The cabin fell silent, and every fisherman's expression grew grave.
After more than ten seconds, Old Wang, the oldest among them, broke the silence.
"Just because we can't send a distress signal right now doesn't mean it'll stay that way. There's no need for everyone to despair..."
Another fisherman chimed in. "Old Wang's right. We're still heading back toward the harbor. In a few minutes, maybe the equipment will be able to send a distress signal once the interference clears."
The fishermen present exchanged words of encouragement, and for a moment, the heavy atmosphere eased.
"Boom."
A flash of Silver White lightning streaked through the pitch-black clouds, and terrifying thunder rang across heaven and earth.
The sudden thunder startled the fishermen in the cabin. They immediately went to the windows and gazed outside.
The clouds, which had originally covered only a small area, had now expanded several times over and reached the sky directly above them.
"..."
Their spirits, which had just begun to improve, plummeted again at the sight.
"Everyone, go find the life jackets," Old Wang said.
The others came to their senses and hurried to the corner of the cabin, where they opened a box that had hardly ever been touched.
The relevant authorities required every fishing boat heading out to sea to prepare a life jacket for each crew member.
Many fishermen who made their living by the sea were excellent swimmers. They considered preparing life jackets a waste of money and paid little attention to the rule.
Fortunately, the regulation was mandatory.
If a fishing boat was found at sea without a life jacket for every crew member, it would face severe punishment.
To avoid such punishment, every fishing boat carried life jackets.
By then, the wind and waves outside had grown stronger, and the