Officer Li Yuetian swore he hadn't been this excited even on his wedding night. He grabbed the shoulder of a bald man, grinning from ear to ear. "Quit standing around, you bastards, get up there and haul them in!"
The shark submarine gunned its engine, fighting the flood, but it still couldn't crawl up onto the bank. Luckily, Officer Li Yuetian had brought more than a dozen officers, and together they dragged people ashore.
While yanking the bald man up, he rushed over and shook Jing Shu's hand, eyes shining.
"Jing Shu, I don't even know how to thank you! You've done something monumental. You're my lifesaver. Say the word, and if I can help, I will. And I'm submitting your name for a first-class commendation!"
Heaven knew how stunned and overjoyed Officer Li Yuetian had been when, in the middle of evacuating the oil-base community, his nephew Li Bailong ran up to say the temporary shelter was full because Jing Shu had already transferred the supermarket crowd there. The man had been happier than winning five million. He'd never expected a family that looked so ordinary to be this capable.
Never judge a book by its cover.
"In that case, thank you, Officer Li Yuetian," Jing Shu said.
Off to the side, Jing Lai blurted, "Director? Why are you here?"
Officer Li Yuetian shoved the bald man forward. "This clown calls himself a director? He dumped every task on other people. He can hand over the whole job to someone else now. The deaths at the supermarket are on him. By the way, I heard your aunt worked as a supervisor there and was a key figure in the rescue?"
Jing Shu narrowed her eyes, pleased. Officer Li Yuetian knew how to read the room. Third Aunt's promotion and fortune were just around the corner.
"Yes. My aunt did a lot. She organized people to collect planks and basins and get everyone upstairs in order. Later, she personally directed and supervised things until the very last group was transported out."
"And me, I helped a lot too!" Wei Wei suddenly jumped out, desperate to claim credit.
Smack.
Jing Lai slapped her again. "Helped? Don't think I didn't notice you secretly tying only two knots. I just didn't have time to deal with you." Jing Lai had nothing left to lose. With a disaster this big and plenty drowned at the start, her own position might be gone anyway.
Officer Li Yuetian waved a hand. "Cuff him." Li Bailong moved like lightning and cuffed the bald director.
Having made his stance clear, Officer Li Yuetian added, "Your aunt performed exceptionally. I'll apply to appoint her as the new supermarket director and to award her a second-class commendation as well."
Wei Wei clutched her face, gaping. Only then did she realize they were divvying up the credit. Officer Li Yuetian was deliberately repaying the favor owed to Jing Lai's niece.
"S-sorry to disturb you," Wei Wei stammered, then fled in tears. She'd jumped in before the conversation finished and made a fool of herself. From today on, the once-equal Jing Lai would probably leap three ranks and become the boss of Ai Jia supermarket.
Satisfied, Jing Shu took the dazed Jing Lai home. Even after they arrived, Jing Lai still looked stunned. She'd planned to work hard for half a year to be made permanent staff, then strive to become a manager within three years, and aim for director in five.
She hadn't expected a giant leap. One sentence, and it was done?
Watching the shark submarine glide away, Officer Li Yuetian beckoned when no one else was around. "Li Bailong, tell me again, in detail, what you saw last time you went to her house."
Li Bailong scratched his head and started talking. "…then we helped her catch Wang Zhong, and she gave us a big handful of wood ear mushrooms. Later, when we sent Wang Zhong to rot in a cell, she gave us a bag of soybeans. I think this girl is generous. She hits hard when she needs to, but she treats allies well. Today proves she's not cold-hearted."
…
"Well, well, you two little brats finally came home. Huh? If your dad hadn't slipped up, I wouldn't even have known Ai Jia supermarket flooded! And you, bold as ever, taking that boat out there. Weren't you afraid you wouldn't find your way back?" Grandma Jing scolded.
"You little rascal scared us half to death. Don't you ever do that again!" Su Lanzhi said.
"As long as you're safe, as long as you're safe."
"Mom, Jing Shu, come eat!"
Grandma Jing and Su Lanzhi had called multiple times, worried sick, and only relaxed when they heard Jing Shu had already brought people out. The whole family waited at the door.
Jing Shu and Jing Lai took off their raincoats and washed their hands, and everyone dug in together. In a blur of clattering chopsticks, they cleared the table.
Jing An came back with four or five chickens and a pig, saying the Livestock Breeding Center was closed for the holiday.
"Our Planting Industry R&D Management Department is closed too," Su Lanzhi said. "I heard the city's entirely underwater. With this volume of floodwater and rain, it won't recede anytime soon. It may get worse."
After a bowl of soup, Jing An said, "I'm not sleeping tonight. I'll keep watch outside. Nobody knows if the water will reach us."
Wu You'ai added, "I've already told everyone in the group to handle their own meals for the next few days. And tonight I'll hand out keys to the high floors so people can sleep there. Or we can move to the top floor too?"
Even though Jing Shu knew the water shouldn't reach this area, she didn't argue. Peace of mind was priceless. And if history decided to veer off from her memory and drown the place, the consequences would be unthinkable.
The family quickly agreed to sleep on the top floor of Building No. 25 for the night. Not just Jing Shu's household—Wu You'ai arranged for dozens of other families to sleep up there too.
"The tents I bought the year before will finally see some use. Let's bring tents tonight. It gets pretty cold."
They didn't need to bring much, just tents and basic supplies. If they needed anything else, they could run downstairs. The only hassle was the eighteen stories of stairs.
The snowy old TV suddenly hissed to life. It was 19:00 on the dot. The evening news had begun.
Sure enough, the news reported catastrophic floods across the country, and then delivered more bad news:
Sea levels were still rising at a furious pace. In other words, today's flood was only a sprinkle.
Experts appeared to say, "Our previous forecasts were correct. Rising sea levels will submerge at least 30% of the world's inland areas. Everyone must prepare.
As of 18:00 today, Hainan Island has been completely submerged. Thankfully, there were no casualties. Evacuation was completed in late December last year. China is the first to achieve zero casualties for an island evacuation."
The announcement shocked the nation. Back then, so many had died during relocation, and there had been two waves of migration amid relentless opposition. And now? How many lives had that policy saved? It proved China's decision had been right.
"Reports indicate that Japan and Indonesia are on the brink of being submerged. Casualties are incalculable. Although emergency evacuations began when the rains started, countless people have still been swallowed by the sea."