It was already September, yet the weather was still scorching hot, and the aft deck of Sea Patrol Boat 48 was baked by the blazing sun to the point where you could fry an egg on it.
The wind over the river was quite strong, but Han Xiangning couldn't feel even a hint of coolness. Wearing a hard hat and a life jacket, one hand on the blistering hot guardrail, she stood on the deck observing the oil slick spreading out after the Zhonghai cargo vessel Yuzhang sank.
She was sweating profusely from the heat, but had no time to go into the cabin for air conditioning. Holding up the walkie-talkie, she shouted, "Director Liu, Director Liu, there's an oil slick about three by three hundred meters long on the river surface. By visual observation it doesn't look too serious; the fuel oil in the bunker tanks probably hasn't leaked."
"Do we need to arrange an oil-cleaning vessel?"
"Just send one over, that'll be enough."
