I am weak and friendly

Chapter 308 OIFU, Open Up the World for Me! (4K)

When they got back in the car, Ban Ge was driving, and Bao Ge was sitting in the back seat with Yu Mo in his arms.

The rain intensified, and the downpour had lasted for over an hour. Even driving required careful selection of the road to proceed.

Originally, when Yu Mo went missing, Bao Ge was more anxious than anyone else, but now that he had found Yu Mo, neither of them spoke to each other.

Yu Mo simply leaned against Bao Ge's chest, while Bao Ge stared blankly ahead.

It was only after Tang Yiping asked Yu Mo a few questions that he learned the little girl had come out to find her father, but accidentally got on the wrong bus and ended up in an unfamiliar place.

Once the primary contradiction is resolved, the secondary contradictions become more prominent.

It will probably not be easy for this father and daughter to completely forgive and forget each other.

It's possible... we can never go back to the way things were before.

The atmosphere in the car was actually a bit awkward, and now that the rain was so heavy, Brother Ban turned on the radio and heard the traffic radio host constantly broadcasting:

"According to the meteorological department... this rainfall has exceeded the extreme value of short-term rainfall in the past ten years... We remind everyone that unless absolutely necessary, please do not leave your indoors and try to avoid low-lying areas. We have also seen reports from the transportation department that there is severe flooding in areas such as Chuanhe Street and Xiguang Road, and the Chuanning River has swelled, submerging the sidewalks on both sides..."

Hearing the announcement, Brother Ban was very relieved: "If we had been any later, we probably wouldn't have made it by car."

The place they just went to was near Xiguang Road, which is a low-lying area in Hailing City.

Hailing City has an uneven terrain, and even with huge investments in drainage facilities, some low-lying areas still suffer from severe waterlogging.

This topic left everyone in the car feeling terrified.

Bao Ge turned to look at Tang Yiping, hesitating to speak.

Tang Yiping felt that, at least after this, Bao Ge probably wouldn't try to kill himself again.

However, Tang Yiping still harbored a worry in his heart.

"Did you see that homeless man from earlier?" Tang Yiping asked.

"Was the person who took care of Yu Mo just now a homeless man?" Brother Ban arrived too late and didn't even see the person. He only saw Brother Bao carrying Yu Mo back and knew that someone had taken Yu Mo in.

"It looks like it. I glanced at his tricycle; his bedding and other belongings were on it, but they were all soaked... Those are all old houses over there; if the rain keeps falling..."

"You mean that lame uncle?" Yu Mo asked. "He said he's always been around nearby..."

The people in the car looked at each other, and then Brother Ban slammed on the brakes.

"Go back and take a look?"

"Go back and take a look!"

The vehicle struggled to turn around in the torrential rain and head back, but stopped halfway there.

Ahead, a large tree had fallen and was lying across the road.

It was obviously broken shortly after several people drove by; if they were unlucky, it might have hit several people's cars.

There were almost no pedestrians on the road.

In the face of natural disasters, human power is so insignificant.

"We can't get through," said Brother Ban.

His tone betrayed a mixture of relief and lingering fear.

The car turned around again and drove for only a few dozen meters before it saw an electric scooter wobbling towards it.

"Don't go any further! Don't go any further! There's no road ahead!"

Tang Yiping and the others shouted, but the rain was too heavy and the person on the electric bike didn't hear them.

By this time, the water on the road was already flowing very rapidly. The person was riding the electric bike slowly and unsteadily when suddenly, with a "thud," he fell to the ground and was swept downstream by the water.

"Quickly! Turn sideways! Stop him! Stop him!"

Inside the carriage, several people's voices sounded different.

……

It rained heavily.

Lin Jiaqiang rode his electric bike, struggling through the torrential rain.

His body was already soaked through; the deep water was like mud, making it difficult for him to move.

Fortunately, he had a helmet, which prevented him from getting so wet in the downpour that he couldn't open his eyes.

But it wasn't very effective, because the rain through the helmet visor made it difficult for him to see anything clearly. He was able to move forward almost entirely by relying on his memory of running around the streets and alleys over the past few days.

Wearing a helmet, his voice couldn't carry, so every now and then he would find a place nearby to take off his helmet and shout a few words.

"Crippled Brother! Crippled Brother!"

In the torrential rain, it's impossible to know how far the sound can travel.

Lin Jiaqiang was very worried. He finally found a place to take shelter from the rain, wiped his face vigorously, opened one of his group chats, and sent a message: "Has anyone seen Brother Cripple recently?"

The screen was covered in water, and he had to send the message many times before it finally went through.

Soon, a message popped up in the group chat: "No."

"I haven't seen Brother Cripple in a long time."

"Is Brother Cripple still around Xiguang Road?"

“I ordered takeout for Brother Cripple before, and the delivery guy said that Brother Cripple was still in the alley over Xiguang Road, but that was two weeks ago.”

“Last time I heard that someone drowned on Xiguang Road, I was worried it was Brother Cripple, so I went to look for him. Brother Cripple is still in the alley over there, living in his tricycle.”

"The entire Xiguang Road area is flooded now, that's what I'm worried about!"

"Really? I live closer to Xiguang Road. I'll go find Brother Cripple."

"Don't come out, it's too dangerous on the road now. I'm here, I really can't move, it looks like the whole area is flooded."

"be careful!"

"Please be extremely careful."

"Whether you find Brother Cripple or not, let us know he's safe!"

Lin Jiaqiang didn't expect so many people to reply in this group.

This is a group of homeless people.

The term "homeless group" sounds strange, but there are indeed many people wandering around in modern times.

There are many reasons for homelessness. Lin Jiaqiang was one of them. Most people in this group, like Lin Jiaqiang, encountered some difficulties temporarily but quickly overcame them. However, there are some people who have been homeless for a long time.

The lame guy isn't actually in the group. He hardly ever uses a cell phone and is almost completely out of touch with modern society. No matter the season, he's always on his little tricycle, wandering around that old town.

But almost everyone in the group has received his help.

Crippled Brother always manages to find all sorts of places to stay temporarily. The bridge hole where Lin Jiaqiang and Zhao Wenjie found refuge was the one Crippled Brother took them to.

When the torrential rain hit today, Lin Jiaqiang happened to be nearby. Seeing that the rain was getting heavier, he wanted to go find Brother Que, at least in his dormitory, where he could temporarily take shelter from the rain.

However, after visiting several places where the lame man frequented, they still couldn't find him.

More messages popped up in the group:
"Is anyone else outside in the group? The rain is too heavy, let's find somewhere to take shelter quickly!"

"I'm here. I rented a small apartment on the second floor. It's safe from flooding, has running water, electricity, and Wi-Fi. Anyone nearby looking for a place to stay? Contact me!"

“I don’t own a house, but I found a nice neighborhood. The hallways are very clean, and the security guard didn’t kick me out. I’m taking shelter from the rain here for now. Do any of you want to come and keep me company? I have two decks of cards, so it would be best if you could come with more.”

"Where's Lao Gou? Has anyone seen Lao Gou? I haven't seen him in the group for several days. Has anyone seen him?"

Hiding under the eaves of a roadside shop, Lin Jiaqiang looked at the information on his phone, then took a deep breath, put on his helmet, and rushed out into the rain again.

The torrential rain made cycling increasingly difficult, and Lin Jiaqiang almost got swept away by the water several times. However, not far ahead was the place that the lame brother often went to, and he decided to take another look no matter what.

As he rounded the corner, a torrent of water rushed down from above. Lin Jiaqiang gripped the handlebars tightly, trying to control the direction, but this time, he wasn't so lucky.

He lost his balance and fell in the torrential rain.

He struggled but couldn't stand up. At that moment, he felt like he had returned to his childhood, to that afternoon when he almost drowned.

He was only seven or eight years old at the time. One afternoon after a rainstorm, he skipped school to go fishing and was swept away by the surging river.

He only remembers that his foot suddenly slipped, and then there was a muddy river in front of him. He was bobbing up and down, trying to call for help, but as soon as he opened his mouth, river water poured in.

He struggled desperately, but all he could remember was the sensation of river water choking his nose. It wasn't exactly painful, but it was incredibly agonizing.

Perhaps because he was too terrified at the time, he doesn't remember much, only that someone reached out a hand from the bridge and grabbed him.

The person who grabbed him was his Chinese teacher, a local villager who couldn't even speak Mandarin, an old man whom he had to call Grandpa. After being dragged up, he was slapped eight times by the old man, almost deafening him. Then, his grandfather brought eight gifts and dragged him to the old man's door to express his gratitude, making him kneel down and kowtow.

He was young and immature back then, and he felt unhappy about it.

But now, he remembered that old man again.

The old man passed away last year; he was not even seventy years old.

So, it's probably no one who can hold him back now.

he thinks.

Then he heard a "thump" and his body was blocked by something.

It is a car.

Then, several hands reached out from the side and grabbed him.

"Come up quickly!"

"Squeeze in a little further."

“My car.” He turned to look at the electric scooter that had been swept away by the water.

Half of it floated on the water, bobbing up and down. Occasionally it would be pulled up by the air in the tires, or pulled down by the weight of the battery. It would also get stuck on the bumps in the road, making a clanging and banging noise as it flowed downstream.

That's the company car.

"Forget about the car, come back and look for it when the rain stops." He heard someone say, and then they shoved him into the car with both hands, and then the person squeezed in as well.

There was also a young man, a little girl, and a dog squeezed around him.

"Squeeze in a bit, sit down, and hurry up!"

The car moved forward again.

"Hey, Tang?" Lin Jiaqiang took off his helmet and finally saw the person who had saved him.

Tang Yiping's eyes widened.

"Oh, it's you? What are you doing here? What are you doing out in this heavy rain?"

Tang Yiping was also deeply impressed by him. If it weren't for Lin Jiaqiang, Tang Yiping wouldn't have thought of adding a points system for Little Carrot.

“I’m here to see Brother Cripple… Brother Cripple is a homeless man who often wanders around this area. I’m worried that he’ll have nowhere to stay when it rains…” Lin Jiaqiang said.

"Crippled guy? Is he a man who rides a tricycle? He's a bit lame?"

"Have you met him?"

"Um……"

Tang Yiping recounted his experience, and for a moment, Lin Jiaqiang didn't know what to say.

In my life, I've only had a few benefactors, and they've all come together.

Moreover, you even came out to help others during the torrential rain; you truly deserve to be called a legend.

"Even if you want to find someone, you can't be reckless!" Tang Yiping scolded Lin Jiaqiang. "When you gave me tips in the live stream, I thought you were a bit stupid. Now it seems you really are incredibly stupid. If we hadn't caught you, you might be dead."

Lin Jiaqiang was both amused and exasperated. "You're still arguing with me?"

Why would a disabled person like you run around in the heavy rain?
But he couldn't talk back, because Tang was his benefactor.

"Damn, the road ahead is blocked too."

Ahead, another large tree blocked the road.

These thick, sturdy trees, which have stood by the roadside for decades, probably can't be moved without a tow truck.

Everyone's heart skipped a beat.

Although staying in the car is relatively safe for the time being, who knows when this torrential rain will stop?
I need to find a place to stay for a while.

A group of people leaned out of the car windows to look out.

There aren't many residents nearby, and the houses are all low-lying. The houses on both sides of the road have high steps, but by now, the rainwater is almost overflowing the steps.

Suddenly, Tang Yiping smelled a familiar scent.

It's a taste that's been forgotten.

Tang Yiping sniffed, then said, "Let's go, over there!"

The car drove up to the fallen tree, and then the driver got out.

Bao Ge carried Yu Mo, while Ban Ge, Shen Qianyu, and Lin Jiadong half-dragged and half-carried Tang Yiping up the steps.

"Here? The eaves here are too small!" Bao Ge hugged Yu Mo tightly, shielding her from the rain with his own body, and asked anxiously.

He didn't know why Tang Yiping had asked everyone to come here, but how could they take shelter from the rain here?

“It’s here.” Tang Yiping leaned on his crutch and pushed forward.

With a creak, a door opened.

"Ah..." Ban was stunned. Just a second ago, he hadn't even noticed the house.

"Huh? Is this the place?!" Lin Jiaqiang's eyes widened. He was all too familiar with the logo of "Touchpoint Interconnected Community Service Station".

There was a stormy night when he took shelter from the terrible downpour at a service station like this.

But when they went back, they found that the service station was gone.

Seeing this service station now, Lin Jiaqiang felt a sense of surrealism.

Tang Yiping walked in, leaning on his cane, and turned on the light with a "snap".

The service station had electricity and was a little messy, but not too dirty, as if it had been in use for many years.

Several tables were placed inside, along with a few sofas in the corner, where a few pieces of work clothes were also lying.

"Phew..." Brother Ban was the last to come in. He closed the door, keeping the wind and rain out.

In such a downpour, the sense of security that comes from having a place to take shelter is truly invaluable.

Tang Yiping took a few steps inside, wanting to find a place to sit down, then his gaze fell on a picture hanging on the wall and froze.

It was a "touchpoint internet map" that marked many locations.

Tang Yiping quickly found his location and even located the warehouse they had found earlier.

Even in the Qihang Building, there is a star with the words "Office Headquarters" written on it.

I go!

Is this a panoramic map of "interconnected touchpoints"?

Lin Jiaqiang also walked up behind him and followed his gaze.

"Brother Qiang, you just said there are still many people in the homeless group?"

"Correct."

"And where Brother Cripple is..." Tang Yiping discovered that there were at least three service outlets in the alley where Brother Cripple was located.

If we could open these outlets...

“I have an idea,” Tang Yiping said, “but I need my notebook.”

"Tang, do you need to write a program?" Lin Jiadong asked. "Where is it? I'll go get it!"

"My bag is in the car, in the trunk!"

"Ok!"

Lin Jiaqiang grabbed the car keys and turned to run.

A moment later, Lin Jiaqiang, hunched over, ran back protecting Tang Yiping's backpack.

"Give!"

Tang Yiping took out his notebook, unfolded it, and placed it on the table.

Then, he opened OIFU's engineering project.

Open up to me, world!

(End of this chapter)