"Splash!"
The sound of something hitting the water caught the young man ahead's attention. He instinctively looked back, but did not see the figure he expected.
"Vice President?"
Puzzled, the young man hurried over to check the patch of water nearby, where ripples were still spreading.
Yet the clear water below was empty, with no sign of anyone.
What happened? Where was the vice president?
The young man looked utterly baffled.
Had he felt uneasy and deliberately gone underwater for another patrol?
But at a critical moment like this, even if he went underwater, he should have told me first... unless...
A possibility suddenly occurred to the young man. His scalp prickled, and he instinctively stumbled several steps back, falling onto the beach.
"Something's wrong! Everyone, come quick! The vice president's missing!"
He did not dare approach the water again, instead rushing back onto the island to notify the others.
The others were shocked to hear this and leaped to their feet as though facing a formidable enemy.
"What happened? How could he suddenly disappear?"
"I don't know either! He was talking to me a second ago, but by the time I turned around, he was gone..." the young man said, nearly falling apart.
Even stranger, he had never heard a single cry. Even if someone really had dragged the vice president underwater, surely he could have called for help? Why hadn't he made a sound?
The others exchanged glances, equally alarmed.
"This is bad. Someone's probably lying in ambush nearby!"
"Someone's hiding underwater?"
"Quick, everyone into the water! Find the vice president!"
"Don't spread out too far. Be careful they don't pick us off one by one..."
Everyone sprang into action, but without a leader, their conflicting instructions created chaos. Several dozen seconds passed before they jumped into