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Chapter 12
A dazzling arc of lightning tore through the night sky, exploding like a massive burst of static electricity, reminiscent of flickering, scattered light arcs inside a transparent sphere during an electrostatic experiment. The arcs unraveled into intricate, web-like patterns, resembling spiderwebs etched across the heavens.
Except now, it wasn’t confined to a lab—it was the very sky above people’s heads that was splitting open with blinding flashes.
Each arc of lightning was so brilliant that it turned the night as bright as day for brief moments, slicing the dark sky into jagged shapes. People hiding inside buildings watched the terrifying scene through glass windows, their hearts filled with fear. Under the wrath of nature, they felt insignificant and powerless.
Most of Suicheng’s high-rise buildings were equipped with lightning protection systems, including lightning rods, bonding boxes, surge protectors, and grounding strips. Although these devices came in various shapes and names, their basic principle was the same: they didn’t repel lightning but attracted it, safely channeling the electrical current from lightning strikes through the building’s steel reinforcements into the ground.
Under normal circumstances, such systems could adequately protect buildings during thunderstorms. However, this protection wasn’t foolproof. Poorly placed installations, metallic exterior drainpipes, or sharp-edged metal structures like air conditioner mounts on outer walls could inadvertently draw lightning.
Moreover, today’s storm in Suicheng was anything but ordinary.
While many people were terrified, some were exhilarated, eager to capture the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Countless individuals stood inside buildings, pointing their phones outside to record the storm.
Inside one building, content creator Xiao Zhou stood behind a glass window, braving the rain to film the extraordinary thunderstorm.
“Brothers and sisters of Huaguo, check out Suicheng’s latest attraction—lightning! Look at this spiderweb-like sky; it’s not some special effect but something that’s happening right now, for real!
…Don’t worry; lightning storms are only dangerous if you’re outside carrying metal objects. As long as you’re indoors and not charging anything, using your phone or making calls is generally safe.
…Of course! I’m an educated man—I know the basics! We’ve unplugged all the major appliances at home, so we’re perfectly safe. Let me show you this once-in-a-century spectacle!
…Look at that one! So close! My god, it’s beautiful—purple and blue!”
As he spoke, the “beautiful” lightning suddenly slashed through the night, striking the top of the very building he was in. The strike was so close that the powerful electromagnetic waves generated a massive current in his phone near the unshielded glass window.
Before Xiao Zhou could react, an intense pain surged through his hand. The phone, which had been cool moments earlier, became scorching hot. He yelped and instinctively let go, watching in shock as his phone fell to the ground with a loud smack, emitting smoke.
“What happened?” His family rushed in from another room, only to find the once-excited Xiao Zhou, who had been shouting, “I’m going viral!” now cowering away from the window, his face pale with fear.
“How could this happen? Didn’t they say phones don’t attract lightning?” He clutched his painfully tingling hand, looking stunned.
Armed with a bit of disaster knowledge, Xiao Zhou had confidently filmed by the window, never expecting something like this to happen.
His parents, frustrated, couldn’t help but scold him. “Are you out of your mind? Look at the terrifying storm outside—this isn’t a regular thunderstorm; it’s a lightning storm! Suicheng issued an emergency disaster warning, and you’re still trying to film it? Always thinking about going viral—are you willing to risk your life for it?”
But their anger quickly turned to concern as they saw their son wincing in pain, clutching his hand. Setting their frustration aside, they hurriedly searched for a first aid kit.
Seeing his parents flustered, Xiao Zhou calmed down slightly and tried to reassure them. “Don’t worry too much. I was just startled. It’s not that serious, really. It’s just a pity about my new phone… Dad, Mom, don’t be afraid. We’ve unplugged all the big appliances, and the windows are shut tight. As long as we stay away from the windows, the storm outside won’t affect us in here—”
As if to mock his assurance, the winds outside suddenly intensified, slamming against the tightly shut windows with alarming force. The rain grew heavier, escalating into a near-deluge as massive storm clouds drifted overhead.
The torrential rain lashed against the glass, producing sharp, clear sounds, as though something hard was mixed in with the water, repeatedly striking their windows.
Before they could react, a loud crack shattered the air. The glass splintered and fell inward, bringing with it a gust of wind and rain. The icy, furious gusts sent chills through their bodies, making them shiver involuntarily.
Looking down, they saw what had smashed through the window—egg-sized chunks of ice lay scattered on the floor.
“Whoa! Such massive hail… my god…”
At the same time, Shu Fu sat calmly inside her floating wooden house in the living room, safe on the raft. She was cross-legged on the wooden floor by a low coffee table, fiddling with a frying pan on a portable stove.
It was dinnertime. In the pan, beautiful marbled slices of meat with snowflake-like patterns sizzled gently.
This was the M9 Wagyu ribeye from the “Barbecue Feast Pack” received that day. The whole ribeye weighed 1,000 grams, but since it was meant for barbecue rather than steak, the beef had been thinly sliced into ten pieces.
Three pieces were now sizzling in the pan. Next to the portable burner were a rechargeable LED lamp for lighting, a tablet streaming a variety show, and a selection of other ingredients: evenly sliced pork belly, two jumbo prawns, two skewers of squid, a platter of mixed vegetables and mushrooms, a grinder of sea salt and black pepper, barbecue sauce, garlic slices, and lettuce leaves.
Aside from the sea salt and black pepper grinder, everything else came from the “Barbecue Feast Pack.”
Since she was eating alone, there was no way she could finish the entire pack. The amount she had laid out was more than enough.
In a few moments, the marbled Wagyu ribeye in the pan was perfectly cooked. For beef of this quality, searing it to medium-rare and adding a touch of freshly ground sea salt and black pepper was all it needed—no other seasoning required.
The marbling in the ribeye added a tender richness. It was fatty yet delicate, melting in the mouth without being overwhelming.
After finishing two pieces of Wagyu ribeye, Shu Fu felt a wave of comfort wash over her, as though her creativity had been unlocked. She could now sit down and write 10,000 words of food-inspired narrative on her computer.
As she enjoyed her meal, she used the remaining beef fat in the pan to grill slices of zucchini, eggplant, enoki mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms. These thinly sliced vegetables and mushrooms required nothing more than a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper to become a delicious treat.
Outside, another peal of thunder rumbled, this one closer than before. Soon after, the rain intensified, as though a group of people were relentlessly hosing down her windows with high-pressure water jets.
The sharp sound of shattering glass reached Shu Fu’s ears, making her inwardly curse. She turned off the portable burner, got up, and put on a thick fleece jacket hanging near the door. She stepped outside the wooden cabin, standing under the eaves to survey the situation.
The raging storm illuminated her small balcony in flashes, revealing that the outermost layer of ordinary glass on her balcony windows had shattered in several places, resembling a crime scene riddled with bullet holes. Thankfully, the inner layer of tempered laminated glass remained intact, keeping her little home protected from the fierce storm outside.
Shu Fu felt a mix of relief and lingering fear. Thankfully, she had acted quickly to reinforce her windows. Otherwise, with hailstones this size, the glass on her outward-facing windows might not have survived at all.
Although no one would be outside in this weather to be harmed by falling glass shards, the problem was that without intact windows to block the wind and rain, her furniture and belongings inside would be ruined. If the storm continued all night, rainwater would keep pouring in, making it impossible for her to sleep.
Satisfied with the protection provided by the tempered glass, Shu Fu turned back inside to resume her dinner.
The thin slices of zucchini and eggplant grilled quickly over medium heat, becoming tender and juicy with a simple sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper.
The pork belly was even better—perfectly balanced with a ratio of three parts fat to two parts lean meat. Grilled to a golden crisp on both sides, it was seasoned lightly with sea salt and black pepper, then dipped in barbecue sauce, wrapped in a fresh lettuce leaf, and topped with a slice of garlic before being devoured in one bite.
The crunch of the lettuce offset the pork belly’s richness, while the garlic acted as a perfect counterbalance to its fattiness. All that remained was the crispy texture and savory flavor of grilled meat.
Shu Fu had gauged her appetite well and hadn’t taken out too much food. After finishing all the meat and vegetables on the table, she leaned back contentedly, lying flat on the wooden floor of her cabin.
By evening, around 8 PM, the thunderstorm and hailstorm that had raged for two to three hours began to subside. However, the heavy rain and strong winds persisted, leaving Suicheng’s night sky as black as ink, now devoid of the dazzling lightning arcs.
Many buildings with ordinary glass windows had been unable to withstand the hail, and most occupied buildings had voluntarily cut their power or turned off their lights. Looking out from the windows, the entirety of Suicheng seemed submerged in a dark, watery veil.
Streetlights had also been damaged by the hailstorm. With their yellowish glow extinguished, visibility dropped even further. Residents could only imagine the outside world through the cacophony of rain and the whistling wind battering their window frames.
Many unlucky households were preoccupied with patching up shattered windows to keep the rain, wind, and hail from flooding their homes.
Outside, the sounds of fire trucks and ambulances gradually became audible. In peaceful times, people might call the fire department for a cat stranded on a high-rise windowsill or a swollen finger stuck in a too-tight ring. How much more so for a city battered by hours of relentless thunderstorms and giant hailstones?
Even though Suicheng had issued a timely thunderstorm warning, there were still people who failed to take notice and ended up injured for various reasons during the disaster.
Some accidents even occurred among those who were otherwise safe at home.
For instance, someone standing too close to a window was injured by shattered glass after a hailstorm struck unexpectedly. Another, distressed by the damage caused by the hail, insisted on going outside to move their car parked downstairs despite their family’s protests, only to be hit by hailstones and collapse into the rainwater.
Before 8 PM, numerous ambulances and fire trucks had already been dispatched due to the severity of the situation. However, at that time, the roaring thunder and hail made it difficult to distinguish the sound of the sirens amidst the chaos.
Now that the thunderstorm and hail had passed, the movements of the rescue workers outside became distinctly audible. Braving the torrential rain and disregarding their own safety, they worked tirelessly to provide emergency aid.
The downpour continued relentlessly throughout the entire night.