Standing tall means seeing far.
They watched as cars one by one turned the corner and came closer, arriving in a broken stream without stopping.
Cars, three-wheelers, motorcycles—
All carrying their luggage and weary families, rushing forward. As the night deepened, refugees on bicycles and on foot appeared too.
Yesterday they had seen only one person; today, from upstairs, they saw a large, scattered group.
Old and young, children in arms with mothers.
Backpacks and luggage weighed on their backs, faces worn and exhausted as they headed forward.
"Big bro, is that a house up ahead?"
A young boy looked at the house in front. "Let's ask for some water there."
"Where would we find water now?"
An older man glanced at him. "Suburban houses use tap water like the city. These houses along the way are empty; the people have long fled. Hurry to the air raid shelters—heard the government and military are there. Once in the shelter, you'll be safe."
The city was now completely uninhabitable.
Two days ago, the government announced that everyone should move toward the five large air raid shelters around the suburbs. These refugees were all headed there.
They heard the days were getting longer, nights shorter, and the temperature rising. To reach the shelters before daylight, they dared not linger on the roads. Time spent traveling was precious.
Chu Yian and Lu Qingyuan watched the large wave of people pass their door.
The heat had exhausted them.
Dead inside, silent. Except for the occasional cry of a child, only footsteps echoed.
Day 15 of the game, 4:00 a.m.
No cars or people passed their door; Chu Yian breathed a slight sigh of relief. For safety, they stayed on the roof until 8 a.m., when the sun shone fiercely and the temperature neared 50°C, then went down to hide in the basement.
Rest in the basement by day, back on the roof at night.
That night, fewer cars passed, more people walked.
Their house had been noticed.
It was a group of middle-aged couples, with children almost grown. From Chu Yian's position, she saw them circle the door, trying to open the heavy lock.
The door was an old-fashioned large iron gate.
Five millimeters thick, painted red. The bolts were iron, and the lock was as big as Chu Yian's fist—solid, genuine, and sturdy.
They couldn't open the gate, so they prepared to climb over the wall.
"Old Li, maybe we should just leave—getting there fast is what matters."
The woman by the wall was urging her husband.
Along the way, besides fleeing, they had looted many roadside houses. Most were empty, which gave them a small fortune in the chaos.
Food and water were enough for the road; their bags were filled with cash and gold or silver jewelry.
"Hey, check this out."
Old Li spoke while signaling his friend and son to lift him up. Using a human tower, Old Li managed to grab the top of the wall. Then a scream followed.
He had grabbed the glass shards on the wall.
The sharp edges cut into his palm, blood streaming down. Old Li fell, clutching his hand and wailing.
"Old Li!"
The woman who had urged him not to climb looked pale, raised his hands,
"I told you not to go, but you insisted. Now you're hurt! Son, check if there's any medicine in the bag!"
"I don't think so."
"What's up there? How did you get such a big cut?"
"Glass—don't climb up."
The middle-aged man called out to his climbing companion,
"Suburban houses use glass on all four walls to stop thieves."
"Damn it, how can people be so heartless?"
The man's wife cursed at the door, with no sense that they themselves were thieves.
The glass wall had successfully turned away this gang of intruders. Chu Yian raised an eyebrow at Lu Qingyuan—
Pretty awesome, huh?
Lu Qingyuan moved his gaze away from her teasing eyebrow dance.
"Don't let your guard down."
In this extremely hot world, the only difference between night and day was one was hot, and the other hotter.
The two hid on the roof, not moving a muscle, but drenched like they had been pulled from water.
Chu Yian took a bottle of fresh mineral water, opened it, and took a sip.
This was already her fifth bottle.
The water they brought from the basement was being consumed at a rapid pace.
Even just drinking water was uncomfortable—salt in their sweat was draining from their bodies. They hadn't brought salt or sugar outside, so the salt loss made their strength fade, accompanied by dizziness and nausea.
"Control your water intake."
Lu Qingyuan said, "Beware of water poisoning."
"Mm."
Chu Yian nodded, holding water in her mouth, not daring to swallow it all.
Even so, their situation was far better than the refugees below.
From the high third floor, they could see the scene below: people carrying the last of their belongings, leaving home.
Some collapsed on the road.
Some were carried away by family or friends; others never got up again.
The lucky were dragged to the roadside; the unlucky lay where they fell, sometimes trampled by passersby.
In just one night, many more were lying down for good…
Day 16 of the game, the daytime heat was unbearable!
Outdoor temperature topped 60°C; even air conditioner compressors were about to catch fire.
By 8 p.m., the temperature was still 48°C outside. While climbing onto the roof, Chu Yian accidentally touched a piece of metal and burned her wrist, forming a blister.
Still, they climbed to the roof like yesterday.
Learning from the previous day, Chu Yian specially brought salt this time.
The two waited on the roof, hoping people on the road would avoid them as before. But the more they hoped nothing would happen, the more it did.
Their gate was opened.
By five or six young men in their twenties.
"Damn, this gate's really sturdy."
"Ergou's the best—he can open it with just a wire."
Voices came from below. Chu Yian looked down at them. The young men acted boldly, speaking loudly.
"Search the house for water and food."
"Forget the paper money. If there's gold or silver, take it."
They stormed inside like invaders looting a village.
Amidst the chaos, Chu Yian heard the sounds of furniture moving and things being tossed around downstairs.
"Damn, they're so poor. This family left nothing behind."
After a round of searching and finding nothing, they cursed and went outside.
"Let's look outside in the yard."