Chapter 10: A Series of Accidents

In fact, the authorities had mobilized all police forces—and eventually even the military—for full-scale rescue operations early on.

Relief centers with centralized heating were quickly set up in several large venues across the city.

Citizens severely affected by the disaster could voluntarily leave their homes to take shelter there.

However, as the blizzards continued and temperatures dropped rapidly, the snow piled up much faster than it could be cleared.

Rescue efforts became increasingly difficult—even the government struggled to make progress.

But time passing meant little to Mu Jiu, who was thoroughly prepared; every day felt the same to her.

While the outside world grew colder and colder, Mu Jiu’s house remained warm and cozy, with fireplaces blazing on both floors inside and out.

From morning to night, her home was spring-like.

She would occasionally enjoy hotpot in the courtyard, boil tea by the fire, or roast corn and sweet potatoes.

She even pulled out a recliner to sunbathe and get some calcium in.

After a full month of heavy snowfall, the ground temperature dropped, eventually reaching nearly minus 50°C.

Southern City was a typical southern city, where even underfloor heating wasn’t common.

After all, in the coldest winters, temperatures rarely dropped below minus 10°C.

Now, the entire city had turned into a frozen ice block—minus 50°C was virtually apocalyptic.

People staying in the villas of the hot spring resort also started noticing that their central heating systems weren’t working—they weren’t getting any warmth at all.

Even with down jackets and the thickest blankets, they were shivering nonstop.

Thankfully, the hot springs served as the one reliable source of heat—otherwise survival would be impossible.

Complaints about the facilities and conditions began appearing in the resort’s group chat.

More importantly, the rumor that had drawn all these people to this place—the supposed “one-month cold wave”—had already reached its end date.

Most guests had only paid to rent the villas for one month, just hoping to escape the cold and enjoy a short vacation.

But now, it was clear the disaster wasn’t ending anytime soon. The bone-chilling cold was only growing worse.

The butler team tried their best to calm everyone down in the chat.

They explained that due to extreme weather, the heating capabilities of the air conditioners were limited.

Starting today, the butler team would deliver ample firewood to every villa daily for heating purposes.

As for where the firewood came from—it would be chopped from the continuous mountain range behind the resort, of course!

After all, the boss lady (Mu Jiu) lived here too.

Plus, the butler team included security personnel and maintenance staff, all fully equipped.

Tools like electric saws and trimmers were stored in a dedicated service center within the resort.

That afternoon, the bell rang at Mu Jiu’s small courtyard—it was the same group of butlers who’d delivered food before, now bringing firewood.

This time, Mu Jiu didn’t open the door. Through the glass, she thanked them and told them to leave the firewood outside in the snow. She’d collect it herself when needed.

One reason was her principle: no outsiders allowed into her territory.

The other was to avoid drawing attention—her courtyard’s internal temperature was far too warm compared to the outside. She didn’t want these clever butlers to notice too soon.

Thanks to heavy insulation, no warmth could be felt from the outside—like touching the outside of a thermos.

The firewood deliveries were a kind gesture from the butler department, but for these wealthy city dwellers, they weren’t exactly welcome.

That very night, two villas experienced serious accidents.

Mu Jiu only found out the next morning from the group chat.

One villa caught fire because of improper ignition.

Someone helpfully posted photos of the blaze—it lit up the entire night sky.

Thankfully, the well-trained staff used the resort’s mini fire truck to extinguish the flames quickly, preventing further damage.

Still, the villa’s walls were scorched black, and all interior decor and furniture were destroyed.

That villa was no longer livable.

Worse, it had housed a family of 12—resettling that many people would be difficult.

Another villa experienced tragedy for a different reason: misuse of fire.

Afraid of the cold, a young couple had sealed the windows tight while taking a bath.

As a result, eight people in the house—two children and four elderly—succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.

By the time they called for help, it was too late. The children and elders were already gone.

Emergency hotlines (120/110/119) had long been unreachable—the lines had collapsed in the first week of the blizzard.

Even though the butler team had a few trained medical professionals, they were limited in what they could do.

Without proper equipment or medication, even the best doctor can’t work without tools.

And so, that family… all died that night.

Communication with the outside world had already been cut off. No relatives could be contacted.

But the bodies couldn’t just be left to rot and stink in the villa.

Given the special circumstances, the butlers stepped in and handled cremation and burial.

Of course, once the issue of the dead was resolved, the issue of the living was also taken care of:

The family of 12 who lost their home were—albeit reluctantly—moved into the now-vacant “haunted house.”

Before sunrise the next day, the butler department issued a notice in the group chat:

“Top 10 Rules for Indoor Fire Safety.”
Everyone was tagged and asked to read carefully to avoid future incidents.

The poisoning case had left a huge impact on everyone in the resort.

With the snow never ceasing and the cold intensifying, the group chat grew eerily quiet—gone was the former buzz and chatter.

No one invited anyone to go soak in the hot springs anymore.

After all, everyone had only prepared enough supplies—mentally and materially—for one month.

If this weather dragged on, their food and essentials would run out fast…

As for official rescue?

It had already been over a month—and still no sign of help.

Everyone was growing anxious—everyone except Mu Jiu.