The vegetable section was mostly empty, and the fruit section only had a few odd-looking items left. The meat section was also running low.
Without wasting time choosing, Shen Zhao quickly grabbed a few bags of baby bok choy, some durable corn, and small pumpkins. In just that moment, all the leafy greens beside him had been picked clean.
He grabbed some apples his mother loved, along with the last two packages of ribs and pork belly. Passing through the food area, he also picked up two bags of chips and a small loaf of bread. Shen Zhao then headed to the checkout with his items.
This neighborhood was made up of old buildings, none taller than eight stories. Shen Zhao lived on the sixth floor. Carrying his load of groceries, he waited for the elevator, only to find it was taking forever to arrive. The numbers beside it kept flickering, and Shen Zhao immediately knew the elevator was broken again.
“Can’t they just fix this elevator?” He sighed as he recalled the last time he got stuck in it and was late for school. He called the property management and informed them that the elevator was out of order once more.
Once home, he still felt a lingering sense of unease. Furrowing his brow, he attempted to do his homework, but he kept losing focus. Finally, he tossed his pen aside and walked to the window, gazing into the distance.
“I always feel like… something is coming…”
The wind outside grew stronger, and suddenly, the lights flickered and went out.
A power outage…
At that moment, he heard the sound of the door opening.
“Mom? You’re back.” Shen Zhao illuminated the kitchen with the flashlight from his phone as he peaked his head out.
Li Li came in, panting as she changed her shoes. “Why is the elevator broken again? It’s always malfunctioning. The property management never mentions anything about a major repair, and here I am, exhausted from climbing the stairs!”
“It still isn’t fixed? It was already broken when I got back this afternoon.”
“Not yet. I don’t know what’s going on, but the power’s out again. The streets are pitch black, and the wind nearly blew me over while I was riding back.”
Shen Zhao boiled noodles for both of them. By the time Li Li came out of the bathroom, there were already two bowls on the table.
“This typhoon is coming, your school should be canceled, right?”
Shen Zhao paused for a moment, took out his phone, and checked the class group chat. He shook his head, “There were no notices in the group, so I guess we still have to go to school tomorrow.”
“You can’t go out in such strong winds. What if something hits you on the way? I’ll get you a leave of absence.” Li Li was always very concerned about Shen Zhao’s safety. He knew she had issues because of his father’s sacrifice and was afraid something might happen to him, leaving her all alone.
After all these years, Shen Zhao had grown used to it and simply nodded in response.
But before Li Li could message the teacher to request a leave, the class group chat sent out a notification about the holiday at midnight.
The next day, Shen Zhao woke up to find the message and heard powerful winds rattling the windows outside, accompanied by the occasional loud crash of falling objects.
There was still a power outage.
Given the situation, Li Li couldn’t go to work either.
The mother and son casually cooked some dumplings for breakfast before they each returned to their rooms to rest.
“Shen Zhao! Quick, check the news online! We’re doomed, doomed, doomed!”
Receiving a message from Zhang Zixin, Shen Zhao hurriedly went online to check, and his heart sank.
#The only super typhoon ‘Number Seven’ in history may trigger tsunamis along the coast# was trending, and their city was explicitly mentioned in the list.
The typhoon was closing in.
Shen Zhao quickly tossed his phone aside, scrambled out of bed, and grabbed his piggy bank, taking out all the cash inside. Without waiting to notify his mother, he dashed outside as soon as he put on his shoes.
His heart raced as he went downstairs, tsunami…
For some reason, while others were speculating about whether the tsunami would actually hit, he was already certain that it absolutely would!
If a tsunami occurred, it was questionable whether their building could withstand the impact. Even at six stories high, the water would likely engulf them entirely.
This area was located in the lower sections of the city, not far from the coast, and it was at a low elevation.
He had to prepare in advance; if national rescue did not arrive in time, they would have to rely on themselves. His mother, Li Li, couldn’t swim, so they needed a boat—be it a kayak or any floatable object.
Fortunately, there was a store nearby that sold kayaks.
The street was almost deserted.
The kayak store had its roller shutters down, but luckily, the boss was sleeping upstairs. Upon hearing shouting from outside, he came down to open the door.
“Wow, buddy… you really don’t fear death, do you? The wind outside is so strong, and you’re still brave enough to come out. Aren’t you afraid an air conditioning unit will fall down from above and smash your head?” The boss was a young man, no older than Shen Zhao, wearing slippers, his face speckled with acne and marked by shock.
Shen Zhao smiled and didn’t reply.
After browsing the store, he asked, “How much is your inflatable kayak?”
The boss looked at him with confusion. “…You came here to buy a kayak at this time?”
“…Isn’t this a kayak store?”
“…Yes, yes it is.” The boss smiled awkwardly and then proceeded to explain the prices of several inflatable kayaks in the shop, ranging from five or six thousand for the most expensive, to just over a thousand for the cheapest.
After counting the cash on him, Shen Zhao finally chose one costing just over two thousand, and the boss even threw in a battery-operated pump.
However, since the power was still out and uncertain when it would return, Shen Zhao declined the battery pump and asked for a manual one instead.
“Can I ask what you’re buying this for at this time?” The boss was clearly curious, glancing at Shen Zhao’s large dark circles under his eyes, realizing he hadn’t had a chance to check the news yet.
Thinking of his friend Zhang Zixin, who lived not far from here, Shen Zhao contemplated for a moment, then began messaging Zhang Zixin while discussing with the boss whether he could hold a kayak for him. The boss, eager to make a sale, readily agreed. Shen Zhao then informed him about the potential tsunami.