Since the discovery of living organisms at depths below 6,000 meters in the ocean, some people have thought about catching bioluminescent deep-sea fish to keep in aquariums for观赏. A Chinese company, in collaboration with the state, fulfilled this human dream five years ago. At the same time, the company's boss decided to breed bioluminescent deep-sea fish with cave salamanders found on Kunlun Mountain, which resemble dragons, hoping to cultivate a new species that could live for over a century, emit electricity, and resemble a dragon.
On September 24, 2000, at a research site of a certain scientific research base, the sound of arguments echoed. Professor Li, a refined and gentle man, threw his gold-rimmed glasses to the ground and shouted at another scientist, "Why are you giving up on the Dragon King project? The bioluminescent electric fish we caught in the deep sea have successfully crossbred with the cave salamanders. Do you know that the new species has a dragon-like appearance and the ability to release lightning like a dragon? Once it enters the market, do you know how much it will be worth? Do you understand?"
The scientist being shouted at was Zhang Ping, the company's representative. He adjusted his glasses and coldly said, "Everything you said is true. If the Dragon King project succeeds, the benefits will be immeasurable. However, you have already spent five years on it, and the Dragon King project has encountered a bottleneck. You still can't find a feasible solution for mass breeding the Dragon King. Even if a few Dragon Kings occasionally appear, their lifespan is less than three months. The company has invested millions of yuan in your project. Do we have to wait another five years? The board's patience with you has reached its limit. So, today, I formally notify you on behalf of the board that the Dragon King project is over." As he spoke, Zhang Ping's voice also grew louder, as the failure of a project worth millions of yuan would make any company member angry and regretful. Looking at the dispirited Professor Li, Zhang Ping added, "Additionally, I inform you on behalf of the company that you are fired."
Professor Li, eyes wide with disbelief, asked, "Why? Just because of this one failure, I am fired? I have done so much for the company before. Just because of this one failure, I am fired? Ah?"
Seeing Professor Li's hysterical state, Zhang Ping said coldly, "This is the company's decision, not mine. If you have any questions, you can ask the company. You have one day to pack your things. A new deputy director will take over your work tomorrow." With that, Zhang Ping turned and left without another glance at Professor Li.
Professor Li gritted his teeth, staring at the departing Zhang Ping, his eyes blazing with anger. He thought to himself, after five years, the breeding of the Dragon King has become increasingly mature. Now, only two problems remain before the successful breeding of the Dragon King. Once solved, the Dragon King can be mass-produced and live for a century.
You wait, if your company doesn't want me, Japanese companies have already invited me several times. I will go to those companies to continue my research. When I successfully develop the Dragon King project, you will regret it. A project worth billions of dollars will end up in someone else's pocket, which is laughable.
With this plan in mind, Professor Li gathered all the members of the research institute and announced the company's decision, as well as his decision to join another company. The research institute fell into chaos. After a brief period of confusion, some employees who were unwilling to give up on the Dragon King project chose to follow Professor Li, while the rest stayed with the company.
Hailong, a student who had just graduated from high school, was hired as a temporary worker on weekends to allow the regular employees to rest. Hailong was one of these temporary workers.
When Hailong heard Professor Li announce the dissolution of the research institute, he was recording the daily condition of the Dragon King he had been taking care of. This Dragon King was born on a weekend when Hailong was about to graduate from high school. At that time, the researchers were resting at home, and only Professor Li and a few temporary workers like Hailong were in the research institute.
When Hailong discovered that a new Dragon King had hatched from the cave salamander, he immediately called Professor Li. Since there were no assistants around and Hailong had worked in the research institute for some time, his practical skills were even better than those of a newly graduated researcher. Therefore, Hailong assisted in placing the Dragon King in a special culture dish. After all the work was done, Professor Li patted Hailong on the shoulder and told him that he would be responsible for raising this Dragon King from then on.
Hailong had been raising this Dragon King for nearly three months. With adequate nutrition, the Dragon King had grown to over 30 centimeters in length. Seeing the Dragon King becoming increasingly weak day by day, Hailong was extremely worried but could do nothing about it.
Hailong knew that from the day the Dragon King was born to today, it had lived for 90 days, and its lifespan would end today. He put on insulating gloves, took the Dragon King out of the breeding tank, and placed it in a small aquarium. He then walked to Professor Li and said sadly, "Professor, the Dragon King's lifespan has come to an end. It has been exactly 90 days today. I don't want to see it die in front of me. I want to release it into the sea, to let it return to the ocean. Is that okay?"
Professor Li sighed, looking at the Dragon King that was about to die, and said, "I know this Dragon King has been under your care, and I understand your sadness. Normally, items from the research institute cannot be taken out without the company's approval, but today I will make an exception. You can take it and release it into the sea."
In fact, Professor Li had already tried releasing the Dragon King into the sea, but it still died. The survival of the Dragon King had nothing to do with seawater; it was just to win the hearts of the employees. All the researchers in the institute were involved in the Dragon King project and had valuable experience. To win their loyalty, Professor Li agreed to let Hailong take the Dragon King.
Professor Li hoped that when he left the company, more employees involved in the Dragon King project would leave with him, so that the project could continue without obstacles at the new company.
Hailong, of course, did not know all this. He bowed gratefully to Professor Li and left the research institute with the aquarium.
Hailong knew that Professor Li had made an exception for him. If he handed the Dragon King over to another research institute, it would constitute industrial espionage. However, after three years of interaction, Professor Li knew that Hailong was a kind and good-hearted child who would never do such a dirty deed.
Hailong ran to the beach, a deserted stretch of sand. The research institute was far from the city center, and this beach was nearby, where the institute obtained seawater. Looking at the listless Dragon King in the aquarium, Hailong felt even more sad.
The wind at the beach was strong, making it hard to stand steady, but it could not blow away Hailong's sadness.
Hailong came from a single-parent family. His father, a colonel in the military, died in a rescue operation when Hailong was young. His mother raised him alone.
Hailong loved his mother very much. When his father was alive, every promotion meant moving to a new city. To follow his father, his mother had to quit her job and move around, and she never held a job for more than five years.
At nearly 50, she had no stable job. When his father died, his mother and Hailong had just moved to Gaoshan City and had no job.
Seeing 16-year-old Hailong, his mother, still grieving over the loss of her husband, resolutely began looking for work to ensure that Hailong could continue his education and live a normal, happy life.
His mother sold steamed buns, starting at 4 a.m. and making breakfast for Hailong at 6 a.m. After sending Hailong to school, she would go out to sell buns.
His mother worked as a cleaner from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., earning only 500 yuan a month. She would come home exhausted, covered in sweat, and fall asleep on the bed.
The mother and son rarely saw each other. Later, his mother used their savings to buy a small convenience store, and their life gradually improved.
The Dragon King in the aquarium was the first one Hailong had raised. Although it had only lived for 90 days, Hailong had developed a deep bond with it.
Suddenly, the Dragon King in the aquarium seemed to sense something, stood up, and started making noises, occasionally releasing electric currents.
Hailong had never seen the Dragon King act this way before, as if it were very frightened.
Suddenly, a strong vibration came from the sea. Hailong looked up and saw a white line approaching from the horizon, accompanied by distant thunder. Hailong felt uneasy.
As it got closer, Hailong finally saw it clearly. It was a massive tsunami! The huge wave engulfed the coast, and Hailong didn't have time to escape. He was swept away by the wave, along with the Dragon King, and disappeared into the sea.
The last thing Hailong remembered before being swept away by the sea was, "My sister, wasn't the weather forecast today supposed to be sunny? When did the weather forecast become as unreliable as the earthquake bureau, always reporting after the fact?"
A female CCTV reporter was on the scene, reporting, "This is CCTV. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in Jixian, Japan, this afternoon. The earthquake spread to some coastal cities in our country, causing a tsunami. I am standing at the site of the tsunami. Although the sea has receded, many tourists at the beach did not evacuate in time, resulting in numerous injuries. Fortunately, no one was swept away by the sea. Rescue efforts are ongoing."
If Hailong had heard this, he would have shouted, "What the hell, I'm not a tourist, I was swept away by the sea. Who will save me?"
In fact, the tsunami also caused several people to go missing, but this information was deliberately concealed. Given the severity of the tsunami, those swept away had no chance of survival. If this information were disclosed, the responsibility would be significant.
Many people knew about this situation, but they all seemed to have agreed not to speak about it. Hailong's mother thought he was still at school, unaware that he had been swept away by the sea.
Slowly opening his eyes, Hailong found himself in complete darkness, lying on the beach. The sea water occasionally washed over him, soaking his already wet clothes.
Looking around, he saw the Dragon King he had raised, lying still as if dead.
As his thoughts gradually returned, Hailong realized he had been swept into the sea by the tsunami.
The Dragon King had also been swept into the sea. To survive, it had clung to Hailong. Fearing the sudden release of 600 volts of electricity, the Dragon King had instantly knocked Hailong unconscious.
Hailong had been holding onto a rock in the sea, but the shock had made him lose his grip, and a large wave had swept him into the sea, leaving him unconscious.
After recalling what had happened, Hailong tried to move his body. Finding no major issues, he slowly stood up.
The repeated impact of the sea had caused significant damage to his body, leaving him bruised and sore. Even the slightest movement caused pain.
Thinking about it, Hailong realized it was late at night, and he was extremely hungry. He thought, "I need to get home quickly and eat something, or I'll die of hunger, not the tsunami."
Looking back at the Dragon King, he found it had no signs of life. Hailong sighed and said, "In the end, I couldn't save you. Since I raised you, I don't want you to be caught by fishermen and cooked. I'll give you a sea burial."
With tears in his eyes, Hailong approached the Dragon King. Looking at its cute little head, he said, "Brother, I've raised you for almost three months. Since I discovered you could generate electricity and grew larger, I didn't dare touch you or get close to you. I envied people who could play with their dogs. Now that you're dead, I can hold you, but I can never communicate with you again."
Feeling sad, Hailong picked up the Dragon King and walked to the sea. As he lifted the Dragon King, a strange wave of energy suddenly hit Hailong, knocking him unconscious. The Dragon King, over a meter long, fell on top of him.
If someone could see souls at that moment, they would be astonished. As Hailong lifted the Dragon King, a small soul emerged from the Dragon King's body and merged into Hailong's soul.
Inside Hailong's body, a large, weak soul was surrounded by a smaller, even weaker soul. Soon, the smaller soul adhered to the larger soul, almost becoming a part of it.
In the early morning, the beach was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see more than 30 meters ahead. A figure staggered to its feet and walked unsteadily forward.
As he walked, he said, "What the hell, why did I faint again? It's morning now, and I've been unconscious for half the night."
His stomach growled, and he touched his empty belly, saying, "I'm almost starving to death. I didn't die in the tsunami, but I might die of hunger." He then started to leave the beach.
This person was Hailong. Hunger had left his mind blank, and he could only think about getting home to eat.
Picking up the Dragon King, he walked to the sea and threw it in, then struggled toward the road, hoping to catch a taxi. However, he had no money.
His clothes were torn and wet, making him look like a beggar. No taxi driver would stop for him.
He asked a passerby for directions and learned that he hadn't been swept far by the tsunami. He was still on the beach of Donghai City, but in a wealthy residential area.
Recalling the scenery, he realized he had been swept to this area. Fortunately, his home was not far away, about a two-hour walk.
As Hailong walked, the door of a nearby villa opened, and a Bentley slowly drove out, accelerating and speeding away. The car must have cost around 2 million yuan.
Looking at the villa, with its fountains, lawns, swimming pool, and servants, Hailong thought, "The life of the rich is different. They drive sports cars and live in mansions. There was even a beautiful woman in the car. When will I have such a life?"
Students are always the most innocent, with grand ideals. Hailong thought, "I must study hard in college, find a good job after graduation, build a network, and eventually start my own company, driving a sports car and living in a mansion."
The more he thought, the happier he became, his eyes sparkling. As he walked, a child pointed at him and asked his mother, "Mom, mom, why is that big brother, dressed so ragged, walking and smiling?"
The child's mother quickly pulled the child aside and said, "Shh! Darling, don't speak loudly. That person must be mentally ill. Be careful, he might hit you."
The child, frightened, buried his head in his mother's chest, and the mother nervously watched Hailong.
Hailong, who had been full of determination, immediately felt deflated upon hearing the child and his mother.
"What the hell, just because I'm dressed raggedly? I was a prince in high school, loved by everyone. Is it necessary to say such things about me?"
Thinking about himself, Hailong was just a student at Donghai University, one of the best in the city but not nationally. With the job market for master's and doctoral graduates already tough, what chance did he, a bachelor's graduate, have?
Graduation equals unemployment. What right did he have to dream of living in a mansion and driving an expensive sports car? He should live a simple life, find a job after graduation, and support his family.
Feeling depressed, he glanced at the child's mother and walked home with his head down.
The child, after hiding in his mother's arms, turned his head to look at Hailong again. Seeing Hailong's dejected face, he said to his mother, "Mom, why is he so sad now? His expressions are so rich."
Hailong felt extremely depressed and glared at the child's mother, thinking, "How do you educate your child? Saying such hurtful things."
The child's mother, frightened by Hailong's glare, quickly pulled the child away.
The weather was unusually hot that morning, and the sun was already scorching. Hailong, hungry and exhausted, struggled back home under the blazing sun.
It was Saturday, but his mother was not home. There was some food on the table, which she had left for him to eat at noon. It was a simple meal of green vegetables and tofu, and braised pork ribs with beans, all dishes Hailong loved.
Hailong, extremely hungry, changed out of his wet clothes and started eating. In no time, he had finished the food. Looking at his round, full belly, he burped.
He lazily walked into the house, took a hot shower, and changed into clean clothes. Lying on the bed, he wanted to sleep, as sleeping in a bed felt much better than on the beach.
However, lying on the bed, Hailong couldn't fall asleep. He felt a strong sense of hunger, even though his belly was full.
Suddenly, the same soul-shaking sensation returned. Having experienced it twice before, Hailong gradually adapted to it. It felt as if someone was trying to force memories into his brain, but they couldn't enter without first opening his mind.
A tearing sensation came, but it quickly ended. Hailong endured it and gained some knowledge, though he couldn't believe it.