The speedboat that Yuan Ning had used before, although old, was still in decent condition overall. It had a cabin that could provide shelter from the wind and rain, and with a bit of repair, it could be used again.
Additionally, she had managed to escape from the tsunami on the sea and accurately find her way back to the L Island area, demonstrating that she could handle the third point as well.
The most challenging part, however, was the second point. Yuxi had previously consulted local sailors with maritime experience and learned that the distance from L Island to the nearest mainland was conservatively estimated to be 1200 nautical miles. A regular mid-sized speedboat, traveling at a constant speed, could cover about 40 nautical miles per hour. The fuel tank capacity of a speedboat could vary from 50 to 150 liters.
Assuming a fuel tank capacity of 150 liters, a fully fueled speedboat could run for just over three hours. Covering 1200 nautical miles would require at least 30 hours of travel. A speedboat couldn’t run at full speed for 24 hours straight due to engine issues. For safety, an estimated travel time of 8 to 10 hours per day would be more realistic. Assuming 10 hours of travel per day, they would cover approximately 400 nautical miles per day, requiring at least three days to complete the journey.
In terms of fuel, they would need an estimated 1500 liters.
Obtaining such a large amount of fuel was a challenge, but not entirely impossible. However, a typical speedboat couldn’t hold such a large fuel tank. Carrying fuel in barrels was an option, but nearly 1300 kilograms of fuel in barrels would be too much for a small speedboat with limited carrying capacity.
Even if within the weight limit, having large amounts of fuel on a bouncing boat was highly dangerous. At sea, unlike on land, there was nowhere to escape if an accident occurred, with the only outcome being perishing in the vast ocean.
But Yuxi had a spatial storage.
By stacking fuel barrels within her spatial storage, she ensured a hundred percent safety.
Her main challenge, though, was convincing the others to leave without revealing her spatial storage. How could she discreetly transfer the fuel into her space?
After Yuxi proposed the plan, Yuan Ning’s main concern was also about the source and storage of fuel.
The distance between L Island and other continents was too great. Other islands along the route were also hit by the tsunami and couldn’t serve as waypoints. Most of the large vessels on L Island had been destroyed by the tsunami, and the only remaining usable boats were mid-sized speedboats that, like Yuan Ning’s, had survived by being in deep sea areas with experienced helmsmen.
Had these boats been able to carry everyone long-distance, the island’s residents would have already found a way to leave.
Between the risks of leaving and the safety of staying, most people would easily choose the latter.
Yuan Ning was in the same position. The situation hadn’t yet deteriorated to the point of necessitating departure, but leaving was undoubtedly a risky endeavor.
After thinking deeply for a while, Yuan Ning spoke slowly: “Actually, it’s not entirely unfeasible. We can figure out a way to get the fuel, but it will take time to prepare. Besides, my injury hasn’t fully healed yet. I can’t go to sea in this condition. Give me a few more days. I’ll give you a definite answer in five days.”
Before the five days were up, chaos erupted at Sea view mountain.
In these days, the temperature not only didn’t recover but dropped from seven or eight degrees to zero. The rapid drop in temperature and the unprecedented cold air frightened the locals and the surviving tourists from around the world.
All the air conditioners in the hotels and inns on L Island only had cooling functions, and even if they could heat, limited electricity made them of little use. Cold-weather gear quickly became more important than food and water.
The rescue team had emptied all their stocks of clothes and blankets. Almost everyone was wearing multiple layers of clothing and wrapping themselves in various blankets, yet they were still cold. Many started resorting to burning wooden chairs in their rooms to keep warm.
After extinguishing the eighth small fire caused by improper fire use, the rescue team set up several bonfires in the lobbies of several hotels and inns, allowing survivors to gather and warm themselves, temporarily alleviating the cold problem.
The situation in the guesthouse area was slightly better because almost all the guesthouses had communal kitchens with stoves on the first floor. Survivors who couldn’t stay in their cold rooms gathered in the kitchens to burn wood for warmth.
As a result, the guesthouse area saw an influx of survivors from the hotel area.
Two groups moved into Yuxi’s guesthouse. One group was from Country H, consisting of both men and women, who traded some food for a room on the left side of the first-floor staircase.
The other group was from Country Y, consisting almost entirely of men. They occupied the room on the right side of the first-floor staircase and always scrutinized everyone entering and leaving the guesthouse, making Yuxi and Yuan Ning very wary.
Yuan Qi no longer went to the first-floor kitchen to cook. She exchanged some food with the landlady for an alcohol stove and borrowed a pot and bowl from the kitchen to prepare simple meals in her room. Each time she made porridge or noodles, she never forgot to bring a portion to Yuxi.
Yuxi felt a bit embarrassed but also helpless. She pretended to go out for a walk and then returned, claiming she had also obtained an alcohol stove and could cook for herself from now on.
That evening, Yuxi made a pot of sausage and carrot clay pot rice and brought it downstairs. Using simple ingredients, her cooking skills were on par with Yuan Qi’s, if not better.
Yuan Yuan didn’t need to be fed; he obediently finished a large bowl of clay pot rice, licking every grain of rice clean from the spoon.
However, the harmonious atmosphere only lasted until that night. Before dawn, Yuxi heard strange noises outside her door. The sounds were faint, but she was highly alert and immediately woke up.
She grabbed an electric baton and looked through the peephole. Seeing a masked man collapsed in the hallway not far from her door, she opened the door and squatted down to check. Yuan Ning came up the stairs with a rope: “You’re awake? Great, help me tie this guy up and hand him over to the rescue team later.”
“This person…”
“He was probably here looking for supplies,” Yuan Ning used the word “looking,” but Yuxi understood the true meaning. “He likely knew you were the only girl living on the fifth floor and took advantage of the early morning to sneak up. I hit him hard, so he’ll be out for a while.”
Yuan Ning had a habit of morning exercise, which she had paused due to her injury. Feeling better today, she decided to take a slow walk up the stairs and coincidentally caught him.
“Thank you. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I was careful this time and didn’t strain my injury.”
Yuxi quickly tied the man’s hands behind his back, then went back to her room to get a towel from the guesthouse to gag him. When she turned him over and pulled down his mask, she realized he looked familiar. “This is…”
“Yes, probably one of the people from the two groups on the first floor.” Yuan Ning couldn’t be sure if he was from Country Y or Country H, but she recognized him vaguely.
Unlike the man Yuxi had previously knocked out, this one wasn’t a hardened criminal. The two groups downstairs were tourists. While the situation hadn’t completely deteriorated, they didn’t dare openly steal, so they resorted to petty theft, targeting Yuxi who lived alone.
Yuxi sighed. She had been extremely cautious when going out these past few days, wrapping herself in a worn thin blanket over her down jacket and wearing a hat, minimizing her trips downstairs.
Despite this, she had been targeted, indicating the situation was rapidly worsening.
Yuan Ning frowned and fell silent for a moment before making a decision: “Let’s leave as soon as possible. I’ll discuss it with Lin Wu today.”
After breakfast, while Yuan Ning went to talk to Lin Wu, Yuxi negotiated with the landlady and moved from the fifth floor to the fourth, taking a room next to Yuan Qi’s.
This room, located on the westernmost side, was different from the one upstairs. It had a west-facing balcony from which she could observe both the southern and northern sides of the guesthouse.
The room hadn’t been cleaned since the tsunami, but with the windows tightly closed, it was still relatively clean, though the air was stale. Yuxi opened the balcony door for ventilation and used her high-powered binoculars to survey the distant landscape as usual.
The water level seemed to have receded slightly, but only from the fifth floor to the fourth and a half. The once bustling resort islands now showed no signs of life except on Sea view mountain.
The exposed buildings, bathed in the pale early morning light, exuded a gray and desolate stillness. The hollow windows resembled gaping monster mouths, evoking a sense of hopelessness if stared at for too long.
When Yuan Ning returned, she brought not only the rescue team but also Lin Wu.
As they reached the second floor, they found a crowd blocking the staircase, including the young women from the second floor, the men and women from the first floor, and even the guesthouse owners, all peering curiously.
“What’s going on?” Yuan Ning asked one of the women from the second floor.
She pointed upstairs. “Those people from Country Y on the first floor are causing trouble again.”
Yuan Ning and Lin Wu exchanged a glance and quickly pushed through the crowd to go upstairs.
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