Chapter 19

The journey to Suicheng University went more smoothly than Shu Fu had expected. The large-scale evacuation was still underway, and inflatable boats, some empty and some carrying people, could be seen intermittently on the city’s water surface.

These inflatable boats didn’t have tents to shield them from the heavy rain. People sitting on them, even if wrapped in raincoats, would still be drenched by the torrential downpour, looking disheveled. Occasionally, when an inflatable boat passed by a rescue boat, the passengers on the rescue boats would cast envious glances at the inflatable boats.

However, the rescue boats were equipped with outboard motors, traveling at several times the speed of her inflatable boat. So, the envy was fleeting, as their destination was the official evacuation point, and the speed of the rescue boats would allow them to quickly escape from the cold, damp environment.

At this moment, Shu Fu was actually glad that her inflatable boat didn’t have an outboard motor. With both a rain cover and a motor, it would have been far too conspicuous, making it easier for people to spot them.

The rescue boats and personnel on the water helped maintain order in the city, but such a large-scale evacuation inevitably led to some people ignoring the rules and trying to board boats, causing some disorder.

In the earlier part of the journey, as the inflatable boat passed through a few narrow streets, the sounds of arguing, shouting, and crying could be clearly heard from behind the buildings, suggesting conflict and chaos.

The small inflatable boat was obviously not capable of carrying many people, but there were still people who suddenly opened their windows, shouting towards them, asking where they were going and offering to pay if they would take them along.

Shu Fu kept an eye on the reactions of the Lu brothers. She remembered that Lu Ce had said during their first meeting that his older brother, Lu Zheng, liked to intervene in other people’s business. In fact, when the first floor of their building had been flooded, it was Lu Zheng who had been the first to offer shelter to a family in his own home.

But compared to Lu Ce, who was visibly distressed by the shouts, cries, and pleas from others, Lu Zheng appeared much calmer, much more composed. “Don’t worry, rescue operations are still underway, and everyone will be rescued. Helping others should be within our means. Right now, you can’t help anyone, so the most important thing is to focus on what’s in front of us…”

At Lu Zheng’s comforting words, Lu Ce’s expression steadied, and he focused all his energy on the oar in his hands.

The inflatable boat quickly advanced over the undulating water surface, turning off the nearby streets and entering the wide main road.

The main road, which was already spacious, had become vast due to the rising water, resembling a gray lake with moving waves. The commercial buildings on both sides of the road appeared like water-dwelling structures, silently standing in the water.

There were no cars or pedestrians around, and the once bustling streets, filled with traffic and noise, had disappeared. All the cars had sunk to the bottom of the water, and people were hiding in these tall buildings, waiting for the rescue boats to break through the rain and take them to safety.

At the end of the main road was the elevated highway section of Suicheng. The height of the nearby overpasses was more than ten meters, and the terrain was higher than the areas they had previously passed through. Although the flooding had turned the overpasses into “low bridges,” there was still about four meters of clearance between the overpasses and the water below, which was enough for boats to pass through safely.

Rainwater cascaded down through the gaps in the bridge surface, forming waterfalls that splashed onto the water below, creating a massive mist. The water surface rippled like a mountain stream, and none of them had expected to witness such a scene in the city.

The inflatable boat had excellent stability, and even if the water surface was choppy, it wouldn’t capsize. While passing under the elevated highway, as long as they avoided the gaps in the bridge, they wouldn’t get drenched by the rain.

During this time, Shu Fu wanted to take over the rowing, but both of the Lu brothers, being considerate, refused.

“Sister Fufu, don’t be polite. It’s all thanks to you that we can smoothly get to the Sui University evacuation point. Once we get there, we can safely return home!” Lu Ce wiped the rain from his face, his eyes nearly swollen shut from the downpour, but he still smiled at her optimistically. “You don’t know, the rubber boat that was supposed to pick us up earlier suddenly changed its terms. They said the people who joined disagreed with taking a detour, but if we were willing to pay three thousand per person…”

Lu Ce felt that the other side was trying to make a profit. For the same trip, they could pocket nine thousand just by picking them up.

Though they had agreed to take Shu Fu’s inflatable boat, Lu Zheng felt it was better to have a backup plan, especially since they were still gathering people, and nothing had been finalized.

As it turned out, even before the sun had fully risen, the other party changed their stance.

“Don’t complain. The boat belongs to them, and the price they set is their prerogative. Whether we accept it is our choice. Don’t discuss things you’re not involved in. Remember what I told you: in the face of a disaster, everyone’s emotions are unstable, so be cautious with your words.” Lu Zheng spoke again, giving Shu Fu a new understanding of him.

He was not the “silent, honest person” she had initially thought, nor was he the “straightforward guy who likes to help others.” He was willing to help, but he would also weigh whether it was within his ability. He spoke little because he was cautious, avoiding trouble.

Although he was still in university, he had to take care of his younger brother, earn his own tuition, and had already stepped into society, seeing the true nature of the world.

He was not lacking in enthusiasm, but he was careful with his actions and made sure to act within his means. This was his way of surviving.

After leaving the elevated highway section, the floating debris on the water surface increased. According to the 3D map, this area was once an old building district, with mostly two-story low-rise buildings, narrow streets, and old houses that had been rented out to migrant workers or leased for businesses.

The small wonton shop, Yao Ji, where Shu Fu had visited before, was also in this area. She hadn’t expected that when she came back, everything would have changed.

The buildings were gone, and the water surface was littered with various building fragments, wooden door and window frames, debris from broken structures, and colorful trash bags. Most of the original buildings were submerged under the gray water.

Looking out, only utility poles and a few five- or six-story old residential buildings were standing here and there, like isolated islands in the water.

The power system in this area was outdated and had already been shut down once during the hailstorm. After the hail stopped, the power briefly resumed, but it was cut off again due to safety concerns. Because there weren’t many tall buildings nearby, the residents in this area had evacuated early, with some heading to Suicheng University nearby.

As the inflatable boat approached the west campus of Sui University, the number of rescue boats in the area increased, carrying people who had been evacuated from other areas.

All the boats seemed to be heading in the same direction, traveling north, apparently to bypass the south gate and enter through the east gate. Some rescue boats were even towing a few rubber boats with no engines.

Lu Ce was young but very clever. When they neared one of the rescue boats, he shouted, “Uncle Rescue Team,” and asked about the direction to the evacuation point.

The rescue team member, sitting at the back of the boat with one hand on the outboard motor, slowed down and adjusted their course. When he heard Lu Ce’s question, he glanced over. The person was quite young, his rain hat partially covering his eyebrows, with a tall and fair nose visible. His cheeks and lips appeared pale, likely from being in the rain for too long.

Upon seeing the rescue team member, Lu Ce quickly corrected himself and said, “Brother Rescue Team Leader.”

The quick and flattering change in address seemed to make the other person smile slightly: “No, we’re not going to the east gate. With the water level now, even the walls are submerged. It doesn’t matter whether we go through the main gate or not.”

The other’s voice was hoarse, possibly from exhaustion or a cold, but he gave a detailed response, not brushing off Lu Ce’s question despite being busy: “…But the west campus is on higher ground, and the water level there is more manageable. To the south and southeast, there are large green areas with trees, some of the branches sticking out of the water. If we go that way, the boats may get stuck or scratched, so now we’re all taking the detour to the east. It’s safer there with more open spaces.”

He pointed at the nearby water surface, “There are orange buoys marking the danger zone, stay to the right along them. Once inside the campus, you’ll also see buoys along the navigable waterways; just stay in the middle.”

“Thank you, Brother Rescue Team Leader!” Lu Ce, in his eagerness to thank him, leaned forward and was splashed with rainwater. He wiped his face casually and then vigorously resumed rowing.

Shu Fu, noticing the other person explaining the west campus situation, leaned forward to observe the surroundings.

On the waterproof bag, the map of the west campus was enlarged on her phone screen. Even though she had studied here for four years, now sitting on the inflatable boat floating on the water, she could no longer recognize the surrounding roads and could only rely on the map and navigation.

She was looking at the map to find the location of the library, then told Lu Zheng the next course of action.

“To the library?” A rescue team member on the boat in front turned around again.

“Yes!” Lu Ce nodded enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the rescue team member, “Brother Rescue Team Leader, are you going to the library too?”

The west campus had many solid and tall buildings. In addition to the library, the dormitory and teaching buildings had also been designated as official evacuation points for the people fleeing.

The rescue team member seemed to understand what Lu Ce implied and extended his hand towards him: “Do you have a rope on your inflatable boat? Toss it over, and we’ll give you a lift.”

The library at the west campus of Sui University was located in the central part of the campus. It was in the old part of the campus, and the buildings had all been renovated.

The original library was small, but during the renovation, a famous architect was hired to design it into a T-shaped building. In addition to the central main building, there were two wings, and part of the exterior featured curved designs. The building used double-layer tempered glass for most of its walls, making it very sturdy.

The entire building stood on a large platform, about six meters high, and because the campus was located on a higher elevation, the library’s platform had not been affected by the flood. At this moment, it seemed like a huge ship standing in the water.

The main building of the library had twelve floors, and the wings were also ten stories tall. The first to third floors had ceilings higher than four meters. The evacuation arrangements were all on the third floor and above, so even if the floodwaters reached the library, the people inside would be safe.

Such a reassuring height was why there were videos and photos of the area circulating online.

The platform was quite large, and the other rescue boats avoided the steps leading up to the high platform. They docked directly in the flooded area, quickly unloaded the evacuees, and then quickly left to continue their evacuation mission.

Since Shu Fu’s inflatable boat was small and had a shallow draft, it could follow the rescue boat’s “escort” to the high platform. After thanking the rescue team, the three of them quickly rowed towards the stairs, and when the boat grounded, they were only two steps away from the platform.

The three of them quickly got off the boat, grabbed their respective bags, and tossed the oars into the tent. Shu Fu picked up the towel along with the tabby cat, handed it to Lu Ce, and then opened the inflatable boat’s air valve to let it deflate on its own.

She and Lu Zheng each grabbed a corner of the inflatable boat and, despite the heavy rain, stepped over the submerged steps, heading up to the high platform.

The rain was still pouring outside, so the evacuation registration was set up in the first-floor lobby of the library, which was very crowded. The noise was chaotic—talking, asking questions, children crying, the sound of people organizing their rain gear and clothes… It was somewhat disordered.

Following their previous discussion, the three didn’t rush to register and pick up supplies but instead avoided the crowd and, familiar with the place, took the side corridor to find an empty area to deal with the noticeable inflatable boat.

Both air valves of the inflatable boat were already open, but deflation was slower than inflation, requiring external pressure to fully expel the air, which would then allow it to be folded and stored back in the boat bag according to the manual.

However, the air canister for this inflatable boat was small and could only be used once. If they wanted to use the instant auto-inflation function again, they would need a new canister.

Shu Fu naturally had a replacement air canister, but it was a bit heavy, and she didn’t want to carry it around.

Lu Zheng didn’t expect her to be carrying an air canister while evacuating, considering the limited space in their backpacks, and with the boat bag already conspicuous, it was risky to leave it in the evacuation area where it might be stolen. There was no way they could carry it everywhere; that would be too cumbersome.

Yet, in an area surrounded by water, such a useful inflatable boat couldn’t just be abandoned.

“Let’s hide it. There’s a storage room over there,” Shu Fu had already thought this through. She mainly wanted a temporary spot to hide the boat bag and planned to retrieve it later when she could do so privately.

Lu Zheng and his brothers were leaving on the official boats, so they wouldn’t need the inflatable boat anymore. She would continue drifting around in this waterlogged city, and the more backup boats she had, the better.

The storage room was used for old tables, chairs, broken sports equipment, and miscellaneous newspapers and magazines. It was somewhat cluttered and messy, but Shu Fu, being a top student who had spent four years at the university, was very familiar with it.

After confirming that the storage room was out of view of the surveillance cameras, Lu Zheng stood guard outside with Lu Ce while Shu Fu went inside alone, carrying the boat bag.

She found some abandoned cabinets behind a pile of tables and chairs. She initially planned to hide the boat bag in one of the cabinet doors, but after glancing around the dark, windowless storage room with no cameras, she changed her mind.

Using the tables and cabinets as cover, she directly stored the boat bag in the space.

There was no need to come back later to retrieve it; that would draw attention. With so much stuff in here and such a mess, whether she hid it or not, Lu Zheng and the others wouldn’t be able to find or verify it for a while.

If they really needed the boat, she could always come back to “retrieve” it later.

When Shu Fu stepped out of the storage room, she found only Lu Zheng in the corridor. He had already taken off his life jacket and raincoat. After shaking off the water from the raincoat, he neatly folded it and put it back in the raincoat bag.

Hearing her approach, he turned and looked at her. “I sent Xiao Ce to wait in line with the cat. How about you? Do you need to change clothes?”

He asked because Shu Fu was only wearing a life jacket and hadn’t put on a raincoat.

“I’m fine. My windbreaker is waterproof, and since it hasn’t been raining for too long, I don’t need to change.” She pulled down the hood of her windbreaker, removed her waterproof shoe covers, took off the life jacket, and patted her clothes. After shaking the water droplets off her waterproof backpack, she adjusted her wet hair, which was sticking to her cheek, and that was the extent of her adjustments.

Her skin had turned pale from the cold rain, which only made her lips look more vibrant.

Lu Zheng shifted his gaze from her lips, feeling uncomfortable from staring so directly at them.

He picked up the backpack from the ground, clipped the life jacket and raincoat bag to the straps, and then said to her, “Let’s go.”

**

The wait to register took longer than they expected, mainly due to the city-wide evacuation. Even though the government had opened over a hundred official evacuation points along the western outskirts of the city, from north to south, the number of people at each point was still overwhelming.

Fortunately, the evacuation was done in stages, with a large batch of new evacuees arriving every day, while a similar number of earlier evacuees would leave. As a result, the evacuation points didn’t reach full capacity at the same time.

But with the constant flow of people, chaos was inevitable.

Most evacuees arrived by rescue team inflatable boats, but a small group, like Shu Fu and her companions, came by their own means due to various reasons.

Upon arrival, evacuees had to register their information first before collecting supplies. The supply kits included basic items like food and water, along with a disposable toiletries kit, a single-sized moisture-proof mat, a first-aid thermal blanket, a blanket, and a raincoat.

Most official evacuation points, like the library in Suicheng, had no lodging facilities, so people usually had to sleep on the floor.

Once the registration was complete, evacuees went to the third floor, where rescue volunteers would assign them sleeping spots.

Each spot was numbered, and the mats and blankets made for a simple resting area. This was a temporary measure after discussions with the official rescue teams, as these evacuation points were only meant to be used during this large-scale evacuation.

The true destination of the evacuation was a city at a higher elevation, one that had not been affected by the flooding. These evacuation points would be abandoned once all the citizens had left, so there was no need to waste resources.

The moisture-proof mats, blankets, and first-aid thermal blankets were all essential camping supplies. During the progressive evacuation, evacuees would likely have to rotate through three to four temporary official evacuation points.

Rather than providing these items at every point for shared use, it was more efficient to distribute them at the first evacuation point as personal supplies. This way, each individual could carry their own, and it would eliminate the need for rescue team members to manage and organize them, while also preventing conflicts over public resources.

However, the city undergoing the large-scale evacuation was not the only one— the number of evacuees was immense, meaning the demand for these supply packs had reached astronomical levels.

Therefore, cities in unaffected areas nationwide were providing assistance and donations, with factories outside the southeastern region of Huagou working overtime to produce these supply packs. Entire truckloads were packed and immediately transported to the affected cities.

Shu Fu had initially thought that pets couldn’t be privately brought into the evacuation points, but when the registration personnel glanced at the obedient tabby cat in Lu Ce’s arms, they simply said, “Keep an eye on your pet,” without imposing any further requirements.

Lu Ce looked down at the cat, which had recently been struggling in his arms and appeared unwilling to be held, but now lay quietly, and he murmured with approval, “Lan Lan is really clever…”

“Lan Lan?” Shu Fu asked, surprised.

“I just named it,” Lu Ce replied softly, sounding a little proud. “It sounds nice, right?”

Shu Fu: …

After the three of them presented their ID cards and completed the registration, they were asked to set down their bags and pass through a security check. Afterward, they were given wristbands.

The wristbands were made of green silicone with a slight elasticity, similar to a watch, featuring an adjustable buckle strap and a slightly larger dial. On the dial was a single character: “Sui.”

Before distributing the wristbands, the registration personnel scanned them with a device next to their computer, seemingly to input personal information.

They were then told to keep the wristbands on at all times and not lose them, as they would be required for receiving supplies and scanning into subsequent evacuation boats or evacuation points.

After receiving the initial supply packs, evacuees could collect food and water supplies every two days, again requiring the wristband to be scanned.

“This is pretty convenient,” Lu Ce commented, examining the wristband closely. Under Lu Zheng’s urging, he quickly put the wristband on his left wrist.

The wristband reminded Shu Fu of the key to the locker she received when going to the bathroom to take a bath, which she had to carry around everywhere once inside—the locker, extra purchases, everything had to be done with that key.

Since she wore a silver bracelet on her left wrist that others couldn’t see, she put the wristband on her right wrist. The three of them didn’t linger on the first floor and headed straight up the spiral staircase on the left side of the central lobby to the second floor.

Supply distribution was centralized on the second floor, where there were noticeably more rescue workers than on the first floor, likely because all the relief supplies were concentrated there, requiring additional personnel to guard, manage, and distribute them.

Receiving supplies still required waiting in line, but after the registration steps on the first floor, the mood was noticeably calmer. With the supplies in sight, the order in the line was much better than on the first floor.

They waited for over half an hour before receiving their supply packs. Throughout the wait, Lu Ce kept calling the cat “Lan Lan,” in a cheerful mood.

The tabby cat, now curled up in Lu Ce’s arms, looked lethargic. It had tried meowing toward Shu Fu, seemingly wanting her to hold it, but Shu Fu pretended not to hear. After meowing a few times, the cat gave up.

“The official evacuation points currently have stable water and electricity, but not all bathrooms are open. After you go up to the third floor, someone will arrange sleeping spots for you. Some daily living guidelines are posted with signs,” the person distributing supplies replied to a question from someone else, and the three of them overheard.

To get from the second to the third floor, there was no direct spiral staircase anymore. You either had to take the elevator or use the safety stairwell.

To facilitate management of the second-floor supply area, only the outer stairwell was open for use.

However, this stairwell was a scenic one, with tempered glass walls and an outer layer of hollow metal decoration, making it much wider than a typical safety stairwell and able to accommodate many people going up and down at once.

Upon exiting the stairwell on the third floor, they first saw two rows of temporary tables, behind which were several young men and women wearing rescue team badges. However, they weren’t in rescue team uniforms and seemed more like students from the school.

Before Shu Fu could finish her thoughts, she heard someone from behind the tables call out excitedly, “Lu Zheng!”

**

Lu Zheng was a student at Sui University, and before coming here, Lu Ce had mentioned that he might run into some classmates while at the evacuation point, but they hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.

The one calling out Lu Zheng’s name was a young girl with short hair, a round face that was easy to like, wearing a rescue team volunteer badge and holding a notepad and pen. She approached Lu Zheng with a bright expression.

She was Lu Zheng’s classmate, named Yao Ruoyun, and because her home was close to Sui University and in a lower-floor apartment, she had evacuated with her parents to the university’s temporary shelter shortly after the heavy storm.

Afterward, this place became an official evacuation point. Since Yao Ruoyun had arrived early and was a student of the school, she had been helping the under-staffed rescue team with logistical work, so she had not left yet.

Seeing Lu Zheng this time, Yao Ruoyun was clearly very surprised. She led them upstairs to another rest area while asking him about his situation. She asked why he hadn’t mentioned coming here in the class group chat, and how he had gotten here, clearly knowing his home was far from here and that the evacuation route didn’t lead to this location.

Lu Zheng, due to working part-time and taking care of his younger brother, rarely stayed on campus and had only been at school for a year. He didn’t often hang out with his classmates. He hadn’t mentioned coming to Sui University in the group chat.

However, Yao Ruoyun had obviously taken a liking to him before. Seeing him unexpectedly, her surprise combined with her outgoing personality, meant that despite his usual reticence, she remained very enthusiastic and chatted quite a bit.

For example, she mentioned that many students who lived in dormitories had been evacuated to the dormitory areas, and that most of the students they knew in the library were locals. After learning about the higher ground and better conditions here, many people had brought their families over.

These days, with the progressive evacuation starting, some students had already left Suicheng with their families. But there were still some people remaining, like her, who had temporarily joined the rescue team as volunteers, doing logistical work.

“If it weren’t for this, we wouldn’t have met!” she said cheerfully.

“We’re going to which floor?” Lu Zheng, noticing that Yao Ruoyun was leading them upstairs, couldn’t help but ask.

“Sixth floor,” Yao Ruoyun replied, then glanced around, leaned closer to him, and lowered her voice. “There are a few restrooms there, and it’s a little benefit for us volunteers who stayed behind. My parents, a few other classmates, and their families are there. There are sofas, a water bar, and charging stations. The conditions aren’t much worse than the dormitory areas. Since you’ve come, you should stay with us. We’ll all evacuate together later.”

“Thank you,” Lu Zheng seemed a bit uncomfortable with her sudden closeness, but thanked her and quickly distanced himself. Afterward, he turned to look at Shu Fu, who was following behind, and asked, “Is it okay if we stay with my other classmates?”

Hearing this, Lu Ce, who was walking in front, also turned to look at Shu Fu.

Yao Ruoyun also looked back. Since Shu Fu had been silent the entire time, she had assumed Shu Fu was just a fellow traveler who happened to be with Lu Zheng on the same boat. She hadn’t expected Lu Zheng to ask for her opinion first, using the word “we.”

Though Yao Ruoyun was easygoing, being a girl, she immediately felt a sense of unusual intimacy upon hearing the word “we.”

Lu Zheng was very handsome, with clear eyes, and a gentle kind of good looks that gave off no sense of aggression.

He was also a good student, unlike other boys his age who would gather in groups to cause trouble. He had no airs or desire to show off, and his introverted, steady nature was quite appealing.

Yao Ruoyun liked him, but since he didn’t stay on campus, she hadn’t had many chances to interact with him. Now, seeing him getting close to an unfamiliar girl, she felt somewhat uneasy.

When Shu Fu heard Lu Zheng call out Yao Ruoyun’s name earlier, she had a strange sense of familiarity, but couldn’t quite figure out why.

Now, as her mind was still preoccupied with the task at hand, she nodded when he asked her, and after doing so, she glanced at Yao Ruoyun again, hoping to figure out why she felt so familiar, but Yao Ruoyun had already turned away, her expression not looking very pleased.

Hmm, does the young girl seem to have some aversion to her?

Shu Fu, being an adult with rich social experience, noticed the subtle change in Yao Ruoyun’s behavior, even though the latter tried to hide it.

Shu Fu looked again at Lu Zheng’s back. Was it because of him?

When Yao Ruoyun opened the door to one of the restrooms on the sixth floor, informing them that they could stay in this one or in one of the two adjacent rooms, Shu Fu wondered whether she should stay apart from them.

After all, she was here on a mission, and where she stayed didn’t matter.

But before she could voice her thoughts, Yao Ruoyun’s attitude towards her suddenly took a 180-degree turn.

During lunchtime, when Yao Ruoyun’s mother came out from another restroom to boil water for instant noodles, she noticed her daughter leading someone over and hurriedly came over to greet them. Her eyes lingered on Shu Fu for a moment before she suddenly joyfully grabbed her.

Looking at her, Shu Fu finally realized why Yao Ruoyun’s name felt so familiar.