Still, the slow pace was unavoidable. After all, the floodwaters were electrified.
The fierce storm from earlier had torn down countless high-voltage and standard power lines throughout the city. No one knew exactly where electricity was still active, but everyone understood one thing—water conducts electricity.
Ordinary boats couldn't operate in these waters. The only option was to use small inflatable rafts. But even then, no one dared to let their guard down. One wrong move and if you fell into the water…
If you were lucky and landed in a spot without live wires, maybe you'd be fine. But if it was near a high-voltage line…
No one wanted to imagine the consequences. That's why the evacuation of survivors had to be carried out slowly and with extreme care.
Even so, Lan Jin couldn't help but feel tense the entire time. No matter how cautious they were, the process of moving people through those dangerous waters was nerve-wracking.
…
J City was huge, and with rescue work being so difficult, relocating all the survivors required massive manpower and nonstop effort. For seven full days, the teams worked around the clock before finally getting everyone to safety.
And just like that, August had arrived.
August, the hottest month of the year—especially in J City, which was known as one of China's "oven cities." Over the course of the evacuation week, it felt like they'd raced through all four seasons. One moment everyone was bundled up in thick winter clothes, and the next, they were sweating through T-shirts and shorts.
Lan Jin glanced at the thermometer on her balcony: 42 degrees Celsius. Definitely a heatwave.
"No wonder it's so hot," she murmured.
That heat would've been bad enough on its own. But there was still no electricity, no running water, and worst of all, the floodwaters hadn't receded much at all.
And anything still soaking in that water—well, best not to think about it.
People were still generating trash every day, and during this season, even a couple of days without garbage collection meant the smell could become unbearable.
Some folks with no sense of decency didn't care. They just tossed their trash straight into the floodwater.
And once one person started doing it, others followed like it was a race. In just a week, the flood had become a reeking stew of old and new waste, creating a stench strong enough to give anyone a headache.
The awful air was one thing. But the sudden spike in temperature also caused another problem: heat-type flu, commonly known as heatstroke cold.
Unlike a regular cold, this one was hard to treat and extremely contagious. And with everyone crowding together in lines to receive aid, it didn't take long for entire buildings to catch it.
Worse yet, there was no medicine.
Well—there technically was, but the real issue was that demand far outstripped supply. Too many people had fallen sick, and this kind of flu couldn't be cured with a single pill. The medicine wasn't being manufactured anymore, and whatever stock remained would be gone in days. Rather than cause chaos by handing out too little, the authorities simply didn't hand any out at all.
Besides, in times like these, food was still the top priority. Any illness that wouldn't kill you right away could be ignored for now.
Lan Jin had experienced this heat flu in her previous life. Her fever had soared to over 39 degrees. Her head spun, her body felt like lead, and she could barely stay on her feet. But at the end of the day, it was still just a flu. She'd toughed it out.
This time around, she was prepared. As soon as the temperature began to rise, she threw both Qiao Qiao and Nana into her spatial dimension.
Inside the space, it was spring year-round, the air was clean and pleasant, and they were completely shielded from the stifling heat and awful smells outside.
Best of all, sound from the outside still came through clearly. She left her walkie-talkie just outside the portal. If Huang Jinghe received any important updates, he would immediately radio them to her. She hadn't missed a thing.
Aside from the daily trip outside to line up for supplies, Lan Jin, Qiao Qiao, and Nana spent all their time in the space, living in quiet comfort.
While life inside the space was peaceful, the same couldn't be said for everyone else. The root problem hadn't gone away—it was still the flood.
Fortunately, the authorities finally came up with a solution.
They decided to shut off power to the entire city.
Since electricity wasn't being used anyway, cutting it completely would stop the waterlogged wires from staying live. Once the power was off, crews in insulated suits could safely enter the water and seal off any exposed wires with protective tape.
Then, with more workers suited up, they could dive into the flood and begin clearing drains blocked by trash and fallen trees.
Of course, they wouldn't send anyone in until they were absolutely certain the water was no longer electrified.
Still, shutting off power to an entire city was no small task.
But there was no other option. If nothing was done, the flood might take another two or three months to fully recede—and that was the optimistic scenario. If it rained again before then...
No one dared to take that risk. Every department immediately sprang into action.
Soon after, a wave of volunteer recruitment began.
Anyone with swimming or diving experience was encouraged to sign up.
Lan Jin didn't know the exact details of how the operation was carried out. But within a week, the water level had dropped from the sixth floor to the third. Another week later, it was only knee-deep. After that, it took just two days to pump the rest out.
But the garbage left behind by the flood…
Another round of volunteer recruitment began. This time, it was for clearing debris from the roads, stairwells, and—most critically—disinfecting areas affected by the flood.
These weren't unpaid jobs, either. Meals were provided, and volunteers earned ten contribution points a day. The pay was settled daily and credited directly to their residence cards. It was easy work to sign up for, and many rushed to join.
Only Lan Jin had no interest in jumping into the crowd.
That said, in her past life, she had joined one of those cleanup efforts.
She remembered the grueling labor well—twelve-hour shifts every day. But back then, with no food and no job, she had no choice but to push through.
The daily rations plus the contribution points were enough not only to keep her alive but also to feed her ex-husband and his new wife, who were living off her efforts in comfort.
Thinking about how she and her child had suffered in her past life left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Now, the poisonous fog was gone. The flood had receded. Which meant—it was time to settle a few old scores.
While the power was still out…
While the surveillance cameras were still down…
Lan Jin figured it was time to make some plans. Once the power returned and the cameras came back online, she would have to wait again.
But right now, with people everywhere, even without working cameras, it wasn't exactly easy to act.
Lan Jin knew she needed a careful plan. And she was going to make one.