It was summer vacation. Under the blazing sun, the land suffered a prolonged drought, and the national weather station reported that the affected area had exceeded all historical records.
One morning, Cheng Hao dreamed he was sinking into the endless depths of the sea. In the darkness, a pair of vertical pupils called his name and murmured, “I'm waiting for you here.”
When he woke up, he thought it was just an interesting dream.
That night, sitting in a little tree outside his rural grandfather's house, he met a golden dragon, the very one from his grandfather's story. Legend had it that the dragon controlled the clouds and rain in the sky.
The golden dragon gave him a dragon scale, allowing him to roam freely through the sea and rescue the water dragon. Only when the water dragon returned could rain fall from the sky.
The water dragon was a silver dragon who controlled the distribution of water on land and lived in a crystal palace beneath the sea.
Cheng Hao knew he had landed in serious trouble.
The problem was big, but he had plenty of friends to help.
Hande the octopus could use a slingshot to drive off the tiger shark, whose teeth were as white and sharp as spears.
The giant tree on the seabed would save him from being surrounded.
The clownfish would use seaweed mud to dress his wounds.
The sea turtle was a champion of justice and would help him hunt down the one spreading rumors.
Of course, there were plenty of enemy forces among the shrimp soldiers and crab generals, too.
Only when he was trapped in the Silent Tide Sea did he learn how big the real problem was.
But the water dragon was still nowhere to be found.
Were the humans of rumor really the source of all the trouble?
Where was the water dragon?
A few reading tips:
1. This story began as a fairy-tale premise before I signed a contract. I've since expanded it. The original fairy tale has turned into a light novel, and it's not very long.
2. There are many original details, and elements from different sources are mixed together. Some underwater scenes and creature traits may not be scientifically accurate, so don't read it as a work of research.
3. The pace is slow before the protagonist Cheng Hao goes underwater. If you're still interested but don't like the slower start, you can begin after he dives in, at Chapter 11. There are surprises later on, and you'll find it hard to stop turning the pages.
4. Trust your taste. The style stays true to a lighthearted fairy-tale animation. The clownfish's dialogue can be a little childish, but there isn't too much of it, and it's lively and fun.
5. The protagonist is a detective by design, but there's little focus on investigation and deduction. The story is more about adventure. Perhaps I'll write a detective story another time.
6. The author plans to create a series about the growth of Cheng Hao and his sister Cheng Beibei, with each as the protagonist in different stories. There are already several short stories featuring the two of them over in the children's section. Come and watch them grow.
7. The author is terrible at writing blurbs, so please bear with me. The legends in the story are fictional. At least, I've never heard of them.
Theme: Where there's a will, there's a way
