"Quick, come inside. The wind is getting stronger," Blanche urged them to come indoors.
Inside the house, a brazier was burning, warming up the space. Each family member was busy with their own tasks.
...
Three days had passed in the blink of an eye, yet the typhoon and torrential rain showed no signs of abating.
The rising seawater had already submerged the base's main gate, forcing Ignatius to order an evacuation to higher ground.
Repeated announcements echoed through the base's speakers: "Residents in low-lying areas, please evacuate to higher ground. Temporary shelters have been set up on the hillside."
The Allen family's residence was neither high nor low, but if the rain continued, there was still a risk of flooding.
"Dad, should we evacuate?" Alice ventured out to investigate how far the water had encroached, finding it just tens of meters away from their courtyard.
Atticus was also hesitant. "I've seen the temporary shelters on the hillside. They're makeshift houses assembled from panels, accommodating dozens of people in one room. Some have opted to buy waterproof tents and found higher ground to stay on."
"According to the local fishermen living here, even during heavy rains and typhoons in the past, flooding was never an issue. The base didn't plan comprehensively and failed to take adequate precautions. Now, they're hastily constructing shelters," Arnold remarked.
"There aren't many tall buildings in the base. Otherwise, seeking refuge on higher floors would be an option," Blanche sighed softly.
Alexander expressed his thoughts bluntly, "I don't want to go to the shelters." Since the disaster struck, they hadn't visited the shelters, and their living conditions were almost the same as before. Suddenly being crammed together with others was unbearable to even think about.
After carefully listening to their opinions, Alice pondered and suggested, "Let's observe for a few more days. If the flooding worsens, we can move into the camper. If even that gets flooded, we can still head to higher ground."
They all had rainproof tents, so even if they went up the mountain, they wouldn't have to squeeze into makeshift houses with others.The family temporarily decided to move into the camper if the seawater flooded their area. Shortly after finishing lunch, there was a knock on the door of the Allen family's house.
Alice, holding an umbrella, went to open the door. She saw Hurley, tall and elegant in his raincoat, standing outside. Rainwater dripped down his handsome face along the defined jawline, exuding an indescribable allure...
After a moment, Alice snapped out of her trance, her ears turning slightly red as she asked, "How did you come here?"
"My uncle's place has already been flooded by seawater. We're planning to go to the shelter on the mountain. I came to ask if you guys wanted to join," Hurley said softly.
"We're not planning to leave for now. If it floods, we'll stay in the camper. I can lend you one," Alice raised an eyebrow.She not only had campers in her space but also various other vehicles. Staying in a camper would be more convenient.
Hurley smiled and declined, "That's not necessary. Although the higher-ups in the base are also going to the mountain, they'll be staying in different accommodations, so they won't be crowded like the others."
So he came to ask for the Allen family's opinion. If they decided to go to the mountain, he could arrange for his uncle to vacate a room for them. It was against the rules, but as long as they provided supplies in exchange, it would be fine.
Alice still didn't want to go. There were too many people on the mountain, and even if they could stay in a separate room, it would still be inconvenient. Take eating meat, for example. The smell would waft everywhere, likely causing disputes. It was better to stay put and only leave if they couldn't stay there anymore.
"What about your supplies?" Alice asked.Last time, he had to take the supplies from the space to confiscate the goods from the pirate ship, so obviously, he couldn't take them all with him.
Hurley smiled, "That's the second thing. I want to store the supplies in your space as compensation. You can eat whatever you want and use whatever you need."
She liked the sound of that."I have everything I need in my space, so I don't need yours. Let's go, I'll help you put it away," Alice said, turning back to her family to inform them before putting on her raincoat and leaving with Hurley.
Arriving at Ignatius's house, she realized that the water had already flooded up to the doorstep.
In Hurley's room, she found it packed with supplies, overflowing even onto the bed.
"My room is rarely visited, so nobody noticed," Hurley explained with a smirk. If Ignatius were to see this, he wouldn't know how to explain it.
Alice quickly helped him tidy up, and Hurley relaxed only after seeing that. He entrusted the supplies to her without a hint of panic.
"Is there anything else you need to put into the space? I can take care of it all at once," Alice asked, looking up at him.
Hurley glanced around and shook his head, "The rest of these can't be taken away, otherwise, I'll have a hard time explaining."
As Alice walked out of the room, she unexpectedly met Ignatius raising his hand as if he were about to knock on the door. They stared at each other, and Ignatius's mouth twitched awkwardly as he withdrew his hand. "Um, sorry to interrupt. You guys continue. I'll leave first."
Alice, who hadn't thought much of it at first, was now puzzled.
"Base Commander, you might have misunderstood. I came to talk to Hurley about something. The living room is already flooded, so we had to find another place to talk," Alice touched her nose, coming up with a reasonable-sounding excuse.
But Ignatius didn't buy it at all. Why would they need to close the door if they were just talking?
"I've been young before, I understand. No need to explain. In these end times, do whatever makes you happy. There's hardly any room for societal norms anymore. I just came back to get something, and I'll leave," Ignatius said with a smile, giving Hurley an encouraging look.
Good wives are hard to find nowadays, and good-looking ones are even rarer.Hurley pretended not to notice and looked at Alice. Seeing that she seemed fine, he felt a slight sense of relief.
"Let's go, I'll walk you back," he offered.
"No need, I know the way. The Base Commander should be back to pack things up. You go ahead and busy yourself," Alice smiled, putting on her raincoat and leaving.
As soon as she stepped outside, she was nearly blown over by the strong wind.Alice stood still for a moment, waiting for the gust to pass before briskly walking back home.
Watching her retreating figure, Ignatius turned to glance at Hurley. "Does her family want to move to the mountain?"He could reserve a makeshift house for the Allen family.
"They're not going," Hurley replied.
Ignatius furrowed his brows slightly. "The seawater is rising rapidly. I estimate that two-thirds of the base will be submerged, and it's hard to say when it will recede. If they don't seize the opportunity now, with more and more people in the future, they may not have a chance to get a makeshift house."