“Lately, the tornadoes in Country M have been severe, and shootings are particularly frequent. If you don’t have to go, don’t. It’s dangerous. Haven’t you seen the news? The government is currently urging our compatriots in Country M to return home.”
Having become obsessed with surfing the web again, Shen Ruoran had indeed come across several trending topics regarding Country M on Weibo and TikTok.
According to the Doomsday Information Guide provided by the system, Country M had released too many harmful viruses in the past. It was one of the first countries, following Country R, to be affected by the natural disasters. The tornadoes and sandstorms erupting in various regions were merely the initial signs.
Shen Ruoran said “Thank you.” The situation in Country M would only get worse. She was heading to the capital, which hadn’t been ravaged by tornadoes yet, but there was no guarantee it wouldn’t be affected. It was always better to set off as early as possible.
The next day.
Dressed fashionably in a black hat, black clothes, and black glasses, Shen Ruoran woke up early to collect a batch of supplies from the warehouse. Carrying a 28-inch suitcase, she took a taxi to the airport.
The suitcase was light, containing only a few pieces of clothing and skincare products.
There were very few people on the same flight as Shen Ruoran. Only a few people sat in business class, and first class was entirely empty.
While soaring over her motherland, Shen Ruoran had already modified her phone’s IP address to Country M. She opened her social media apps and scrolled through the comments of netizens.
【Paul the Handsome】: “My house was turned into ruins by a tornado… someone please be kind enough to take me in.”
【Sexy Wildcat Xiaomei】: “Hurry up and stockpile some goods, guys. A friend at the weather station quietly revealed that according to internal projections, natural disasters are likely to occur frequently in the future.”
【Study Abroad Little Panda】: “Aaaaah! Don’t scare me, person above! I’m pausing my studies and buying a ticket home right now. Tonight, I’m wishing to awaken the Lightning, Ice, Water, Fire, Wood, Space, Devouring, Light, Metal, Earth, Invisibility, Mental, Strength, Dark, Poison, Speed, Visual, Auditory, or Healing attribute. Just give me four or five of them, I’m not picky.”
【Unemployed Person Seeking Housing and Work】: “You’ve been reading too many doomsday novels. Our Country M is invincible; we are the superpower of Planet LA. These recent tornadoes and sandstorms won’t cause much trouble. That said, I think Lightning-type powers would be good; you could keep the power going when the room has a blackout.”
“…”
Shen Ruoran closed her phone and glanced at the deep layers of clouds outside. The netizens of this world had quite forward-thinking imaginations, predicting the awakening of superpowers. These were things she had actually experienced in her quick-transmigration worlds.
In truth, the awareness of Country M’s citizens wasn’t particularly useful. Once the apocalypse truly arrived, very few people in Country M would survive.
This country was vast but sparsely populated. People lived in villas and bungalows. High-rise buildings were mostly used for corporate offices and commercial operations. When the water eventually covered the Blue Star, the citizens of Country M would only be able to gather helplessly in non-residential areas, watching their homes submerge into the bottomless flood.
This was the fate of the nation, and the destiny of the individual.
To be safe, the flight Shen Ruoran was on had reported in advance to change its route, avoiding severe weather and extending the flight time.
When the plane came to a halt and Shen Ruoran stepped into the foreign land, she was greeted by a blast of damp air mixed with the scent of sand and clay.
Before she had walked far, someone in the crowd began to scream, sounding frantic and agitated.
“Quick, look at the latest trending news! That damn Country R really isn’t human! They just released a statement saying they will publicly discharge nuclear wastewater into the ocean at 3:00 PM. Are they insane?!”
“What is our country doing? Why are they still raising their hands in support? This is madness! We should be like Country H and firmly oppose this. Country R wants the whole planet to perish together!”
Those who thought further ahead stopped in their tracks, their limbs suddenly stiffening as their hearts sank. “If they really do this, according to the water cycle theory, we will be affected sooner or later. It’s just a matter of time.”
After walking a few more steps, someone suddenly realized, “Based on the time difference, 3:00 PM in Country R seems to be…”
Frightened citizens clutched their heads with both hands. In the hall, the voices cursing Country R grew louder and louder.
But what could be done? Their country and Country R were “brothers” and close allies. Getting their government to speak out was harder than reaching the heavens.
As Shen Ruoran passed through the hall and saw the anger and sorrow on everyone’s faces, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
What was meant to come had finally arrived. The infinite natural disasters about to erupt in this world were the sins committed by the wicked nations themselves.
She didn’t linger. She walked quickly toward the destination of her trip.
The primary doomsday information provided by the system concerned the situation in Shen Ruoran’s original home country. There was too little information on Country M, and Shen Ruoran wasn’t sure if staying long-term was safe. No matter how strong her combat power was, she might not be able to contend with the fury of nature.
Thus, she abruptly shortened her original plan by three days.
Shen Ruoran hacked into Country M’s IT systems, forged a series of compliance documents, and purchased a total of 10,000 cases of handguns, 50,000 cases of ammunition, 30,000 cases of grenades, 100,000 military knives, and 100,000 machetes. Then, she booked the earliest flight and rushed back to her home country.
Back home, the familiar B-City dialect was also filled with people attacking and cursing the Country R nuclear wastewater discharge incident. Such an action was destroying all of humanity and the planet they had lived on for generations. They would surely face divine retribution!
The famous Beigang Hotel in B-City was ranked first on the food social media app’s recommendation list. It offered a wide variety of dishes and excellent flavors.
The interior decoration was extremely festive, featuring a bright red classical architectural style with brilliant lighting. Walking inside gave one a profound sense of being at home.
The private boxes were lined up one after another, almost all of them filled with people, their local dialects heard in loud, animated conversation.
Following the waiter’s guidance, Shen Ruoran sat down in the large private room she had reserved. A heavy menu lay on the table. Since arriving in this world, she had only eaten hotel buffets and hadn’t yet properly enjoyed the local specialties.
She flipped through the menu with great interest from the first page to the last, then gave a bold wave of her hand.
“Bring me one of every dish, alcoholic beverage, and soda on the menu. Pack them all to go. If I can’t finish it, I’ll take everything with me.”
The waiter’s eyes widened. His good professional training was the only thing that stopped him from shouting out in excitement immediately. Though the request was a bit strange, in his three years of employment, this was the first time he had encountered such a massive order.
“Please wait a moment. I will go and notify the kitchen right away.” The waiter quickly adjusted his emotions, smiled, bowed, and turned to leave with a step much lighter than when he had arrived.
Box after box of Beigang delicacies, full of color, aroma, and taste, were brought to the table. The overflowing fragrance was mouth-watering, tempting the diner’s taste buds.
At the very front were the pastries. The thousand-year-old traditional food culture was profoundly embodied in them. Half of the Beigang Hotel’s fame was built upon its pastries.
Shen Ruoran tasted a small bite of each in turn, then stored them along with their packaging into her Space. She then took out a black plastic bag she had prepared earlier—filled with empty plastic packaging boxes—and placed it on the chair next to her.