Chapter 168: Setting Off for the Red Mountain Ecological Park Shelter!

Jing Shu shook her head. This year, many island nations had disappeared, and Earth's population had dropped by 20%.

The TV screen switched to fast-motion satellite footage. Huge waves, tens of meters high, crashed violently, submerging half of the skyscrapers. The spread of the seawater was shockingly fast, engulfing entire cities within minutes. Within an hour, the whole city vanished under the water.

In the face of such disasters, human life appeared incredibly insignificant.

In less than a day, the entire island was submerged, except for a few mountain peaks barely sticking out of the water.

The footage left everyone in shock. The predictions from last year had come true. Was Earth really going to be completely covered by the ocean?

“International news reports indicate that the only region currently unaffected by the floods is the African highlands, and local governments are encouraging people to continue living in underground caves. European countries are currently negotiating a migration to Africa... We will continue to follow this story.”

Africa had avoided flooding only because of its high elevation, but the delay was just a matter of days...

Jing Nai looked on, terrified. “Even tall buildings are being submerged. Are we still safe in our high-rise apartment? What if Wucheng gets flooded too? What will we do?”

The whole family was gripped with fear. If entire nations were being submerged, what hope did a city have?

Wu Youai held up her phone. “Don’t worry, Grandma. Big Data is showing the latest updates for Wucheng. It’s refreshed every half hour, and right now, all the floodwaters are heading toward the city center. We’re not in its path.”

“That’s right, Grandma. We’re on the edge of the mountains, and the elevation is high. You can relax,” Jing Shu added, trying to ease everyone’s anxiety. She continued, “We’ll wear the emergency life jackets on our wrists while we sleep, and I have two inflatable boats. Even if the flood reaches us, we won’t have to worry.”

After dinner, the family discussed emergency flood evacuation procedures before everyone went to pack their things. Starting that night, the whole family conscientiously wore the emergency life jackets on their wrists.

Jing Shu sat in the yard, eating a hairy crab. She meticulously devoured the crab legs before moving on to the roe in the middle, tossing the empty shells to the plump chicken, which swallowed them whole. Who knew if it could taste anything.

Jing Shu took the opportunity to mentally organize her space.

After upgrading her space to the sixth level, she had gained several dozen cubic meters of storage. She had moved everything that could be damaged by moisture out of the basement and into the space. Now, it was nearly full again.

It seemed unlikely she would be able to upgrade the space enough to store all the supplies from the house before the migration.

Wu Youai reported the latest news to the family and the group chat every half hour:

“@Everyone, the flood has already reached the fourth floor of buildings in the new district. All residents of the petroleum community in the development zone have been evacuated, and the old city remains unaffected. Five other flooded districts are still in the process of evacuation.”

“The flood’s flow has increased by a third, but it’s still quite far from our community.”

Despite the reassurances, over seventy people in the chat decided to stay on the upper floors. They packed up their damp bedding and headed upstairs.

That night, once everything was packed, Jing Shu brought the tents, blankets, mats, water, food, and, of course, the portable toilets upstairs.

Jing Nai even suggested bringing the pigs and chickens.

“Grandma, you’re going to carry a pig up to the 18th floor?” Jing Shu teased.

That put an end to the idea. Grandma reluctantly fed the animals one last time before joining the others.

They left the plump chicken to guard the villa. Jing Shu locked the doors, activated the traps and surveillance systems, and finally left.

The family used the underground passage to reach Building 25, so they didn’t get wet.

Having drunk a year’s worth of spiritual spring water, the whole family was in excellent health. They climbed all the way to the top floor without breaking a sweat, and Jing Shu, carrying a huge load of luggage, was running ahead of them with frightening speed.

Jing Ma swept the floor, Jing Dad mopped it twice, and Jing Lai wiped everything down with a cloth, spraying some herbal oil around. They were used to the clean environment of the villa, so living in a dark, damp shell of a building was going to take some getting used to.

No matter—they’d adapt tonight, as they’d be moving to the mountain tomorrow.

All the commotion from Jing Shu’s family, carrying their bedding, tents, and supplies, attracted the attention of Fat Niu, who was also staying on the top floor. She shone her flashlight outside and, seeing the grand setup, sheepishly said, “Sorry to bother you. We just put on a few layers of clothes and came up here to sleep. We thought everyone would do the same. You folks take your time.”

The little incident passed quickly. Jing Shu’s grandpa finished laying the planks, and Jing Shu set up the pop-up tents.

She inflated the emergency boats as well, ensuring her family had the safest possible setup before everyone went to bed.

“You all sleep. I’ve got good eyesight, so I’ll stand watch,” Jing Dad said, still feeling uneasy.

Jing Shu crawled into her cozy sleeping bag, zipped up the tent, stripped off her clothes, and was asleep in seconds, unaware that she had made waves on the news in Wucheng.

It was a good night’s sleep, but at six in the morning, she was shaken awake.

“Jing Shu, wake up! The flood’s coming—we have to go now!” Jing Ma unzipped the tent and shook Jing Shu vigorously, apparently unafraid of giving her a concussion.

The flood’s coming? That didn’t sound right. Had she misremembered, or had history changed?

Jing Shu quickly put on her sportswear and then layered up with a down jacket. It was still cold in the early morning.

“How far has the flood reached?” she asked, just as Jing Dad’s snores reached her ears.

Wu Youai, sporting panda eyes from lack of sleep, said, “The city center is completely submerged. Buildings over thirty stories tall have disappeared. Last night, tens of thousands of people ignored the evacuation orders, thinking they’d be safe in the high-rises. The latest report says they’ve all disappeared. The whole city is now a vast ocean.”

“The flood has already spilled over from Aijia Supermarket. It’s rising slowly, but at this rate, it could reach us in a few hours.”

Jing Shu breathed a sigh of relief. It was still the same as last time—the flood wouldn’t reach them.

“There are 35 emergency shelters in Wucheng, but most are already underwater. The remaining ones filled up yesterday. The one we’ve been assigned to is Red Mountain Ecological Park, which has the highest elevation and can hold over 100,000 people. It’s not far from us.”

Red Mountain Ecological Park was a famous Wucheng landmark, heavily funded by the government as a disaster shelter. It was well-maintained, sturdy, and equipped with various emergency facilities. The mountain itself was hollowed out.

In addition to a massive central cave, there were thousands of smaller caves forming an intricate maze. It was so vast that it could take hours to explore fully.

How ironic. In her previous life, Jing Shu had spent three unforgettable, desperate days in that mountain with her family. Was fate going to make her relive that experience?

Wu Youai sighed. “Let’s pack up and go. If the flood gets any closer, we’ll be out of time. I’ll go gather the others.”