Chapter 230: Chapter 127: The Sea’s Fury

The ocean surface was sprinkled with sunlight, making the cold weather feel warm.

Other than the strong wind on the first day and the indecision of the rain, the weather had been good for the following two days, with not the slightest intention to rain.

Bi Fang lay on the life raft, drifting with the waves, occasionally glancing at the fishing line with the corner of his eye to see if any prey had taken the bait.

After three days of adaptation, he had grown accustomed to drifting. He no longer felt dizzy, and the ups and downs even gave him a feeling of “floating in bliss,” which was rather nice.

Bi Fang casually plucked a strand of horsetail kelp and chewed on it, his hands pillowed behind his head, basking in the sun leisurely without any rush, or rather, rushing was futile.

Fishing was, besides skill, largely a matter of luck, especially since he was using grass as bait rather than meat.

But with his current state, basking in the sun amidst the drifting sea, he looked not like a castaway but as if he were out on a vacation, provided one ignored his slightly pale complexion.

Though food was secured, fresh water resources remained scarce. The small amount of daily evaporation was enough to meet the bare minimum, not the healthy requirements. Holding on for another four or five days was not a problem, but in the long run, it was not the same.

He was waiting for a rain, a life-saving rain.

It might sound as if he placed all his hope of survival on the whims of the heavens, but in reality, survival was just that, uncertain. The only certainty was probability. Some people became survival experts because they knew what actions would yield the greatest probability of success.

Just like Bi Fang knew that the North Atlantic was affected by temperate cyclones, with unpredictable weather, wind, and rain every other day, the probability of getting rainwater was extremely high. That was why he was willing to wait, otherwise he would have zipped up and distilled water non-stop, instead of opening the tent to absorb the sun and reduce heat loss.

This was a choice that conformed to the interests of the moment.

A real survival master knows where every ounce of their effort should go, which is why their probability of surviving is far higher than others.

Without water, you can’t conjure it out of thin air; without food, you can’t materialize it either. Bi Fang was human, not a deity. No matter how much people hailed him as Master Fang, he still couldn’t conjure bread and water out of nowhere.

Surviving was about leveraging “probabilities” – the simplest math logic was key to survival.

Many people, including Bi Fang himself, had been pushed to the painful limits by struggling against harsh environments and circumstances.

In such situations, life itself could feel like a threat.

The feeling of fear might be momentary, or it might torment you for hours or days until you realized you had to confront it, and then everything would suddenly become clear.

It was then that a person truly gained the conviction to live on, to find a way out, and return to the life they belonged to.

These were not just Bi Fang’s real thoughts, they were also his real actions. He was not stingy about sharing his experiences with everyone.

“Many times, I became a member of an uncommon team, where hardy spirits, smart minds, decisive decisions, humble qualities, and indispensable friendships were present.”

“It’s the valuable things learned from those excellent people during hard times, the things that have accompanied my life’s journey, not just in past moments of danger and life-threatening situations but also now.”

“I don’t consider myself an expert professional adventurer, but through many pleasant, cruel, uplifting, terrifying, or bleak experiences, I have understood the value of knowledge, clear thinking, and respect for all extreme and challenging environments. I ought to show them.”

“This is to be able to adapt to the natural environment and try to understand it, which will help you adapt to your surroundings and thereby give you hope.”

Bi Fang kept the audience entertained with conversation, feeling that after a few live streams, he had honed quite the gift of gab, enough to perform a solo comedy act.

At the same time, he was also telling everyone not to be misled by his sunbathing and drifting; he wasn’t a salty fish but was instead making rational plans.

He really wasn’t on vacation.

[Got it, Old Fang is an algebraist!]

[I believe you]

[Can you put your hand down before saying that? It’s hard to take you seriously with you resting your head on your hand and sunbathing!]

[Really? I don’t buy it (jokingly)]

Bi Fang chuckled, lowered his hand, and sat on the edge of the raft to check if there were any fish biting, but the outcome was quite obvious. The horsetail kelp swayed on the water’s surface, with no fish hooked.

He sighed. Two days had passed — how could not even a single fish be caught?

Even if it was winter, it shouldn’t be like this. Besides, it wasn’t an empty lure; he was using grass bait. Why didn’t the fish show him any face?

Nowadays, many people regarded Bi Fang as the world’s number one adventurer, and if he boasted about this, he would be the laughingstock.

Was it environmental degradation or overfishing?

Was fishing supposed to be this difficult?

Bi Fang scratched his head, perplexed. To pass the time, he could only continue to chat with his audience and share some survival experiences.

“Although we are quite far from the shore, that doesn’t mean seabirds won’t show up. The North Atlantic often has strong winds, and it’s possible that some birds may lose their way in the wind. They could be so hungry and tired that upon seeing my shabby raft, they might think of landing to rest for a bit. Therefore, we can put some seaweed on the tent to increase its attractiveness.”

Bi Fang took a handful of horsetail kelp out of a large clump and placed it on top of the tent, spreading it out to make it more visible.

[666, Master Fang is now even drawing the birds]

[Speaking of which, after eating so many creatures from the land and sea, it seems we haven’t really tried the ones from the sky?]

[It was a shame about the goose last time, one by one, big and with lush feathers. They looked plump; it was quite a pity.]

[Étienne: Are you being polite? Thinking about my geese all the time?]

[Do seabirds eat seaweed? I thought they all fished for food?]

“They do eat it, of course, they do. Many seabirds eat seaweed, and according to scientific research, the smell emitted by the decomposition of microorganisms on the surface of plastic debris is similar to that of decaying seaweed. As a result, seabirds, including the albatross, might mistake them for food and ingest them.”

“It’s reported that about 90% of seabirds have ingested plastic debris, mostly because they mistook plastic for seaweed.”

After arranging the horsetail kelp on top of the tent, Bi Fang sat down again and waited for the fish to bite.

But the audience became restless upon hearing this news. 90%?

What kind of ratio was that?

[Damn, is that really a thing?]

[90%? Is it really that many?]

Bi Fang nodded, “Yes, there are. Why would I lie to you about this? Just look it up online and you’ll know.”

Many viewers, upon hearing this, promptly switched platforms, only to find that it was indeed true, and even more than 90%!

[Damn, it’s actually true]

[Has the environment deteriorated to this extent? It’s time for us ‘vaccine people’ to make our move!]

[So pitiful, eating plastic, aren’t they doomed to die?]

[I’ll never litter again…]

[Master Fang on ‘Wilderness Survivalist’ always tries to minimize environmental damage, even looking for tree sticks he’d find those that had already fallen off… Ah, why is there such a big gap between people?]

Many viewers were also reminded of Bi Fang’s actions; even when building a fire, except in emergency situations, he always chose dry branches and leaves and restored the environment as best as he could afterward. Compared to those who carelessly litter on the beach, the difference in attitude was stark, and it commanded respect.

Risking their lives to survive, they dared not leave a trace in nature, and cleaned up thoroughly afterwards, preserving the pristine environment. Yet, as a tourist, after enjoying the beauty of nature, you leave behind trash?

How shameless is that?

[Stop scolding, I won’t dare to do it again next time]

[Awesome, Master Fang is truly conscientious]

[I respect nobody but Old Fang!]

The audience was full of praise again, and Bi Fang was somewhat embarrassed. After chatting idly for a bit more, he calmed his heart and went back to fishing. However, before noon he noticed something was wrong.

The sky darkened.

No way?

Another storm?

The oppressive dark clouds rolled in from the southeast, the air thickened and grew sultry, and the once calm sea started to get choppy, looking like it could turn into huge waves at any moment.

This sight alarmed the viewers.

The image of Bi Fang gliding through the storm on a hang glider was still fresh in their minds, with lightning splitting the heavens and earth, growing wildly like branches, it was like something out of hell. And now it was happening again?

Wait a minute, it seems like Bi Fang was already waiting for the rain, wasn’t he?

“I was just wondering when it would rain this morning, and now here it is?”

Bi Fang marveled at his own good fortune. Yes, good fortune. He had never expected to go through twenty-one days of survival without encountering a storm. Since a storm was inevitable, worrying was useless; better to consider its benefits, like fresh water.

So, Bi Fang believed his good fortune had turned.

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on whether luck was good or bad. He needed to prepare thoroughly for the upcoming storm. As he lowered the tent, he explained.

“Don’t worry, everyone. I’ve actually been mentally prepared for this because rain generally occurs when warm and cold air masses meet, causing water vapor to cool down into water before falling. There isn’t much cover at sea, so this meeting of air masses becomes more evident when it rains, resulting in stronger wind and waves.”

“If the downpour consists of large hail, it’s because water vapor suddenly encounters a strong cold air current, or due to strong convective high pressure, that it directly sublimates and falls as ice.”

“Besides, I’ve mentioned before that weather in the North Atlantic is unpredictable. I’ve long thought about the possibility of encountering a storm, so don’t be too anxious. It’s the production team that should leave quickly, especially if they’re at sea. Don’t stick around, because it’s very dangerous for a helicopter to hover over the ocean. It would be a disaster if they ended up adrift like me.”

The sun had shone intensely for the past two days, causing significant evaporation from the sea surface. A sudden rainfall is hardly surprising.

Bi Fang was neither too rushed nor too leisurely, even taking the time to remind the directors and assistants of the production team to avoid any mishaps during filming.

Of course, the production team knew this without him saying so, especially with Pondy there as the safety consultant. They checked the weather forecast daily. Once they detected a change in the weather, they would evacuate beforehand.

But that just meant the danger to Bi Fang increased, although he himself didn’t care.

The audience was stunned by Bi Fang’s composure. He’s not worried about himself but concerned about the production team?

Is this how a boss operates?

“Additionally, if we had a sea anchor, we could deploy it to keep the boat close to the scene of the accident and help you maintain the boat’s position against the wind and waves. By adjusting the sea anchor, we could position the life raft at the peak of a wave while the sea anchor is in the trough. That way, it’s easier for us to avoid large waves. But I don’t have one.”

A sea anchor is a large, sinkable object with 3 to 4 hooks, each with a rope tied to it. Each rope is about 1 meter long and they converge to connect to the stranded person’s boat. When sunk into the water, it creates a certain amount of resistance and provides stability, helping the boat resist wind and wave movements.

The wind was picking up, and Bi Fang unconsciously raised his voice as he spoke. He could clearly feel that the life raft was moving faster – not just faster, it was like lightning!

To prevent the life raft from being capsized by the wind, Bi Fang had to lower his center of gravity.

A sea anchor helps the victim to remain near the point of distress, making it easy for rescuers to locate them, but Bi Fang didn’t have one, and he never mentioned it.

“Ocean currents can have a significant impact on the performance of anchors and boats, so be vigilant for any changes that could happen at any time. If possible, you can make one yourself. A length of 5 meters or more for the anchor rope would suffice. When a huge wave hits, it should be positioned in the trough of the wave!”

Bi Fang pulled the top of the tent as low as possible to facilitate lowering his center of gravity. He needed to keep the canopy upright to keep the life raft dry.

“If you’re in a life raft capable of holding 20 people, the heaviest person should sit in the middle, and everyone else must sit properly. By distribution of body weight, the force of the wind trying to lift the life raft can be suppressed.”

“Don’t sit on the edge of the life raft, and don’t stand up, as it’s very easy to fall into the water. Also, don’t move suddenly without informing the other people in the raft in advance. Once someone falls into the water, you’ll quickly be separated, and after the storm ends, the chances of being found are slim. The same applies to me; if I fall into the water, it’s pretty much a death sentence!”

“So we must take every measure to prevent the life raft from capsizing.”

Bi Fang reached out, pulling water towards himself, trying to face the wind, to clearly see and pass over the incoming waves.

Large waves, especially giant ones hitting the port or starboard side, could capsize a vessel, particularly a life raft.

But Bi Fang’s life raft was circular, a design that can withstand giant waves from any direction. The downside is that it rarely offers paddles or anything else for maneuvering.

The world seemed lead-gray, and Bi Fang’s shout was drowned out by the wind. He could no longer say a word; as soon as he opened his mouth, a great amount of air rushed in, as if it could go straight to his stomach.

Raindrops suddenly struck Bi Fang’s hand – the rain had finally started to pour.

He looked up, and across the lead-gray world, a great pressure of water descended from above, smacking fiercely toward the life raft!