Chapter 33

[Congratulations! You have won Second Prize: Drifting Bottle Personal Protective Shield (1-hour Trial Card). Note: This is a Level 4 Raft feature, but the trial card can be equipped on rafts of any level.]

[Would you like to claim your reward?]

[Yes/No]

A small golden card fell into her hand. Maybe it was because this was a golden second-prize reward, but it seemed to shine even more brilliantly than the golden third-prize card she had previously received.

A second-prize gold reward, but with only one hour of usage? And it was a feature that would only appear once she upgraded to a Level 4 raft? Compared to the 24-hour Drifting Bottle Shield she had used before, this one-hour experience felt incredibly valuable.

Judging by the name, since she had already used the Drifting Bottle Shield, she could guess the function of this card—it must be a portable version of the shield.

However, all function cards had to be activated using the feature screen in her Drifting Island House. She didn’t want to rearrange the hotel furniture just to make space for her raft, so she couldn’t test it out for now.

She would have to wait until she found a place to live, where she could safely deploy her raft and confirm her speculation.

It had been days since she last set up her raft, and she missed her cozy little Drifting Island House dearly. Without hesitation, Shu Fu changed her clothes, packed her gear, and prepared to head out.

She had to wrap herself in a thick raincoat. The one she had worn yesterday had gotten drenched inside and out due to the heavy rain and her frantic escape. Luckily, she had washed it in the morning when the water levels rose and stored it away.

But she had bought several identical raincoats, so she simply put on a fresh one.

She was no longer a refugee staying in a shelter—she was now a local who had returned home after struggling to make a living. She didn’t need to dress too shabbily.

Underneath the raincoat, she wore lightweight, sweat-wicking thermal clothing as a base layer, with a fleece jacket on top for easy removal. Over that, she put on waterproof trekking pants, a waterproof jacket, and waterproof boots.

She also swapped her backpack for a waterproof one, packing two cans of food, a bag of bread, a bottle of water, a pack of tissues, and some disinfectant wipes—just for show. If she needed anything else, she could take it from her inventory in secret, using the raincoat and backpack as cover.

With her backpack secured in front of her and her phone sealed in a waterproof bag, she finally put on her raincoat and left the room.

---

The hotel was full of guests, but most of them stayed in their rooms.

Those who stayed here were wealthy out-of-towners, many of whom had been in the hotel for quite some time. Some were waiting for tickets to head west or north, while others had their own vehicles but were waiting for travel permits issued by cities in the northwest.

The origin of these travel restrictions could be traced back to one month ago.

About a month ago, a live-streamed video featuring a suicidal man in Suicheng claiming the end of the world was coming was circulated online.

The video had been heavily edited, incorporating footage of various disasters that had occurred worldwide over the past month. The apocalyptic claims and disaster footage alternated, making what initially seemed like the ramblings of a mentally ill man look like a real doomsday prophecy.

The creator of the video hacked into major platforms, causing online panic and chaos until the video was finally banned.

In response, the internet was flooded with educational posts and expert analyses. Scientists dissected the planet’s rising water levels, reassuring the public that the apocalypse wasn’t real, disasters would pass, and the government would continue disaster relief efforts.

The situation was suppressed, but public anxiety was impossible to completely erase.

Some people believed the video’s creator was an anti-social disruptor trying to cause chaos. Others believed the hacker had leaked real information, that the suicidal man had been secretly taken away from a mental hospital, and that classified research was already underway.

Some people believed it, some didn’t, some mocked it, and some fell into deep fear over the impending apocalypse.

Regardless, the apocalyptic theory had now spread across the entire country.

Those who believed in it were convinced that Muzhou Province, Xiren Province, and even the northwestern Lankou Province weren’t safe. They insisted they had to reach highland cities, believing that when most of the planet was flooded, those places would be the last safe zones.

With Huagou’s massive population, even a small fraction of believers created a staggering wave of migration.

However, many people already lived in relatively safe cities like Lou Yuncheng, and there was no need for them to relocate. But with flights grounded and transportation in crisis, this unnecessary migration placed tremendous strain on all sectors of society.

Highland cities, in particular, were overwhelmed by the sudden influx of people.

These cities were not refugee zones—they were the last strongholds of Huagou, continuously producing and supplying essential goods for disaster-stricken areas, such as drinking water, medicine, clothing, and rain gear.

A surge in population would disrupt social stability, turning these strongholds into disaster zones like Muzhou and Xiren Provinces.

And so, in the end, the government implemented travel bans and required entry permits for highland cities.

Those who had rushed into the plateau cities earlier were already settled, but for the larger number of people trying to go now, it was no longer so easy.

Nowadays, the people choosing to stay in hotels and inns in Lou Yuncheng instead of renting apartments were those who had been stranded here due to the newly implemented traffic bans and entry permit regulations. They had only ever planned to pass through Lou Yuncheng and had no intention of staying long-term, so they naturally weren’t interested in looking for housing.

---

After going downstairs, Shu Fu first visited a medium-sized supermarket near the hotel to check the prices of goods.

Prices had indeed risen, but they weren’t as outrageous as what she had seen online when she was in Suicheng. That was probably because the reports she had seen then were all about disaster-stricken areas—places that were already in bad shape at the time and had since been completely submerged by floods, with all the refugees relocated.

Here, the prices of most food items, such as rice, flour, canned goods, and instant foods, had increased by about 50% to 70%. Some items had even doubled in price, especially fresh produce like vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat. The selection on the shelves wasn’t as extensive as before, but the supermarket rotated different kinds of fresh goods daily.

Additionally, all essential items—such as drinking water, beverages, rain gear, and boating equipment—were subject to purchasing limits, with different quotas set for individual buyers and restaurant owners who needed to buy in bulk.

For instance, the supermarket’s fruit section today only had Hami melons, oranges, apples, and pears. Apples and pears were regular items, while oranges and Hami melons were part of the rotating selection. The fresh stock was put on the shelves in the morning, and once the rotating items sold out, they wouldn’t be restocked until the next day.

Apparently, when the purchase limit policy was first introduced, things got a little chaotic. The supermarkets were packed every day, and some people even fought over supplies, making headlines one after another.

But over time, people realized that although there were purchasing limits, the supply never actually ran out. Every item that sold out one day would be restocked the next morning. As long as they went shopping a bit earlier the next day, they could still get whatever they had missed out on before.

Once this became clear, the panic gradually subsided.

Because people discovered that these limits didn’t really affect their daily lives. After all, an individual could only consume so much food and water in a day, and the allowed quota was more than enough—even generous.

The real targets of these restrictions were those who wanted to hoard supplies in bulk and resell them at inflated prices later.

Shu Fu was starting to suspect that many of the negative reports she had read online about Lou Yuncheng had been exaggerated due to personal bias.

The supermarket had a good atmosphere. Many customers were talking about yesterday’s disaster, but instead of looking fearful, they spoke with pride and confidence—probably because Lou Yuncheng’s security wall had successfully blocked the massive waves and firmly protected the city.

Likewise, ever since yesterday, the online discussions about the so-called apocalypse had somewhat cooled down. More voices were now expressing belief in the safety of Muzhou Province and Xiren Province, especially since the flood barriers were still under construction and security levels were only expected to improve in the future.

Shu Fu didn’t linger for long. She took out her ID for registration, bought one bag of each available fruit, and checked out.

Oranges had doubled in price, with a limit of one bag per person—each bag containing six oranges. The same rule applied to apples and pears. Shoppers could buy all three types at once, along with a Hami melon, but if they wanted more oranges, they would have to come back tomorrow.

Honestly, even just these six oranges were more than enough for an average person to eat in a day.

For ordinary citizens who wanted a sense of security and hoped to stock up on food and water, they could simply visit the supermarket daily. A little at a time would eventually add up to a decent supply.

However, these purchase limits made it impossible for hoarders to turn around and resell supplies at exorbitant prices. Shu Fu began to suspect that many of the negative online posts were actually written by greedy merchants who wanted to monopolize the market.

After leaving the supermarket, she went to a telecom store across the street.

She currently had three phones—one for public use with an unlimited data plan, while the other two had private numbers that no one knew about. Those two mainly relied on their large storage capacities for offline use, and they also served as backups for going online when her primary phone was turned off.

She used to top up her phone balance online, but now she didn’t dare to transfer money into her account, fearing that any deposited funds would be automatically deducted. So, she came to the store to pay her phone bills in cash.

Once she had recharged all three phones, she hailed a taxi to a well-reputed local car rental agency.

This was her second time renting a car, so she knew what to expect.

Since Lou Yuncheng had many slopes, this time she chose a domestically manufactured Jeep with a high chassis, automatic transmission, an extra-large trunk, and foldable rear seats. The vehicle was also fitted with one-way privacy film.

Rental prices had increased significantly—a monthly lease now cost 4,000 yuan.

Last time, she hadn’t needed to pay a deposit because she had lived in Suicheng for over four years, maintained a good credit record, and had enough savings to use a credit card pre-authorization instead.

But then Suicheng got flooded, and the car was lost. It was an unavoidable disaster, and there was nothing she could do about it. The pre-authorized amount on her card was still frozen.

Of course, in times of crisis, pre-authorization didn’t count for much—now, a deposit was required, payable in cash or gold.

That was no issue for Shu Fu. The car she was renting was an economy model, so the deposit wasn’t too high. She simply pulled a plain gold ring out of her backpack and handed it over.

Nowadays, besides cash, gold and even food supplies were commonly used in transactions. Most businesses that accepted gold had professionals on hand for valuation.

The staff quickly examined the ring and confirmed it was 999 pure gold, weighing 7.8 grams—more than enough to cover the deposit.

The other party had all the proper paperwork and gave her the deposit receipt.

Shu Fu put the receipt away, but didn’t care much. Whether the gold ring was returned or not didn’t matter. The automatic water fishing rod sometimes suddenly acted up, catching basketfuls of various gold jewelry and even gold bars for her.

Although her bank account was in the negative, and she had limited cash on hand, she certainly wasn’t lacking in gold.

Not long after leaving the rental shop, she did the same as she had when renting a car in Suicheng, turning off the car’s dashcam. Although the dashcam model was a one-way camera, only capturing the view in front of the car, she was always cautious. Turning it off and removing the memory card was the safest option.

Her next stop was a gold shop, where she planned to exchange some gold and clear the negative balance in her phone account while leaving a little extra on it.

Although this meant her phone would automatically deduct payments for various supplies purchased in the past, it was important to keep her phone’s funds in circulation because takeout was still available in Lou Yuncheng!

Nowadays, most takeout deliveries consisted of products without purchase limits.

Some people would still order limited-purchase items through the delivery app, but the quantities available at supermarkets and farmer’s markets were limited, and once the stock was updated at midnight, it would be snapped up immediately.

Also, even if someone managed to get an order, it didn’t guarantee they’d actually receive the items. Anything could happen before the delivery person successfully delivered the goods.

For instance, sudden weather changes or other force majeure factors might cause the delivery person to cancel the order, or the delivery person could run off with the goods. After all, many refugees from other places had come to the city, unwilling to stay in shelters and only receive one meal. They were willing to earn money to buy food on their own.

The delivery companies did carefully screen their employees, but accidents still happened.

For example, a delivery person might find that their order contained medicine their family desperately needed but had been unable to buy…

Or, they might decide to leave Lou Yuncheng to seek shelter in a nearby small town, only to receive an order and discover that the family was incredibly quick with their hands and managed to buy plenty of supplies…

With the big data system in disarray, even petty thieves couldn’t be effectively managed.

If Shu Fu wanted to order takeout, she would try to avoid purchasing limited items.

She went to a chain gold store. In the past, exchanging gold required a copy of an ID card, but now, in these troubled times, with so many cities submerged, just surviving long enough to reach a safe city was a struggle, and some formalities had been waived.

As long as the person entering wasn’t there to rob, they were a customer.

Due to rising prices and slight currency depreciation, the exchange rate for gold had also gone up. She selected heavier, simpler bracelets and necklaces. After completing the transaction, the shop directly transferred the money into her phone account.

Not long after the funds arrived, deductions began to occur. Fortunately, since the amount she exchanged was quite large, after the deductions, her balance was still substantial. Even after paying for rent via her phone, she would have enough funds left.

**

After leaving the gold store, it was already past noon. Shu Fu drove to the next street.

In Shu Fu’s memory, there was a very delicious noodle shop on this street. The prices were affordable, the noodles were very firm, and there was parking available on the road in front of the shop.

Now that prices were high, most people chose to cook their own meals, and some people who worked outside during the day had gotten used to bringing their meals or using sandwiches as substitutes. The restaurant industry was struggling, and many places had closed down, but fortunately, this one was still open, though there weren’t many customers inside.

Shu Fu parked her car, left her raincoat inside, and opted for an umbrella.

She ordered a bowl of beef noodles. The price was twice what it was before the disaster—quite expensive—but since the money in her phone account had come from the automatic water fishing rod, she didn’t mind the cost.

Prepared food in restaurants wasn’t considered a limited-purchase item; these kinds of foods didn’t keep well, and normal people wouldn’t buy large quantities unless they were hosting a gathering.

Before leaving, Shu Fu informed the owner that she was purchasing on behalf of a company’s group meal, and she packed fifty servings of noodles: four different flavors, including pea noodle, beef noodle, egg and vegetable noodle, and sauerkraut beef noodle.

Now, the purchase of raw materials for the food industry was centrally managed by the authorities. Each operating restaurant had stricter food safety regulations, and depending on the size of the shop, there was an allocated fluctuating purchase limit, which was also a form of restriction.

Additionally, there were more administrative departments in place, and random checks were conducted on shops every few days to ensure that the food served to the public was safe.

The owner received a large order, and after calculating, realized that completing it would allow the shop to close early for the day. He happily accepted the payment, went into the kitchen to help with cooking and packing the noodles, and even helped load them into the car.

As Shu Fu drove away, she felt particularly happy. After all, just ten days ago, she had been living in a deserted, waterlogged city, thinking she would die there alone. But now, ten days later, she had returned to a bustling city and could still stock up on some of her favorite foods.

She knew that, according to the progression of the apocalypse, Lou Yuncheng would eventually meet the same fate as Suicheng, submerged by floods and turned into a waterlogged ghost town.

But ever since seeing the towering forty-meter-high waves yesterday and the water-blocking dam capable of completely preventing those terrifying waves, she couldn’t help but entertain some different thoughts.

This couldn’t be the real world, could it? After all, she was living here, and she could clearly feel the joys, sorrows, and everything else from the people around her.

Could the authorities pay attention to this matter through the video from a previous reborn survivor’s account of the apocalypse?

Could there be other reborn survivors hidden somewhere out of her sight?

These individuals, unlike her, aren’t bound by various restrictions. If the authorities could believe in their prophecies and extract useful information from them, could they take preventive measures in advance and possibly change the originally destined apocalypse?

Furthermore, could the water-blocking dam in Lou Yuncheng be an example of some kind of early preventive measure?

After all, building such a tall safety wall in an inland city with high altitude does have an air of foresight…

While waiting for the traffic light to change, Shu Fu opened her phone’s navigation. But just like in Suicheng, all routes leaving Lou Yuncheng, as well as stations and nearby cities, were impossible to set on the navigation app.

As for the various ticket purchasing apps, she had already tried them when waiting for her takeout, and none of them worked.

She stared at the grayed-out, unselectable ticket options and felt as though she was reliving a nightmare.

Her current attempt was just out of stubbornness; the situation was different now. With airports closed and train tickets already hard to get, it wasn’t surprising that she couldn’t buy one.

She was very familiar with the streets of Lou Yuncheng. In her mind—or rather, in “Shu Fu’s” memory—she had experience going to the train station and leaving the city.

Now she wanted to replicate the experience from her memories.

Two hours later, the black Jeep stopped beside the road, drenched by a torrential downpour, and she gave up on the idea of leaving Lou Yuncheng.

Clearly, she had failed.

Except for the waterway area she came from in Suicheng, all other directions in Lou Yuncheng still had invisible barriers preventing her from leaving.

However, this time, Shu Fu recovered quickly from her moment of defeat. If she couldn’t leave, then so be it—this place wasn’t too bad either.

Unlike Suicheng, Lou Yuncheng had areas with high elevation. The residential buildings in these areas were generally at least 20 stories high, with some reaching 50 or 70 stories. These buildings not only stood tall but had large foundations, and many high-rise apartments came with big balconies, resembling high-rise garden villas.

At such a height, it wouldn’t be easy to flood the city to the point where normal life couldn’t be sustained. Moreover, there was a water-blocking dam in the outskirts of the city.

So, the only thing left for her to do was find a suitable place to settle down.

**

Over the next three days, Shu Fu drove around a lot. Part of the time, she followed a RV rental agent to look at houses, while the other part was spent visiting her favorite food spots to stock up on specialty foods and snacks.

Stinky tofu, spicy hotpot skewers, sour and spicy noodles, mouth-watering chicken, brown sugar glutinous rice cakes, spicy pig trotters, grilled fish, hand-pulled grilled rabbit, ice jelly, red oil dumplings, crispy flatbread, various barbecue skewers, spicy hotpot base…

Her bracelet’s storage was becoming more and more full, and she had stocked up on everything else she needed. The only thing she still wanted to buy were these ready-to-eat foods with the flavor of everyday life.

Luckily, ready-to-eat foods weren’t subject to purchase limits, and buying twenty-some servings at once didn’t seem too eye-catching.

As for the house, she wanted one with a higher elevation, located in a safer neighborhood with good public security, and close to supermarkets, markets, or shopping centers. The house could be small but couldn’t be shared with others.

In addition, the apartment had to be on a high floor, mainly for precautionary reasons.

If Lou Yuncheng ultimately met the same fate as Suicheng and got flooded, at least this time she wouldn’t have to move from one waterlogged building to another searching for higher ground. She could stay in her own high-floor apartment, waiting until things got too bad to endure.

Two days later, she finally found a decent place.

Aside from the price, everything else matched her requirements. If she rented here, she would need to exchange more gold at the gold shop, or she could ask the agent if they accepted gold directly.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and she was about to sign the lease when she suddenly felt a vibration on her wrist.

A new task?

Although she knew the other party probably couldn’t see the bracelet or the black notebook, checking the notebook would involve some movement. So, she used the excuse of needing to use the restroom and went to a nearby fast food restaurant’s bathroom, where she hid in a stall to check.

On the bracelet, the “book” icon was flashing—sure enough, a task had arrived.

【Within three days, check in at Jixing Community and rent a house to receive a 10% progress on Wood Raft Level 3. (Current progress on Wood Raft Level 3: 25%)

Note: Failure to complete this task will result in a 10% deduction from the progress bar.】

It was clear that the community she had planned to rent in wasn’t Jixing Community.

Shu Fu: …

This is ridiculous! She had spent three whole days searching for the perfect place!

Couldn’t this task have been released sooner?