Wu You'ai gathered everyone together and announced the news.
"The government plans to recruit more than ten thousand salvage workers, converting some into official civil servants. Requirements: good swimmer, familiar with Wu City, open to all genders. Daily work is moving submerged municipal supplies. Pay is 4 virtual coins a day, housing will be assigned, but if performance doesn't meet standards you'll be dropped.
You can sign up here with me. We'll shortlist in a few days. A word of warning: if you drown or die by accident, the government won't be responsible."
The announcement shocked many. People who could swim well were already itching to sign up. After all, what's dangerous about diving to fetch supplies?
What do full-time positions offer now? Housing, meals, and virtual coins. That's an iron rice bowl in this apocalypse.
Wu You'ai also shared more good news. "If you don't get shortlisted, don't be discouraged. The city's high-rise area is submerged for meters. It might not recede soon, but the stuff in the city has to be salvaged or it will rot. Ordinary people can go out with the salvage boats to recover goods. Items can be exchanged at a discount for virtual coins. It's a chance to pay off loans."
Loans were a bittersweet luxury only a few communities like Banana Community could complain about.
When everyone learned the flood wouldn't recede quickly and that relocation was permanent for many, they realized they might lose their homes forever. Who knew if they could ever live in the same place once the waters dropped?
So owning a house now, one that didn't require sharing space with strangers, made you part of the "house-owning" elite in everyone's eyes. No wonder Jing Shu's classmates were jealous when they discovered her home was in Banana Community.
The flood had displaced millions in Wu City in the blink of an eye. Tens of thousands were missing. The news barely reported it anymore because people didn't have time to grieve. The important thing was how the living would survive.
On January 4, Hongshan Ecological Park served only two meals. With the cold and damp in the caves, people caught colds and fevers, and hundreds more died.
The heavy rain never stopped. Caves filled with water. People couldn't sleep. Water along the roads reached calf height, yet higher ground in Wu City remained dry.
The government decided that on January 5 they would start assigning people to new residential points. Caves were no longer livable. Worse, red nematodes had become a major hazard in the water. Their mating sounds were a constant sizzling. Under light, dense swarms of red nematodes jumped and tangled on the water's surface.
Red nematodes were one of the biggest early dangers and headaches for salvage teams.
Jing Shu remembered clearly: one step and countless bugs tickled the soles of your feet. Within two or three seconds, swarms of red nematodes would entwine themselves around your foot. Do you think they were attacking? No.
Red nematodes:
You want to eat us? Sorry, we're mating.
You stepped on us? Sorry, we're still mating.
Whatever you planned to do, they wouldn't be stopped from reproducing.
So when salvage workers dove in to move goods, they could easily be wrapped in a mass of red nematodes. In water they looked like aquatic plants, and no one knew how many salvage workers had been strangled by them.
The cave where Jing Shu and her family stayed was better off because she had made people lay bricks and built a sunken square trough with piled stones. That made it far better than other caves. By the time others realized, tiles and firewood were gone. They were left shivering in cold water.
Because many people in other caves died the night before, the government distributed coal today, and Cave No. 5 was warm.
Wang Qiqi stood with a scorched pot and said loudly, "Today I drink water as wine to thank the family from the villa district. They've helped us a lot. Jing Shu once saved many lives here. The reason we can sleep in a dry cave at night is thanks to her ideas.
We've got bigger caves and more food because of them. From tomorrow more people, more civil servants, even wealthy families and powers from the villa area will move into our community.
But whatever happens, I pledge loyalty to Jing Shu's family. If anyone targets her home, I'll do my part to help."
"Count me in," the young master holding a child shouted. "My family of three owes our lives to Jing Shu. If anyone messes with her family, I'll contribute what I can."
"Me too," Wang Xuemei stood up from the corner.
"Me as well," the thinning Fatty Niu raised her chipped pot.
A scattered community, about to be flooded by newcomers, naturally banded together. Wang Qiqi used Jing Shu's reputation like a tiger banner to rally people and secure loyalty. Jing Shu's family earned gratitude and allies.
"Amazing, Jing Shu is really impressive. So beloved," Aunt-in-law said with envy.
The family all gave Jing Shu thumbs up.
Jing Shu stood and thanked them. Fewer people causing trouble was always a blessing.
Still, even having thought of so many ways to improve their living conditions, no one slept well that night. The tiled cave floors, boards, moisture-proof mats, sleeping bags, and tents kept out wind and water but not smells.
At four in the morning Jing Shu woke to a familiar stench. It was the whole cave.
The smell was rotten egg plus roasted durian plus tear gas.
Jing Shu gritted her teeth, thinking she'd lived through this before, yet someone was roasting red nematodes to eat. Who the hell?
"What's that smell? Ugh, so bad."
"It's the next cave over. They've got a fire and they're hungry, so they're roasting red nematodes."
"That smell shouldn't be this strong."
"I heard some were told not to, but they didn't listen. Now other caves have started roasting them too—says if one cave farts we all get to smell it."
Great. A few caves roasting together. The stench was unbearable.
Jing Shu's whole family couldn't stand it. They packed up and headed straight back to the villa. They were going back today anyway. "That amphibious shark submarine is yours. We're driving back first."
They slipped away.
Leaving Wu You'ai and Jing Lai in the cave, Jing Shu's family drove back to the villa. Others would wait for another government meal before heading back.
They waded through water on the drive home. Grandma Jing still worried about so much water and whether they'd be submerged.
"Why is the underground garage door locked?"
"Then let's go in from above."