Astonishing Design, Floodwaters Recede

In the villa's living room, the atmosphere was solemn, as if a cross-dimensional academic seminar was taking place. However, the two parties involved were, on one side, Gong Gong, the Water God who governed all waters of the Primordial Era, and on the other, Lin Fan, playing the role of a stumbling "translator of modern engineering terminology."

Several days passed. The flood situation in Qinglan Gorge remained severe, with news reports providing daily updates on water levels and rescue efforts. The diversion dike, which Gong Gong found so "unpleasant to look at," showed slowly expanding damage on its surface under the continuous assault of the surging river. Despite round-the-clock reinforcement by rescue personnel, it was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that this was merely a temporary measure.

Meanwhile, inside the villa, Gong Gong's "world-shattering design plan" had entered its final stage of intense effort.

Spread across the huge coffee table were sheets of white paper of various sizes, covered in extremely complex diagrams. These were not standard engineering drawings, but rather a hybrid of rune arrays imbued with the principles of heaven and earth and hydraulic structure diagrams. The lines were sometimes sharp and vigorous, as if chiseled by an axe, and sometimes winding and flowing, like rippling water. They were also annotated with a large number of symbols that Lin Fan couldn't quite understand but felt were profound, along with text that was likely in Primordial Era units of measurement.

"This is the crucial point!" Gong Gong declared, pointing to a complex vortex-like structure at the center of the diagram, his voice booming with unquestionable confidence. "When the water reaches here, its force will have already diminished by a third, yet its residual power remains. If restrained forcefully, it will inevitably backlash. Therefore, we must establish the 'Divergent Gold-Inlaid Towers'!"

Lin Fan, holding a pen and notebook, diligently recorded: "Di-divergent gold-inlaid towers? Great God Gong Gong, what exactly does this refer to...?"

"Foolish!" Gong Gong glared at him with displeasure. "It means to skillfully guide that stream of water according to its own rotational momentum, dividing it into three parts – one strong and two weak. The strong and weak will restrain each other, neutralizing their combined impact! Your mortal 'Diversion Piers' and 'Deflection Walls' only capture the form, not the spirit! My 'Gold-Inlaid Towers' subtly align with the changes of yin and yang and the three powers, guiding the 'momentum' of the water, not its 'shape'!"

Lin Fan listened, feeling lost, but he tried to grasp the core idea: "So... it's using a more ingenious diversion structure to dissipate most of the water's impact force itself, rather than resisting it head-on, right?"

"Hmm... that's more or less the idea," Gong Gong conceded grudgingly, then pointed to another area. "Look at the foundation! The original design floats on the surface, like a rootless tree! My method requires digging deep to the bedrock and reshaping its foundation with the 'Thousand-Layered Rock Pattern Formation'! This formation... hmm, you can think of it as arranging giant stones and concrete structures in a specific way, allowing internal stress to be transmitted layer by layer, interconnected, forming a unified whole, like an extension of the earth itself, allowing water to surge and crash against it, yet it remains unshaken!"

This sounded slightly more plausible, somewhat akin to gravity dams and deep foundation treatment in modern engineering, but Gong Gong's description was clearly more mystical, and the effect seemed more exaggerated.

"And the curvature of the dam's water-facing surface is simply absurd!" Gong Gong exclaimed with spittle flying. "It should adopt the 'Drifting Clouds Chasing the Moon Arc,' not a simple curve, but a dynamic curved surface derived from calculations of water flow speed, sediment content, and even seasonal changes! This minimizes frontal impact and guides the water to flow smoothly... Alas, speaking of this to you is like playing the lute to a cow!"

Lin Fan: "..." You're right, I am that cow.

These past few days, Lin Fan felt he was being forced into becoming a pseudo-hydraulic engineer. He frantically consulted materials, trying to translate Gong Gong's "Divergent Gold-Inlaid Towers," "Thousand-Layered Rock Pattern Formation," and "Drifting Clouds Chasing the Moon Arc" into modern engineering terms, at least descriptions that modern engineers could understand the intent of. He learned terms like "energy dissipation structures," "cut-off walls," "stress distribution," and "streamlined design," but he always felt they were somewhat weak and inadequate to describe Gong Gong's designs.

Master Tongtian remained a loyal spectator. He sat with his legs crossed, commenting, "Gong Gong, your 'Thousand-Layered Rock Pattern Formation' sounds somewhat similar to the formations of my Intercepting Sect, but compared to the complexity and ingenuity of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, it's still a bit lacking."

Gong Gong didn't even look up. "Tongtian! Don't compare your battle-oriented formations with my water management methods! This is the work of creation!"

Lao Tzu would occasionally open his eyes, glance at the diagrams, and say calmly, "The highest good is like water, benefiting all things without contention. Fellow Daoist Gong Gong's design carries a good deal of this true meaning, which is rare." Receiving Lao Tzu's affirmation, Gong Gong became even more motivated.

Goddess Nüwa visited once and offered suggestions for improving the "aesthetic expression" of the diagrams, suggesting the lines could be more graceful. Gong Gong rejected this, stating, "Water management is not embroidery." Jumang provided professional advice on Gong Gong's plan to plant specific water-resistant plants on both sides and downstream of the dam; the two conversed harmoniously.

After several days of intense work, consuming enough paper to form a small mountain, drinking all of Lin Fan's beer reserves (Gong Gong claimed alcohol helped stimulate inspiration), and feeling his hairline recede by a millimeter, a Proposal for Emergency Reinforcement and Fundamental Renovation of the Shundao Dike at the Qinglan Water Conservancy Hub (Anonymous) was finally completed, condensing the wisdom of the Primordial Water God and Lin Fan's "translation" efforts.

This "proposal" was rich in illustrations. The main body was described by Lin Fan using relatively standard engineering terminology, accompanied by numerous diagrams personally drawn by Gong Gong, filled with mystical meaning. Its core idea was to abandon the current inefficient surface reinforcement and instead adopt a comprehensive plan of "guided diversion, deep foundation reinforcement, and smooth flood discharge," including rebuilding diversion structures, deepening and reinforcing the foundation, reshaping the water-facing curvature, and supplementing with ecological slope protection.

At the end of the proposal, Lin Fan specifically added in bold font: "Although this plan appears to involve a large amount of engineering work, it is actually a permanent solution. If the current plan is continued, the risk of the Shundao Dike failing is extremely high, with unimaginable consequences!"

"Alright!" Gong Gong looked at the final draft. Although he was not entirely satisfied with Lin Fan's "weak and powerless" written descriptions, he was quite confident in the graphical part of his design. "Next, how do we deliver this to that mortal named Yan Shouren?"

Lin Fan took a deep breath. This was the crucial part. How to anonymously and safely deliver this astonishing plan and make the recipient take it seriously?

He thought of the internet. Encrypted email? Too easily traceable. Sending via public network? Troublesome and risky.

Finally, Lin Fan decided to use the most primitive yet relatively safe method: printing it out and mailing it anonymously. He found a print shop far from his residence, printed the electronic version into a booklet, and then used the disposable, untraceable express bags left over from his last online purchase. He mailed it to the address of the water conservancy design institute where Mr. Yan Shouren, the elder, had worked before his retirement, which he found online. The entire process made him feel like an underground operative.

"I hope it gets seen, I hope it gets taken seriously..." Lin Fan prayed silently after sending the package. He knew this was like a gamble, betting that the meticulous old gentleman would be willing to spend time reading an anonymous letter of unknown origin, betting that he could discern the true value from the seemingly absurd diagrams.

After sending the proposal, life in the villa seemed to return to a brief period of calm. Gong Gong no longer got angry watching the TV news all day, but instead occasionally asked Lin Fan, "Any response yet?", or continued to refine his designs, even starting to ponder other hydraulic engineering projects that he found "unpleasant to look at." Master Tongtian lost his main source of entertainment and returned to his gacha-pulling endeavors. Lao Tzu continued to sip tea and meditate, Goddess Nüwa researched newly acquired skincare products, and Jumang tended to the increasingly lush spiritual plants in the backyard.

But Lin Fan's heart remained taut. He closely followed the news from Qinglan Gorge every day.

For the first few days, the news continued to show scenes of rescue teams reinforcing the dike in wind and rain, the water level remaining high, and the situation remaining grim. Mr. Yan Shouren's name was occasionally mentioned; as an expert who had opposed the current design back then, he once again called for more fundamental measures, but it seemed to have not garnered enough attention from the decision-makers.

Until the fifth day after the package was sent, things took a turn.

An inconspicuous industry news brief mentioned that veteran hydraulic expert Mr. Yan Shouren had recently organized a small technical seminar to discuss the potential problems and solutions for the Qinglan Gorge Shundao Dike in a closed-door meeting, reportedly introducing some "highly unconventional but extremely inspiring ideas."

Lin Fan's heart rate suddenly accelerated upon seeing this news! Unconventional ideas! Could it be...?

He couldn't be sure, but hope flickered in his heart.

Two days later, mainstream media began reporting that the Qinglan Gorge flood control headquarters, on the advice of experts, had made "major adjustments" to the rescue plan for the Shundao Dike. The reports were vague but mentioned that they would "attempt to adopt new diversion and foundation stabilization technologies," and stated that this was a "bold decision based on thorough argumentation and simulation."

In the news footage, the rescue site seemed to have undergone some changes. It was no longer just about dumping sandbags and large rocks; large machinery had begun to be used for deep excavation and structural modifications at specific locations of the Shundao Dike. Although the specific form of the modifications was far from Gong Gong's mystical "Divergent Gold-Inlaid Towers" on the diagrams, Lin Fan could vaguely see some similar shadows – for instance, more complex diversion structures were being installed, rather than just simple deflection walls.

"Great God Gong Gong! Look! They seem to... seem to have adopted part of your plan!" Lin Fan excitedly pointed at the television.

Gong Gong leaned over, squinted, and watched for a moment, then snorted, "Trying to draw a tiger but ending up with the likeness of a dog! They've only got the skin, not the essence! They didn't use the 'Thousand-Layered Rock Pattern Formation' at all, just simply deepened the foundation! And these 'Divergent Gold-Inlaid Towers' are also crooked and twisted; their effectiveness will probably be halved!"

Despite his critical words, Lin Fan noticed that the corners of Gong Gong's mouth seemed to curve upwards almost imperceptibly. To have his design concepts (even if a watered-down version) adopted by mortals of this era and used to combat floods, this irritable Water God might, deep down, feel a trace of satisfaction.

The subsequent developments exceeded everyone's expectations.

After the adjusted plan was implemented, a miracle occurred in just thirty-six hours.

The surging river water, which had been restless and constantly crashing against the Shundao Dike, seemed to have been smoothed by an invisible hand, and its flow pattern changed significantly. The main current was cleverly diverted, greatly reducing the force impacting the front of the dike. The water flow became smoother, rushing downstream along the new diversion structures, and the scouring effect on the dike's foundation was significantly reduced.

Water level monitoring data showed that with no significant decrease in the upstream water inflow, the pressure index on the Shundao Dike decreased by nearly forty percent!

This change was immediately discovered by monitoring personnel and quickly reported. Experts were initially incredulous, repeatedly checking the data and instruments, and finally confirmed – this was not an illusion; the stability of the precarious Shundao Dike had improved qualitatively!

As the news spread, the flood control headquarters erupted in cheers! The media used headlines such as "Miraculous Turnaround," "Wisdom Conquers Natural Disaster," and "A Classic Case in the History of Hydraulic Engineering" to report on it.

Mr. Yan Shouren, in an interview, although he did not mention the anonymous proposal, was visibly emotional, with tears in his eyes: "...This proves that by respecting the laws of nature and applying correct scientific methods, we can completely tame floods and protect our homes! The rebirth of this Shundao Dike is the crystallization of collective wisdom and a tribute to the spirit of science!"

Looking at Mr. Yan's excited face on the news, the stabilized dike in the footage (though "remixed"), and the slowly receding river water levels, Lin Fan let out a long, long sigh of relief, feeling that the anxiety that had been weighing on him for days had finally settled.

He looked at Gong Gong. Gong Gong still had his arms crossed, wearing an expression of "it's nothing special," "it could have been done better," but the glint in his fierce eyes betrayed his inner unrest.

"Hmph, it's good that those mortals have some insight and know how to adapt," Gong Gong finally grumbled, grabbed the last can of beer on the table, opened it with a "pop," and gulped it down.

Master Tongtian had somehow reappeared, patting Gong Gong on the shoulder. "Not bad, Gong Gong, I didn't expect you brute... cough cough, I didn't expect you to have this skill! Without a word, you repelled this flood; you must have accumulated quite a bit of merit, right?" His tone was teasing, but there was also a hint of undisguised admiration.

Lao Tzu nodded slightly, looked at Gong Gong, and said calmly, "Water benefits all things without contention, dwelling in places that people dislike, thus it is close to the Dao. Fellow Daoist Gong Gong's actions this time, however, align with this principle."

To receive such praise from Lao Tzu, Gong Gong was taken aback, then shifted uncomfortably and mumbled, "Fellow Daoist Lao Tzu flatters me, I just... found that dike displeasing to the eye."

Goddess Nüwa and Jumang also offered their congratulations. Goddess Nüwa chuckled, "Fellow Daoist Gong Gong, what you've accomplished this time is far more meaningful than simply smashing things." Jumang added, "The dam is stable, the creatures downstream are safe, and the plants will be spared from the disaster of flooding. Truly excellent."

Lin Fan looked at the scene before him, his heart filled with emotion. A disaster that could have been personally caused by Gong Gong was ultimately averted thanks to his professional knowledge (albeit a Primordial Era version). These Primordial Era big shots truly couldn't be judged by ordinary standards. Destructive power and creativity often resided within a single thought.

With the flood crisis resolved, the villa returned to its usual "daily life." Although Gong Gong no longer clamored to tear down dams, he seemed to have developed a strong interest in modern hydraulic engineering. He began asking Lin Fan to help him gather information on various dams and reservoirs, which he studied with great relish, occasionally offering his own commentary. This terrified Lin Fan, who quickly reminded him, "Just look, don't get any impulses."

Lin Fan, too, gained a new understanding of the "energy" these big shots possessed after this incident. Perhaps, as he had previously considered, it was time to find them some "proper jobs" that could utilize their strengths, contribute to society, and incidentally... expend their overly abundant energy?

His gaze turned once more to the information on his phone about the "City of Light" folk talent competition.

However, that was a story for another time. At least for now, the villa, bathed in the afterglow of the sunset, appeared exceptionally peaceful and serene. In the distance, the news was still broadcasting heartwarming scenes of the floodwaters receding and people returning to their homes.

Gong Gong finished his last sip of beer, let out a loud burp, and looked at the dam on the television, which now appeared much more "tolerable." He finally just shook his head and muttered, "Whatever, at least it's not as an eyesore anymore."