Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Chapter 208

Two days later, in the early hours of the morning, the group boarded the high-altitude airship to leave the fortress.

Xing Min had informed Zhou Zhitong’s father, Zhou Yuan, about this plan in advance. However, due to his official duties, Zhou Yuan could not accompany them. Fortunately, his position ensured his safety and access to various resources.

After the airship ascended, it hovered near the fortress for some time. Equipped with communication devices, reinforced protective measures, and offensive weaponry, the airship provided a sense of security, which reassured Zhou Yuan. Before their departure, Zhou Yuan also sent over supplies, including food, water, and repair materials, calculated to match the airship’s maximum load capacity. These resources were sufficient to support the crew for a month.

Jian Shou and Yan Shang declined Yu Xi’s invitation to join the airship. Jian Shou had already passed several military assessments and was only one exam away from officially joining the military, which left him no room to leave with her. As for Yan Shang, his refusal came as no surprise to Yu Xi.

Yan Shang had excelled at his job within the fortress. He had recently been approved for accommodation in the plantation staff dormitories, a more secure housing area where unrelated personnel were not allowed entry. This arrangement provided him greater safety compared to the general residential zones.

Yu Xi also extended an invitation to Yinyin and her family of three. The airship could accommodate twelve people, with seven rooms available, and Yu Xi’s Star House storage contained ample resources to sustain everyone onboard. Yinyin’s parents were both surprised and touched by Yu Xi’s consideration, especially during such a critical time.

However, knowing their own limitations, they were hesitant to accept. They felt they lacked skills in combat or resources, and feared they would only be a burden. After expressing their gratitude, they politely intended to decline.

But before they could finish, Yinyin spoke up decisively, “I want to go with Sister Yu Xi.”

Lately, Yinyin had become more assertive and independent. Once she made up her mind, not even her parents could sway her. However, following Yu Xi onto the airship seemed excessive to her parents. They were physically capable and, thanks to Yu Xi, had already secured better living conditions, including new accommodations and jobs. It felt wrong to rely on her further.

In their view, they should focus on doing their jobs well in the fortress and aim to secure staff dormitory accommodations for greater safety. Depending on others indefinitely wasn’t an option. What if Yu Xi could no longer care for them one day? They would still need to fend for themselves. Yu Xi understood their concerns and leaned down to reassure Yinyin. “You don’t need to think of the airship as some perfect sanctuary. I just prefer quieter environments without too many interruptions. Right now, the fortress is the safest place in Huaguo. Before I leave, I’ll give you a communicator. If anything urgent happens, this device will ensure you can contact me immediately, no matter the situation.”

Yu Xi was referring to the transparent phone from the acid rain world. It could maintain uninterrupted communication within a ten-kilometer radius, regardless of interference.

The planned altitude for the high-altitude airship was between 2,000 and 3,500 meters, below the troposphere and within the range of the transparent phone’s communication capabilities.

However, Yinyin shook her head as she looked at Yu Xi and said, “No, I want to go with Sister to the airship. Leave the communicator with my parents so they can contact us if there’s any trouble.”

Yu Xi: “???”

After some discussion, it was decided that Yinyin would accompany Yu Xi to the airship for a few days. Once the novelty wore off, Yu Xi would bring the airship down to return Yinyin to the fortress.

Thus, early that morning, Yinyin, carrying a backpack, said a temporary goodbye to her parents in the fortress.

Of the nine people who had gathered for the New Year’s Eve meal, four stayed behind while five boarded the airship. Neither side felt isolated, knowing they could contact each other and get help if needed.

In the large hangar on the 52nd floor of Zone G, all personnel without protective gear retreated into a glass-walled safety room. The curved outer door of the hangar slowly opened, and the airship’s base was carefully pushed along its track, gradually emerging from within the fortress.

Under Xing Min’s guidance, Yu Xi released the ground hooks and pressed the lift-off button. Powered by its fuel and the anti-gravity properties of its floating wood, the airship rose steadily into the sky.

By morning, Yu Xi woke to the pale light filtering through the windows of the airship. It was the third day of life aboard the vessel. She stayed in the only suite on the airship. Though the interior was luxurious and modern, the suite was only slightly larger than the other five or six square-meter single rooms, featuring a private bathroom.

Located at the very rear of the airship, the suite also had an excellent view through a curved glass observation deck. For safety, all the glass on the airship was triple-layered, explosion-proof, and resistant to high and low temperatures. Additionally, new metallic retractable panels could cover the exterior, turning the airship into a steel fortress in emergencies.

For added precaution, the suite also had a hidden control panel in the closet. In a crisis, it could override the cockpit controls to prevent the airship from being taken over.

Stretching her arms, Yu Xi pushed off the thin blanket, her bare feet brushing the floor as she walked to the observation deck.

The airship was currently hovering at around 1,500 meters—lower than planned to maintain a safe distance from the volcanic ash in the upper troposphere. In this area, the troposphere was roughly 7,000 meters high, with occasional fluctuations.

Outside, the sky remained overcast, and the windowpane was covered in sticky droplets sliding down slowly. Yu Xi recognized it as acid rain.

The volcanic ash was laden with sulfides. In the wake of global volcanic eruptions, acid rain was unavoidable.

Yu Xi went to the bathroom to check the water tank levels. The two 500-liter tanks still had about 400 liters each. In three days, the five of them had only used 200 liters, indicating everyone was being conservative.

She quickly washed up, changed into a loose, knee-length long-sleeve T-shirt, and slipped into her slippers before leaving the room.

The suite was located at the back of the airship, leading directly to a hallway that connected to the main living area. The hallway had three rooms on each side.

The hallway opened into the living room, which featured low panoramic glass windows on both sides, furnished with sofa booths. Entertainment options, such as retractable screens, a stationary bike, and motion-sensing gaming consoles, were also available in this space.

The booth tables were collapsible, extending for meals and retracting when not in use.

Adjacent to the living room was the central kitchen. Although compact, it included all the essentials: a coffee machine, dishwasher, oven, microwave, refrigerator, and cabinets.

Designed to save space, the kitchen was open-concept, with a bar counter featuring a sink and induction stove. Fixed chairs lined the counter’s outer edge, allowing for casual dining at the bar when fewer people were around.

Ahead of the kitchen was the aerial salon area, featuring a fully glass floor that offered an incredible view. At the very front was the cockpit.

In addition, the airship’s unused supplies, generators, filters, water tanks, and waste processors were stored in the lower deck. Access to this area was through a hidden door beside the kitchen.

As Yu Xi stepped into the corridor, the aroma of frying beef patties greeted her. Hei Mu was already up and doing what he did best. Meanwhile, Xi Yuan was cleaning the living room with Yinyin. However, the two always seemed to have a subtle tension between them, though it didn’t appear to stem from any real conflict—just a clash of personalities.

When Yinyin had insisted on joining Yu Xi on the airship, both Yu Xi and Xing Min had noticed something odd but couldn’t detect any malice from her. Xing Min reasoned that she didn’t seem like a task-oriented individual because if she were, she would have acted while they were in the crowded fortress. Yu Xi, on the other hand, felt no hostility—just a strange sense of reliance coming from her.

The two had discussed the situation and concluded that Yinyin might be someone from their past, though they weren’t sure who or why she remained silent. Ultimately, they decided to bring her aboard to investigate further.

Hei Mu was the first to notice Yu Xi. He placed the beef patty onto a white ceramic plate already prepared with fried eggs and bread, poured fresh milk into a glass from the fridge, and set it on the bar counter. Gesturing toward her, he said, “Master, your breakfast.”

Yinyin heard him and immediately turned around with a smile. “Good morning, Sister!”

“It’s almost ten; what morning?” Xi Yuan tapped her on the head.

“Don’t touch me when you talk!” Yinyin glared at him indignantly.

“When did I touch you?” Xi Yuan, looking at the petite girl in front of him, was exasperated by her exaggerated response.

“Denying it now?”

“…”

The previously quiet airship suddenly came alive with the playful bickering, resembling a scene of light chaos.

Yu Xi shook her head with a smile and walked past them to the bar counter for her breakfast. “Have you all eaten? Where’s Xing Min?”

Hei Mu, tidying up as he spoke, gestured toward the cockpit. “He’s running diagnostics and adjusting the airship’s position and altitude. Master, is there anything specific you’d like for lunch?”

“Make whatever you want. If you need ingredients not in the fridge, let me know.”

“Understood, Master.”

Life aboard the airship was far more peaceful and leisurely than Yu Xi had expected. It was a stark contrast to the shattered land below, where the “Red Lotus Mutation” patients roamed.

If it weren’t for the stretched screens in the living area continuously broadcasting news from the fortress, they might have forgotten about the planet’s dire state entirely.

Yu Xi’s airship wasn’t the first to hover near the fortress. Wealthy individuals dissatisfied with the fortress environment had launched their own airships after extensive modifications to include basic defensive measures. However, those airships still needed to descend periodically to resupply food, water, and fuel.

While officials allowed these airships to hover in nearby airspace, they didn’t provide resupply services. Some airships used drones for transport, but due to limited payloads, descending to the fortress for bulk resupplies was more efficient.

Meanwhile, the fortress itself had attempted to lift entire sections into the air, with four failures and three successes in experimental lifts. This day marked a significant moment, as the administration announced plans to test the smallest cylindrical section, Zone Z, for airborne suspension.

Even the smallest cylinder was twice the size of Yu Xi’s apartment complex, dwarfing any high-altitude airship. But time was running out. With increasing earthquakes, the officials seemed to anticipate the approach of a catastrophic disaster.

If tectonic plates across the planet shifted violently at once, the fortress might not survive. Ultimately, the land beneath them supported everything. Once the ground itself became a threat, all structures would collapse.

To mitigate risks, after the cylinder was successfully airborne, hundreds of aircraft worked together to tow it away from the fortress into safer airspace.

For the next 48 hours, both the fortress residents and those on airships, including Yu Xi and her companions, watched the experiment closely. The 48-hour mark was critical; if the cylinder maintained its position during that time, it would be considered a significant success, and the remaining issues would be easier to address.

To their relief, the experiment succeeded after prior failures and subsequent improvements. The fortress became a hub of activity, and within half a month, two-thirds of the cylindrical sections were successfully suspended in mid-air.

Now, the fortress’s airspace was dotted with large and small cylindrical structures, hovering at heights ranging from 800 to 1,000 meters. The sight was spectacular, a testament to humanity’s perseverance under immense pressure.

Surrounding the cylinders were numerous high-altitude airships, some of which were conservatively keeping their distance to avoid potential disasters. Those airships feared that if a cylinder collapsed, any tethered airships might be dragged down as well.

Yu Xi’s airship had successfully docked in Zone G’s airspace but returned to the fortress briefly when Yinyin’s parents requested her return. However, Yinyin persuaded her parents and rejoined Yu Xi on the airship.

That very night, the ground began to shake violently, with tremors spreading from one region to the next.

Time was of the essence. The remaining cylindrical sections were lifted into the air, but one was still under construction. Hundreds of aircraft, airships, and low-altitude vehicles worked together to stabilize the structure, burning through massive amounts of fuel.

Engineers and technicians risked their lives, working under the threat of collapse, to complete the construction. Finally, they succeeded in securing the cylinder.

Below, the planet’s surface split open with countless fissures as a massive, planet-wide earthquake erupted.