As the weather gets hotter, power outages become more and more frequent, from 3-6 hours of fixed-point power outages during the day at the beginning, to power outages both day and night for more than twelve hours, to less than three hours of power supply a day. The scorching heat and constant power outages finally broke down people's psychological defenses.
S Province, to which Xingcheng belongs, was originally a major electricity-producing province in Country Z, mainly because S Province has many rivers and many power stations built by power companies are mainly hydropower stations. However, since the global warming began in June, two months have passed, and except for a small amount of rainfall in the North Pacific, the rest of the place has been hot.
Such abnormal climate has caused a large amount of melting of polar glaciers, exposing many ancient dangerous viruses. However, the sea level has not risen as climate experts said, but has continued to drop instead.
The water levels of land rivers around the world are also declining, and even many river tributaries and small and medium-sized lakes have dried up.
As a province that relies on hydropower to generate electricity, S Province, in the case of a water shortage, has no way of supplying electricity to the province's nearly 80 million people, except for supplying electricity to other provinces that lack water resources in accordance with the original national plan.
The consequences of drying up water sources are fatal. Insufficient power supply means that ordinary families cannot turn on fans and air conditioners to cool down. Many elderly people and children cannot withstand the high temperatures and are constantly sent to hospitals with symptoms of heat stroke and heat stroke. Most of them are sent to the hospital because their body temperatures are as high as over 42 degrees, causing multiple body functions to fail, leading to complications and death.
After the high temperature lasted for two months, the rivers dried up and domestic water became increasingly scarce. From the unlimited use of tap water in the beginning, to the opening of designated water sources in each street community, to the water plant drying up and being unable to supply water, almost every household was cut off from water supply and could only rely on the water stored by the state, and to collect or deliver a small amount of drinking water at designated locations every day to maintain life.
Many families have many people and often do not have enough water. Dehydration caused by lack of water, including chapped lips, weak limbs, fainting, crazy craving for water, and even death, has become a nightmare for people.
If the lack of water and electricity has made people feel that they cannot survive, then the lack of water and drought that causes crops to wither and die in large areas and result in no harvest, thus causing food shortages and soaring prices. People cannot buy food even if they have money. Every day, they are either on their way to grab enough supplies from major supermarkets, or waiting for group buying at designated locations on their mobile phones. They can never get more than others, and have to watch the food slip away and become someone else's meal, leaving them hungry. This is a new nightmare for people.
The above situations are just what happened in their country, and people may not panic. After all, Country Z will never abandon its people. No matter what happens, the people of Country Z always believe that with the country's strong background strength and scientific research technology, all problems will be solved sooner or later.
Many years ago, during the viral outbreak known to the world, the Z government, with its great appeal and cohesion, made the entire country press the pause button, and the people stayed at home to cooperate with the epidemic prevention and control. The epidemic, which was originally a life-threatening situation, was brought under control in a short period of time.
The virus vaccine developed by the relevant departments of country z at an extremely fast speed has made people no longer afraid of the virus. Although everyone has been wearing masks in those years and all walks of life have been affected, the virus has disappeared today and people are eating, drinking and having fun as usual, which is enough to show the country's strength and means.
But now the high temperature continues and the phenomenon of water drying up is not just happening in Country Z, but is happening in more than 190 countries around the world.
Although Country Z began to block negative news from other countries more than a month ago, netizens with technology and interest can still obtain the latest news from abroad through various channels.
Various discussions and posts about natural disasters and doomsday are emerging one after another, people are in panic, rumors are spreading, and the Internet police cannot delete them all.
Even those middle-aged and elderly grandpas and grandmas who rarely use the Internet have noticed that something is wrong. Some have followed the young people in a frantic rush to buy supplies. Some have ignored the local government's dissuasion and went to the river to fetch dirty water for their children and grandchildren. Some elderly people who think that the prices in the city are too high, and that the water, electricity and heat are too severe and that staying in the city will only lead to death have to pack up their bags with their whole family, and insist on walking back to the countryside when most train stations are closed...
There was chaos and panic everywhere, hospitals were overcrowded, and family members were crying while holding the bodies of their dead relatives.
The end of the world is approaching.
That night, Si Nan was awakened by the heat.
I don't know when the power went out at home, and the room was dark. After the air conditioner stopped, the room was like a big steamer. Si Nan was so hot that her whole body was covered in sweat, as if she had been washed by water. The sticky and burning feeling made her breathless.
Sinan got up from the sofa on the right side of the living room in a daze, and wanted to get up to turn on the switch of another solar generator line. As soon as he got up, he heard a "beep" sound from the air conditioner in the living room. The air conditioner and a standing fan started to turn, making a slight buzzing sound in the quiet space.
The cool breeze sobered Si Nan up. She sat on the sofa and looked at the tall, thin figure walking out of the kitchen. "Su Ming, when did the power go out? Why does it feel even hotter than the previous night's power outage?"
"It was out for less than a minute. I just checked the temperature on my phone and it's close to fifty degrees." Cheng Suming handed her a glass of cold boiled water and sat on the sofa opposite her. "This power outage is the same as the previous few days. The power supply company did not notify us in advance. I guess the water source has dried up and the power grid is about to collapse."
Si Nan gulped down the water in the cup in one gulp, feeling the pores of his hot body relax, and sighed comfortably: "The high temperature has lasted for nearly two months, and most of the water in S Province is close to drying up. Even though the country recently ordered S Province to stop external power transmission and let other provinces use other electricity for rescue, that little bit of electricity is undoubtedly a drop in the bucket. High temperatures are a global natural disaster. You can save others but not yourself. Now everyone has to clean up the snow in front of their own door. It's only a matter of time before the power grid collapses."
Cheng Suming looked serious. "If that's the case, we have to prepare to stay indoors. After the power grid is paralyzed, water and power shortages, soaring prices, and food shortages will make people emotional and make them do extreme things, which will lead to crimes, robberies, fights, and other violence and chaos. Excessive temperatures can also burn the skin, causing severe heatstroke and death from heat stroke. Unless there are special circumstances, we should stay at home."
Si Nan frowned, "Didn't you say yesterday that Cheng Wei was going to move to Shenxian Garden? Our things are all in the space. It's not a big problem when it's just the two of us. But if Cheng Wei moves in, she'll have to come to our house. I still have to go out tomorrow and buy two large freezers to put in the living room, specifically to store large ice cubes. Food and drinking water should also be placed in another small bedroom, so that we can explain where our food and cooling things will come from. I also have to go to the gas company when I have time and buy more gas cylinders to store them, in case the gas is cut off again and I can't cook."
The Cheng family is a large family. Cheng Wei's parents work in the capital of Country Z all year round. She is not very familiar with Cheng's father and mother. Cheng Wei likes Xingcheng very much for its beautiful scenery, pleasant climate, and many delicious snacks. She has been independent since she was a child and has been clamoring to live in Xingcheng for a long time. Cheng Wei's parents couldn't do anything about her, so they handed Cheng Wei to Old Lady Cheng in Xingcheng to take care of her when she was very young.
Cheng Suming and Cheng Jindong's relationship broke down, but until he was fully grown, he had to rely on their money to survive.
In order to create the illusion of a loving father and a filial son to the world, no matter how much he didn't want to see each other, every holiday season, Cheng Suming would accompany Cheng Jindong and his wife to the central city of another wealthy area in Xingcheng to visit and give gifts to Old Lady Cheng.
Cheng Wei is eight years younger than Cheng Suming. When they first met, Cheng Wei was only five years old and Cheng Suming was already a thirteen-year-old boy.
Cheng Wei liked this clean, gentle, handsome and somewhat gloomy cousin very much. Seeing Cheng Suming often hiding in the corner of the Cheng family garden and looking depressed, the young girl would always think of ways to make him happy.
No matter how much Cheng Suming hated Cheng Jindong and his wife, he could not refuse the affection of little Cheng Wei. Cheng Wei and Xia Mengmeng had similar personalities, both were lively, cheerful, simple and kind. Over the years, in order to make up for his guilt, he treated Cheng Wei as a real sister and always treated her well.
After being reborn, as one of the few relatives and friends he cares about, he always reminds Cheng Wei about natural disasters and doomsday.
Cheng Wei didn't believe it at first, but Si Nan's words overlapped with his, planting the seeds of doubt in her heart. Her parents are researchers at a technology company in the capital, often participating in major national research projects, and have certain inside information. Coupled with the abnormally high temperature, Cheng Wei, who originally lived in the university dormitory to experience college life, decided to move directly to the community where her cousin Cheng Suming lived after discussing with her parents.
In order to get rid of Cheng Suming, the big trouble, and avoid being gossiped about, Cheng Jindong and his wife bought 1501 of nearly 300 square meters in the newly developed Shenxianyuan in Xingcheng, and carried out luxurious decoration, making it a veritable "luxury house".
Cheng Wei, who came to watch, was really envious for a long time. She turned around and asked her parents and Old Mrs. Cheng to buy her a house like that, preferably next to her brother. The three of them couldn't persuade her, so they could only nod and agree.
Cheng Wei's house is at 1503, on the right side of Cheng Suming's house, with a passage in the middle. When it was first renovated, Cheng Wei was only fifteen years old and had been studying at school. Cheng Wei's parents worked far away in the capital and had no time to decorate the house.
Old Mrs. Cheng decorated Cheng Wei's house into a 'Qianlong' style flower house according to her own preferences, which was both rustic and luxurious. Cheng Wei's heart was broken, but she couldn't refuse Old Mrs. Cheng's kindness. Over the years, she would rather live in the Cheng family's old house or the school dormitory, and occasionally live in Cheng Suming's house, but never live in her own house.
When Cheng Wei proposed to move next door, Cheng Suming was not too surprised. He just greeted Si Nan in advance.
Si Nan had no objection of course. She liked Cheng Wei very much and was happy to be her neighbor so that they could take care of each other.
Early the next morning, before daybreak, Cheng Suming was awakened by the chickens and geese on the balcony.
Si Nan was still sleeping soundly. In order not to wake her up, he got up quietly, walked to the balcony in the dark, opened a small piece of heat-insulating sunshade cloth on the roof, let some light in, and provided light for the fruits, vegetables, chickens and geese planted by Si Nan on the balcony to photosynthesize. Then he turned around to feed the chickens and geese, pour water for them, and clean up their feces.
The chickens and geese had something to eat and soon quieted down.
Ever since the high temperature continued to rise, the owners of Shenxianyuan could not stand the hot weather and were thinking of ways to build awnings and paste thermal insulation films for their homes. Cheng Suming no longer waited and nailed the fire-proof, waterproof and heat-proof military sunshade cloth that Sinan had bought at a high price to all the window glasses from the balcony to the house, and insulated them with three layers inside and three layers outside. The temperature in the house dropped by at least ten degrees. He only opened a hole on the balcony in the morning and evening when the temperature dropped a little, allowing the vegetation to absorb light for an hour before closing the sunshade cloth.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
