Right now, no one cared about Jing Shu's truck driver anymore. A person could go hungry for a while and still survive, but without water, the end would come quickly. The realization seemed to settle over the group like a physical weight, heavier than the thick, damp dust that clung to their clothes after the mudslide.
"We can't just sit here waiting for rescue and end up dying of thirst. We have to plan ahead," Jun Jia said. He looked at the weary faces around him, his expression grim. "Wang Miao, we need to prepare other food and water sources. let's head back to the auction and pool ideas to figure out how to get water."
Li Youtian stopped them. He stepped forward, his boots crunching on the grit that coated the floor. "Wait. For water, we can set up simple filtration. If we split people into groups and send some out to dig through the mudslides, they can gather stones, activated charcoal, and sand. We can dig pits and build makeshift filters. It's crude, and the water will taste awful, but with enough people working, we won't die of thirst."
He paused, glancing toward the darkened windows where the frost was already beginning to bloom. "What we have overlooked is fuel. Supplies are limited. It's minus thirty degrees out there, and it will be even colder at night. Water has to be boiled before anyone drinks it. Without bedding, people could easily get sick in groups."
Jun Jia nodded, his jaw tight. "Wang Miao, handle all of that. Take the logistics director with you and count how long our supplies will last. Determine what is usable right now and what belongs to the event, both public and private. Look for anything else we can use and report back to me."
He turned his attention toward the security detail. "Captain Li, gather all armed forces. Stay on high alert. Distribute weapons and station people at every entry point. Patrol around the clock; I want no slack from anyone. Keep a close eye on Boss Lü and some of the people from the event. don't let them cause trouble."
He straightened his coat, his eyes scanning the hallway. "I will take a team to seal off the auction hall and explain the situation to the others. We will figure out the rest afterward."
Lan Shao looked at the older man, his eyes wide. "Ba Ge, your uncle is incredible."
Jin Baba snorted and puffed out his chest. "My dad is even better. Everyone in my family is capable."
Jing Shu weighed the black case in her hand. The handle was cold and familiar. It was a good thing she always brought it when she went out. It served as the perfect cover. With her cautious nature, she never left home without being prepared for the worst. The black case held weapons and all kinds of food, so pulling things out later wouldn't look strange to those watching her.
Of course, her Cube Space already contained everything she could possibly need. Stacks of preserved food, warm clothes, barrels of clean water, and medical supplies were all within reach. She didn't lack anything.
The only thing she worried about was when she could go home. She thought of her comfortable bed and the safety of her own walls, and her grip on the case tightened.
Jun Jia led the group quickly back to the auction hall. Their footsteps echoed through the silent corridors, the air growing colder with every minute. Jing Shu leaned in and quietly gave Xiao Liu a few instructions, telling her to have the driver follow Li Youtian with the goods. Li Youtian would handle the logistics. In this chaos, Jing Shu didn't want anyone knowing that she still had several truckloads of worm patties tucked away.
As they walked, she released more bugs from her sleeves. They scattered silently, tiny dark specks vanishing into the shadows of the New World Tower. It felt as if she had countless eyes watching every movement in every corner of the building. If anything changed, she would know immediately.
She couldn't afford even the slightest mistake. It wasn't just the disaster outside she had to guard against. Among these two thousand people, there were too many variables. Someone might target her, stir up trouble, or try to take advantage of the chaos to settle old scores.
Keeping a low profile, Jing Shu followed behind Jun Jia and soon returned to the noisy auction hall.
The host, Xiao Shuai, sat by a small fire that had been started in a metal bin. He had dragged a chair close and sat with his legs crossed, sipping tea from a porcelain cup. He chatted lazily with the restless crowd, throwing out random remarks to keep the mood light. Somehow, his casual attitude kept things from spiraling into a total panic.
"Oh? Look who is here. The boss is back." Xiao Shuai set his tea down and stood up. "Come on, let the government leader tell us what is going on outside. Are we in danger?"
He quickly gave up his seat and handed over the microphone, his movements fluid. There hadn't been any noise from outside, and no gunshots had rung out, so most people assumed it wasn't a major security issue.
The hall fell silent as Jun Jia stepped onto the platform.
Jin Baba brought Jing Shu and Lan Shao back to their private room. He shut the door behind them and said, "It's fine, I'm back. With me here, you don't need to worry. No matter what happens, I will protect you."
"Ba Ge, you are back, that's great," one of the others whispered. "We were terrified just now."
"What happened outside?"
Lan Shao cleared his throat and adjusted his collar. "It's nothing serious. Ba Ge's uncle is the top official here, and he is making arrangements now. As long as we follow orders, we will be fine."
"No problem, we will listen."
The group chattered as if nothing had happened. They acted as if Jin Baba leaving earlier had never occurred. In truth, even if he had abandoned them in the mud, there was nothing they could do about it now. They would still have to smile and pretend everything was fine to keep his favor.
Xiao Liu spread out a thick blanket for Jing Shu, pulled the heater closer until the orange coils glowed, and laid out a tray of small snacks. Jing Shu settled in comfortably, propping her feet on a chair.
Xiao Liu handed her a cup of hot coffee, the steam rising in the chilly room. Jing Shu half-closed her eyes. While her body appeared relaxed, her thoughts were racing. She controlled the bugs spread throughout the building, gathering a constant stream of information.
She needed to know exactly how many people were in the building. She needed to identify the factions, locate any dangerous individuals, and find out what supplies and weapons remained in the hands of others.
Jun Jia clearly had more experience handling situations like this. He stood before the crowd with a calm mask. At times like these, telling the full, terrifying truth would only cause a riot. He had to steady everyone first.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Jun Jia said, his voice amplified by the microphone. "Nothing major happened. It's not a robbery or unrest like you might think. You all know what a mudslide is, right? We are in the suburbs, so it's just a bit larger than usual."
He didn't mention that it was large enough to have swept the entire building from its foundations.
"What?!"
"Then what are we waiting for? let's run!"
The hall erupted again. People stood up, knocking over chairs in their haste. A mudslide had come, and they were supposed to stay and wait to be buried?
"Stay calm. Listen to me," Jun Jia said, raising his hand to quiet the noise. "This mudslide is a bit unusual. We tried to clear a path earlier, but the road is gone. Right now, this building is being pushed along by the mudslide. We are no longer in our original location; that's why there's no signal. But don't worry, we have already sent out a satellite distress signal. Rescue should arrive soon."
He let that sink in before continuing. "Professionals have checked the structure; there's no other danger. The auction is temporarily suspended. Xiao Shuai, take your people and secure all the items. We will resume later. All we need to do now is wait for rescue."
The hall quieted again. Hearing that help was on the way and that they were only temporarily trapped allowed people to finally relax. The tension in the air thinned, though the cold remained.
"But," Jun Jia added, gesturing again to hold their attention, "since this is just a temporary base, we don't have enough water. We will have to filter some ourselves. And with so many people, we might have to stay in this building for a few days."
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Thanks to IVP99 for the tip and commission. I have received it, and I will be continuing this translation for quite a while.
That said, I cannot promise a fixed number of chapters per day. It may be lower than usual. I normally upload around five chapters daily, but there may also be days with no updates at all.
I hope you understand, and thanks again for the support. I hope you enjoy the story.