Chapter 168: Global Extreme Cold 11
In this weather, it’s not easy to have hotpot.
The weather outside was too harsh to light a fire, so Chu Yian could only clear out the back half of the car and open the windows on both sides.
The moment the windows opened, a strong gust of wind swept through.
The cold current rapidly drew out the temperature from inside.
Chu Yian quickly closed the windows halfway, then transformed the treasure box into a fifty-cubic-centimeter table, and turned on the portable gas stove.
She heated the pot, added oil, and sautéed the hotpot seasoning packet.
Their drinking water had long run out, but in this cold season, water was the one thing they didn’t lack. Taking snow from the top layer of the ground might not compare to mineral water, but it was definitely drinkable. She took a container outside, filled a large pot with snow, and poured it into the scalding pot, where the white snow instantly melted.
Steam and white smoke rose from the hotpot.
She took out the ingredients from the box: fatty beef, lamb rolls, tripe, tiger-skin chicken feet, shrimp paste, black fish slices, potatoes, white radish, yam, baby bok choy… The portions were small, but there was a wide variety.
Having eaten high-sugar biscuits for several days, Chu Yian couldn’t help but swallow.
It smelled so good!
The spicy and aromatic scent stimulated her taste buds, and the warmth of the hotpot dispelled the biting cold of the wind. This was a rare sense of happiness for the two during their long journey.
“Happiness is so simple after all.”
Chu Yian was panting from the spice, lying in the car, unable to help but sigh. However, her happiness didn’t last long before she was called to attention.
“Get ready, we need to go.”
Lu Qingyuan was extremely disciplined; even a comfortable environment couldn’t make him linger. The two cleaned up the remaining food scraps, dug a hole to bury them in the snow, and drove away.
Game Day 7, 9 AM.
A blizzard began in their area, and the temperature dropped to minus forty degrees Celsius.
Heavy snow obscured their vision, making it even harder for them to travel outdoors. Gasoline was being consumed at an extremely fast rate.
They had started with five large barrels and ten small barrels of gasoline, and now a third of it was gone. The colder it got, the more gasoline was consumed. Especially now, the fuel gauge’s decrease was visibly noticeable.
Lu Qingyuan stopped the car; he dared not turn off the engine, nor the air conditioning, but stopping still saved a bit more fuel.
There was no one around, but that didn’t mean they could just lie in the car and rest.
The two needed to clear the snow from the car’s roof and surroundings periodically, otherwise, the ice outside could freeze the car doors shut, and overly thick snow would put a heavy burden on the car.
Each time they went out to shovel snow was an ordeal.
They wore thick clothes, completely bundled up from head to toe. Even so, the exposed parts of their eyes could feel the biting sting of the cold wind.
After only a few minutes outside, returning, their gloves were already stiff with cold. Pulling off the gloves, their fingertips throbbed with a sharp pain.
“So cold, I’m freezing to death!”
Chu Yian vigorously blew on her fingers, trying to warm them up quickly. However, they were still relatively well off; at least the car was good enough that the interior temperature could be maintained at seven or eight degrees above zero.
Meanwhile, You Che and his group, also heading to the Oasis, had it even harder!
You Che had never so directly felt how thin a car’s shell was; wind leaked in from all sides, unable to retain a shred of warmth.
The several big men had put on all their clothes, the car’s air conditioning was on full blast, and they were squeezed tightly together.
Still, it was cold.
You Che didn’t know the situation of the others, but his own teeth were chattering at that moment.
It was too cold, truly too cold!
Even freshly running snot would turn into ice shards if not wiped away quickly!
In this hellish weather, there should be no one else on the road besides them. Anyone else would likely be frozen to death; this round of the game was an extreme test of physical endurance.
Fortunately, the blizzard only lasted for half an hour.
After the blizzard, the weather surprisingly saw the sun appear.
There was a slight warming, and the outdoor temperature actually rose to minus 22 degrees Celsius. A sudden increase of more than ten degrees in temperature gave people a sense of hope.
Thousands of people living in the city had died due to this unprecedented cold wave. The surviving residents had been locked in their homes for several days, and many had already run out of supplies.
When the temperature rose, their primary goal was to rush to the supermarket to buy food.
When a large number of survivors rushed to the Shopping Mall and supermarkets with cash, the breakdown of order began at that moment!
People first pried open the Shopping Mall and looted the supplies inside.
Where there is looting, there will be disputes.
The survivors went from verbal arguments to physical altercations, then to group brawls. This was a gradual yet very rapid process.
They quickly noticed that no one was stopping the chaos, and then quickly realized that fists became the capital for survival.
The supermarket became a place of looting and fighting.
Everyone wanted to take more things home, eventually turning into a desperate struggle… At this time, Chu Yian and Lu Qingyuan also encountered a problem —
Heavy snow covered many landmarks, making it much more difficult for Lu Qingyuan to navigate. If they insisted on avoiding densely populated areas in major cities, they might face the risk of taking the wrong path or getting lost.
“We need to pass through Y City to reach the border of X Province.”
Lu Qingyuan took out a map and said to Chu Yian, “Y City is a third-tier city with a population of a million; it’s not big, but definitely not small. To avoid getting lost, we have to pass through the city center.”
The tall buildings not submerged by snow would serve as their landmarks. Of course, passing through there would increase a certain amount of risk.
“We’ll depart tonight, and we also need to make a few modifications to this car.”
Their car slowly advanced through the snow, and Lu Qingyuan found a small town on the way, parking the car about a kilometer away from it.
He dressed warmly, completely bundled up, and got out of the car, “You stay in the car, wait here.”
Lu Qingyuan said this, putting several hand warmers and a whistle into his backpack, “If all goes well, I’ll be back soon. If you hear the whistle, drive away immediately and wait for me at the spot I marked on the map I left for you.”
This car was their most important possession; both of them absolutely could not leave the vehicle at the same time.
“Teacher Lu, wait!”
Chu Yian grabbed his backpack, stuffed a large handful of hand warmers inside, and handed him the entrenching tool.
“Things aren’t as important as people; people come first. If you encounter danger and can’t escape, scatter money and hand warmers into the air.”
Hand warmers were also very precious now, perhaps even more useful than scattering money.
Chu Yian had also learned the essence of Teacher Lu’s ‘money power.’
Lu Qingyuan paused, then took the backpack, “Guard the car, and wait for me to return.”
