Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 173 Collection

After pouring almost half a bottle of water, and seeing the ice layer thinning noticeably and the door opening loosening, she quickly put away the thermos, put on thick gloves, gripped the doorknob with both hands, leaned back, and with all her might, twisted and pulled—

With a crisp cracking sound, accompanied by the dry creaking of the hinges turning, the door was finally pulled open!

A gust of wind, even more biting than the wind inside and carrying the chill of the open air outside, immediately rushed in, making her mask cling tightly to her cheeks. She breathed a sigh of relief, not daring to linger at the door for even a second longer, and quickly slipped out, then locked the door again from the outside with her key.

She pulled her hat brim tight, making sure the windproof mask completely covered her face, leaving only her eyes visible, and then walked out through the snow.

As far as the eye could see, everything was white. There were few pedestrians, but not none. After all, although minus eighteen degrees Celsius was harsh, it was not a desperate situation where people with special physical conditions or those who had run out of reserves and had to take a gamble.

Xu Xiaoyan saw several figures wrapped up tightly in the snow moving slowly and unsteadily in the distance. She even saw an unexpected scene at a street corner: a person was pushing a cart equipped with snow chains and widened tires, with goods covered with waterproof cloth piled on it, and was struggling to move forward. Next to the cart was another person holding a long wooden stick, which served as both a crutch and seemed to be probing the way or on guard.

Before leaving home, Xu Xiaoyan saw posts on forums about "extreme cold delivery" and "snowstorm delivery." It seems that some people have already seized the business opportunities in extreme weather, formed small teams, and used their cold resistance and familiarity with the terrain to help those who cannot go out or are unwilling to take risks to transport supplies for a fee.

In times of crisis, there are always those who can find opportunities. These delivery services are certainly expensive, but for the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled who urgently need supplies but dare not leave their homes, they are undoubtedly a lifeline.

She saw that the goggles of the cart pusher were covered with frost, and his breath instantly condensed into icy fog above the mask. Life, or rather, survival, was being filtered and reshaped in the most primitive and cruel way.

She began to walk towards the north gate of the outer city. White mist surged and dissipated in front of her. When Xu Xiaoyan finally arrived at the north gate of the outer city, three figures were already standing at the foot of the city wall in a corner that was slightly sheltered from the wind and snow.

They were all bundled up tightly, their bulky cotton-padded coats or military overcoats almost completely obscuring their human figures. Their hats were pulled low, and their windproof scarves or masks covered their mouths and noses, leaving only a thin line of their eyes exposed. Some even had a thin layer of frost on their goggles. In this icy and snowy landscape, everyone looked like a snowman carved from the same mold, making it extremely difficult to distinguish individuals.

Xu Xiaoyan quickened her pace and walked over, her boots crunching crisply on the frozen snow. The three men turned around at the sound, and several pairs of eyes fell on her at the same time. She pulled down her mask, exhaled a long puff of white air, and said with a hint of helplessness, "I thought I was early enough, but I didn't expect you to be even earlier than me." Her voice was a little hoarse in the cold air, but clear enough.

One of the figures was slightly shorter, with a somewhat relaxed posture and a habitually swaying body. Xu Xiaoyan almost immediately recognized him as Wang Xiao. Even though he was wrapped up so tightly, his posture of "exuding excess energy at all times" was still highly recognizable.

"Hey! Xiaoyan!" Sure enough, the figure perked up immediately upon hearing her voice. Her voice, muffled yet filled with familiar warmth, came through the thick wool scarf. "We're all bundled up so well, and you still recognized us? Xiaoyan, you're amazing!"

"Even if you were wrapped up like a ball, I would still recognize you," Xu Xiaoyan said half-jokingly, her tense nerves relaxing a little. It's always good to have someone you know around.

"Xiao Yan," another, more composed voice rang out. It was Xie Yingtang. He turned to the tallest and most robust figure beside him and said, "Let me introduce you. This is Lu Hu, Brother Lu. He's the one who provided the information about that sea buckthorn garden. He's quite familiar with the route and the garden's conditions. We'll follow him from now on."

Xu Xiaoyan turned her gaze to Lu Hu. He was a head taller than Xie Yingtang, with broad shoulders and a thick back. Even in a thick coat, his large frame was still visible. His gear looked more "practical" than "neat": a slightly worn dark blue work cotton coat, with an orange vest with reflective strips that he had somehow gotten his hands on. His hat was a common dog-skin hat, and a pair of eyes were peering at her through slightly scratched goggles.

"Hello, Brother Lu," Xu Xiaoyan nodded politely, her voice calm. In this environment, excessive enthusiasm might arouse unnecessary suspicion.

Lu Hu nodded, his voice rough and hoarse, as if it had been sanded. "Everyone's here? Then let's not delay any longer and get going. In this awful weather, every extra word we say will burn more calories, and the longer we drag it out, the more miserable we'll be."

After saying that, he didn't wait for anyone else to respond. He turned around and walked towards the dark exit of the North Gate. Xie Yingtang gestured for Xu Xiaoyan to follow. The group didn't say anything more and silently followed Lu Hu out of the North Gate.

The scene outside the door still slightly surprised Xu Xiaoyan, who was mentally prepared. The desolate and dilapidated suburbs she had expected did not appear. Instead, along the inner side of the high city wall, the outline of a messy but vibrant settlement appeared before her eyes. A large number of simple buildings clung to the foot of the city wall like barnacles and spread out: there were square boxes pieced together from shipping containers and corrugated steel sheets, shacks made of wood, plastic sheeting and old tires, and relatively neat prefabricated houses that seemed to have been built in batches.

Most of these buildings are low and covered with thick snow, but thick or thin gray-white smoke is rising straight up from the chimneys of many rooftops in the frozen air. Dim yellow light shines through the windows of some buildings, and snow tracks trampled into the roads crisscross. You can even see a few people bundled up tightly weaving through the narrow "streets." An atmosphere of human life mixed with the struggle of the apocalypse is palpable.

"This... is probably the 'Fourth City' that Xie Yingtang mentioned before," Xu Xiaoyan thought to herself. She remembered that Xie Yingtang had mentioned in casual conversation that the Linchuan base had been expanding and absorbing refugees, and that a new settlement had been built outside the city walls. She didn't expect it to be so large. She didn't ask any questions, but silently followed the group, walking along a snow path that had been trodden on hard and seemed to be frequently used, and continued to walk towards the outer edge.