Taking It Step by Step

In just a few days, one-third of the base had been submerged. Currently, there weren't many people willing to go up the mountain, so freeing up a makeshift house wasn't a big issue. However, in the future, when more people crowded the shelters, there would likely be disputes over who got to stay in the rooms. As the Base Commander, Ignatius couldn't show favoritism.

Hurley suggested, "Let's take it step by step."After a pause, he asked, "Where did the warehouse's food supplies go?"The base's warehouse, located on the ground floor, was easily susceptible to flooding and moving it to the mountain wasn't practical.

"It's been moved to the office building. It's unlikely to flood up to ten floors," replied Ignatius.

"Assign more people to guard it. The base is chaotic, and anything can happen, such as theft by those supposed to be guarding it," Hurley reminded.

Ignatius fell silent for a moment at this reminder. After a while, he appraised Hurley, "You're good with a gun and physically capable. How about you move into the office building and take charge of protecting it?"

Those food supplies were the foundation of the base. Any mistakes with them could lead to chaos and disintegration.

They managed to control the base's population mainly through weapons and resources.

After pondering for a moment, Hurley nodded lightly, "Okay, I'll watch over it for you."

Ignatius suddenly felt emotional and patted Hurley's shoulder, "Having family is truly a blessing!"He couldn't trust anyone else, only Hurley.It wasn't that he wanted to escape to the shelter on the mountain, but rather that he had to go there to control the troublemakers.The resources were of utmost importance and needed to be safeguarded.

Hurley remained silent for a while before reaching out to pat Ignatius's shoulder in return. "Leave it to me. You can count on me."

"After the typhoon passes, the rain stops, the seawater recedes, and the base is rebuilt, I'll treat you to roasted lamb," Ignatius grinned at him.

"...Thank you," Hurley replied.

Ignatius hurriedly left with his men, and Hurley quickly gathered his belongings before heading to the office building.

The ground floor of the office building had already been submerged, but fortunately, not too deeply.

"Mr. Hurley, what brings you here?" Crawford saw him and hurried over to ask.

"The Base Commander sent me to guard the supplies. We'll take turns patrolling from now on," Hurley explained as he made his way upstairs.

The elevator was out of order due to the water, so he had to climb the stairs.

All the supplies were stacked on the top floor, the twelfth floor, with the eleventh floor serving as the guards' living quarters.

There were guards stationed at the staircase on the tenth floor.

Hurley found a temporary dormitory converted from an office and dropped off his belongings before inspecting the room where the supplies were stored.He systematically inspected each room, immediately requesting replacements for those with windows. 

Crawford, puzzled, asked, "The windows have already been sealed. Why do you want them replaced?"

"I feel it's not safe," Hurley replied.

Sealing the windows wasn't very effective; as long as someone had a weapon, they could break through. 

Crawford pursed his lips, wanting to say that it was unlikely for anyone to climb up to the twelfth floor, but seeing the determined expression on Hurley's face, he nodded. "Alright, I'll have the supplies moved out."

All windows were replaced, and Hurley carefully inspected them to ensure there were no safety hazards before returning to his room.

It was an office with an attached bathroom, furnished with a barely adequate 1.2-meter bed. He tidied up the room as best as he could, making do with the accommodation.

...

Back at home, Blanche placed a plate of sliced cantaloupe in front of Alice. "How's it out there? How far has the seawater reached?"

"All the low-lying areas are flooded. The north and northeast sides, which are higher in elevation, are still intact," Alice replied. 

Blanche continued, "Three more families have moved out from here. It was chaotic with all the packing just now."

Moving wasn't easy, especially carrying luggage uphill in heavy rain and strong winds. Exhaustion often led to irritability, and family members would end up bickering without hesitation.

Seeing no end to the relentless rain, those who had been hesitating finally began moving to the mountain every day.

The seawater had also reached inside the Allen family's area, but fortunately, it wasn't deep, only a few centimeters.

Alice went to the mountains and used her space to retrieve several large rocks. She laid thick iron plates on top of them, then placed the camper on the iron plates. This way, the camper was elevated about a meter above the ground.Placing a small staircase at the entrance of the RV made it convenient to come and go. There were two RVs parked in the yard, with Alice and Blanche sharing one.

Upon returning, she organized the items in the house into the space, and the family began their life in the RV. It was quite interesting living like this. After all, who didn't have a playful heart?

Blanche opened the RV window and gazed at the rain outside, feeling immensely content. Alice took out a tablet and invited her to watch a movie together. The two of them sat on the bed, placed a small table, and laid out some fruit snacks. It was downright cozy.

In the evening, the Allen family, father and his two sons, came to their RV to cook. Alexander was still the chef. He announced the menu: "Tonight, we'll have Three Cup Chicken, Bitter Melon Stir-fried Beef, Steamed Fish, and Seaweed Egg Drop Soup."

A smile crept onto Alice's face involuntarily. "Big brother, you've worked hard."

"What else would you like to eat? Big brother can learn from videos," Alexander asked cheerfully.

"I'm not picky. As long as it's delicious," Alice replied. In her previous life, when she was on missions outside, she mostly ate dry rations or went hungry. She got used to that life. Later on, every dish Alexander made tasted good to her.

After a while, Alice suddenly asked, "Brothers, do you have any thoughts of settling down?"

Both brothers were in their twenties, with Arnold being twenty-seven this year. She didn't oppose them finding partners, as long as they weren't like Beryl, she wouldn't interfere.

The topic silenced the RV, and four pairs of eyes looked at her.

Alice was a bit puzzled. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Arnold flashed her a gentle smile. "None of us have that intention."

"Why?" Alice raised an eyebrow. "Although the survival environment isn't optimistic now, and having children might not be possible, it's nice to have a partner in marriage."

"We rely on you to support the family. If we were to find wives, it would only increase your burden. We don't want to be a drag on you."

Taking care of a family wasn't easy. It was like adding two more people for Alice to support. Even if her space had enough resources and she couldn't finish them all, she still felt a bit uncomfortable.

Alexander chimed in immediately, "That's right. I have no interest in women right now."

After experiencing what happened with Beryl, he wasn't interested in women who attached themselves to him.

Alice fell silent for a moment. "I never saw you as a burden. On the contrary, being with you makes me happy and fulfilled."