Chen Yu and Lin Lele struggled alone through the snowy plains.
At this moment, the entire snowfield was completely silent, like a dead land.
But Chen Yu knew that beneath this snowfield lay a secluded paradise in an extremely cold, post-apocalyptic world.
Just as she was thinking this, suddenly, the snow under Lin Lele's feet began to sink rapidly, as if an invisible trap had opened its mouth in an instant.
Lin Lele screamed in terror, quickly lost her balance, and fell downwards.
Chen Yu reacted quickly and grabbed Lin Lele's hand, but the swallowing power of the snow was beyond imagination. He was also pulled forward, and the two of them fell into this unknown abyss together.
Their descent accelerated, the surrounding darkness surging in like a tide, the only sounds the howling wind and the rustling of the snow. Chen Yu struggled with all his might to stabilize them, but his efforts seemed utterly insignificant in the face of this irresistible force.
Just as Lin Lele was in despair, their bodies suddenly stopped and they fell onto a thick layer of snow.
The surroundings were still pitch black, but their bodies had stopped falling.
Lin Lele was panting heavily, her heart pounding like a drum, and she clung tightly to Chen Yu.
"Alright, we're safe now," Chen Yu said softly, trying to comfort him.
Although Chen Yu's voice was soft, it carried an undeniable firmness, as if infusing Lin Lele with an invisible force.
She gradually loosened her grip, her gaze searching the darkness for a glimmer of light or a sign of an exit.
Just then, a bright light suddenly appeared in front of them, accompanied by a cacophony of voices: "Quick, follow us! We have to put the roof back on before the people outside find out!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu and Lin Lele looked up ahead and, through the light in each other's hands, they discovered that they were in an open passageway under the snow.
The two of them noticed the newcomer, and the newcomer naturally noticed them as well.
The people inside were even more shocked than the two of them to see that someone had broken in.
Several people dressed in heavy winter clothing and wearing masks quickly surrounded them, carrying tools such as shovels, their eyes filled with vigilance.
One of the men, who appeared to be the leader, was holding a flashlight and slowly approached. His voice, coming through his mask, sounded both serious and tinged with doubt: "Who are you? Why are you here?"
Chen Yu first patted Lin Lele's arm, signaling her to stay calm, then took a deep breath and said to the leader, "My wife and I came from Zhongyang. We ran out of food at home and couldn't survive. We heard there was a place called 'Fire Seed Base' in Rongdu that could provide shelter and food, so we traveled all the way here, but we never expected..."
At this point, Chen Yu revealed a bitter expression.
Upon hearing this, the leader frowned and gave a look to his two companions, a man and a woman, who understood immediately.
He then cautiously approached Chen Yu and Lin Lele, and began to grope them.
Shortly afterward, the two shook their heads at the leader.
The leader breathed a slight sigh of relief upon seeing this, and then said to Chen Yu and the other person, "You must have accidentally stepped into the hollow layer above, which is why you fell here."
Chen Yu nodded thoughtfully, then asked hopefully, "Excuse me, is this the Fire Seed Base?"
“To compare this place to a cradle of revolution is an insult to this place!” A burly man suddenly interrupted sharply, his eyes revealing an undeniable authority.
Chen Yu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then said apologetically, "I'm so sorry to have caused you trouble."
Upon seeing this, the burly man's expression softened slightly, but he remained vigilant.
The leader waved his hand, indicating that the burly man didn't need to be too nervous, and then explained to Chen Yu and Lin Lele, "This is not the Fire Seed Base, but our village."
Lin Lele asked suspiciously, "Village? You call this a village? I..."
"Ahem!" Chen Yu coughed lightly, interrupting Lin Lele, "In that case, we won't disturb you any longer. Let's leave now."
"Get out?" The burly man sneered. "You've discovered the secrets of our Wenshui Village, and you think you can leave? Are you going to go out and report back?"
"What do you mean by that?" Chen Yu feigned fear. "What do you want to do?"
“You two need not panic.” The leader spoke up at the right time. His voice was relatively gentle, trying to soothe Chen Yu and Lin Lele’s tension. “With natural disasters happening and the world in chaos, people’s hearts are unpredictable. Our Wenshui Village does not want to cause trouble. Now that you have fallen into our village, it is definitely not possible for you to get out.”
"Well then, since you've come to our Wenshui Village, it's a kind of fate. Since you've fled here, why don't you stay in our village for the time being and help us with some chores? We'll provide you with food and drink, and once things have calmed down, we'll discuss your future. How about that?"
The leader proposed a compromise, his eyes filled with a hint of probing.
Chen Yu and Lin Lele looked at each other in bewilderment upon hearing this.
“Village chief, no, these two outsiders could be a huge threat to our village if they have ill intentions!” The burly man objected again, his tone filled with unwavering determination.
The leader, the village chief the burly man had mentioned, frowned and said, "Then what do you suggest we do? Are we supposed to kill them to protect our village's secret?"
The burly man paused slightly upon hearing this, opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing.
The village chief turned to look at Chen Yu and Lin Lele, his eyes revealing a hint of gentleness: "You two can stay in our Wenshui Village for now. However, for the safety of our village, you need to abide by our village rules. We will arrange for someone to observe you for a period of time, and only after we confirm that you are fine will you be officially integrated into the village."
"This..." Chen Yu's face showed a troubled expression.
"Hehe, don't worry. Although the conditions in our Wenshui Village aren't great right now, compared to the Fire Seed Base you're going to, it's like paradise. At least here, you can still have enough to eat and drink while preserving your dignity as a human being," the village chief said meaningfully.
"Then, thank you very much, Village Chief." Chen Yu nodded slightly to express his gratitude.
At Chen Yu's prompting, Lin Lele also cast a grateful glance at the village chief.
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