Survival Journey : I am a lucky star

By the eleventh day in Yunhai City, the flood had completely engulfed the first floor. Outside, debris like tree branches and plastic waste bobbed in the murky water.

Residents on the second floor faced a difficult choice: risk the journey to the government shelter or seek refuge on higher floors.

Social media became a breeding ground for anxiety, with pleas for help multiplying by the hour.

People desperately sought information about the rain's end, and some even considered forming groups to escape the city.

The relentless downpour continued into the twelfth day, the water level in Wen Nannan's community now surpassing the halfway mark on the second floor.

The alarming speed of the rising water forced many to seek higher ground. A sense of unease began to creep into the hearts of those residing on the third floor.

By the thirteenth day, the second floor was completely submerged, the water and gas supply severed.

Residents from the lower floors were forced to ascend, resulting in over twenty households crammed onto the fourth floor and above.

Living space has become a precious commodity. While some found refuge with kind neighbors, others were left to sleep in the hallways and corridors.

Bang, bang, bang...

The knocking on Wen Nannan's sixth-floor apartment door startled her. It was Li Daqiang, a middle-aged man from the same floor.

Due to his connections with the neighborhood office, he had assumed the role of coordinator, responsible for managing relations between floors and relocating displaced residents.

This wasn't his first visit to Wen Nannan, and his motive remained unchanged.

"The corridors are overflowing," he explained with a smile. "It's just you and your Big Brother here, and we're all neighbors. I suggest you take in Da Liu's family."

Wen Nannan glanced at the young couple standing beside Li Daqiang and shook her head.

"Uncle Li, my Big Brother and I decided not to take in anyone else. Isn't your apartment on the seventh floor over a hundred square meters? Surely you can accommodate them."

Her reluctance stemmed not from a lack of compassion but from a fear of potential problems.

Li Daqiang had a reputation for exploiting others' generosity, and no other floor had taken in displaced residents.

Why was she being singled out? The stairwell and corridors were still available for sleeping.

With a gentle but firm tone, Wen Nannan declined his request and closed the door.

The heavy rain persisted into the fourteenth day, the water level on the third floor now exceeding the halfway point.

Wen Nannan's phone battery died, severing her connection to the outside world.

Government updates had also ceased, the last message advising residents to secure enough food for self-rescue.

The upward migration continued, the corridors now choked with people and their belongings.

Bang, bang, bang...

The knocking returned, but Wen Nannan hesitated. Through the peephole, she saw a child being carried by an adult, his hand waving to get her attention.

Her fingers hovered over the doorknob, her mind battling between compassion and caution. Ultimately, she chose not to open the door.

She covered the peephole and checked the lock, hearing the sound of her neighbor's door opening as they welcomed the family with the child.

Wen Nannan returned to her window, watching the water rise higher and higher.

Would the flood reach the sixth floor? Would Yunhai City become an ocean?

The water's surface, littered with leaves, garbage, and even two bloated corpses, cast a grim shadow over the hearts of the residents.

Nightfall brought a renewed onslaught of thunder and lightning. Wen Nannan drifted off to sleep to the sound of the rain, only to be jolted awake by a piercing scream.

As she strained to listen, an eerie silence descended, broken only by the storm's fury. It felt like an unsettling illusion.

A sense of unease kept Wen Nannan awake as the darkness gradually gave way to dawn. Just as she finally succumbed to sleep, a faint sound from outside her door roused her.

The lock was turning. Someone was trying to open the door with a key.

Their attempt was futile, as Wen Nannan had secured the lock from the inside.

Peeling back the peephole cover, she saw Li Daqiang, accompanied by several residents from the lower floors.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.