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Chapter 88 - Chapter 78 – Final Preparations Before the Storm

 

Part 1 – The Final Calm

The Torrent Rain was fast approaching. Across the land, people raced to finish last-minute preparations. On the mountains, structural inspections were underway—checking reinforcements, assessing vulnerabilities, securing everything that could be secured. Final assessments. Final drills. Final warnings.

In the government and military sectors, the response was similarly intense. Troops and police officers formerly stationed in coastal zones, lowlands, and other high-risk areas had already been withdrawn and redeployed to safer, elevated locations. Inside command centers and bunkers, the mood was tense and focused.

Outside, in the ruins of abandoned cities, stubborn citizens scavenged what they could. Some refused to leave. Others relocated into tall buildings—hotels, high-rise apartments, corporate towers, and schools—believing height would shield them from danger. They climbed higher, hoping to escape the flood and fury below.

Meanwhile, the Bases scattered across various cities had entered full emergency mode. The final batch of heat-resistant crops—a key success in their survival efforts—was ready for harvest.. Workers collected them quickly and stored them in secured stockpiles. Citizens gathered water purified from the sea, packed away food and rations, and dug out thick layers of warm clothing.

On every rooftop and within every structure, reinforcements were being nailed down and sealed tight. They braced for hailstones, hurricanes, and sheets of rain heavier than anything they'd seen before.

Everyone was racing against time.

Fortunately, the temperature had dropped—a steady 30°C—cool enough to allow better mobility. People could breathe easier, move faster. Life resumed a semblance of normalcy, with workers rising at dawn instead of suffering through heat-induced night shifts.

The Bases were alive with movement, purpose, urgency.

 

Part 2 — The Rainstorm Gathering

And in the middle of it all, Shadow 8 had a different priority.

He moved with a strange mix of urgency and flair, delivering sealed envelopes made of thick parchment, sealed in black wax and written in crimson ink. The recipients were carefully chosen: Shadow Guards 1 through 8 (yes, he gave himself one), Secretary Wen, Long Yi, Grandpa Long, Commander Long, Han Yue, Secretary Xu, Assistant Chen, and the Old Butler.

Each letter was the same:

You are invited to a Dinner Gathering before the Torrent Rainstorm.

Time: 7:00 PM | Location: Long Yi's Fortress Mansion | Meeting Room

Theme: Long-awaited gossip from Han Yue

After distributing the invitations, Shadow 8 marched straight to the kitchen and asked the Old Butler to prepare food for that evening's dinner. Then he ran off to find Han Yue.

At the Training Site, Han Yue had just wrapped up her drills and was sitting on a bench, catching her breath. She noticed an envelope beside her, addressed in Shadow 8's unmistakable handwriting. Opening it, she read the invitation—and paused.

Her expression twitched.

Moments later, she spotted Shadow 8 skipping toward her, beaming and waving like an overenthusiastic puppy.

"Yue Yue! Don't forget to come later, okay? You must finish telling us the gossip! We didn't have time before because of the whole 'worldwide hoarding' operation, but now it's the rainy season. We'll finally have some free time again! It'll be fun!"

Han Yue stroked her chin, amused.

He wasn't wrong. They had been swamped over the past few months—from planning international supply hoarding, to base construction, to the never-ending missions and final survival drills.

Now, with the second natural disaster looming and preparations mostly completed… a dinner party didn't sound so bad. A chance to breathe.

She nodded. "Alright."

Satisfied, Shadow 8 ran off again—probably to inform everyone that Han Yue had agreed to attend, as if that guaranteed the event's success.

By 6 PM, guests began trickling into Long Yi's fortress mansion. In the spacious living room, Long Yi sat stone-faced, flanked by Han Yue, Uncle Long, and Grandpa Long—who was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Hahaha! I'm so excited for tonight's dinner party!" Grandpa Long laughed heartily.

Han Yue giggled, glancing at Long Yi's unreadable face. She poked his cheek, teasing, "Hah, looks like you didn't approve this, huh?"

Long Yi squinted and caught her hand, gently placing it on his lap. "Did you plan this?"

"Nope. Shadow 8 did. He only told me after he sent out all the invitations," she replied innocently. "He said we've been too busy for too long, so it's time to relax."

Uncle Long nodded approvingly. "It's a good idea. Everyone deserves a break now and then."

Secretary Wen, quiet until now, adjusted his glasses. "Shall I add 500 laps to Shadow 8's training?"

Long Yi took a sip of his tea. "Make it 1,000."

Han Yue burst into laughter. "Poor idiot. He really knows how to sabotage himself."

By 7 PM, everyone was seated in the meeting room. The atmosphere was light, warm, and cozy despite the chaos outside.

The food spread was impressive. Earlier that morning, Han Yue had told the Old Butler not to prepare too much—just simple dishes. She would handle the rest.

He had prepared mini sliders, sandwiches, a cheese board, fruit salads, nachos, fried rice, steamed rice, and fried chicken—just in case.

Han Yue added to the table a feast of comforting and extravagant items: pizzas, beer, cocktails, sweet and sour pork, cakes, cupcakes, BBQ ribs, shrimp cocktails, skewers, chips and salsa, soda, juices, and a decadent chocolate fountain complete with fruit skewers, marshmallows, brownies, cookies, and bread.

There was laughter as everyone took their seats.

Shadow 8 stood at the side of the table, holding up a beer.

"Ahem! Thank you for coming to my party—uh, I mean, this relaxing dinner gathering. Let's give a warm round of applause to our Boss, Long Yi!"

Applause filled the room.

Long Yi stood slowly, raising a glass of wine, a faint smile on his lips.

"I wasn't made aware of this gathering until the last second," he began, "but I'd like to take this opportunity to say: good job to all of you. Without your hard work and dedication, we wouldn't be here—living a secure, even comfortable life. Instead, we might be struggling somewhere out there... or not here at all."

A beat of silence passed as his words sank in.

"But we've changed our fates. Together. Let's continue doing our best to protect the people we care about and treat as family."

He raised his glass.

"To us."

And drank in one go.

Cheers broke out around the room—some clapped, some were misty-eyed. Everyone understood what he meant. Some of them weren't supposed to survive… not in the old world. But this new path, hard-earned and paved by blood, had given them a second chance.

The clinking of glasses, chatter, and the rich aroma of food filled the space.

Outside, the wind howled softly in the distance.

Inside, they laughed.

For now—before the torrent rains came—they would share this rare moment of peace.

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