Global Flood: I Survive on Duckweed

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Food Scarcity, Encountering Cannibal Fish

”If an Advanced Civilization really did all this, what was it for? Could it be just to watch our Blue Star civilization get wiped out?”

”Maybe so. Don’t those upper-crust types have all sorts of weird hobbies? Maybe they just enjoy the process of watching us get destroyed!”

”You guys have way too much time on your hands. Have you found food for tomorrow yet? We’re about to starve to death, what’s the use of thinking about all that?”

”Aren’t you tired of discussing this all day?”

Before Ren Yuanyang joined the group chat, the survivors had already discussed this issue. It came up almost every day, and he had even seen records of it in the group files.

The conversations were more or less the same every day. The survivors who had been in the group chat from the beginning had seen it all before and were naturally getting tired of it.

”It’s nighttime, so we can’t look for food. The only comfort we can find is in this group. If you don’t like it, you can just mute the chat or leave the group. No one’s stopping you!”

”That’s right. Speaking in the regional channel is our basic right. Mute me if you dare!”

”Unless you have some kind of light source, you’re better off just chatting and resting at night. Don’t waste your energy!”

”Yeah, and with the possibility of Evolutionary Fish, it feels even more dangerous at night!”

”You can use your phone’s flashlight. Haven’t you guys noticed that after the phone upgrade, the battery is always full?”

”I’ve been so hungry I’m dizzy; I didn’t pay any attention to the battery. Now that you mention it, it’s hitting me. I’ve been in this group for four days and have kept my phone on most of the time to follow the messages. My iPhone’s battery is lucky to last a single day, but I just checked, and it’s still full!”

”I noticed that a long time ago. But the phone’s flashlight is too weak, it only lights up two or three meters. And with the heavy rain, the range is even smaller!”

”It’s better than being in total darkness!”

”That’s true!”

”I’m so hungry... I’m getting bloated from drinking rainwater every day. If anyone can give me a bite to eat, I’ll be their loyal follower. I’d go through hell and high water for them!”

”By now, everyone’s food should be gone, except for those on the big ships!”

”Isn’t that obvious? The food we brought with us was gone ages ago. Ninety percent of the people still able to chat here have found food in the water!”

”The food in the water is getting scarcer, too. I spent all day out there and came back with nothing!”

The chat filled with messages begging for help and food. Ren Yuanyang just turned off his phone and set it aside.

Looking at the supplies Lu Jiamei had organized from the small boat, he muttered, ’I’ll have Lu Jiamei take them farther away tomorrow.’

His ex-girlfriend’s family had been floating near their container this whole time. It was really unsettling.

The first half of the night was calm. Ren Yuanyang glanced at the time on his phone. It was past midnight. He knocked on the partition.

”Your turn for watch.”

After a moment, Lu Jiamei’s voice came from the other side of the partition. ”Okay, Boss. You get some rest.”

Then he heard the RUSTLE RUSTLE of her getting up.

Hearing that Lu Jiamei was up, Ren Yuanyang lay down and groggily fell asleep.

An unknown amount of time passed before a system notification suddenly appeared.

[Notice: The entangled object is struggling violently...]

Ren Yuanyang was instantly awake. He sat bolt upright just as Lu Jiamei knocked on the partition and said, ”Boss, there’s something in the water! And I think I smell blood!”

Ren Yuanyang was stunned. According to the system notification, the ones struggling violently were his ex-girlfriend’s family, who had drowned during the day!

’They’re reanimating?’

But he quickly realized what was happening. Their bodies must have attracted some carnivorous animals.

”The bodies in the water must have attracted some carnivorous fish!” Ren Yuanyang replied in a low voice.

Lu Jiamei froze for a second, then frowned. ”We should have towed them farther away during the day!”

Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly.

Just then, the system prompted him again.

[Notice: The bitter grass is under attack by Evolutionary Cannibal Fish...]

Apparently, the Cannibal Fish were attacking the bitter grass that was wrapped around the corpses.

Ren Yuanyang immediately commanded the bitter grass’s runners to release the three bodies, letting out a small sigh of relief.

Adult Cannibal Fish are about twenty centimeters long. Even if they doubled in size after evolving, they’d still be less than half a meter. A fish that size shouldn’t pose a threat to the shipping container.

Freed from the bitter grass’s grip, the bodies slowly floated to the surface.

The Cannibal Fish ignored the retracting runners, following the flesh and blood up to the surface.

Amidst the sound of the rain, he could faintly hear the splashing of water.

Lu Jiamei, her face tense, suddenly noticed the commotion on the water’s surface was growing. ”Are those fish... coming up?” she asked uncertainly.

”I released the bodies. The Cannibal Fish must have followed them to the surface. Hopefully, they’ll leave after they’re done eating,” Ren Yuanyang explained.

Lu Jiamei was taken aback. Although she didn’t know how Ren Yuanyang had confirmed it was Cannibal Fish attacking the bodies, she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she frowned and asked, ”So, should we check on the situation out there?”

Ren Yuanyang was hesitant. He wanted to use the flashlight to see, but he was worried the bright light might send the Evolutionary Cannibal Fish into a frenzy.

In theory, fish this small shouldn’t be a threat to the container, but these were evolved Cannibal Fish, after all. No one could guarantee anything.

”Boss, we at least need to know what our enemy looks like,” Lu Jiamei said, sensing his hesitation. ”We’re going to be living on this ocean for a long time. We have to learn about them.”

Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly, made his decision, took out the flashlight, adjusted the beam, and shone it onto the sea’s surface.

Even though it was a high-powered flashlight, the heavy rain significantly weakened the beam. Despite this, the sudden light startled the Cannibal Fish. The water’s surface looked like it was boiling, and some fish even leaped out of the water!

Through the curtain of rain, they could vaguely see that these evolved Cannibal Fish weren’t very large.

The three bodies on the surface had been torn to shreds, but it was hard to see clearly through the downpour.

”Good thing the heavy rain is blurring it all out for us. Otherwise, this would be more shocking than a murder scene,” Lu Jiamei remarked.

Ren Yuanyang nodded. ”The fact that the evolved Cannibal Fish aren’t very big is good news, I guess.”

’Their small size means they’re less of a threat to the container, and they should get full easily, right?’

Turning off the flashlight, Ren Yuanyang glanced at the time. It was already five in the morning.

”Go get some sleep. I’ll watch for a while,” Ren Yuanyang said, looking at the weary Lu Jiamei.

Lu Jiamei yawned, agreed, and turned to go back.

Ren Yuanyang put on his raincoat, also climbed onto the roof of the container, and looked in the direction of the Cannibal Fish.

As time passed, visibility improved. The bodies were no longer visible on the sea surface, only a patch of dark red. Occasionally, a Cannibal Fish would leap from the water, creating a splash.

’They’re done eating. They should be leaving now, right?’ Ren Yuanyang hoped.

As if hearing his inner plea, the school of Cannibal Fish collectively turned and swam toward the container.

[Notice: Evolutionary Cannibal Fish are approaching...]