Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 229: He’s Here

Chapter 229: Chapter 229: He’s Here

The road leading to Fengtang Village had been blocked due to bad weather and slippery conditions. A sign was erected to prohibit passage.

Cheng Qiaobei ignored it and continued driving around the no-stop sign.

The windshield wipers swiftly brushed away the rain, only for the view to blur again in the next second.

Lin Hanrui’s name appeared on the screen, and Cheng Qiaobei answered, "Where have you reached?"

"I passed Changping Town; I’ll be at Fengtang Village in over ten minutes."

Lin Hanrui was driving an off-road vehicle with a raft in tow.

He loved outdoor extreme sports. The equipment he used was professional, and he also had rich driving experience and skills.

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Ning Xi said there are many underwater rocks, and the raft could easily capsize. Don’t push your luck. Only attempt it if you’re confident."

Without seeing the situation firsthand, Lin Hanrui dared not make any promises.

"Alright, I’ll decide after assessing the scene."

When Cheng Qiaobei called to borrow the boat, Lin Hanrui didn’t hesitate and came with his gear. Liang Lei also came along.

"How’s Ning Xi doing over there?" Liang Lei was anxious.

The phone was on the console on speaker, and Cheng Qiaobei’s voice came through, saying,

"Her phone’s dead. I’m not sure about her current situation."

Hearing this, Liang Lei became more worried. "Is there a rescue team on site?"

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Yes. The rescue team attempted to rescue, and Ning Xi mentioned they tried delivering life vests with a drone. But the strong wind and rain, combined with poor visibility at night, made it unsuccessful."

He restrained his anxious emotions, and Liang Lei knew the most worried and anxious person was Cheng Qiaobei. She comforted,

"Don’t worry. With the rescue team there, Ning Xi will be alright."

Cheng Qiaobei prayed in his heart for her safety.

Lin Hanrui suddenly said, "I see it. Old Cheng, don’t worry, I’m here."

Liang Lei looked ahead and saw car lights and figures moving not far away. "I see them too. There are quite a few people there; don’t worry."

"I’m almost there."

Cheng Qiaobei hung up, and the car drove into Fengtang Village. The backflow of the floodwater had already reached the calves. Unfamiliar with the area, he could only follow the GPS.

When Cheng Qiaobei’s car stopped at the GPS location, he got out and ran toward the riverbank without taking an umbrella.

The searchlight’s beam turned "weak and puny" in the abyss-like night and dense rain. The torrents of rain were visible within the light beam, and the central river’s power tower was faintly discernible.

Cheng Qiaobei raised his hand to shield his forehead from the rain as he tried to look for Chen Ningxi, but he couldn’t see her after a while. He asked the nearby rescue team, "There’s a woman on the power tower, where exactly is she?"

The rescue team member assessed Cheng Qiaobei, seeing he wasn’t part of the team. "This place is dangerous, leave quickly."

Cheng Qiaobei said, "My wife is on the power tower."

The rescue team member asked, "Are you Manager Chen’s husband?"

"Yes, how is she now? When can you get her to safety?"

The barrage of questions stumped the rescue member, and he explained to Cheng Qiaobei, "I understand your feelings, but the situation is too complex. Our drone got stuck on the power tower, and the raft was damaged attempting a rescue. Look, the boat’s right over there."

Illuminated by car headlights, the raft had crashed on the riverbank, visibly damaged, with the engine seemingly compromised.

Cheng Qiaobei asked, "Where is she? Can I see her?"

The rescue team member adjusted the light angle and pointed to a spot, "Can you see her? She’s wearing a dark raincoat on the right side of the tower, a little higher up."

Following the light beam’s guidance, Cheng Qiaobei finally saw the person on the tower.

Chen Ningxi had her head lowered, hanging onto the tower like clothing.

Lin Hanrui spotted Cheng Qiaobei in the crowd and urged Liang Lei to get an umbrella from the car, "Old Cheng is here."

"Where?" Liang Lei asked.

"There." Lin Hanrui grabbed the umbrella and hurried toward him, with Liang Lei following behind.

Suddenly, the rain overhead was blocked, and Cheng Qiaobei looked up to see the umbrella, then turned back to see Lin Hanrui and Liang Lei. He continued communicating with the rescue team, "If we had a raft, could we try again?"

The rescue member shook his head repeatedly, saying, "No, you saw our raft. The current situation is too dangerous, with rapid water and complex underwater conditions. We almost lost two team members earlier; fortunately, they were tied with safety ropes. Otherwise, they would have been swept away with the boat. Right now, we can only wait for the rain to lessen and for the water to stabilize."

Lin Hanrui gazed at the water, contemplated, and said, "I brought a raft with high power over here. I’m knowledgeable about wilderness rescue. Could I give it a shot?"

The rescue team member said, "No, our raft was swept away the moment it hit the water. The current water speed is even more severe than when we tried. It’s too dangerous and doesn’t meet rescue conditions."

Cheng Qiaobei asked, "Any other ideas?"

The rescue team said, "After the drone got stuck on the power tower, we requested helicopter support, but the tower lines were too intricate, so that plan failed. We considered dropping life vests to the stranded person with ropes from the helicopter, but there were too many low-altitude hover disruptions and high risks. Continuing with the helicopter would affect the tower’s stability and lead to it toppling, so helicopter rescue was also halted."

Listening to this, Cheng Qiaobei felt even heavier at heart, looking again at the hunched figure on the tower. Despite not seeing her expression, he could sense her fear and suffering.

Liu Shaojun looked at the person on the opposite tower and shouted, "Manager Chen, Manager Chen."

He called several times before the person slightly moved. Chen Ningxi slowly raised her head; she had been in this position for over two hours, and now her arms and legs were becoming numb.

Liu Shaojun said, "Manager Chen, hold on. The rescue team will think of something."

Chen Ningxi nodded and lowered her head to rest on her arm. She was weak and a bit faint. Without the two pieces of chocolate Cheng Qiaobei gave her, she’d likely have run out of strength long before.

The rain grew heavier, causing the river level to rise dramatically.

Chen Ningxi felt the water flushing underneath and took a glance, telling the workers beside her, "The water’s rising. We need to climb higher."

"They’re climbing up again," someone suddenly shouted.

Everyone’s attention focused on the power tower in the river. Cheng Qiaobei fixed his gaze on Chen Ningxi; she was climbing arduously and visibly exhausted compared to the others.

"Chen Ningxi—Chen Ningxi—" Cheng Qiaobei shouted loudly.

The sound of the rain drowned his voice, and Chen Ningxi didn’t hear him.

"Chen Ningxi—" Cheng Qiaobei yelled at the top of his lungs, finally getting a reaction from the person on the tower. She turned to look toward the bank.

A figure stood illuminated in the light, indistinct but unmistakably recognizable to Chen Ningxi as Cheng Qiaobei.

The two stared across the rushing floodwaters. Without words exchanged, Chen Ningxi knew he had come.