At 2:45 p.m., Chen Yu drove the Mengjiang sled with Lin Lele to Guangping City.

Guangping City, a once bustling town, appears exceptionally quiet under this extreme cold and natural disaster.

The buildings, buried under snow, were dilapidated. Occasionally, the cold wind would whip up snow dust from the ground, making a wailing sound, which added to the desolation.

Suddenly, a group of people rushed out from both sides of the street and surrounded the sled.

"Get out of the car," the leader shouted.

Judging from the voice, it was a young girl.

He was short in stature, wearing a white winter coat, a mask, and a white knitted hat.

With her were dozens of other people dressed similarly. "This..." Chen Yu and Lin Lele looked at each other, both dumbfounded.

They're clearly just a bunch of kids.

"I don't want to repeat myself a third time, get off the bus!" the little girl said sternly.

Chen Yu was speechless and gave Lin Lele a look.

Lin Lele understood, poked her head out, and said with a smile, "Little sister, stop fooling around. Where are your parents? We..."

However, before Lin Lele could finish speaking, the smile on her face froze.

The little girl, without anyone noticing, pulled out a pistol and pressed it against her forehead.

"Sir...Sir, she...she has a gun!" Lin Lele looked at Chen Yu in a panic, her voice trembling.

At the same time, dozens of children around them all pulled out pistols and pointed them at Chen Yu and his companion inside the car.

Although Chen Yu's sled caravan was bulletproof, the children had lowered his guard, allowing them to approach and open the windows without warning.

Chen Yu's expression instantly turned serious. He slowly raised his hands to indicate that he meant no harm, and said in a calm voice, "Don't get agitated, little girl, we really have no ill intentions."

At this point, Chen Yu finally understood why Qi Xiaowei, Wan Chengwu, and the others had suffered such a crushing defeat. Although they were well-equipped, were they really going to kill such a group of children?

"Get down!" the little girl shouted coldly.

Helpless, Chen Yu had no choice but to open the car door and get out. Lin Lele obediently followed behind him. Both of them remained highly vigilant, trying their best to make their movements appear peaceful and harmless, and cooperated fully to have the guns removed from their bodies.

Unfortunately, sometimes the younger the child, the less restraint they have, especially in such extreme environments where children's survival instincts are amplified, and any behavior that threatens their safety can lead to unpredictable consequences.

Led by the little girl, Chen Yu and Lin Lele crossed the snow-covered streets and arrived at a seemingly sturdy building, which appeared to be a prison.

The iron gate slowly opened, and a blast of warm air rushed in, a stark contrast to the cold outside.

"Go inside, the leader is waiting for you." The little girl's voice sounded somewhat muffled behind her mask, but the coldness in her tone remained undiminished.

The two stepped inside and were immediately struck by the sight before them. Although simple, every corner exuded order and a sense of life.

The children sat or stood, some organizing supplies, some repairing weapons, and others talking in hushed tones. Their eyes held both innocence and naivety, as well as a resilience and determination beyond their years.

Although they are young, they have become each other's strongest support in this land ravaged by extreme cold and natural disasters.

Chen Yu and Lin Lele looked around, a complex emotion welling up in their hearts.

These children, who should have been growing up carefree under the care of their parents, are now forced to face such a cruel reality.

Soon, Chen Yu and Lin Lele were taken to a warmer room.

However, the sight in the room left Chen Yu and his companion speechless.

Inside this nearly 200-square-meter room lay more than twenty injured children, the oldest being seventeen or eighteen years old and the youngest only eleven or twelve.

At this moment, they were either wrapped in thick quilts or receiving intravenous drips, and the air was filled with a faint smell of medicine and a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.

Among these children, some had tear stains on their faces, while others had their eyes tightly closed and brows furrowed, as if they were silently fighting against the pain within their bodies.

"Are you Mr. Chen?" Just then, a cold voice rang out behind Chen Yu and Lin Lele.

Upon hearing this, the two turned around and saw a young woman looking at them with a gloomy expression.

He was wearing a long red robe embroidered with intricate gold patterns that seemed to leap like flames in the winter wind.

She wore exquisite silver ornaments, each pendant sparkling like a star, creating a striking contrast with her jet-black hair.

The woman's eyes were sharp, as if she could see into people's hearts. She approached slowly, each step so powerful and steady, as if even in this turbulent environment, she was an unshakable pillar. "This is our leader, Li Hongling," a little girl introduced.

Chen Yu nodded and said in a deep voice, "I am Chen Yu."

"What are your thoughts when you see these children?" Li Hongling asked coldly.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yu's expression turned solemn. He was about to say something when Lin Lele exclaimed indignantly, "Which heartless bastard dared to lay a hand on such a group of children? It's absolutely outrageous!"

Lin Lele trembled with anger, her chest heaving violently, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and sympathy.

"Didn't I tell you to come alone? And who is she?" Li Hongling asked Lin Lele coldly.

"Who I am doesn't matter. When injustice is seen, one must speak out! We should condemn such heinous acts!" Lin Lele's voice was firm and powerful. "I'm so angry! Sister, tell me who did this, and I'll take people to kill them right now! It's utterly lawless, and nobody cares..."

"Ahem~" Chen Yu coughed and scolded Lin Lele, "Enough, are you never going to stop?"

Lin Lele glared at Chen Yu with some resentment, but obediently shut her mouth, though the anger in her eyes had not subsided.

"It's all a misunderstanding. We didn't want this to happen," Chen Yu said sincerely to Li Hongling. "Let's talk this out. How about you release my people first?"

"Ha!" Li Hongling laughed angrily. "So many children are still lying here, and you haven't even given me an explanation. You just demand that I release them. Isn't that too domineering? If I don't release them, are you going to kill us all?"

Chen Yu smiled wryly upon hearing this: "Miss, you've misunderstood. I absolutely did not mean to threaten you, much less would I have asked someone to harm these children. There must be some misunderstanding. Shall we sit down and have a proper talk?"