Chapter 4: Rescuing Someone in the Water

Mother Tu’s eyes were bloodshot as she let out a shrill roar: "What kind of thing do you think you are, daring to defile my daughter's name?

Tu Liang was here this morning, and you couldn't even wait until the afternoon to show your face? Isn't it enough that our family has been driven to this state by your Tu family? Now you won't even let a dead person rest in peace—aren't you afraid of retribution?

What else do you want to force us to do? What else do you want to force out of us?

You heartless beasts, even if I have to throw my life away, I will make your Tu family pay for this blood debt."

Mother Tu brandished a broom, striking out. Even though her whole body was trembling and her wounds were splitting open and bleeding, she did not let go of her weapon.

Father Tu, worried about his wife’s health, shielded her and roared at Tu Shan: "Get out! Tu Sanmei, get out of here! I don't care what kind of scheme you're plotting, bring it on. We have nothing but these cheap lives, and we’ll fight you to the bitter end. Get out..."

Tu Shan was terrified by her parents' reaction. Fearing they might suffer some health crisis from the anger, she ran away with red-rimmed eyes.

Wearing the skin of a Tu family member, her parents would never believe her.

How she wished she had been reborn into the body of a stranger—anyone would do, as long as it wasn't a member of the Tu family.

But there were no "ifs." One shouldn't be too greedy in life.

"Ew..." Everyone who passed by Tu Shan covered their faces in disgust and walked far away.

Only then did it dawn on Tu Shan that she was covered in the filth from her mother's broom, not to mention the grime inherent to Tu Sanmei herself.

Her face, hidden beneath thick bangs, flushed a deep red as she hurried toward the outskirts of the city.

There was a river outside the city; she needed to wash up.

In the sweltering heat of July, many children and men were swimming in the river.

Tu Shan found a secluded corner and jumped into the water, clothes and all.

She sank down, the river water enveloping her from head to toe.

Refreshing.

She stayed submerged for a few minutes before breaking the surface.

The current pushed back the thick bangs that had nearly covered her nose, revealing a delicate, pretty face.

If there had been a mirror, Tu Shan would have discovered that this face bore a forty to fifty percent resemblance to her original one.

Tu Sanmei had never shown her face, always presenting herself with those heavy bangs.

The bangs were her trademark; no one knew what she looked like.

With her dull, gloomy aura and her habit of being unhygienic, no one cared to know what she looked like, either.

If she were to comb all her hair back, even the Tu family members who had raised her for over a decade wouldn't recognize her.

She hadn't gone diving in a long time, and Tu Shan felt incredibly invigorated.

However, the grease on her body wouldn't come off just by soaking.

Tu Sanmei probably hadn't bathed in ages; she felt like she could scrape off two pounds of mud.

The smell on her was enough to repel even flies.

Thinking about how she had walked half the city with that stench, under the strange gazes of others, made Tu Shan feel terrible.

She climbed onto the bank and found some soapwort in the woods. This plant contained saponins that could be used for washing, and its roots could be used as medicine to treat phlegm, bronchitis, and act as a diuretic.

She pulled up a large handful, rubbed it vigorously in her hands, and then coated her entire body, not sparing her hair.

After scrubbing, she jumped back into the water to rinse. She repeated this four or five times before she finally felt clean.

The stench was gone, replaced by the scent of fresh grass, and even her clothes were washed clean.

Once clean, she dove back into the water, intending to catch a fish to eat.

This river, called the Anyang River, was a tributary of the Yangtze. It was teeming with fish, but the water was deep and the current swift, making them hard to catch.

Tu Shan, however, was unaffected.

In the apocalypse, there weren't just zombies and mutants, but all sorts of natural disasters.

After a full month of heavy rain turned the world into an ocean, everything had to be done underwater. Back then, she had trained herself to be as free in the water as a fish.

Although her ability level was low now and this body hadn't undergone professional training, catching a fish was still easy.

As she dove again, she unexpectedly saw a few people struggling in the water.

One of them was a burly man who moved through the water like a fish.

The other three were wearing uniforms; they were poor swimmers, and the water restricted their abilities. Even three-on-one, they were being suppressed with no power to resist.

Perhaps it was the lingering instinct and sentiment from her ten years as a national team member.

Without a second thought, she shot toward the four of them like a sharp sword, creating a ripple.

Just as a cold-glinting dagger was about to pierce the neck of one of the uniformed men, Tu Shan flashed forward and clamped onto the burly man's hand.

The man turned back, and seeing it was a woman, his expression shifted from disdain to anger.

He twisted his wrist, trying to break free and backhand Tu Shan with a knife to show this reckless woman what happened when you meddled in other people's business.

Tu Shan’s expression remained calm. She didn't take the man's ferocity to heart; she simply applied a little force, easily snapping the man's wrist. The dagger fell from his palm.

Tu Shan caught it in one motion and shoved it into the uniformed man's hand.

The burly man was shocked. Ignoring the pain, he released the person he had been holding with his other hand and swung at Tu Shan.

Tu Shan clamped down again and snapped his wrist—clean, efficient, and incredibly smooth.

Under the man's terrified glare, she circled behind him and slammed her elbow into the hollow of his neck.

The man shuddered and slumped into unconsciousness, unwillingly.

Tu Shan grabbed the man by the back of his neck and signaled for the other three to follow.

The five of them surged to the surface together.

"Phew... I was about to suffocate."

Xu Zhi let out a long breath, gasping frantically.

The other two had the same reaction; their faces had turned purple from holding their breath, and their chests felt like they were about to explode.

The moment they broke the surface, it felt like being reborn.

The three grown men looked at Tu Shan with identical expressions of envy.

Her breathing was so shallow it was almost inaudible, and her agility in the water was not like that of a normal person.

"Comrade, you're a great swimmer," Xu Zhi said, giving a thumbs-up, genuinely impressed.

Tu Shan curled her lips upward: "It's alright."

He Jiahuan saluted Tu Shan: "Thank you for today, Comrade. You didn't just help us catch the criminal; you saved the lives of the three of us.

My name is He Jiahuan, from the North District Criminal Investigation Brigade of the state city. If you ever need anything, you can come find me."

He Jiahuan was the one Tu Shan had just saved from the dagger.

He was steady and reserved, but even with his stable temperament, he was still shaken and filled with gratitude.

"Right, right, and me too! My name is Xu Zhi," the lively youth waved his hand.

"I'm Li Hao," said the man of few words.

Tu Shan nodded: "As a citizen of this country, it is everyone's duty to help those in need. Don't mention it. It was a pleasure meeting you three. I've handed the man over to you; you can get him up, right?"

They were still in the middle of the water.

"Yes, yes," Xu Zhi said with a grin, taking the man, not wanting to be looked down upon. Even though... well, they still had their pride.

Tu Shan didn't question them further; once the person was handed over, her job was done: "I have things to attend to. Goodbye."

Before the three could say anything, she dove headfirst into the water and vanished.

She was starving.

"Hey, wait..." Xu Zhi reached out, only grabbing a splash of water. He looked disappointed: "We don't even know her name or where she lives. We should have at least given her a 'Good Citizen' award."

He Jiahuan looked into the distance, also feeling a bit regretful. He could tell that this female comrade was not only a great swimmer but also skilled in combat.

He wondered if her political background was clean and if she had any interest in becoming a public security officer.

Captain He felt the urge to recruit talent once again.

"Alright, let's head back. This guy is involved in a lot of things; we still have plenty of work to do."

The three swam to the bank. Ling Yang arrived just then with two others. Seeing the prisoner in their hands, he raised an eyebrow slightly: "Apologies, we're a bit late."

The military and police were like family, and He Jiahuan and Ling Yang were on good terms. The criminal they were capturing was of great importance, so He Jiahuan had specifically requested assistance, and Ling Yang was the one appointed.

However, an accident had occurred during the investigation, and the timeline had been moved up, leaving no time to notify Ling Yang, which was why the three of them had nearly drowned.

This wasn't Ling Yang's fault.

He replied: "Not late, just in time. Help us drag him up."

(End of chapter)