The deep sea has always evoked both awe and fear. Its vastness, darkness, and mystery stir boundless curiosity and reverence in the human heart. Yet it was within these boundless waters that a scientific research vessel mysteriously vanished, breaking the ocean's calm surface—and pulling Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou into a deadly pursuit.
The news broke during a period of violent ocean weather, with high winds and raging waves. The research vessel Ocean Dream lost contact during a deep-sea exploration mission. Several ships and helicopters were dispatched for search and rescue. After days of combing the area, the sunken hull was finally located hundreds of nautical miles from the last known location—but there was no trace of the crew. Only debris and several bodies floating on the surface were found.
By the time Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou arrived on the scene, days had already passed. The bodies recovered showed pale faces and painful expressions, as though they had endured great agony. The two immediately boarded the rescue ship. During the autopsies, Su Wanqing carefully examined every detail.
"The cause of death appears to be decompression sickness," she said calmly, though her brow furrowed. "Based on the gas bubbles and damage to the lungs, it looks like they surfaced too quickly, and the gases in their bodies couldn't be released in time—leading to fatal injuries."
"But why would that happen?" Lu Chenzhou asked, puzzled. "A scientific vessel should have strict decompression protocols. The crew should be professionally trained in diving procedures. How could this kind of mistake happen?"
Su Wanqing paused, eyes scanning the corpses thoughtfully. "They did suffer from decompression sickness—but their injuries are unusual. Not the typical symptoms. Several bodies show abnormal trauma to the lungs and blood vessels—as if they'd been subjected to a violent external force."
Lu Chenzhou raised an eyebrow. "You mean… the cause of death wasn't decompression sickness alone? There was something else?"
"Yes," Su Wanqing nodded. "It's as if something forced them to the surface—unnaturally."
This revelation made the case even more complicated. While decompression sickness is a known risk for divers, it couldn't explain the type and severity of injuries they observed. Determined to uncover the truth, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing pushed the investigation deeper.
As more bodies were recovered, the team still couldn't locate the ship's captain. Meanwhile, scattered documents floating on the sea were found, including detailed records of the crew's tasks and scientific missions. As Su Wanqing flipped through them, one entry caught her eye.
"This mentions that during the last mission, the Ocean Dream engaged in illegal deep-sea harvesting of rare marine life," she said in a low voice. "And it was arranged directly by the captain."
Lu Chenzhou's expression darkened. "Illegal harvesting? That could mean the captain was involved in trafficking… and may have killed the crew to cover it up."
"Very likely," Su Wanqing agreed. "If he was conducting illegal operations, especially involving rare species, he'd have a strong motive to silence anyone who found out."
They shifted their focus to the captain. Digging into his background, they discovered he had previously been an executive at a major fishing company with known ties to illegal marine trafficking groups. That same company was now facing financial hardship due to tightened environmental regulations. The Ocean Dream mission seemed like the perfect cover for a last-ditch scheme.
Following the evidence, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou formed a chilling hypothesis: the captain, desperate to protect his operation, forced his crew into participating in the illegal catch. And when the mission was complete and the risk of exposure grew, he accelerated the ship's ascent during a decompression stop—causing lethal decompression sickness in the divers. He had even shut down key decompression systems on board.
To confirm their theory, Su Wanqing re-examined several corpses. On one, she discovered abnormal bruising on the neck and chest—clear signs of physical interference. This reinforced their conclusion: the victims hadn't died from decompression alone—they had been murdered.
"We've found the key evidence," Lu Chenzhou said grimly. "The captain silenced the crew to protect his illegal activities—and used the ocean itself to cover his tracks."
Thanks to their thorough investigation, they tracked down the captain's hideout and arrested him. Under interrogation, he finally confessed. He had indeed collaborated with illegal trafficking groups, and in a desperate attempt to erase the truth, orchestrated the deaths of his own crew—passing it off as a tragic accident.
The truth behind the Ocean Dream disaster finally surfaced. Justice was served for the fallen crew. Through this case, Su Wanqing was reminded again of the sea's treacherous depths—and the price of crimes driven by greed.
After the case concluded, she stood on the deck, gazing at the now-calm sea. She knew the ocean hid countless secrets and dangers. But beside her, Lu Chenzhou stood in quiet solidarity—reminding her that no matter how deep the mystery, they would face it together.