridge watched, his eyes nearly splitting with dread. He had just seen Jian Ye almost saved, but in that critical moment, the situation became even more perilous.

Now free from the rope’s restraint, Jian Ye drifted rapidly in the water.

Boom!—

The sky rumbled with muffled thunder, as if heaven itself conspired against him. Jian Ye, after just a few feeble struggles in the water, was completely submerged.

Huo Kai’s helicopter arrived belatedly. In such weather, flying was difficult; the wind was too strong to approach the water steadily. He was going frantic, able only to instruct the pilot to search the river for Jian Ye’s figure.

Meanwhile, submerged in the water, Jian Ye strangely found himself feeling no pain.

[System 748: The ‘Underwater Gift Pack’ includes a breath-holding function, allowing the host to hold their breath underwater without any sensation of suffocation.]

[Jian Ye: No wonder this tool is so expensive. It’s a lifesaver, so the price is worth it.]

Aside from feeling utterly drained, Jian Ye was otherwise fine. With the system tool’s enhancement, he drifted in the water like a leaf carried by the current. Had he not known this part of the plot, he would never have acted so impulsively. He hoped his efforts to save the child weren’t in vain. The child’s fate… surely it had changed now…

After exerting all his strength in the rescue, a profound weariness settled over his soul and body. Jian Ye simply couldn’t hold on any longer. Slowly, he closed his eyes underwater.