Chapter 50: The Storm 1

"BOOM!!!"

A bolt of lightning suddenly split the sky, followed by deafening thunder that shook the earth.

Pea-sized raindrops began pelting down from the heavens with a loud "pitter-patter."

Cars parked outside Repulse Bay residential complex started wailing with their alarms.

Inside the compound, people who had been cautiously observing from the underground parking entrance now rushed into the rain with frenzied excitement.

Some danced and cheered wildly, while others wept uncontrollably with joy.

It was impossible to tell whether the streams running down their faces were salty tears or bitter rainwater.

"Ahhhhh! It's raining!!!"

"Damn it! Heaven finally opened its eyes!"

"Honey! Thank heavens! We're saved at last!!!"

"..."

Some even ignored the garbage littering the ground, lying flat on their backs with eyes closed and parched, peeling lips parted to catch every drop.

Over a thousand people had been crammed in the sweltering underground for more than twenty days without washing.

Their sour stench was worse than the trash on the ground.

Others cupped their hands to collect water before drinking.

The rainwater was bitter and hard to swallow, but the sweetness of survival after calamity was rich and mellow.

Everyone remained intoxicated by the excitement of the heatwave's end, oblivious that this marked the beginning of an even more severe disaster.

"Neighbors, this rain might contain bacteria! Don't drink it!!"

"I heard the authorities just sprayed disinfectants citywide two days ago! The water could be poisonous!!"

"Yeah! And all those cremated ashes floating around recently! Try to resist drinking it!!"

"Those dead Blood Mosquitoes everywhere lately—who knows what diseases they carried! Watch out for parasites!!!"

"Could this rain have drifted from the island country? There might be radioactive residue! Everyone should take shelter first!"

"..."

Many elderly residents pleaded earnestly.

But nothing could stop the desperately thirsty crowd.

They hadn't had a drop to drink for days.

Yesterday's official relief supplies only included compressed biscuits and canned luncheon meat—no water.

The entire city, perhaps the whole world, was suffering water shortages.

Some had been reduced to drinking yellowed urine.

The meager condensation from a few AC units became prized treasures—though naturally monopolized by the property management and Homeowners' Committee.

Compared to dying of thirst, what did ashes in rainwater matter?

Consider it calcium supplement.

As for radiation—that was just some scary rumor they'd heard about but never seen.

When heaven sends rain and mothers remarry, what can you do?

If fate decrees it, so be it.

The recent traumatic experiences had left everyone strangely resigned.

"The heatwave should be completely over now. Everyone should go home first! Too much rain exposure could make you sick!" said Zhang Qiming.

"He's right—go home first! If you must drink rainwater, use basins to collect it! Filter it through fabric, cotton, or charcoal at home!" suggested a dark-eyed young man.

The rain kept intensifying.

"Pea-sized" no longer described it.

It was as if the sky had ruptured—water poured down in columns, a veritable deluge.

Within mere minutes, streams began forming across the ground.

The pool temporarily used as a cremation furnace in the middle originally had ashes piled up like a small mountain, but now they were all washed away by the rain.

In some deeper spots, the water rose past their ankles.

Finally, after confirming the extreme heat wouldn't return, the residents who had taken shelter underground began packing their bedding and belongings to head home.

Electricity and internet were still down, but nothing could stop the urge to go home.

Especially in such heavy rain—nothing was more important than returning home.

The property security guards had already unlocked the entrance doors of all five buildings.

"Everyone, could the men stay behind for a moment?" Just as the crowd was about to leave the garden for their respective buildings, Liu Dahong, the property manager, suddenly called out.

Most people turned their heads away, pretending not to hear, while a few young men and middle-aged men looked at him in confusion. "Manager Liu, what's the matter?"

Liu Dahong wiped the rain from his face and said,

"Folks, this rain is pretty heavy—it might flood the first floor. How about we all move the sandbags from the garage entrance to the building entrances? Every little bit helps. With more hands, it'll go faster!"

An Ming's drainage system had issues.

Whenever heavy rain hit, roads would flood, and water would backflow.

Repulse Bay's underground garage had suffered several times before.

Many homeowners woke up to find their cars had been "swimming" in water all night.

That's why the property management kept sandbags ready at the garage entrance.

People joked that their vehicle and boat taxes were actually for preparing for heavy rain.

Now that all the cars had been moved to the roads outside, the underground garage was empty.

These sandbags would be more useful at the building entrances.

"What's there to fear with just this bit of rain?"

"Manager Liu, you've only been handing out supplies for a few days thanks to official backing! Don't get too carried away with your 'authority'—since when do you boss homeowners around? Don't get things twisted!"

"Yeah, exactly! Besides, isn't moving sandbags the security guards' job? If I have to do it myself, what's the point of paying property fees?!"

"The whole neighborhood and hallways are full of trash—where are your cleaners? Now you're ordering us around? Are you out of your mind?!"

"If the first floor floods, it's their problem. I'm not lifting a finger! I haven't even eaten enough—where would I get the strength?"

"Right, after that extreme heat, standing in the rain too long makes you sick! You gonna take responsibility if we fall ill?!"

"And what about the lightning? If someone gets struck, can you handle that?! Can you even afford to?!"

"..."

The crowd erupted in complaints, most of them bristling with anger and defiance.

Even two first-floor homeowners glared at him with hostility.

After all, when those Blood Mosquitoes got inside and hurt their families, the property's negligence had played a part.

Of course, the real culprits were those who hadn't properly closed the doors to the Official Shelter.

Liu Dahong's face darkened for a second, his fists clenching tightly as he cursed inwardly: You bunch of bastards—just wait a few days, and you'll be kneeling and begging me!

"Alright, instead of wasting time standing here arguing, we could have moved all those sandbags by now! Even though I live on the 32nd floor where the floodwaters won't reach, I'll still help move these sandbags!" The speaker was Sun Jingtao.

Before his military discharge, he had participated in several flood rescue operations, carrying with him a sense of responsibility or perhaps just ingrained habit.

The property management's sandbags weren't particularly large. If not for his current weakened condition, he could have carried three bags in one hand.