Chapter 81

Han Lei and his henchmen were all wearing thin coats with several patches on their grayish-brown fabrics. Some patches were sewn from coarse cloth of the same color, while others were simply patched with scraps of variegated cloth. The crooked stitches on the fabric were more noticeable than the original material.

That coat looked thin and flimsy, and it didn't seem to keep you very warm.

Jiang Wen was overjoyed to see his childhood friends. "Brother Lei, what brings you all here?"

Han Lei laughed and said, "I sent my underlings to find you an hour ago, but I guess we missed each other on the way."

He lowered his voice and said, "I've sent my men down first; they've taken some good spots. You'll join us later."

Jiang Wen was overjoyed upon hearing this.

"Good bro, you've been a huge help!"

Han Lei scoffed, "We're all friends here! Let's not talk about this nonsense for now, you guys go over to our side."

Jiang Wen quickly told his family to carry their luggage, "Grandma, Brother Lei saved us a spot over there, let's go over now!"

Upon hearing that they were going to the other end of the square, Yuan Ying hurriedly said, "What about your uncle and grandfather? What if they come back from this side and don't see us..."

This was indeed a tricky matter. Jiang Wen frowned and looked at Grandma Jiang, his face full of trouble. If they stayed outside like this any longer, who knew how much lower the temperature would drop. Putting everything else aside, their bare toes, which were sticking out of the ground, were already numb and almost unfeeling from the cold.

This cold wave came so suddenly, like a knife falling from the sky, that it didn't give anyone time to prepare.

Looking around, the family was already dressed in the thickest clothes, but even so, they still didn't have all the necessary warm clothing and were still freezing.

Seeing their confusion, Han Lei quickly asked, "What's going on, Grandpa Jiang and Uncle Jiang?"

Jiang Wen explained the situation to Han Lei directly. Knowing the urgency of the matter, Han Lei immediately said, "I'll send someone to check outside the city gate."

Upon hearing this, Grandma Jiang burst into tears, which streamed down the wrinkles around her eyes. She wiped her eyes haphazardly on her clothes, and although her lips moved several times, the overwhelming warmth prevented her from uttering a complete sentence.

“Good child… I… I know what you mean…” she choked back tears, her hands trembling as she grasped the other’s. “But at this critical juncture, we absolutely cannot let the children take risks. We’ll go with you now, we’ll go now…”

Han Lei felt a tightness in his chest, like a damp ball of cotton was stuck in his throat, making him feel suffocated, but he still managed a weak smile and spoke softly: "It's alright, Grandma Jiang, don't worry. They're fast travelers, they'll be right back after they go take a look. I'll send someone to meet them here."

Grandma Jiang's heart, which had been like a piece of cold water and had long since given up hope, suddenly ignited as if a spark had been thrown into it.

"real?"

Han Lei nodded, then turned to A Yu and instructed, "Go check on the west gate, and come back quickly."

"good!"

Without saying a word, A-Yu led a few brothers out of the large square and rushed towards the west gate.

True friendship is revealed in times of adversity; these words resonated deeply with the Jiang family.

Even the usually composed Old Master Lin slowly raised his eyelids, his gaze lingering on Han Lei for a moment longer, a subtle hint of emotion flickering in his calm eyes.

Jiang Wen felt as if something was blocking his throat; a thousand words welled up at his lips, but he didn't know what to say.

He patted Han Lei on the shoulder, "Brother Lei, thank you!"

Han Lei laughed and said, "Alright, stop standing here. You're wasting time. There aren't many good spots down here."

Liu Xu and her family stood at the back, gazing at the scene ahead with envy.

Ye Qingyun squeezed forward a few steps, then turned around and saw Niu Dali and the others still standing there in a daze. He quickly called out, "Xiao Xu, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and catch up!"

Liu Xu suddenly snapped out of her daze, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She subconsciously clenched her luggage tightly: "I...we...can we go with them too?"

Ye Qingyun could easily see Liu Xu's hesitation. She turned around, grabbed Liu Xu's hand, and felt the warmth of her palm reach her heart: "We're all in this together. How can you not come along?"

Liu Xu looked up at Han Lei, who was walking at the front, and saw him nod at her. Her initial nervousness and unease dissipated.

The group finally managed to squeeze to the outer edge of the large square, and followed Han Lei all the way to the other side, where, sure enough, there were many people from Han Lei's company standing.

It was immediately obvious that Han Lei had already smoothed things over with the staff at the base—the names of the Jiang family were prominently listed in the registration book, the ink already dry.

Han Lei walked over and patted the staff member's arm: "Brother, I'll add three more people here." He tilted his head towards Liu Xu's family.

Jiang Jun quickly interjected, "There are four." He then gestured towards Grandpa Lin, "Grandpa Lin is there too."

Han Lei responded with "Yes, yes," and slapped his forehead with a laugh: "Look at my memory, there are four, four."

The staff member frowned, his face darkening. "Xiao Han, it's not that I'm being disrespectful, but I've already given you so many extra people. If you add four more now, I won't be able to explain it to the people in line behind us."

A knowing glint flashed in Han Lei's eyes. He reached into his pocket, quietly pulled out a palm-sized piece of dried meat, wrapped it in a leaf, and slipped it into the other person's hand when no one was looking. He said in a low voice, "Please be lenient. We're really close relatives. I'll bring you some better things later."

Perhaps their group was too conspicuous, because someone behind them shouted in dissatisfaction, "What's going on up there? Why are there so many more people? Hey! Staff, are you helping people cut in line?"

Before the dried meat could even be handed to the other person, the staff member, upon hearing this, immediately pushed aside and said, "This won't do. We agreed on a certain number of people beforehand. Don't make things difficult for me. If you're willing, you can go down; if not, you can line up again."

This won't do!

Han Lei immediately panicked. He remembered how, the moment the alarm sounded, he'd rushed to find the squad leader he knew—the man in charge of security in this area. He'd gone to great lengths to get this small favor done, and he couldn't let it fall through like this.

Just as he was about to try and persuade her, a hurried voice interrupted: "Sister-in-law Jiang! We've finally found you!"

Everyone was stunned, looking at each other—who was this person calling out to?

Ye Qingyun looked in the direction of the voice, was startled at first, then recognized it and quickly called out, "Director Chen!"

It was Chen Li! He was wrapped in a thick military overcoat, with a military cap on his head. His face under the brim was red from the cold. He was leading several soldiers and striding over here. His military boots made a "thump-thump" sound on the ground, which was particularly noticeable in this chaotic scene.

The surrounding noise instantly quieted down several degrees.

"Sister Jiang, the location of you and your family has been arranged at the base. I was really worried that we wouldn't be able to find you."

Upon hearing this, the staff member's face instantly showed surprise and doubt.

Just who exactly is the Jiang family?

The military actually sent people to pick them up and even made special arrangements for the base—even the prominent figures in Sector B didn't receive this treatment. How could this family...

Han Lei was also surprised, but then he was secretly delighted.

If you know someone there, you won't be afraid.

Ye Qingyun was caught off guard and asked, "Director Chen... what is this...?"

The other party had never called her "Sister-in-law Jiang" before, so their current enthusiasm really puzzled her.

Chen Li raised his wrist to look at the testing device. "Sister Jiang, now is not the time to talk. You go inside first, and we can talk slowly after we get through this disaster."

As he spoke, Chen Lichao's staff member said sternly, "The Jiang family is someone we've been instructed to take special care of. Quickly arrange for them to go in."

A hint of panic flashed across the staff member's face, but he hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, I'll arrange it right away!"

As he spoke, he immediately turned to look at Ye Qingyun beside him, his tone becoming much more respectful: "Gentlemen, your location is in Zone 1. Someone will personally escort you there after you go in."

Chen Li had many urgent tasks at hand, so he only gave Ye Qingyun a few words of advice and told the staff to "take good care of them" before leaving in a hurry with a few soldiers.

Ye Qingyun wanted to ask about Grandpa Jiang and Jiang Hai, but at this point, it wouldn't be good to bother the staff any further, so he had to give up.

She looked at the registration staff and asked, "We're all together, could we be grouped together when we go downstairs?"

The staff member was somewhat embarrassed, but remembering Chen Li's instructions, he said, "I'll have someone tell the leader."

Ye Qingyun was a little embarrassed, "Then I'll trouble you."

The underlings following Han Lei were overjoyed. They had finally managed to latch onto a powerful patron?

Just then, the base's highest-level alarm suddenly pierced the noise of the air-raid shelter—

"Waaaaah—!"

"Whoosh—!"

The sound was sharp and urgent, like an invisible awl piercing the heart, instantly drowning out all the noise.

The staff member's expression changed drastically, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his urgent voice was filled with barely concealed panic: "Hurry! Hurry up! There's no time, let's go in!"

He turned and roared at the hesitant crowd behind him, his voice trembling slightly with urgency: "Those who haven't registered! Go straight in through entrances C and D! Don't worry about anything else, hurry up! Be quick!"

The urgent commands pounded in the air like hammer blows to everyone's hearts. The previously orderly scene instantly tensed up, and everyone's nerves were gripped by the piercing alarm.

The entrance to the air-raid shelter under the large square is on the ground.

Ye Qingyun led the way, helping Grandpa Lin and Grandma Jiang down the stairs.

First, a damp, slightly cool air rushed towards you, and then the vastness of the entire space instantly enveloped you—the incandescent lights overhead formed a dim, yellowish sea of ​​light that seemed to stretch to the horizon, and the flat, wide concrete ground beneath your feet seemed capable of holding more than 100,000 people at once.

A cacophony of voices surged in like a tide—people claiming territory, calling out for lost people, children crying—mingling with the distant sounds of staff organizing their work. The sounds echoed and buzzed in the vast, empty air-raid shelter, making it difficult to discern the source of the noise and creating a chaotic scene.

Upon entering the air-raid shelter, the Jiang family discovered that it had been divided into several areas. Each area was separated by military pickup trucks, creating clear boundaries.

Soldiers' tents were pitched around the pickup truck.

The zoning rules are also very clear: Zones 1 to 3 are reserved for residents who originally lived in Zone B; Zones 3 to 6 are allocated to residents of self-built housing areas; and Zones 7 to 9 are for residents of low-rent housing areas.

As for those residents who were rushed into the air-raid shelter before they had a chance to register, they were all eventually relocated to areas 7 to 9.

The entire Jiang family was assigned to Zone 1.

The entire air-raid shelter was like an inverted large stadium. Apart from a few entrances, there were no other windows, and the huge space felt extremely enclosed.

The carbon dioxide exhaled by the large number of people made the temperature in the air-raid shelter much higher than outside.

But stepping on the cement floor, you can still feel the bone-chilling cold.

A row of incandescent lights hangs from the ten-meter-high ceiling of the air-raid shelter, their brightness almost blinding, with wires dangling from the concrete beams.

It's unclear whether the power supply will continue.

If not... so many people staying in this stuffy, dark place is almost like being in prison.

The group cautiously entered Zone 1.

Each family had set up burlap sacks and old cloth curtains to mark their territory, with bedding and luggage piled high. Pots and pans were placed on the ground, and people had to walk around them. Some families had already spread out their mattresses in the open space and neatly arranged their luggage in their designated areas.

The first district alone is seven or eight acres in size, with many families crammed together. Judging from their clothing and the daily necessities they have prepared, most of them are quite well-off.

The Jiang family arrived a little late; the good seats had already been taken by those who arrived earlier.

The remaining open space was not spacious to begin with, and their large family could only squeeze into a corner of about 100 to 200 square meters.

This place was found by Ye Qingyun.

The only reason the area was chosen was because it was located right next to the area where soldiers were stationed, and just across military pickup trucks was Zone 3. The natives of Zone B looked down on it and no one wanted to choose it.

Everyone piled their luggage aside.

Han Lei brought a total of 7 brothers with him, plus the two young men who went out to help find people earlier, making a total of 10 people, all of them young and strong men in their early twenties.

They didn't bring much luggage, and they weren't as particular as the Jiang family. Apart from the tattered coats they were wearing and a few fairly thick quilts, everything else was food.

While Yuan Ying and the others were packing their luggage, Jiang Wen pulled Han Lei aside and asked directly, "Brother Lei, what's going on today? Why did a cold wave suddenly arrive?"

Not to mention Jiang Wen, everyone else was curious and stopped what they were doing to look over, waiting to hear an explanation.

Han Lei gave a wry smile. "I don't know much either. The emergency alarm at the base was sounded too suddenly. I only heard about it from other people."

"The temperature has dropped these past few days. Didn't the base say it was due to the cold fog from the Qiling Mountains?"

Jiang Wen's heart skipped a beat: "Isn't that right?"

"That's not true at all. On the contrary, it was the Qiling Mountains that saved the base."

Everyone was startled.

What's going on here?

"The temperature has dropped slowly these past few days, thanks to the Qiling Mountains blocking the cold wave first, which has given us a chance to gradually adapt. But this upcoming ice storm will be more than ten times stronger than the last one." Han Lei explained the situation clearly, and added, "You've seen disaster movies, right? It's the kind where you freeze instantly into a block of ice the moment you touch it."

Jiang Wen gasped.

"It's that serious?!"

Han Lei smiled wryly: "I hope it's not that serious, but the base's notice and arrangements... I'm afraid the reality is more serious than I know."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged solemn glances.

Grandma Jiang and Wu Xiu's faces turned completely pale.

If that's the case, then what about Grandpa Jiang and his son, and A-Yu and the others who went to find them...?

Han Lei said, "Grandma Jiang, don't worry. While things are still stable, I'll take some people to other districts to see if we can find them."

Grandma Jiang said with difficulty, "Young man Lei, I'm entrusting this matter to you."

Everyone knew perfectly well that although the air-raid shelter was still in a mess, the divisions were not drawn arbitrarily. Finding someone across divisions wouldn't be so easy.

But Han Lei nodded and said, "Don't worry, Grandma Jiang."

Han Lei and his three brothers were preparing to take a look at the next district when Grandpa Lin, who had been silent all along, tossed him a badge: "Kid, take this. Nobody's stopping you."

Han Lei took the egg-sized blue badge, paused slightly at first, then noticed the unusual demeanor on Old Master Lin, quickly recovered, and took the badge, saying, "Thanks, sir."

After Han Lei left, Ye Qingyun asked in a low voice, "Grandpa Lin, what's that badge for?"

Grandpa Lin said, "Why bother with all that? As long as it works, that's fine. With this little bit of time, we'd better hurry up and pack our things. The days ahead aren't going to be easy."

Everyone tensed.

If what Han Lei said is true, then the low temperatures brought by the ice storm are definitely beyond imagination.

I don't know if hiding in the air-raid shelter was even useful.

Putting everything else aside, at the very least, we have to make sure we don't freeze to death.

At this point, the entrance to the air-raid shelter had been completely closed.

Jiang Jun, worried about her family, couldn't help but ask Grandpa Lin, "Teacher, what about those who didn't make it back in time? Is there really no way to help them?"

Grandpa Lin asked calmly, "Do you want everyone to die with you?"

Jiang Jun was speechless for a moment, as if her throat was blocked, and she couldn't say anything at all.

Wu Xiu glanced around and saw that there were very few government personnel in the air-raid shelter. Suddenly, she felt like she had grasped a lifeline and hurriedly asked Grandpa Lin, "Grandpa Lin, where are the researchers and soldiers? Could it be that they haven't all come in yet?"

Grandpa Lin shook his head: "The base has more than just this one air-raid shelter underground. The research institute and the military headquarters in Area C also have their own underground facilities."

These were all contingency plans deliberately left when the base was built, just in case a mutated beast tide attacked, so that the base could have some embers.

Wu Xiu collapsed to the ground and couldn't help but cry again: "What about my man?!"

Ye Qingyun felt a tightness in her chest as she looked at it.

Wu Xiu's anxious and uneasy appearance reminded her of Jiang Shan and Jiang Shu, who were still on a mission outside.

If those of them still at the base are having such a hard time, what about those who are out there struggling?

Will this sudden snowstorm affect them?

Ye Qingyun dared not think any further; her heart ached as if something was tearing at it.

She was afraid that the more she thought about it, the more panicked she would become, and even more afraid that she wouldn't be able to suppress the surging regret—if only she had stopped them back then.

The Jiang family members felt heavy-hearted, and for a moment, none of them had the mind to pack their luggage.

Just then, all the entrances to the air-raid shelter slammed shut with a loud clang.

In the vast underground space, the loudspeakers scattered throughout suddenly crackled twice, followed by the base leader's calm voice:

"Attention residents, an emergency is hereby reported: A super snowstorm has breached the Qiling Mountain range defense line and is approaching the base at an extremely rapid speed. Temperatures will plummet to minus fifty degrees Celsius within the next seventy-two hours, making the outdoor living environment extremely dangerous."

The base has activated its highest-level defense plan: all underground ventilation and power systems are operating at full capacity; cold-weather clothing will be distributed to households at each supply point; and soldiers will patrol 24 hours a day to maintain order. Please stay in your assigned areas and do not wander around. Believe that we can overcome this crisis together.

These words, though brief, were firm and reassuring, putting the previously anxious people at ease. The murmurs in the air-raid shelter gradually subsided, even the children's crying quieted down, and the panic on everyone's faces lessened, replaced by a more composed and confident look in their eyes.

But those whose family members are still outside inevitably have things to say.

Someone clutched the hem of their clothes, their eyes reddening, and couldn't help but whisper towards the loudspeaker, "My husband is still in the collection area. Can he hold on in this awful weather?"

Some people were so anxious they were pacing around, repeatedly asking acquaintances, "Is there anywhere outside where he can survive this cold wave? Will he die...?"

The suppressed sobs were particularly clear in the quiet air-raid shelter, making the hearts of those around them, who were also worried about their loved ones, clench.

But this time, the base did not respond.

Deep down, everyone knows that those still outside are probably in grave danger...

Meanwhile, the institute's experts had all moved to the basement and were working hard to repair the communication equipment that had been suddenly disrupted by the cold wave.

"How is it? Is it fixed yet?" someone asked urgently.

The person operating the equipment shook his head, sweat beading on his forehead: "No, we still can't get in touch."

Professor Yan's brows furrowed, his voice filled with anxiety: "This cold wave will catch up with Lao Yang and the others in three days at most. We must contact them as soon as possible!"

The personnel sent to Hunan Province this time are all top-notch elites from the base. If they are lost in this storm, the base may not recover for several years.

"Yes, Professor."

Professor Yan: "There's one more thing. Have you recorded the messages that Lao Yang and the others sent back?"

The assistant said, "It's been recorded."

Professor Yan nodded.

He sighed inwardly.

For some reason, he always felt that this cold wave was related to the mass migration of animals.

*

Jiang Zhi and the others knew nothing about these things at the base.

As for the approaching cold wave, no one was aware of it.

After leaving Wuxu Town, the rest of the journey was surprisingly smooth. The car climbed up the mountain road from the bottom of the cliff, and we didn't encounter a single mutated creature along the entire way.

However, the higher you go, the lower the temperature gets. By the time the car reached the top of the mountain, the perceived temperature had dropped to around 20 degrees Celsius.

Jiang Shu leaned back in the car, enjoying the rare peace and quiet, and couldn't help but sigh, "This temperature is so comfortable, and there are no mutated creatures causing trouble. It feels just like when I used to go on vacation."

Jiang Zhi is studying the journey ahead.

After passing Wuyu Mountain, we entered the territory of Hunan Province.

They were heading to the capital of Hunan Province, and if all went smoothly, they estimated it would only take them three days to reach their destination.

Jiang Zhi remembered Luo Yonghui's previous mention of "treasure hunting" and asked, "Uncle Luo, what treasures did you say we'd find at our destination this time?"