Yu Xi quickly washed her hands and face, turned off the faucet, and looked at the clothes she had been wearing for days. Finally, she changed into a clean short-sleeve athletic outfit and slipped on fresh slippers before climbing the companionway outside the suite to the main deck.
The stairs led her to the area between the kitchen and the sofa lounge at the yacht’s bow. From the kitchen, the aroma of seared steak wafted over. Ya Tong, who also hadn’t showered but had changed into clean clothes and slippers, was doing what she did best—cooking.
In a nearby pot, a milky white fish soup simmered.
Yu Zhenzhen stood in the kitchen, drying her freshly washed hair, unable to move. She was the only one who had taken a shower, as Yu Xi and Ya Tong planned to dive into the water shortly and decided to wait until after to bathe.
Even in the suite back at the hotel, they couldn’t prepare food that smelled this delicious. Prepackaged meals and takeout were nothing compared to Ya Tong’s cooking skills.
Having eaten only dry rations for days, Yu Zhenzhen’s mouth was watering just from the smell.
Noticing her swallowing motions, Ya Tong smirked. “How do you want your steak cooked?”
“Huh?” Caught off guard, Yu Zhenzhen blinked, momentarily at a loss. “Uh, however is fine. Anything’s good!” As long as she could eat it quickly!
“Garlic sauce okay? If not, I can make black pepper sauce instead.”
“Either is fine.” Yu Zhenzhen’s eyes were glued to the steak, which was larger than her face. As Ya Tong took it out of the pan and began slicing it on a wooden board, Yu Zhenzhen could only focus on the meat.
Yu Xi chuckled, walking over to ruffle Yu Zhenzhen’s hair. “The dishes and utensils are in the cabinet. Grab three bowls, three spoons, and three forks.”
The yacht’s supplies—previously left on board due to limited space in the Star House warehouse—had all been put away after they boarded.
While Ya Tong and Yu Zhenzhen went to the lower-level suites to freshen up and change, Yu Xi made a quick tour across all three levels, resuming her “Doraemon” duties.
She checked the yacht’s water and fuel storage, confirming that everything was full. Then she began stocking the appropriate supplies in each space based on its purpose:
Suites:
Bathrooms stocked with toiletries and daily necessities, wardrobes with fresh clothing.
Kitchen:
Cabinets and refrigerators fully loaded with food and supplies.
Upper Deck Lounge:
Stocked with snacks, drinks, and alcohol.
Storage Rooms:
One filled with yacht maintenance tools, the other packed with long-shelf-life goods.
To Yu Xi, in any world, this yacht was essentially a mobile waterborne home, equivalent to a second RV.
If an uncontrollable situation arose, such as irreparable damage to the yacht, her first priority would be to store the yacht away and escape the waters. After all, her warehouse was stocked with inflatable boats and oxygen tanks, including several fully enclosed dinghies capable of withstanding even the worst typhoons and storms.
…
Ya Tong finished slicing the steak and preparing the sauces. She added salt, cilantro, scallions, and black pepper to the fish soup before announcing, “Time to eat.”
In addition to the steak, fish soup, and salmon salad, Yu Xi brought out a chicken curry pizza and sweet glutinous rice dessert with red bean paste as main dishes.
The three carried the food to the dining area behind the kitchen. This dining area was outdoor but differed from the typical semi-open design of most yacht rear decks.
Large glass panels enclosed the space on three sides, providing excellent views while still feeling semi-open.
Rain continued to fall outside. Yu Xi had already closed the motorized glass doors on one side of the dining area, creating a cozy space. The three of them sat on the sofa, enjoying their brunch to the rhythmic sound of raindrops hitting the glass.
With her first sip of fish soup, Yu Zhenzhen let out a long sigh. After her first bite of steak, her eyes sparkled. Now it made sense why Yu Xi had only given her a slice of plain bread earlier, saying it was just to tide her over—this meal was worth waiting for.
Initially, her biggest hope had been to sit in a small covered speedboat and eat prepacked takeout with everyone. But reality far exceeded her expectations. The yacht’s suites were incredibly spacious, rivaling the luxury of five-star hotel rooms, complete with hot showers.
Given the current circumstances, with clean water resources being scarce, Yu Zhenzhen was mindful of this. She showered quickly, ensuring no water was wasted.
Ya Tong’s cooking, as always, was exceptional, and the three of them nearly finished all the food. Yu Zhenzhen helped Yu Xi clear the table and, following her instructions, loaded the dishes into the dishwasher in the kitchen.
Using a dishwasher with the same number of dishes saved about 80% of the water compared to handwashing. Since they didn’t eat such meals often, using the dishwasher occasionally wouldn’t deplete their water reserves.
While the two were cleaning up, Ya Tong headed to the upper deck. The yacht had been set to autopilot, and since it was from the acid rain world, it featured advanced technology.
Once an electronic map was loaded with the starting point and destination, the yacht could navigate autonomously, avoiding obstacles and monitoring the surrounding environment to steer clear of underwater hazards, currents, and other dangers.
The yacht had stopped before their meal, and Ya Tong went up to confirm its position. They were near the northeastern part of the coastal city, close to an area that had once been farmland but was now completely submerged, along with the surrounding high ground.
Their first destination was a warehouse built into the rock beneath this high ground. In addition to the seeds they had mentioned to Chen Lei, the warehouse contained a large supply of grain, including rice, cereals, and flour.
Because of the nearby farming zone, the warehouse also stored a considerable amount of vacuum-packed meat—chicken, duck, fish, pork, beef, and seafood.
Being near the sea, the warehouse was sealed to prevent moisture and water damage, and the supplies were waterproofed. Even if seawater entered due to improper handling while opening the warehouse, the goods would remain intact for a short period.
Following the displayed data, Ya Tong manually moved the yacht forward about ten meters to a better spot and then returned to the main deck.
…
Yu Xi retrieved their diving equipment. The two quickly suited up and equipped their gear before descending from the rear deck into the water.
“Don’t be nervous. Remember what we discussed: if you see any boats or people in the area, send us a text message using the wrist phone,” Yu Xi said.
The wrist phone was a transparent, waterproof device from the acid rain world that could function without a signal. It could transmit text, video, and audio within a 10-kilometer radius, making it highly useful in their current situation.
If anyone showed up in the water, whether dangerous or not, Yu Zhenzhen was to notify them immediately.
Clutching her binoculars and stun baton, Yu Zhenzhen nodded seriously. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay on the upper deck—it’s higher with a better view. I’ll monitor everything, and if anything seems off, I’ll send a message right away!”
With everything ready, Yu Xi and Ya Tong began their dive.
…
The water here, near the open sea, was clearer than before, but it also revealed the grim aftermath of the tsunami. Many bodies of the deceased were submerged in this area.
Onboard the yacht, they hadn’t felt much, but as soon as they entered the water, the devastation hidden beneath the surface became evident.
Having faced life-and-death situations countless times, the two ignored the grim sights and focused on their mission.
They dove approximately 20 meters, turning on their lights, which startled a nearby school of fish.
Ya Tong gestured toward the direction they needed, and they swam forward. Soon, they reached the rocky base of the high ground.
Taking out a tool, Ya Tong forcibly broke through the outermost door. Inside was a series of connected rooms, which were already flooded.
They searched the area and eventually found a hidden door in one of the walls. Ya Tong input the code they had retrieved earlier from the computer, and the door opened to reveal a buffer chamber with several machines mounted on the walls.
These were drainage machines, designed to activate after the chamber door was sealed. They operated using a built-in backup power supply. Twenty minutes later, all the water in the chamber had been drained, leaving them standing in the large, now-dry space.
They began searching for the warehouse entrance. The walls revealed no visible doors; the entrance was extremely well-concealed. After thoroughly inspecting the area, they resorted to knocking on every wall to find inconsistencies.
Finally, Yu Xi noticed something unusual at the corner of the drainage machine’s base. The sound of the ground there was different from the rest.
Unable to locate the opening mechanism, Yu Xi took out a hammer made of durable material and used brute force to break through the upper layer of cement.
Beneath the cement layer was a metal one.
Yu Xi glanced back at Ya Tong, who gave her a subtle nod. Understanding her cue, Yu Xi retrieved the high-temperature perfume, adjusted it to level three, and began carefully melting the metal layer.
When a hole was melted into the metal layer, Yu Xi paused and used the hammer to shatter the softened edges. Shining a flashlight into the opening, she cautiously peered inside and spotted a lever.
Reaching in, she turned the lever. The floor section, along with an adjacent panel, slid downward and to the side, revealing a staircase and corridor made of metal.
This was, after all, a seed and grain storage facility—not a military installation. Once they descended into the corridor, they found themselves at the storage depot they had been looking for.
Both sides of the corridor were lined with rooms, all packed with supplies.
In addition to the planned seeds, grains, and meat, they also discovered a significant stockpile of cold-weather gear, including thermal blankets, tents, sleeping bags, thick cotton coats, bedding, and candles.
Were it not for Yu Xi’s upgraded Star House warehouse with a 512-cubic-meter capacity and Ya Tong’s own ample storage space, it might have been impossible to carry everything.
Just the rice alone filled two entire rooms, each bag weighing 100 pounds. Each room had at least 200 bags.
These supplies were sufficient to sustain a shelter through its initial stage.
The two returned fully loaded and retraced their steps. Before leaving, they secured a prepared waterproof sign to the main door with a rope. The sign read:
“The warehouse is empty. No need to enter. Rest assured, taken from the people, returned to the people.”
…
When Yu Zhenzhen spotted familiar figures on the water’s surface, she eagerly ran down from the upper deck to the rear of the main deck to greet them.
“Was it successful?”
Yu Xi smiled. “Yes, everything went smoothly.”
“Are you going diving again today? If not, you should take a shower!” Yu Zhenzhen helped Yu Xi remove her diving gear and, after a moment’s hesitation, decided to assist “Qu Yichen” as well.
She swore to herself that it wasn’t because of “Qu Yichen’s” cooking skills—though the food was undeniably good—but because they were doing something important. She couldn’t begrudge her help.
“Thank you,” Ya Tong said, a little surprised but also pleased. The young girl was quite endearing when she acted normally.
“Don’t read into it. I’m not changing my mind, and I’m definitely not calling you ‘Father.’”
“…”
…
Thanks to thorough preparation, the entire operation went exceptionally smoothly.
Over the next two days, they cleared three warehouses in total. One of them had poorly stored goods, yielding only canned food. However, the other two provided significant hauls.
By the end, both Yu Xi’s and Ya Tong’s spaces were completely full. Satisfied with their results, they prepared to conclude their mission and return to pick up the Chen father and son.
The rain hadn’t stopped over the two days, and the winds on the water were strong. Fortunately, there were no signs of a typhoon or thunderstorm.
Still, Yu Xi and Ya Tong remained vigilant, taking turns keeping watch at night.
…
On the morning of the third day, Yu Xi finished her watch, showered, and changed before heading to bed. Meanwhile, Ya Tong, eating breakfast on the upper deck, noticed something unusual in the water to the east.
A thin, column-like formation stretched from the surface of the water up into the clouds.
Yu Zhenzhen saw it too. “What is that? It’s white and shaped like a column. Is it some kind of cloud? Why does it look like that?”
Ya Tong picked up the binoculars beside her for a closer look. After a few seconds, her expression changed dramatically.
“That’s not a cloud! It’s a waterspout!”
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