Yu Song, standing with his arms crossed, gave a humorless shrug. "They made their bed."
Qingran didn’t speak at first. Her gaze remained fixed on the screen. She took in their soaked clothes, their pale faces, the absolute terror etched into their eyes.
They were desperate now. Just two small figures begging to live.
Finally, she smiled.
It wasn’t a kind one.
She lifted a hand and gave them a slow, deliberate wave.
Then she reached over and tapped the console.
>
Their screaming cut out. The screen went dark a second later as the cara feed powered down to preserve energy.
"Goodbye.." Qingran murmured.
Mora, still sitting near the wall with a towel wrapped around her shoulders, let out a long breath. "You’re not going to save them?"
Qingran turned. "They held a knife to your throat and told I didn’t belong here because I’m a woman. They thought threatening would work. They thought I’d cave in but I’m no fool and neither are you."
She looked around the room.
Every face was watching her.
So with understanding. So with unease.
A few with awe.
"But leadership.." Qingran continued, "isn’t about being a woman or a man. It isn’t gender wars. It’s about knowing when soone’s already made their choice."
She let the words hang in the air. Then she walked past them, her boots leaving faint water prints across the smooth floor.
"I chose to lead people who want to survive.." she added. "Not people who think survival should co at soone else’s expense."
Lingquan’s voice chid in through the speakers again.
The floating building rocked once, like a boat on a swell, but again it righted itself.
Everyone inside felt it. That subtle reassurance that they were safe for now.
Outside, the storm roared on.
Qingran took a seat near the control console, stretching her legs out in front of her. "We’ll be fine..." she told the room. "We’ve got supplies, water purifier, internal heating, dicines, solar back-up, and this structure was built to rise up to ten ters above ground level. Once the worst passes, we’ll descend again."
"And those n?" soone asked hesitantly from the back.
"It was either us or them.." Yu Song said dryly. "And they lost."
No one asked again.
The next hour passed in tense silence, save for the occasional low boom of thunder and the hum of the base adjusting to the rising flood.
Qingran leaned her head back, eyes closed. Her heart was calm. She had done what needed to be done.
Still, sowhere deep inside, a small ache settled in her chest not for the n themselves, but for what the world had beco.
But this ti, she wouldn’t let guilt steer her off course.
She’d learned.
After the floodwaters hit their peak, Lingquan announced a projected descent within the next 10 hours. People started talking again.
Quiet conversations blood across the room. Kids were given water and energy bars.
Those who were tired where given futons to rest with pillows. They had taken all the beds and futons from the hotel.
Qingran remained still, listening more than speaking.
Mora sat beside her after a while. "You could have saved them.." she said softly. "But... thank you for saving ."
Qingran cracked one eye open and gave her a cold smile. "Next ti, I hope you’re this lucky, I wanted you to see how fast they could turn on you and I’m sure you, yourself was expecting that.."
Mora chuckled, though it held a wobbly edge. "Fair."
They sat like that for a mont, together, but quiet until a low beeping ca from the console.
>
"Ten hours is a long ti guys. What should we do."
[I can provide a ga for y’all to play. Don’t worry it’s my special treat. It will be fun and ti taking.] Lingquan suggested.
".."
" I don’t trust you but sure.."
The survivors stirred at the ntion of a ga.
The tension in the room hadn’t vanished, not completely, but it had dulled. Distraction was welco.
Qingran raised a brow. "That na doesn’t exactly scream fun."
Mora perked up. "Like a roleplay simulation?"
"Rewards?" Yu Song asked skeptically.
A few children nearby perked up at the ntion of candy. An older woman murmured, "Could do with sothing sweet..."
"Alright," Qingran sighed, stretching again. "Let’s give your creepy system brainchild a try. But if I hear one kid cry, I’m ending it."
Small projectors embedded in the ceiling flickered to life, casting a soft web of light over the central floor space.
The holograms shimred upward, fields, buildings, forest scenes. The projections were full 3D, but translucent enough not to block view of others in the room.
"Oh," Mora muttered, "like those old Werewolf or Mafia party gas."
Around the room, dozens of survivors leaned in as their nas were called. A panel floated in front of each of them, displaying their assigned roles in bold font and a brief explanation.
Yu Song looked at his and smirked. "I’m a Resource Keeper. Guess that ans you’ll all be coming to for food."
Qingran tapped hers. "Team Leader. Go figure."
Mora glanced at hers and went quiet. Then: "I’m... a Saboteur?"
Qingran raised a brow at her. "That’s awkward."
"It’s random, I swear," Mora laughed, hands raised in surrender.
Reviews
All reviews (0)