Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 7

Yuan Qi’s younger sister is Yuan Ning, a female SWAT officer with high combat skills. Before the tsunami hit, Yuan Ning participated in the same sea platform activity area as Yuxi’s company’s water activities team.
They all signed up for parasailing. Yuan Ning, who was airborne and had a clear view, was the first to notice the abnormal sea conditions. When the tsunami hit L Island yesterday, it raised waves tens of meters high, but in this sea area, the waves were only five to six meters high. Yuan Ning immediately shouted for the people on the speedboat to retract the parachute, but they didn’t hear her and didn’t notice the approaching waves.
Yuan Ning decisively unbuckled her parachute and jumped directly into the sea. Her landing angle was slightly off, causing her arm to dislocate. The people on the speedboat quickly turned back to rescue her.
Despite the pain, she immediately instructed the driver to adjust the boat’s direction and speed toward the tsunami. The speedboat had a driver, a local coach assisting with the parachutes, and seven or eight tourists waiting to parasail.
Yuan Ning’s actions baffled everyone, and with the L Island locals’ limited proficiency in the international language, the chaotic inquiries caused a delay. Eventually, Yuan Ning knocked out the coach, grabbed the driver, and used force to make him help her drive the boat.
Yuan Ning had received comprehensive training and could operate a speedboat. After familiarizing herself with the controls, she turned the boat and sped towards the tsunami.
The driver, initially stunned, soon noticed the abnormal sea conditions ahead. Terrified, he rushed to the back to use the communication device to alert the platform staff, urging immediate evacuation.
However, in a crisis, not everyone could remain as calm and composed as Yuan Ning. Meng Lu was on the same speedboat with Fang Zichen and another female colleague, Mang Mang. At first, she thought Yuan Ning was a maniac or a suicidal person. When she learned about the tsunami, she turned pale and clung tightly to Zichen, trembling as she watched the people in the sea.
The sea platform was large, accommodating over a hundred people, with shaded canopies, simple showers, changing rooms, and a service desk. There were many sea activities around: banana boats, snorkeling, jet skiing, and parasailing.
Their yacht, tilting and bouncing toward the tsunami, faced desperate screams from those still in the water. Some tried to speed past the tsunami on jet skis but were capsized halfway. Others, dangling in mid-air, cried helplessly before being dragged into the sea as their speedboats overturned. The platform was flipped and shattered, and people, like fragile toys, were scattered and swallowed by the waves.
It was a hellish scene, unlike anything seen in peacetime. Amidst the screams, even the speedboat driver was flung out because he didn’t hold on tight.
Yuan Ning, injured and unable to fully stabilize herself, fell and got a sharp object embedded in her waist.
“…After we crossed the tsunami and returned, the sea was empty. Li Hui, Zhang Yuan… everyone was gone… only the three of us remained.”
In a room on the fifth floor, Fang Zichen lay pale and haggard on the sofa from blood loss and a sleepless night of fear. He thought Yuxi and other colleagues had perished in the tsunami, and seeing her standing before him brought a rush of emotions. She stood there, looking at him with the familiar, quiet gaze that always brought him comfort.
He reached out and held her hand. “Seeing you safe is such a relief… You have no idea, when the tsunami hit yesterday, I…” His voice choked up.
“Zichen!” Meng Lu rushed over, worriedly touching his face. “You’re still hurt, don’t get too emotional. Yuxi is safe, I’m safe, you’re safe, we’re all okay!”
Mang Mang, sitting nearby, moved her lips but said nothing. Meng Lu’s actions unintentionally pushed Yuxi aside. Raising her eyebrows, Yuxi recalled how Meng Lu had denied liking him, claiming to only see him as a friend, and now she was asserting her claim?
With the water level nearly reaching the fourth floor, Yuxi had no time for such drama. She bluntly asked, “Xiao Lu, are you and Zichen together?”
“Yuxi?” Xiao Lu looked conflicted and worried. “I…”
“There’s no need to be afraid,” Yuxi smiled. “It’s great you two found each other in a crisis. I wish you both the best.”
“Yuxi!” Fang Zichen looked at her in astonishment, as if he couldn’t believe she had said such a thing. Even Meng Lu was full of surprise because she was the only one who knew how much Yuxi liked Zichen. Her eyes showed doubt. “Yuxi, you…”
She originally wanted to ask what was wrong with her, but recalling Fang Zichen’s excitement and joy upon seeing Yuxi alive, she changed her question. “Yuxi, do you have any water? We haven’t had anything to eat or drink since yesterday afternoon…”
After the tsunami, followed by the sudden heavy rain, Yuan Ning didn’t dare to return in such conditions and decided to stay at sea, which turned into an entire night. The speedboat, meant for parasailing tourists, had only three half-drunk bottles of water, a few packs of biscuits, and half a can of spare fuel.
With eight or nine people on the speedboat and a few more rescued later, that small amount of supplies was not nearly enough. Most of it was given to Yuan Ning because she was the only one who could drive the boat and navigate.
The disaster had struck so suddenly that no one was prepared with clothes, food, or water. Upon arriving at the hotel, everything around them had been swept away by the tsunami.
Previously, Meng Lu hadn’t felt it, but now, in the safety of indoors, she realized how dry and hoarse her throat was and how her stomach ached.
However, upon opening her mouth, Meng Lu suddenly felt her cheeks flush. In the past, she had always been the dominant one in their interactions, confident and carefree. Now, asking for help like this felt like begging.
She was not used to asking Yuxi in such a low voice, especially since she was tired, hungry, and thirsty, with disheveled hair and a messy appearance. In contrast, Yuxi stood there clean and tidy, with a calm and rosy complexion, having completely avoided yesterday’s disaster.
This disparity made her feel uncomfortable for the first time. She didn’t like this feeling and subconsciously wanted to show her closeness with Zichen in front of Yuxi.
Yuxi glanced at her, took off her backpack, and opened it. She took out a bag of bread, three chocolate bars, and two 500ml bottles of water, ignoring Meng Lu’s scrutinizing gaze, and placed the items on the coffee table. She glanced at Mang Mang, “This is all I have. You can have these for now. The hotel should still be distributing breakfast. You can ask the hotel staff later.”
Mang Mang, another office worker who wasn’t very familiar with them, was a fresh graduate, only 21 years old. She was probably starving, and after glancing at Fang Zichen, she asked in a soft voice, “Brother Fang, can I have a piece of bread?”
The bread bag was quite large, containing seven or eight carrot buns. The top was golden brown and the bottom white with embedded carrot bits, looking delicious.
“Of course, you can. You must be hungry too. Have some chocolate as well.” Fang Zichen replied kindly.
As they reached for the bread, Meng Lu looked down at the slim and delicate Mang Mang with a sour expression. She had asked for this food, which wasn’t enough for her and Zichen. Yet, someone else was getting to eat without doing anything. Why?
After handing out the food, Yuxi put on her backpack and prepared to leave.
“Yuxi, where are you going? Aren’t you staying with us?” Fang Zichen noticed her actions and grew anxious, even trying to get up to stop her.
“I’m going to check on my friend,” she said without explaining further. As she turned, she saw a young man with a medical kit standing at the door.
To facilitate rescuing people, the room doors on the fifth floor had been left open in recent years. She didn’t know how long he had been standing there, watching and listening.
Although she didn’t mind these things, she didn’t like the feeling of being observed. She glanced at him and then walked out.
“I’m here to do the bandaging,” Lin Wu explained as she stopped to look at him. He extended his hand, “Hello, I’m Lin Wu.”
“Yuxi,” she replied, shaking his hand.
“I know you. Ximan mentioned that you speak the local language very well.”
“Well enough to communicate.”
“Do you have time later? There’s something I’d like your help with.”
“If I can help—” Yuxi began, then guessed, “Do you need me to translate?”
“Yes, it’s a shortwave radio I tuned into. After the tsunami, the phones went out, and the mobile and internet signals also disappeared. Now, L Island is isolated. If the water had receded yesterday, this might have been an ordinary disaster. But until this morning, the water hasn’t receded but has risen instead. I got some information from Yuan Ning that gives me some bad suspicions.”
These explanations weren’t convenient to discuss in the busy corridor. He hoped she wouldn’t refuse outright.
Yuxi wasn’t dumb. When he mentioned the radio and needed translation, she guessed some of it and nodded, “Okay, when you’re done here, find me in the next room.”
Since Yuan Ning was severely injured and undergoing surgery, Yuan Qi naturally wouldn’t leave with the first batch of evacuees. Yuxi didn’t mind either, wanting to hear Lin Wu’s information first.
Ten minutes later, after treating Fang Zichen’s wound, Lin Wu entered Yuan Ning’s room, “Give it two more minutes. Everyone will be here soon.”
Moments later, several people walked in, including Fang Zichen, Meng Lu, and Mang Mang. There was also a couple with a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy, who Yuxi had seen before on the same floor. Lastly, two young couples also entered.
“These are all the remaining people from China in the hotel,” Lin Wu briefly explained.
The group was in good spirits. Except for the recently arrived Fang Zichen, no one else was injured. Not wanting to be separated from their families, they hadn’t been arranged in the first evacuation.
With fourteen people, the room was crowded. Once everyone was inside, Lin Wu instructed the last person to close the door.
Nearby, Yuan Ning, with Yuan Qi’s help, sat up slightly. Yuan Qi placed Yuan Yuan on the bed with a coloring book, and he quietly began to draw.
Fang Zichen tried to move closer to Yuxi, but the crowded room made it difficult, so he ended up sitting on the sofa. Meng Lu, supporting him, sat beside him first. Mang Mang saw this and offered her spot to the family of three, then stood to one side, leaning against the sofa armrest.
“Okay, let me update everyone on the current situation, starting with the information Yuan Ning brought.” Earlier, during Yuan Ning’s suture surgery without anesthesia, they had talked to distract her from the pain.
Yuan Ning ed on the situation outside the island. After the tsunami, she carefully identified the direction to Coral Island. However, apart from remnants of buildings and trees, there was nothing else.
The entire Coral Island was gone. Moreover, after daybreak, from Coral Island to L Island, she hadn’t seen any land for almost two hours of sailing.
Between the two islands, there used to be several small islands, but now the sea was vast and boundless.
“This morning, seeing the water hadn’t receded, I wondered if it was due to the terrain, with the water level possibly dropping at the coast but still accumulating here. But now…”
Lin Wu looked around at the group, “Our judgment is that the sea level has risen.”
The family of three and the two couples were lucky to be in the hotel yesterday and unaware of the outside situation. Hearing this, their faces changed, looking at Yuan Ning for confirmation.
Yuan Ning nodded, “I don’t know the reason, but it’s true. We couldn’t see any roads on L Island. We spent a lot of time returning to this hotel, noticing that almost everyone was heading in the same direction. It seemed to be the rescue transfer to Sea view mountain.”
“Are we going there too?” Meng Lu asked.
Yuan Ning looked at Lin Wu, who replied, “We have to, but there’s something you need to know. There may not be external aid for a while.”
“Where did you get that information?” Everyone immediately asked about the source and reasons.
“My phone has a built-in AM function,” he said, taking out his phone.
Yuxi understood. Without network signals, FM radio apps wouldn’t work unless the phone had a built-in frequency module.
FM bands usually only received local channels, while AM had a longer range but was unstable. In less than 24 hours since the disaster, everyone was busy searching for missing relatives and surviving. Few would think of using AM signals.
At least, she hadn’t thought of it.
Lin Wu connected his phone to earphones, adjusted the settings, and handed one earphone to Yuxi. “I know a bit of the local language, but the signal on this channel is weak, and the sound is very unclear. I can’t be sure, but it seems to be repeating a message.”
Yuxi took the earphone and asked, “Why didn’t you ask the hotel staff for help?”
For example, Simon. He might not know Chinese language, but his international language was good enough. Lin Wu could surely understand it.
Lin Wu understood her doubt but had his reasons for seeking a second confirmation from Yuxi.
“I don’t trust them. You may not know, but half of the hotel staff left last night, taking some food and water supplies with them.”
His gaze swept over the group again. “Don’t panic yet. I haven’t confirmed the external rescue news. Let’s wait until she translates.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Yuxi. Fang Zichen’s did too. Meng Lu, sitting beside him, whispered, “She knows the local language? I’ve never heard of that. Can she handle translating such important information?”
Her words caught the attention of the middle-aged woman from the family of three. Fang Zichen frowned, signaling Meng Lu to stop talking.
Yuxi ignored them, listening through the earphone. Ten minutes later, she removed it with a serious expression. “The situation on the capital island is worse. Most of it is submerged due to its low terrain. The president and several high officials are missing after being swept away by the tsunami. The government is in chaos, and they are seeking external aid. Each island’s officials are calling for self-rescue.”
She looked at Lin Wu, “You’re right. There won’t be external aid for L Island anytime soon.”