Chapter Four: The Earthquake

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Seeing the dark clouds gathering rapidly on the horizon, Fang Yun quickly found an open space and stopped the car.
“Get out of the car, now!”
She shouted and was the first to open the door and step out. Liao Zhaonan was the second to get out, still holding onto Feng Li’s hand.
The three of them had just gotten out and started running forward briskly when the ground beneath them began to shake.
“Crouch down! Crouch down!” Fang Yun shouted, looking back and urging them to take cover.
Not far off, a flock of birds suddenly took flight, screeching wildly, as if heralding the nightmare about to unfold.
In the next instant, the earth trembled violently, thunderous rumbles filled the air without pause, sharp screams came from a distant school, and car alarms blared, merging into a symphony of despair.
Fang Yun and Liao Zhaonan shielded Feng Li beneath them. The wildly shaking ground tossed them about so fiercely that they could only lie flat on the earth. It felt as if a colossal beast raged beneath the surface, churning recklessly. Dust billowed everywhere, leaving no room for anything else.
At that moment, they were unaware that less than fifty meters away, the earth had cracked open, the fissure widening with each tremor until it became a deep chasm.
No one knew how long the earthquake lasted. It wasn’t until the ground stilled that they could gather their senses.
After a long while, Fang Yun lifted her head and, even though she had been through it once before, the scene before her still rendered her speechless with shock.
Buildings in the distance had collapsed entirely. Thick smoke and dust rose from the direction of Haishi City’s downtown. Most terrifying of all was the enormous fissure not far from them.
“Oh my God, it’s terrifying,” Feng Li finally recovered her senses, supporting each other with Liao Zhaonan as they stood, eyes filled with fear and lingering dread.
“Should we leave this place first?” Liao Zhaonan asked Fang Yun after they had stood still for a long moment.
“There are still two major aftershocks coming. Let’s wait for the first one to pass, then drive east to the harbor,” Fang Yun said firmly, shaking her head at any other suggestion.
“To the harbor?”
“Yes. After the earthquake, there will be a massive tsunami. It’s best to take shelter at the shipyard.”
“You’re crazy! Shouldn’t we go somewhere high? Even if you make it to the shipyard and find a sturdy boat, a giant wave can still capsize a ship. We’ll all die!”
Fang Yun glanced at the agitated Liao Zhaonan, hesitating on how to explain.
As he said, the natural instinct was to seek higher ground. That was why she initially headed toward the new district—not only was it spacious and sparsely populated, but it was also the safest place to avoid the first quake’s destruction.
Moreover, the new district lay southward, leading to Dongming Mountain, the highest peak in Haishi. To the east lay Haishi’s largest port and shipyard.

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In her past life, she had chosen to go south, reaching Dongming Mountain, but it was not the optimal choice.
After the disaster struck, many people instinctively sought refuge there, turning Dongming Mountain into a chaotic and hellish place before the military took control.
This time, she chose east because she had heard that someone had survived the second tsunami by hiding in the shipyard there.
She didn’t want to experience hell on earth again. Since death was a probable outcome either way, why not take the chance?
Before she could fully explain the pros and cons, the aftershock arrived.
Having been through one already, the three of them instinctively dropped to the ground, waiting for it to pass.
The first aftershock passed quickly. Though powerful, its brief duration allowed them to react more swiftly.
“Get in the car first, I’ll explain everything on the way.”
Once she confirmed the aftershock had ceased, Fang Yun immediately rose and ran toward the vehicle, urging them along.
The other two exchanged a glance, choosing to trust her.
Soon, the three were driving away from the site.
Along the way, they saw the main road badly damaged—impassable not just for cars but even for pedestrians.
Fang Yun had to steer into the muddy roadside, but fallen trees on both sides blocked their path.
Maneuvering through twists and turns, she dared not slow down. Meanwhile, she explained why they weren’t heading to Dongming Mountain.
Neither of them seemed to take in her words, eyes fixed on the passing scenery.
As they passed a school, they saw people running out, wailing over the collapsed building, while others lay motionless on the ground, their fate unknown.
“Don’t look,” Liao Zhaonan said, covering Feng Li’s eyes and holding her close, then closing his own.
“No one can stop a disaster from happening. We must save ourselves first if we want to help others later,” Fang Yun said quietly, not contradicting him.
Human beings are insignificant before nature—no one can defy it.
She didn’t want to abandon those in need, but as Liao Zhaonan said, preserving their own lives was the first step to helping others.

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Soft sobbing came from the back seat. Pressing the accelerator harder, the car jolted more as its speed increased.
Soon, they arrived at the shipyard in the eastern harbor.
Parking in a wide-open area, Fang Yun grew silent as she looked at the shipyard, now half-collapsed.
“This…” Feng Li hesitated, glancing uncertainly at Fang Yun, unable to find an entrance.
“Should we turn back and head to Dongming Mountain?” Liao Zhaonan frowned and offered a suggestion.
“It’s too late,” Fang Yun shook her head.
The second aftershock was due thirty minutes after the first, and they had already wasted twenty minutes on the road. Even if they floored the gas, they couldn’t reach Dongming Mountain in under ten minutes.
Not to mention, after an aftershock, outrunning a tsunami and climbing to the mountain’s summit was impossible.
“So what do we do?” Feng Li’s voice cracked with tears.
“We find a way inside. Once we’re in, we still have a chance.” Fang Yun gritted her teeth, staring at the shipyard.
She refused to believe her luck was that bad—that after living a second life and choosing a different path, it would still lead to a dead end.
Determined, Fang Yun grabbed her luggage and strode toward the shipyard.
Liao Zhaonan and Feng Li exchanged a helpless glance but had no choice but to follow her, approaching the shipyard together.
Unbeknownst to them, newly installed secret surveillance nearby had already begun monitoring their movements.
Basement level B2 of the shipyard.
A man watching the approaching trio on a computer swivelled his chair and looked toward another man seated on a sofa.
“Boss, someone’s coming. Looks like they’re trying to get inside the shipyard.”
Pausing his play with a teacup, the other man raised his sharp eyes and looked over.
“Hmm? It’s her.”