Chapter 4 – Missing People

“I’m going to the Island,” Su Lifeng said suddenly.

Jiang Yushi turned back in shock. “What did you say? But… with the situation as it is… shouldn’t we wait for the fleet’s instructions?”

“You don’t understand. This isn’t a normal shipwreck. The fleet doesn’t even know what’s going on themselves. Those missing people-they’re on that Island!”

“What? They’re all on the Island? But… how did they get there?” Cheng Xiaomei asked instinctively, stunned by his words.

Su Lifeng replied, “I don’t know, but no matter what, that Island is dangerous. However, staying on this Cruise Ship is no different from waiting to die, so…”

Just then, Cheng Xiaomei let out a sharp scream.

She pointed toward the Island and cried out, “There… there are people! Su, you’re right! They really did go to the Island!”

As she spoke, she raised her arm and waved excitedly toward the Island.

But very quickly, she turned back with a puzzled expression. “Su, what’s wrong?”

Su Lifeng had grabbed her arm. His face was pale as he stared fixedly at the shore, muttering under his breath, “Something’s wrong…”

Within the mist, more than one figure had appeared on the Island. One of them was someone he recognized instantly.

It was the man from the couple… He was currently walking at the very front, though his movements seemed somewhat uncoordinated.

But whether it was before the disaster or in the Precognitive Vision he had just seen, the man Su Lifeng saw had been unconscious…

In fact, in the vision he had just “seen,” the man’s body looked like it had been shattered, with one arm twisted outward at an impossible angle!

Yet now, he had suddenly appeared on the shore…

As Su Lifeng stared at him, he felt as if the man was looking back at him.

The moment their eyes met, Su Lifeng felt an indescribable sense of dread.

That Shadowy Figure!

It was the exact same feeling he had experienced when the Shadowy Figure appeared in his Precognitive Vision!

In the next instant, he clearly “felt” himself being killed by that Shadowy Figure.

“No, we can’t let them come up!” An intense, ominous premonition surged within Su Lifeng.

Whatever those shadowy figures were, one thing was certain: there was definitely something wrong with these “people”!

The way the man looked at him was like looking at a lowly, unfamiliar insect-filled with a sense of curious inquiry and cold indifference.

Then, the man slowly raised his arm and began to wave at them.

More figures followed suit, mimicking the motion… In the mist, these “people” began waving at the Cruise Ship!

Su Lifeng froze, slowly releasing Cheng Xiaomei’s arm.

They were… imitating Cheng Xiaomei…

By now, the other tourists had also spotted the Island and the figures standing there.

Many who had missing friends or family members wept with joy. Some began attempting to lower the lifeboats.

The man who had been shouting for his “sister” suddenly pointed at a small figure and let out a loud cry before plunging into the sea with a splash.

“Su Lifeng, I see Chen Haifa! That’s great, he doesn’t look seriously injured.” Jiang Yushi hadn’t noticed the strange expression on Su Lifeng’s face.

At that moment, a surprised shout came from nearby. “So they went to the Island! That’s… quite unexpected. I thought they were hurt, but I didn’t expect them to wake up before us and even discover the Island!”

Su Lifeng looked back and saw Zhang Hai standing with a group of students.

Zhang Hai’s face was ashen, looking thoroughly shaken, and one lens of his glasses was shattered.

Upon seeing Su Lifeng, he walked over quickly. “Su, why didn’t you explain things clearly before? You must know what’s going on, right? I think we should go to the Island too. The ship won’t be repaired anytime soon, and we might have to wait for rescue on-site… The other students have already gone to the Island. Maybe we can find some rare animal or plant resources. Didn’t you see that the vegetation is completely different from what we usually know? This might be a blessing in disguise…”

Su Lifeng had no desire to waste words on him, because he had just experienced another vision-a scene of a massive number of tourists covered in blood…

This time, it wasn’t just a few people. It was everyone!

“Fine, ignore him then. We’re going too.” After being ignored by Su Lifeng, Zhang Hai turned his attention to what the others were doing.

However, the lifeboats had not been lowered yet, and not everyone had the courage to jump into the sea.

“Sister, I’m almost there!” the man shouted excitedly from the sea.

Su Lifeng’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly yelled back, “Don’t go over there!”

But the man didn’t listen at all. Eager to reach her, he scrambled out of the water and clambered onto the shore in a few quick strides.

In the thick mist, the others only heard his voice vanish for a moment. His silhouette seemed to stiffen briefly.

Su Lifeng, however, clearly “saw” what happened…

The man had reached the shore in joy, only for the figure in front of him to suddenly pounce, tearing into his throat with its teeth.

In the next instant, whatever that figure did to him… it collapsed, while the man’s body began to shudder.

His frame convulsed violently as low, guttural growls escaped his throat.

Yet, peering through the mist from the Cruise Ship, everyone else watched his flickering silhouette with excitement!

“He… help me…” the man desperately wanted to scream, but the words would no longer form.

He looked toward his sister… the petite girl was staring at him, her eyes filled with a terrifyingly foreign sensation.

But soon, that feeling began to turn familiar, as if… they were of the same kind…

“Why is he coming back?” Cheng Xiaomei asked, surprised.

The others stirred restlessly. Not only had the man turned around and started walking back into the water, but the other figures were following suit, wading into the sea.

“Wait… my girlfriend can’t swim!” an older man said, stunned.

But what unfolded before his eyes was unbelievable. As the first man began to swim, the other injured people followed his lead, mimicking his movements perfectly.

Their swimming strokes were identical…

Su Lifeng snapped back to his senses and grabbed Jiang Yushi. “We’re jumping into the sea from the other side. Can you swim?”

“I can…” Cheng Xiaomei had been watching Su Lifeng’s reactions closely. Hearing this, she quickly reached out to grab the hem of his shirt and spoke softly.

Su Lifeng glanced at her, then at Jiang Yushi. “I’m not sure if my judgment is right. Just like before, all I can say is I’ll try my best…”

“I believe you!” Jiang Yushi answered before he could finish.

Cheng Xiaomei nodded as well.

Su Lifeng glanced at the sea. Those “people” moved stiffly and weren’t swimming very fast. Ever since that brief moment their eyes met, he felt as though that man had been staring specifically at him…

“Alright, don’t make a scene. Go tell our classmates. If they don’t believe us, just tell them to stay as far away from those people as possible. Also, have them pass the word to the others… I’m just afraid we’re running out of time.”

As Su Lifeng spoke, a sharp metallic “clang” echoed from the side of the ship.

The man who, in Su Lifeng’s vision, had his throat ripped out and should have been dead, was the first to reach the Cruise Ship. He was already attempting to scale the high hull.

“Quick, quick! Pull him up!”

The people on the ship shouted with excitement and fervor.

Su Lifeng tightened his life jacket. He scanned the deck and picked up a steel pipe that had been snapped during the earlier chaos.

“Let’s go. Try to find something to use as a weapon on the way.”

He pulled Jiang Yushi and Cheng Xiaomei along. They had just finished speaking with Zhang Hai and hurried over to join him.

However, only a few of their classmates chose to believe him and follow…

Even though he had predicted the disaster earlier, most people were still unwilling to believe his claims.

These people in the water were the friends and relatives of the passengers; what could possibly be wrong with them?

Besides, they hadn’t seen the extent of the injuries with their own eyes. Judging by the blood on the ground… perhaps they were just superficial wounds?

“Heh…”

The man grabbed a rope. Behind him, the male half of the couple also reached the side of the ship. He looked up, watching the excited tourists above with a gaze that held a hint of anticipation…