Chapter 358: Chapter 176: Tidal Wave Assault (Part 2)

“Alright, boat fleet, head north to Lamakan Street, full speed ahead!”

“Full speed ahead!!”

In an instant, more than three hundred rubber boats roared to life, churning up waves as they sped towards the north side of the town.

About eight minutes later, they encountered another group of refugees on foot.

Board, turn around, transfer, then return.

Gu Ji completed the whole process twice, and by the third round, the return trip to pick up people took only about five minutes.

“Quick! Everyone expedite! Board the boats immediately!”

“Everyone, pick up the life jackets and life buoys on the ground. Make sure to wear them to ensure your safety!”

“Faster! Don’t waste time!”

…

The rescuers urged the crowd to board the rubber boats frantically. Above them, the buzzing sound of helicopter rotors echoed, as military transport helicopters risked a crash in the storm, hovering in the skies and dropping bundles of rescue supplies, mostly containing waterborne self-rescue gear.

Even so, there were still too many refugees left outside the safe zone, at least seventy or eighty thousand still on the perilous streets, with far too few supplies to go around.

“Listen up, everyone, life buoys can be shared by two people. Tie them to your waist with a rope, and this will ensure…”

Gu Ji stood at the stern of the rubber boat, holding a megaphone, initially intending to instruct these people on how to make full use of the equipment.

But faintly, he seemed to hear a dull rumble from the northwest of the city, like rolling thunder or the sound of something spilling everywhere, mixed with shrill screams.

Some refugees seemed to hear it too, instinctively pausing and turning back to look.

Just then, Gu Ji’s phone vibrated in his pocket, while several military helicopters overhead turned and flew south.

Woo—buzz—!

The sudden shrill blare of an air raid siren stunned everyone.

But soon, a louder rumble erupted into everyone’s eardrums, like an earthquake. The crowd stood in stunned rigidity as a massive gust of wind brushed Gu Ji’s face. At the horizon, a yellow line appeared, gradually lengthening and thickening, advancing across the ground with the speed of an airplane.

Faraway trees began to sway violently, power lines snapped, and parked cars along the street twisted strenuously.

“Run! Run! Run—!!”

Gu Ji screamed hysterically, veins bulging from his forehead.

A monstrous wave unfurled from the town, racing out like a demon from the buildings, roaring thunderously as it tumbled, shattering countless windows, snapping tree trunks one after another, and sending yellow-green tricycles airborne.

It’s a flood!

“Ah! Run!”

“Help!”

“Lucas! Lucas!”

“Daddy!”

“Full throttle! Turn around, move quickly—!!”

…

Amidst the crisis, the crowd erupted into an earth-shattering scream, with all the rubber rescue boats under Pradan’s command twisting the throttles frantically towards the south.

The refugees ran madly in the water, only to be knocked down by stronger people from behind. Some started swimming, while others stood petrified, overwhelmed by the massive wave, unable to move.

Some exhausted individuals chose to give up, hugging their heads and crying on the spot;

A pair of newlywed-looking couples embraced each other;

Some devout followers of Hinduism clasped their hands together and closed their eyes, silently praying, as if accepting fate…

“Everyone, run quickly! Find and grab onto nearby shelters. Those on the boat, make sure to tie yourself to the rubber boat’s handle with a rope! Go!”

Gu Ji shouted desperately while pulling out a safety rope from his waist to bind himself to the rubber boat.

But the noise of the crashing flood was too loud and its speed overwhelming.

The boat fleet hadn’t gone far when the giant wave started bearing down.

One meter, three meters, five meters!

It’s unimaginable; an inland flood with waves as monstrous as a tsunami. Gu Ji watched as the people behind were swept up by the flood, their pupils constricting, the coffee-brown of his irises reflecting the muddy yellow flood’s splashes, with people, broken windows, furniture, and corrugated iron from the slums within.

“Everyone, take a deep breath, cover your heads, and duck down!!”

He sensed the boat rapidly ascending.

With all his strength, Gu Ji issued one last warning, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

BOOM—!

The massive wave crashed down, and Gu Ji felt as if swept off by a car, tumbling into the water, his body uncontrollably spinning as the rubber boat was drawn into the flood’s undercurrent.

He forced his eyes open, that familiar gritty sensation overwhelming him anew.

Resisting the burning pain in the corners of his eyes, Gu Ji tried to regain a sense of direction, but his body refused to comply. No matter how he moved, he was swept along by the current, and the low visibility in water made it nearly impossible to see surrounding objects clearly.

Suddenly, he faintly sensed a shadow approaching, his body instinctively curling up, arms raised to protect his head.

Bam!

The shadow smashed into him head-on, pushing him over a meter away, neutralizing the rubber boat’s pull.

It seemed to be a person!

Before he could ponder further, the buoyancy of the rescue vest and the rubber boat started pulling him towards the surface.

Splash!

“Hoo-ha… Hoo-ha…”

Emerging from the water, Gu Ji gasped for air, the once annoying rain now a bizarre comfort as it hit his face. He quickly felt around his body, checking his neck, arms, thighs, and back for injuries.

Fortunately, his good luck held, with only a sharp pain felt at the front of his right leg.

He seemed to have been cut by something.

“Help!”

“Ah—!”

Two cries for help from nearby interrupted Gu Ji, leaving him no time to assess the severity of his wound.

“Give me your hand! Give me your hand!”

He swam with all his might, trying to reach those being swept away, but his arm strength was too little, let alone trailing a rubber boat, making free movement in water nearly impossible.

It’s well-known how a flood cascades swiftly, typically demolishing nearby structures at 40-90 kilometers per hour. The water, usually muddy yellow, carries lots of silt, increasing its weight and destructive force.

Wherever the flood passed, all surrounding glass buildings shattered under the tidal waves that penetrated any gap, especially those unstable corrugated shacks. Water rushed in, instantly toppling and dismantling them into fragments to flow downstream.

Drifting from the northern to the central city area, Gu Ji raised his head, eyeing the hundred-meter-high office buildings on both sides. Through the blue glass curtain walls, he clearly saw reflected floodwaves rolling and the thousands of fearful eyes behind the glass.

Rumble…

“Ah! Ah!”

“Can someone help me! Help!”

“Grab the utility pole! Quickly grab the utility pole!!”

The water current swept him from the main street to a side street, where Gu Ji once again heard an Indian woman in the water screaming shrilly, flailing her arms. He wanted to offer a reminder, but she couldn’t rotate her body properly; as she neared a utility pole, her head hit it first, knocking her unconscious.

Damn!

They were far apart, and Gu Ji could only watch helplessly as she sank. Meanwhile, the task progress at the bottom right of his view quickly changed, another number added: 81/200!

Indeed!

From the flood’s onset until now, in less than two minutes, nearly eighty lives had already been lost!!

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