Xiaotao and I took turns breathing, managing to last this way for about half an hour before my skin started to burn, the feeling resembled being soaked naked in bleach.

Wang Yizhou must have poured a large amount of swimming pool chlorine that contained strong acidic components. The skin discomfort was secondary — what really bothered me was the burning sensation in my windpipe, probably caused by choking on water at the beginning!

The other thing I noticed was the nylon ropes about a finger’s thickness tied to the two sharp ends of the surfboard. I initially assumed that we could slowly propel the surfboard towards the edge of the swimming pool if we worked to sway it in a coordinated move. But in fact, the nylon ropes at the ends of the surfboard made this impossible. We could only turn up and down.

In such a situation, it was truly a challenge to remain calm and composed. Yet any anxiety and fear would magnify...