The security guard checked the stairwell and ed that the wind seemed to have lessened slightly. He wasn’t sure if the tornado had passed or disappeared, but the wind outside was still at force 8 to 9 levels. Since their phones weren’t working and they had no information about the outside situation, he suggested that everyone stay in the basement a bit longer for safety. The residents, having learned their lesson from the earlier chaos and injuries, agreed to wait patiently.
However, as time passed, some people started to get restless. When the property management had notified residents to evacuate to the basement, they had advised everyone to bring items to sit on, such as cardboard or mats, along with a certain amount of food and water, mobile phones, warm clothing, and light footwear. Ideally, they should also bring a backpack to keep their hands free for emergencies. But many residents had not heeded this advice. Only a few had managed to bring all the necessary items, and those who had were mostly families with children who were used to packing for outings.
Now, some children, bundled up in warm clothes, had eaten and fallen asleep in their parents’ arms on blankets. But for most residents, having to sit still in the cold of November without adequate insulation was becoming uncomfortable. Many had used their coats as makeshift mats but were now feeling the chill and wanted to put their coats back on.
The garage had only a few cars, most having been driven away by working residents earlier in the day. Those who hadn’t taken their cars still hadn’t thought to bring their keys when they hurried downstairs. No one had anticipated needing to use the underground garage for shelter.
Yu Feng’s car was nearby, but he had also forgotten to bring the keys. This oversight earned him a couple of reproachful glances from Fan Qi, who had hoped to let some familiar neighbors and families with children sit in their car for comfort. But seeing her husband’s sheepish look after checking his pockets, she could only sigh in exasperation.
Inevitably, some people couldn’t sit still any longer and approached the security guards for a solution. Fortunately, the underground garage had a little-used storage room containing some discarded cardboard boxes and an old mattress, which, despite being dusty, proved useful in this situation. Those without mats or blankets shared these items, managing to make do.
As evening approached, everyone became more concerned about food. Many had been interrupted during lunch or hadn’t had a chance to eat. Some had brought bread and water, while others had packed high-calorie snacks like chocolate bars, wafers, cupcakes, and milk drinks.
But as people began to eat, they couldn’t help but notice the enticing aroma coming from the self-heating hotpot meals the Yu family was preparing. The sound of the bubbling hotpot attracted everyone’s attention, and soon the scent of the simmering broth filled the air, making mouths water and causing others to slow their chewing and glance in the same direction.
While everyone else was gnawing on dry food, the Yu family’s setup seemed almost luxurious. They sat on large, comfortable mats, surrounded by the warm glow of two candles, with self-heating hotpot meals steaming in the middle. Nearby, they had sandwiches, sausages, and bread ready to complement their meal.
It felt like a picnic in the midst of an emergency, and it made others envy their preparation and comfort. Some even overheard Fan Qi lamenting that without power, they had to use cold water in the hotpot, making it take longer to cook and potentially affecting the texture of the noodles.
Despite the mouthwatering aroma and the desire to share a bit, the residents knew there wasn’t enough to go around. Besides, earlier, when Fan Qi had kindly reminded everyone to prepare better, some had rebuffed her. Now, they felt too embarrassed to ask for a share.
After the hotpot was ready, Yu Feng shared a non-spicy portion and four sausages with the elderly couple who had followed them down the stairs earlier. The couple, in their sixties, were both retired teachers, gentle and warm-hearted, and lived just one floor below the Yu family.
This time, they followed the property management’s advice when evacuating. They brought mats, warm clothes, water, and snacks like biscuits and egg cakes. They weren’t cold or hungry, but the hotpot’s aroma was undeniably more enticing.
Despite having food, they initially didn’t want to take any more, but Yu Feng insisted, “Last time when my electronic lock ran out of batteries, and I couldn’t open the door, you both welcomed me to stay at your place and even treated me to a nice dinner. This is just a small thing, not worth much, even though it smells good right now.”
In the end, the couple accepted. The elegant older woman even came over and handed Yu Xi two unopened egg cakes, patted her head, and complimented, “Such a good girl.”
Yu Xi: …
After dinner, everyone watched as the Yu family finished two boxes of self-heating hotpot, two sandwiches, four pieces of bread, and half a bag of sausages. They even started munching on some pork jerky.
Everyone else: Are they pigs? How can they eat so much?
Almost everyone hoped the storm would pass quickly so they could go home and eat proper meals.
By around ten o’clock at night, the wind outside finally died down a bit. Everyone gathered their things and emerged from the basement shelter, staring blankly at the mess in the lobby.
The potted plants, signs, chairs, and water dispensers in the lobby were all scattered. Even the parcel lockers by the wall had been dented by some heavy object.
In the dim night, debris from trees and building fragments littered the ground, stretching from the lobby to the open space outside. The uprooted tree still blocked much of the entrance.
As streetlights and building lights gradually came back on and the security guards’ phones regained signal, it became clear that the earlier power outage had been a precautionary measure by the authorities to prevent major accidents.
With the lights back on, people could better see the extent of the damage. Across the street, many windows in an apartment building were shattered, likely from debris carried by the strong winds. Some windows were only partially broken, resembling teeth marks.
Those living on higher floors with windows intact were fortunate, while lower-floor residents with broken windows faced a mess. Even some high-floor residents, whose windows weren’t securely closed, found their windows blown in and shattered.
After getting an update from their superiors, the security guards announced that the immediate threat had passed. Residents could return home but should be prepared to evacuate again if another storm or tornado occurred.
Grateful for the property management’s timely notification and assistance, everyone thanked the security guards before taking the stairs back to their apartments.
Back in their 15th-floor apartment, the Yu family was lucky. With all windows securely closed and their high floor not being hit by debris, they found their home intact. After a brief wash, they sat in the living room to watch the news.
Local stations had halted regular programming, but other channels were broadcasting late-night news, with live s from the worst-hit areas.
In the suburban outskirts of S City, where the tornado had wreaked havoc, it was ed that the tornado lasted for one to two hours, initially classified as an EF3 tornado, with central wind speeds reaching up to 17 levels, causing severe damage.
So far, the affected area covered over 20,000 square meters, with nearly a hundred homes and about twenty factories damaged. Six deaths had been confirmed, nearly three hundred people injured, and dozens were still missing.
Fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances rushed to the disaster scene, and various relief supplies were being delivered.
On the TV screen, a er interviewed a visibly shaken witness at the scene. The witness described how the sky was lit with lightning and thunder, making it feel like the end of the world. Many roofs were ripped off buildings, trees were uprooted, and even a row of parked trucks was overturned and pushed nearly two to three hundred meters by the wind.
Watching the news, Fan Qi held her daughter’s hand tightly, relieved that the tornado hadn’t hit the city. Otherwise, the casualties would have been much higher.
On the side, Yu Feng finally got through to Grandpa Yu’s phone. They had just returned home from the basement shelter. Since their house was on the ground floor, most of the windows had been shattered by the storm, leaving the house in a chaotic state filled with debris, with no intact areas. They were currently cleaning up the mess.
Yu Feng then called his sister, Yu Li. The call went through, but no one answered. Their shop was on the ground floor, so she was likely busy cleaning up as well.
Fan Qi continued watching the news on TV, while Yu Xi logged into social media on her phone to check the latest news.
As expected, the top ten trending topics were all related to tornadoes and strong winds.
Not only S City but also H City, N City, C City, and other five cities were hit by strong winds today, with tornadoes striking four of these cities. The remaining city, C City, was affected because it was close to another city hit by a tornado.
The tornadoes didn’t all occur at the same time, with wind forces ranging from EF1 to EF2. S City’s EF3 tornado was the highest level recorded among these cities.
These cities were not far from each other, and none were coastal areas. They rarely experienced tornadoes, making the current events inexplicable.
There was a lot of discussion online, with all kinds of comments. Some people linked the recent earthquake and declared that the end of the world was near, a sentiment that surfaces annually. Others, following this line of thought, suggested stocking up on supplies, asking for recommendations on what to buy.
The conversation spiraled into an uncontrollable spread, with many people joining the discussion. It was more of an adrenaline-fueled reaction to the disaster rather than serious consideration.
Yu Xi read through these discussions, feeling an indescribable sense of unease. Normally, she would participate in such conversations but never took them seriously. However, seeing the devastated disaster scenes on the news and the destruction in other cities caused by tornadoes, she couldn’t shake off the uncomfortable feeling.
She recalled that after completing the first world mission, S City had experienced a rare earthquake.
Something felt off. Were there too many disasters happening recently?
The Star House system once mentioned that after completing three world missions, she could unlock the carry-on function and set access permissions for her parents in the upgraded Star House.
At the time, she thought it was unnecessary in a peaceful era and feared that if her parents entered the Star House and got bound like her, it would be dangerous.
But now, she sensed that this feature might not be so useless after all.
The Star House system never made pointless remarks.
This thought was terrifying, and she instinctively didn’t want to voice it.
Yu Xi calmed herself: “System, will the original world also face an apocalypse?”
[Host’s question is beyond the scope.]
The system didn’t provide an answer, leaving Yu Xi unsure if she was relieved or more worried.
Yu Xi thought for a moment and changed her question: “Another important question, please give a direct answer. If I upgrade the Star House and add my parents to the permission list, will they be forced to bind and undertake dangerous missions like me?”
After asking, she felt the system seemed to pause for a long time.
Fortunately, after a moment, the cold, neutral voice responded in her mind.
[No. The Star House is already bound to the host. Those added to the permission list are just guests and can be added or removed at any time.]
Yu Xi: “Thank you. But there’s a second question. Without permission, people cannot enter the Star House storage, even if they step into the space where it exists, they will only see the original scene of that space. What about objects? Can unapproved objects enter the Star House storage?”
This question was even more crucial than the first.
Yu Xi felt a bit nervous after asking.
The system remained silent for a while.
[Host, are you actually asking if disasters in this world will affect the inside of the Star House?]
Yu Xi: …Yes.
[Host, is there any part of the term “portable shelter space” that you don’t understand?]
Yu Xi: …
Why was she being sarcastically mocked by a system?
[No, disasters in this world will not affect the inside of the Star House storage. That is the meaning of “portable shelter space.”]
Yu Xi felt a bit emotional. The system had not only answered her questions but also provided explanations. If only it could be this helpful all the time.
[….]
So, Yu Xi pressed on and asked one last question: “Can the apocalypse mission be started in advance?”
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