The moment Chen Xin and Qin Lan slammed the door open, it immediately startled everyone in the underground parking lot, and a few quick-reacting police officers hurriedly drew their service pistols, hiding behind cover for aiming.
Yet, two pitch-black steel monsters walked out from behind the slammed door, leaving them momentarily stunned and unsure whether they should fire.
They wanted to shoot because these two steel monsters looked quite terrifying—entirely black, breaking in with a chilling air, at first glance not resembling anything benign.
But considering the small pistols in their hands and looking at the thick armor on the opponents, they also didn’t believe their small guns could inflict harm, and rashly firing might even anger them.
Luckily, after breaking the door, Qin Lan and Chen Xin didn’t show any signs of aggression. Qin Lan quickly activated the external speaker to identify themselves to the officers.
Upon hearing Qin Lan’s identification, these officers finally relaxed, putting away their guns and emerging from behind cover to approach Qin Lan and Chen Xin.
"Qin Lan?" A police officer who knew Qin Lan was somewhat incredulous, as seeing Qin Lan in the Power Armor was beyond belief.
"It’s me, how’s the situation at the headquarters?" Qin Lan opened her helmet’s visor, revealing her face and inquiring about the condition from the officers in front.
Seeing it was indeed Qin Lan, the officer sighed in relief and spoke to her: "You scared me; I thought some alien monsters broke in! Your suits really are amazing!"
"The situation at headquarters isn’t very optimistic; it’s too cold, many people are suffering from hypothermia, and there are a lot of frostbite cases. But the situation is similar everywhere in the city; headquarters is relatively better. At least your Special Forces team can take hot showers, which help treat frostbite." Another officer told Qin Lan, with a casual tone yet conveying a sense of bitterness: "Other places are tough, with many not receiving timely and effective treatment for frostbite, leaving hospitals overwhelmed. If it continues, things might really go wrong."
Hearing the officer’s words, Chen Xin and Qin Lan both looked grim; they hadn’t expected the city’s situation to reach this point, though they anticipated poor conditions.
Especially as this was only the situation described by the officer, in reality, it might be worse.
Faced with such circumstances, Qin Lan quickly inquired about Ding Ning’s status from the officers: "Do you know how Ding Ning is doing? How is she now?"
"Ding Ning is fine; she’s maintaining order at the Special Forces cafeteria, no problems there," the officer responded to Qin Lan and then, showing concern, asked: "Qin Lan, what are you here for?"
"We were on the outskirts and saw the blizzard; we were worried about the city’s situation, so we came to see if there’s anything we can help with." Qin Lan explained to the officers the reason for her and Chen Xin’s visit.
Hearing Qin Lan say they came from the outskirts, the two officers looked incredulous but then believed them upon seeing the Power Armor on Chen Xin and Qin Lan, as such armor indeed allowed for breakthroughs through the blizzard.
But this wasn’t the main point; upon learning Qin Lan and Chen Xin came to help, the officer thought for a moment and said: "We’re not sure what help is needed; you should ask the person in charge downstairs."
The officers didn’t stop Qin Lan and Chen Xin from going down, partly because they couldn’t and partly because Qin Lan was still a Special Forces officer despite being on disability leave; her status hadn’t changed. Chapters first released on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
So, after Qin Lan said they came to help, the officers directly chose to believe them, notified the refuge below, and let them in.
Chen Xin and Qin Lan, wearing Power Armor, descended into the refuge, reaching the floor where the Special Forces were.
As the two walked out of the elevator, Uncle Ding and the political commissar, along with two well-equipped Special Forces officers, were waiting at the elevator entrance.
Seeing Chen Xin and Qin Lan in Power Armor, the four waiting at the elevator and passersby nearby were shocked, as the appearance of Power Armor was truly astonishing, something one would expect only in science fiction movies, far beyond ordinary imagination.
Fortunately, Uncle Ding and the commissar were not ordinary people and soon regained their composure, welcoming Qin Lan and Chen Xin: "Chen Xin, Qin Lan, you coming back at this time is very timely!"
"Let’s skip the pleasantries; under current circumstances, let’s get straight to business. Is there anything we can do?" Chen Xin looked at Uncle Ding, eschewing excessive courtesies.
"Well... we’re not short on manpower; the key issue now is heating. Although the city’s coal supply is still there, even though difficult to transport outside, railway line colleagues are striving, so there’s still coal. Just..." The commissar appeared grim, as having two people come to help was good, but too little amid the challenges.
"Is it about temperature and thermal efficiency? If that’s the case, I could help a bit, assist with modifying the boilers, which could improve heating efficiency but might increase coal consumption." Hearing the commissar, Chen Xin immediately understood and offered to help upgrade the heating equipment.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Ding and the commissar’s eyes lit up, realizing that though increased coal consumption might quickly deplete reserves, leaving a crisis if the blizzard persisted and coal ran out, raising temperatures was a priority, as continued cold might kill people before the coal runs out.
"Then let’s raise the temperature first! If coal runs out, we’ll find other solutions!" Uncle Ding decisively instructed, choosing for Chen Xin to assist in modifying the heating system: "Commissar, guide them, and Chen Xin, tell the commissar what’s needed for modification. I’ll find the director!"
Finishing his words, Uncle Ding entered the elevator, pressed the button, and went to find the police bureau’s director to discuss boiler modification.
While Chen Xin and Qin Lan followed the commissar into the refuge’s interior.
"Besides heating, healthcare is a major issue; many frostbite and hypothermia patients can’t receive timely treatment, and we can only let them take hot showers for relief." As the commissar walked, he discussed the current situation: "If it wasn’t for Comrade Chen Xin installing the geothermal heat pump earlier, life would be even tougher..."