In spring, the rainfall was particularly abundant, but that was nothing compared to the true rainy season that arrived when the Northern Hemisphere entered summer!
Typhoons, under normal circumstances, skirted the mainland. Due to the island chain surrounding China and atmospheric pressure, typhoons were unable to penetrate deep inland. This was the opposite of North America, where typhoons frequently made landfall. China, hailed as being blessed by heaven, was not just a saying. Even when typhoons appeared, they only harassed the coastal provinces.
Coastal residents were accustomed to preventing typhoons, and the damage they caused was relatively low.
However, the climate this year was exceptionally abnormal. The typhoon bypassed the island chain, made landfall south of the Huai River, and eventually settled over the Jingxiang region, deep inland. A massive cyclone gathered in Jingxiang, bringing with it an endless supply of moisture, and rain poured down relentlessly.
The Jingxiang region, originally a land of fish and rice, was also one of the country's primary grain-producing areas. Historically, there was the saying, "When Su and Hu are abundant, the world is fed."
The winding rivers of Jingxiang had always been a prosperous land. With abundant water sources, it was very conducive to growing crops. But as the rain continued to fall, Jingxiang was instantly transformed into a waterlogged land. The drainage systems in the cities collapsed instantaneously. Forget drainage; the sewers were even spewing sewage upwards. Low-lying areas were completely submerged.
A flood occurred. The zombies did not know to seek refuge and were swept away by the floodwaters. The zombies that had once rampaged north and south of Dongting Lake instantly vanished. It was fortunate that the Three Gorges Dam existed, otherwise, the scale of the flood would have been even greater. If the water level upstream became too high and rushed down, the bursting of the Yangtze River levee would have caused a greater disaster.
Although Shen Feng was in Yuzhou, he was also affected by the typhoon. Yuzhou rarely saw more than four or five clear days in a month. Otherwise, it was constantly drizzling. During this period, Yang Chang and Guo Pinming led soldiers to retake over twenty cities. Jiangyang and the entire Yuzhou region had fallen into Shen Feng's hands.
Among these, the recapture of Wanzhou was the smoothest. Wanzhou was located on the banks of the Yangtze River and originally had a large population. After the zombie outbreak, survivors had formed their own groups. When Yang Chang and Guo Pinming arrived with soldiers to retake Wanzhou, the base there immediately pledged allegiance. With these people as guides, the progress in eliminating zombies greatly accelerated.
However, after the zombies were eliminated, they were not thrown into the river. Instead, they were loaded onto ships and sent towards Yuzhou.
Fortunately, the train line between Rongcheng and Yuzhou was opened, and Yuzhou received a replenishment of gasoline, which enabled the large-scale transportation of zombie corpses.
Chang Jianyi, who had returned from Rongcheng, and Shen Feng discussed the matter. They felt that opening the train line had many benefits. After discussing with others, most people agreed to open the train line, and the train between Rongcheng and Yuzhou was soon operational. The railway had also not suffered significant damage.
Shen Feng obtained gasoline, and maritime transport was instantly opened.
Many people in Wanzhou discussed why Yuzhou needed zombie corpses. Some said it was to make zombie canned food, as it was edible. Others believed it was for animal feed. Zombie meat was not edible, but animals could eat it, and humans eating animals would be fine. Some also speculated that Yuzhou needed zombie corpses for experiments. In any case, the decisions made in Yuzhou were the subject of much speculation among the people below.
Shen Feng sat on the highest floor of the City Lord's Mansion, his mind not on approving documents. He walked to the window and looked out at the continuous rain, his brow furrowed.
"It's been raining in Jingxiang for a month now. I wonder how the situation is," Shen Feng thought to himself.
Yuzhou was located at a higher elevation, so there was no need to worry about floods. However, the Jingxiang region was different. The Yangtze River meandered, and in times of favorable weather, it was a land of abundant produce. But once floods occurred, the water could not drain away, and wherever the floodwaters went, there was vast water. Forget crops; even large trees would be submerged.
Coincidentally, Yuzhou was upstream of Jingxiang. If Jingxiang suffered, Yuzhou would inevitably not be spared.
Shen Feng's worries were not unfounded. Because, as he was deep in thought, a call came from Yanjing, asking Shen Feng to respond quickly.
Shen Feng immediately took Chang Jianyi to the communication room. Chu Chaoyan also hurried to call her grandfather to join them for the discussion. The heavy rain in Jingxiang had continued for a month, with floods raging. The middle and lower reaches were all affected. At such a time, Yanjing would undoubtedly discuss the issue of the flood.
After everyone had taken their seats in the communication room, the Yanjing headquarters stated the current situation: "Currently, the entire Jingxiang region is flooded. The Dragon King is everywhere, devouring people, and mutated birds in the sky are also wreaking havoc. There are many refugees. The headquarters has decided to transfer people to the Yuzhou region. Shen Feng, please prepare for the subsequent reception."
At this moment, the headquarters' tone was very direct, giving Shen Feng no room to refuse.
Shen Feng looked at Professor Chu, and saw Chu Chaoyan nod.
"Shen Feng, the overall situation is of utmost importance, especially now that natural disasters are descending. Saving lives is the most important thing," Professor Chu whispered into Shen Feng's ear.
Shen Feng looked at Tu Xuhuai and Feng Shicheng beside him. Tu Xuhuai nodded and whispered, "Grain, oil!"
Tu Xuhuai was very calm, excessively calm. Even at this moment, he was still considering the issue of profit. He seemed indifferent to human lives; in his eyes, only profit was the most important.
Feng Shicheng also leaned in and whispered to Shen Feng, "City Lord, we are still short of many people for farming. You should keep them. Population is very important. Doesn't the laboratory also lack talent?"
Feng Shicheng was not the one to make decisions, but he now wanted to persuade Shen Feng to take in the refugees. He was just a novelist and didn't understand the implications of profit, but he understood one thing: saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda!
Shen Feng took a deep breath and made a decision. He replied to the headquarters' messenger, "We can take in the refugees, but Yuzhou lacks grain and gasoline. Please provide support!"
Jingxiang was so vast, with millions of affected people. If refugees were to be transferred, it would be at least over a million people. In such a situation, it was impossible without grain support. Yuzhou also had insufficient grain. People often went out of the city to dig for wild vegetables. Whether it was dandelion or mustard greens, as long as they could find them, they wouldn't be picky about the taste; as long as it was edible.
Shen Feng was helpless. The main food supply was almost insufficient, and they were still expected to take in refugees. How was that possible? Unless the headquarters provided support, even if they took them in, they couldn't be sustained.
The headquarters also replied directly: "The headquarters will not make things difficult for you. One hundred thousand tons of rice and flour will be sent to you via the Yangtze River. If there is further need, we can provide more support. We will also send you a batch of gasoline. If you have time, you can go to the middle reaches of the Yangtze River to see. At that time, you will understand what natural disaster truly is."
The meeting was simple. Once Shen Feng agreed to accept the refugees, the meeting was effectively over.
At this moment, Chang Jianyi gave a strained smile and said to Shen Feng, "Now we have to get busy again. Cheer up! You are the City Lord of Yuzhou, don't look so glum."
Shen Feng couldn't smile at all. He was worried about the current situation: "Senior Sister, I'm very confused right now. Wasn't it said that once the zombies and mutated beasts were dealt with, the world would be peaceful? Now, the zombies haven't all been killed, mutated beasts are still rampant, and now floods have appeared. Could it be that the apocalypse will continue forever?"
Before, no matter what, Shen Feng felt that the apocalypse would end because zombies and mutated beasts were animals, and they could be killed. As long as they could be killed, there would eventually be peace. But now, in only the second year of the apocalypse, floods had appeared. Could it be that if this continued, there would be countless more disasters?
Professor Chu coughed with difficulty and patted Shen Feng's shoulder, saying, "Shen Feng, at any time, do not be timid. The road ahead is difficult, you can only move forward. Even if the future is very difficult, you must keep going. If you are confused, read the books I gave you more."
Shen Feng shrugged helplessly and replied with disappointment, "Teacher, if I could understand everything by reading books, I wouldn't be an ordinary person. In fact, I'm still in a fog, and I don't know how to proceed in the future."
"Then go to Xiangyang and take a look. Perhaps by seeing the world with your own eyes, all your doubts will be resolved," Professor Chu said, and then began to cough violently.
Professor Chu's health was deteriorating, especially during this time of continuous rain. He often felt pain all over his body and couldn't sleep.
Shen Feng looked at Professor Chu's declining health and had a bad premonition. In the past, Professor Chu could often give him advice and make appropriate plans. But once Professor Chu left this world, he had no idea what he would do.
More terrifying than fear was undoubtedly confusion.
As for fear, at least one knew what they were afraid of and could make preparations. But when a person was in a state of confusion, they had no idea what to do.
Shen Feng finally made up his mind, let out a sigh, turned to Chang Jianyi, and said, "Senior Sister, I'm going to Xiangyang to see the situation there. You look after Yuzhou for me. I'll be back in a few days at the shortest, or a week at the longest."
Now that Shen Feng had acquired a paraglider, he could fly at low altitudes, so he could indeed travel long distances back and forth in a short time. He was somewhat confused about what to do in the future, so he wanted to go to Xiangyang to see.
Chang Jianyi nodded and smiled, "Then be careful, and I will stay in Yuzhou to guard everything for you."
Chu Chaoyan suddenly looked closely at Chang Jianyi, walked behind her, and quietly reached out to hug her from behind.
Shen Feng saw this scene and was startled, thinking, "Damn, what is Chaoyan doing? Has she awakened some incredible fetish?"
Chang Jianyi was also startled by this action. She had watched the anime "Citrus" and had giggled foolishly while watching two girls hug on screen. But now, when it was her turn to receive such an action, she was immediately startled.
"What are you doing? Let go of me, don't hug me!" Chang Jianyi said unhappily.
Chu Chaoyan suddenly smiled, hugged Chang Jianyi's waist, and said, "I didn't expect this! You've gained weight from staying in the office all day. I can feel your fat!"
As soon as Chang Jianyi heard this, she immediately became nervous and quickly broke free from Chu Chaoyan's hands. She didn't expect that this little girl Chu Chaoyan, while appearing affectionate, was actually measuring her waistline. How devious!
"You're talking nonsense, I'm still a slender lady!" Chang Jianyi quickly clasped her hands around herself and tried to hold her breath. It was hard work to maintain a good image!
Shen Feng walked to the rooftop, put on his paraglider, and leaped down. The strong wind blew, dragging Shen Feng up into the air. Raindrops hit the paraglider, making a crackling sound. Shen Feng had no choice but to erect a "Wind King Barrier" around himself, otherwise, he would get wet after flying in the sky for a short time.
Shen Feng rode the wind and headed towards Xiangyang in the torrential rain. After passing Wushan and then Wudang Mountain, he would reach the plains. Looking down from the sky, all he could see was a vast expanse of white, with scattered black areas within the white.
Shen Feng knew that these white areas were all water, and those black areas were actually higher ground. On this higher ground, people were crowded together, adults and children alike. Apart from their clothes, they had nothing left. Forget grain, they didn't even have a pot.
Many people were also standing in trees, desperately holding onto branches to avoid being washed away by the floodwaters.
Shen Feng slowly descended from the sky, but a group of people on the ground was terrified and scattered, "Mutated birds are coming, run! Don't get caught!"
These days, the ground was filled with floods. The water contained parasites and many mutated fish and shrimp that specialized in eating people. Dangers also frequently appeared in the sky. A large flock of migratory birds near Yanjing had died after being bombed. However, in many southern regions, mutated birds were constantly searching for food. Birds like sparrows, which did not like to migrate, roamed the south. Coincidentally, with the floods raging, the mutated birds, when hungry, began to catch and eat people or zombies. Catching zombies was relatively simple, as zombies did not resist, but catching people was much more difficult.
Shen Feng descended from the sky and then quickly put away his paraglider. It was a custom-made paraglider that could be quickly stowed away after use. Although it weighed tens of pounds, this weight was nothing to an ability user.
Shen Feng had already made a name for himself in Yanjing, so when he put away his paraglider, people quickly recognized him and shouted, "It's Lord Fengshen! Lord Fengshen, are you here to save us?"
"Lord Fengshen, save us!"
Shen Feng landed on a small hill, and people on the hill immediately knelt down, begging Shen Feng for rescue.
Seeing this scene, Shen Feng's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He actually wanted to tell the truth, that he was just here to check the situation. But looking at the hopeful expressions in their eyes, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. So, he nodded and said, "Rescue will come soon, very soon."
A man in his thirties couldn't help but burst into tears, "What kind of world is this? First, zombies eat people, then mutated beasts rampage everywhere. In the end, my daughter and I depended on each other, but half a month ago, she was also washed away by the flood!"
Shen Feng could only comfort him, "It will get better, it will get better."
"When will it get better?" the man asked, looking up.
Shen Feng was speechless.