Chapter 14: Accident

Complex sea conditions are the primary cause of accidents on crab fishing boats.

Even when everyone is on their absolute best behavior, paying attention and paying even more attention, a single small wave can sometimes cause an accident.

Even with a captain like Old George, who has decades of experience, at the helm—capable of handling big waves and noticing small ones—accidents sometimes strike so suddenly that no one is prepared.

In such moments, everyone must watch each other's backs and be ready to support their shipmates at any time.

The Western world's maritime tradition has never been one of "sweep one's own doorstep and ignore the frost on another's tiles." Instead, in the vast ocean, apart from each other, there is only each other. If you don't help one another, who else can help you?

Therefore, mutual aid and teamwork are crucial.

Working in such an environment, although Henry still did his utmost to conceal his superhuman strength and various superpowers, he was inevitably infected by the work atmosphere and lent a hand whenever others were in need.

In such a situation where everyone was overwhelmed, few people noticed whether the strength and speed Henry used exceeded the normal human limit. As long as he didn't do anything too exaggerated, there was always a way to brush it off.

The most recent time his superhuman strength was nearly exposed was when a wave struck from the side, causing the Annie Two-One to lurch not too heavily, but not lightly either.

At that time, everyone was in the process of hoisting up a crab pot. That pot, just lifted out of the water, was said to be returning fully loaded, and everyone was excited.

Because the captain had found a location where crab clusters gathered, several consecutive pots had yielded full catches, and no one was dissatisfied. The sooner the hold was full, the sooner they could return to Huigang and get paid.

Just as the crab pot rose above the gunwale, a young crew member who had only just shed the "Little Green" nickname that year was pulling the tow rope used for lateral movement of the crab pot, preparing to haul the fully loaded iron cage back onto the deck.

This sudden lurch shifted the crab pot's center of gravity, snapping one of the supporting hoisting ropes. Not only did it cause the iron cage to return to the sea surface, but it also began to swing outward.

At the same time, that young crew member had terrible luck; somehow, his arm got entangled in the tow rope. As the crab pot swung outward, the result would be either him being flung out of the boat or his arm being torn off.

At this critical moment, Henry grabbed the crab pot that was about to swing outward, planted his feet against the gunwale, and pretended to struggle while holding it up.

The young man's scream naturally drew everyone's attention. Everyone rushed over to rescue him at the first opportunity.

Although the young man's arm wasn't torn off nor was he flung into the sea, he was still pulled down onto the deck by the rope. At that moment, someone quickly untangled his arm and pulled him aside.

Seeing that the young man was being cared for, the other veterans faced a choice: abandon this crab pot or attempt to save it.

To abandon it meant cutting all the ropes and letting the crab pot fall into the sea. But to save it depended on whether Henry could hold on.

Just as they were preparing to cut the ropes and tell Henry to let go simultaneously, the Kryptonian pretending to work didn't think much of it and, gritting his teeth, said with difficulty, "Can you tie the broken hoisting rope back together?"

"Little Green, hold on!" The veterans immediately decided to launch a rescue operation.

Someone quickly attached a spare rope to the crane, while another stood on the gunwale, with two people behind him holding his legs, preparing to splice the broken hoisting rope.

Using knots was almost an instinctive skill for these veterans. Within a few breaths, they spliced the broken rope back together with just the right length and shouted, "Henry, let go!"

The Kryptonian, who didn't intend to show off too much, obediently let go with his hand. The instantly reconnected hoisting rope snapped taut again, but the crab pot was finally held securely, though slightly tilted.

Several people pulled on the tow rope, working together to haul this crab pot onto the deck, then controlled the crane to lower it. Only when the crab pot landed safely did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

Henry continued his act, pretending his arms were sore and drained of strength, leaning against the gunwale and panting heavily.

As for his hands, he was wearing gloves anyway. Whether he was injured or not, if he didn't say anything, others couldn't tell.

Meanwhile, the young man whose arm had been entangled by the rope sat by the cabin door, still shaken. Having been entangled and yanked like that just now, he had surely sustained some injury.

Although his arm could still bend and move, the sensation of a muscle strain told him that what had just happened was real.

Several veterans went to comfort the two of them separately, while others inspected the crab pot that had just been hoisted up. Even Old George, the one steering the ship, came out.

He had seen everything that just happened. It was just that before he could step forward to take command, the crew on deck had already resolved the situation.

Old George checked on both of them separately. He first examined the young man who had been terrified, and only after confirming the young man's injuries were not serious did he approach Henry.

Henry's condition had already been checked by a veteran, so when Old George came over, he didn't ask again. He simply patted Henry's shoulder and said, "Good job. If it weren't for you, that kid would have lost his arm even if he survived."

No one asked Henry how he managed to hold onto the corner of the crab pot. After all, only one of the four hoisting ropes had broken, causing a temporary loss of balance; it wasn't as if Henry was bearing the entire weight of the crab pot and its catch all by himself.

Even if others were standing nearby, a sudden burst of strength could have allowed someone to hold it up like Henry did.

In the dangerous working environment of a crab fishing boat, miraculous bursts of strength were not common, but they did happen. Old George and the other veterans had also experienced such moments of turning danger into safety, so they didn't think much of it.

After confirming everyone was unharmed, Old George ordered, "Replace the broken line with a new one. Everyone, push a bit harder. Once we've finished catching the king crabs at this spot, we'll return to Huigang. As for you two kids, I'll give you ten minutes to rest. Is that okay?"

Before the two asked could reply, an old crew member asked, "Captain, are we really going back so early this trip?"

"The hold is already eighty percent full of king crabs. We've just hoisted a few pots at this spot. Once everything is sorted out, I think the catch is about done. The sooner we go back, the sooner everyone can rest. Your pay won't be short."

"Alright, you're the boss, you decide."

Henry clapped his hands and said, "I'm still fine, no need for a rest." The other person said nothing, apparently still not recovered from the shock.

Old George didn't let Henry continue working; instead, he told the young man who had just saved someone, "I said ten minutes of rest, so take ten minutes. By the way, go into the cabin and get some whiskey. Have a cup yourself, and give one to that kid too. He's nearly scared to death."

"Yes, boss." Henry didn't argue further and obediently entered the cabin.

The other veterans didn't say anything idle about the two rookies getting extra rest time; instead, they continued the crab fishing operation. If they wanted to return to Huigang early, they had to rely on everyone's effort; there truly wasn't any spare time for scheming and infighting.

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(End of this chapter)