FGCT CH22.1

When this whole squad of animals appeared in front of everyone, even the old captain, who had been sailing for decades, was at a loss for words.

But at least the young man and the child had made it in time.

The old captain ordered the crew to lower the ship’s rescue basket so the young man could bring the child aboard.

However, after placing the infant into the basket, the young man swiftly reached out again and stuffed in the leading black-backed dog, the Labrador, the Husky, and two Teddy dogs—along with the four cats and two squirrels perched on their heads—all in one go.

“Hey, why are you putting all those cats and dogs in the basket too?”

“Will the dogs bite? Will the cats scratch?”

Several onlookers by the railing immediately voiced their discontent.

But Gou Fugui ignored them. He agilely climbed into the basket himself and looked up at the old captain with a sincere smile:

“Captain, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. Cats, dogs, and squirrels have lives too.”

“And besides, I guarantee that none of these cats or dogs will bite or scratch anyone. If anything, this child’s life was saved by them.”

“If it weren’t for them, this child would be dead by now.”

“This black-backed dog even has a tag—it reads: honorable retired police dog.”

Very few police dogs ever make it to retirement in one piece. Most die in the line of duty, chasing down criminals or searching through disaster zones. Many are already scarred and disabled before they even get the chance to retire.

But this one had beaten the odds, retiring whole and unharmed. And even in retirement, it hadn’t forgotten its duty to protect life—a true testament to its intelligence, courage, and unwavering determination.

Gou Fugui found it hard to put into words what he had felt when he first saw this police dog on that nearly submerged rooftop. It had been shielding the baby from the wind and rain with its own body, huddled together with three other cats and dogs to keep the infant warm.

He had never considered himself an overly sentimental person, yet at that moment, he couldn’t stop the sting in his eyes.

These cats and dogs were already skin and bones, and the little squirrel was no longer plump and fluffy. It’s fur was soaked by rain and seawater, making it look utterly miserable.

And yet, despite their exhaustion and hunger, they hadn’t turned on each other—nor had they harmed the defenseless child. Instead, they had used their own bodies to shield him, guarding him like the most precious treasure.

Gou Fugui thought that while these animals couldn’t speak, their hearts must be just as beautiful as that of the mother who had entrusted her child to fate.

So, he was determined to help them survive.

Even if it was just a struggle to stay alive for a little longer.

His gaze locked onto the old captain, unwavering and unyielding.

After a full minute of silent confrontation, the captain looked at the young man’s stubborn determination, then at the animals gazing up at him with their dark, shining eyes.

Finally, he let out a small, resigned, yet kindhearted smile.

“There are still some spots on the ship for a few cats and dogs to settle in. However, even if you come aboard, you can’t sit with everyone else, and you have to keep these animals under control. Can you do that?”

The long-haired young man instantly burst into laughter, and his smile was so infectious that even the others couldn’t help but feel a bit of joy.

The black-backed police dog seemed to understand this lifeline of permission as well, and its tail gently wagged behind it.

Compared to the police dog’s composure, the Husky, whose fur had been soaked and lost its usual charm, could hardly contain itself. It was already shaking its legs in the large rescue basket, eager to spin in circles, and even stuck out its tongue, trying to give its savior, Fugui, a big lick.

But in the end, Fugui mercilessly pushed it away.

The black-backed dog even placed a paw on the Husky’s head, instantly sealing it in place. The Husky immediately shrank back, looking utterly defeated.

Xie Tianlang helped pull up the rescue basket.

The first thing he did was scan the long-haired young man from head to toe, ensuring that he had no injuries before withdrawing his gaze.

“Weren’t you going to look for Yuanyuan? Why did you bring back this whole bunch of animals?”

Fugui accepted the large towel Jin Mantang handed him and thanked him. While wiping his face and hair, he replied, “Little Fugui can’t stay out of the seawater for too long. Being on the ship is bad for his health, but he’ll follow the ships from a distance.”

“I even found him some rope and a net bag. Who knows? Maybe he’s already tied himself up, just waiting for a free ride.”

“These animals were all found by him, and he asked me to bring them along. No matter what, they’re still living beings. In this world, all life is equal, isn’t it?”

Xie Tianlang’s gaze flickered slightly at the young man’s last words. Suddenly, he recalled that before they had entered this post-apocalyptic world through the vortex gate, someone else had arrived even earlier than their two rescue and investigation teams.

Unfortunately, that person’s information was still under investigation at the time. All he had heard was a brief mention of it—he never got the chance to check the surveillance footage or even see what that person looked like.

Could it be…?

The more Xie Tianlang thought about it, the brighter his eyes became. In the end, he was staring at Fugui with a gaze as intense as a wolf eyeing its prey.

No matter how worldly and composed Fugui was, he couldn’t help but get goosebumps under that stare.

“What are you looking at?!” he snapped instinctively, bristling in irritation.

But the tall man merely gave a knowing smile—one that seemed straight out of a villain’s playbook—before shaking his head. “Nothing. I just think you’re beautiful and kindhearted.”

He had simply thought of something bizarre—something seemingly ridiculous, yet impossible to dismiss.

Maybe what was supposed to be a brief encounter could turn into something lasting, something joyful.

Fugui: “…Ha.”

Do you think Dad believes you?!

In the end, Gou Fugui never asked Xie Tianlang why he smiled like that, nor did he understand why the man seemed so inexplicably energized, as if he had just been injected with pure adrenaline.

But at least he had made it onto the ship in time without leaving behind the animals. That was something to be happy about.

The ship finally departed from the port at 12:18 PM.

Though the old captain had insisted they couldn’t afford any delays, in the end, he still stretched the waiting time to the very limit of what he could bear.

Yet, in those eighteen extra minutes of waiting, no one else appeared.

No matter how anxious or desperate the people by the railings were, all they could see was the endless downpour and the murky, churning waves.

The ship set sail.

Some broke down in tears. Some cursed out loud. Some chose silence.

But none of them could stop time, nor the upcoming disaster.

At that moment, Gou Fugui and his group had been led to the rear section of the large cargo ship.

Unlike the front and middle sections—where proper seating had been arranged for the rescued passengers, where doctors were present to provide reassurance, and where gentle crew members pushed carts with food and water—this area had nothing of the sort.

But Fugui and his little squad of cats, dogs, and even a squirrel didn’t show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.

They huddled together on a large sponge mat, and Gou Fugui, using the towel he had just dried his hair with, took turns drying the fur of each of his little companions.

“Dry yourselves off according to your size! No pushing, and no cutting in line! Yes, I’m talking to you, bird! Get back to third place! Those two little squirrels are smaller than you, okay?”

The bald parrot flapped its wings indignantly upon hearing this. “I am a rare princess parrot who speaks five languages! How dare you disrespect me! This is abuse! Abuse!”

Gou Fugui rolled his eyes at the ridiculous bird.

Meanwhile, the husky, who was second to last in line, also had the idea of cutting in front of the Labrador. In fact, it didn’t just want to cut in front of the Labrador—it wanted to cut past the two poodles and four cats as well.

Then, the black-backed police dog behind it let out a low growl, and the husky immediately chickened out.

But after a moment, it couldn’t help itself. It carefully lifted a paw, slowly moved to the side, and when it saw that the police dog wasn’t paying attention, it began shaking itself like a spinning washing machine.

Husky is wet. Husky’s turn for the big towel hasn’t come. Husky shakes itself dry, is that not okay?!

So, when Xie Tianlang and Jin Mantang arrived, they were met with the sight of Gou Fugui, looking utterly defeated, draping a large towel over his head. In front of him, a circle of fluffy animals—including even the nearly featherless parrot—were all shaking themselves dry in turns.

One would shake, then another would start, and then the ones who had already shaken themselves would feel influenced by the others and start shaking again, creating an endless cycle.

Jin Mantang couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. Even Captain Xie, who usually kept a straight face, had a trace of amusement in his eyes.

Hearing the laughter, Gou Fugui looked up. “What are you guys doing here?”

Jin Mantang handed over a packet of bread and a bottle of mineral water to his brother-in-arms, Gou Fugui. “Did you hear the latest announcement over the broadcast? I came to ask what your plans are next.”

The devastation caused by rain and rising sea levels in Nanhai City clearly wasn’t going to be resolved anytime soon—perhaps never. That meant its citizens had to decide where to go next. Staying on the ship forever wasn’t an option.

“The ship will take us to the newly built port district in Fuzhou. After that, we can either follow the government’s arrangements and stay in a large emergency shelter there or leave and seek refuge with relatives in other cities.”

“What do you think?”

Gou Fugui paused at those words. Back at the gymnasium, he had carefully studied the world map of this place, including the map of this very nation.

This world was almost a mirrored version of his original one. Aside from minor differences in place names, the regions of this country, culture, were essentially identical to the homeland he remembered.

But the Fuzhou Jin Mantang spoke of wasn’t a coastal city on the map he had seen.

“The sea has reached Fuzhou?” Gou Fugui asked.

Jin Mantang fell silent for a moment before nodding with a bitter smile. “Shenzhou, the coastal region south of Fuzhou, has already been swallowed by the sea. But since it wasn’t an island, the evacuation of its people was relatively fast and straightforward.”

“I just checked the ship’s TV. The news reported that in just these thirteen days we spent sheltering in the stadium, the global sea level has risen by 8%.”

“That’s an absolutely terrifying number. Forget about the small and mid-sized islands surrounded by water—they’ve all disappeared. Even some larger islands have been mostly submerged, leaving only their highest peaks above water.”

The Great Continent, though in a better situation than the islands, had also seen many coastal cities submerged.

At this point, Jin Mantang’s face showed an unmistakable hint of fear. “I really don’t want to think this way,” he said, “but with this never-ending rain and the constantly rising sea level, I truly feel like the end of the world is coming.”

Gou Fugui listened in silence, unsure of what to say.

Compared to Jin Mantang, who was a native of this world, he was merely an ordinary person from another world—someone who had taken on a mission to turn the tide but might end up being nothing more than a futile resistance against the inevitable.

He had long known that this world was heading toward its doom. If they failed to find the “World Core” and repair it, complete collapse would be unavoidable. So, he had no words of comfort for Jin Mantang—his only option was to keep searching for the World Core. To survive.

“…Since you think that way, then you must be fully prepared and do everything in your power to face the apocalypse,” he finally said.

Jin Mantang hadn’t expected such a response. He paused for a moment, then nodded.

“Brother Fugui, you’re right. I was being too sentimental. No matter what happens, I’m not going to give up my life easily. Even if the apocalypse really comes, I’ll make sure I’m the most resilient survivor in the wasteland!”

Gou Fugui: “…”

With that, Jin Mantang seemed to be instantly revitalized. Without even asking for Gou Fugui’s opinion, he immediately laid out his plan.

“I don’t plan to stay in Fuzhou. If this rain never stops and the sea level keeps rising, then Fuzhou will end up just like Nanhai City.”

“Instead of waiting for disaster to strike, I’d rather take action now and head straight for the highest plateau in our country.”

“Luckily, my family owns a professional agricultural research and cultivation base in the Qingchuan Plateau. It also has a well-equipped seed storage facility with tens of thousands of kilograms of various seeds and a large supply of food. Once we get there, we’ll have food, water, and safety—we’ll definitely be able to survive until the end!”

“So, brother, will you come with me?”

Gou Fugui had already planned to head to the Qingchuan Plateau, but he was surprised that Jin Mantang had invited him along.

Though they had enjoyed a few successful trades together, their relationship wasn’t strong enough for Jin Mantang to offer him shelter at his family’s agricultural base—especially in a time of crisis.

It was like someone offering free food and lodging during a famine.

Based on his understanding of Jin Mantang, a man whose thinking was eerily similar to his own, this guy would never make a losing deal.

Gou Fugui’s gaze instinctively shifted to Xie Tianlang, who stood beside Jin Mantang in silence.

Xie Tianlang had an overwhelming presence—so much so that even without speaking a single word, it was impossible to ignore him.

From the positioning, it seemed like Xie Tianlang was the bodyguard of Jin Mantang, but in reality, it was Jin Mantang who was more like his spokesperson.

Gou Fugui glanced at Xie Tianlang a few times and quickly understood why the two had come to find him.

“So, you hired Captain Xie and his team as bodyguards. But I’m not exactly someone who’s skilled in fighting. Why would you want me to be a bodyguard too?”

Jin Mantang chuckled twice upon hearing this: “As expected of my smart and domineering brother Fugui, you even guessed that I hired Captain Xie and his team as bodyguards. But brother Fugui, don’t sell yourself short. Your one-against-three skills were witnessed by everyone in the gymnasium!”

He continued, “And, well, we don’t need to be polite with each other, right? I did want them to protect me while I safely reach the Qingchuan Planting Base. After all, we don’t know what might happen along the way, and I’m just a weakling. It would be hard for me to make it there on my own.”

“But brother Fugui, you can’t be missing from this! I feel you bring prosperity with you! How can I put it? Wherever you are, there will always be food and vitality!”

As a smart, talented, and capable young heir, Jin Mantang had come to fully realize how special Gou Fugui, the long-haired beauty, was during those thirteen days in the stadium.

Although he appeared low-key and alone, everything he needed, from food to supplies, came to him very smoothly. He may not have found the most, but he always found the best and most complete.

This made Jin Mantang certain that Fugui was someone extraordinary. Compared to the seemingly powerful Xie Tianlang, he felt that even the capable Captain Xie might not necessarily outdo Fugui. At least when it came to comfort and difficulty, Fu Gui definitely wouldn’t lose!

So, bringing along his brother Fugui felt like carrying an invisible longevity buff.

Listening to Jin Mantang’s explanation, Gou Fugui couldn’t help but twitch his lips. Was it his sharp intuition, or was it that he great survival instincts?

At least from his current choices, he had certainly given himself the best two life-saving chances.

The four special forces soldiers from Xie Tianlang’s team were in charge of his safety, and with his shapeshifting abilities, the otter-like humanoid could always find food for him in the water.

With these two advantages alone, Jin Mantang just had to avoid doing something reckless and he would be able to survive long enough.

But it wasn’t just about taking advantage of things; he was capable of delivering the right chips at the right time, which was also a kind of talent.

Gou Fugui paused as he thought of this, then looked at Jin Mantang and asked, “Brother Mantang, may I ask what you do? Also, are you into farming?”

At this point, the young man with thick brows and big eyes, who appeared somewhat simple, smiled.

“I’ve told you, my family has been in farming for generations. I graduated from the Agricultural University of Kyoto. But I also studied finance, specifically in the venture capital field.”

He added with a bit of pride, “I’m not boasting, but in the venture capital world, they call me ‘Golden Finger.’”

Jin Mantang rarely boasted about his achievements, but when he did, it was impressive. If anyone from this world, especially someone who knew a bit about finance and investment, were present, they’d be utterly amazed and would shower him with praise.

After all, he was the youngest top-tier investment expert in the country. It was rumored that every single one of his investments had been a success. The most impressive part was how he’d managed to bankrupt a multinational company and then bought it up at a low price, netting billions.

However, his boastful declaration in front of Fugui, the beautiful, long-haired man, and Xie Tianlang was like a peacock displaying its feathers to a blind person. They weren’t from this world and didn’t specialize in investment—how would they understand what “Golden Finger” meant?

But still, considering his family’s plantation base on the Qingchuan Plateau, Fugui and Xie Tianlang exchanged a meaningful glance and, with surprising synchronicity, offered their compliments, which sounded sincere but were actually quite perfunctory.

“Wow, Brother Mantang, you really are accomplished for someone so young!”

“Wow, Mr. Jin, you’re really accomplished for someone so young.”

The praise, while seemingly innocuous, became extremely awkward when their voices overlapped, with the same intonations and rhythm. Jin Mantang’s proud smile gradually stiffened and finally collapsed. He gritted his teeth in annoyance and turned to the side to grab a towel to wipe down the dogs.

Don’t think he didn’t catch their insincere tone! If it weren’t for the fact that he couldn’t take them on, he’d definitely give both of them an international greeting gesture at the same time!

With their destination confirmed, it was time to think about how to reach it.