Chapter 318: Chapter 318

Due to the earthquakes this year being filled with all sorts of uncertainties, even reincarnators couldn’t be sure where an earthquake would strike and where it wouldn’t, let alone know if the workplaces of Mrs. Jing and Mr. Jing would be hit by a major one. In short, Jing Shu was deeply worried about leaving her parents in such an unpredictable situation.

What reasonable method could make her parents take at least five days off work and also make them realize the seriousness of the situation? It would be fine to arrange backup plans to ensure their safety before dealing with other matters.

But using a bullshit reason like dreaming about a disaster? Forget it.

As for now, Jing Shu could indeed bring them back immediately, but what about the next few days? Earthquakes... well, after one occurred, the most one would experience would be aftershocks, but life had to go on. The apocalypse was upon them, and now that the rain had stopped, it was time to work hard for sixty days. Even if there was an earthquake, one just needed to be careful at work, and if an earthquake happened, just run outside, right?

No, that’s not acceptable. At the beginning, everyone utterly underestimated how terrifying the earthquakes this year would be. There were many collapsed areas that seemed fine on the surface, but one would completely sink into them upon stepping over.

Jing Shu paced back and forth in the living room. Mr. Jing (Grandpa) was enjoying an unusual morning, listening to Peking opera while sitting on the massage chair with his eyes half-closed, watching the real-time news on TV.

Ever since Mr. Ma launched his big data platform, it had virtually monopolized all information types and successfully merged with WeChat. It became a super database integrating live broadcasts, data, personal information, financial management, and more. The most impressive feature was its ability to display a customized panel based on an individual’s access level.

In general, there were two versions: the civilian version and the VIP version. Jing Shu had the good fortune to become a VIP Level 1, signifying her current status and power.

However, despite this, the government still insisted on supplying electricity to the people for 30 minutes per day, from 19:00 to 19:30. The main purpose was to allow people to watch the news, perhaps turn on air conditioning for heating, and charge cell phones and power banks.

Later, Jing Shu learned this was done to supply people with a bit of the ’light element’ from electric lamps. Without it, prolonged lack of sunlight could lead to various illnesses. This practice also helped their eyes adjust; otherwise, they might go blind when bright light eventually returned.

Wu City news and international news were reporting that the torrential rain had finally stopped. Countless people went outside to cheer, many shedding tears of emotion. At the same time, the water level in Wu City Center was visibly receding.

"...The reports indicate that after the floodwaters recede, the government will allow residents to return to their original houses in batches to mitigate the difficult housing situation in several major areas such as Wucheng Xishan, Xiangjiao, and the New District. These areas are experiencing embarrassing situations where a single apartment squeezes in more than twenty people, a parking spot in a basement houses a family, and a cellar shelters a family of three," the news broadcasted.

"With the floodwaters receding, various district governments plan to provide tens of thousands of job positions to build a new city. Facing increasingly cold weather, the government must make all sorts of preparations for keeping warm. Based on expert analysis, the next year will enter a ’delayed winter season,’ and spring is expected only in the year after next. For this reason, Wu City’s relevant departments have decided that upon reaching temperatures below minus 10 degrees Celsius, centralized heating will be provided. For the related regulations, please refer to the document..."

Jing Shu sighed. The experts were only half right. The following year could be considered winter too, but in the next few years, it would only be a relatively mild winter compared to the extreme cold that was to come.

Mr. Jing (Grandpa) clapped his hands, laughing loudly, "The government is finally going to move people out! Good! Everyone will finally have a place to live. Cramming together every day, it’s almost suffocating. I used to think your place was too quiet, but now, it’s been nothing but noise every day for a year. It’s been so loud that this old man hasn’t slept well. And there have been all sorts of wailing sounds. Never mind all that, it’s just that people keep coming near the villa to defecate and urinate... I have to clean up at the foot of the wall every day."

Jing Shu chuckled twice but said nothing. Wu City Center is about to be gone, and these people won’t be able to evacuate. Not only that, but we’ll also have to go into hiding.

Suddenly, a thunderclap resounded outside, striking right at Jing Shu’s heart. Accompanied by the thunder, Jing Shu collapsed to the ground with a THUD, startling Mr. Jing (Grandpa).

"Shu, what’s wrong? You were fine just a moment ago! Don’t scare me ," Mr. Jing (Grandpa) exclaimed, hurrying down from his massage chair to check on her.

Jing Shu, in agony, clutched her head and said, "Grandpa, my head is hurting terribly. I’ve got a severe headache, and I can’t hear well either. Call my parents quickly and tell them to come back."

"Alright, alright, child, you mustn’t have anything serious. I’ll tell that girl to call right away."

Mr. Jing (Grandpa) scurried out. The fat chicken sneaked in like a thief, shook its newly grown, sparse feathers, and looked at Jing Shu with disdain as if to say, "Stop pretending, I can see right through you."

Then, another thunderbolt roared suddenly.

"CLUCK!" The fat chicken, scared, flapped its wings and dove headfirst into Jing Shu’s arms, leaving its plump behind quivering outside.

Jing Shu grabbed the feathers on the fat chicken’s butt with one hand, hoisted it up, and tossed it onto the couch. Using the fat chicken as a pillow, she found a comfortable position to lie down, watching the news and listening to the noise outside.

Turns out, the new feathers of the fat chicken were both soft and comfortable, and incredibly tough. She couldn’t pull them out no matter how hard she tried. Follow current novels on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝙣𝙚𝙩

It’s best to keep pretending to be ill. Thinking of other plans gives me a headache, and I’d still have to maintain the lie. Jing Shu felt this was the most worry-free way. Parents would naturally listen to reasonable demands, but unreasonable, groundless excuses to make them stay could leave them perplexed. Of course, before the apocalypse, if there were sudden earthquakes, all work would likely halt, but rescue workers and search teams would still be dispatched.

But now, the whole world was experiencing a frenzy of earthquakes, and rescue efforts were overwhelmed. The living were considered more important than the dead. At this moment, with the living facing such dangers to their survival, the government would naturally prioritize their safety first.

So whatever I do, it has to be reasonable.

It’s unknown what Mr. Jing (Grandpa) said, but it worked. In less than fifteen minutes, after Jing Shu had finished three bags of Lay’s chips and was contemplating planting more potatoes to make her own, Mr. Jing (Father) and Mrs. Jing rushed back together.

Grandma Jing didn’t bother changing her clothes, and Mr. Jing (Grandpa) stopped listening to Peking opera. The whole family gathered around Jing Shu. Grandma Jing frequently offered her date-infused water, saying that maybe drinking more hot water would help. Jing Shu accepted everything offered, gulping down two cups of water.

The first thing her parents asked when they came back was, "What happened to Jing Shu?"