Having grown up by the sea, Chu Mingcheng naturally knew how to swim. But he was no expert—just an average swimmer. Rescuing someone would h

Having grown up by the sea, Chu Mingcheng naturally knew how to swim. But he was no expert—just an average swimmer. Rescuing someone would have been difficult.

But the moment he entered the water this time, he experienced a sensation unlike any other.

Given the autumn weather, even with a daytime temperature of twenty-five degrees Celsius, the water should have felt distinctly cold. Yet he felt only a pleasant warmth as if he wasn't losing any body heat at all.

Furthermore, he'd always felt significant resistance when swimming. Now, he found that with a kick of his legs and a powerful stroke of his arms, he shot forward several meters.

And in the relatively murky water, he could keep his eyes open without discomfort, as if a protective layer of water shielded them, allowing him to see a few meters ahead.

As for breathing underwater, he gave it a try.

He found that even when holding his breath, he didn't feel a lack of oxygen. He could sense it seeping into his lungs. The amount wasn't enough to satisfy his body's full demand, but it greatly extended the time he could hold his breath. If he could manage two minutes before, he could probably last at least half an hour now, maybe even an hour.

Then, he tried breathing through his nose...

Cough, cough, cough...

Chu Mingcheng shot to the surface, choking.

It seemed the "underwater breathing" ability needed an asterisk. He hadn't grown gills like a fish; it had just drastically increased his breath-holding capacity.

But that was more than enough. He submerged again, swimming rapidly downstream in the direction the firefighter had been swept.

Moving at full speed, he shot forward like an arrow. In just half a minute, he was near the rescue boat. He decided to stay hidden for now and focus on finding the man.

With the "Effortless Swim" ability, Chu Mingcheng truly moved like a fish in the water, following the current as he searched.

But the Ou River was vast, and the murky water limited his visibility, making the rescue much more difficult. A normal expert swimmer, or someone searching from a boat, would have no chance of finding a drowning person in time.

Fortunately, he was so fast that he could have caught fish. A large black carp, startled by his approach, fled in panic, only to be effortlessly overtaken.

Ignoring the fish, Chu Mingcheng finally found the firefighter being carried downstream by the current after three minutes of searching.

It had been about seven or eight minutes since the firefighter went under, but the actual time spent drowning was shorter, so there was still a good chance of reviving him.

Grabbing the firefighter, he kicked his legs and quickly swam to the surface, then began towing him toward the shore.

On the bridge, a man with sharp eyes suddenly spotted movement in the water in the distance. "Look!" he shouted, pointing excitedly. "Someone over there rescued the firefighter!"

At his shout, everyone nearby turned to look.

"Whoa, it's true! The firefighter who drowned has been saved by that guy."

"That's great. A life for a life would have been too tragic."

"I hope he's okay. He was underwater for so long. I don't know if he can be revived."

The fire captain directing the rescue from the bridge saw it too. Overjoyed, he immediately radioed the firefighters on the rescue boat to head over.

It was only then that Jiang Luoluo, belatedly, realized Chu Mingcheng was gone. The car was there, but he was nowhere in sight. The figure dragging the man to shore looked so familiar that she froze, dumbfounded.

She glanced down from the bridge and, sure enough, saw his clothes and phone on the bank. She scrambled down, gathered his things, and ran toward him.

Chu Mingcheng was performing chest compressions on the firefighter when some water was expelled from the man's lungs. However, when it came time for artificial respiration, he hesitated. Thankfully, the rescue boat arrived just in time.

The boat carried three firefighters and the girl who had jumped into the water. One of the firefighters leaped out before the boat had even fully docked. Chu Mingcheng quickly stepped aside, aware that he hadn't been trained in emergency rescue and wasn't a professional.

The police, other firefighters, and medical personnel on the bridge all rushed toward the riverbank.

But the first to arrive was Jiang Luoluo. When she stood before him, she said nothing, just stared at him with a blank expression. For some reason, Chu Mingcheng suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

"Uh, I'm a little cold. Can I have my clothes back?"

Jiang Luoluo's chest heaved, whether from running or from anger at his actions, he couldn't tell. She wanted to scold him, but they were just ordinary friends; she had no right.

Finally, after a few deep breaths, she handed his clothes back. "I just hope you think things through before you act," she said. "Don't just rush into everything."

"What if something had happened to you? What would your parents do?"

Saving someone was a good deed, but Chu Mingcheng knew he was somewhat in the wrong. After all, no one else knew he had a cheat. The Ou River's current was treacherous; an ordinary, skilled swimmer who attempted such a rescue would likely have ended up a victim themselves.

"This young lady is right. You were too reckless, young man. It's a good thing you're okay!" The fire captain had arrived and, hearing Jiang Luoluo's words immediately agreed.

He then gripped Chu Mingcheng's hands tightly. "But I still have to thank you for saving my team member. His daughter was just born. She can't lose her father."

"I was confident I could do it. I'm a very strong swimmer. Even if I couldn't find him, I could have gotten out safely," Chu Mingcheng explained with a modest smile.

Of course, he was also saying this for Jiang Luoluo's benefit, but the young woman didn't seem to buy it, shooting him a glare.

For now, the man was still receiving emergency treatment, and everyone's attention was focused on him. The medical personnel had taken over from the firefighters.

After continuous chest compressions and artificial respiration, the drowned firefighter suddenly coughed, spitting out some dirty water before taking a deep breath. He was alive.

Everyone present broke into smiles and cheers. The firefighters were especially emotional, their eyes red. This was their teammate, someone they saw day in and day out.

Jiang Luoluo looked over at the girl who had jumped, who was now shivering and filled with remorse. She wanted to point a finger and yell at her, to make her see what others had gone through to save her.

But seeing the girl's miserable state, her heart softened. She turned away, deciding it was better not to look.

The rescued firefighter needed to be taken to the hospital for further examination. He was quickly carried to the ambulance and taken away, along with the girl who had jumped.

The fire captain stayed behind. He thanked Chu Mingcheng again and insisted on getting his contact information, saying he would bring his team member to thank him in person later.

A few police officers also asked for his contact details, stating they would report the day's events and he would receive a commendation for his righteous courage.

Chu Mingcheng tried to refuse. He disliked trouble, but the person he had saved held a special status, and he couldn't turn down their enthusiastic offers.

In the end, he used the excuse of needing to go home and change to finally pull Jiang Luoluo away and make his escape.

As Chu Mingcheng pulled her away, Jiang Luoluo felt her heart beating a little faster.

Good looks are a person's most direct charm, but they mostly just make it easier to make a good impression. Jiang Luoluo had previously seen Chu Mingcheng as just an ordinary friend of the opposite sex. She liked him, but she hadn't felt her heart stir. She wasn't a lovesick fool; she wouldn't fall for someone just because he was handsome.

Right now, Chu Mingcheng was a mess. His clothes were soaked, his hair was disheveled, and he was covered in mud from dragging the man ashore.

But in Jiang Luoluo's eyes, he was dazzlingly charismatic.

It was a kind of security that made you let down your guard, a feeling of profound reassurance.