Just as everyone was retreating behind the fishing boat, a larger streak of lightning tore across the sky, illuminating the sea!
A massive iron-hulled ship, far larger than the fishing boat, struggled through the raging waves towards the same sheltered bay. Upon a closer look, this large vessel was in a shocking state — several gigantic gashes appeared along its side, the bow's ram was skewed, and the metal railings above the hull were twisted and deformed extensively.
"It's the Association's ship!" Zhang Bai squinted to identify the ship's distinctive blue emblem and exclaimed.
The large ship seemed to have noticed them as well, adjusting its course in the waning storm until it finally ran aground near the shore.
The cabin door opened, and a group of equally bedraggled figures stumbled down the gangway in the pouring rain, the leader being none other than Yao Lu, the Association Consultant Chen Yuan had met at the East District dock.
