Half an hour later, using the night vision-equipped camera on one of the floating unmanned boats, combined with real-time video processing by artificial intelligence to filter out the rain's interference, Su Wu finally saw the true state of the area outside the city.
The once-dry fields, ditches, roads, and guardrails had all vanished, replaced by an endless expanse of rippling water.
At the horizon, faint rumblings occasionally pierced through the relentless rainfall. These were the echoes of mudslides from the surrounding mountains, merging into the growing floodwaters.
"The currents and wind aren't too strong for now," Su Wu noted. "And the water level is rising steadily without dramatic surges."
After examining the more detailed data transmitted by the unmanned boat, Su Wu felt reassured. He exhaled deeply, stood up, and poured himself a glass of chilled fruit juice. The cool, sweet drink helped dispel some of his mental fatigue.
Although there was no one to hold him accountable, the weight of responsibility still pressed on him. Over the past few hours, the thought of sending tens of thousands of people from their warm, secure shelters into the rain-soaked, flood-threatened surface had kept his nerves taut.
Now, with his immediate tasks temporarily complete, Su Wu allowed himself a brief moment of rest.
---
In the gloomy surface world, shrouded by unrelenting rain, a camera zoomed in on the dock at Jingyuan Shelter. Dozens of large rafts, laden with either supplies or people, were captured in the frame.
"Reporting from Arashi News," a soft voice narrated.
"The Arashi-affiliated shelter network expanded its rescue operations again at 2:05 this afternoon.
"To date, over 2,000 rescue trips have been made using large rafts, successfully relocating 11,700 disaster victims.
"In light of the worsening disaster and the continuous expansion of affected areas, the Arashi shelter network has retooled some of its production lines.
"It is now estimated that every two hours, 100 large rafts capable of carrying 18 passengers will be produced to support the ongoing rescue operations."
---
In Zone 012 of the official Shelter No. 7, Yao Tie was working in a livestock farm. He threw a box of mixed feed into the pen, then took a break to pull out his phone and watch the latest news broadcast from Arashi Village.
Since the morning, when conditions on the surface had suddenly deteriorated, Yao Tie had developed a habit of checking the news frequently.
Each report of trapped victims and every mention of shelters overwhelmed or destroyed by floodwaters tugged at his heartstrings. In these desperate stories, he saw a reflection of his own life.
"Ordinary people are all the same," he thought. "A disaster like this wouldn't spare anyone."
---
"Watching the news again?"
A voice startled Yao Tie, causing him to turn around quickly. Seeing it was his childhood friend Xue Yifei, he sighed in relief.
"What are you doing here?"
"Everyone's anxious right now. No one's in the mood to work—not even the supervisor. So, I sneaked over to find you," Xue Yifei admitted sheepishly, glancing curiously at Yao Tie's phone screen.
"Figures you'd be watching this too," Xue added.
"Of course. It's a matter of life and death. Who wouldn't care?" Yao Tie replied, moving his phone slightly to share the screen. He knew Xue's phone had broken a couple of days ago, and this was probably why he'd come over.
"Do you think the reports are real?" Xue asked, his voice skeptical.
"Is it really that bad outside, with most of Jianghe City underwater? Even we're technically below the waterline now."
Xue's disbelief lingered as he watched the footage. Everything inside their shelter felt normal, making it hard to grasp the scale of the catastrophe outside.
"With all those live videos, how could it be fake?" Yao Tie sighed. "I even saw a former classmate of mine on there. He wouldn't be acting."
"If it's real, then this is infuriating," Xue declared, slamming his hand on a nearby railing. "So many people are dying without rescue, and here we are, doing absolutely nothing."
"Maybe the officials have their reasons," Yao Tie said, instinctively defending the authorities, though his voice carried doubt.
"Come on, you know better," Xue countered. "What happens when they treat us the same way someday? The Federation isn't watching over us anymore. Even if they mess up badly, who's going to replace them?"
Yao Tie fell silent, Xue's grim logic impossible to refute.
Their own situation wasn't much better. With floodwaters already flowing above their shelter, any mishap could spell disaster. Could they really count on those in charge to save them?
---
The discontent wasn't limited to these two friends. Across Jianghe City, anyone with access to the internet was tuning in to the Arashi Village broadcasts.
Whether rich or poor, educated or not, they all watched in silence as the news painted a vivid picture of hope and action—sparking thoughts they dared not voice.
---
Meanwhile, on the surface, under the relentless downpour, a group of people huddled amidst the ruins, shivering as they awaited rescue.
Suddenly, a faint light appeared in the distance.
"Is that the rescue team?"
A middle-aged man stepped forward, squinting to make out the light's source. But the more he looked, the more uncertain he became.
"Something's off. Weren't we told two large rafts would
come to take all of us? But this... it's just a small fishing boat."
(End of Chapter)