NOVPUBChapter 84: Chapter 84: Rapid Heating Up
Chapter 84 -84: Rapid Heating Up
At the initial rise in temperature, they just thought it was a seasonal change, but when the temperature rose by ten degrees in a single day and continued to climb even after sunset, everyone knew things were not so simple.
Having experienced extreme cold before, many began to worry about the possibility of extreme heat.
But worrying was futile; those without resources couldn’t find a place to escape the heat; they still had to go out to find food.
People living in the city, those with foresight, had already started to occupy underground malls and basements, places that might be cooler.
Those who had not realized what was happening, or who didn’t think too much, could only panic.
The next morning, Gu Pan was awakened by the heat—it was already thirty-eight degrees, and the temperature was still rising.
She hurriedly turned on the air conditioning fan and drew the blackout curtains, cooling down the room.
She and Lu Ruisheng ate breakfast in the bedroom, not planning to go out today.
Soon, the intercom crackled to life. “Could this weather go straight to a hundred degrees? Are we all going to die from the heat, humanity extinct?” Cheng Yang asked anxiously.
Chen Shaonan replied, “We don’t need to reach a hundred degrees. Anything over sixty degrees would wipe us out, so you won’t feel a hundred degrees. Don’t worry. If extinction is really on the way, none of us can escape; you’re not alone. Don’t be afraid.”
His words carried a hint of jest, but fear was useless at this point. If the temperature was to keep rising without falling, human extinction was possible. However, if that were truly the case, it was beyond human control, so there was nothing to fear; the outcome would be the same for everyone.
Gu remembered that in her previous life, the highest daytime temperature had reached fifty-five degrees, staying around forty-five degrees at night. Fortunately, it was not as hot as during the day, offering a bit of respite. If it were continuously above fifty degrees, very few could survive.
Holding the intercom, she said, “Let’s all stay in. If it’s unbearable, we’ll go to the basement. There’s water and food there. Let’s observe the situation first; we are prepared. As long as there’s a sliver of possibility for survival, we can find a way to live.”
Inside, where air circulation was maintained, the temperature was three to five degrees lower than outside, where humans could barely survive.
Everyone responded, and Feng Zhekai began to share tips on preventing heatstroke and protecting against the heat.
At this time, the plague had not ended, so Gu and her group couldn’t venture into the city. However, before the plague, She had told a few friends that the apocalypse might not end soon and had advised them to watch for sudden weather changes. She had laid out what to do if it got colder or hotter. Mostly, it was preparations for the heat, and she had also left them radios to listen for calls to gather at the nearest base; they would head there too.
Previously, she thought they would live in the city until the base was completed, but they were forced to move after someone set their building on fire, disrupting many of their original plans. All she could hope for was that her friends had survived.
Gu Pan looked outside through a crack in the window; people were still bustling in and out, aware that extreme weather might be imminent, so they too had to go out for supplies.
Lu Ruisheng asked her, “The people from the Inner Circle haven’t gone out, have they?”
Gu Pan nodded. “Yeah, their supplies are really ample. Look at their complexions and condition; they don’t look malnourished.”
Lu commented, “We overlooked something. They probably have a reserve of vitamins, protein powder, and other nutrients, and likely even a team doctor, which is why their lives seem so stable.”
Realization dawned on Gu Pan. “Right, we really overlooked that before. They must have all sorts of vitamins and nutrients, so they’ve been living well for more than half a year. But so much time has passed; they must be running low on supplies by now.”
Lu Ruisheng nodded, “Half a year should be about right, they should still be conserving, so they can still hold on for a while, but it will only get tighter.”
“A year later, except for those who had large reserves before, the rest will basically be relying on armed looting, of course, those going to the bases will be better off.”
“When do you think the country knew about the apocalypse?”
“I think the top tier knew around the same time as me, maybe even earlier.”
“I don’t know about other countries, after all, the Earth is so big and the temperature environments of the north and south are originally different.”
“Indeed, in our previous lives we didn’t have the time to think about this, nor did we have access to such high levels. Perhaps we’ll know in this life.”
As the two of them talked about these topics, the conversation grew heavier. These were things they had never thought about during peacetime, but now they were living through the apocalypse.
By evening, the temperature had reached forty-eight degrees, luckily, it dropped slightly after dark.
Everyone thought that was it, but the next morning, the temperature rose again, not as quickly as before, and it stopped at fifty-three degrees by three in the afternoon.
But with temperatures over fifty degrees, suddenly reaching so high, it was really unbearable. Those with chronic and elderly illnesses who had survived the extreme cold couldn’t endure this extreme heat.
One of the biggest advantages of their neighborhood was having basements; the temperatures in the basements were a few degrees lower than above ground.
Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng rearranged their room again, installing an iron railing protective net upstairs because they had an air cooling fan. The upstairs bedroom was a comfortable environment that couldn’t be discovered; if it got too hot, they would go to the Space.
They didn’t stay in the basement because there was no sunlight and the ventilation was poor.
At night, the temperature dropped to about forty-five or forty-six degrees; most people shifted to scavenging for supplies at night instead, as the sun was unbearable during the day.
Gu Pan and her group were not short on supplies, they were determined not to go out these days, waiting until their bodies fully adapted to the outdoor temperatures. Although they kept the air cooling fan running in the upstairs bedroom, the temperature wasn’t severely low; a significant temperature difference could also make it uncomfortable.
Now, Gu Pan was most grateful for having the Space. The temperature in the Space was moderate and it had various delicacies. As cooking wasn’t possible at the moment, being able to eat something they craved offered some comfort to their hearts.
Three days later, the temperatures had stabilized, fifty-two to fifty-three degrees during the day and not exceeding forty-five degrees at night.
Gu Pan and the others still insisted on communicating through walkie-talkies. Feng Zhekai suggested that they should acclimate for at least a week before starting to go out at night, and avoid the sun as much as possible during the day because the ultraviolet rays were too harmful to humans.
Fortunately, now Chen Lang and Cheng Yang were living together, each house having two people, so they weren’t too lonely.
In the apocalypse, it was really hard to survive alone, not just in terms of ability but also because of the fear. Otherwise, in her previous life, Gu Pan wouldn’t have followed her husband in death after he died, because three years into the apocalypse, it was truly better to be dead than alive alone, without anyone to trust. You wouldn’t even dare to sleep at night, and it was even possible to be cannibalized by others—a feeling not easily understood by everyone.
Lu Ruisheng looked at his wife lost in thought, knowing she was recalling her past life, walked over, held her shoulders, and sat beside her, “I will always be with you.”
Gu Pan nestled in Lu Ruisheng’s arms, “Ruisheng, we share life and death together.”
Lu Ruisheng nodded, “Together in life and death.”
