Chapter Seven: Journey to East Ming Mountain-Apocalipse de Desastres Naturais: Estoquei Bilhões em Suprimentos e Venci Facilmente(Diversão de Peixes de Laranja e Toranja)

They had escaped for the moment, and their situation was relatively safer, but the crisis was far from over.

The tsunami showed no signs of receding, and the tremors from the seabed kept the submarine rocking, a constant reminder that the catastrophe on the surface was still ongoing. Once the tsunami passed, however, their true challenges would begin.

The energy released by the undersea earthquake radiated outward at high speeds along with the seawater. Once the quake ended and the energy dissipated, the rapidly receding water could form dangerous whirlpools. If they happened to be caught in one, they could easily be dragged into the deep sea, causing the submarine to suffer structural damage from the sudden, intense pressure.

Fang Yun, of course, did not understand the technicalities, but Li Wangcheng and Yi Chuping did; consequently, the tension on their faces did not ease.

"This earthquake is relentless. I wonder when it will finally stop. I fear the land above is already ruined," Yi Chuping said, his eyes filled with worry as he watched the alarms on the sonar.

"They must have evacuated toward Dongming Mountain. Can we reach it from here?"

"We cannot go to Dongming Mountain!" Fang Yun, who had been walking over, blurted out an instinctive objection upon hearing Li Wangcheng’s words.

Her outburst caused everyone to stop what they were doing and turn to look at her. Except for Liao Zhaonan and Feng Li, who knew why she reacted so strongly to the mention of Dongming Mountain, the others were completely baffled.

In the entire city of Haishi, Dongming Mountain was the highest point. If anyone outside wanted to survive, they would inevitably head there. Everyone in the submarine had family; even if the chances were slim, they wanted to search for them, hoping that perhaps their loved ones had survived.

"Why?" Li Wangcheng frowned at her for a long moment before finally letting his brow relax and asking the question.

"I..." Fang Yun regained her senses, momentarily unable to find a reason. She had been able to remain calm when facing Chen Yuanlin and Ji Qingwan, but in her past life, Dongming Mountain had been her nightmare. Even after being reborn, the mere memory made her tremble.

"Xiaoyun!" Feng Li rushed over, wrapping her arms around Fang Yun to offer comfort, then gathered the courage to look at Li Wangcheng. "We don't know the situation on land clearly yet. If the tsunami hasn't receded, and we rashly steer the submarine into shallow waters, we are likely to be stranded above the sea level, which would put everyone’s life in danger."

Li Wangcheng and Yi Chuping looked at Feng Li in surprise; they hadn't expected such a seemingly delicate girl to possess this knowledge.

"I apologize, I was a bit emotional," Fang Yun said, having calmed down by then. She knew she couldn't control Li Wangcheng’s decisions, and besides, constant avoidance was not a solution. Sooner or later, she would encounter those animals, and she couldn't keep running away forever. With that, she desperately suppressed the trembling in her heart and resumed her rational composure.

"It is currently just a plan, the first place we intend to go once the land settles. After all, there is no news of anyone's family. Dead or alive, we need some closure," Yi Chuping explained softly, glancing at Li Wangcheng.

When the topic of family came up, the atmosphere in the submarine turned somber. Fang Yun felt this shift, and her own heart sank.

"I understand. I am sorry for my outburst just now," she apologized again—not only for her behavior but also for the sake of those in the submarine who were worried about their loved ones.

Yi Chuping glanced at Li Wangcheng once more, and the submarine fell into a quiet stillness.

Night had fallen on the land, and the light in the sea had dimmed. After a harrowing day, Fang Yun and the others were exhausted. Watching Liao Zhaonan and Feng Li sleeping in each other's arms, the restless anxiety that had gripped Fang Yun since the decision to go to Dongming Mountain began to fade.

The experiences of her past life were in the past. Now, not only had she distanced herself from those two wretches, but she had also protected the two people most important to her. What reason did she have to back down?

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Yi Chuping brought good news: the sonar showed that the seabed activity had ceased, which meant there was a high probability that the surface had returned to calm.

"We don't know the situation on land yet. Should we take the submarine back to the shipyard?" Yi Chuping’s thought was to return to the shipyard first to assess the situation; if the basement was still intact, they would have a way to monitor the conditions on the surface.

Fang Yun, who was listening nearby, felt a pang of guilt. When she had retracted the protective barrier, the system had informed her that the basement had been completely obliterated by the impact. They wouldn't even be able to find a trace of it, let alone return to it.

"Yes, let's head back," Li Wangcheng agreed to Yi Chuping’s proposal.

Fang Yun opened her mouth as if to say something, but after a moment's thought, she closed it again. *Forget it. Let them go back and see for themselves; then they will give up.*

As expected, when they returned to the location of the basement and saw that it was completely empty, even Yi Chuping’s face went blank for a moment.

"We should head toward Dongming Mountain. We can get straight to the summit," Fang Yun said, stepping forward.

"What do you mean 'straight to the summit'? This is a submarine, not a plane," Yi Chuping said, turning to look at her with some annoyance.

Having lived through one life already, Fang Yun naturally knew the consequences this tsunami would bring. The land would be largely submerged, and only a few high-altitude areas would remain as the last hope for human survival. But before the seawater could even recede, they would face a sudden, drastic drop in temperature. The good news was that the seawater would freeze, allowing humans to walk on the ice; the bad news was that all survival supplies would be frozen beneath it. To survive, the competition among survivors would be fierce—a living hell, nothing less.

"Do you have any idea how massive a tsunami such a huge earthquake would trigger? I estimate eighty percent of the land will be affected. I am only offering a suggestion. You can listen, or you can discuss other methods among yourselves." Having said this, Fang Yun turned and walked back to Feng Li’s side.

She had been frail since childhood, and after such a harrowing day, she had developed a mild fever upon waking. Fortunately, she had obtained contact information for many drug dealers and had hoarded a massive stockpile of both common and unconventional medicines. A small fever was easy to handle.

"Boss..." After Fang Yun left, Yi Chuping looked at Li Wangcheng, who had remained silent, seeking his opinion.

"Call everyone over and ask for their input," Li Wangcheng replied before Yi Chuping could even finish. He had already decided how to offload this difficult problem. In truth, he was much like Fang Yun—with family that might as well not exist. He had agreed to go to Dongming Mountain partly because his subordinates wanted to search for news of their families, and partly because he needed to see who had survived so he could have a better grasp of the situation.

In the end, after a vote, Li Wangcheng’s men decided to follow Fang Yun’s advice and head straight for Dongming Mountain.

Of course, they could not depart immediately, as the sonar detected very strange energy patterns in the vicinity. Yi Chuping estimated that a whirlpool was forming.