Xu Anran's heart tightened suddenly, and a chill rose up her spine.

She instinctively turned her head, only to find that the fire in the stove had inexplicably weakened considerably. Seeing the flames gradually diminish, she became extremely anxious and quickly joined Xu Liang beside her, throwing more coal into the stove and trying to rekindle the fire.

Meanwhile, the firewood pile outside had gone out, and darkness began to encroach upon this small space. Faced with this predicament, they didn't hesitate to pick up the gasoline bottle, carefully pour it onto the firewood, and try to light it again. No one dared to relax for a moment, constantly moving their bodies, afraid they would lose consciousness from the cold.

They spent the entire night in a state of tension and busyness, constantly repeating the actions of turning off and starting the engine.

Time ticked by, and fatigue crept in, but no one dared to stop. Finally, after a long and arduous struggle, they successfully withstood the biting cold and safely weathered this sudden disaster.

As dawn breaks and sunlight spills across the earth, it brings new hope to people. They embrace one another, their hearts filled with awe and gratitude for life.

Not long after the flash freeze, the temperature rebounded rapidly to minus 50 degrees Celsius, like a spring that had been severely compressed and then suddenly burst! This sudden extreme cold weather caused countless lives to perish instantly, and the number of people who died in the flash freeze is countless.

Fortunately, thanks to Xu Anran's timely warning, many passengers who received the message and those around them were able to escape unharmed.

But this period of relative peace was short-lived. This terrible disaster not only claimed countless lives but also destroyed the entire communication network system. Humanity was suddenly plunged into a state of information isolation, as if it had been reduced to its original state, returning to a primitive and backward era. Without the support of modern technology, people could only rely on the oldest method—burning firewood—to obtain warmth, and when going out, they had to shout at the top of their lungs to transmit information.

As time passed, when the temperature finally slowly rose to minus twenty degrees Celsius, people were overjoyed, believing that all the suffering would become history and a bright future was beckoning them. They could then begin to rebuild their homes.

But at that moment, something unexpected happened: the group of mermen reappeared!

These fishmen are just as cruel, bloodthirsty, and ferocious as before, launching endless attacks on humans.

The only difference is that the number of merfolk attacking this time is relatively small, but they are exceptionally agile and always appear and disappear unpredictably. They often only stay for a few days before vanishing into the depths of the vast ocean like ghosts, only to return again soon after, repeating this cycle repeatedly, making them impossible to guard against.

This bizarre situation continued until the outside temperature climbed above zero, at which point the terrifying fish completely vanished. However, by then, this once bustling world was unrecognizable; its population had dwindled by 80%, and the survivors, gazing at the ravaged land, were filled with endless grief and despair…

As time went by, the temperature continued to rise, and the snow that had covered the earth gradually melted. Xu Anran and the other three remained in the cave. Because the cave was isolated from the outside world and lacked internet signal, they were completely unaware of what was happening outside.

However, they keenly noticed the subtle changes in their surroundings—the temperature was constantly rising. So, during this period, they worked together to carefully manage the interior of the cave and clear away all the snow from the valley.

Before long, the rapidly rising temperature caused a large amount of snow to melt quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the ground was flooded. At first, people were overjoyed, but this joy did not last long.

They quickly realized that this sudden heatwave was far too abnormal. The speed at which temperatures rose was astonishing; in just a few days, the temperature had soared to over thirty degrees Celsius! It was as if, overnight, everyone had gone from the dead of winter to the sweltering heat of summer. And the snow that had once piled up like mountains had long since vanished, turning into steam and evaporating away.

Given the current situation of sharp population decline and a shortage of government personnel, everyone must rely on their own strength to survive. Fortunately, the survivors are not foolish. Upon noticing the abnormal weather, they sprang into action, seeking like-minded companions to search for water sources and various supplies in order to cope with any possible future changes. After all, in such a harsh environment, only through unity, cooperation, and preparedness can there be any hope of survival.

What will happen next is unknown to Xu Anran and the others, because their train tickets are due for departure.

As dawn broke and sunlight shone faintly through the clouds, the four men sat around the table for breakfast before methodically organizing their belongings in the cave. They carefully categorized and packed all the items they needed to carry into their respective compartments, each also carrying an enormous backpack on their back.

When the countdown showed that there was only one hour left before entering the waiting hall, Xiao Feng, who had always shown a resolute and mature side, suddenly broke down emotionally, and tears welled up like a burst dam, instantly staining his clear eyes red.

Xiao Feng gripped Uncle Li's hand tightly, as if afraid of losing something precious if he let go, letting his tears flow freely. Looking at his heartbroken grandson, Uncle Li felt a pang of sadness, and his eyes gradually reddened.

He hugged Xiaofeng tightly and gently comforted him in his deep, warm voice, "My child, you must know that you are a real little man! I believe that we will be able to reunite again soon."

Xu Anran and Xu Liang, who stood silently watching this scene, were also filled with mixed emotions, and an indescribable sorrow welled up in their hearts. Recalling the various hardships they had experienced, the two couldn't help but feel saddened. Xu Liang, in particular, kept seeing the figures of his deceased relatives and close friends in his mind, and his grief grew stronger. He couldn't help but cry along with Xiao Feng.

Time ticked by, and finally, the last 24 hours arrived. On this eve of parting, they said goodbye to Uncle Li one by one. With a flash of dazzling red light, Uncle Li was the first to be teleported to the high-class waiting hall and disappeared from everyone's sight. Immediately afterward, the remaining three people slowly entered the low-class waiting hall.