Chapter 14: Extreme Cold, Watching the Outside World
The Ice Age had begun.
Tianhai city is in the south of China, where snow is rare. Now the heavy snowfall there stirred up much discussion online. Some people complained, while others felt fortunate.
But none of them knew that this snowfall and drastic temperature drop were not temporary but would persist and intensify.
Eventually, this would bring about a disaster that no one could endure.
At this moment, Zhang Yi lay comfortably on his sofa at home, enjoying the twenty-something degrees Celsius inside his safe house, sipping a chilled Budweiser beer, feeling utterly content.
Just then, Zhang Yi’s phone rang.
He picked it up and saw that there were a lot of chat group messages.
His former classmates, hobby groups, and community groups were discussing the unexpected blizzard.
“I was woken up by the cold in the middle of the night. I had to get up and turn on the heater.”
“Sigh, my heater is terrible at warming the place. It’s getting colder and colder.”
“I wonder how long this cold weather will last. I haven't even bought my winter clothes yet!”
Everyone was chattering, expressing their feelings in various ways.
However, Zhang Yi could sense that most people weren’t taking the sudden cold snap seriously. Some were even pleasantly surprised.
Zhang Yi knew very well that this was only temporary.
Yawning, he decided not to continue watching.
He returned to his warm bed, covered himself with a plush velvet quilt, and comfortably closed his eyes.
His bed was incredibly comfortable, an upscale item he had taken from the Walmart warehouse.
Especially the mattress, rumored to be the same model used by a certain female celebrity, worth 3 million yuan.
Outside, the snow was falling heavily, and the wind was howling, while inside, the fireplace was blazing warmly, making the temperature pleasant.
In such a cozy environment, Zhang Yi quickly fell asleep.
The next morning, Zhang Yi was woken up by his phone ringing.
He opened his eyes and saw that it was Fang Yuqing calling him.
Being woken from a good dream, Zhang Yi was naturally in a foul mood.
He picked up the phone and asked irritably, “Why are you calling me so early?”
Fang Yuqing was startled by Zhang Yi’s cold tone.
However, she quickly said, “Zhang Yi, it’s so cold outside today! Did you stock up on supplies because you knew it would get this cold?”
Fang Yuqing’s voice trembled as if she was trying hard to endure something.
Zhang Yi’s lips curled into a mocking smile.
Indeed, this bitch wouldn't call unless she needed something.
He lazily replied, “I just heard a friend mention it. I didn’t expect it to get this cold.”
He threw off his quilt. The room was so warm that he was starting to sweat.
Putting on his slippers, Zhang Yi walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window, and the familiar scene before him narrowed his eyes.
The heavy snow had buried the entire city. He could no longer see the streets or the bushes by the roadside.
Only the outlines of the city buildings were faintly visible, with many houses’ ground floors half-buried.
And the snow was still falling, with no signs of stopping.
On the phone, Fang Yuqing continued, “No wonder you stocked up on so much stuff. Zhang Yi, you could have told me about this. Now I’m freezing!”
Zhang Yi frowned, annoyed that she dared to complain to him.
He hung up the phone and tossed it aside.
Then he went to the bathroom for a comfortable hot shower.
Afterwards, he took out a piece of top-grade A5 Wagyu beef from his space. For breakfast, he would have steak with pasta.
While eating breakfast, he turned on the TV.
The cold snap had just begun, so there hadn't been any power outages yet, and the TV worked fine.
But even if there were outages, Zhang Yi was prepared with various backup power sources, dozens of generators, and a massive gasoline supply.
Energy wouldn’t be a problem for at least three hundred years!
After turning on the TV, Zhang Yi switched to the morning news channel.
Even though he, as a reborn individual, knew the situation outside, watching the news was still a way to pass the time.
On the news channel, the anchors were wearing thick down jackets.
Remember, TV stations usually have central heating and a priority power supply.
But for the anchors to need down jackets meant the temperature had dropped beyond what central heating could handle.
The female anchor, trying to maintain a steady tone, reported, “Last night, a strong cold front hit globally, causing drastic temperature drops everywhere. The average drop ranged from 70 to 100 degrees Celsius.”
“Meteorological departments are investigating the cause of this cold front.”
“In the coming days, please keep warm to avoid frostbite.”
“Try to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.”
“The authorities will handle this issue appropriately. Please remain calm.”
“Don’t spread or believe rumors, and refrain from panic buying. This snowstorm will soon pass.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yi scoffed.
With the Ice Age descending, survival depended on oneself. Doing nothing and staying home would only lead to an early death.
The top right corner of the TV screen showed that the outdoor temperature in Tianhai City had reached minus 65 degrees Celsius!
Yesterday, the highest temperature was still 15 degrees Celsius, meaning it had dropped by 80 degrees overnight!
Zhang Yi shrugged. This temperature drop matched his previous life’s experience.
But now, wearing pajamas and sipping wine, eating steak and pasta, he felt no outside cold.
After all, his 8-million-yuan safe house, with emphasized insulation, ensured almost no heat loss inside.
Just then, Zhang Yi’s phone rang again.
Curious, he wanted to see what his previously mocking neighbors were saying.
First, he saw a message from Fang Yuqing.
“Zhang Yi, why did you hang up on me?”
“The snow outside is so heavy, I can’t go out. Didn’t you stock up on a lot of food? Can you lend me some? I’ll pay you back after the snowstorm.”
Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow, a cold smile forming on his lips.
This bitch was smart, knowing that with such heavy snow, food prices would skyrocket.
Unwilling to venture out in minus 60 to 70 degrees cold, she wanted Zhang Yi’s supplies.
But Zhang Yi knew this Ice Age would last long, not pass quickly.
And he certainly wouldn’t give Fang Yuqing any food!
In his previous life, he was deceived by this bitch, giving her much of his food.
In the end, she betrayed him, causing his death, and even wanted to cook his ribs into soup!
Such a woman, Zhang Yi now only wanted to toy with her and watch her suffer.
With a playful smile, he messaged Fang Yuqing.
“You should have said earlier; I’ve nearly finished my stock. Look, I just cooked steak for breakfast!”
He then took a selfie with the steak and red wine, making sure to include himself in pajamas, and sent it to Fang Yuqing.