Chapter 101

Encountering freezing rain on the exposed mountain roads was a terrifying situation. The already damp roads quickly froze, with layers of ice building up, causing the vehicle’s tires to slip severely. It was easy for the car to skid off the mountainside, so they had no choice but to stop.

However, as soon as the car stopped, the freezing rain that had accumulated on the car’s roof and windows rapidly turned into ice. The windows were covered in ice, and the windshield wipers and side mirrors were coated with icicles. If the car’s engine hadn’t still been running, maintaining some heat inside, the doors might have frozen shut as well, making it impossible to open them.

The convoy included a bus and a military truck, along with several fully-armed military personnel. Despite their preparation, the soldiers were powerless in such a situation.

They first tried to call for help, but the nearby rescue stations were quite far, and the signal was poor, so no one responded.

They decided to wait until the freezing rain stopped before continuing. However, they ended up waiting until nightfall, and by then, the fuel was running low, and the freezing rain only grew worse.

When the engine ran out of fuel and the car began to lose heat, the freezing rain completely immobilized the vehicle, and they were at risk of being stuck there.

A few team members realized they couldn’t wait any longer. The route from Wei to Gongmang County was the shortest evacuation route, only about 200 kilometers, which would normally take two to three hours to drive. Therefore, team members typically wouldn’t be assigned to these short routes.

These team members had joined the military after the disaster, so they had little experience and knew their numbers were too few. If they kept waiting, they would be unable to help others.

After discussing their options, they decided to walk to a nearby farm in a mountain hollow to try their luck. The farm was about 5 to 6 kilometers away, and within the range of their radios.

They left one team member behind to watch over the civilians, while the other two climbed over the guardrail and began walking down the mountain.

Fortunately, the two team members found a farm where they could stay the night. They managed to contact the team member waiting at the vehicle via radio.

When the civilians learned that there was somewhere to take shelter, they grabbed their bags, bundled up in warm clothes, and wore rain gear. They tied strips of fabric around their rain boots to increase friction before following the team member down to the farm.

However, some people were unwilling to leave the vehicle. The freezing rain was still falling, and the idea of walking 6 kilometers in these conditions was daunting.

They preferred to stay in the vehicle, even if the fuel ran out and the car stopped, because at least the car offered some protection from the freezing rain. They could huddle together for warmth, and they absolutely couldn’t bring themselves to walk through the night in such harsh conditions.

While such temperatures wouldn’t kill anyone, it could lead to illnesses, and getting sick during the evacuation would be a huge problem. They were determined not to leave, and the team member had no choice but to leave behind the radio and take the others with him.

Those who left the vehicle struggled with their bags along the way, but eventually reached the farm. The first few team members had already started a fire, even using disinfectant tablets in drinking water to purify some of the rainwater, and they had heated water ready. As soon as the others arrived, they could sit around the fire and drink some hot water.

These people were fortunate. By morning, after the team member used the radio to call for help, another team arrived. This team was from the military and came in a military off-road vehicle and a wheeled armored personnel carrier.

The off-road vehicle had been equipped with anti-slip tires, and the armored vehicle could handle icy conditions, so the freezing rain didn’t affect them much.

They had come from another rescue point, passing through this area on their way to another city to the north of Wei, nearly 800 kilometers away. However, since their vehicles were passing through Wei, they agreed to help.

The farm was far from where the bus had parked, but it was close to the mountain road where the rescue team was. The survivors who spent the night at the farm were rescued. Though they couldn’t be taken all the way to Gongmang County, after learning the team would pass by Wei, they asked if the team could detour to drop them off there.

The survivors described their ordeal to Shu Fu. They were the ones who had been brought back by the military team. Though they were saved and had everything they needed, having been stuck in the freezing cold since yesterday afternoon and making such a large detour, they had ended up back at the starting point. They were frozen and had some catching colds, so their spirits were understandably low.

While these survivors were complaining, the team members responsible for the evacuation arrived. After the explosion yesterday, the service desk had moved, so they had not been there until they received the news.

Upon arriving, they quickly realized nearly a third of the evacuees were still missing. After asking, they learned that those people were still stuck on the mountain road. The military off-road vehicle and the armored personnel carrier didn’t have enough space to carry everyone, so the three team members had planned to drive out and pick them up once the others returned.

However, the freezing rain had damaged Wei’s only remaining large vehicle, and it wouldn’t start. They had no choice but to ask the military team that had just dropped them off to help again.

“Did they agree to pick them up?” The team members responsible for the evacuation looked uneasy. Supplies were tight, and those who could still use military off-road vehicles or armored personnel carriers were likely of low rank, so they must have important missions ahead.

Asking them to take a detour to drop off the survivors was already a lot, but now they were being asked to go back again to pick up another group of people. Wasn’t this delaying their mission? The team members could already imagine the harsh criticism and reprimands from their superiors once they received the report.

Shu Fu didn’t linger on the first floor for long because the place was crowded and chaotic. After gaining a general understanding of what had happened to the group from yesterday, she went to the small medical building in the back. There, she could find a nurse who was familiar with the situation in Wei, and it would be easier to quietly gather information since other survivors wouldn’t be coming to the medical building.

She looked for the nurse who had administered the IV to Yao Ruoyun the previous day. Now that there were fewer patients, the nurse recognized her immediately.

The nurse told her that the entire population of Wei had fewer than two hundred people left. Those who needed to be evacuated had already been moved. Most of the town was empty, with only a few people still there. The ones remaining were either new survivors who had arrived later, like Yao Ruoyun and Shu Fu, or stubborn local residents who refused to leave their homes and properties. There were also rescue teams or military personnel like Shu Fu who wouldn’t evacuate until the last possible moment.

The reason the stubborn locals hadn’t been forcibly evacuated yet was that the situation hadn’t become desperate enough. Occasionally, new survivors would still be arriving, and if the rescue point was withdrawn too soon, it would cut off their chances of survival.

However, the team members stationed there were working extremely hard. They were human too, with families they missed. Most of their families had already been evacuated, but they couldn’t be with them during such a critical time.

When Shu Fu heard this, she noticed the nurse’s expression was a bit complicated. She soon realized that, in the nurse’s eyes, she too was a survivor who had been delayed and stranded here for various reasons.

In any case, Wei was lacking everything—food and water, vehicles and fuel, electricity was scarce, and after the recent attacks, emergency supplies were in short supply. The internet was down, and there was no heating.

However, empty houses were not in short supply, and they were fairly easy to identify. After each household was evacuated, the team would stamp “evacuated” on their doors, which helped other team members quickly recognize the homes of those who refused to leave.

There was also the hotel in the center of town and the surrounding buildings, which were largely vacant because they were a bit farther from the clinic. When Shu Fu asked, the nurse explained that some new survivors didn’t want to stay in the clinic and chose to stay in the hotel, as it was the only star-rated hotel in town with better amenities than the clinic’s converted hospital rooms. However, the hotel had no electricity, no running water, and no heating.

Heating was a particular problem, as the pipes were only installed later for central heating. The first clinic and nearby buildings were the only places with heating, meaning that most of the remaining survivors in Wei were concentrated around the first clinic because it was the only place with access to water, electricity, and heat.

Shu Fu thanked the nurse sincerely, even though the nurse gave her a slightly complex look while speaking, but the information she provided was comprehensive and detailed. As Shu Fu left, she handed the nurse a pack of gummy candies.

These were the large family-sized gummies, with colorful cartoon animal designs in a transparent wrapper. Girls—especially those in conditions where resources were scarce—were unlikely to turn them down.

Of course, if the nurse didn’t want candy, Shu Fu could easily offer salty snacks instead.

It was clear, however, that the nurse couldn’t resist the candy. She coughed politely, and before she could react further, Shu Fu quickly shoved the pack into her hands and left in a hurry.

When Shu Fu returned to the main building from the medical building, the crowd on the first floor had dispersed, but the line at the tea station was still long.

She placed her thermos in her bag, and, using the bag as cover, swapped it for another identical thermos filled with hot water from her space. Upstairs, Yao Ruoyun had woken up and was bent over, tidying the bed. When she saw Shu Fu return, she asked about the situation downstairs, as the noise had woken her up.

“The mountain roads are frozen. The group that left yesterday afternoon didn’t get very far before getting stuck on the mountain road. Some of them walked through the freezing rain overnight, and luckily, they were picked up later. But there are still some people stranded on the mountain road, and someone is going to pick them up now…” Shu Fu explained clearly.

Yao Ruoyun’s face darkened after hearing this. Firstly, she had almost gotten on that vehicle yesterday, and if she had, she could easily have been stuck on the mountain road with the others. Secondly, considering the freezing rain and heavy snow these past couple of days, all the mountain roads would likely be frozen by now. The snow would prevent the ice on the roads from melting, and her plan to recover and reunite with her parents in Zhicheng might now be impossible.

After all, Gongmang County was the closest rescue point to Wei, but even from there, it was still over 500 kilometers to Zhicheng.

However, there was an even more concerning problem.

“Change of location?”

Shu Fu nodded, confirming once again that there was no one around in the ward or nearby, before lowering her voice and continuing, “The weather isn’t right. The rainy season has lasted for months now, and I suspect the temperature is going to drop even further.”

“You mean that the freezing rain and heavy snow won’t improve, the mountain roads will remain frozen, and we might be stuck here for a long time?” Yao Ruoyun quickly understood, showing her usual sharpness.

So the current situation was that if they really couldn’t leave, how would they survive this winter? They needed to plan ahead in case they got trapped.

Yao Ruoyun looked at Shu Fu and said, “Senior, I know you must have a plan. Tell me, I’m listening to you!”

**

Half an hour later, the two of them were struggling to walk on the icy and snow-covered streets in raincoats. The wind had picked up, and the snowflakes were blowing fiercely, falling heavily around them. They could clearly hear the sound of the snow, which made it obvious how heavy the snowfall was.

They stretched out their hands and lowered the hoods of their raincoats to shield themselves from the snow. Whether it was the wind or something else, the temperature seemed to have dropped even further, much colder than when Shu Fu had woken up earlier that morning.

Shu Fu didn’t intend to walk too far. After leaving the street where the first clinic was located, they turned onto the main street of Wei and walked north along the buildings beside it. She was looking for a house outside the clinic’s central area, but not too far away.

If it was too far, she wouldn’t be able to get information immediately if something changed at the rescue team’s location. But if the house was near the clinic, when the survivors and local residents realized they couldn’t leave Wei, and the weather started to worsen, they would all head to the buildings near the clinic.

Only this area had water and electricity, and if the heating boiler was fixed later, heating could be restored.

But Shu Fu didn’t need any of that. She had everything she needed, except for not being able to let Yao Ruoyun into the floating island house. She had everything needed to survive the winter. And to use these supplies more freely and safely, she needed to avoid the crowded areas.

Otherwise, they would either suffer from the cold and hunger, or be watched and unable to rest.

As for how she would explain the sudden appearance of various supplies to Yao Ruoyun, she wasn’t too worried. Huaguo had already tacitly acknowledged the existence of people with abilities, and the public was aware of it. She believed Yao Ruoyun had probably heard some rumors by now.

Moreover, from the progress of the white light strip, it seemed she was close to awakening, and at that time, she might not even need to explain anything.

Furthermore, some people with abilities preferred to act high-profile, even using rafts and work as a way to earn supplies. But conversely, there were definitely others who preferred to remain low-profile. Wei was located at the intersection of three regions: Xizhou Province, the Southwestern Plateau, and Xiangzhou Province. In the past, it was a strategic stronghold, a place of military competition.

It was a place where you could advance or retreat, and staying here allowed them to gather the latest information. So it was possible that there were other people with abilities here as well.

Although she hadn’t seen anyone with a white light strip since she arrived in Wei, that didn’t mean there weren’t any. When the nurse mentioned that some people had intentionally given up on staying in the clinic and nearby buildings, which had water, electricity, and heating, and instead went to stay at the hotel, she had already sensed something.

She compared the area to the map on her phone and stopped in front of a residential building.

The phone had no internet, but fortunately, Huaguo’s maps had all been downloaded in advance, so it wasn’t difficult to zoom in and search for streets and buildings.

This county was really small; they had arrived at their destination after a short walk. If the weather hadn’t been so bad, they could have walked even faster.

This was a four-story residential building, located some distance away from the heating area, with a small gym next to it, which was much taller than the residential building.

Not far in front of the residential building was the center square of Wei, with the tall, conspicuous hotel building diagonally across from the square. Below the hotel was a large supermarket, along with a few small restaurants. The surrounding buildings looked quite grand, including some restaurants, non-star-rated hotels, a large bookstore, and a few small supermarkets.

In short, this was the commercial center of Wei.

The residential building she chose was a bit further from the area with the hotel and water/electricity supply. It was a bit like a “dark corner,” not near the hotel or the area with utilities. However, the front of the building faced the central square, providing a clear view. Whether vehicles were entering or leaving the county, people in this building could spot them.

Shu Fu and Yao Ruoyun found the entrance to the building. The building faced south, and the entrance was on the north side, with its back to the street. Just as the nurse had said, this residential building was nearly empty, and Shu Fu led Yao Ruoyun through the middle hallway and up to the third floor. She picked the middle apartment.

A large part of the buildings here were influenced by the ethnic minorities of Xizhou Province, designed in a square shape. Because the area was small and building regulations weren’t strict, the place she chose wasn’t actually a pure residence but a teahouse.

There was a prominent “evacuated” stamp on the door. Shu Fu took out a multi-tool knife from her bag and scraped off the stamped area of wood. Then, she took out a small lock-picking tool and unlocked the door.

Yao Ruoyun, standing by, said: “… Senior! You’ve really become more impressive in just a day!”

“Alright, let’s go in and take a look.” Shu Fu took off her rain hood, shook off the ice and snow from her raincoat and boots, put away the multi-tool knife and lock-picking tool, and took out two flashlights from her bag, handing one to Yao Ruoyun.

In the past, Yao Ruoyun would never have considered entering such a simple teahouse in a residential building.

The place was dark, cold, damp, and small. The main hall was probably only around thirty square meters, as if two rooms had been merged together. The cashier counter was here, and there were some wicker sofas. The white walls, grayish-white tiles, and dark red curtains added to the modest, retro vibe. On the other side, there was a corridor leading to a windowless kitchen. Across from the kitchen was a bathroom.

Despite the old-fashioned design, like something from a past era, and being in a residential building, the inside was surprisingly neat, not as outdated as Yao Ruoyun had imagined.

“This teahouse looks like it opened just two years ago,” Yao Ruoyun quickly glanced at the windows in the hall. Only the south-facing wall had windows opening to the outside. Natural disasters hadn’t been a recent occurrence, and before the evacuation in Wei began, any necessary windows would have already been reinforced.

This place was no different. The windows had iron mesh on the outside, and a few wooden planks had been nailed inside. The planks were spaced out, not obstructing the view outside. The windows faced the central square.

While Yao Ruoyun was checking the windows and the cabinet behind the cashier counter, Shu Fu had already walked into the kitchen. This kitchen was the reason Shu Fu had chosen this place to settle.

The kitchen was small, not facing the outer wall, and was located in the center of the building, making it the warmest area in the entire building. As it was a teahouse, the cooking equipment was simple, and the stove and floors were clean.

Even though it was a family-run business, most of the kitchen furnishings were made of stainless steel, fireproof and waterproof, with the walls treated for heat insulation. The kitchen was also close to the hall, well-ventilated, and just right for starting a fire to keep warm.

Yao Ruoyun understood once Shu Fu explained, and they took off their raincoats, placed their bags and supplies down, and found an old dustpan, broom, and mop in a corner at the end of the hallway. They worked together and cleaned the entire teahouse.

They focused on cleaning the kitchen. With no water, they went downstairs and scraped some snow to bring up. They also moved the wicker sofas to one side of the hall to clear the space near the kitchen. Any scattered items in the kitchen that weren’t needed were moved to the wicker chairs outside. The bathroom was cleaned briefly with the mop.

Because it was a family-run business, the bathroom was a single unisex toilet. A quick clean made it usable.

Once everything was tidied up, Shu Fu planned to go to the neighboring houses with the “evacuated” stamps to move some sofas and mattresses over to arrange things a little. This place would be a good temporary shelter.

Yao Ruoyun, who had been shivering from the cold, drank some hot water and after working for a while, she felt warmer.

She was someone who adapted easily, and since she had been living with her parents for the past few months, she was used to making do. As long as there was food when she was hungry and a place to rest when she was tired, she was fine.

So when Shu Fu took her out, she just followed along. When she was told to clean, she cleaned without asking questions about the empty space, what they would use for warmth, where they would sleep, or what they would eat…

Just as they were finishing the cleaning, Shu Fu suddenly felt her wristband vibrate.

No way, another new task?

She thought she was imagining it, but when she quickly checked the kitchen, she saw that a new task had really come in.

【Within two hours, check in at the new service desk of the Wei Rescue Station to receive 20% progress for the Level 5 Raft (Current progress for Level 5 Raft: 25%).】

Note: Failure to complete this task will result in a 40% deduction from the progress.】

Shu Fu: …

Does this mean we have to go back again?

This is really troublesome. She’s going to freeze to death…