Global Flood: I Have a Floating Safehouse
Global Flood: I Have a Floating Safehouse Chapter 91

Chapter 91

Was that… a fighter jet?

For the first time in her life, Shu Fu witnessed a combat-ready fighter jet with her own eyes. Whether in her original world or this one, she had only ever seen them on TV screens before.

She hadn’t expected an explosion of this scale to be so deafening. Even though the raft was already quite far from the blast site, the roar of artillery was still crystal clear.

It seemed that the authorities had finally freed up resources to deal with the outlaw groups in the Northern Plateau.

As for the city’s population of ichthyosis-afflicted individuals, there was still no cure for the disease. Who knew what the authorities planned to do with them? A chilling thought suddenly crossed Shu Fu’s mind, but she immediately suppressed it.

Surely, they wouldn’t go to such inhumane extremes—not yet, at least…

Regardless, once the northern part of the city fell, the military would likely move into the south as well. Against overwhelming firepower and professional-grade equipment, the Hexi mutant fish posed little threat. The authorities would probably establish a research facility on the city’s higher ground—after all, it was brimming with research samples.

If she didn’t leave now, traveling overland in the coming days would become exceedingly difficult, making it nearly impossible to avoid detection. Fortunately, she had departed early due to her mission and was now in the safety of the waterway.

Seeing the military inevitably made her think of two certain individuals. She had no idea where they were currently deployed or if they were even still alive—especially Cheng Yu. Had he made it?

Since they were all linked by their missions, she suspected they too would awaken their “golden fingers.” Hopefully, the next time they met, she would have two more allies by her side.

Putting away her binoculars, Shu Fu stopped looking in the direction of Youcheng. She climbed down the wooden ladder and returned to the floating cabin.

About half an hour later, the raft began to tremble slightly. She peered through the floor-to-ceiling window and noticed that the water currents had become faster and more turbulent. The increased flow muddied the water, and the high-rise buildings on either side had completely disappeared. The few remaining low houses were almost entirely submerged, with only their rooftops barely visible.

The vast farmland, orchards, and livestock enclosures of the eastern outskirts had been entirely swallowed by the floodwaters. The once solid ground had turned into a shallow wetland. Towering trees stood half-submerged, resembling aquatic plants.

Despite its seemingly calm surface, this floodplain concealed all manner of hidden dangers—rubble, shattered buildings, metal debris, and corpses of both humans and animals. And somewhere in the murky depths lurked Hexi mutant fish, waiting to strike.

The raft’s speed increased steadily, carried by the swift current. Shu Fu had a strong hunch that she was nearing the breach in the dam.

As expected, before long, massive chunks of debris appeared in the water. The raft navigated nimbly through the rubble, automatically avoiding obstacles. These enormous fragments were remnants of the collapsed dam wall.

Because of these obstructions, the water flow clashed and swirled into violent whirlpools, causing the raft to pitch and rock. It was like navigating a wild mountain stream, but thanks to the protective shield, the turbulence barely affected her inside the floating cabin.

Compared to the apocalyptic tsunami she had once endured—where she had been thrown into the air like a pendulum on a 360-degree ride—this was nothing. If that was a high-thrill extreme amusement ride, this was more like a children’s roller coaster that even toddlers could ride.

Having experienced the former, the latter was barely worth noticing.

Shu Fu leaned back into the plush couch opposite the tea table, picked up the book she had left behind, found her place, and resumed reading in the peaceful ambiance of soft background music.

By lunchtime, the raft had officially entered the upper reaches of the Qing River. This section had an extremely high sediment content, making the water thick and murky. The surrounding landscape was nothing but barren, arid desert—gravelly soil unsuitable for farming or construction. Most of the vegetation consisted of thorny shrubs.

Although she had never been to the Northern Plateau in person, she had seen photos and videos of the region. In her memory, this stretch of the river used to have noticeable banks. But now, just like Youcheng’s eastern outskirts, the shoreline had almost vanished.

The Qing River resembled an overfilled canal, with rising water levels outpacing drainage. Or perhaps the reservoirs downstream were overflowing, sending water back upstream, transforming the banks into wetlands.

The water in this wetland was relatively shallow, with some shrubs still visible above the surface. But the murky color of the water revealed the soil’s poor quality.

Since the current was calmer in this area, Shu Fu brought her lunch to the terrace. She opted for a light yet nourishing meal—a beef hotpot.

She had prepared the broth using oxtail bones, filling a small pot halfway with the rich stock and diluting it with fresh water. She set out plates of various cuts of beef, fresh chrysanthemum greens, and sliced mushrooms. For dipping sauce, she had mixed soy sauce, sesame oil, fermented bean paste, and minced garlic.

Having already eaten some fruit earlier, she wasn’t particularly hungry. The hotpot was more about setting the mood—savoring the moment, pairing the meal with the scenic riverbank. She ate slowly, enjoying the leisurely pace.

This 30-plus-hour journey down the Qing River felt more like a luxury river cruise than an escape.

The raft had set off from Youcheng, heading east. After passing the dam breach, it veered northeast, drifting past Lucheng and the Hexi settlement. It continued winding eastward for a stretch before shifting southeast, following an almost imperceptible curve. Eventually, it would exit the Northern Plateau and merge into the vast expanse of open water beyond.

If everything goes smoothly, she should arrive at the ruins of Yuncheng by around 4 PM tomorrow.

Shu Fu took out her phone and captured a few photos and videos from different angles—her hotpot meal, the terrace, and the river. She planned to show them to Chen Fa and Lu Zheng the next time they met, letting them see the scenery and the places her raft had drifted through.

This landscape, however, would soon vanish completely as the rising waters of Qinghe continued to surge. Eventually, the Northern Plateau would no longer have Qinghe. The river would expand, turning into marshlands, wetlands, a series of lakes, and finally, a vast ocean without boundaries.

But this transformation wouldn’t happen as quickly as the flood that submerged Suicheng or the apocalyptic tsunami that swallowed Lou Yuncheng. Instead, it would take a long period of time. During this transition, the lands along both sides of Qinghe would be converted into extensive wetlands and marshes.

Given her current means of transportation, she could navigate land by car and water by raft. However, if she encountered an endless stretch of wetlands and marshes, neither option would work—the car would be unable to cross the soft ground, and the raft would easily run aground. As for marshlands, no vehicle could traverse them.

She suspected that this was one of the reasons she had received this mission. She needed to leave the Northern Plateau before conditions deteriorated further—before she was stranded. She had to return to deep waters where the raft could move freely.

Coming here through the temporary waterway had been like an overseas assignment. Now that the assignment was over, it was time for her to return.

It likely wouldn’t be long before another mission required her to travel elsewhere.

This return journey might be her last farewell to the Northern Plateau.

She decided to document every different scene along the riverbanks—whether beautiful, desolate, ruined, or chaotic. Each was proof that this plateau had once existed.

Even though the surroundings were devoid of human presence, barren and lonely, this kind of desolation was also a stunning and captivating display of nature’s power.

Before long, the rain turned into a storm. Lightning streaked across the distant sky over the riverbanks, exploding at the horizon of the vast desert. It was a rare sight—thunderstorms and the wilderness merging into a grand masterpiece of nature.

From the safety of her raft’s protective barrier, Shu Fu sat by the railing, watching in awe. She captured the entire scene on her phone.


By the following afternoon, just before 3 PM, the raft passed through the confluence of the river and a vast body of water, officially leaving the Northern Plateau.

The hills she had crossed via the temporary waterway had completely disappeared beneath the rising floodwaters, leaving only scattered “islands.” Some still had trees on them, while others were just barren rock.

At 4 PM, the raft reached its final destination, and at that exact moment, her wristband vibrated—an indication that the mission had been completed.

[Mission Complete: Check-in at Yuncheng within 3 Days. Rewards: Raft Level 4 Progress +5%; 10x Lucky Draw Spins. (Raft Level 4 Progress: 100%)]

[Congratulations! Your Raft has Upgraded to Level 4!]

[New functions available in “The Unsinkable Drifting Island House.”]

Another ten spins!

Shu Fu was overjoyed. Immediately, she noticed a subtle shift in the lighting inside the drifting island house, signaling that something had changed. She quickly examined the interior, finding that the overall structure remained the same but had expanded slightly. The two floor-to-ceiling windows had widened, giving her an even better view of the outside.

The front and rear doors had also changed—from solid wood to wooden frames embedded with frosted glass. From the inside, the view was crystal clear, while from the outside, it was opaque.

With these new glass doors, the house was now brighter and offered a better line of sight. She could monitor the front and rear directions of the raft without needing to open the doors repeatedly, making it more convenient to adjust course on the move.

The bathroom and kitchen had also expanded slightly. Previously, the furniture and appliances in these spaces had been a bit cramped, but now there was more room, making everything feel more comfortable.

The built-in furniture of the drifting island house had undergone subtle changes as well. Cabinets were larger and more numerous, and the overall design looked more refined.

One particularly notable change was the wooden bathtub in the shower room—a prize she had won from the lucky draw. Originally, it had been a small, round tub, but now it had expanded into a large oval one. It featured built-in wooden seating and a headrest for lounging, as well as an adjustable storage rack with a control screen.

This storage rack was bigger than the one she had bought herself, with designated slots for a tablet and other items. It also allowed her to switch between different bath modes, including hot spring mode, bubble bath mode, and tidal mode.

She could already imagine how luxurious her future baths would be.

Beyond that, she noticed the wooden walls and floors of the house had subtly changed in color. The natural wood finish now had a faint transparent glaze, making the surfaces smoother and more durable to the touch.

The change wasn’t drastic, but the quality and sturdiness of the entire house had undergone a silent yet significant transformation.

Unlike her excitement when upgrading to Level 3, this time Shu Fu remained much calmer. She didn’t rush to check the new feature list but instead carefully inspected every corner of the drifting island house.

Since the living room’s small split-level area now has wider floor-to-ceiling windows, the lighting has improved. The underwater bedroom remains largely unchanged.

The biggest surprise was outside the floating island house. The wooden fence under the front door’s eaves, which was previously hollow, now has glass panels between the wooden slats, instantly enhancing its overall aesthetic.

The same change occurred under the eaves at the back door—glass now fills the gaps between the wooden slats, offering better protection for both sides of the eaves.

Previously, when she ate under the eaves without the protective shield, she had to be careful not to drop anything, as the hollow wooden fence allowed small objects to roll right off the raft. With the addition of glass, the gaps are now sealed, making the space feel much safer.

The wooden stairway at the back door also has brand-new glass panels embedded between the wooden railings. Thinking of this, she quickly climbed up the stairs to check the rooftop terrace.

She barely made it up a few steps before noticing the major transformation.

Perhaps because she had previously fenced in the entire rooftop terrace, this upgrade introduced a fully enclosed glass balcony in the rear section of the terrace.

The glass first filled all the hollow spaces in the fence and then extended upward along the rear perimeter, forming glass walls, a glass ceiling, and sliding glass doors.

This glass balcony stands over two meters tall, enclosing about two-thirds of the terrace like a transparent dome. The entrance is a sliding glass door at the top of the wooden staircase, matching its width. Another double-door glass entrance leads to the front part of the terrace.

Since the entire balcony is made of glass, it doesn’t obstruct the view at all. However, a sudden thought struck Shu Fu—would this glass balcony now be considered part of the floating island house, inheriting its protective features?

That wouldn’t matter to her personally, but if the balcony gained the house’s protective properties, her friends Chen Fa and Lu Zheng wouldn’t be able to stay here anymore, as this was the only accessible outdoor space for them.

She glanced at the surrounding waters—Yuncheng had completely submerged, and the vast expanse around her was like an endless ocean. No buildings, no people, just scattered debris floating on the water’s surface. She quickly deactivated the protective shield via her wristband.

The moment the shield disappeared, the heavy rain poured down onto the glass ceiling of the balcony, creating a loud, rhythmic drumming sound. The wooden stairs and the front half of the terrace were instantly drenched.

She stepped forward and slid open the glass door. Immediately, the rain blew inside, drenching her face. She hurriedly shut the door, but the sudden splash had already left her wet.

Despite getting soaked, Shu Fu was delighted. The glass balcony, despite its new structure, wasn’t considered part of the floating island house—it had no disaster resistance, temperature control, or protective functions.

This meant her friends could still come and visit. In fact, the new addition would make their visits even better. The balcony now provided shelter from the rain, allowing them to enjoy tea and barbecue even in bad weather.

For herself, it was also a great improvement. Previously, if she wanted to access the terrace in the rain, she had to activate the protective shield. Now, she no longer needed to—this space was effectively a semi-indoor extension.

Within moments, Shu Fu had already planned out how to arrange the space. She would set up a standing water bar, a high-top bar table, and bar stools, transforming it into a coffee and drink lounge—something akin to the second-floor bar area on a yacht.

But for now, she needed to go downstairs, check the newly unlocked features on the control panel, and claim her rewards. Then, she could come back up and decorate.

There was a lot to do, but every task filled her with joy. Shu Fu reactivated the protective shield, descended the stairs, and returned to the first floor of her house.


[Raft Level: 4]

Floating Island House Size: 60 sqm (Two-story starter model; Auto-dust removal)

Building Modes:

  1. One-Click House Swap (Unlocked blueprints: 1)
  2. Manual Renovation

Level 4 Protection:

  1. Owner Mode in the House Area (The interior is a disaster-resistant, temperature-controlled, and secure living space)
  2. Raft Durability: Advanced
  3. Message Bottle Shield (Auto/Manual): 
    1. Daily Usage Time: 6 hours
    1. Stored Time (Resets at midnight): (389:12:67)
    1. Remote Control via Wristband
  4. Owner Shield (Auto/Manual): 
    1. Daily Usage Time: 10 minutes
    1. Stored Time (Resets at midnight): (00:54:23)

Raft Functions:

  1. Anchoring
  2. Drifting
  3. Submersion (Only available when the Message Bottle Shield is active; Limited to 2 hours per day; Time remaining: 02:00:00)

Navigation Modes:

  1. Directional Drifting (Speed range: 10–80 km/h)
  2. Route Selection (Auto obstacle avoidance): East, South, West, North
  3. Water Map

Daily Operation Limit: 23 hours (Time remaining today: 6 hours 47 minutes)

Waste Collection & Filtration (0/10,000L):

  1. Auto Disposal When Full
  2. Manual Disposal

Water Sources:

  1. Purified Water (Daily limit: 100L; Unused portion stored in the water tank)

Water used today: 42L

Water Tank Storage: (5000/10,000L)

Waste Processing & Purification:

  1. Sink (Activated)
  2. Toilet (Activated)

Whole-House Energy System: No power card equipped.

【Maximum Raft Placement Distance: Within 100 meters】

Aside from the upgrades to the size of the drifting island house, the drift bottle protective shield, the raft’s durability, drifting speed, and water tank capacity, the most eye-catching change was the raft’s usage time.

However, the number “23” made her choke on her breath. She had genuinely believed that the raft’s daily usage time would upgrade to a full 24 hours. After all, with only a four-hour gap remaining, it seemed reasonable to expect it to push through to a full day.

But now—what kind of nonsense was this??

What was the point of missing that one extra hour??

To be honest, she still had a weekly extension card worth 168 hours, meaning she could extend her usage by 168 days—roughly five and a half months. That meant she could drift freely across the waters for over five months, which was practically the same as having unlimited use of the raft.

Though she grumbled about it, after a while, she understood the reasoning. The raft could still be upgraded to level 5, at which point it would unlock the towing function. The missing hour was likely a way to ensure she continued completing missions to upgrade the raft rather than completely giving up on progress.

After all, drifting for five and a half months was just that—five and a half months. It wasn’t as if she planned to stop living afterward. So, the raft still needed upgrading, and tasks still had to be completed.

But now that she had a clear direction and goal, even if this upgrade had granted unlimited raft usage, she would still have continued with her future tasks.

However, this situation did introduce a variable—her own decisions and intentions. That missing hour was likely in place to prevent her from completely abandoning missions and refusing to upgrade the raft.

If she thought of it like a job, she could now slack off for 23 hours a day and only work for one hour, all while holding a five-and-a-half-month paid leave in hand. Looking at it that way, she had no real complaints. Instead, she shifted her attention to the two new features that had appeared.

The first was the Personal Protective Shield, which she had previously obtained twice as a trial card.

It turned out this shield was officially called the “Master’s Protective Shield.” Like the raft’s shield, it had a fixed daily usage time, and unused time could be accumulated. The remaining 54 minutes displayed were leftover from her previous trial card.

Although the daily usage time of 10 minutes seemed short, she was spending most of her time on the raft, so the duration would accumulate over time. By the time she needed to leave the raft for missions, she would have built up a comfortable amount of shield time for peace of mind.

As for the Raft’s Drift Bottle Protective Shield, because she had spent a lot of time “working hard” outside and had been anchored in a secluded mountain lake for nearly two months—with no people around and no reason for the shield to activate except in extreme weather—the shield’s stored time had now reached 389 hours.

The second new function was under the Raft Functions section. In addition to Anchoring and Drifting, a new option had appeared: Submersion Mode.

Submersion?

Was it what she thought it was?

Since the drifting island house’s protective shield was active, she immediately clicked the button to test the new feature.

Upon activation, the screen split into three sections. The left side displayed a top-down water map of the raft’s location, the right side showed a side-view water depth map, and the center had controls for adjusting the raft’s submersion depth and movement in the north, south, east, and west directions.

She was familiar with the top-down water map, but this was her first time seeing the side-view water depth map. It looked as if the entire body of water had been sliced in half vertically to reveal a cross-sectional view of the underwater landscape.

The top quarter of the image was a light blue section, likely representing the area above water. The bottom three-quarters was light green, indicating the submerged region.

Submerged hills, underwater buildings, flooded mountain terrain, and sunken structures, vehicles, ships, and plant remnants were marked in various shades of deep green, each representing different objects.

The raft was marked as a flashing red dot, currently positioned at the boundary between the light blue and light green areas, indicating it was floating on the water’s surface.

Both maps could be zoomed and panned, and the side-view water map could also rotate left and right.

Upon zooming in, the shapes of submerged city buildings became clearer. Though they remained shaded in deep green, their outlines were recognizable, revealing the remnants of a once-thriving city beneath the waves.

It looked just like an underwater Atlantis, with sturdy structures that might take many more years of submersion before they fully deteriorated…

Shu Fu studied the side-view water map, feeling as if her perspective had suddenly broadened.

Wasn’t this essentially a 3D underwater radar imaging system?

Compared to real-world underwater 3D imaging, this system had no display lag—it was real-time imaging, far clearer and more intuitive than anything she had seen before.

Excited, Shu Fu began maneuvering the raft into submersion mode.

The raft moved—descending slowly like an elevator. She peered through the front glass door and watched as the deck was gradually swallowed by the rising water level, as if the raft were being submerged by an invisible force.

Due to the protective shield, a cocoon-like barrier surrounded the entire raft, keeping it separated from the water.

As the raft descended, the side-view water map automatically adjusted, zooming in until the red marker representing the raft became large enough to clearly show its structure.

The two-story house with a half-covered balcony, front and rear decks, and the metal-box-like underwater bedroom all became visible in high detail.

Meanwhile, a new number appeared in the top right corner of the side-view water map: “-1”, likely indicating the raft’s current depth below the surface.

Soon, the rising water level submerged the upper balcony, and the entire raft sank to the bottom. This reminded Shu Fu of the day of the great tsunami—back then, both the raft and the drifting island house were swallowed by the waves. However, that time, she had been completely passive, whereas now, she was in full control.

Curious about the raft’s maximum diving depth, she continued to descend.

  • 10 meters underwater: A non-professional, untrained person can reach this depth without equipment—it’s not particularly dangerous.
  • 25 to 40 meters underwater: A trained diver can typically reach this depth without equipment, but it carries some risks.

The raft, along with the drifting island house, kept sinking until the side-view water map displayed: -100. Only then did the raft finally stop, indicating that it had reached its maximum diving depth. However, even at this depth, she could still maneuver the raft, moving forward underwater and adjusting its direction in the north, south, east, and west.

  • 100 meters underwater: Equivalent to the height of a 30+ story building. The record for a free dive without equipment is 130 meters, an extreme and dangerous depth.

At this depth, the human body would experience severe physical stress:

  • Every square centimeter of skin would endure a pressure of 22 jin (~11 kg).
  • Teeth would ache from the pressure.
  • The eardrums could rupture due to the immense force.
  • The chest would be compressed, potentially causing air embolisms in the lungs.
  • There would be risks of oxygen or carbon monoxide poisoning.

Shu Fu let the raft stay in place at 100 meters. Then, she opened the front door, carefully gripped the doorframe, and stepped outside onto the eaves, cautiously taking in her surroundings.

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