“There are still abalones left to collect.”
“Let’s keep these lobsters alive in the ship’s hold first.”
The three of them, excited as if it were a festival, ran back to the ship with their lobsters. After securing the lobsters in the hold, they quickly returned to pry more abalones from the rocks.
Once they had gathered all the large abalones, they ignored the smaller ones, deeming them unworthy of effort. A whole sack full of large abalones—anyone would be overjoyed at such a haul.
After that, they didn’t find anything else valuable on the island, only gathering one bag of seaweed before deciding to leave.
“Let’s head back.”
Today’s harvest at sea far exceeded their expectations. Just selling those large lobsters alone would bring in a significant profit.
As the three walked back to the boat, they suddenly noticed a large marine creature circling their ship. Their expressions immediately changed.
“Please don’t let it be a shark,” one of them murmured nervously.
Exchanging glances, the three of them sprinted toward the boat. When they got close enough to see what it was, they breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s an orca again,” one of them said.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a highly aggressive predator like a shark. Orcas, although strong and potentially dangerous, don’t attack humans.
“Why is it circling our boat? These creatures are huge.”
Standing a bit further away, Song Wei took a picture of the orcas. The rising tide seemed to threaten to submerge the entire small island, forcing the three of them to head toward the boat.
When the orcas noticed them, they let out high-pitched calls, almost as if they were cheering.
Song Wei speculated aloud, “Could this be the same pod from last time? The one with the orca we rescued?”
“Is that even possible? After several days?” Lin Zhen and Song Jing exchanged surprised glances.
A small, familiar-looking orca suddenly emerged from the water, enthusiastically wagging its tail and moving toward Song Wei as if to cuddle her.
Lin Zhen and Song Jing were astonished. “It really seems like it is!”
Song Wei confirmed, “Not ‘seems like.’ It definitely is.”
Once they boarded the boat and moved a little further into the sea, the small orca swam over, poking its black-and-white head above the water.
Song Wei patted its head, smiling. “So, you brought your entire family here to find me, huh?”
The small orca let out a series of playful, high-pitched sounds.
It was smaller than the others in its pod, the rest of the orcas were massive, their size seemingly enough to capsize their small fishing boat at any moment.
Song Wei handed her camera to Lin Zhen to take pictures and began feeding the orcas some of the fish they had caught earlier. She was unafraid, her confidence apparent.
Even experienced fishermen would feel anxious encountering such large creatures, yet Song Wei interacted with them fearlessly. The orcas seemed to enjoy her company, frequently poking their heads out of the water to open their mouths for food or nuzzle her hand.
“That’s all; no more left,” Song Wei said after feeding them the last of the fish.
The orcas playfully jostled each other, more for entertainment than for the small amount of food she had given them.
Song Wei showed them her empty hands, and the orcas, understanding, dove back into the water.
The next moment, their boat began to move.
Song Jing was stunned. “Are they pushing us somewhere?”
Behind the boat, two large orcas were indeed pushing it forward at an impressive speed. Though unsure where they were being taken, they noticed that no predators, like sharks, approached them along the way.
After about an hour of smooth sailing, the orcas stopped. The rest of the pod had already dispersed, leaving only two behind, circling the boat.
The three on board were bewildered.
Unable to figure it out, they decided to eat first to replenish their energy. Lin Zhen pulled out steamed buns and mushroom paste he had prepared earlier.
As they ate, the two orcas surfaced, poking their heads out of the water.
Song Wei tore off a small piece of her bun and tossed it into their open mouths. They swallowed it whole, then made pleading noises for more.
Song Wei quickly finished eating her share, saying, “That’s all; this is our lunch!”
Her hurried movements nearly caused the smaller orca to climb onto the boat, causing it to rock dangerously. Song Wei promptly pushed it back into the water, her mouth still full, muttering, “Behave yourself!”
Lin Zhen handed her a bottle of water. “Here, drink this. Don’t choke.”
After drinking, Song Wei felt better.
“There are more buns and dumplings; I steamed plenty,” Lin Zhen said. His cooking followed northern traditions, making large portions.
Song Wei broke a bun in half and tossed it to the two orcas. “That’s really all now.”
The orcas let out mournful sounds, but before long, a commotion in the distance caught their attention.
When they stood up to look, they were stunned.
A massive school of fish—an endless swarm of shimmering bodies—approached.
It turned out that the orcas were driving a school of sardines toward them, using sound waves to herd the fish into a dense mass.
Exchanging glances, the three wasted no time casting their nets. One throw filled the nets to capacity, and they repeated the process until their boat couldn’t hold any more fish.
Even then, sardines leapt onto the deck unbidden.
After eating their fill, the orcas finally allowed the school of fish to disperse.
“It must be their way of saying thank you,” Lin Zhen remarked, watching the retreating fish.
Song Wei nodded. “Absolutely. Orcas are incredibly intelligent—comparable to a 13- to 15-year-old human. They have complex communication systems and are truly the rulers of the ocean.”
Lin Zhen was astonished. “That smart? No wonder fishermen call them the ‘dragon soldiers of the sea.’”
Their awe was interrupted by a sudden splash. A large fish, seemingly thrown by a mature orca, landed on the surface of the water.
“What was that?” Song Jing asked in surprise.
Lin Zhen instinctively grabbed his camera, capturing the scene.
“It’s a bluefin tuna!” Song Jing exclaimed, recognizing the fish.
He remembered seeing one aboard a foreign poaching vessel that his team had once intercepted. Bluefin tuna were highly prized, and the poachers had guarded theirs fiercely before being caught.
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