The cries for help echoed through the chat group, full of panic and desperation.
Then, the chat suddenly erupted.
[Who's crying?][Sounds like a newcomer.][Tsk tsk, weakling.][Don't be so harsh. Where are you?]
Voices of varying tones overlapped until a calm, authoritative voice cut through the noise. It belonged to one of the elder sea monsters. His voice was gentle and steady, soothing the panic instantly.
[Don't worry. Take your time. Where are you? What happened?]
The frightened voice choked for a moment before replying.
[I… I got stranded at Sunset Bay…]
Lansi, who had been watching the screen the whole time, felt a wave of anxiety rise. That voice—it sounded familiar. After thinking it over, he realized it was probably the same little whale he had seen the day before.
At that moment, Lansi happened to be next to Quirrell. Without bothering with the drum lesson they were supposed to be doing, Lansi turned to him directly.
[Did you hear that?]
[Hear what?] Quirrell scratched his slick skin with a tentacle. [What are you talking about?]
[A sea monster is stranded in your territory.][Aren't you going to save them?]
[Why should I? It's not my problem.] Quirrell blinked his beady eyes, the light patterns on his skin forming a little question mark.
[If they got stranded, that's their own fault. Why should I care?]
[But they're a sea monster too!] Lansi was confused. [Aren't you supposed to help each other?]
Quirrell twisted his tentacles in amusement, his body flashing different colors like he'd just heard a joke.
[We're not even the same species. Why should I risk myself for someone I don't know?]
[You—!] Lansi was furious.
No wonder Quirrell had never gotten along with any other sea monsters. With a personality like this, it was no surprise.
The hermit crab nearby clacked its claws and said calmly:
[I'll go with you to help.]
Meanwhile, in the chat group, the patriarch's voice sounded again, addressing Quirrell directly.
[Quirrell, aren't you in Sunset Bay? Get over there and help that child.]
Quirrell snorted and didn't respond.
[Most of us are far from Sunset Bay. The soonest anyone else could get there is tomorrow. That child won't last that long.]
Still no response from Quirrell. The group started getting angry, calling his name repeatedly.
[Quirrell! Did you hear us?]
But Quirrell just floated over to a nearby reef and disguised himself as a rock, clearly intending to play dead.
[It's scared of surfacing,] the hermit crab explained in the group chat. [But I'm nearby too. I'll go help, along with the mermaid.]
That last sentence caused another explosion of excitement in the group.
[What did it say? Mermaid? A mermaid in Sunset Bay?][Ahhh! That's where my cutie went. I was so worried…][Calm down. You can't see the cutie now.][You don't know how lucky you are to be saved by a mermaid. That squid must've won the lottery.]
Messages flew by as everyone agreed:
[Alright then. You two go. Thank you.]
Lansi, watching the chat, wanted to give a thumbs-up to the sensible humpback whale who had helped organize things.
While most of the group was busy causing chaos, the humpback whale stayed calm and took charge. Without long-time leaders like that, the sea monster chat group would probably fall apart.
In fact, Lansi was convinced that if sea monsters ever went extinct, they'd probably bring it on themselves through sheer disorganization.
After agreeing to help, Lansi started planning with the hermit crab.
[That's definitely a young killer whale,] said the crab, identifying the baby's voice. [Looks like it came ashore while hunting and got stuck.]
[Came ashore?] Lansi blinked, puzzled.
[Seals pass through this area this time of year,] the hermit crab explained. [Killer whales love eating seals. This one probably tried to corner them on land and ended up stranded.]
Thinking back to the group of hungry killer whales they'd seen earlier, Lansi had to admit that made sense.
[Lansi, you need to find the little killer whale first,] the hermit crab said seriously.
[Aren't you coming with me?] Lansi asked.
[I'm too big, and I can't be too far from my shell.] The hermit crab knocked on the small boat strapped to its back. [I'm really slow.]
It was clear. Lansi would have to use his small, nimble body to locate the whale first, then lead the hermit crab there.
[Got it.]
Lansi took a deep breath and spoke in the group chat for the first time.
[Hello. I'm Lansi—the mermaid. Can you hear me, little killer whale?]
The group went dead silent.
Three seconds later, it exploded.
[Ahhhhh, the cutie spoke! Someone write that down! This is historic!][Bro, I'll take you flying for free. Just wait for me.][Mach! Mach! Mach!][That voice… I'm melting.][Shut up, you creep. You can die first.]
Messages flooded the screen. Lansi's head spun from all the overlapping frequencies. He gagged, then quickly exited the chat group.
Now he understood why Winsor never talked in there. If speaking once got you mobbed like this, it was safer to lurk forever.
Once he recovered, Lansi dove back into the group and shouted:
[Everyone shut up, except for the little killer whale!]
The group paused again.
Then one voice chimed in:
[Aww, the cutie scolded us… still adorable~~]
[Jellyfish, shut it. If you don't, I'll never talk to you again!] Lansi replied furiously.
The group finally went quiet.
Lansi hadn't expected his outburst to work, but apparently, sea monsters really did lack common sense. They had no clue how to behave—no social brakes at all.
Well, maybe one. He glanced at Quirrell, still pretending to be a rock nearby.
The only sea monster with any sense of control was pretending to be dead. No wonder the group was weirdly harmonious now.
[Little killer whale, where are you?] Lansi asked again. [Are there any landmarks nearby?]
[Uh…] the young voice hesitated, then said, [I'm under a cloud that looks like a big seal.]
Quirrell, who had been sneakily watching, let out a barbell-like snort.
Lansi: […]
So much for killer whales being the smart ones.
[Remember, we caught one of those yesterday. Lansi's really good at it.]
The baby whale sounded completely innocent.
Lansi held back a laugh and changed the subject.
[How did you end up stranded here?]
[I was practicing my hunting skills,] the little whale said. [Grandma said it's normal to mess up while learning. Back in her day, humans would help the stranded ones and send them home. I guess… I'm lucky to have you.]
Lansi sighed.
Just then, the little whale suddenly sprayed water and shouted:
[Lansi, go back! Hurry!]
[What? Why? The hermit crab isn't here yet.]
[Just go! A boat is coming! There are people!]
Lansi froze. He looked toward the horizon. Sure enough, a ship was approaching.
On the boat, Xiao Ding was holding a pair of binoculars, scanning the coast. When he saw the small island with the stranded whale, his heart jumped.
"Captain, there's a live killer whale on that beach!"
A living, stranded baby whale. If they brought it back, it could pay everyone's salary for a whole week.