Jiang Ning called out to Zheng Weili, “The drought-resistant sweet potato seedlings are ready. Are you still planting them?”
The growth cycle of sweet potatoes is four to five months, while the water level will recede in just one or two months, planting them would be pointless.
Nothing could stop Zheng Weili from going home. “Anning, you can go ahead and plant them.”
After Zheng Weili left, Jiang Ning suggested, “How about planting them in space?”
Planting them outside requires constant care, protection from the sun, and daily watering, which can be troublesome.
Huo Yishen thought for a moment and said, “Why don’t we plant half of them?”
The soil in the space is excellent, but if the plants grown there differ from those outside, it might attract unnecessary trouble.
Planting half of them in each location would allow for comparison.
Jiang Ning agreed.
So, the two divided the work: Huo Yishen planted outside, and Jiang Ning planted inside the space.
After dinner, Huo Yishen sent Doudou and Coke next door and discussed with Jiang Ning, “The water level has dropped to the fourth floor. Soon, survivors will go out to search for supplies. Shall we go out tomorrow?”
1803 doesn’t have diving suits, so involving them wouldn’t help. Besides, they had already decided to leave and wouldn’t go out for non-essential supplies.
Jiang Ning had no objections. She brought out a paper map and an offline map on her phone.
Flooding softened the foundations of buildings, extreme cold made materials brittle, and extreme heat caused expansion. After the ice melted, some shallow or old, dilapidated buildings collapsed.
Not to mention that earthquakes would cause the entire city to collapse. Rebuilding their home required steel.
Fengcheng doesn’t produce steel, but it has Steel World—a one-stop store for processing, procurement, and trade. The largest steel market in the country that serves the entire coastal region.
After planning, the two went to bed early. They inform 1803 that they are going out for a while.
Doudou was left with Coke, and both could stay home and play for a day.
Even Doudou had learned to use the walkie-talkie, so if anything happened, they could just call out.
The extremely hot day dawned very early, and it was already slightly bright before five o’clock.
To avoid attracting attention, the two got up at three and quietly headed downstairs.
Steel World is on the outskirts of the city, about 40 kilometers away.
Wearing their thermally insulated suits under protective clothing. They left the neighborhood in an inflatable boat, started the motor, and headed towards the suburbs.
The water on the outskirts of the city was full of garbage, and there were even unknown dangers underwater. The two of them did not dare to drive too slowly, and it took them two hours to get there.
There were no residential or commercial buildings nearby. As the water level dropped, the upper half of the “Steel World” sign emerged, which looked dilapidated in the dim morning light.
The massive, rusted iron framework is covered with debris, and it no longer has its former grandeur.
At that early hour, visibility was still poor.
Using a large billboard as cover, Jiang Ning took out the diving suits and oxygen tanks from space.
The diving suits were fully enclosed, and carrying an oxygen tank felt heavy. Luckily, they had physical training; otherwise, it would have been tough.
Once in the water, Jiang Ning stored the inflatable boat back in space.
Turning on the headlamp, they have dived underwater.
Steel World was vast, covering five to six thousand acres, with a rich variety of steel materials: wear-resistant, impact-resistant, weather-resistant, bendable, H-beams, channel steel, angle steel, I-beams, composite steel, and hundreds of other types.
Shops ranged from several hundred to several thousand square meters, with an annual processing capacity of up to 20 million tons.
The variety of steel was overwhelming.
Taking everything was impossible, so they decided to store only the steel needed for building: shaped steel, pipes, and rebar.
Finding a rebar shop, Jiang Ning carefully swam upward, grasped the topmost rebar, and tried storing it in the space.
Rebar is heavy; a roll of round rebar can weigh between 1-2 tons.
Jiang Ning was worried the rebar wouldn’t fit into the space, but it went in easily.
Huo Yishen stayed close, not only ensuring her safety but also watching for any potential dangers around them.
After clearing several shops of round rebar, they neatly stacked them in the black soil garden, pile upon pile…
The underwater pressure was intense. At first, Jiang Ning didn’t feel it, but the large, heavy items quickly exhausted her after half an hour. Concerned for their safety, they decided to rest in space.
Huo Yishen handed her some quick energy snacks and chocolate, helping to relax her hands and feet. “Take a break.”
Knowing the time limitations within the space, he didn’t idle. Seeing the empty living room, he moved a bed from the garden.
Well, he knows how to choose, and he moved a two meter bed.
Judging from the brand, it is a luxurious bed worth six figures.
After making the bed, he kindly suggested to Jiang Ning, “Get some sleep.”
He was reluctant to rest himself, so he went to help with the crops, harvesting over a dozen ripe watermelons.
After eating and resting well, they dove back into the water to continue collecting supplies.
They gathered H-beams, steel pipes, and thin rebar for binding.
This process took several hours, with sunlight piercing through the water’s surface.
They needed to store a lot of supplies but also take breaks.
At noon, they had braised fish, boiled beef, vegetables, and freshly picked watermelon.
In one corner of the garden, countless steel materials were stacked; the exact quantity was unknown, but it’s estimated to be around eight to nine hundred tons.
For a 420-square-meter floor, about 12 tons of rebar are needed per floor. The amount they collected could build several buildings.
Huo Yishen said, “This should be enough.”
Only then did Jiang Ning stop her frantic collecting and lay down on the luxurious bed. She hugged a pillow and went for a peaceful nap.
Huo Yishen, like a diligent ox, continued to harvest watermelons and weed the crops.
The more he did, the more Jiang Ning could rest.
If not for Jiang Ning waking up and planning to leave, he could have worked for another three days and nights.
With other supplies to collect, they left the countless steel materials behind. They wore their diving suit and swam upwards.
Suddenly, a shadow approached quickly.
Huo Yishen noticed it first and pulled Jiang Ning aside quickly.
The water was murky, making visibility poor, but the shadow seemed large.
Could it be a shark?
Jiang Ning was instantly alarmed and was considering whether to grab a weapon or escape in the space. Unexpectedly, the shadow did not attack the two of them but swam leisurely.
As it got closer, they saw it was white.
A white dolphin!
An endangered species that sometimes mistakenly entered the sea from the Guangzhou estuary, swimming to Fengcheng. Animal protection organizations would then guide it back, ensuring its safe return.
This time, there were no staff to escort them.
With the water level constantly dropping, if it didn’t return soon, it would become stranded and easy prey.
Jiang Ning had no interest in harming it but hoped the cute creature would survive.
Their survival meant more hope for humanity, right?
Watching the white dolphin swim away, they surfaced behind a large billboard, and, seeing no one was around, they climbed ashore.
The afternoon sun was scorching. As soon as they came out of the water. They immediately felt they had entered a high-temperature steam room. It was wet, hot, and sticky all over.
Despite quickly changing into their thermal suits and protective gear, sweat poured out continuously.
They added ice water packs to cool down, then set off in the inflatable boat to their next destination.
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