Chapter 85 Two Paths

To balance the weight, Bai Xiao placed the outboard motor and fuel tank at the back, while putting supplies like her backpack at the front. The Compound Bow was too heavy to carry conveniently, so she only tucked the air gun at her waist and kept the dagger at the back of her belt. The dagger wasn't for self-defense, but to clear any debris that might entangle the outboard motor during the journey.

As she boarded the assault boat, Bai Xiao had already taken out the pill that looked like an anti-inflammatory drug from her backpack. She gave it a light squeeze, and the pale blue liquid inside the capsule flowed out.

This item seemed to know what the user wanted to target. The blue liquid dripped onto the assault boat, immediately spreading out like a spiderweb and seeping in. After covering the entire boat, it formed a dense, net-like protective film. Then, a faint blue light flashed, and the entire boat returned to normal.

The process happened so quickly that Bai Xiao doubted whether it had actually taken effect.

But then again, the effect of the defense capsule was to increase the sturdiness of the affected space by 30% and attach a 10% weakening effect.

It was clear that its reinforcement wasn't 100% effective. Therefore, there was still a risk of the boat being damaged along the way. Coupled with the extremely complex underwater environment in the flooded city—submerged cars, roadside billboards, utility poles, trees lining the streets, and all sorts of garbage and debris in the water—these things could easily damage the hull or get tangled in the outboard motor. She couldn't afford to let her guard down just because of the capsule's presence.

When she reached the open main road, the sky, which still held a hint of dusk, had completely cleared. Fierce raindrops pounded the murky yellow water surface, their ripples swept away by the swift current before they could even form.

Apart from the sound of rain and flowing water, the only sounds in the entire world were the occasional dull thuds coming from underwater—sometimes loud, sometimes soft, the noise of unknown debris being washed together and colliding.

The main road was wide with a swift current, making it suitable for using the outboard motor as propulsion. The speed of the outboard motor could, to some extent, counteract the rapid flow. Cruising at a constant speed was much faster than rowing. Moreover, with the wide road surface, if there were any floating obstacles on the water, Bai Xiao could easily spot them in advance and avoid them.

When she reached the smaller paths, the water flow, blocked by buildings, was no longer swift, but there were more obstacles. If she continued using the outboard motor, she would have to constantly brake, start, and maintain position, which was too troublesome and fuel-consuming. Therefore, as soon as she entered a narrow path, she would turn off the outboard motor and proceed by rowing.

So, on wide roads, Bai Xiao used the outboard motor instead of manpower; on narrow, winding paths, she turned off the motor and rowed. Thanks to her improved eyesight now, if she saw whirlpools or sharp turns with rapid currents in the distance, she would avoid them if possible. If she couldn't avoid them, she would simply take a detour.

Even with such caution, the outboard motor still got tangled twice with debris like plastic bags, torn clothes, and ropes in the water, forcing her to stop and clear it. Later, to prevent further damage to the motor, even if she didn't hear any unusual sounds of entanglement when she stopped using it to switch to rowing, she would still check again for any slight tangles.

Along the way, some early risers saw her traveling alone in the boat from their windows and waved or called out to her. There were also people whose homes were already flooded, forced to wake up and pack their belongings while waiting for rescue by the window. These people grew even more excited when they saw her boat.

But seeing that she had no intention of stopping at all, their excitement instantly turned into anger and curses. Bai Xiao turned a deaf ear, proceeding only according to the route she had previously planned on the map.

The journey was more difficult and much slower than imagined. Three hours had passed, and Bai Xiao had barely traveled about ten kilometers.

On one side, she was stumbling along the route she had downloaded from the map. On the other side, the residents in the residential complex were growing anxious because the rescue team's boats wereNot there yet.

Around 8 a.m., according to the rescue team's broadcast plan from yesterday, rescue boats should have arrived around this time. But by about 9 a.m., there was still no sign of the rescue team outside the complex.

The lower-floor residents, who had long since packed their belongings, waited anxiously on the 12th-floor corridor bridge,Longing. The water had already risen to mid-calf level. TheNot there yet的 rescue team made them uneasy; everyone's hearts were filled with fear and uncertainty.

"They're not going to not come, are they?" someone whispered.

"They can't be. Yesterday they said the rescue would last for several days, that we would gather first before moving out of the city together. The city's Disaster Relief Department has no reason to lie to us."

"Maybe they said that yesterday on purpose to stop us from fighting to get on the boats?"

"No way?!"

"Have we been abandoned?!"

Everyone chattered, their words growing more and more far-fetched.

Zhao Fangzhe and Shi Jun's families had also packed their things and were waiting for the rescue team's arrival. Early in the morning, the usually quiet 12th floor was almost packed with people.

The two of them looked around but didn't see Bai Xiao. Her door was tightly shut, and water was seeping in through the cracks. They both knew there was probably no one left in her home; Bai Xiao had left at some unknown time.

Zhao Fangzhe clenched and unclenched his fist, then clenched it again. For the first time, he felt angry at himself, angry at his own indecisiveness.

Another half hour passed, and theArriving late rescue team finally appeared outside the complex. The people in the building immediately cheered.

But the cheers didn't last long before everyone noticed that there seemed to be fewer boats sent today than yesterday.

It was only when people arrived at the survivor camp designated by the Disaster Relief Department that they learned many boats had been damaged over the past two days—either hit by floating debris or having their engines entangled by underwater trash. They were currently being urgently repaired, but due to a lack of repair materials, the results were not ideal.

But that is a story for later,Let's leave that aside for now..

The louder the cheers were for the rescue team's arrival, the greater the force with which people pushed and shoved to get on the boats.

Anyone could see there were fewer rescue boats. No one could be sure if the rescue team would come tomorrow. Now, with the chance to leave right before their eyes, who could bear to give it up?

For a time, pushing and shoving erupted in chaos across the buildings. Many people were pushed into the water in the scramble. Some assault boats were packed with people; some stood with their hands raised, anxious to pick up their families and supplies; others half-squatted because there was no room to sit. The uneven weight distribution caused the boats to rock dangerously. Two boats even capsized because of it. The water surface was filled with cries for help and wails about supplies being washed away. The entire complex was noisier than a morning market.

Originally, there were only twoRescue workers per assault boat. They struggled to broadcast instructions with megaphones, but unfortunately, no one was willing to listen.

It wasn't until a real gunshot pierced the sky that the scene was brought under control.

The Disaster Relief Department had long anticipated that chaos might occur. To maintain order, each area had a patrol boat making rounds. The people on board carried real firearms forMilitary deterrence in emergencies, ensuring theDisaster relief work proceeded normally.