Infinite Hunter

There are semi-automatic rifles that use the unified Winchester Magnum rifle bullet. Among the American civilian M14 semi-automatic rifles, there is a model that can fire this type of ammunition. Cheng Yijiu now feels that he may really have to prepare such a semi-automatic rifle. Some monsters are too fast, and semi-automatic is more suitable.

Thinking about this, Cheng Yijiu didn't feel uncomfortable. After all, this hunt was a long-term mission just like the last one, and he didn't like such long-term missions. After a night, he opened the shop again, feeling a little unreal. "Continuing such long-term missions will make me feel out of balance," he muttered.

The first customer who opened the door turned out to be an acquaintance. Cheng Yijiu found that he had forgotten his name, but he did remember his occupation—a staff member of a relevant department, a man in charge of some scientific projects. Cheng Yijiu raised his hands, "What's the matter again, Boss?"

The other party also sat in front of him with a smile, "Nothing, I'm just afraid you need to go and cooperate with the relevant departments. There are subsidies." Cheng Yijiu scratched his head and smiled, "You are the leader, so whatever you say is the truth. By the way, to deal with this situation, I might buy a second-hand aircraft and get an operating license?"

The boss's face looked as if he'd eaten shit. At least that's what Cheng Yijiu thought, and he chuckled to himself. "What second-hand plane?" the man said, as if he had a toothache. He didn't ask Cheng Yijiu if he had that much money. It seemed that Cheng Yijiu's personal account was definitely under the supervision of the relevant authorities. "How hard can it be to buy a second-hand old plane? Southeast Asia, South America, and Europe have plenty of old transport planes—I'm optimistic about the DC3."

"This is too old," Liu Tao muttered. "It's cheap. Send it to a domestic aircraft factory and spend some money to overhaul and reinforce the fuselage, replace the engines with two new turboprop engines, and modify the flight control console to fly-by-wire - I remember there's a mature plan for this. It's much cheaper than buying a business jet. As for domestic transport aircraft? Forget it, at least they can't be used as private aircraft at the moment."

Big planes are expensive, small planes have poor performance, and only old World War II planes are suitable. After replacing a turboprop engine, all performance aspects have been greatly improved. The cabin can also be decorated to become an aerial RV like a suite, and even automatic driving can be installed - as long as you are willing to spend money.

Of course, this idea was ultimately squashed by Liu Tao, the leader. "That's not necessary. The relevant departments have their own allocations—don't tell me we actually have an aircraft," Liu Tao said. "It's a Gulfstream G150, more than enough to quickly dispatch a response team—after all, there aren't any suitable domestic business jets."

This time, they were flying aboard a Gulfstream G150, capable of reaching Mach 0.8 and boasting a range exceeding 5,000 kilometers. Liu Tao wouldn't reveal their destination, but time was crucial, presumably because they wouldn't have chosen a business jet. Besides the pilots, there were two other people on board the G150, a young man and woman who were clearly from relevant departments. Including Cheng Yijiu and Liu Tao, there were eight people, including the pilot, co-pilot, and two stewardesses.

These people were likely all officials. The only civilian was Cheng Yijiu, a consultant. After boarding the plane, fastening their seatbelts, and beginning taxiing, Liu Tao pulled out a stack of papers and handed them to Cheng Yijiu. "Good job keeping it secret," Cheng Yijiu muttered, then began to read the documents.

"There's no beginning or end to this," Cheng Yijiu muttered. "This disappearance is a complete mystery. Maybe they just ran away on their own? That's the most reasonable explanation," he said, patting the papers. "That's true. If we don't consider the 'thing,' running away on their own is the most reasonable explanation," Liu Tao said. "But we haven't found any trace of them leaving. These people haven't been seen on the security cameras in nearby towns. They don't owe any debts or have any emotional disputes. They don't seem like the type to run away quietly."

Nestled within the vast mountain ranges of western China lies a mountain lake, exceptionally well-preserved due to its sparse human presence. Recently, a travel program featured this area and produced an episode. During the production of this program, a guest disappeared. This was a serious matter, and while local police initially investigated, they were unable to locate the individual.

The local government hired underwater salvage workers to see if the person had fallen into the water accidentally. However, the salvage workers never returned after entering the water... Now no one dared to enter the water. Local residents had long said that this place was evil and that people would never go fishing there on weekdays. At most, they would go there to fetch water during years of severe drought.

The plane landed at a military airport, and the four people took a six-wheeled off-road vehicle driven by a local military driver to the scene where the incident occurred.

"What a beautiful lake!" The parking lot still required over an hour's hike over the mountains to reach, but Cheng Yijiu was the first to exclaim upon seeing the scenery. The lake before them was truly a turquoise green, not quite large enough to be seen with the naked eye—in aerial photos, it was a circular lake, about a kilometer in diameter. On one side of the lake was a sheer cliff, while on the other, where they were standing, was flat land. To the left and right, the lakeshore was bordered by small hills. The scenery was truly precipitous and beautiful, teeming with exotic flowers and fruits.

Chapter 2 Accident

Near the cliff, the lake's water was particularly dark, reaching a dark green. "How deep is the water here?" Cheng Yijiu asked casually, and Liu Tao shook his head. "It's never been measured." Cheng Yijiu glanced at him and asked, "Didn't the geological survey of the last century even explore this area?"

The young woman stepped forward. "Indeed, there aren't any. There are coal mines and iron mines nearby, but it seems they haven't been thoroughly explored. Wait a moment, our staff are still checking the archives. Some of the files are paper-based and even confidential."

Cheng Yijiu walked around the area a few times. "Those people disappeared at the camping site a little further back?" The hunter scratched his chin. "There are quite a few animals here. There are even bears." He pointed to the ground casually. "Maybe there's a leopard too. With footprints this size, it's most likely a leopard."

"Were they really not dragged away by wild beasts?" Cheng Yijiu asked. Liu Tao shook his head. "There is no trace at all."

"How did the divers disappear?" Cheng Yijiu realized he'd asked a stupid question—it was enough that they didn't surface after going in. The records said two people died, so it seems like after one didn't come up, another went to rescue him, but didn't come up either. Now the local government is still struggling with the compensation...

"Since you've called me, and are leading your department to be in charge of this matter, I think there might be a monster in this lake? It doesn't look like one at all." Cheng Yijiu also scratched his head, "How about we set up camp on the hill over there for the night, or ask the government to send us some raw meat or something, and see if we can use that as bait to catch the lake monster?"

This is also a very normal response, and the camp chosen by Cheng Yijiu is hidden by the mountain. "Is there an artillery scope?" Cheng Yijiu asked Liu Tao to ask the garrison for military supplies that have been placed in the warehouse. "I don't want to be exposed, so using an artillery scope or a camera is the most appropriate." Cheng Yijiu muttered.

In fact, if possible, he would prefer to set up cameras and signal relays here, then stay in a hotel in town and monitor the situation with a computer, since 4G network is available here. "But since we need firsthand information, staying here overnight is fine." Cheng Yijiu didn't ask for weapons, because the young man in the group looked armed.

In terms of CQB alone, Cheng Yijiu felt he might not be a match for this professional. Sure enough, the other party whipped out a fairly powerful weapon, probably a new domestic sniper rifle, a semi-automatic one. Cheng Yijiu shrugged. He didn't even bring a knife this time, so he relied entirely on this young man named Zhang for protection.

Liu Tao also had a weapon in his hand, but Cheng Yijiu smiled at the latest model Type 92. He thought it might be good for wolves, but it would definitely not be powerful enough for bears. He hoped the beasts coming would be at the same level as wolves. The girl surnamed Tian, ​​like Cheng Yijiu, was unarmed, so she followed the garrison driver downstairs early in the morning.

The three men quickly erected a trio of tents, connecting them together for increased wind resistance. Cheng Yijiu also selected several observation points. As for heating? Fires weren't necessary these days—there were special fireless heating devices, and they had brought a whole box of them. As for food, it was self-heating dry rations, requiring only a little water.

That night, the three of them arranged their shifts—no need to go out and get cold, after all, there were surveillance cameras. Gun scopes were only needed when there was something real, so they could confirm it with the naked eye. At some point during the night, a layer of fog gradually appeared over the lake...

At this time, Xiao Zhang was in charge of monitoring. Cheng Yijiu and Liu Tao were both resting. Not long after, Cheng Yijiu felt the electric shock on his finger and immediately woke up. Liu Tao in the other tent also stood up silently and came to Xiao Zhang's side. Cheng Yijiu saw that the young man's eyes were very wide, and his whole body seemed to be in a state of tonic spasm.

"Damn it! What happened!" Cheng Yijiu didn't think twice and directly covered Xiao Zhang's eyes and pulled him to the ground, "Old Liu, handle it! Don't let him bite his tongue! What the hell is going on?" The voice was still very soft, but quite powerful.

Cheng Yijiu looked up when he got no response. Damn, Liu Tao had also entered a similar state, albeit a lot calmer, his eyes fixed on the surveillance video. So he punched Liu Tao, knocking him down as well, blocking their view of the video. Cheng Yijiu turned off the video himself, then went looking for death with his gun scope.

The only sound coming from the lake was the sound of water and the long, soft mooing of cows. Cheng Yijiu, having turned on the gun scope, placed his phone's camera directly against the eyepiece and began filming. "I definitely won't go and see it. I'll wait until we get through tonight and leave this place!" If he had explosives for fishing, Cheng Yijiu wouldn't mind throwing them out to see what was happening.

There is something in the lake, this is certain, and judging from the distance and movement of the water, this thing is probably quite large. Cheng Yijiu estimates that it may be as big as a saltwater crocodile - at least.

After confirming that the other party was gradually moving away, Cheng Yijiu quietly slipped back to the tent to check on the two guys - "They fainted..." Cheng Yijiu took out a satellite phone and immediately contacted the backup - the little girl, asking her to arrange a car to pick them up at dawn, and by the way warned her not to watch the received video data by herself.

"I can't say for sure, but I think seeing this thing might cause damage to people's spirit - don't say it's unscientific, this is actually an approach to science." After Cheng Yijiu finished explaining, he waited for dawn.

At daybreak, he peered out to see the lake was still calm, and there were no unusual signs along the shore. Instead, there were more deer hoof prints, coming and going. Liu Tao and Xiao Zhang were taken directly to the military hospital, and were prepared to be immediately sent to the Military Region General Hospital if any problems arose. However, the examination revealed no major problems, and they woke up half an hour after entering the hospital.

Besides feeling dizzy and having no memory of what they saw, the two had to be sent to the relevant authorities for a psychological evaluation. However, the problem was that even Cheng Yijiu couldn't watch the video he had filmed - his phone was confiscated. This made Cheng Yijiu feel a little regretful. "I should have looked over earlier. If there was any problem, I would have just fallen to the ground and not seen anything. At most, I would have passed out in the middle of the night."

Volume: Hotel California

Chapter 1 Enter

There was no beginning or end to this matter. The Gulfstream G150 sent Cheng Yijiu back to the Magic City, and nothing happened. Cheng Yijiu only knew that there was something in the lake, and that it was quite dangerous. He still remembered the low mooing of the cow vividly, but it was a pity that he hadn't used the gun scope to take a look. "Oh, I'm really curious..." Cheng Yijiu tried to suppress this thought. After all, such things would probably happen again and again in the future. There would be a chance.

The lake itself must have been sealed off. It's a rarely visited area to begin with, so simply notifying the local authorities would have sufficed. Locals wouldn't go there anyway, and even if a few hikers did venture in, those who managed to escape would be detained and fined, while those who couldn't would simply have to bear the consequences. That program's show has been banned and cancelled, and the responsible leaders are held accountable...

Cheng Yijiu only knew this and didn't know any other ways to deal with it.

The pet supply store owner lazily opened the shutters. Tangning was already waiting outside. The working girl came in and started tidying up the shop. Cheng Yijiu pushed open the back door and went to exercise in the open space. The open space was now surrounded by houses on both sides, leaving only two ways out. Either go through Cheng Yijiu's door or leave from the river. However, the riverbank was made of stone, cement, and covered in moss, making it impossible to go down.

The area was only about ten meters long and wide, dotted with two trees and a large mass of weeds. Cheng Yijiu had trampled out a clearing at the back door. He took out his training sword and began his methodical training. He also had physical training and hand-to-hand exercises, and finally a shower before starting the day's business. The same group of swarming men continued to swarm around Miss Tangning, and it was clear that Miss Tang was getting a little impatient.

If the store manager hadn't harassed her, Miss Tang would have resigned—but she might not have been able to, because Cheng Yijiu believed she was most likely from the relevant department. Anyway, after closing the store, Cheng Yijiu entered the small room to check the spoils. When he reached the second floor, there was indeed a bear display enclosure—there was more than one bear in it. "Four bears? I killed more than four."

One spotted, one with one arm, one with a spear on its back, and finally, Red Armor. Compared to the cave bear on the other side, it's clear that even the largest, one-eyed Red Armor, is significantly shorter and two times smaller—the cave bear weighs over a ton, while Red Armor's weight is reportedly 750 kilograms. This size is already worthy of the title of the largest brown bear—and even with the Kodiak Peninsula brown bear, very few brown bears can reach this weight.

Cheng Yijiu walked over and touched the specimen. "It looked quite large when alive, but after being taxidermied, it's actually not that big." He was referring to the other three bears. Indeed, they had grown considerably larger when they were hunted, and now their bones were lying nearby, they were indeed not too large. "But there were some that were the size of Kitami Taro, weighing in at 400 kilograms. It's completely unscientific to find a bear like that in Honshu."

This was probably just some fiction, not reality, and Cheng Yijiu completely accepted it. He looked at the bears, the giant pythons, the giant crocodiles, the lions, and all sorts of other powerful and ferocious beasts. He especially noticed the shining golden lion skin draped over the humanoid frame in the armory. This was an invulnerable weapon, impervious to swords, guns, water, and fire. Cheng Yijiu suspected that even a rifle bullet wouldn't be able to penetrate it.

Soft as silk, hard as steel—the lion's hide was just that. And Cheng Yijiu, like Hercules, strangled it. The hide was dedicated to Apollo, a mark of Cheng Yijiu's honor, alongside a greatsword, a short spear, and chain mail. Cheng Yijiu's hand touched a bow, a modern American hunting bow, one he had never used before. Next, Cheng Yijiu would build a civilian version of the M14, following the blueprints he had downloaded.

This can be considered as a way to kill time.

Cheng Yijiu opened and closed the shop, wandered around, and treated Miss Tangning, who came to work there, with respect, even rarely speaking—Miss Tang seemed quite pleased with herself; dealing with those annoying men was already exhausting enough. The authorities hadn't come looking for Cheng Yijiu again, but Liu Tao had called the day before yesterday to report he was safe. Naturally, Cheng Yijiu asked him what he'd seen, but the jerk just laughed it off, trying to get away with it.

Under repeated questioning, Liu Tao could only say that he couldn't describe it, he couldn't remember it, and his head hurt when he thought about it.

Cheng Yijiu was helpless. He felt that what Liu Tao said was probably true. Some creatures were beyond description. Wasn't the swamp stink ape he had "killed" before a similar creature? It was just not as evil.

Cheng Yijiu had been interested in traveling the northwest, particularly the Tianshan Mountains, Kunlun Mountains, and Karakoram Mountains. However, when the thought came to him, he felt too lazy to move. It didn't matter where, as he could access missions anywhere. His mundane life had dulled his edge, like a blade. Only when a new mission was about to appear did he begin to "revive" and prepare his weapons.

This time, they were going to North America again, and in the early 21st century, which made things easier. There were many different weapon options, but considering the police, Cheng Yijiu chose the most harmless rifles and pistols, which could be disguised as single-shot rifles. Besides these, he only needed a hunting knife, as he didn't know what he was hunting.

With his clothes and supplies packed, Cheng Yijiu opened the door and found himself in a third-generation Camaro. He immediately dumped his weapons and supplies in the trunk and back seat and sped down the highway. Mountains on one side, the sea on the other. Cheng Yijiu quickly recognized it as Highway 1, a famous tourist highway. And what he was looking for had already appeared: a leather notebook on the passenger seat, opening it to reveal records of the California sea monster.

"Famous pseudoscience..." Cheng Yijiu patted the steering wheel. He pulled over to the side of the road, got out, and leaned against the car door to flip through his notebook. There have been sightings of the California sea monster. Let's assume it's a giant sea serpent; it's a long thing anyway. Cheng Yijiu figured that with the advanced biology of the United States and the media's prowess, if a giant creature truly existed near the California coast, it would have been apprehended decades ago.

What's more, there are many different legends about the California Sea Monster. Many say it's a plesiosaur, which is even more exaggerated...it must have disappeared along with the dinosaurs long ago. How could it possibly span 65 million years? Cheng Yijiu also laughed. But since he was here, it was likely that this thing really existed. This would be very interesting. After all, the beasts he had hunted so far were all man-eating beasts. Is there any record of the California Sea Monster attacking humans?

Chapter 2 Rumors

If it's a sea monster, it must be in the ocean. Cheng Yijiu was speechless as he looked at the Pacific Ocean. Why would the California sea monster appear in such a vast ocean? Anyway, it's just a distribution problem. Cheng Yijiu tends to think it might be a giant sea snake. But how can you catch a giant sea snake? If it's the remnant of a plesiosaur, how can you lure it out? These are all headaches.

"There's no way on the road." Cheng Yijiu could only come to this conclusion. He still had to find a way to get a boat, preferably a larger one - but in California, the easiest thing to get was probably a yacht. Cheng Yijiu looked at his wallet and thought maybe he could buy one.

Driving along without being stopped by state troopers, Cheng Yijiu parked in front of a bar. He thought it would be a good idea to get out for a bite to eat and get some information. The girls there were pretty nice, if a bit on the plump side. Cheng Yijiu ordered a plate of roast pork ribs and a thick soup, slowly eating while trying to join in the conversation with the locals. Perhaps because of his good temperament, someone actually approached him.

It turned out that they were expressing their love for his Camaro, so they exchanged a few words, and by the way, the chubby American asked Cheng Yijiu what he was doing there. "Oh, I'm just very interested in the California sea monster, and I want to look for it. Maybe I can find out what kind of animal it is?" Cheng Yijiu said, and those people laughed. But it was not just the chubby American man, several people around heard it.

"Cheers to the California Sea Monster!" a slightly tipsy man yelled, and Cheng Yijiu obligingly picked up his drink. "Cheers to the Sea Monster!" Everyone picked up their glasses and burst into laughter. "Have you seen one?" Cheng Yijiu wasn't very confident. If these guys said they had seen one, there was a 99% chance they were just bragging. What he really needed was another thing: where could he find a cheap used yacht for sale.

Unexpectedly, one of them actually said that he had seen the California sea monster. At this time, Cheng Yijiu also knew that the people here were not all locals, and many of them were passers-by. The man who called himself Grant began to tell his story.

"Well, about two years ago, right? It's about the same season now. I was fishing over there." He pointed outside, where he could see the Golden Gate Bridge a little in the distance. The people here laughed. "Fishing there?" Grant laughed too. "I'm not from California, so I didn't know if I could catch anything. Anyway, I didn't catch anything that day and was about to get in the car and leave..."

He gestured as he spoke. "If I hadn't looked back, I probably wouldn't have had this adventure. I looked back and saw something emerging from the sea about forty feet away. I can only say it had a long neck, probably over twelve feet long. I didn't see its head, and it disappeared from my sight in ten seconds at most. This must be the California sea monster."

"Can this thing swim in such shallow water? Is it even ten meters deep?" Cheng Yijiu asked, and everyone shook their heads. "We've never swum in the Golden Gate Strait before." Everyone started talking about how lucky Grant was, saying he almost caught a sea monster and made a fortune. Even the shy Grant smiled wryly. Another person, a waitress at the place, shared her story.

"I'm not sure, but I've seen huge shadows swimming underwater, so I never go swimming in the sea," said the plump girl. "I saw it when I was standing on the mountain. It was a sunny day." The girl shuddered as she spoke. "So I saw it clearly, sixty feet below in the sea, this monster with a long neck swimming without showing the surface of the water."

As for how big it was, the girl gave a completely untrustworthy answer: "A hundred feet, maybe?"

Cheng Yijiu also asked where he could find a trustworthy used yacht for sale, and someone immediately mentioned knowing a used yacht company offering reliable rental and sales services. Cheng Yijiu happily followed him into town and then to the dock. The young Latino man made a few phone calls, and soon a few people showed up. Cheng Yijiu wasn't worried about them playing dirty; he was only concerned that they didn't have the right boat for him.

If it was a scam, he didn't mind giving them a hard time.

Fortunately, these people seemed quite serious and even asked Cheng Yijiu to find a lawyer to accompany him. So Cheng Yijiu decided not to bother with the price they offered—he just needed a boat that was large enough and comfortable. After spending half a day and paying the lawyer 1,500 yuan, all the paperwork was completed. Cheng Yijiu spent 40,000 US dollars on a yacht that, although old, still performed well.

The yacht was thirty-five meters long and quite old. Cheng Yijiu had them fill up with fuel before the transfer was complete. He parked his car in the parking lot and moved all his belongings onto the yacht. He then sold the car to recoup some of his losses. The other party was only willing to sell him the boat for forty thousand yuan because Cheng Yijiu paid in cash. The group was both delighted and surprised. Anyone walking around with large sums of cash was probably not a good person, especially since they had seen a gun.

Rich mainlanders don't usually come to small places like this. They usually go to San Francisco or Los Angeles, and then directly to Las Vegas. Cheng Yijiu set sail. He wanted to first visit the two sea areas mentioned earlier. "It's not very promising. Otherwise, there would have been many sightings, and the TV stations would have set up cameras and filmed it 24 hours a day, exposing it thoroughly."

Around nightfall, Cheng Yijiu dropped anchor. This was a very small bay, probably not on any shipping route. Looking up, he could see the brightly lit Golden Gate Bridge directly ahead and the even more glorious San Francisco city to the right. Cheng Yijiu took out a can of cold beer and sat at the bow, enjoying the view while drinking. In this situation, even if a sea monster passed under his boat, he wouldn't be able to see it.

The boat rocked gently with the waves, and Cheng Yijiu soon returned to his cabin to sleep. If anything tried to attack him, the gun beside him would tell it to die. Cheng Yijiu's sleep was very alert. He couldn't fall into that kind of deep sleep at sea, otherwise he wouldn't feel anything if the boat sank...

Chapter 3 Encounter

The boat floated close to the shore, rising and falling with the waves. Cheng Yijiu quickly fell asleep in this rocking state. What he didn't know was that at midnight the boat was gently bumped and turned around...

That morning, Cheng Yijiu washed up and prepared a typical Western breakfast—toast and butter with bacon and fried eggs, and a large glass of milk. After finishing his meal and leaving, he realized something was amiss. "Did the boat flip over? Probably the tides," was all Cheng Yijiu could say. As for the possibility of the California sea monster passing by? That was incredibly unlikely.

There was no fixed target, but the boat had a pretty good sonar that could detect underwater movements. Cheng Yijiu drove the boat to the waters off California and drove around casually until he saw a boat floating in the sea - the kind that was half-sunken. There was blood on the boat. The boat was smaller than his, but it was also a yacht. When Cheng Yijiu approached, there was no one on the boat...

Cheng Yijiu didn't even think to go over and check—he was always wary of prey in the water, as they were incredibly hard to spot. "Was this attacked by the California sea monster?" Cheng Yijiu wondered if his luck was just that good. After all, he was a hunter out to hunt the California sea monster. What was so strange about running into someone attacked by a sea monster? It was just pure luck.

There are so many yachts off the coast of California, probably only slightly fewer than in Miami. It's interesting to think that despite all these yachts, there haven't been any reports of California sea monsters attacking people. And now, Cheng Yijiu has arrived and immediately witnessed one. "Maybe, forget it. The bloodstains look quite fresh, so maybe the attacker is nearby." Cheng Yijiu worried that someone might have committed murder, but he didn't see a single bullet hole.

The trail of blood couldn't prove anything more; the body was gone anyway. Cheng Yijiu's boat wasn't going very fast. He stood in the upper wheelhouse, looking around with a telescope—basically, there would be no results. If he were a little further away, the reflection from the sea wouldn't allow him to see anything beneath the surface. Unless the sea monster surfaced, Cheng Yijiu had no idea where it was.

The mission was short, just three days, and already halfway through. Cheng Yijiu had a bad feeling, "Maybe I shouldn't have bought a yacht." He wondered if a secondhand fishing boat with plenty of bait would be a better option. Just then, the sonar detected an unusual movement. "What's that signal? Something? There's something quite large swimming beneath the surface, probably ten meters long."

The signal was brief and disappeared after a moment. Cheng Yijiu thought he might have found his target, but it could also be a complete error or even a school of fish. He drifted in that direction and spotted a sailboat through his telescope. It was quite large, a single-masted sloop, but it could be maneuvered by one person. Many people use these sailboats for extreme sports like crossing the ocean.

There was a girl on the boat, at least Cheng Yijiu saw from the side that there was a girl at the stern, and it seemed that she was the only one on the boat. To avoid suspicion, Cheng Yijiu did not approach. The other party sent a friendly signal, and Cheng Yijiu responded with a light. Just as Cheng Yijiu was fiddling with the light, he seemed to notice a strange wave hitting the bow of the sailboat from the corner of his eye.

Cheng Yijiu quickly raised his head and stared at the area. It seemed normal, though. His vision couldn't penetrate the water, at least close to the surface, and there was nothing unusual. The sailboat gradually moved away, and the weather began to grow gloomy. The temperature dropped so sharply that Cheng Yijiu had to enter the cabin and put on a one-piece diving suit. His boat was relatively old-fashioned, so it had corridors running through both sides, rather than some passages on both sides that had to be held on to for the sake of elegance and space saving.

Cheng Yijiu was afraid he'd lose his grip and slip into the sea, which wasn't a good option. His boat wasn't going very fast, so after a quick circle, he decided to turn around and slowly follow the girl's boat—after all, there were no other boats in sight. Cheng Yijiu knew the girl's direction, so he turned around and slowly followed—even though he couldn't see it through the telescope yet, he believed that if he sped up, he'd be able to see the girl's boat in half an hour at most.

The weather was getting worse, with leaden cirrus clouds overhead and the temperature continuing to drop. Cheng Yijiu even considered speeding back to the nearby harbor to drop anchor and rest. Sailing in this kind of weather was a chore. "What's wrong with this boat? Why is the sail half-down?" Cheng Yijiu didn't need the telescope, as he could see a sailboat. It was the girl's boat, but for some reason it had half-down sails - in fact, Cheng Yijiu thought it was more like the rigging system had malfunctioned and was stuck.

"Is there no one clearing the obstacle?" Cheng Yijiu decided to move closer. His palms were a little cold, so he bent down to get a pair of gloves. When he looked up, he saw what seemed to be a flipper emerging from the water and then slapping down. Cheng Yijiu rubbed his eyes and quickly grabbed the telescope to look over. "It seems real? Is the white foam on the sea surface the remaining trace?" Because the waves had become a little big, Cheng Yijiu did not hear the sound of the waves hitting the water - after all, the distance was at least more than a hundred meters.

This situation occurred between a sailboat over 400 meters away and Cheng Yijiu's own boat. Cheng Yijiu didn't have any luck. He felt that he couldn't be wrong. There was something in the water, and it was very close to him - could it be a whale? Cheng Yijiu didn't think he was so lucky that he would encounter a harmless whale. "Damn it! I didn't bring my gun!" Cheng Yijiu immediately turned over and went down the stairs, ready to run into the cabin to get his gun.

This was essentially a gamble. If the so-called California sea monster really did surface and attack—which now seemed quite possible, given the high-lying bloodstains on the side of the unmanned vessel—it definitely wasn't splashed by something that had fallen into the sea and been attacked. Cheng Yijiu entered the master bedroom, grabbed his rifle, and tucked his single-shot pistol into his waistband. Then, cautiously, he approached the door.

The collision happened suddenly. When Cheng Yijiu walked to the door, the whole ship jumped and stopped. Cheng Yijiu could even feel that the left bow was hit. "Damn it! Damn it!" He grabbed the handrail in the aisle to avoid falling. "The hull must hold on for me!"

Chapter 4: Lost Opportunity

The hull must have withstood the impact. If this high-strength fiberglass hull could be damaged, then the animal that struck it was probably armored or extremely fast, likely a suicidal attack. Regardless of whether the California sea monster was a plesiosaur or a sea serpent, its impact capability was far inferior to that of the killer whales that also roamed the California waters. Cheng Yijiu even believed that they were probably no match for the killer whales.

"Whatever shape it is, it's long and narrow, not like a gas barrel like a killer whale. It's likely heavier than a killer whale, and its mouth and teeth are probably inferior to those of a killer whale. So, could the California sea monster be a Leviathan?" Cheng Yijiu steadied himself and pondered this as he walked out. He was extremely cautious, using the door leading to the outside as a cover, and didn't foolishly rush out.

Sure enough, he saw a shadow passing over the aft deck. Overhead, the supports on the four sides of the second-deck exterior wheelhouse roof made a crashing sound, as if the roof had been torn off. Cheng Yijiu immediately pulled out a dental mirror and held it out to take a look. The long, blue-gray neck… was still a bit thick, but certainly not as flexible as a snake's, and its bending angle was limited.

"The problem is, this thing can actually lift its head?" Cheng Yijiu was surprised because he had actually seen a plesiosaur fossil specimen. This thing in front of him was definitely not a sea snake, but weren't plesiosaurs known to have very stiff necks? And this posture looked almost like a Diplodocus or Brachiosaur, able to lift its head. He hadn't even seen the head yet, but he felt that the neck was thicker than he had imagined. It should be able to "swallow" a person...

The thickness is like this, at least more than a person's thickness, but if you really want to swallow it, you will definitely choke to death. After all, this thing should not be able to expand freely by a python. "Maybe the California sea monster has the ability to tear it apart. Let's take a look at its head first?" Cheng Yijiu also slapped his head. What is he looking at! Shoot directly at the neck! He came here to hunt, not to watch paleontology. And this California sea monster has killed at least two people, right?

So Cheng Yijiu immediately raised his gun, but the angle of the monster's neck made it difficult for Cheng Yijiu to aim - he had to go out to the back deck. Cheng Yijiu breathed a sigh of relief - on land, he even dared to fight a flying dragon, but facing a shark at sea was difficult. Cheng Yijiu rushed out decisively, but at this time, only huge waves were left on the side, and the California sea monster dived.

"Damn it!" Cheng Yijiu cursed. He looked up and saw that the roof had been deformed by the collision. There was a dent in one place, and a supporting hollow tube was also bent. The damage stopped there, and the attack power of this California sea monster was evident. Cheng Yijiu stood on the rear deck and saw the shadow under the water - it was the shape of a fin. It was unrealistic to shoot - a rifle bullet shot into the water at a high angle might have a little killing power, enough to hurt creatures in the water at a depth of 1.5 meters.

But firing at such a low angle? The bullet would shatter upon entering the water, rendering it harmless. Any creature submerged deeper than two meters would be vulnerable to ordinary bullets. "Large-caliber, slow-speed, heavy rounds..." Cheng Yijiu said with a wry smile. "If I had that, I'd just use hedgehog rounds. Why would I worry about the California sea monster?" Unfortunately, the shadow he had just seen quickly vanished, leaving Cheng Yijiu with no idea which direction the monster would attack from.

Maybe they'll just run away, which would definitely mean mission failure. Cheng Yijiu already had a premonition of mission failure; he didn't know how this punishment mission would turn out. With this premonition in mind, he leaned against the passageway door—he could hide inside if there was danger, and the visibility here was excellent, with the entire rear hemisphere of the ship within his sight. As for the front? That was completely irrelevant.

It felt like something was passing over his head again. Cheng Yijiu took a step forward and turned around in the corridor. After crossing a direction, he finally saw the California sea monster in the direction of the bow. This guy stretched out his long neck from the sea, and his head did not look like a moray eel or a lizard at all. Cheng Yijiu felt that this guy's head was very similar to a horse but much larger, and the exposed teeth were quite sharp. It seemed that it could not only hunt fish, but also catch seals.

When it comes to defense, humans are probably not as good as seals.

Cheng Yijiu raised his gun, but the creature moved its head incredibly quickly and returned to the water just as quickly—basically, it passed by, saw no prey, and immediately dived back in. Cheng Yijiu fired a shot at the gray-blue back that emerged from the water, but missed, the current disrupting his aim. From then until dark, Cheng Yijiu never saw the California sea monster again.

He returned to the bay and dropped anchor shortly after the Coast Guard arrived. They were there to inquire about the situation, as Cheng Yijiu was the only one who had seen the half-sunken yacht and was likely the last person to see Lisa. "Who is Lisa? The girl on the sailboat?" Cheng Yijiu sat on the back deck as two officers boarded his boat, and a Coast Guard boat and several other people gathered alongside.

"Yes, I have seen her, but there was no contact between us. We just greeted each other using light language - the weather is bad today. Later I wanted to look back, and then I saw her ship - it seemed that the rigging was stuck, the sails were half-lowered and there was no one - this reminded me of the bloodstains on the previous ship, which was an ominous sign. Then I saw the California sea monster, and it is estimated that this sea monster attacked the two ships." Cheng Yijiu dropped the bombshell very calmly.

"California sea monster?" one of the two officers repeated, while the other muttered a few words. Cheng Yijiu felt that most of them didn't believe it. "I saw it twice. If you need any evidence, you can go to the wheelhouse on the second deck. The ceiling and steel pipes there have been destroyed by this monster. According to the principle of contact transfer, you will definitely be able to collect biological evidence in the damaged area, which will prove that what I said is not a lie." Cheng Yijiu said very calmly.

"This thing looks like a plesiosaur, but its head is more like a horse's, and it has sharp fangs in its mouth. I think it could at least prey on seals," Cheng Yijiu added calmly. "It's a pity I didn't hit it." Cheng Yijiu's long and short guns were both legal weapons; he didn't carry a handgun, which is relatively strictly regulated in California. Two other people boarded Cheng Yijiu's boat and climbed up to the second deck.

Chapter 5 The real danger?

The other two came down about half an hour later, apparently having collected quite a few samples. After they returned to the boat, the two officers habitually began to wrap up. "If you think of anything, please contact us immediately. It's best not to stray too far during this period." Cheng Yijiu gave a wry smile. How could he possibly leave? There was only one day left. The outcome of this mission would be revealed tomorrow.