193 Murky Waters

Millions of thoughts flickered through Tang Yan's head as he dove deeper and deeper.

2 minutes, most people in good health could hold their breath for approximately two minutes.

He began to count and kept track of time in his head.

1 minute...

After the rain, the river was turbid and murky limiting his field of vision.

That coupled with the strong underground current put him on high alert as he flickered around looking desperately.

2 minutes passed and he couldn't find the girl.

Nothing, he couldn't see her anywhere.

But then he saw slightly off in the distance the murky curtains of the water parting slightly as a figure sank towards the riverbottom.

He instantly kicked into high gear, kicking forward in an instant to catch the girl from sinking further.

3 minutes.....

He raced to the surface with the girl, she was out cold, fainted he hoped.

He knew he had to bring her to shore immediately.

...

Splash!

On the river, five meters away from where the girl was swallowed by the current, a head suddenly appeared.

Alive! They were alive!

Seeing this scene, the originally nervous and desperate crowd suddenly burst into cheers.

Many rushed from the shore to the river immediately. Seemingly inspired, people actually began to act, responding quickly the crowd took off their hoodies and coats and tied them up into a safety rope.

They helped pull Tang Yan to shore.

Tang Yan carried the girl on his back and he grasped the makeshift rope as he kicked forward and the crowd pulled. They overcame the undercurrents of the river and he swam to shore.

He was absolutely exhausted when he reached the shore, he placed the girl down gently before he fell to the ground gasping for air in exhaustion.

The crowd rushed to help him and the girl.

A middle-aged woman stepped out from the crowd and began to treat the girl.

She laid her down on her back and tilted her chin and head backwards to help clear her airway but there was still no sign of breath.

She quickly pinched the girl's nose and kept her head tilted back as she breathed into her mouth from hers.

A look of anxiousness set across the lady's face as she clasped both hands together, one on top of the other and pushed down right on the centre of the girl's chest firmly, with her arms straight she pushed down and began to give her CPR.

10 seconds....

30 seconds....

50 seconds....

After nearly a minute, the girl coughed.

The sound of cheers quickly spread through the crowd.

Hearing this, Tang Yan breathed a sigh of relief as he lay on the ground trying to catch his breath.

Recovering somewhat whilst the crowd was focused on the girl, he snuck away.

The girl had been saved, there was no need for him to stick around.

Zhuang Jiajie also approached him with a tense look at this time. It was clear to see that his agent had really been scared stiff this time.

But right before the two met up and headed off there came a shout from the crowd:

\"Wait! Tang Yan wait!\"

\"Tang Yan?!\"

\"The guy who saved the girl, it's Tang Yan!\"

...

With the shout, he was instantly surrounded.

Knowing the gig was up, he sighed before turning back to face the crowd.

After confirming that it was true, Tang Yan was hammered with requests for photos.

But luckily it didn't take long before the ambulance finally arrived at the scene and the EMT's lifted the girl into the ambulance as they got ready to send her to the hospital.

At this time, Tang Yan was being surrounded by more and more people and even media vans could be seen arriving in the distance.

When Tang Yan realised his situation, he had no choice. He noticed that the ambulance was about to close.

He pulled Zhuang Jiajie along as he jumped into the ambulance.

The onlookers wanted to catch Tang Yan but the ambulance staff looked between them and Tang Yan before shutting the door and driving off.

The crowd couldn't stop it. They had to watch Tang Yan leave, many clutching their phones in disappointment.

...

\"Our stuff, we left the stuff we bought.\" After getting in the ambulance, Zhuang Jiajie realized that their stuff was still on the riverbank.

Tang Yan waved his hand, they still had everything in their wallets. What they left was nothing more than imported food and souvenirs.

\"Cough...uhh Tang Yan, I heard what happened. You truly did well,  a few seconds later and based on what I've heard this girl might not have survived.\" The female nurse sitting behind them said, looking over at Tang Yan full of praise.

Tang Yan nodded, then turned to look at the girl he had rescued.

She looked to be about 20 years old. She should be a university student based on what the crowd had said earlier.

Twenty years old, just the beginning of youth, how regrettable, it would have been if she died that way.

The ambulance moved forward and soon arrived at the central hospital.

Before getting out of the ambulance, the nurse finally couldn't hold back. He didn't know where she found a pen but she asked him to sign her cuff.

After getting out of the ambulance, Tang Yan decided they might as well help to the end, and Zhuang Jiajie helped with the hospitalization procedures.

The girl had woken up, but her condition was very poor and she faded in and out of consciousness so she had to be hospitalized for observation.

When the girl's family was contacted by the hospital, Zhuang Jiajie finished up and they were about to leave.

They had just walked out of the ward, when they heard a rush of footsteps.

He stepped out of the door and looked up, he saw two familiar figures.

Zhu Xiaoying, the woman he helped to get back her bag,

And the other one was naturally Yan Bing.

Looking at Zhu Xiaoying and Yan Bing, and thinking of their similar ages, he suddenly thought of a possibility, and he asked in a less certain tone: \"Is she your friend?\"

She, of course, referred to the female student who he had just rescued. If Zhuang Jiajie was right, the girl was called Guan Tong.

\"Yeah, we are roommates. Her classmates told us that she accidentally fell into the water while sketching, and was taken to this hospital.\" Zhu Xiaoying saw Tang Yan and unconsciously blushed slightly, last time she missed the opportunity to speak with Tang Yan, she had to be bold this time.

Listening to Zhu Xiaoying, Tang Yan felt a little dazed.

In other words, the person he accidentally rescued turned out to be Yan Bing's roommate?

This....the odds of that.

\"I saw on Weibo, you saved Tongtong?\" Yan Bing said, looking at Tang Yan with a complex gaze.

Tang Yan nodded, without knowing why, he suddenly felt that Yan Bing was looking at him differently than before.

\"What, you saved Tongtong?!\" Zhu Xiaoying, who didn't seem to understand the situation exclaimed. When she finished speaking, she immediately realized that this was a hospital, and covered her mouth.

\"Let's go and see Tongtong first, little.... Tang Yan, you can stay with us, right?\" Yan Bing said.

\"Ah? yeah sure\"

\"Can you go back first and see if the things we left there are still there?\" Tang Yan turned to Zhuang Jiajie.

Zhuang Jiajie nodded and left.

The three of them returned to the ward again. Guan Tong's condition was still bad.

The two girls kept trying to communicate with her. Whilst he awkwardly stood there alone.

After a while, Yan Bing asked Zhu Xiaoying to go buy some food, leaving just her in the ward with Tang Yan.

\"I heard the river was rough. But you actually dared to go down, weren't you afraid of something going wrong?\"

Tang Yan smiled and said: \"No, I don't do things I'm unsure of.\"

What he said was true. He had a sense of justice, but he wasn't a fool. If the river was really stormy or flooding or something, he wouldn't jump in to his death.

\"I know you swim well, but ...\" Yan Bing was worried, and originally wanted to say that he shouldn't take risks like that but....she realized that it didn't seem appropriate.

If he hadn't taken the risk, Guan Tong might not be in a ward but instead the morgue.

Tang Yan sensed the embarrassment in the air and switched topics.

\"By the way, I added your Weibo. Why didn't you accept me?\"