Chapter 17

Suicheng University was where Shu Fu spent four years studying.

The West Campus of Suicheng University had become a temporary evacuation point for nearby residents several days ago, thanks to its higher elevation and sturdy buildings.

Additionally, Suicheng University had been officially designated as one of the city’s evacuation sites.

From Ping’an Community to the South Gate of Suicheng University’s West Campus, the drive would normally take about 25 minutes without traffic. Getting to the library required crossing most of the campus.

As for rowing there—well, she hadn’t tried that before.

Taking the raft was out of the question. First, the raft could only drift with the current and couldn’t be steered, making it impractical. Second, its speed was too slow and would attract too much attention, especially with so many people still in Suicheng.

Her only option was the inflatable boat.

The inflatable boat, essentially a rubber lifeboat, was sturdy, safe, and reliable, unlikely to capsize even in heavy rain and wind.

The problem was that the boat required manual paddling.

In an inland city like Suicheng, few residents owned such safety equipment. Even if she managed to paddle alone to Suicheng University, she couldn’t completely control the unexpected risks she might encounter along the way.

Suicheng wasn’t the same as before. While order hadn’t completely collapsed, minor conflicts and disputes were happening without any regulation.

The inflatable boat wasn’t a magic wand; it didn’t guarantee safety.

If she wanted to complete this task, she would need a solid plan.

Shu Fu immediately lost all sleepiness. She went to her bedroom window, pulled the sheer curtains, blackout curtains, and the outer drapes tightly closed. Then she retrieved a pre-charged hot water bottle from her space and stuffed it under the covers. Turning on a nearby rechargeable desk lamp, she set it to the dimmest setting. Finally, she took out two phones—one to check real-time rescue updates and the other to review the cached map of Suicheng.

The driving route from Ping’an Community to the South Gate of Suicheng University was relatively straightforward, with only slight detours at the start and end. Most of the route followed main roads and overpasses.

Boats couldn’t go over overpasses, but they could follow the path underneath.

These routes were primarily straight lines and slight turns, meaning that even by rowing, there wasn’t much of a shortcut to the flood-covered distances; she’d still have to follow the original route.

However, there was an advantage: most of the route passed main roads and overpasses, keeping her at a distance from surrounding buildings and residential areas, which reduced the risk of being stopped or intercepted.

After all, anyone staying on the submerged roads at such high water levels would at least need a flotation device beyond a life vest or ring—and the courage to stay in such cold water.

The driving route to the South Gate of Suicheng University was 20 kilometers. By water, with some minor shortcuts at the start and end, it would still be about 17 to 18 kilometers.

At a normal rowing speed, the trip would take at least three hours, assuming everything went smoothly.

If she wanted to shorten the rowing distance, there was another option: rowing to the district evacuation route heading toward Suicheng University, then blending into the evacuation team and hitching a ride on their rescue boat.

This information was available on the real-time rescue network.

With a plan forming, Shu Fu felt invigorated. She pulled a cup of hot latte from the storage rack in her wristband space.

It was a drink she had started preparing after the first power outage, using a manual coffee grinder. Every glass, thermos, and teacup in her house had been put to good use.

Sipping her coffee to stay alert, she continued her research.

Before finding the evacuation route for Suicheng University’s West Campus, she stumbled upon another useful piece of information: the final evacuation destination for the West Campus was Pincheng, northwest of Suicheng!

Pincheng—that was the hometown Lu Zheng and his brother had been planning to return to!

Shu Fu took a large gulp of coffee, set the glass on her nightstand, turned off the lamp, and wrapped herself in her thick cotton jacket. She walked to the window, opened the curtains, and leaned against the glass, looking at the residential building across the way.

The Lu brothers lived in the building behind hers. With the power out, the entire community was dark, though the occasional warm glow flickered through hastily patched window gaps—likely from candles.

From this view, she couldn’t tell if the Lu brothers were asleep. She didn’t want to wait until morning, fearing they might find temporary partners to join them at another evacuation point. She also worried their phone batteries might not last much longer.

She picked up her phone and sent Lu Zheng a text message:
“Have you decided whether to leave with the rescue team for the industrial district on the third evening, or are you still looking for people to head toward Pincheng together?”

She chose to text because she remembered Lu Zheng had taken in a family from a lower floor and wasn’t sure if anyone else was staying with them now.

Lu Zheng replied quickly—he must still be awake because of this matter.

“We’re still contacting people. There are residents in our community who want to head to the same evacuation point, but transportation remains an issue. I have a friend who’s organizing a group to head northwest to the evacuation point and has access to an inflatable boat. However, his community is three to four kilometers from here, so we’d need to see if everyone is willing to backtrack to pick us up.”

Lu Zheng sent a voice message, speaking softly but clearly enough to explain the situation concisely.

He wasn’t dumb. Although Shu Fu had chatted with him one-on-one before, it was usually about things inconvenient to discuss in a group chat.

This time was different. It was the middle of the night, and her questions were very direct.

Shu Fu: “Are you able to talk now?”
Shu Fu: “If not, you can reply via text.”
Shu Fu: “It’s like this…”

As she typed, Lu Zheng sent another voice message after a brief pause. His voice was quieter this time:
“It’s fine. They’re already asleep, and I’m in my brother’s room. What’s going on? Are you also planning to head to a shelter in the northwest? I just talked to my friend, and he said it’s fine to add one more person to the group as long as they’re okay with detouring to pick us up.”

Shu Fu looked at the long message she had almost finished typing and decided to switch to voice:
“I do want to go to a shelter in the northwest, but not just any shelter. I need to get to the west campus of Suicheng University.”

When she saw that the west campus’s evacuation destination was Pincheng, she realized who her likely objective was in this progression of events.

So, she got straight to the point.

After sending the message, Lu Zheng called her directly.

In a low voice, he said that he and his brother would have no problem accompanying her to the university since Pincheng was also their evacuation destination. However, his friend’s group wasn’t finalized yet, and the water route was still unclear.

The official evacuation shelters heading to Pincheng were several kilometers apart, even though they were in the same general direction. His friend was aiming for a different shelter.

Shu Fu asked, “Does their inflatable boat have an outboard motor?”

If they had one, she could take the Lu brothers to rendezvous with the group at their location, tether her smaller inflatable boat to theirs with a floating rope, and hitch a ride. They could separate near her destination and row the rest of the way themselves.

An outboard motor was one of the few things missing from her stockpile. After buying the inflatable boat, she had considered it but was distracted when the “Unsinkable Floating Island House” was activated. Compared to that, the inflatable boat seemed less critical, so she hadn’t thought to upgrade it.

“No,” Lu Zheng said, sounding a little embarrassed. “The inflatable boat is a larger ten-person one, and without motorized propulsion, my friend is trying to gather more people to help row…”

Shu Fu: “…”

“Do you absolutely have to go to the university?”

“Yes. I graduated from there, and I need to find someone.”

From the phone came a sudden voice—Lu Ce, speaking softly:
“Sister Fu, my brother also attends Suicheng University, at the west campus! So, you’re alumni? He just started his sophomore year this year… Hey, bro, can we go to the university with Sister Fu? From there, we can still evacuate back home! Plus, you can meet your classmates! Don’t—”

This was followed by the muffled sound of scuffling and a low “ouch” from Lu Ce. The phone was soon back in Lu Zheng’s hands.

“Sorry about that. Regarding the evacuation…”

Shu Fu interrupted briskly, “Here’s the situation. I have access to an inflatable boat, but it’s a small one that can only fit three people. It’s hand-paddled. If you’re willing, we can head straight to the university.”

“It’s true!?” Lu Zheng’s voice showed his excitement. Being able to leave directly from their neighborhood was undoubtedly the best option.

After the initial excitement, they quickly formulated a preliminary plan.

Timing of departure: They agreed not to leave too early to avoid drawing attention. Many residents in the neighborhood were eager to evacuate but lacked transportation. Even a small inflatable boat would stand out and might cause a commotion. They settled on leaving on the morning or afternoon of the fourth day, based on weather forecasts predicting lighter winds and rain then.

Weight limit for supplies: Shu Fu took responsibility for calculating this and would provide them with an estimate. Since they weren’t bound by the five-pound-per-person limit enforced on official evacuations, they could bring a bit more of the essentials.

Food and phone power: She asked if they had enough food and battery power to last until the fourth day since staying connected was essential.

“We have plenty of food and enough power. That’s thanks to your reminder the other day. My brother and I went to the supermarket and stocked up. We even grabbed five fully charged power banks, so the phones will last until we reach the official shelter.”

**

The conversation went smoothly, and all that was left was to wait.

Because she stayed up late, Shu Fu slept in the next day without setting an alarm.

The room felt noticeably colder. Checking her phone, she saw the weather forecast: heavy rain, with localized downpours, wind speeds of 5 to 7, and temperatures ranging from 3°C to 8°C.

It was getting colder. Though the drop wasn’t dramatic, the lack of sunshine over consecutive days made the chill more pronounced.

The water level outside had risen again. Although not as quickly as the previous night, the small road’s streetlamp covers were now almost completely submerged.

Across the street, the windows of the second-floor houses were nearly underwater, and it wouldn’t be long before the water reached the third floor. This was with garages at the bottom; for buildings without garages, the water would already be nearing the fourth floor.

She saw people standing at the windows of several third-floor apartments across the way, keeping a watchful eye on the rising water. The rain was still falling, and the water level continued to rise. Though reluctant, they were clearly prepared to move to higher floors if necessary.

The area outside wasn’t particularly noisy. So far, only the residents on the second floor of her building had started moving upward. Some had gone to stay with friendly neighbors, while others temporarily lingered in the stairwell.

For those using the shared spaces, most entered and exited on the third or fourth floors to borrow restrooms or kitchens, with only two households on the fifth floor being approached. Her apartment remained quiet after the initial knock when the second-floor residents moved up. Being far from the stairwell made her place inconvenient for others to access.

Another reason for the calm was the scheduled full evacuation of the complex the following evening.

Despite the ongoing disaster, as long as the government machinery operated, people believed the hardship would be temporary. This assurance prevented chaos.

In fact, accepting the reality of the citywide evacuation brought an unexpected sense of equality. Knowing that everyone—whether living high up or lower down—would eventually be on the same footing, residents temporarily staying in the stairwells stopped complaining. Instead, they turned their energy toward solving practical problems.

Some, having brought out little food, bought supplies from others at higher prices. While expensive, the meals didn’t need to be extravagant—something hot and filling, even just rice with seasoning paste, would suffice in a pinch.

Most households still had frozen meat, rice, noodles, or instant foods, even if fresh produce was gone. These heavier items were impractical to bring during evacuation, so selling them now to earn money made sense since cash was portable.

Some residents who didn’t want to cook rented or sold camping stoves to others who brought their food, allowing them to prepare meals independently.

As for using restrooms and maintaining hygiene, everyone improvised and managed to get by.

Thus, instead of chaos, there were only minor everyday disputes, none of which caused significant disruptions.

Garbage, however, was piling up to the point of overflow. Tightly tied bags were placed in corners as far from living areas as possible.

The power was still out, and her apartment was dimly lit. She retrieved a camping lamp from her wristband storage space. The lamp could run on dry batteries or charge via solar power. By dimming its light, it could last a long time.

By the lamp’s glow, she freshened up and planned her tasks for the day.

She wasn’t sure how long it would take to complete her mission at Suicheng University or whether she could return home smoothly afterward. Thus, she needed to prepare for both possibilities.

She decided to pack up everything in the apartment. Anything that could fit into her wristband space would go in, and she’d tightly secure the windows and doors. If she managed to return soon, the place could still serve as a home for a while.

For breakfast, she made herself a simple bowl of noodles. She finely chopped garlic and fried it until fragrant, added a small piece of spicy beef hot pot seasoning, stirred in salt and soy sauce, and poured in hot water. After boiling, she added dry noodles and her favorite vegetables, creating a bowl of rich, flavorful spicy noodles.

Thanks to the garlic and hot pot seasoning, the soup had a savory depth despite lacking meat.

By then, it was nearly 11 a.m., making the meal a combined breakfast and lunch. To supplement her protein intake, she retrieved some leftover shredded chicken from her storage space.

The weather outside remained overcast and rainy. The power outage had rendered her washing machine and dryer unusable. She had initially planned to use her camping generator, which was nearly silent and could be masked by the sound of the rain.

However, she decided against it, as the top-load washing machine in her bathroom could make significant noise. Although her bathroom wasn’t directly adjacent to her neighbors’ walls, she couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t be heard.

She had no idea how others were coping without power. Even though her water heater was gas-powered, it still required electricity. She had skipped her shower the previous day, resorting to basic cleaning with warm water. At least she changed her undergarments daily, though this was starting to pile up her laundry.

After finishing her meal and tidying up the dishes, she drew the living room curtains and deployed her raft.

All household chores related to cleaning and hygiene would now be handled on the raft. It had the capacity to store wastewater and had a water tank, making washing and waste management straightforward.

She moved her washing machine into the bathroom near the wall. Below the faucet in the shower area, there was an additional outlet. By connecting this to the washing machine’s intake pipe, she solved the water supply issue.

A floor drain in the bathroom corner served as the outlet. Wastewater would flow from the machine into the floor drain and then into the raft’s wastewater tank.

She also moved the dryer to the bathroom counter, clamping a rechargeable lamp onto the mirror above for additional lighting. Lastly, she brought out her generator.

Following a video tutorial and the steps a store clerk had taught her, she methodically prepared the generator: checking the fuel tank, adding gasoline, connecting cables, closing the circuit breaker, and switching it on.

As expected from previous impressions, the camping generator was indeed very quiet.

After observing the voltage fluctuations for a moment and confirming they were stable, she switched on the circuit breaker and began connecting the power cables for her appliances.

Once she verified that the washing machine, dryer, and lights were functioning properly, she considered the task complete.

The bathroom in the wooden cabin was small, and with these appliances installed, it was almost fully occupied. She surveyed the space and brought in her home’s laundry basket and a narrow storage rack. The rack, just 30 cm wide and as tall as a person, fit perfectly in the remaining space.

The rack was made of metal, better quality than the one she had stored in her wristband space. Originally used for bathroom supplies, most of its contents were now tucked away in the wristband.

The rack had six shelves, with the bottom one larger than the rest. She divided the shelves equally: half for personal hygiene and bathroom cleaning supplies, and the other half for kitchen cleaning items.

With this arrangement, her home’s kitchen and bathroom now held only a minimal amount of items, resembling the contents one might bring for an overnight stay at a vacation rental.

All food and drinks had long since been organized and stored in the wristband. The refrigerator had been emptied after the power outage.

Next, she left the wooden cabin’s bathroom and started arranging items in its living area. On the floor bed near the full-length window, she placed a neatly folded lightweight quilt. At the foot of the bed, near the wall, she set a lightweight four-drawer cabinet filled with spare underwear, socks, T-shirts, and loungewear.

A bedside table stood next to the head of the bed, holding a lamp.

The bedside table was positioned near the cabin’s main door. On the other side of the door, along an empty section of wall, she moved a small bar table that had originally been placed against the bathroom’s wooden partition. She relocated it along with all the items on it. Fortunately, the bar table wasn’t large and didn’t obstruct the door.

With the partition wall now empty, she moved her refrigerator into the space. This placement made it convenient to connect to the generator when needed. Next to the fridge, she left space for a freestanding water dispenser. The dispenser had a bottom-loading water tank, and its top could accommodate a heating or thermal kettle, which also required power.

There was a bit of room left beside the water dispenser. Lacking a suitable table, she placed a wooden dining chair with a backrest in the spot and set a coffee grinder on it.

With the basic living essentials arranged to her satisfaction, she exited the cabin, stowed the raft, and began organizing the remaining items in her home.

By the time she was done, it was past 4 p.m., and she was preparing to make dinner when someone knocked heavily on her door.

She leaned toward the peephole, peering through. Outside the stainless steel security gate stood the young couple from next door.