CH 118

Boarding the already prepared boats, the 253 members of Shui Jing Gong along with the 42 gray rats slowly headed north along the winding river between the mountains.

The boats varied in size, with the larger ones capable of carrying over a dozen people. They had bedrooms, kitchens, and even dedicated planting areas for micro-farms inside. Some boats were equipped with amenities like gyms, entertainment rooms, and reading areas, indicating that considerable thought had gone into their construction, along with preparations for long-term life on the water.

The smaller boats were more straightforward and designed for two people. They still had sleeping quarters, and though the space was limited, the interior was meticulously arranged, making the most of the available room. These smaller boats didn’t have their own power sources and relied on manual rowing or being towed by larger vessels during regular use.

The large boats had their advantages, and the small boats served their purposes. The ratio of different-sized boats had been carefully calculated. The design and construction of these vessels had taken nearly the entire winter. Thanks to the protection the valley had provided to the people during this season, they didn’t have to worry about severe cold or food shortages, allowing them the energy to focus on other tasks.

Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu were assigned to the leading boat, the largest one. They shared the boat with Nan Ge, Nan Fang, Yu Jin, Xie Feng, and some of the leaders or captains from the functional and technical teams.

Following the instructions, Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu found their room on the leading boat. Shu Shuishui felt a sense of novelty since he didn’t have any luggage or belongings with him, thanks to his spiritual storage and Lan ring. While others were busy settling their belongings, Shu Shuishui took his time to carefully inspect the room from top to bottom.

The room was a double room, and Gu Langu was busy taking out everyday items from his Shui ring. He even went out of his way to place a vase with a long-necked flower on the small table, adding a touch of romance, filled with freshly picked flowers from this morning.

To make the most of the limited space, the beds in the room were bunk beds. Of course, Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu’s room had a double bed. As for others like Nan Ge and the rest, they preferred single beds rather than squeezing into one, for their comfort.

In the base, if there were pairs of people, they usually opted for double occupancy in small boats. While the interior facilities might not be as elaborate, it was considered a standard for a two-person world.

Being a mouse that values sleep, Shu Shuishui’s first inspection was the bed. He aimed for the bed and flopped down onto it. However, there was a loud thud as he hit the wooden bed frame.

Gu Langu was startled and dropped the alarm clock he was arranging on the table. He quickly walked to the side of the bed. “Shui Shui, are you okay?”

Shu Shuishui’s face was buried in the mattress, where the scent of soft new cotton filled his every breath. But why was there so little cotton, only about three fingers wide, and below that was a hard wooden board? Feeling a bit embarrassed, he didn’t raise his head but responded in a muffled voice, “I’m fine, just the bed is a bit hard. Can I add more cotton?”

Gu Langu had originally wanted to pull Shu Shuishui up and inspect him carefully, but when he saw his blushing ears, he wordlessly curved his lips. “Alright, go ahead and make the bed. I’ll check the small balcony.”

Hearing Gu Langu’s footsteps as he approached the window, Shu Shuishui quickly got up from the bed. He instinctively rubbed his forehead and then pulled a small mirror out of his spiritual storage to check carefully, making sure he hadn’t bumped it and turned red. He sighed in relief and swiftly placed the small mirror back into his spiritual storage.

Looking at Gu Langu, who was now facing the window and inspecting it, Shu Shuishui joined him. “This small balcony is nice; we can use it for our micro-farm and ranch.”

Their room was on the second floor and had good natural lighting. The sunshine streaming in made it look cheerful, and outside the window was the sparkling water.

“Yeah, on sunny days, you can sunbathe up here,” Gu Langu said briefly. “I can too, but I’ll need runic assistance.”

The “balcony” they mentioned was actually a transformed window. Instead of the typical left-right opening, it opened vertically. The lower part was attached to the ship’s structure via a pivot, while the upper part had a traction rope for lifting, creating a ninety-degree platform when opened.

Despite its small size, this platform was intricately designed to be sturdy and practical. When opened, it had double the width of the window and provided just under two square meters of space, perfect for placing a micro-farm during the daytime. At night or during storms when there was no sunlight, they could close the window and move the micro-farm inside.

“These designs are really nice,” Shu Shuishui said as he began envisioning their future days on the small balcony. “We can sunbathe, and I have a sunshade in my spiritual storage about the size of a saucer, plus a couple of small chairs. We can even apply some essential oils. Well, I won’t. It’s hard to wash off, but I can apply them for you…”

Shu Shuishui was already immersed in imagining their life on the balcony, and his thoughts led Gu Langu to envision the scene of sunbathing and applying essential oils. He had some doubts about whether Shu Shuishui’s small paws could manage this task, but since it was his idea, he felt that even if he lost a layer of skin, he would obediently lie down.

Of course, Gu Langu’s skin was not going to be harmed.

A new environment always sparked curiosity in people, and it helped to alleviate some of the sorrow of departure. Whether they were humans or rats, they were busy inspecting and organizing their new living quarters. After all, barring any unexpected circumstances, this would be their place of residence for at least the next three months.

The gray rats were settling in with their large and small bags. Some of the smaller ones were already running around the ship, exploring. People walked to and fro, carrying blankets or dragging luggage. Occasionally, a gray rat would dart quickly past someone’s feet, and the humans would move aside. Some, like Hu Sichen, the bold one, would even shout, “Whose little kid is this? Looks pretty cute, huh!”

Laughter filled the air as people responded with good-natured humor. Mischievous young rats might playfully wave their paws at Hu Sichen and then continue their chaotic exploration of the ship.

Speaking of Hu Sichen, although he hadn’t officially become sworn siblings with Shu Shuishui, he had formed bonds with many new brothers throughout the entire winter. Hu Sichen had now become the captain of a small team. While he participated in fewer simulator dungeons during the winter than the team led by Nan Ge, when it came to tackling other group missions, he and his team were always successful.

The contributions from the simulator dungeon that Yu Jin acquired from Shu Shuishui were given to the base and distributed as rewards and incentives to a select few capable individuals. Shu Shuishui also generously shared his simulator, so now the scale of simulator dungeon missions has grown significantly. Apart from Nan Ge’s team, there were two other highly capable groups, and one of them was led by Hu Sichen.

Hu Sichen may seem carefree, but Nan Ge has always felt that this person is deceptively wise. Before the arrival of winter, only Hu Sichen had the courage to lead the people from the base to join the Gu Langu base. After Hu Sichen successfully completed several missions in the simulator dungeons, Nan Ge was even more grateful for his decision to let this person join, as he might have become a formidable opponent otherwise.

The people from Hu Sichen’s base had integrated perfectly into Shui Jing Gong after winter, and Hu Sichen played a crucial role in this. On Hu Sichen, Nan Ge deeply experienced the meaning of “don’t judge a book by its cover.”

At this moment, Hu Sichen continued to speak loudly and heartily with others, making the noisy ship feel lively. Even though everyone was busy, it couldn’t stop their conversations.

“I never thought I’d be living in the same room and on the same ship as rats, and I feel honored. Is there something wrong with me?”

“Bro, are you living with several rats?”

“Besides my brother and me, there are four rats in the room. They say it’s a family.”

“I used to think rats spread all sorts of viruses and bacteria, and they look so gray that it makes me uncomfortable just thinking about them. But then… then I was actually rejected by a rat because I didn’t wash my socks the day before! I hope I don’t get assigned to a room with a rat who’s a neat freak this time!”

“Have you checked your room? Wow! The bathroom is fantastic! I heard it was designed by Xie Feng himself, and every ship is equipped with a clean water system for unlimited showers!”

“Let me borrow it!”

“Has anyone not found their room yet? Get to know your roommates and room rats!”

“Whose rat cub is this? It’s stuck in my shoe and won’t come out. Does anyone want to claim it? If not, it’s mine!”

“My farm is all set up on the balcony. I’ll probably harvest some strawberries tomorrow. This ship is designed so well; I actually feel more comfortable than in the tents in the valley!”

“…”

After Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu had finished tidying up their room, they stepped outside to witness this lively scene. Various discussions overlapped in the chaos, but without exception, each voice was filled with joy and anticipation for the future. Even the gray rats were busy, and the harmony between them and the residents of Shui Jing Gong had formed during the half-month before departure.

Standing on the second-floor stairs, Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu were also infected by the joyful atmosphere of the crowd.

“How do you like it? Are you satisfied?” Nan Ge, who had also finished organizing his room, walked over to the two of them and asked.

Shu Shuishui quickly nodded. “Satisfied, very satisfied.” Except for the slightly hard bed.

Gu Langu also nodded. “Not bad.” It’s just that the bed is a bit too big; if it were smaller, Shu Shuishui would sleep on top of him.

The two of them had different reasons for their dissatisfaction, but they both nodded in agreement.

Nan Ge’s gaze drifted as he looked downstairs. “The technological aspects were all handled by Xiao Feng, and the design and construction were done by professionals. It’s not just about comfort; safety and performance are top-notch as well. Seeing everyone working together for the same goal, I suddenly have a feeling of going back to the past. In fact, there were many people who followed the leader in the beginning. If there’s a chance in the future, Shui Shui can get to know them; they’re all fantastic individuals.”

Shu Shuishui looked at the somewhat nostalgic Nan Ge. “I know, because Gu Gu is an amazing person, and birds of a feather flock together. Just like the rats I know are all outstanding rats, the people Gu Gu knows are all outstanding individuals too. Xiao Ge Ge is great too, right? You manage Shui Jing Gong so well and bring everyone together.”

Setting aside everything else, the fact that all 253 members of Shui Jing Gong could set aside everything to participate in this major migration is not a simple matter. While Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu’s charisma played a role, the successful management by Nan Ge was also indispensable.

Nan Ge smiled. “The first time I’ve heard Shui Shui’s praise, it makes me happy.”

Gu Langu chimed in from the side. “You don’t hear it often.” The implied message was that he heard it often. “Of course, hearing it more often would make me happier.”

“Boss, have you noticed, lately, that you’ve changed?” Nan Ge couldn’t help but want to facepalm.

“No,” Gu Langu denied without much thought, jokingly. The only change he had made was probably hiding some private money, which he certainly wouldn’t let others know about.

Nan Ge held back for a moment but couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “They say ‘birds of a feather flock together.’ Lately, you’ve become quite adorable, Big Bro.”

Before Gu Langu could react, Shu Shuishui’s eyes lit up. “Are you praising me?”

Nan Ge’s smile deepened. “Praising Big Bro and Shui Shui. Shui Shui is truly adorable. If you hadn’t appeared, maybe Big Bro and I would have created a decent base, but it definitely wouldn’t be as warm as it is now, and Shui Jing Gong wouldn’t exist.”

Nan Ge’s earnest praise brought back Shu Shuishui’s shy demeanor. “The name ‘Shui Jing Gong’ was chosen by Gu Gu. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Nan Ge raised an eyebrow slightly, apparently not expecting Gu Langu to choose such an artistic name. However, he was only slightly surprised, as Gu Langu’s recent changes had been so significant. “It’s beautiful.”

It didn’t take long for Xie Feng, Yu Jin, and Nan Fang to emerge, with Nan Fang naturally staying with Nan Ge, so Yu Jin and Xie Feng, this pair who always bickered upon meeting, ended up sharing a room.

Xie Feng enthusiastically explained everything about the ship using his professional knowledge, while Yu Jin did his best to nitpick, whether it was the carpet color in the rooms or the aesthetics of the wood grain on the tables.

Nan Fang found himself caught between the two and feeling awkward until Shu Shuishui and the others appeared. He ran over, enthusiastically. “Boss, Shu Shui, Bro.”

Yu Jin and Xie Feng followed closely, shouting at each other after greeting.

“Have you all settled your things?” Nan Ge asked. The six of them were all in double rooms, and they hadn’t been assigned any gray rats, as the gray rats didn’t want the pressure of living with Shui Jing Gong leaders.

All three of them nodded in unison. “We’ve settled everything.”

“Shui Shui, what are we having for lunch?” Yu Jin’s attention returned to the topic of food.

“It’s only nine o’clock right now!” Xie Feng continued to complain. “Can’t you stop thinking about eating? It would reduce the ship’s weight and the risk of sinking.”

“Damn it! If you have the guts, don’t eat when Shui Shui cooks! Saying I’m adding weight, Crazy Xie, can’t you reduce the weight of your equipment and instruments a bit!”

“That’s my laboratory! Do you understand what a laboratory is? It belongs to the base! Not my personal belongings!”

Nan Fang sighed. “Get used to it; they start bickering as soon as they meet. I don’t know when it’ll ever end.”

Nan Ge smiled meaningfully. “It’ll end soon. They won’t be able to bicker soon.”

Nan Fang: ???

Nan Ge’s statement proved true; at noon, the fleet stopped at the prearranged meeting point. This was the gathering point announced by Shui Jing Gong after deciding on the major migration.

Before the Shui Jing Gong fleet arrived, dozens of ships were already waiting there. There were a large number of ships, and they didn’t belong to a single faction; each ship was on its own, forming different fleets. Fortunately, the waterways were vast, or it might have been quite crowded.

Among these fleets, the largest in scale were the ships from Zone B, which were on par with Shui Jing Gong. This was only half of the ships from Zone B participating in the migration. When Zone B was originally chosen as the location, it was situated in a high-lying city. Initially, this choice was for defense convenience, but now it is an excellent location to prevent flooding.

However, it was not located on mountain peaks, and no one could predict this year’s precipitation. Whether Zone B would be submerged was still unknown. Moreover, Zone B had a mix of people with complex power struggles far more intricate than Shui Jing Gong. So when Liu Po proposed the major migration, opportunistic individuals used this chance to incite those who didn’t want to leave, challenging Liu Po’s decision.

These people knew that Liu Po couldn’t afford to waste time, and once they decided on the major migration, there were too many preparations to be made in advance, leaving them with no energy to contend with them.

Liu Po indeed acted as those people had anticipated, even more carefree than imagined. Apart from making significant demands in terms of supplies, he was also very relaxed about the issue of Zone B’s ownership. This made those who were vying for power suspicious and uncertain, wondering if Liu Po was up to something.

So today, some of those individuals took two or three ships to see Liu Po off, though it was labeled as a farewell; in reality, it was surveillance to ensure that Liu Po was genuinely leaving and not heading to a remote location in the northern hemisphere, allowing them to breathe easy.

Apart from Zone B, there was also the Fei Luo Base’s fleet, consisting of only seven or eight ships, not particularly large in scale. Additionally, there were two unfamiliar small fleets and some scattered wanderer’s ships.

However, in the distance, there was another fleet hanging far away. Yu Jin observed it through binoculars and then gritted his teeth. “It’s Dong Shijun!”

“Who?” Xie Feng searched his memory but found it only vaguely familiar, unable to recall who it was.

“He’s the guy from that base that hitched a ride behind our convoy at the beginning of winter. After Hu Sichen joined our base, this guy directly snatched the overwintering point we explored. Thankfully, we had the Feng Shui treasure spot found by Shui Shui,” Yu Jin still harbored some resentment about this matter, as it could have led to a battle before the winter if not for Shu Shuishui’s discovery.

After Yu Jin’s reminder, Xie Feng also remembered the Dong Shijun Base. At that time, he had just left the Fei Luo Base to join the Gu Langu Base, and his mind was in a state of turmoil, with his focus scattered. He had heard about this incident but had not delved deeper into it.

“They seem to be cautious, staying quite far away. However, they also have thick skin to follow along,” Nan Fang took the binoculars from Yu Jin to check.

“Not surprising. The topography of that overwintering point is not high, and I bet Dong Shijun also sensed the danger. He must have come prepared with so many ships, either with prior arrangements or having simulators,” Nan Ge speculated about the number of simulators Dong Shijun’s base might possess.

After a brief stop, the grand fleet finally set sail officially, heading towards the vast expanse of water.

When Liu Po stopped, he boarded Shui Jing Gong’s ship with Liu Du. His own fleet followed behind, and those who chose to leave with Liu Po were his trusted followers, so there was no worry about chaos.

As for the people from Zone B who had come to see him off, they insincerely wished for a safe journey, not bothering to conceal the joy on their faces. When the fleet sailed quite a distance away, they turned back to return to Zone B. On their way back, some people even commented on how impressive Gu Langu’s fleet looked, while others mocked them as a bunch of cowards who fled before the arrival of summer…

Liu Po, Nan Ge, Gu Langu, and Shu Shuishui gathered in the conference room. The space wasn’t large, but it was neat and comfortable. On the walls hung maps of their journey, marked with routes and points of interest.

Liu Du, on the other hand, was pulled away with an envious expression to tour the ships. Yu Jin and the others were of similar age and had gone through a winter of simulator dungeons together, making them quite familiar with each other.

Surprisingly, Cheng Que also went along. It seemed that after receiving the books sent by Shu Shuishui, Cheng Que had changed his perspective. He started trying to integrate into Zone B, and with his top-notch expertise in the field of research, he slowly gained the acceptance of others. Even Liu Du had begun to see him differently.

Cheng Que wasn’t very talkative, but after shedding his prickly exterior, he seemed less eccentric and less annoying to be around. This was Liu Du’s exact sentiment.

Liu Po was surprised that his younger brother, for once, had his eyes open to the situation. When he initially accepted Cheng Que, he had a feeling about him. Cheng Que was a difficult person to connect with, seemingly trapped in some kind of obsession and inner turmoil. He instinctively repelled everything from the outside world and harbored an inexplicable wariness and hostility toward everyone. However, this person was undeniably talented and worth accepting.

After Cheng Que joined Zone B, Liu Po tried several times to break down Cheng Que’s emotional barriers but always failed. After many attempts, Liu Po had given up. It was beyond his imagination that a single book from Shu Shuishui could resolve everything. To this day, Liu Po still couldn’t comprehend the magic within that book, or perhaps, Shu Shuishui himself was the enchantment.

Before joining the tour, Cheng Que found Shu Shuishui and handed him a stack of papers. “These are the data I’ve collected about the Canghai Galaxy during this time. I hope it’s useful. Also, thank you. Thank you for saving me from the brink of madness, thank you for treating me like the others, and thank you for showing me that there’s hope in the apocalypse.”

“No need to thank me. You’re so cute; of course, I have to give you a book,” Shu Shuishui accepted Cheng Que’s returned data with his usual genuine smile.

“From childhood to now, you’re the first person to compliment me as cute,” Cheng Que also smiled, revealing a set of white teeth.

Shu Shuishui immediately exclaimed, “Xiao Cheng Cheng, you have fangs!”

Cheng Que paused for a moment as if he hadn’t even realized this about himself. It seemed like it had been a long, long time since he had laughed so genuinely.

“Cheng Que! What are you doing? Hurry up!” Liu Du’s urging voice echoed in the corridor, indicating that the young folks were eager to explore.

Cheng Que turned and glanced at the corridor. “I’m coming!”

Shu Shuishui waved his hand to signal Cheng Que to go, and he complied, walking away.

Shu Shuishui then turned and entered the conference room, sitting at the table, and couldn’t help but sigh, “Youth is really something.”

Nan Ge and the others were left speechless.

Inside the conference room, they briefly discussed the itinerary and formed groups to tour the ships. Nan Ge jokingly called them the “senior citizens’ group.”

The journey northward began this way. After the initial novelty of the first few days, the long days on the water became somewhat dull. However, everyone knew how to entertain themselves, engaging in daily physical exercises and gathering in the entertainment room.

People from Zone B gradually became familiar with those from Shui Jing Gong, and they would often visit each other’s ships, especially after discovering that Shui Jing Gong’s entertainment system was more advanced, making them more inclined to drop by.

Occasionally, different fleets would hold competitions or other events, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

So, the initially boring life was turned into one filled with laughter and joy, giving it a unique flavor.

One day, Shu Shuishui, in his rarely seen dormouse form, lay stretched out on a small balcony, basking in the sun. He turned over to tan his front after tanning his back, flipping himself over lazily. Then, Yu Jin knocked on the door with a ruler, looking hesitant and indicating that he had lost a game and wanted to measure Shu Shuishui’s mouse form’s height.

Gu Langu stared at Yu Jin for a moment, almost making him flee in panic. Only then did Gu Langu speak. “I also want to know.”

Yu Jin heaved a sigh of relief, then happily ran to the small balcony and placed the ruler next to Shu Shuishui.

Shu Shuishui turned his head and glanced at the ruler, then tried to straighten himself. “Does the tail count?”

Yu Jin had a sweatdrop. “No, it’s not like you use your tail to walk.”

Shu Shuishui looked a bit disappointed. “Alright, let’s measure.”

Gu Langu also walked over, curious.

Yu Jin carefully measured for a while before coming to a conclusion. “9.8 cm.”

Gu Langu couldn’t help but curl his lips in amusement. Shu Shuishui was about 1.78 meters tall when in human form, just 2 centimeters away from 1.80 meters. Who would have thought that in mouse form, he was only 0.2 centimeters away from 10 centimeters? He was… adorable!

However, Shu Shuishui felt like he could still salvage the situation and said to Gu Langu, “Gu Gu, straighten me up a bit. I’ll definitely reach 10 centimeters!”

Gu Langu: “…”

Yu Jin: “…”

People eavesdropping outside the door: “…”