Chapter 053 Don't Expect to Clear Your Name For Any Reason!

Before she could even scream, Adelina saw a blur of colors flashing before her eyes until suddenly—splash—she was surrounded by a spray of water.

The rapid current carried her forward, but within a second, she was caught by a large net.

After swallowing a few mouthfuls of water, she firmly grasped the netting, struggling to stick her head out of the rushing water and gasping for air.

Darkness enveloped her, with only a glare of light coming from an opening above.

After her eyes adjusted to the dimness, she yanked an emergency flashlight from her backpack, flicked it on, and scanned her surroundings.

The water was deep, too deep for her to touch the bottom even on tiptoes.

It was also remarkably clear; she only had to glance down to see her legs suspended in the water beneath her.

She then examined that lifesaving net. Though it looked fairly new, it was actually old; its meshes clogged with various fallen branches and leaves, all of which were a vibrant green, as if they were part of the aquatic flora.

There were several signs of wear and tear on the ropes, weathered from being lashed by the water over time.

Just as she directed the beam of her flashlight toward the surrounding walls and the rocky ceiling above, she heard a thud sound next to her. It seemed someone else had fallen through the entrance!

Almost instantly, the net that had arrested her fall jerked backward, stabilizing the body of the newcomer.

"Adelina, Adelina!"

Langston's voice suddenly rang in her ear as he surfaced, gasping for air.

Adelina's light caught his face.

His features were slick with water, his glasses having vanished during the descent.

Yet even without his glasses, his face brought back vivid memories of the Mr. Miller with whom she once registered for a government service.

Langston, of all people, reminded her so much of Mr. Miller from her memories.

She pondered for a while and concluded it must be because her first impression of Mr. Miller had been so positive that she kept overlaying his image onto the most distinguished men she encountered.

Shaking her head quickly, she attempted to dispel this unrealistic daydream.

Noticing her action, Langston thought she was in shock and gently enveloped her in his arms. "It's okay, I'm here."

Adelina snapped out of it and lifted her head from his embrace. "Mr. Moore, how did you end up down here as well?"

Langston's patience snapped. "Do you ever listen? I just told you not to do anything reckless, and off you go chasing a monkey without a care for your life! If I hadn't followed you, you'd be down here with no one to know how you met your end!"

Rebuked, Adelina hung her head in shame.

"I'm sorry... I didn't realize chasing a monkey could be so dangerous..."

Langston gave her that exasperated look again, but his heart wasn't in it to scold her any further. Instead, he focused on how they would get out of this predicament.

He too pulled out an emergency flashlight from his backpack and inspected the swift current.

"This looks like a natural cavern, the entrance must've formed naturally and then got covered by plant life above. The net, being neither new nor old, I guess was installed by local villagers to prevent animals from falling in. Therefore, I'm betting there's another way out of here."

"Are we going to have to climb up the cliffside?" Adelina shone her flashlight toward the other side, where she saw an abundance of stalactites and stalagmites, even some stone columns.

Langston observed the terrain and said, "Your guess is probably right. Let's choose this side. The water is getting more and more fierce; it must be raining upstream. We can't stay here much longer, or when the water rises, the net might not hold."

Adelina nodded, tucked her flashlight back into her backpack, and prepared to make her way to the bank closer to Langston by following the net first.

However, Langston pulled out a climbing rope from his bag, tied both of their waists together, then threaded one end of the rope through a metal hook, making a secure knot.

The cave was surrounded by rough stalagmites. He threw the end of the rope to one of the sturdier ones, making sure the hook was firmly caught, and then started to ascend slowly, pulling on the rope.

Adelina's feet were shod in heavy hiking boots, which had become particularly heavy from the water they had absorbed.

As the current grew stronger, her heavy boots finally slipped off her feet, passed through the holes in the net, and plunged into a deeper pool of water about 20 meters below.

Adelina broke into a cold sweat.

"Adelina!"

Suddenly, Langston, who was ahead, turned back and called out to her, "What are you spacing out for? Get up here! The water's rising!"

Adelina snapped back to reality, let go of the net, and grabbed the rope to follow closely behind Langston.

Langston reached the bank and then turned around to pull the rope with more force, to accelerate Adelina's ascent.

However, the water surged once more, tossing Adelina back several times. Since they were tied together, Langston was also dragged back into the water several times.

"Ditch the backpack! You'll be lighter, and I can pull you up easier!" Langston was frantic, as he could feel the resistance from the water and the rope increasing, and his strength was waning.

The rising water had already submerged the spot where he had landed and even surpassed the highest point of the net behind them; unless they sank, the net couldn't catch either of them anymore.

So, he had no choice but to keep climbing to ensure safety.

Adelina's mind was racing. Although she was less than three meters away from him, she couldn't swim and only relied on his strength to pull her.

If she cut the rope that was tied around their waists, he could definitely reach the bank first.

His life was worth so much more than hers. He had so many employees to support, and such a good life ahead of him; he couldn't perish here with her.

As for her, maybe death would be a kind of release.

With that thought, she hesitated no more, pulled a Swiss Army knife from the back of her backpack, and cut the rope that connected them.

Langston instantly felt the slack at his waist and his reflexes made him climb faster.

Soon, he realized what had happened.

His face suddenly flushed with anger as he roared, "What are you doing! Adelina! Get up here now!"

However, Adelina didn't have time to answer him. After the rope broke, she was swept away, quickly passing through the large net, and plunging straight into the depths of the dark pool below.

At that moment, she felt weightless, as if she had transformed into countless bubbles merging with the water, leaving only the roaring sound of the rushing stream.

Perhaps this was what it felt like to fall freely from a great height.

With her eyes closed, she felt the last moments of life slipping away.

After what seemed like an eternity, Adelina felt as though she was floating in mid-air, the sound of water now distant.

"Adelina, Adelina..."

Someone was calling out, a familiar voice.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and was surprised to find herself still inside the cavern.

Her view suddenly expanded, and she could clearly see the stalactites at the top of the cavern and the entire extent of the deep pool.

She paused, puzzled. She didn't know what was happening.

"Adelina, we're okay. The water is buoyant, and look, there's light ahead. If we swim toward it, we can get out," the familiar voice spoke again, and Adelina realized it was Langston holding her waist.

On her face, unbeknownst to her, a pair of diving goggles had been placed.

"Mr. Moore, you..." she tried to speak but her voice was hoarse, barely audible.

He had followed her.

"Don't talk; you just passed out," he interrupted her, "We're lucky. This river flows with miraculous water. So, when we get out, there's a fifty percent chance we'll end up where you first discovered that stream."

She moved slightly and indeed felt herself float.

"It's narrow up ahead, the exit is less than two inches above the water surface. Take the snorkel in a moment, I'll pull you underwater, and we'll swim out together."

After saying this, Langston paused, cupping her face and gazing deeply into her eyes.

"Adelina, we've been through life and death together twice. When we get out, don't think of any reason to push me away! It's not possible anymore!"