CH 127

Seven days later, Shu Shuishui confirmed that Cheng Que’s instrument was working fine. The Gray Rats who hadn’t received housekeeping orders lined up outside Cheng Que’s laboratory and then received their own pairs of sensing magnets. After all, this thing could provide generous rewards after wearing it for seven days.

Cheng Que’s experiment was on track, and if he was lucky, he might even be able to study the problem that troubled the entire Galactic Alliance and solve the issue of mutant creatures going mad.

While Cheng Que was immersed in his experiment, he didn’t forget to remind Shu Shuishui to keep an eye on Shi An’an.

Regarding this reminder, Shu Shuishui was somewhat surprised because, whether it was him or Cheng Que, they had limited contact with Shi An’an. Shu Shuishui had only learned about the secrets of Shi An’an through his dreams. Although he had been planning to greet the mysterious system of Shi An’an, it seemed that Shi An’an didn’t like the Shui Jing Gong, and the boats didn’t go near the Shui Jing Gong during the water migration.

As for Cheng Que’s limited contact with Shi An’an, it was probably only when Fei Luo brought Shi An’an to visit. Just based on such simple interactions, did Cheng Que already suspect that something was amiss with Shi An’an?

To Shu Shuishui’s question, Cheng Que couldn’t provide a clear answer. Since he saw Shi An’an for the first time, he had a strange feeling, as if he was looking at another floating version of himself. No, Shi An’an seemed to have a natural arrogance, along with a faint condescension, unlike his past self, who was timid and easily startled.

They say that there is often a connection between similar individuals. Cheng Que felt that Shi An’an’s situation should be similar to his own. He had limited emotional connection to this world, like a floating soul. It was just that Shi An’an seemed to have some kind of reliance.

Fortunately, Cheng Que encountered Shu Shuishui in his paranoid delusions. In Shi An’an’s eyes, perhaps there was no room for anyone else anymore.

Cheng Que couldn’t openly admit to his rebirth. The butterfly effect was unpredictable, and from the current development, it seemed that Cang Zhan Star would survive just like in the previous life, and perhaps it would even suffer fewer losses due to their earlier preparations.

Since he knew the outcome was good, Cheng Que felt that he had no need to risk changing the future. Seven years, a time that seemed long but also short, and no one knew what would happen during this period. This time, he wanted to be a thorough participant, not just a bystander.

Like everyone else, he would take the seven peaceful years seriously and strive for survival. This time, he wanted to be an ordinary person, an ordinary person on Cang Zhan Star, an ordinary person in the Shui Jing Gong.

Ordinary Cheng Que began his extraordinary scientific research. With the cooperation of the Gray Rats, Cheng Que’s research enthusiasm was at an all-time high. In addition to experiments, Cheng Que sometimes took on the role of a Shui Jing Gong doctor. After all, he had once modified Gu Langu, so treating some illnesses was not a problem.

While Cheng Que was busy, Xie Feng was also deeply rooted in the laboratory, and the harvest was not bad. All the boats from Zone B had been upgraded, and the internal structure, comfort, energy systems, and control systems had all been greatly improved.

The people from both bases became familiar with each other during the long water migration, and they merged with each other.

It had to be said that the Gray Rats played a crucial role in this process. It seemed that these furry creatures naturally made people feel soft-hearted and joyful.

Gray Rat Company had now gained unanimous recognition from top to bottom within the Shui Jing Gong. Their approval rate has been one hundred percent since they started working. Gradually, Gray Rat Company also expanded into other lines of work, such as night patrols and security, food delivery, and managing farms, among other things.

Speaking of farms, apart from the personal micro-farms exchanged by individuals, the Shui Jing Gong had also been developing one micro-farm after another on the deck. So, in this massive fleet, only the Shui Jing Gong’s fleet looked lush and green, making it stand out prominently.

Although Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu have not been able to realize their plans for another picnic since then, Shu Shuishui has already made the second batch of mimicry seals. So, on occasionally rare sunny days, you can often see a parasol the size of a plate on the small balcony of their dormitory, under the umbrella are two beach chairs, and two little ones with sunglasses lounging on them.

Gu Langu is wearing silk beach pants made by Shu Shuishui, exposing his perfect eight-pack abs as he relaxes on the beach chair. Next to him is a furry warm brown dormouse, which is also wearing sunglasses, in a state that could melt in the sun at any moment.

After a moment, the little dormouse suddenly sat up, took out a bottle of moisturizing spray, sprayed it in the direction of Gu Langu, and then sprayed it on itself.

The spray instantly dissipated the heat, making it comfortable and cool. Shu Shuishui then took out a bottle of essential oil from his spiritual storage. “Should I apply the essential oil to Gu Gu?”

Gu Langu readily agreed and lay down obediently.

Shu Shuishui approached with the essential oil bottle and carefully poured a drop on Gu Langu’s chest. A drop of essential oil is nothing for a normal-sized Gu Langu, but for a palm-sized Gu Langu, it’s just right.

The little dormouse eagerly prepared to help. It carefully retracted its sharp claws and tried to apply the essential oil with its furry fur. It immediately discovered the advantage of being furry; applying the essential oil was like using a small brush. While applying the oil, Shu Shuishui also sprinkled finely crushed petals on Gu Langu’s chest. “I picked these in the ranch. Do you like them, Gu Gu? There are two more, we can have a petal bath later.”

Gu Langu immediately caught the keyword “we.” As for shame and such, well, robots don’t have that kind of thing, so he agreed without thinking.

On the adjacent boat, someone sitting by the window suddenly ran out in panic, shouting as they ran, “Oh no, I saw Shui Shui putting oil on the boss’s body and sprinkling seasoning!”

As soon as this news came out, the boat was in an uproar! Shu Shuishui was putting oil on the boss’s body and sprinkling seasoning?! Does this mean they are starting some new form of PDA1public display of affection, or is Shu Shuishui finally showing his rodent instincts and planning to eat the boss!

Everyone’s imaginations ran wild, but compared to the initially panicked brother, others remained calm.

Especially Nan Ge’s group, they were not worried at all about any roasting-and-eating issue. Gu Langu’s steel bones and iron body were likely to chip Shu Shuishui’s two front teeth at most. So, without thinking, they knew that the two were probably researching some new type of pet food2not the literal one. Still, despite thinking this way, someone couldn’t resist running to the window to look at Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu’s balcony.

So, one by one, heads popped up from the opposite boat. Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu were immersed in a beautiful sunbath on their small balcony. Under the parasol, there was a lush green farm and pasture, with crops and livestock leisurely grazing. From under the umbrella came a faint scent of flowers, and before long, the joyful singing of “Seaweed~ seaweed~ seaweed~” drifted from under the umbrella.

As the song started, Gu Langu nearly fell off the beach chair. He was deeply impressed by this strange song, but it seemed that Shu Shuishui liked it very much. Shu Shuishui not only liked the song but also knew how to do the seaweed dance. However, at this moment, the little dormouse was still diligently applying essential oil to Gu Langu.

After brushing the front, he moved on to the back, occasionally sprinkling some flower petals. Humming a tune, Shu Shuishui circled around Gu Langu’s beach chair. Their days together were ordinary but filled with flavor.

Both Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu were focused on each other and didn’t mind the outside gazes. Moreover, the parasol shielded them from most onlookers’ view.

After soaking up enough sun, they took out a thick white ceramic basin, poured in some warm water, and sprinkled flower petals. They both climbed in, releasing a comfortable sigh simultaneously.

Shu Shuishui’s fur floated, gently swaying with the slight water ripples. Only their little heads remained above the water’s surface. After circling in the basin, Shu Shuishui leaned against the edge, imitating Gu Langu’s posture with both small paws resting on the edge, displaying a relaxed attitude.

Gu Langu looked at the little dormouse across from him and gave a faint smile. Suddenly, the little dormouse’s ears twitched, and then it slid down a bit, floating slightly with its small body. Using its own tail, it lightly touched Gu Langu’s foot.

Gu Langu understood and lay flat on the water’s surface, placing his feet against Shu Shuishui’s feet. The size of the ceramic basin was just right. With their feet against each other, buoyed by the water’s buoyancy, they relaxed and semi-floated.

Meanwhile, the curious onlookers marveled at this unique display. There’s no such thing as the best dog food; there’s always something better. The Nan Brother’s guess was indeed correct.

Life on the water lacked some novelty, so people gradually learned to find their own entertainment. Observing Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu’s daily life became one of these entertainments. Occasionally discovering some “dog food” was a reason to spread the news, and they vowed not to keep it to themselves; they would share the “dog food” with everyone.

Amidst the complaints of single dogs, Shui Jing Gong unexpectedly witnessed the formation of several couples. However, everyone still preferred watching the “dog food” between Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu. The reason was simple: You could unlock various new ways to sprinkle “dog food,” such as the oil-brushing-and-seasoning method, the pot-cooking-in-the-basin method, and even the balcony bungee-jumping method…

Yes, that’s right. Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu had developed various functions for that small balcony. Occasionally, you could even see Shu Shuishui practicing yoga on it, although this once caused quite a panic, with people suspecting that Shu Shuishui would suddenly have a muscle spasm and more.

Of course, the journey wasn’t always smooth sailing. Storms were commonplace, but with experience, the group always found suitable shelter. Moreover, as they moved closer to the north, the storms became less severe, and the initial shocking encounters with storms didn’t repeat.

Aside from the weather, they encountered numerous mutated creatures along the way. At one point, they even encountered a group of piranhas, leading to a fierce battle. In the end, the electric net solved the problem, and they harvested a batch of piranha seafood.

As time passed, more and more greenery appeared on the star’s surface. Many trees had been forced to grow above the water’s surface. In the extreme environment, mutations weren’t limited to animals; many plants had also mutated.

Fortunately, most mutated plants weren’t very aggressive and generally didn’t attack humans, with the exception of carnivorous plants. After exterminating a patch of giant Venus flytraps, the fleet obtained numerous sharp thorns, which were no less effective than metal knives.

In this way, they sailed, fought, and harvested along the way. Due to the storms, the Great Migration wasn’t progressing very quickly. At the end of the second month of the rainy season, the fleet officially entered the residential area of the northern hemisphere.

Of course, this residential area was already submerged, and the world beneath the boats looked surreal and fantastical.

Through the clear water, the streets below were vaguely visible. The towering skyscrapers now seemed like ready-made coral reefs, with various fish swimming among them. Shu Shuishui even spotted a giant sea star perched on a car roof, its bright red color perfectly blending in with the red sedan.

“To be honest, after all this time, I still have the feeling that the world has been turned upside down. We’ve sailed through jungles and mountains, and now we’re sailing through a city,” Xie Feng’s voice of wonder came from the slowly moving ship.

“There are still some high-rise buildings over there, partially exposed above the water. Check them, and we can set up camp there for the night,” Nan Ge instructed. His team members went with instruments to conduct a simple check to ensure the stability of the high-rise buildings.

“This place is Shangyang, once one of the major powers in the northern hemisphere. It seems like the people from Shangyang Base have evacuated. The streets still look quite tidy; their evacuation doesn’t seem rushed,” Liu Po analyzed the current location of the fleet based on the map.

This city had clearly been one of the first-tier cities in the past, preserved relatively well and later serving as Shangyang Base. Arriving here indicated that they were beginning to make contact with the powers in the northern hemisphere.

In the end, the group decided to rest in Shangyang. There was a high-altitude mountain to the northwest of Shangyang, which had been a famous scenic spot before the apocalypse. It was marked on the map for a visit. Shu Shuishui thought it could be the next location for planting spirit trees and planned to lead the fleet there the next day.

After receiving orders to rest, each boat found a tall building to attach to. It was a rare day of solid ground, and everyone was in good spirits. Some ships docked directly on the rooftops of buildings, where they could set up tents and cook as soon as they disembarked.

Other boats docked in taller buildings. The people on these boats entered through the windows and enjoyed the luxury of a single room. After settling in, they could even descend the floors to catch seafood.

While everyone was busy, the surveillance cameras hanging outside the high-rise buildings in the underwater Shangyang City rotated slightly.

With the sky gradually darkening outside and the noisy sounds of people, and considering that the cameras were underwater, those on the water’s surface couldn’t perceive them. Judging from the underwater traces, this place had been submerged for a long time, and naturally, everyone assumed it was abandoned.

The wide-angle surveillance cameras underwater recorded everything on the water’s surface and transmitted it back to Shangyang Base.

Shangyang Base had collectively retreated to the north, but this didn’t prevent them from leaving something behind in Shangyang. They had obtained these energy-efficient waterproof surveillance devices from a simulated space long ago. These devices allowed them to gain early knowledge of the arrival of a large-scale fleet.

Due to the amount of rainfall, many fleets had been migrating north intermittently. However, such a large and advanced fleet was a first-time encounter.

On this day, Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu climbed to the rooftop to prepare a delicious meal. Shu Shuishui fried piranha fish fillets and stewed a fish that had just been stuck to the underwater window.

The surveillance equipment diligently recorded everything while working underwater, capturing all the activities on the water’s surface.

The person responsible for monitoring at Shangyang Base immediately informed the leaders as soon as they received the message. At this moment, many people gathered around the monitor, observing these visitors. The more they watched, the more alarmed they became.

“What kind of energy source powers their ship?”

“They’re eating piranha fish fillets, right?! And they’re mutated!”

“It’s understandable that they might be short on food during water migration, but eating mutated creatures, isn’t that too risky?”

“Leaving aside the food, don’t you think this fleet’s combat power seems strong? I see mutated crocodile skins hanging on the boat, and there are so many of them!”

On the surveillance footage, several boats floated on the water’s surface, their sides covered with layer upon layer of spoils of war, seemingly ready to be dried and stored. The variety of mutated creatures and their astonishing quantity indicated the power of this fleet!

“Their physical and mental states don’t seem like those of people on a long-distance journey. They also don’t appear to lack food, and we haven’t heard of any bases around here that are this strong?”

The appearance of this unfamiliar fleet immediately put Shangyang Base on alert.

Meanwhile, Shui Jing Gong and the other fleets remained oblivious, continuing their usual activities – eating, resting, and leisure. The night was calm, and occasionally, a few stars could be seen. Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu sat on the small balcony, where they had placed a wooden bench. Gu Langu held Shu Shuishui in his arms, caressing the little dormouse, and Shu Shuishui held a grasshopper, gently stroking it. The grasshopper, trembling with fear, felt that death would be preferable as it listened to Shu Shuishui’s musings. “I wonder if there are any furry grasshoppers; they might be more comfortable to pet.”