Chapter 82 – The Onset of Extreme Cold
"If it weren't for him, I would've starved to death in the Magic City,"Lin Yingying cast a glance at Zhou Shixian and said flatly.
Zhou Shixian wanted to retort, but Song Linfei raised his hand to stop him.
"I think Yingying makes a lot of sense. Yingying, what do you think we should do?"
Resting her chin on her hand, Lin Yingying muttered to herself,"Didn't Su Chen have people search for cotton clothes and quilts earlier?"
"I think so…"Song Linfei tried hard to recall.Back then, Wang Ye had slacked off and was kicked out of the team by Su Chen.It was around that time the rumor spread about Su Chen having people gather warm supplies.
"First he had people gather winter clothing, now they're chopping wood… could it be that extreme cold is coming?!"
Lin Yingying immediately reached a bold conclusion.
"Is that… even possible?"Song Linfei was a bit skeptical.
"Why not?!"Lin Yingying's expression turned serious."We've already had extreme heat and torrential rain. It's not far-fetched to think extreme cold could be next!"
The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She quickly added,"Brother Song, we'd better get prepared ahead of time.""Whatever Su Chen's doing, we should follow suit.""Even if it turns out to be pointless, at most we just waste some effort."
After a moment of thought, Song Linfei nodded resolutely and gave the order.
…
In the following days, Song Linfei's team began chopping wood just like Su Chen's people.Large piles of timber were carried back to their hotel.
He also sent people to collect whatever warm clothing and supplies they could find.However, warm materials on Phoenix Mountain were already in short supply, and after Su Chen's group had scavenged most of it, even less remained.
So Song Linfei kept his operations discreet, avoiding drawing attention.
"This Song Linfei is pretty clever,"Su Chen chuckled after hearing the news.
He knew it would be impossible to hide the fact that his people were chopping wood.But only Song Linfei copied his actions—which at least showed he had some brains.
…
On the third morning after the rain had stopped,the survivors on Phoenix Mountain awoke from their slumber, and something felt… wrong.
It was currently late August—supposedly the hottest time of the year.Even though it had rained heavily before, it was still warm enough inside that no one needed blankets.
But this morning, many people had literally been frozen awake!
Stepping outside, they were shocked to see snowflakes drifting from the sky!
"It really happened… just like you said, Brother Su!"He Wang exclaimed, shivering as he quickly put on the down jacket Su Chen had given him.
Having lived through an apocalypse before, Su Chen had fully prepared for the cold.The down jackets he, He Wang, and Sun Yuan wore were top-of-the-line.
Underneath, they had thermal underwear, and they were also equipped with hats, gloves, and all kinds of winter gear—enough to endure temperatures dozens of degrees below freezing.
Once suited up, both He Wang and Sun Yuan immediately felt much warmer.Even their speech stopped trembling.
"Have I ever been wrong?"Su Chen gave a small smile and instructed,"From now on, we need to stay on high alert.""Other people don't have winter clothing. To survive, they'll definitely try to steal our supplies."
The words sent a chill through He Wang and Sun Yuan's hearts.They quickly nodded in agreement.
After reminding them of a few more things, Su Chen left the conference room and headed toward the RV in the backyard.
By now, it was nearing noon.The tiny snowflakes that had been falling earlier had grown into thick, heavy snow.
When Su Chen pushed open the RV door and stepped inside, he was immediately greeted by warmth.
The vehicle's smart climate control system had automatically kicked in once it detected the sudden drop in temperature.
Compared to the freezing conditions outside, the interior of the RV felt like paradise.One could walk around half-naked and still not feel the cold.
"You're back, A-Chen!"Hearing the door open, Liu Ling'er ran out from the kitchenette to greet him with a smile.
"How's everything coming along?"Su Chen let her help him out of his coat and asked casually.
"All ready—we were just waiting for you,"Liu Ling'er beamed as she hung up his jacket and pulled him to the table.
With the temperature dropping so rapidly, there was no better meal to have than hotpot.
Su Chen had already told her before leaving that they'd be having hotpot for lunch.Soon, Liu Ling'er brought out all the pre-prepared ingredients.
Premium wagyu beef, delicious Xilingol lamb, ox tripe… all the hotpot essentials were present.
Once the water in the pot started boiling, Su Chen dropped the ingredients in.He picked up a piece of meat, dipped it in the special sauce, and popped it into his mouth—utterly satisfied.
The RV's armored panels had been raised, and through the thick bulletproof glass, Su Chen and Liu Ling'er could clearly see the snowstorm intensifying outside.
Heavy snow blanketed the world in white.
In this kind of bitter weather, having hotpot in a warm RV—this was the definition of luxury.
…
Inside the Youlton Hotel,He Wang and Sun Yuan, having been warned ahead of time by Su Chen, gathered all the survivors into rooms that had been prepped with thermal insulation.
They lit fires in the fireplaces, and soon, the freezing rooms began to warm up.It was nowhere near as cozy as the Normadison, but at least no one was freezing to death.
"Boss Su really is a visionary!""We even used to complain about him—what were we thinking?""If he hadn't told us to prepare, we'd probably all be dead already!"
The survivors, now bundled in thick clothing and blankets, huddled around the fireplaces.As they warmed their hands, gratitude filled their hearts.
At that moment, there was nothing but respect and thankfulness for Su Chen.
…
Meanwhile, inside the Green Forest Hotel,things were very different.
Unlike Su Chen's group, Gao Qiqiang, A-Biao, and the others were shivering uncontrollably.
They hadn't had Su Chen's foresight—naturally, they hadn't stocked up on any supplies.
When the temperature plummeted, they were still wearing thin summer clothes!
In an attempt to stay warm, they huddled together in one room like Su Chen's group had.
But their room wasn't insulated or modified at all—its ability to retain heat was practically nonexistent.
Even with a bunch of grown men squeezed together, they still couldn't stop shivering.
"B-Boss… th-the hotel… doesn't have any thick quilts…"Old Xu, the driver, came over holding a few thin blankets.His face was bright red from the cold, and every word he spoke came out in a puff of white breath.