NOVPUBChapter 85: Chapter 85: The Extreme Heat Is Coming
Chapter 85 -85: The Extreme Heat Is Coming
Cheng Yang and Chen Lang were reading “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and “Water Margin”, respectively, for there was nothing else to do; each had a book, and they practically knew both by heart.
Chen Shaonan and Duan Shumei sat in the basement, spacing out. With the temperature as it was, even the slightest movement could be lethal, and there was nothing to do anyway. Better to meditate than to move.
Feng Zhekai and Lu Xuerong were both reading books on traditional Chinese medicine; recently, Zhekai had been practicing acupuncture.
The Inner Circle was also in turmoil at this time. The diesel for the generator was running low and had to be reserved for emergencies. Now, they could only repeatedly wipe their bodies with water.
Old Master Lin was quite foresighted. On the first day the temperature rose, he had people start storing water, worried that the mountain springs might dry up due to the heat. Fortunately, the springs’ water level had not changed, and the flow remained steady, which brought some relief to the hearts of the more than ten families in the Inner Circle.
However, Old Master Lin was still worried. All of their supplies were stored together. Even with the utmost frugality, they would last at most only one more month, including the protein powders and nutrition products. But with the current weather, who knew when it would end? If they were to go by the duration of the extreme cold, they certainly wouldn’t survive.
Then there were the extreme cold, the epidemic, the heatwave—what would follow? The end of the apocalypse or even stranger weather? Deep down, he was more inclined to believe the latter, but he didn’t want to admit it.
Lin Feifei had finally lost her usual energy. Now, in the basement, she didn’t even feel like speaking and glared at Lin Mengmeng.
Lin Mengmeng sat with an introspective meditation posture, knowing that things were getting tougher and she was no longer under her parents’ protection. As a dependent, she needed to tread cautiously.
A week later, based on the biological environment outside and the information he found in books, Zhekai determined that the epidemic had probably disappeared.
Of course, Gu Pan knew that all too well. In her past life, when the temperature soared above fifty degrees, the virus died, and infectious diseases vanished within three days. People then focused on fighting the heat and didn’t worry much about the epidemic.
Disaster followed disaster, always bringing more terrifying extreme weather just when people found hope.
The temperature had stabilized somewhat—it was still scorchingly hot, but now people began to venture out at night, acclimating to the temperature and scavenging for supplies.
Gu Pan and her group did the same. If they stayed in all the time, it would attract undue attention to their ample supplies and cause trouble. They knew that keeping pace with everyone else was the best form of protection.
Indeed, they were also keen on finding supplies now. The extreme cold had blocked many roads, and the suburbs had scarcely been searched. Though the weather had normalized later on, the epidemic had restricted people’s movements, but things were different now. With the epidemic gone, it was the time to look for supplies. They might not find much, but they could stumble upon unexpected treasures.
Gu Pan wanted to go out particularly because she had the “Space”, which allowed her to take things others might not be able to.
That night, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng ventured out, leaving behind Zhekai and his wife to watch the house. With binoculars, they needed only to keep an eye on a few households. Since many of their belongings were hidden outside, they weren’t too worried.
Every time Gu Pan and Ruisheng left the house, they would store the air conditioning fan, generator, and other equipment in the “Space”, not fearing others might inspect their home.
They hadn’t gone far when Yuan Jiang caught up from behind, “Are you going out to search for supplies?”
Ruisheng nodded, “Yes.” Everyone was out searching for supplies at this time; there was no need to hide anything.
“Can I join you? For company?” Yuan Jiang asked.
Without hesitation, Ruisheng refused, “Sorry, it’s not convenient.”
Gu Pan understood her husband well; he was a man of few words but decisive actions, and that was something she loved about him.
Yuan Jiang felt somewhat embarrassed as he hadn’t expected such a straightforward rejection, but he didn’t give up, “I can fight and shoot arrows; I won’t slow you down.”
Gu Pan, standing beside Ruisheng, turned to Yuan Jiang, “In times like these, it’s best to trust outsiders less, whether it’s us or you.”
His words left Yuan Jiang not knowing what to say. He realized that venturing out was the right decision, as only outside could one truly grasp the cruelty of the apocalypse. Being inside the Inner Circle might have been safe, but it made one lack the sense of urgency required for the future. Of course, with the Inner Circle’s supplies running low, it was time for them to venture out. If he were to choose a group, joining them would be more appropriate, as he found it hard to blend with other groups outside.
Gu Pan and the others moved on without mentioning Yuan Jiang again. They had previously agreed not to incorporate new members lightly.
Today, they were heading toward the suburbs to search, where there were many factories and, most importantly, a few wealthy estates—these were their targets.
Unlike others who focused mainly on food, they were not short on provisions for the time being. Led by Gu Pan, they aimed to find other non-renewable supplies, which they could sell at a good price once they got to the base, as the base wouldn’t be short on food.
Their search for non-renewable resources did not mean they were looking for mineral deposits but rather things difficult to produce post-apocalypse, such as birth control items and rare medicines.
Upon reaching the factory, they found it had already been searched, so they decided to check out the wealthy estates.
At the entrance, Ruisheng instructed the others to hide while he and Gu Pan scoped out the interior, in case there were people or any other situation inside.
Gu Pan and Ruisheng scaled the wall into the estate, which was truly expansive, with high walls and even another layer of fences surrounding the villa for double protection.
Approaching the outer wall, raucous voices came from inside, so they listened attentively.
“We’ve been turning this place upside down for two days and there’s nothing valuable? How can that be?” A rough, angry voice spoke out.
“Boss, you think the family took all their money and left for somewhere else?” A young man’s voice asked obsequiously.
“Even if they did, should there still be some antiques or gold artifacts left behind? There’s nothing, not even dog shit. That’s impossible,” the rough voice exclaimed again.
“Boss, so what do we do now? Keep looking or move on?” The young man asked once more.
“Let’s check out other places first; we can’t just hang on this one tree.”
Listening to their conversation, Gu Pan and Ruisheng ascertained there was no one from the family still there, and the people inside were also searching for supplies. They were organized, as they had a leader and followers. 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Without speaking, the two slowly retreated to avoid any trouble if those inside decided to come out and encountered Cheng Yang and the others, which could lead to conflict and a fight they preferred to avoid.
