The scarred man walked away in a short while. His sister first glanced around, then thoughtfully looked at Xi Xi's family, and then followed the scarred man with steady steps.
"That's really strange." Chu Zhiqin finally composed herself and couldn't help but complain, "This island is a bit small, but it's still an island. Surely we can find a place to camp, right? Why do we have to squeeze in with them..."
“He’s right. It’s good to be high up and keep watch, plus the Earth Spirit Shield can solidify the earth’s crust within a vertical range, so going uphill is a common understanding, isn’t it?” Xi Zhongcang said, watching the two figures disappear into the distance.
"Compared to the snow-capped mountains in the ice field, the altitude here is nothing, so there must be many more people eyeing the mountain. We'd better be careful."
Chu Zhiqin nodded in agreement, “That’s true. We won’t offend others unless they offend us, especially since we’re all Chinese… Once the earthquake is over, we can all go our separate ways.”
Although they have abundant resources, they lack manpower. Fighting in large-scale battles would certainly be disadvantageous for them. It would be better to keep a low profile and just get through today.
However, to Xi Xi's surprise, the earthquake that night did not occur as expected.
Chu Zhiqin was extremely anxious and tried to contact the Cheng and Liu families who had lost contact. She kept muttering "Amitabha" and kept refreshing the group chat interface, carefully observing everyone's name and avatar, afraid that they would suddenly turn gray and dim at any moment.
Meanwhile, the surroundings were noisy and bustling. Xi Zhongcang was chatting casually with an old man from the "Prairie Fire" organization who was in charge of moving supplies.
The old man was already somewhat dissatisfied that Xi Zhongcang had reserved two extra parking spaces but no one had come, and he had been reluctant to say much before.
But at this moment, he suddenly began to speculate about Xi Zhongcang's situation, and even conspired to believe that Xi Zhongcang must have been abandoned by his teammates.
Those teammates knew all along that an earthquake wouldn't happen, but they deliberately didn't tell him, which led to the current situation!
Thinking of this, the old man couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Xi Zhongcang, who had a family to support.
After all, although he had been marginalized by the organization and assigned to a dangerous area like the 38th parallel, he had at least not been completely abandoned.
In contrast, Xi Zhongcang's situation seemed even more tragic; he was abandoned by the organization without even receiving a notice of dismissal.
"Do you have anything worth showing off?" The emaciated old man tugged at Xi Zhongcang's sleeve, his voice low as if afraid of being overheard.
His eyes darted around, revealing a sly glint in them. "Getting into our organization isn't easy, tsk tsk..."
The old man kept grumbling while glancing at Xi Xi and Chu Zhiqin in the distance, hesitant but not much.
Xi Zhongcang was speechless, but having been through the intricacies of society for a long time, he immediately understood that the old man wanted to get some commission from him, but he didn't want young and strong players to join, which would further marginalize him within the organization.
After silently complaining for a while, Xi Zhongcang finally decided to go along with his wishes and pretend to be eager to ask the old man about the "Prairie Fire" organization.
He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket. This cigarette was one that Xi Xi had stocked up on from Granny You's convenience store a long time ago, and Xi Zhongcang didn't smoke at all, so it had been stored there until now, without even being opened in its plastic wrap.
Sure enough, the old man's eyes lit up immediately, his gaze fixed on the cigarette Xi Zhongcang offered, and his throat bobbed involuntarily: "Aren't you going to offer me one?"
Xi Zhongcang quickly waved his hand, feigning reluctance, and said, "These are rare items, I can't bear to part with them. I only got a few, so I must offer them to you elders!"
He deliberately emphasized the word "several," then pulled out a windproof lighter from his pocket and very "sensibly" lit the old man's cigarette.
The old man's smug expression grew even stronger, and Xi Zhongcang even felt that look was somewhat familiar. He continued to subtly probe the old man for information until a short-haired woman intervened, abruptly interrupting their "casual conversation."
This short-haired woman was none other than the scarred man's sister.
As soon as the short-haired woman appeared, she gave Xi Zhongcang a disdainful look without any attempt to hide it, and then quickly shifted her attention to the old man.
She said impatiently, "Dad, stop dawdling here! They're about to start a meeting!"
She then shoved the old man, locked the RV doors and windows tightly, and glanced back at Xi Zhongcang warily from time to time, fearing that he might have malicious intentions.
The father and daughter walked further and further away, but Xi Zhongcang could still hear their conversation clearly, because the voices were not deliberately lowered, and even seemed somewhat deliberate.
"How many times have I told you? Stay away from these shady characters! Spend your time building relationships with those higher up! Dad, didn't you work on construction sites when you were young? You must have something in common with those two Huang brothers..."
Xi Zhongcang shook his head inwardly, then returned to the small RV, intending to quietly tell his wife and daughter the useful information he had just extracted.
As soon as he opened the car door, he saw Xi Xi carrying a thick stack of winter tents, attempting to rearrange the interior of the small RV. Not only that, she had even set up a hidden little nest for Aura and the little white duck in a corner.
“There won’t be an earthquake tonight,” Xi Xi whispered to Xi Zhongcang. “We made a mistake; we may have to stay on this island for two days.”
Chu Zhiqin, standing to the side, gave Xi Zhongcang a reproachful look. She had already said that a large RV was better, but this stubborn old man insisted on being so cautious.
Xi Zhongcang casually waved his hand, signaling his wife not to be so quick to judge, and immediately pressed his daughter for an answer: "What exactly happened?!"
Xi Xi was already used to her parents' daily squabbles. She pointed to the synesthetic ring on her hand, indicating that she had just contacted Liu Yunyan and the others: "We'll talk about the details later, just lend a hand for now!"
The current situation is that unless the neighboring organization gets out on the road, they have no chance to release their large RVs. This small RV hasn't been fitted with any winter-resistant materials, and the temperature inside is indeed quite low.
The three decided to follow Xi Xi's idea and use all the remaining tents for warmth to set up a circle around the inside of the carriage.
Wearing warm clothing, they naturally didn't feel too cold, and in the polar day environment, the temperature difference between day and night wasn't too great. However, body temperature tends to fluctuate during sleep, and low temperatures can increase cardiovascular stress, so it's still necessary to take precautions to keep warm.
Fortunately, they had enough lucky bags, and the food inside was plentiful, so they didn't have to worry about going hungry.
Moreover, Xi Xi had already taken down the blue talisman for the portable washroom, and there was one constant temperature cloak for each person. She even had the foresight to bring over the charging station.
In this way, basic living needs such as eating, drinking, and relieving oneself can be met.
"So, what exactly happened?" After finishing everything, Xi Zhongcang finally sat down and looked at Xi Xi.
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