Chapter 165: Global Extreme Cold 8
Due to the extremely cold weather, Lu Qingyuan warmed up the car for a full 20 minutes to prevent it from breaking down on the road.
Once on the road, the soft snow provided greater resistance to the vehicle; the air conditioning also couldn’t be turned off, as even a slight decrease in temperature would quickly chill the car’s interior.
Not only that, even when the car stopped, it couldn’t be turned off. Once it was off, it would take a long time to restart.
“Teacher Lu, you know so much.”
Chu Yian was instantly impressed. If it were her driving, the car might have stopped halfway just after leaving the garage.
As the vehicle drove on the open road, getting closer to M City, Lu Qingyuan relaxed slightly and began to share his past experiences, “I once went to Yakutsk for a jewelry business. The temperature there was even colder than here.”
Chu Yian: “How cold?”
Lu Qingyuan: “Winter temperatures are in the minus fifties degrees Celsius, with the lowest reaching minus seventy degrees Celsius.”
“People still live in such cold weather?”
Chu Yian was startled, then thought of the recent temperature drop.
If people can live well even at minus seventy degrees Celsius… then they still have plenty of time to reach the Oasis.
“Because there are abundant natural gas resources and the most diamond mines there.”
Lu Qingyuan saw her eyes light up, sensing what she was thinking, and then added, “They rarely engage in outdoor activities during winter. Exposed skin will get frostbitten in more than a few minutes. If a vehicle breaks down in the wilderness at minus fifty degrees Celsius… then there’s nothing to do but wait to die.”
Chu Yian’s initial thought that it was a minor issue instantly vanished.
“Then, Teacher Lu, let’s hurry up and go.”
The current temperature was already minus sixteen degrees Celsius. If it was truly as he said, they had only two outcomes on this journey: find the Oasis, or freeze to death on the road.
The vehicle moved very slowly on the snow.
However, Lu Qingyuan’s driving skills were excellent, and the off-road vehicle never stalled on the road.
The two rushed and finally arrived in M City at eleven o’clock at night.
The power outage was not limited to their area; looking down from the overpass, M City was also completely dark. Lu Qingyuan did not enter the city but drove around the ring road to the location his friend had told him about.
The car stopped at the target point. From the outside, it looked like a factory.
Lu Qingyuan parked the car by the roadside, and the two got out with their entrenching tools. The factory gate was tightly shut, and the security booth outside was unmanned. They climbed over the wall to get in.
Inside the wall, there were two small, low houses that looked like dog kennels.
Chu Yian felt a momentary tension when she saw the dog kennels, as she was essentially ‘breaking in.’ But there was no movement inside the kennels. She shined her flashlight in and saw no dogs, only two iron chains.
“Don’t use the flashlight, be careful.”
Lu Qingyuan took the flashlight from her hand, turned it off, and led her inside.
According to the information, this was a car modification factory.
There were a total of 8 workshops, and the abandoned vehicle was in the innermost Workshop No. 8. It was left behind because it wasn’t driven out during the evacuation.
The modified vehicles could operate in extremely low temperatures of -100 degrees Celsius, and these modifications were done in secret. The technical personnel who modified this vehicle had already evacuated, meaning that apart from the two of them, no one else in M City knew about it.
The two waded through the snow, searching for Workshop No. 8 within the factory.
Although the entire factory seemed deserted, they remained extremely cautious. As they passed an intermediate workshop, Chu Yian suddenly smelled a strong scent of meat.
The smell of meat wafted out, and in this cold weather, one could even sense a steaming warmth.
Not only Chu Yian, but Lu Qingyuan also smelled it.
The two tacitly slowed their steps and quietly passed by the factory building. The people inside were speaking loudly, their voices carrying through the concrete wall.
“Damn it, this ghostly weather is really annoying.”
“Isn’t it though? There’s nothing to eat around here. I’m practically starving. If it weren’t for these two chunks of dog meat, I’d be dead.”
“I don’t know when this weather will pass. I’m wearing all my work clothes, and I’m still shaking from the cold.”
“The boss is the most disgusting person. He makes us guard this place in such weather. He’s probably tucked away in some little girl’s bed right now…”
Crude discussions came from inside, followed by a burst of boisterous laughter.
Chu Yian’s expression changed instantly, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Lu Qingyuan reached out and took her arm, pointing ahead.
Workshop No. 8, found it!
The two left the vicinity of those people and walked to the door of Workshop No. 8. However, the large door was secured with a padlock. If they tried to smash it open, it would surely attract the attention of the workers who were eating dog meat.
“Wait, let me try.”
Chu Yian pulled a small hairpin from her head, straightened it, and fiddled with the lock for a long time.
Her technique was a bit rusty, but she still managed to open it.
Lu Qingyuan looked at her in surprise, not expecting her to have such a skill.
“I just learned it. It’s good to have multiple skills, right?”
Chu Yian calmly put the small hairpin away.
A few months ago, she never imagined she would master such a skill; it was the game that forced people to improve and grow.
However, she could only open these old-fashioned padlocks; she wouldn’t know how to handle high-tech ones.
Especially when facing high-tech locks with backup power.
Workshop No. 8 actually had two doors, which was truly overly secure.
Just as Chu Yian was at a loss, Lu Qingyuan stepped forward and pressed a few numbers. His reliable friend had already given him the password, and the moment they entered, the backup power immediately lit up the workshop.
Various parts were stored inside the workshop, and a vehicle was parked there.
The chassis of this vehicle was as high as a heavy truck Chu Yian had driven, but what was most striking were its wheels!
Each wheel was 0.5 meters wide and 2 meters high. The four wheels were so tall that a quick glance only revealed the wheels.
Made of special material, it was anti-freeze and anti-slip.
The car body was also not small, treated with special metal and paint.
However, the interior space of the car was a quarter smaller than a normal five-seater. It was probably to maximize space, with only driver and passenger seats, and the rear being empty, but all systems were complete, and it had four heating zones.
Additionally, the car windows were three layers thick, as thick as bank glass, and the car was equipped with a black water tank, usually found only in RVs.
In short, every detail demonstrated that it was specifically developed for extremely cold weather.
Excellent!
It’s enough!
Chu Yian and Lu Qingyuan exchanged glances, then spread out in the workshop to search for things they might need on the road. They each scavenged a user manual, a repair toolbox, a spare tire, and five barrels of gasoline, each twice the size of the gasoline they had bought.
Seeing these large gasoline barrels, Lu Qingyuan and Chu Yian did not show obvious joy on their faces.
Because they suddenly realized a problem—
This car might be incredibly fuel-inefficient!
