The Inescapable Celibate Heir Chapter 129: Rescue

The cruise ship was just a day away from docking. 

That evening, Captain Ross was about to drop anchor when he suddenly spotted a distress signal flashing not far ahead through his binoculars. 

Ross immediately halted the anchoring process and went to the cabin to report to Samuel. 

Given that ships were rare in this part of the sea and signals were often unstable, they always tried to help any vessel in distress, just in case they ever found themselves in a similar situation.

After Ross explained the situation, Samuel quickly agreed to check it out, ensuring their own safety while offering assistance. 

Ross sincerely thanked Samuel for his kindness and then steered the cruise ship towards the signal.

Victoria felt the ship rocking and came out to ask what was happening, running into Ethan and a few others. 

Normally, the ship would have already stopped by this time, as the sea at night was dangerous and they wouldn't wander around. 

But tonight was different, so everyone came out to see what was going on. 

Samuel was heading to the cabin and was surprised to see them. "Why is everyone out here?" he asked.

Victoria, who had just taken a nap, was a bit groggy. 

"What's going on? Why are we still sailing when it's already dark?" she asked, stumbling and almost hitting the wall. 

Ethan, who had been watching her, quickly put his hand between her head and the wall. 

With a dull thud, Victoria was fully awake. She held Ethan's hand and asked, "How's your hand? Your previous injury hasn't healed yet, why are you being so reckless? I would have been fine."

Ethan sighed and flexed his fingers. "It's okay, it's scabbed over, didn't break open." 

He then gave Victoria a disapproving look. She had promised to take good care of herself a few days ago, and now she was again neglecting her own safety.

Nick chimed in with a laugh, "Victoria, you're a girl. It's our job to protect you."

Samuel noticed that Ethan's concern for Victoria seemed to go beyond mere friendship, though he hadn't realized Ethan was already thinking about winning her over. 

He nodded in agreement, "Nick's right. With so many of us guys here, we can't just stand by and let you get hurt." 

He then explained to everyone about the distress signal Ross had seen. 

He also mentioned the various safety hazards of sea travel, emphasizing the need for an experienced captain like Ross. 

Samuel, being a few years older and successful in his career, had traveled the world for business and leisure, so everyone trusted his words.

Soon, they could see the stranded ship ahead. 

It was a passenger ship called the "Ocean Voyager," not small by any means, but it had hit an iceberg during a storm a few days ago, severely damaging its engine room. 

Worse still, its communication equipment had failed, leaving them unable to contact their headquarters for rescue. 

Fortunately, the ship wasn't taking on much water and could stay afloat. 

However, they were supposed to dock two days ago to resupply, and now their food was running dangerously low, with everyone down to one meal a day. 

Most of the passengers were tourists who had come to see the Northern Lights but were now experiencing a refugee-like situation, making the atmosphere on board quite grim.

The captain of the "Ocean Voyager," William, was also a seasoned sailor with ten years of experience. 

But without power, there was little he could do except send out distress signals every night, hoping for a passing ship to rescue them or at least relay their message to land. 

When they saw Samuel's cruise ship, a wave of excitement and cheers erupted on board.

"Someone's here! Finally, someone passed by! We don't have to worry about starving at sea anymore!" 

In fact, the cruise company's headquarters had already been discussing sending a helicopter for a search and rescue mission, but the process was complicated and hadn't been approved yet. 

Plus, the vast sea area made the search time-consuming. If they waited for official rescue, the passengers would have to endure a few more tough days.

The cruise ship couldn't get too close, so Ross stopped at a safe distance and sent a small boat to the "Ocean Voyager" to assess the situation. 

As soon as he boarded, there was a commotion. Someone ran out, shouting, "An old man has fainted!" 

William quickly greeted Ross and then rushed to check on the elderly man.

The unconscious man was Joe Watson, a seventy-two-year-old with short, graying hair and a woolen hat, visiting family in Lytheria. 

A tall girl was supporting him, nervously explaining to William, "Mr. Watson has a heart condition. He's been under a lot of stress these past few days and just had an episode. He lost his medication during the storm, and now it's critical."

William frowned deeply. "We don't have any heart medication on board." 

This was a serious situation, and if something happened to the elderly man, William would be held responsible, at the very least losing his job.

Ross, a straightforward man, understood William's predicament even though they didn't know each other. 

He didn't mind that William prioritized his passengers over formally welcoming him. 

Hearing about the emergency, Ross immediately offered, "We have a doctor on our ship. Maybe we can take Mr. Watson over for treatment?" 

Ross regretted his words a bit, realizing he couldn't make that decision alone. If Samuel didn't want to take on the trouble, he might have given false hope.