Chapter 82

When this was mentioned, Luo Yonghui's expression became somewhat excited, "What exactly it is, nobody really knows."

He looked at Jiang Zhi and her brother, "Do you still remember that giant cloud nest tree?"

Jiang Shu: "I definitely won't forget it."

Luo Yonghui nodded: "In fact, when the base was first established, we went there to patrol and clean up. At that time, the tree was only about ten meters tall."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi's eyes flickered slightly.

The base has only been established for three years at most. Yet that tree has grown into such a towering, shady tree in just three years.

This is absolutely incredible.

But if there really is something that can make oak trees evolve to this extent, why isn't there a notification on the dashboard?

Could it be that it was completely absorbed by the oak tree?

Jiang Zhi quietly suppressed the turbulent thoughts in her heart, pondered for a moment, and then looked up and asked, "Uncle Luo, you said that something has appeared in Hunan Province that can cause mutated creatures to undergo super evolution. Where exactly is it located?"

Luo Yonghui smiled and replied, "We've set the transaction location in Shashi, and the item is located within Shashi's borders."

"Shashi..."

Jiang Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

Somehow, a thought that even she herself found absurd popped up without warning—

She wanted that thing.

She pursed her lips: "Then we—"

Luo Yonghui nodded: "After the mission is over, we'll stop by there and look for it before returning to base."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Hu Yang next to him suddenly sneezed several times in a row, "Achoo—Achoo—"

Everyone was stunned and turned to look at him.

Mutants are known for their robust physiques, and are unaffected by ordinary climate and temperature. Hu Yang's sneeze was indeed quite strange.

Hu Yang felt a little uncomfortable under their gaze, scratched his head awkwardly, and said, "Sorry, I don't know what's wrong, I'm just a little confused."

Jiang Shu rubbed his arms and muttered, "You know what, I've felt a chill since just now. What's going on?"

Jiang Zhi frowned and looked down at the detector—the reading had dropped two degrees from before.

The summit of Wuyu Mountain... is surprisingly cool?

They had stayed at the foot of the mountain for so long without ever going up to the top, so naturally they didn't know what was going on up there.

Even so, a sense of foreboding still crept in.

The dashboard remained silent, offering no warnings. Jiang Zhi couldn't help but release her mental energy again to carefully scan her surroundings, but still couldn't detect anything unusual.

She could only suppress her doubts and comfort herself—it was probably just a normal drop in temperature due to the increased altitude.

Wu Bing, on the other hand, felt completely comfortable. He was tall and muscular, and after spending so many days fully armed in the wild, he was already sticky from the heat.

“I don’t see any problem. In the past, it was much cooler up in the mountains than down in the mountains.”

The convoy continued on for a while without encountering any unusual situations, and everyone's anxiety gradually subsided.

Even after we had completely left the area of ​​Wuyu Mountain, the temperature remained steadily at twelve or thirteen degrees Celsius, showing no signs of rising. Even the most oblivious person would know that something was wrong.

Just then, Gu Kaizhi's voice came through the walkie-talkie, sounding somewhat serious: "Captain Lin, the temperature is still dropping. Should we stop and rest for now?"

After a moment, Lin Yuan responded calmly: "Go another two kilometers and park there."

As soon as the convoy came to a stop, several people in charge got out of the cars to discuss the next course of action.

Jiang Zhi was a little worried that her father wouldn't be able to withstand the temperature, so she took out Jiang Shu's windproof jacket from her bag and went over to him.

They were stunned when they got to the car—the elderly professors were already wrapped in thick military overcoats.

Upon seeing her, Professor Yang immediately broke into a smile: "Comrade Jiang, how about it? Now you should consider coming into our car to warm up, right?"

Jiang Zhi's lips twitched slightly. These old professors really never forgot to poach talent.

"Thank you, Professor Yang. I just came to deliver clothes to my father."

His gaze swept over Jiang Shan in the back seat, and seeing that he was also wearing a military overcoat, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Professor Ning smiled gently: "Comrade Jiang, rest assured, we are well prepared for this mission. We have also taken into account unforeseen circumstances such as climate change, and we have also prepared warm clothing."

Professor Shen, standing to the side, frowned and said with concern, "Old Jiang previously estimated that the temperature drop would not occur for at least another month, how could it have come so soon?"

The other two professors did not reply.

They were not experts in this field and couldn't really tell what was going on.

Jiang Zhi's ominous premonition grew stronger, and she almost blurted out, "Why don't we call back to the base and ask if there's anything unusual there too?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Haining's soft hum came from the side.

"You can't just make a phone call whenever you want. Do you know how many resources it consumes?"

"Little Liu!"

Professor Ning frowned and reprimanded them. Jiang Zhi was someone they had their eye on, and Liu Haining's words were a complete disrespect to them.

Liu Haining felt wronged.

They thought Jiang Zhi was just a young girl, how could she know how much money they had spent on this trip?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi didn't insist any further and simply replied, "Since it's inconvenient, then forget it."

Professor Ning pondered for a moment and then said, "Well then, the temperature right now is indeed unusually high. Once we get to Shashi, we'll find an opportunity to call back to the base and ask about the situation."

"Professor Ning..." Liu Haining wanted to argue a few more words, but Professor Ning raised his hand to interrupt him: "Alright, this matter is settled."

Just in case, the leaders decided that everyone should wear warm clothing.

Jiang Zhi always felt uneasy, as if a stone was hanging over her heart.

After thinking for a moment, she took out a pullover sweater from her bag, squatted down, and put it on Ershun.

This ginger twig came from Wuxu Town.

Er Shun couldn't stand the feeling of being restrained and struggled, barking a few times.

Jiang Shu quickly coaxed from the side, "Er Shun, be good. The temperature is dropping quickly. Wearing this will keep you from getting cold."

Er Shun shook his fur and protested a few times before obediently putting on his sweater.

Back in the car, Jiang Zhi gazed at the misty sky outside the window. The sun overhead still looked bright, but its rays offered no warmth. She murmured softly, "I wonder what the situation is like at the base now."

Jiang Shu comforted him from the side, "Don't worry, we have prepared enough things at home in advance, nothing will happen."

Jiang Zhi tugged at the corners of her mouth, her tone tinged with uncertainty: "I hope so."

*

The air-raid shelter was filled with the buzzing of voices, even more lively than a market.

It also has a messy, chaotic feel to it.

The temperature dropped drastically; the moment you stepped on the ground, the chilling cold seeped straight into your bones, and you'd shiver uncontrollably after standing there for a while.

The base is worried about carbon dioxide poisoning from too many fires, so just now, they issued a notice through the loudspeaker: each area can only have five fires, and the firewood will be supplied by the base.

The fire pit was only the size of a small basket.

While it's impossible to keep everyone warm, something is better than nothing; at least it can ward off the biting cold.

There was a bonfire right next to Ye Qingyun and the others.

The orange-red flames crackled as they licked the firewood, warming people and finally allowing their tense bodies to relax slightly.

The family next door had already packed their belongings and were chatting idly around the fire, rubbing their hands together.

A man sighed and said, "I heard that cold front hasn't even really hit our base yet! My God, the temperature is already this cold. What will happen when it really comes? Will this base still be habitable?"

The woman next to him frowned and chimed in, "That's right. If the base really can't hold out and is destroyed, where can we go?"

Another, slightly older man added a piece of firewood to the fire and said in a deep voice, "Don't be so discouraged. We're all frozen like this, and those mutated beasts outside probably aren't doing any better. I think if we can just get through this, we'll be able to catch our breath again."

...

These words weighed heavily on the hearts of the Jiang family members, who remained silent for a long time. A younger brother named A-Song, standing next to Han Lei, rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, and asked softly, "Auntie, brothers, should we pack our things first?"

Upon hearing this, everyone seemed to suddenly come to their senses. Ye Qingyun immediately nodded: "Yes, yes, let's get everything sorted out first."

She looked up and called to everyone, "Take out your warm clothes! I think we'll have to sleep on the floor tonight. Let's make a big communal bed and get through these three to five days."

Liu Xu's family and Han Lei's younger brothers had no objections.

In fact, the Jiang family has the most substantial wealth among them, so if they were to share things, they would be the ones to benefit.

Yuan Ying slapped her thigh: "Okay, let's divide the work and get to work! Who knows when that cold wave the base mentioned will actually hit? Let's boil some more hot water in advance, just in case we get too cold to move, it'll be good to have some hot water to drink."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Seeing that Old Madam Jiang's face was turning blue from the cold, Wu Xiu said, "Sister-in-law, boil some ginger water; it will help dispel the cold."

When they were packing, they made sure to bring all the mutated ginger with them.

Yuan Ying agreed: "Okay."

After discussing it, the families decided to share one-third of their quilts to lay on the ground as mattresses.

The Jiang family members were dressed quite warmly, and apart from their exposed feet and heads being a little cold, they didn't suffer much.

But Han Lei's underlings were different. Their faces were as red as apples from the cold, and their teeth chattered as they spoke. They looked like they were freezing.

Ye Qingyun counted in his mind.

Old Jiang's family has fifteen members, Niu's family has three, and Han Lei's side, according to the younger brother named Asong, includes A Yu and the others who went out to help look for people, making a total of nine people.

Finally, with the addition of Grandpa Lin, there are a total of twenty-eight people.

Their large family is equivalent to several other households in terms of size.

With so many people, even if each quilt is 1.5 meters wide, it would still take 6 or 7 quilts to be laid out.

With limited resources, Liu Xu and Asong swept the dust off the ground with their sleeves, while Ye Qingyun and Yuan Ying spread out the spare quilts and old blankets, piling up a large patch of colorful mattresses.

Liu Xu was thoughtful; noticing that some of the mattresses were too thin, she added a layer of leaves underneath to prevent them from getting sore.

Then he told Niu Dali and several children to roll up their thick clothes and use them as pillows.

Although the freshly laid-out mattress quickly became chilly, it was much warmer than sitting directly on the ground, and it felt soft and comfortable underfoot.

Jiang He waved his hand and shooed the children to the bed.

Jiang Si and Niu Xiaolu, the two little guys, rolled around on the long and wide communal bed, poking and scratching each other, their faces beaming with undisguised excitement.

The adults saw it but didn't do anything about it.

It's good that kids are young and sometimes don't know things.

Yuan Ying and Ye Qingyun collected thermos flasks and kettles from several households, and then squeezed into the fire with their small pots.

The fire was now surrounded by people.

There were also quite a few people queuing up to boil water.

I wonder when it will be their turn.

Ye Qingyun was anxious, so he gritted his teeth and said to the people in front of him, "Excuse me, could you please let us boil some water first? My family is planning to make some ginger water, and we'll share some with each of you."

When everyone heard that there was ginger water, who wouldn't want it?

Some people noticed that the pot in Ye Qingyun's hand was small and even said, "My pot is big, use ours."

Ye Qingyun didn't take it to heart.

Anyway, after the ginger mutated, it became spicier, so you don't need much even when cooking a big pot.

Ye Qingyun simply used a knife to cut a few slices of the large piece of ginger he had brought and threw them in.

The pungent aroma of the mutated ginger wafted out instantly, spreading with the heat.

The people around the fire stared intently at the pot, watching the ginger bubbling in the water, their throats involuntarily moving as they watched.

When everyone caught a glimpse of the mole fur coats wrapped around Ye Qingyun and Yuan Ying, their expressions changed immediately—this family is really wealthy!

Many people turned to look at the Jiang family's territory and saw a huge open space with a large family crammed together. They were all secretly amazed: Goodness, there are so many people here!

Yuan Ying, who was standing next to her, didn't rest either, but kept boiling water in the small pot one pot after another.

It was so cold that day; the fire looked to be burning brightly, but the flames were weak and listless.

Yuan Ying suspected that if the soldiers hadn't poured gasoline inside beforehand, the fire might not have been able to start.

Fortunately, the pot she was using was small, and she could boil a pot of water in 7 or 8 minutes.

She carefully poured the water from the pot into the thermos, finally feeling a little more at ease.

The water was from a stockpile I brought from home.

Once this water runs out, we can only hope for relief from the base.

We don't know how things will turn out then, so we should save as much as we can now.

Ye Qingyun's ginger water quickly boiled, the spicy steam rising with the moisture. The people around the fire were quite considerate, taking out their own bowls and lining up.

Some greedy people turned around and ran back to get a thermos, and several almost got into an argument over it.

Ye Qingyun shook his head as he looked at the scene—these people who used to live in Block B and seemed quite respectable were now making such a fuss over a bowl of ginger water.

She packed out her own portion first, and didn't plan to bother with the rest.

After the two of them filled their water bottles, they returned to the dormitory.

By now, Wu Xiu and the others had already put everything away properly. On the laid-out mat, thick cotton quilts were stacked layer upon layer, most of which Xu Na and the others had hurriedly sewn earlier. They were made with ample material and had dense stitches, making them look sturdy.

When it was hot a while ago, these quilts were stored at the bottom of the trunk and not used, so they didn't seem particularly special. But now that the temperature has dropped, the mutated cotton filling inside has really shown its value—each quilt seems to have its own warmth, and as soon as you cover yourself with it, a warm feeling immediately seeps into your bones, making you feel comfortable all over.

Ah Song looked at the few quilts he had finally managed to get a couple of days ago, and his face flushed slightly. Their quilts were thin and small, and it felt like they weren't covered at all; they didn't keep them warm at all.

Previously, I thought that my eldest brother was helping the Jiang family by rushing to them as soon as he received the news.

Now it seems that we weren't helping them at all; they were the ones who benefited the most.

Jiang Wen didn't notice their inner grumbling. He only noticed that they were dressed in thin clothes and their noses were red from the cold. He called out, "Ah Song, you guys quickly get under the covers and warm up. Don't catch a cold. Getting sick at this critical time is no joke."

Hearing this, Ah Song and the others felt warm inside and nodded in agreement.

They rubbed their hands, which were stiff from the cold, and carefully sat down next to the quilt. As soon as they put their legs under the quilt, they were enveloped by the thick warmth, and their shivering bodies immediately warmed up.

Jiang Wen laughed and said, "How about it? Are our quilts alright?"

Ah Song blushed and scratched his head: "Brother Wen, this... I'm taking advantage of you guys."

Jiang Wen waved his hand and laughed: "What are you talking about? We're all living together, it's only right that we help each other out. Hurry up and warm up, we still have to stay up tonight."

Looking at the heavy cotton quilt covering them, and then thinking about their own thin, see-through quilts, the group felt both grateful and embarrassed. They secretly felt that following their leader and relying on the Jiang family, this "big tree," was definitely the right thing to do.

As soon as Ye Qingyun returned, he handed the ginger tea to the two elderly people.

"Come over here and have some ginger tea first, then we'll get busy later."

Perhaps because Grandma Jiang was worried about Jiang Hai and his son, she seemed a little downcast.

Ye Qingyun saw this and secretly prayed that the old man wouldn't make any mistakes at this critical juncture.

Grandpa Lin picked up the bowl and took a sip of ginger water. The spicy warmth slid down his throat and instantly dispelled the bone-chilling cold from his body.

Grandma Jiang also mustered her spirits and drank a small sip of half a bowl.

Everyone present drank a bowl, and their bodies, which had been frozen stiff, seemed to be warmed up, giving them an instant feeling of crawling out of an ice cellar and coming back to life.

Grandpa Lin lifted his eyelids and looked at Grandma Jiang, his tone calm but with a hint of advice: "Young lady, you have to hold on now, don't let the children be distracted and overworked because of you."

Grandma Jiang's heart skipped a beat. Indeed, this was the most crucial moment. If she were to collapse, she would only become a burden to her children, making their lives even more difficult.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her dejection, and said in a hoarse voice, "Thank you, brother."

Grandpa Lin gave a noncommittal "hmm" and looked away.

Seeing this, Ye Qingyun looked at Grandpa Lin with gratitude.

It's best to say this to someone of the same generation.

After everyone present had a sip of ginger tea and felt a warmth spreading through their bodies, Ye Qingyun turned around and stuffed the military water bottles filled with hot water into the bedding one by one.

In this way, even if the night is very cold, there will still be some warmth in the quilt, allowing you to stay warm and get through the long night.

Asong and his fellow young men, having just warmed up, couldn't wait to find some work to do.

Even though I'm only staying here for a few days, I still have to deal with all the mundane things like eating, drinking, and using the restroom. I can't just sit around waiting around.

Wu Xiu was filled with anxiety. She was afraid that if she stopped, she would start to overthink and worry about her husband who was away. She was also afraid that if the storm really came, something might go wrong. So she decided to take advantage of her energy now and quickly pack up the food she had and make it into dry rations, so that she could feel more at ease.

Seeing this, Liu Xu also came over to help. She rummaged through her luggage and took out fifty catties of coarse grains. Together with Wu Xiu, they started to prepare steamed rice.

Using fire is difficult enough at this time, so there's no need to break things down into multiple attempts if it can be done in one go. Fortunately, the pot that Liu Xu's family brought was big enough to cook a lot of rice, which came in handy.

Many others shared their thoughts. Before long, a number of pots were set up close around the fire, and everyone was busy preparing nutritious rations.

Looking at the lively yet chaotic scene, Ye Qingyun suggested, "If this continues, we'll have to queue up every time we need fire, which is too inconvenient. Why don't we send someone over there to reserve a spot?"

Jiang Jun immediately replied, "I'll go." He has difficulty walking and can't do heavy work, but staying in his position is just right, and he can also help everyone share the burden.

Ah Song and the other young men stared wide-eyed as the Jiang family sprinkled minced meat into their rice, their Adam's apples bobbing as they secretly swallowed.

They were secretly worried: they had actually stockpiled a fair amount of food, but there were too many of them, all big, hungry teenagers who could eat a lot. And this cold snap had come so suddenly; they had already used up some of their stored food to bribe officials, so how could they dare to eat whatever they had left?

Suppressing his cravings, Ah Song nervously asked Wu Xiu, "Auntie, have we been eating dry food these past few days?"

Wu Xiu said with a smile, "On such a cold day, you have to eat dry food to stave off hunger, otherwise your stomach will feel empty and your body will be unable to withstand the cold."

The blond-haired young man next to Ah Song blushed and scratched his head awkwardly: "Auntie, we...we don't really like eating rice. We'll just cook something for ourselves these next few days. No need to trouble you."

Wu Xiu, who had been feeling heavy-hearted, couldn't help but laugh out loud upon hearing this. Someone who doesn't like eating rice? She didn't believe that excuse. Looking at the young men's embarrassed expressions, she said bluntly, "You guys, don't play dumb with me. Are you just being stingy with your food and unwilling to eat it?"

Ah Song and the others, having their secrets exposed, looked at each other, blushed, and lowered their heads, too embarrassed to respond.

Wu Xiu waved her hand: "Alright, alright, it's no big deal. Just eat with us these next few days, don't be shy. If you feel bad about it, then help take care of the children and the elderly, it'll be a small favor."

The young people were secretly delighted.

"Then, let's get to work now."

He hurriedly left the dormitory to find something to do.

Wu Xiu found it quite amusing.

In the midst of the chaos, seven or eight soldiers appeared out of nowhere, each carrying firewood, and methodically added fuel to the fire.

Upon seeing them, everyone felt as if they had found their pillar of support and rushed forward, asking questions all at once:

"Comrade, how's it outside? When can we get out?"

"I got separated from my family. He was assigned to Zone 3. Could you ask him to come and meet me here?"

Someone else asked anxiously, "Comrade, my stomach hurts terribly, where's the nearest toilet?"

The soldiers were instantly surrounded.

The leading officer frowned, spoke in a deep voice, clear and forceful: "Just listen to the broadcasts for the latest information on the cold wave. Don't spread rumors or ask unnecessary questions. In this special period, being separated for a few days is nothing. Arrangements will be made once the situation stabilizes. As for the toilets, the base will set up temporary ones in each area immediately. If you need them urgently, go to the area supervisor to get a leaf bag to use temporarily."

His few words were clear and logical, instantly calming the crowd's panic.

Sure enough, not long after, several more soldiers came carrying tools and began to build a makeshift dry toilet.

They deftly unfolded the folding frame, and the canvas was quickly spread out, creating a semi-enclosed cubicle in no time. Several huge, unidentifiable leaves were used to completely surround the toilet. Then a wooden bucket was placed inside, and finally someone tied a red ribbon next to it as a marker. The temporary toilet was then set up.

In each area, there are about two such simple dry toilets every hundred meters, and they are thoughtfully separated for men and women for everyone's convenience.

Yuan Ying wanted to cover her nose when she saw it.

"With so many people using this toilet, it must smell awful!"

Fortunately, the toilet wasn't on their side.

Ah Song's company had produced these kinds of dry toilets before, so he said with a smile, "Auntie, the leaves surrounding the dry toilet have a deodorizing effect."

What kind of plant is this?

"They are the leaves of a mutated five-colored flower."

Jiang Wen immediately recognized it; it was Lantana camara. When he was a child, he would often encounter this plant while searching for wild fruits in the mountains; its leaves had a pungent, foul odor. He was both amused and exasperated: "This is clearly using stench to mask stench!"

Ye Qingyun looked at the outhouse, which was set up like a rectangular tent, and thought to herself that she should build one for her family so that she wouldn't have to squeeze in with everyone else. When she shared her idea, everyone nodded in agreement.

Ah Song immediately suggested, "Then let's go ahead and ask the soldiers for some leaves of the five-colored flower!"

As soon as they finished speaking, the group darted off like a gust of wind to strike up a conversation with the soldiers in the front row.

Ye Qingyun asked Jiang Jun to take the tent out of the space device.

Those around were stunned.

—This family even has a space device!

It's worth noting that even officials in the base might not possess such a thing. The way everyone looked at the Jiang family instantly changed, showing a mix of shock, envy, and a barely perceptible sense of awe.

Even when they go to boil water or cook something, there's a subtle hint that they should let the other people line up first.

Ye Qingyun didn't intend to be too high-profile, so he only set up a side-lying area, 1.5 meters wide. The soldiers stationed nearby didn't say anything when they saw it.

At this point, everyone is relying on their own abilities to overcome the difficulties.

I don't know how Ah Song and the other young men communicated with people, but they actually managed to get them to bring back quite a few leaves of the five-colored flower.

Not only that, they also brought back some odor-proof mud and sand that had been specially treated at the base.

The problem of going to the toilet was solved in no time.

After resolving the issues that guaranteed his survival, Ye Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief.

The luggage of several families was piled up by the bed, covered with sheets. Someone's shoes were left on the side, and someone's clothes were thrown in the middle. It was messy, but it exuded a genuine sense of solidarity and mutual support.

After quickly setting up makeshift dry toilets in each area, the soldiers also deftly erected two-meter-high towers next to each campfire.

They gestured for the people sitting around the fire to step back 1.5 meters to maintain a safe distance.

After a fist-sized red stone was placed steadily on top of the tower, the fire below suddenly exploded with a "bang," the flames leaped high and fiercely, and the fire instantly became scorching, with sparks crackling and flying even further.

In just a short while, the cold air in the underground space was torn open, and the people who were originally frozen stiff gradually warmed up. Their hands and feet, which had been numb from the cold, began to regain feeling, and even the air seemed to be heated up by the raging fire.

"What kind of device is this?"

"That stone should be a fire-type ore, and the device is probably for increasing firepower."

With these devices, everyone's tense hearts were finally at ease.

It seems that even in an emergency, the base is still prepared.

Jiang Si and Niu Xiaolu rolled around twice on the quilts of the dormitory bed. The warm air enveloped their bodies, and smiles finally appeared on the two children's red faces from the cold.

Jiang Si curled up and lay down beside Grandma Jiang's legs, tilting her little face up and saying in a childish voice, "Great-Grandma, don't worry, Great-Grandpa and Grandpa will be back soon."

Niu Xiaolu quickly joined in, nodding vigorously in support: "That's right! Great-Grandpa and Grandpa will definitely be back soon! Great-Grandma, don't worry!"

Grandma Jiang felt a warm glow in her heart, as if a stove had been placed on it. She reached out and stroked the two children's fluffy heads, her voice soft and gentle: "Okay, Grandma isn't worried."

Her gaze drifted involuntarily to the ceiling in the distance.

Now, all we're waiting for is for Grandpa Jiang and Uncle Jiang to return.

*

On the other side, Han Lei and his henchmen had just stepped into District 4 when they were met with a scene that left them feeling suffocated.

The area here was significantly more crowded than Zones 1-3. The narrow passageways were packed with families, and old luggage and pots and pans were piled up everywhere on the ground, making it difficult to even find a place to step. The air was filled with a mixture of smells, and in the distance, one could hear children crying and adults arguing, creating a chaotic mess, like an overturned beehive.

"Boss, what do we do? There are so many people crammed together, it's impossible to find anything!" The younger brother, A-Ming, frowned, his voice full of anxiety.

My worries grew stronger—could it be that Ayu and the others really missed it?

Han Lei didn't say anything, but just squinted and scanned the crowd.

But in this dense crowd, not only were there no signs of Grandpa Jiang and Jiang Hai, but even his underling A Yu was nowhere to be seen.

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Search carefully again. Let's split up and meet back here in fifteen minutes to go to the next district."

The henchmen scattered in response, weaving through the crowd like casting a net. However, when they reunited a quarter of an hour later, their faces all showed the same disappointment—the area remained a fruitless harvest.

"Boss, the next one is District 7." A henchman's face turned pale. "I heard it's really chaotic there. There was almost a stampede just now, and several people were injured."

Han Lei knew that Zones 7-9 were the largest area in the underground air-raid shelter, but they were also crammed with the most people. If it weren't for some residents still stranded in the mining area, the air-raid shelter would have been bursting at the seams long ago, and there wouldn't have been enough room for so many people.

But there was no other way at the moment, so they had to bite the bullet and search each district one by one. They searched from District 4 to District 6, leaving no corner unchecked, but they still couldn't find those familiar figures.

Han Lei's brows furrowed more and more, and his heart felt as if it were being weighed down by something, sinking little by little.

"Let's go check out District 7."

*

Meanwhile, a biting wind howled from the watchtowers on the city wall, where several ice-type mutants gripped their binoculars, their eyes fixed intently on the direction of the Qiling Mountains.

"How's the situation?" a level four ice-type mutant asked in a low voice.

The lead mutant frowned, his eyes behind his glasses revealing a grave expression: "The situation is not optimistic. The intensity of this cold wave far exceeds expectations. Mutants below level four simply cannot withstand it. We must immediately send a message—tell them all to evacuate to the underground bunkers!"

He paused, his voice heavy: "We can't stay here any longer; we must find somewhere to hide as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

"We'll report it right away!"

Upon receiving the order, the mutants quickly evacuated through the passages inside the city walls.

In just a moment, the cold wind swept across the empty city walls, leaving only the howling wind echoing between the watchtowers, a deathly silence.

At this moment, the top of the Qiling Mountains is covered in a vast expanse of white.

Suddenly, the sky seemed to have burst open like an ice cellar, and a biting cold wave poured down through the tear.

The biting cold wave, like a torrent bursting its banks, poured wildly down through the gaping wound.

Wherever it passed, the vegetation was instantly covered with thick ice, the rocks cracked from freezing, and even the air froze in the extreme cold, leaving only the crackling sound of ice in the world.

The cold current flowing from top to bottom, carrying a silent sense of oppression, was slowly spreading inch by inch towards the base.

Forty minutes later, the cold current, which had already condensed into a massive force, finally arrived silently at the perimeter of the base, enveloping it like an invisible giant hand.

Soon, the cold mist slowly rolled over the collection area.

The low temperature froze all living things.

The mutated plant instantly froze into ice crystals, its leaves rustling as they fell to the ground.

The sharp-toothed rabbit, its ears perked up as it emerged from the ground, probably sensing something was wrong. It took two quick steps, pushing off with its hind legs, and just as it plunged half its body into the burrow entrance, a blast of cold air swept over it. Its exposed rump froze into a gray blob, its hind legs still in the pushing position, and even the tip of its tail was covered in frost. It remained frozen in place at the burrow entrance.

The few people who hadn't returned to the city from the collection area saw the cold air approaching from afar, like a wall of gray dust, and their legs went weak.

Before I even got close, the fine hairs on my face frosted over, and my fingers were so stiff I couldn't bend them.

"Run! That man-eating white fog is catching up!" someone shouted at the top of their lungs, their voice trembling from the cold.

The men in front ignored the food in their baskets and rushed towards the base, their trousers splattered with frost as they ran.

The cold front, accompanied by a howling wind, was closing in from behind. The roadside weeds froze instantly into icicles. The last runner, his ankles ripped by the icy wind, cried out "Ouch!" and stumbled, scrambling to catch up: "Don't wait for me! Charge! Save as many as you can!"

...

This scenario occurred in every collection area.

Who could have imagined that when I left home in the morning, I didn't even have time to say a proper goodbye to my family before rushing into the collection area? This ordinary farewell turned into a final goodbye that I would never see them again.

When the cold wave reaches the base's city walls.

The iron sheeting at the base of the wall froze and cracked, with ice crystals spreading upwards and even seeping out through the cracks in the brickwork.

Then, the visible white mist swirled along the base of the wall, even covering the warning lights on the wall with a layer of frost.

The hundred-meter-long city wall effectively blocked the first wave of the biting cold air, freezing a hard shell of ice on its surface, preventing the base from freezing into ice crystals immediately.

But it continued to spread into the base with a force capable of destroying everything.

In an instant, the entire base turned into a giant icebox.

The clothes drying in the yard froze solid overnight, and all the open water pipes cracked from the cold, with ice shards sticking out along the cracks like a layer of white coral.

Before long, the cold front, accompanied by white vapor, rushed towards the main square.

First, the water on the ground froze into fine white ice crystals, then the dampness from the cracks in the ground condensed into frost flowers, which spread little by little along the lines, making a rustling sound.

In the blink of an eye, the ground emitted a cold, hard white light, and even the air seemed to freeze and tighten.

The freezing force pressed down instantly, and the temperature inside the air-raid shelter plummeted to minus fifty-seven degrees Celsius—and that was even with the thick ground barrier in between.

The concrete ceiling overhead was quickly covered with a layer of white frost, which then formed an ice shell, with cold air seeping down piece by piece. The once bright incandescent light bulbs began to flicker wildly, and the wiring, which had long been frozen and shrunken, crackled and hissed unsteadily.

The noise that had been filling the air-raid shelter seemed to freeze. The chatter gradually subsided, and the footsteps and coughs grew fainter and fainter until only the flickering of the light bulb remained, slowly sinking into the biting silence.

The leader's voice came through the loudspeaker, unusually urgent despite the crackling sound of electricity:

"Urgent Notice! Urgent Notice! A cold wave has arrived! The ground temperature has dropped to -106 degrees Celsius!"

"All soldiers, listen to my command—hold the line to the death! Do not allow even an inch of the cold air to seep into the room!!"

"Attention all personnel! Remain calm and do not panic! Immediately check your warm clothing and make sure you are prepared for the cold!!!"

Everyone's hearts were in their throats again.

soon.

The icy air, carrying snowflakes, seeped into the underground air-raid shelter through the cracks at the entrance, darting deeper as if it had eyes.

Wherever the white mist passed, everything was encased in an ice shell, frozen solid.

The once blazing fire seemed to have been pinched hard by something; the flames shrank and the fire weakened significantly.

The warmth that had just risen in the air-raid shelter was instantly sucked away, and the temperature began to drop little by little, with the chill creeping in through the cuffs and collar.

Seeing that things were not going well, Ye Qingyun immediately shouted, "Quick! Everyone hide under the covers!"

Everyone then snapped out of their daze, forgetting all manner of etiquette, and rushed to the edge of the communal sleeping area, pulling back the covers and crawling inside.

Several people huddled together, wrapping the quilts tightly around their bodies, almost burying their heads in them, hoping that the thin layer of cotton could block the biting cold and prevent them from getting seriously ill from the cold.

Ye Qingyun instructed, "Mom, Uncle Lin, if you feel too cold to bear it, don't force yourself. Just tell me! I have some ginger water here!"