Chapter 5: Torrential Rains Across the Globe—The Apocalypse Has Truly Arrived!

Could it be that her question had triggered the push notifications? Su Miao opened Bihu, hoping to see if other netizens had any useful insights or survival strategies for the apocalypse. With a little time left before doomsday officially arrived, perhaps she could still make a few more preparations.

But this time, most of the discussion under her question revolved around the ongoing torrential rain; hardly anyone actually believed the apocalypse was imminent.

“Every year someone predicts the end of the world. Instead of worrying about that, why not just think about what to have for dinner tonight?”

“Hold on, what if this doomsday prediction is for real? I checked the weather forecast—looks like there’ll be torrential rain for the entire week ahead.”

“It’s already pouring where I am, and the forecast has switched to non-stop heavy rain too. Yesterday it still said sunny.”

“Are you all dense? If you paid any attention to the forecast, you’d see this is normal. There are several typhoons making landfall, their paths covering the whole country. Of course there’s going to be heavy rain.”

“Read more books, get some common sense.”

“…”

“A week of torrential rain is pretty scary. While we can still go out, I’m heading to the supermarket to stock up.”

“True enough. Last time we had rain like this, the floodwater submerged the whole city for a week—we almost ran out of food and water.”

Su Miao closed Bihu and walked to the window. Listening to the relentless rain outside, her anxiety only grew. Maybe the end was coming sooner than expected; how else to explain the rain hammering down for five or six hours without stopping? Normally, a downpour like this lasting two or three hours would already be remarkable.

Now, it all felt far too abnormal.

Even though she’d made plenty of preparations, Su Miao couldn’t help but feel tense as the apocalypse drew near.

She took a serving of dry-fried chicken over rice from her magical storage space and reheated it in the microwave. Sitting in front of her laptop, she ate while browsing the web.

On Weibo, news of the unceasing rain was trending everywhere. On Bilibili, videos had already appeared showing city streets flooded by the deluge. In places like Magic City and Deep Sea City, where people perhaps had more experience, some residents were already braving the rain to frantically snatch up supplies.

But most people remained optimistic, convinced that this was just a typical storm. As for the apocalypse—what a ridiculous notion.

Unconsciously, time slipped by. At eleven that night, lulled by the rain, Su Miao drifted off to sleep.

She woke at six the next morning. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still a heavy, oppressive gray. There were only two hours left before the world’s end was due to officially arrive.

She checked the villa once more, making sure all doors and windows were shut tight, the waterproofing systems functioning without issue.

Su Miao noticed that some tenants were taking advantage of the break in the weather to drive away from the villa district. They might regret it when the torrential rain returned, for nowhere else in the city was higher or safer from flash floods and mudslides than here.

At seven thirty, Su Miao had a piece of bread and a cup of yogurt. Time ticked by, each second bringing the prophesied hour closer.

Staring at the somber sky through her window, she felt as though a world-ending demon was looming above, casting a shadow of dread over everything.

Suddenly, a deafening crash split the air—the sky seemed to shatter. Gale-force winds, thunder, and a deluge of rain erupted all at once, submerging the world in a torrent. Even more terrifying, Su Miao saw hailstones the size of fists pelting down outside her window.

She glanced at the clock: September 1, 2123, 8:00 a.m. sharp.

The apocalypse had truly arrived.

Cowering inside the villa, Su Miao trembled. Could this really be the end? Perhaps it was all a mistake—after all, sometimes weather forecasts could be uncannily accurate.

But before she could finish the thought, she saw a nine-meter-tall evergreen outside topple over in the storm. Soon, visibility had dropped to less than fifty meters, as if the world had been swallowed by darkness.

After a while, the initial terror dulled, and Su Miao began to adapt to her surroundings. Wasn’t this the perfect environment for her? As long as her life wasn’t in immediate danger, she didn’t have to interact with strangers at all.

At that moment, a WeChat message arrived from Xiaoyan, the customer service rep for the resort area.

“Dear guests, the meteorological bureau has issued a red alert for thunderstorms and hail. Due to the severe weather, average wind speeds are above force 12 with intense lightning, and this may persist. Please do not go outside for any reason.”

“Special notice: The road between the resort and the city may be at risk of flash floods and mudslides.”

“During the heavy rain, the company will do its utmost to ensure all guests have access to necessary supplies.”

This notice was also posted in the Versailles Group chat for the resort area, but was met only with a barrage of curses and complaints. Su Miao glanced at it and closed the group.

She opened Weibo instead, where a flood of news hashtags about the rain filled her screen.

“Red Rain Alert: Multiple typhoons cause nationwide torrential rain, some areas see rainfall between 800–951 millimeters.”

“Landslides and flash floods reported in many regions.”

“Fragrant City submerged.”

“Flooding in the heart of Monster City.”

“In Magic City, water depth reaches two meters in several districts due to the heavy rain.”

“Unprecedented torrential rain in Lop Nur and the Tarim Basin.”

“International News: Massive flooding hits the Sahara Desert, multiple countries affected.”

“Bihu’s top post claims this torrential rain marks the start of the apocalypse, timing to the second.”

“Confirmed reports: Global torrential rain—is the end truly upon us?”

“As the apocalypse arrives, what preparations should we make?”

“Government enters emergency disaster relief mode.”

…

Online platforms were full of shocking videos: rain and floods swallowing houses, cars swept away, and even buildings toppled by the force of water.

Watching the news, Su Miao took a deep breath. She felt a pang of worry, and, by the light inside the villa, peered out the window.

It wasn’t just other places being inundated; even here in this high-ground resort villa district, the situation looked grim. Despite the elevation, nearly thirty centimeters of fast-moving rainwater was rushing into the darkness outside.

She could just make out several luxury cars, worth millions, being carried away by the flood.

A chill ran down her spine. If it was this dangerous here, how much worse would it be where she used to live?

She hadn’t yet left the residents’ group chat for her old apartment complex. Normally, that group was filled with a handful of advertisements and people sending tiny cash gifts to “fish” for clicks, but now it had over 999 unread messages.

“The water’s up to the third floor—can anyone help?”

“Does anyone in the upper floors have extra rooms? My place is flooded, I need to rent somewhere.”

“Help! My car’s been swept away by the flood and I’m stuck in it by the city square. The inner city river is right behind me—someone please rescue me!”

“My mother went grocery shopping and hasn’t come back. I can’t reach her—can anyone help?”

“…”