The hot rain stopped as suddenly as it began.
Just as Brother Qiang, Manager Song, Master Pang, and Xiao Yun climbed out of the newly dug exit above them, which was located directly below the wholesale market, and opened their umbrellas, the hot rain stopped.
The first to notice that the rain had stopped was Xiaoyun, who was most sensitive to her surroundings. When she was the first to close her umbrella and look up at the sky, it drew gasps and reminders from those around her.
"Hey, Xiaoyun, what are you doing! Even if your brother doesn't wake up, you can't just give up like this!"
After they finished speaking, Wang Daqiang and Master Pang realized that no rain had fallen on Xiaoyun's face. At the same time, other people in the group exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my god, the rain has stopped! The rain has stopped!!"
So, everyone moved their umbrellas away in disbelief, and then looked up at the sky just like Xiaoyun.
The nightmarish, scorching rain that had been falling for three days finally stopped.
The temperature at this time was even unbelievably cooler than it had been a few days ago.
A gentle, warm breeze dispersed the white vapor between heaven and earth, making everything clearer.
For a moment, no one spoke; everyone quietly looked at the city home that should have been familiar yet now felt somewhat alien.
After a long while, someone finally spoke in a trembling voice: "The rain has stopped, so... can we go home now?"
Instantly, many people's expressions brightened.
"The rain has stopped, so of course we can go home! And looking at the cloudless sky, it's sure to be sunny from now on! It's still evening now, so the temperature won't be too high all night. This is the perfect time to leave!"
"Yeah, yeah, no matter where your home is, you can definitely walk there in one night! Maybe you can even carry your stuff directly to the underground safe zone!"
Many people in the four teams were already excitedly preparing to leave, but of course they didn't forget to retreat back into the cave as soon as possible to tell the people still waiting underground the good news that the rain had stopped.
It was clear that at this point, the four teams that had gone out to collect supplies could no longer go out. Everyone's morale had dropped, and the teams collecting supplies would probably soon disband as well.
After the most excited dozens of people left, a dozen or so people with somewhat complicated and bewildered expressions remained in the four teams.
"...Are we leaving already? The underground passage to the safe zone isn't even finished yet... And this street is a wholesale market full of small commodities. There are so many supplies inside, I just can't help feeling uneasy if I don't go and take a look."
"Now that you mention it, who doesn't feel the same way? Sigh, the thought of being able to go on a shopping spree for free, but now that I can't go anymore, makes me feel a little lost."
"Ha, you can be sad and disappointed yourselves. I'm not planning to leave. My bunch of little brats all ran away as soon as something happened, and they're probably all staying in the safe zone now. Even if they leave my old territory, it's impossible for anyone to live in this heat, so it's better to stay here underground for now."
Wang Daqiang was much more of a loner than the others: "Anyway, I'm the only one who's hungry. Besides, let me tell you, even if I went back now, would anyone be able to live in your house? Would you have food and drinking water? If not, what's the point of going back?"
“I know you said you can pack your bags and go to the safe zone after you go back, but is the underground safe zone necessarily good? Guangchang City has a population of hundreds of thousands, how many people can the underground safe zone fit in? If there are also people coming from the outlying counties in the last three days, I would have to say something if the safe zone wasn’t already full.”
"Rather than going to the safe zone and squeezing in with so many people, where I might be watched and not allowed to move around, I'd rather stay here and dig a hole with Brother Fugui and the others."
"Anyway, I contributed to digging the tunnel, right? I won't be shortchanged on food, drink, and shelter."
Wang Daqiang's words made the dozen or so people who stayed behind think. In fact, the reason they didn't go down immediately was because most of them were alone and had nowhere to go or where to go home.
Moreover, just as Wang Daqiang said, what difference would it make even if they went back? Wouldn't they just find an underground shelter and then go back underground again?
How is that any different from life now?
When Wang Daqiang and the others returned, they found that someone had already packed up their things and was preparing to leave the cave.
Gou Fugui and Xie Tianlang sat on two metal chairs, watching the departing people with nonchalant expressions, showing no intention of trying to stop them.
Wang Daqiang even noticed with his sharp eyes that Fugui was eating a popsicle!
Oh! He broke that popsicle in half!
Tsk. He shared the half of the popsicle with the guy next to him, Wolf.
Okay, anyway, he went out several times but couldn't find a popsicle!
However, seeing Gou Fugui and Xie Tianlang's calm demeanor, Qiang Ge felt reassured. His judgment of character might not be as sharp as Xu Lei's, that spoiled brat, but he could still discern a person's abilities and capabilities.
As long as these two capable young men don't panic, he can't go wrong by following them.
Then, Qiang Ge saw that Xiao Yun, who had short hair, also glanced at the two people over there, turned around and walked back to the corner where the bamboo mat was laid out. After glancing at her father, she went to the freezer, told Song Sanchuan, took out a popsicle she had found herself, and ate it with her father.
It's clear that Xiaoyun and her father aren't going to leave.
Qiang glanced at Master Pang and Manager Song beside him. Both of them had families here, and their expressions were conflicted. They were clearly considering whether to leave or stay. Qiang chuckled twice and then led his men back to their territory.
For the next half hour, everyone inside the subway tunnel was choosing between leaving and staying.
Gou Fugui ate so much, from popsicles to cold chicken noodles, that he almost ate himself to the point of being stuffed.
Just then, a family that was arguing suddenly ran up to him and Xie Tianlang and asked directly, "Mr. Fu, if we stay, can you guarantee our safety and food and lodging? If you can, then our family will stay and help you dig the tunnel."
Gou Fugui raised his eyebrows upon hearing this: "Brother, you've misunderstood. You're not helping me dig a tunnel. Only if none of your family members use this tunnel afterward, or if whoever uses it pays me, will you be helping me dig a tunnel. Otherwise, you're just helping yourselves. Don't try to pin the blame on me."
"And I can't completely guarantee your safety and food. You may encounter dangers when you go out to find supplies, and even digging tunnels may involve the risk of soil collapse. Danger is always present, and I am only one person and cannot guarantee the safety of all of you."
"The same goes for food. If food is extremely scarce, that cannot be guaranteed either."
The shrewd man frowned. He had assumed that Gou Fugui, in order to dig the tunnel faster, would want more people to stay behind, hoping to get some guarantees and benefits in return. But this young man wouldn't budge an inch.
This attitude made him feel embarrassed, and considering that almost everyone had been following his orders for the past three days, the man shook his head and said, "In that case, we'll leave."
Now it's not like before when they were trapped and had to rely on these three brothers. If they leave here, they can go to an underground shelter. Wouldn't that be more comfortable than staying here? At least there, food will definitely be distributed by the government every day, and they won't have to listen to others and be inferior to them in everything.
After asking the question, the family of five left. Those who had hesitated before also left with disappointment or disdain after Gou Fugui said those irresponsible words.
As they were leaving, one person said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft:
"It's only been three days, but some people think they're the boss."
Gou Fugui chuckled upon hearing this, completely unconcerned. After all, he and these people had only been forced together by the "Hot Rain" in the beginning.
By 7 p.m., the number of people who chose to stay in the subway tunnel, including a three-year-old child, was reduced to 102. This was more than half the original 268 people.
But those who remained all had a more composed and resolute expression than those who left. Gou Fugui couldn't help but touch his nose as he looked at them.
Aren't you all leaving?
A smiling, fashionable old lady with dyed red hair spoke up: "Why leave? Isn't it great here? It's five meters above the ground, much cooler, and we have food, drink, necessities, and a place to sleep. Isn't life like this no matter where you go?"
"Moreover, Fugui, you, Dalang, and Xiaosan are all good children, kind-hearted and capable. I feel at ease with you following your grandmother. I don't have anything particularly noteworthy to say in my life, except that I have a good eye for people."
"So we're entrusting our whole family to Fugui's care. Of course, we'll work hard too."
Although the others didn't say anything like the fashionable old lady, their facial expressions and nodding gestures revealed their thoughts at that moment.
Gou Fugui chuckled twice.
I never imagined his personal charm could attract so many people.
Xie Tianlang looked at Yuan Yuan's slightly proud yet slightly embarrassed expression and smiled as well.
"In that case, let's work together to live well underground from now on!" Gou Fugui suddenly sat up straight and said, "We 102 are the heroes of the underground city! Together we'll dig out our own world!"
Upon hearing this, the older members of the 102nd Underground City heroes were taken aback, but the younger and more immature ones perked up: "That's right! We'll dig up an underground castle! We refuse to believe we can be scorched to death by the sun underground!"
Then Xu Lei's weak voice rang out: "So, if we're digging an underground city, will we still go to the central area shelter?"
Seeing the slight anxiety in his eyes, Gou Fugui paused for a moment before nodding: "Of course, this will serve as our first underground base. We can call it Underground Village No. 1. But the roads to other places will have to be dug out little by little."
"Even if you live underground, you will soon run out of sources of information or supplies if you stay in one place."
"More importantly, an individual's strength can never match that of a nation in the face of such a disaster. So, we can live outside or nearby the safe zone, but we must stay informed about all the decisions the nation makes."
After hearing what Gou Fugui said, those who stayed felt more confident.
After deciding that the subway tunnel would be their first long-term base, everyone suddenly felt excited and thrilled about building their own houses and decorating their homes.
"Oh dear, if this is for permanent residents, we'll have to tidy it up. The place is big enough, but we'll need to prepare beds, furniture, curtains, and all sorts of other things!"
"Wouldn't it be better to lay some more tiles on the floor for a more stable and secure surface?"
"Why bother finding tiles? Just use a heavy stone to press the ground down a couple of times to flatten it! Then lay down a mat or cloth, and you'll be comfortable enough."
"Then we should bring back a few more refrigerators and freezers! And we need more of those solar generators too. Electricity is a big problem!"
"Then we'll need to find some water purifiers or something. Although the rainwater that's coming down won't bother the groundhogs, I still feel like we need to disinfect it."
“When it comes to water, I feel that water is the most important thing. Our city had intermittent water outages three days ago, and now that the hot rain has passed and the temperature has risen several degrees, I estimate that the whole city has stopped drinking water. Right now, we can still find bottled water to tide us over, but we definitely won't be able to hold out for long.”
"Yes, yes, and food! The food on the ground certainly won't last long, and the crops will definitely fail under the high temperatures and heavy rains... This isn't even the worst time yet. Once the city's food reserves are all used up, then things will be..."
As they discussed this, their mood inexplicably grew heavy. They had initially thought that as long as they hid underground, the disaster would seem to be far away. But after careful consideration, they realized with a start that they had not escaped the scourge of the disaster.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
At this moment, Gou Fugui spoke up: "No matter what the future holds, we must do what we can now."
"The tunnel we dug leads to a wholesale market street. If we dig another 2 kilometers, we'll reach the central square. At least in these two places, we can collect enough daily necessities and food."
"As for the water source."
"Isn't our city right next to the Mother River? As long as we find the underground channel of the Mother River, the drinking water problem should be solved."
Upon hearing the words "Mother River," the previously somber mood of the crowd instantly lifted!
Yes, they're right next to a river! And this river is the mother river that has flowed for thousands of years and nurtured the Huazhou culture!
What's there to fear about water shortages if we're right next to this river? Even if the heat brings drought and the river might dry up, this river will surely last a long time!
This rekindled everyone's spirits, and they began discussing again how to gather supplies and set up their underground "houses".
The more they discussed it, the more energetic everyone became. In the end, out of the 102 people, they managed to gather 30 more people and three exploration teams to collect supplies, ready to go to the small commodity market to collect supplies while the momentum was still high.
Gou Fugui chuckled again when he saw the leaders of the three teams—Manager Song had eventually left, but the three team leaders, Qiang Ge, Master Pang, and Xiao Yun, were still there.
So, the scattered team regrouped. This time, it'll probably be a very long-lasting team.
However, before leaving, Xie Tianlang asked everyone to elect two leaders for the underground city? Heroes. He and Gou Fugui couldn't stay at this stronghold for long; they needed to gather information from various safe zones, dig deeper to find underground waterways, and... find the core of the world.
The longer this drags on, the harder it will be to save the world.
Finally, the fashionable but discerning Grandma Deng, and another taciturn but dignified old man became the people in charge when Gou Fugui and Xie Tianlang were not around, essentially acting as "deputy village chiefs" for the more than one hundred people.
With the "deputy village chief" in place, Xie Tianlang simply appointed Qiang Ge, Master Pang, and Xiao Yun as the team leaders for the exploration team. He also had Song Sanchuan create a contribution points table so that resources would be distributed based on the fruits of labor, thus eliminating the problem of uneven distribution.
Having finished the basic tasks, the three exploration team leaders energetically led their teams out of the underground, ready to go on a shopping spree at the small commodities market.
Gou Fugui was facing a problem at this time—
Should we go to the small commodities market to buy things for free, or go to the central square to take a look, or start digging down now to find underground river channels?
Ultimately, the wealthy and beautiful woman decided to take a three-pronged approach!
First, go on a shopping spree at the small commodities market, then take a look at the central square, and finally, check the map to find the underground river.
As they came out, Xu Lei arrived with his girlfriend: "Boss, I want to go to the safe zone to see my mom first. She must be very worried these past three days."
"But don't worry, boss, I will definitely come back, and I'll bring my mom and several warehouses full of supplies with me!"
"Oh, this is a list of everyone's names and strengths that I've compiled. I'll send it to your phone in a bit. Um, I'll be going now?"
Gou Fugui looked at this good-natured spoiled brat who had reformed himself, and finally nodded, letting him and his girlfriend leave together.
However, before they left, Gou Fugui specifically called Xu Lei back and gave him a fully charged stun gun.
"Boss?"
"Oh, since you call me boss, then I won't let you call me that for nothing. Take care."
Xu Lei: "..." His initial surge of emotion was completely choked up by the words "Take care."
However, he still grinned and left with Tian Sisi.
Afterwards, Gou Fugui activated the bloodline bonus of the Sand Dune Cat and excitedly rushed into the Small Commodities City!
Although the temperature inside the shopping mall was as hot as a steamer, it couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the pampered cats at all!
These wooden tubs and collapsible bathtubs can be used to hold water and for bathing!
Towels, socks, mattresses, and sheets can all be used to make floor or bed covers!
All kinds of small household appliances, electric fans, pots and pans, combs, lighters, etc. are being taken away!
Indeed, buying things for free is a wonderful experience that brings joy and peace of mind, no matter where you are.
And at this moment, having a super-sized bag will double the joy!
The wealthy cat thoroughly enjoyed its visit.
However, he only spent an hour and a half there.
At 9:00 PM, Xie Tianlang raised his hand to inform him that they were going to check out the underground safe zone in the central square.
Fugui Cat was a little reluctant, but he still knew what was important and what was urgent. He took out two electric bikes from his pocket, and they rode to the central square in just twenty minutes.
However, when they arrived at the central square, they were still shocked by the sight of piles of dead bodies in the square.
Gou Fugui noticed that most of the people who went there had severe burns on their bodies, probably... people who died because of that hot rain.
But that's really hard to believe.
"Shouldn't there be room for people to squeeze into the underground shelter? How come there are so many..."
Then Gou Fugui saw that the entrance to the underground shelter, which had been open just three days ago, had been welded with two heavy metal iron doors.
There is a small door in the middle of the large iron gate, which appears to be open.
When Gou Fugui and Xie Tianlang showed their ID cards and tried to enter, the two guards at the door stopped them.
"There are no accommodations available for the two of you."
Gou Fugui frowned: "Impossible, we were among the first to arrive."
But the weasel-faced staff member glanced at him and raised an eyebrow: "You were indeed the first to arrive, but you haven't stayed in the safe zone for three days. Since you've left, you don't need to come back. Do you think this is your home? Countless people are lining up to get in!"
"See those dead bodies in the square? They were all unable to squeeze in before the hot rain! Now the entire underground shelter is overcrowded, and there is a shortage of food and water. There are nearly 10,000 people just barely making do around the square, waiting to enter the underground shelter! If you leave and want to come back, you'll have to ask those in line if they're willing to."
Gou Fugui looked around the square following his words. His slightly pointed ears twitched, and he could indeed hear the voices of people who were barely surviving in the large shopping malls and small shops around the square, carried by the sound of the wind.
Most of these voices were filled with exhaustion and pain, and many were mixed with curses and cries.
Gou Fugui pursed his lips, then pulled Xie Tianlang and turned to leave.
Xie Tianlang assumed his Yuanyuan was upset or angry after being hurt, but he underestimated her resilience.
Rich Cat, leading his tool wolf, found an abandoned clothing store. He had the tool wolf pry open the store's lock and pull the person inside.
When the tool wolf closed the door again and turned around, he found that his rich and beautiful round thing was gone again.
With practiced ease, he looked down and saw a small bulge under the clothes, even smaller than the groundhog he had seen before. Then, a kitten with big ears, a long tail, big eyes, and a pretty black eyeliner on either side... jumped out of the pile of clothes and landed directly in his hand.
This is an adorable little sand dune that he could easily lift with one hand!
Xie Tianlang's heart began to race wildly again.
"Meow~ You stay here and guard! I'm going to sneak in and see what's really going on in this underground shelter."
Xie Tianlang: "..." Ah, this fur is so soft and smooth, and the little pads on his palm are so soft too!
"Meow, what are you spacing out for?! You want me to scratch you, meow?!"
Xie Tianlang: "!!" Ah, his airplane ears look even cuter when he's angry! Help, I want to suck them!
Finally, after Xie Tianlang's face was nearly scratched raw, he regained his senses, no longer blinded by the cat's allure. But Xie Tianlang wore the worried expression of an old father: "Yuanyuan... I'll worry about you going alone. You're so cute, what if someone catches you?!"
The pampered cat licked its paws: "Oh well, so I got caught. Anyway, cats are so cute, who would want to hurt a cat?"
Xie Tianlang: "..."
The rich cat rolled its eyes: "Shut up, okay? Who else but you can catch Dad and recognize him at a glance? You're the only weirdo around, there's no way there will be another one!"
Xie Tianlang immediately laughed.
"Then be careful. If you encounter any danger, just notify me with your watch. Even if I have to break down the door and destroy the safe zone, I will still rescue you."
The rich cat scoffed, turned around, jumped off Xie Tianlang's palm, and ran away.
I won't play along with this guy's domineering role-playing.
Three minutes later, the wealthy cat arrived at the large iron gate of the underground safe zone again.
This time, however, he didn't need to pay any attention to the two chatting guards. He could simply crawl through the 5-centimeter-wide gap under the large iron gate.
As we all know, cats are like soft liquid; once their little heads are in the air, they'll be right there.
Entering the dimly lit shelter unnoticed was effortless.
Upon entering the shelter, the pampered cat was once again startled by the scene inside—
The once empty corridors and passageways were now filled with sleeping people. Although the ventilation system was on in the entire underground shelter, the mixed smells and stuffy environment almost made the cats bristle and turn away.
The number of refugees here is indeed far greater than the number of people it can accommodate, but even so, many people still cannot get in.
The wealthy cat silently and quickly made its way to the outermost room, where Lu Xuesi and the others were.
Then, in that small shop, he saw Lu Xuesi and his father, as well as another old man sleeping on the bed next to them.
The three of them were talking, and although their expressions were somewhat dull and tired, they seemed to be doing alright.
There was another family of three in this shop, and it was clear that all the small shops were packed with people as much as possible.
The cat's large ears twitched, and you could hear many low sighs and complaints.
"The shelters are only providing one meal a day and one bottle of water per person. How are we supposed to survive?"
"Stop complaining. At least there's a meal here. People outside have to find their own food and water. Besides, if you want to eat more, you can participate in digging tunnels and earn work points, right?"
"Don't even mention that! Digging a tunnel for three hours and all you get is a steamed bun and half a bottle of water! Who can stand that? Before, digging tunnels was done with machines, and you could work for three hours straight without getting tired. Now, with power outages underground, digging is pure physical labor! The food you get isn't even half the effort you put in. You see, unless you have children at home and are really short of food, who would do this kind of work?!"
"But there are people who do it. Okay, stop complaining, just lie down. If you lie down, you won't be hungry or hot anymore."
The wealthy cat scratched the floor beneath its paws, flicked its tail, and decided to go check out the digging project.
He twitched his ears to pinpoint the direction, and with nimble cat-like steps, he walked over and saw a group of people digging into the ground, sweating profusely.
However, the expressions on these people's faces were much worse and more numb than those of the people digging tunnels in their subway village.
At this point, Rich Cat realized that this safe base was not a place to stay for long. In fact, if food rations were restricted for an extended period without sufficient work assignments, the increasingly crowded shelter would definitely fall into chaos...
In that case, their subway village tunnels should be located a bit further away from here, otherwise there might be trouble.
He prepared to leave with these thoughts in mind, but he really didn't want to go back to the accommodation area where the air was terrible.
Just as the rich cat was squatting in the corner, scratching the dirt with its paws, it suddenly heard a rustling sound under its feet.
The wealthy cat instantly tensed up, its body slightly arched, its cat eyes fixed on the source of the sound, ready to deliver a fatal blow.
Then, the small patch of soil in front of him began to sink little by little, eventually revealing a hole about 15 centimeters in diameter!
But that's not the point. The point is! A huge, shifty-eyed rat... popped out of that hole, looking all sneaky and shifty!
The rich cat almost let out a roar!
But he held back, instead leaping forward and pinning down the large, shifty-eyed rat with a single paw!
The moment the big rat was caught, it panicked and screamed!
Then the pampered cat perched on its head realized that, in fact, the real groundhog's call was so... harmless.
Yes, that big, shifty-eyed rat is the real, purebred groundhog here.
Groundhog: Chirp chirp chirp —
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