RHWHEG – Chapter 24 Returning to the Community

They boarded the speedboat for the return trip. Two water carriages were tied to the back. Originally, Yu Qunqing hadn’t planned to take those boxes of soil, but among the fleeing crowd, only a few people with a conscience carried small soil boxes; the majority of the goods were left behind. Yu Qunqing accepted them without hesitation.

On the fourth day after the storm ended, the city’s floodwaters finally receded completely, leaving behind mud and debris everywhere. Their small boat couldn’t move, so they had to proceed on foot. Fortunately, the community was not far.

Everything was coated with a layer of yellow mud, making the brand-new industrial-style walls particularly eye-catching. Flower baskets hung on the exterior walls, giving a surprisingly fresh and delicate look.

Everyone couldn’t help but wonder what the inside looked like. Yu Qunqing was a top-tier powerhouse; it was said he was merely a resident of this community, while the real master of the community was someone else. So, what kind of magic did this place hold?

When the gate automatically lifted, everyone’s eyes lit up—they actually had electricity here? Although the shelter also had a few generators, everyone’s electricity usage was limited, non-accumulative, and many craft skills were a hundred years behind.

As the gate fully opened, everyone was dumbfounded by the scene inside. Yu Qunqing himself froze.

It was a mud pit.

In the distance, there were loud crashing sounds. A dark shape rapidly grew larger—it was a crocodile thrashing wildly. Clutching a broken decorative statue, it seemed to treat it as an enemy and rolled with all its strength, trying to snap it.

Under the crocodile’s rampage, mud splattered everywhere, and the area looked utterly bleak. The small section Yu Qunqing had repaired before, despite being untouched, was nothing more than a tiny puzzle piece in the vast garden.

Thus, the garden appeared even more unsightly than the outside.

Combined with the exterior’s finesse, some people couldn’t help thinking, “All that glitters is not gold.”

The crocodile rolled for over twenty minutes before finally stopping in front of Yu Qunqing.

It halted and locked eyes with him. Its massive body and exposed sharp teeth seemed capable of crushing anything, and its scales shimmered with deep hues in the sunlight. Everyone held their breath; observing such an abnormal creature up close was intimidating.

The Fish Man cheerfully said, “Let me introduce you. This is our faith, our true god, the only way to save humanity—Master Crocodile. It knows everything and can do anything. Everyone must show reverence to survive here.”

The doctor nervously asked, “D-does it eat people?”

Sun Min whispered like a demon, “Don’t worry, it doesn’t find humans tasty.”

The doctor inhaled sharply.

The Fish Man looked disapprovingly at Sun Min and explained, “It’s a very compassionate creature. We must respect it and all its habits. Only then will it respect us.” He added exaggerated instructions on how to register oneself in the community, complete with unnecessary rituals, leaving everyone stunned.

To show goodwill, Yu Qunqing smiled at the crocodile. He rarely smiled, and his expression was usually stiff.

The crocodile, seemingly indifferent, slowly turned and obediently crawled back to its small house via the elevator—it was probably tired.

The five from the shelter listened carefully to the rules, fearing any misstep that might displease Yu Qunqing. The chaotic environment was merely a challenge; what worried them more was his potential displeasure.

Passing a dilapidated house, the Fish Man said those who were hungry could have a croissant.

“What croissant? And coffee too?”

The café was extremely simple and dimly lit, with only a self-service ordering machine on the counter.

They had already created accounts, each starting with 500 building points. One person eagerly ordered a croissant and coffee, and the machine delivered the food.

“It smells amazing!” He inhaled the croissant’s aroma deeply, visibly enchanted. Lifting the coffee cup lid, he caught the scent of the classic pre-apocalypse instant coffee, which now smelled even better than the finest hand-ground coffee he remembered. He sipped carefully, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar yet delightful taste, and devoured the meal in just three bites.

“I never thought I’d taste this coffee again. I used to drink it to exhaustion during overtime, and now it’s what I miss most…”

Everyone rushed to buy the sets, realizing the place was better than imagined!

Sun Min warned, “Don’t spend all your building points—you’ll need them to buy a house later. Those who can’t afford one must stay on the second floor temporarily.”

“Buy a house? We’re living in mud, aren’t we?” the doctor exclaimed. “Do we live in those buildings? Won’t they collapse?”

Sun Min shook her head: “They’re solid. There’s unlimited water and electricity. You can cook for yourselves. Don’t turn on lights at night before the windows are fixed. Floors one to four are public areas; residents start from the fifth floor.”

“Water and electricity? Impossible!” The doctor’s face clearly read, Please tell me I’m not dreaming.

The Fish Man said, “You’ll see once you go.”

The Anteater and Zhang Sanxi arrived. Seeing women and elderly among them, the doctor breathed a sigh of relief. They moved ten freezers to the second floor of Building Four, placing the injured in recovery chambers. Among them was a bundle of grass, which the Anteater thought was food and nearly bit, eventually soaking it in recovery liquid, still half-doubtful.

“We might become like them,” someone whispered. “We didn’t make the wrong choice, and they offer treatment too.”

Shelter members avoided elevators, taking stairs to the sixth floor. They exchanged disaster stones for enough building materials to unlock a house. The rooms were empty, containing only basic wooden beds and chairs. They carefully touched everything, their faces filled with awe.

Click!

The stove ignited, blue flames dancing like mythical fire in their eyes.

Some kept switching lights on and off, even reaching for exposed wires. Others turned on taps, splashing water on each other. A startled person then happily washed their hands.

Zhang Sanxi invited the doctor and others to stay with her. Their room had bunk beds and a hair dryer, allowing proper hygiene to avoid infection.

The doctor was moved to tears, feeling a long-lost, simple kindness. Weeks of anxiety melted away, leaving her physically and mentally light, tears streaming uncontrollably.

“This place is amazing!”

“By the way, Boss Yu still hasn’t moved a carload of soil. Let’s go get it!”

Everyone agreed enthusiastically.

Someone suggested, “We should put up a sign: ‘Polar Bear Company, Jiangbei Branch!’” Cheers followed; everyone wanted to assert their sense of belonging.

Sun Min: “But none of you are actually from the Polar Bear Company.”

Someone replied: “Isn’t Boss Yu?”

The Fish Man excitedly: “He’s also our foundation branch manager.”

Sun Min: “Uh… if it makes you happy…” Boss Yu was clearly just an NPC here.

Everyone found joy in their way—except Yu Qunqing.

He went to the third floor of Building Two and returned the crocodile to normal size. The crocodile twisted its tail and crawled into the small house provided by the system; Yu Qunqing couldn’t get it out.

“Forget it…” After a while, feeling childish, Yu Qunqing opened a bag of infinite feed and poured it into the cartoonish bucket.

He pondered why the crocodile was so unruly and recalled that the “Crocodile Season” event had one final reward unclaimed—a nest of baby crocodiles.

Upon claiming the reward, a litter of baby crocodiles appeared out of thin air. They were only as long as an adult’s forearm, and their teeth seemed ornamental. Feeding them the system-provided food, Yu Qunqing found they barely managed to bite it—utterly embarrassing for crocodiles!

The adult crocodile peeked out of the house, nudging the babies with a long snout.

Ding dong! “Crocodile Season fully completed. You’ve found a new home for the crocodile clan. Reward: ‘Crocodile Clan Fully Strengthened.’ A new season is coming—keep up the good work!”

Ding dong! “The ‘Fruit Ninja’ physical game has closed; the flat version remains accessible. Compensation has been issued—please check!”

Ding dong! “You gained 450 exploration points (currently 720/1000), 22 gems, 10,000 game coins, 5,000 building materials. Apologies for any inconvenience caused!”

Yu Qunqing rarely received such good news.

With the new materials the newcomers exchanged, he now had plenty. Instinctively, he wanted to select a house for She Lulang, ideally next door. Using negative mode, he saw She Lulang’s name in the fitness area on the second floor of Building Four, far from him. He felt strangely unsettled. Perhaps in a past life as a rule-based power, he always wanted control. He rationalized: the vice-team members were now under his watch, not yet close enough to require bicycles. After listing pros and cons, he felt better.

Next up: home! Time for Candy Crush!

“You haven’t played Candy Crush for a long time. Your home is covered in dust—here are a few stamina apples. Enjoy!”

Unlimited stamina for one hour!

Having neglected Candy Crush, Yu Qunqing’s interest reignited. Even the simple match elements felt exciting.

After an hour, the system prompted him to play the decoration portion. He declined and opened Fruit Ninja instead.

He refused to believe he could lose this time…