Chapter 46

At night, Shu Fu, wearing a raincoat, exited a four-story building, circled around the wall, and confidently made her way along a familiar path behind the building toward the forest.

She turned on a small flashlight, navigated through the dimly lit woods, and arrived at a partially destroyed guesthouse on the other side.

This guesthouse, half-collapsed, had been designed to evoke a sense of closeness to nature, with much of its structure made of wood. After multiple rounds of heavy rain, hail, and strong winds, most of the wooden parts had been damaged.

The indoor swimming pool of the guesthouse, however, had survived because it was built with traditional reinforced concrete and tempered glass.

The pool was on the first floor, and its outward-facing door was already broken, allowing direct access. After enduring heavy rain and several hurricanes, the base of the walls was littered with broken branches and leaves.

Inside, the floor was also scattered with leaves and twigs blown in by the wind, but the condition was much better than outside. The size and depth of the pool were just right, and when the rescue team’s families first moved in, some people thought of using it for swim practice.

Since people wanted to use the pool, they would bring nets and brooms to clean the water and the surrounding area before each session.

The pool had its own filtration system, and the guesthouse had a backup generator, but one needed to power it up manually each time to operate the filter.

However, with the constant rain lately, everything was damp. When the rain was heavy, water would pour inside and flood the pool. Those who came to practice jokingly referred to it as a natural water change.

Thus, they would just scoop out the floating branches and leaves and jump in.

It was only swim practice, not a leisurely soak. In the middle of winter, everyone wore thick, long-sleeved swimsuits, along with goggles, nose clips, swim caps, and earplugs. With all these protections, they weren’t too concerned about water quality.

They would swim for a set time and then return to the family building for a quick shower. The tap water now had disinfectants, so there was no worry about cleanliness.

But that was when the rescue team and their families had just moved in. Over time, everyone who needed practice had already done so, and now, hardly anyone came to the pool.

All this information had been shared by Cheng Yu’s friend, a tall, handsome man with sun-kissed skin named Han Lan, around 27 or 28 years old.

Unlike Cheng Yu, Han Lan was quite the chatterbox. Before Shu Fu even asked, he had spilled everything.

Shu Fu knew he was being so patient because she was Cheng Yu’s friend. Rescue team members were busy and had limited rest time, yet he was willing to spend it helping her. He was a genuinely kind person.

The family building she moved into had originally been a guesthouse. There were many rooms, though none very large—about 30 square meters each—with a bathroom and a simple bar-style kitchenette with an induction cooker. The power system worked well, so washing up and cooking basic meals wasn’t an issue.

The water supply here was like in other parts of the city—one hour in the morning and one in the evening, from 8 to 9 o’clock. Besides storing some water for daily use, everyone would shower during these times.

There weren’t many families living in the building. Not all rescue team members brought their families; for instance, Liu Shuang and Cheng Yu didn’t, and neither did Han Lan. So, when Cheng Yu mentioned this arrangement, Han Lan was very surprised and extremely curious about Shu Fu.

As for the whole “sister” story, Han Lan didn’t think much of it. It was just a formality for the registration—whether it was true or not didn’t concern him.

He had even asked Cheng Yu if he should drive over to pick her up, considering it was moving day and the weather wasn’t great.

But Cheng Yu told him that she was very independent and, if she decided to move in, she would drive herself over.

This only made Han Lan even more curious about Shu Fu. After helping her with the registration, he didn’t leave, wanting to assist in unloading her Jeep. But then he saw her pull out a foldable cart, load up a few large boxes and a big backpack, and that was it.

“You don’t have much stuff for moving,” he remarked, amazed.

Shu Fu just smiled without answering. If it weren’t for the marine outboard motor, portable fuel tank Cheng Yu had bought her, and the two boxes of supplies he gave her before leaving, she could’ve packed even lighter.

Shu Fu also noticed how few people lived in the family building. Han Lan explained that over the past two weeks, as rescue operations on the eastern front wound down, many team members who had been transferred here were reassigned back.

Some were sent to other cities for missions—most to high-altitude regions, like Cheng Yu.

Han Lan himself would stay in Lou Yuncheng for about another half month. By March, he too would have to leave.

Currently, the land outside Lou Yuncheng’s dam was submerged. After repeated battering by massive waves, any structures that might have housed survivors had largely collapsed.

In fact, since the first massive wave hit Muzhou Province, the number of survivors in the water had been dwindling. Rescue missions to evacuate survivors were nearing zero, with most operations now focused within the city.

After the lifting of the firearm ban, the city’s order slightly improved, and Lou Yuncheng’s demand for rescue teams decreased, making it understandable that many team members were reassigned.

Because of these reassignments, many family members who had come along also left, which made the area feel deserted.

But for Shu Fu, fewer people was a good thing.

She didn’t rush to release the raft into the pool. Instead, she observed the area three or four times, considering every possible issue before deciding to act between 8 and 9 PM.

This was the designated water supply time in Lou Yuncheng, and during this hour, most people stayed indoors to shower or handle other water-intensive chores.

Inside the building, the original surveillance cameras had long been broken. Moreover, without flipping the main power switch, there wasn’t even backup electricity. The fuel for the generators had been depleted over time, so even if the power was switched on, there might not be any electricity.

At night, with no one around and the building dimly lit, the pool seemed practically made for her raft.

The raft’s wastewater tank was designed for wastewater collection and filtration. Since she knew how clean the purified water from the drifting house was, she had no qualms about discharging filtered wastewater into the pool.

She even considered whether to store that day’s 50 liters of purified water while discharging the waste.

But on second thought, she decided against it. Knowing it was clean was one thing, but accepting the idea of using the same water was another. After all, the pool wasn’t that big.

Besides, she couldn’t come here every day—it was too risky. So, even just one batch of 50 liters wouldn’t make much difference for her.

The first time she discharged water was three weeks ago. She had been even more cautious then, activating the protective shield on the drifting house after releasing the raft. Although the discharging process was brief, she feared an unexpected event, like someone showing up while she was inside the raft.

The entire process took only a few minutes, barely consuming any of the shield’s time.

Thanks to her thorough observations beforehand, releasing the raft and discharging the water went smoothly.

After that, when using the raft in her room, she continued showering in the guesthouse’s bathroom due to the lack of daily purified water. However, she could confidently handle other water-related tasks like washing her face, using the toilet, and cleaning dishes inside the drifting house without worrying about the wastewater tank overflowing.

Liu Shuang was pleased to know she had moved near the rescue team dormitories. Now back with the military, Liu was busier than ever, with stricter mission protocols that even prohibited phone use during operations.

Cheng Yu was likely in the same situation. Since leaving Lou Yuncheng, he hadn’t replied to Han Lan’s messages.

Han Lan wasn’t entirely sure about the specifics of Cheng Yu’s escort mission, but he’d hinted to Shu Fu that there were probably some important figures in the team. Otherwise, given how seriously Cheng Yu had instructed him to help Shu Fu settle in, he would’ve at least checked in after she officially moved.

The complete lack of news must have been mission-related.

“Do you guys worry about each other when you go off-grid during missions?” Shu Fu asked curiously.

“Not really,” Han Lan replied with a smile, though there was a hint of helplessness in it. “Worrying doesn’t help. This world has never been truly peaceful. Even the so-called peaceful times were just an illusion, especially now. For people like us, once we join the military, we’re mentally prepared for certain things. Stuff like farewell letters? We’ve written them early on. And that’s not even the end of it—we update them regularly. After all, you never know which mission might be your last or what could cause it…”

As Han Lan spoke, he glanced back and saw Shu Fu watching him quietly. He immediately brightened his smile, “Scared?”

Shu Fu shook her head.

“Don’t worry. We’ve all undergone rigorous training and know how to protect ourselves. But you—since I’ve got time today, why don’t we train a bit more? I’ll be gone in a week, and I want you to be confident in those self-defense moves before I leave!” The rescue team dorms were close to the family housing, so Han Lan visited whenever he had time off.

He knew she had moved there to practice swimming. Since she didn’t need his help with that, he felt a bit unfulfilled and suggested teaching her self-defense instead. The techniques he taught focused on overcoming stronger opponents, were easy to learn, and highly practical.

With enough practice, her body would instinctively react with those moves in dangerous situations.

Although Shu Fu now had a portable protective shield, learning more skills was never a bad thing. So when Han Lan offered to teach her, she immediately accepted and learned diligently.

During their final session before Han Lan left Lou Yuncheng, Shu Fu finally managed to break free from his hold using her strength alone. Of course, Han Lan had gone easy on her—he wasn’t applying full force like he would in a real confrontation.

Han Lan even took a photo of the moment she countered him, proudly sending it to Liu Shuang and Cheng Yu with the caption: Told you I’m the best!

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Just two days after Han Lan left Lou Yuncheng, another massive wave surged beyond the dam.

This time, the guesthouse where Shu Fu stayed was even closer to the dam. The hill where it stood was much higher than the dam itself. So, when the air raid sirens blared, she stood by the guesthouse window, taking in the entire scene of the waters beyond the dam.

Dark clouds pressed down on the horizon, hurricanes howled, and towering waves crashed against the dam, accompanied by the piercing sound of air raid sirens. She could even hear the thunderous rumble as the waves struck the dam.

Experiencing the giant waves up close once again, her fear hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

After the waves subsided, heavy rain blanketed Lou Yuncheng for several days, pouring down so fiercely that it felt like someone was constantly dousing the windows with water from outside, day and night.

According to online news, floodwaters had overwhelmed several low-lying areas on the outskirts of Lou Yuncheng. One livestock farm was flooded, forcing an emergency evacuation. The city’s water purification plant also experienced issues with its filtration system, leading to a partial water outage for a day.

However, most of the news and reports focused on the state of public life within Lou Yuncheng. Another piece of news that drew significant public attention was that several cities in Muzhou and Xiren Provinces, which had originally planned to advance their dam projects, had inexplicably shelved those plans.

The authorities didn’t provide any explanation despite public demand. Instead, amid the growing speculation, they announced another piece of news: currently, nearly thirty cities across four plateau provinces, including Xizhou Province, were opening migration quotas to the general population of Huagou. Starting immediately, citizens could enter their identification information on a designated website, select their desired city for relocation, and, upon approval, receive an electronic transportation permit and an entry pass for the city.

With these permits, citizens could travel independently to their new city of residence.

For those without transportation, long-distance bus or train tickets could be purchased through the same website. The prices varied depending on the mode of transport but were generally only a tenth of what they had been during peacetime—affordable even for refugees.

Moreover, numerous bus and train schedules were available. In case of storms or adverse weather, trips would be postponed rather than canceled.

Additionally, the destination cities offered a series of incentives for migrants regarding home purchases and rentals. For certain specialized professions—such as construction workers, engineers, electricians, and boatmen—homes could even be purchased with zero down payment and zero interest.

The moment this news broke, the entire Huagou was stunned.