Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 130 Cold Protection Supplies

That's the gist of it: the military will no longer act as a slow-moving "protective umbrella." If you want to follow, you have to find a way to keep up with the speed of the military vehicles! That cold and ruthless announcement was like a bucket of cold water being poured into a boiling oil pan, instantly igniting all the fear and unease that had accumulated in the crowd!

"What?! They're not waiting for us anymore?! How is this possible?!" An elderly man with gray hair pointed tremblingly in the direction of the soldiers, his face filled with disbelief and horror.

"Are you abandoning us?! You were the ones who made us follow you! Now you're just going to abandon us like this?!" A middle-aged woman cried out hoarsely, her voice piercing the night sky.

"Soldiers! You can't do this! How can we live without you?! Aren't you driving us to our deaths?!" A thin man waved his bony arms, his face contorted with agitation and despair.

"We don't have a car! We can't even get enough to eat, let alone rent one!" A mother with two teenagers hugged her shivering children, tears mixed with dust streaking her face, her voice filled with the despair of having nowhere to turn.

"Liar! Didn't you say you'd do your best to help us?! It was all a lie!!" More voices joined in, and angry, desperate, betrayed roars and sharp curses erupted like a flood bursting its banks.

The crowd began to stir. Some people lost control of their emotions and tried to rush forward to grab the soldiers to argue, but were held back by their companions. Most others were ashen-faced, staring blankly ahead, as if the sudden bad news had drained all their strength and soul, leaving only a numb shell.

However, the soldiers holding megaphones remained expressionless in the face of the surging accusations, cries, and the overwhelming tide of despair that threatened to engulf them. They didn't even glance at the excited crowd that was practically lunging at them.

They mechanically repeated the pre-recorded, chilling announcement over and over again from the loudspeaker, while continuing to march toward the long and chaotic rear of the line.

The sound of the horn gradually faded into the distance as the people involved walked away, becoming indistinct. However, the anger and despair ignited in the crowd were like a pot of oil that had been thoroughly boiled. Instead of subsiding, the anger intensified, with cries, curses, arguments, and helpless sighs all intertwined.

Xu Xiaoyan stood on the edge of the commotion, not completely swept up in the collective panic. Her brows were furrowed. The army's sudden and significant strategic change, which was bound to cause a violent backlash, could not have been made without reason.

Behind this ruthless decision that almost "abandoned" the people, there must have been a compelling reason, perhaps even one that concerned the very survival of the entire team. Or perhaps they were aware in advance of some imminent, enormous risk that could bring this large and slow-moving mixed force to its doom. Was it that the road ahead was completely blocked? Was it some kind of extreme weather? Or... was there a large-scale, irresistible threat approaching? Various possibilities flashed through her mind.

"Brother Xie, Wang Xiao," she said decisively, quickly pulling her two equally grave-looking companions aside and retreating to the shadow of a military vehicle. Her voice was extremely low, ensuring only the three of them could hear her. "You two go and explore the Starlight Base first, get a feel for the situation, and focus on what you can exchange at the market or trading points. Find out the prices and types of supplies. I have some personal business to attend to and need to confirm immediately." Her tone was firm, carrying an undeniable urgency.

Xie Yingtang glanced at her, a knowing look in his eyes. He didn't ask a single question, but simply nodded and succinctly instructed, "Be careful, pay attention to safety, and meet up as soon as possible."

Although Wang Xiao was itching with curiosity about what "private matter" Xu Xiaoyan wanted to confirm, he also knew that Xu Xiaoyan always acted with discretion, and the atmosphere was tense at the moment, so it was not the time to press for answers.

He gave a strong "hmm," patted Xu Xiaoyan on the shoulder, and followed Xie Yingtang, walking towards the brightly lit entrance of the Starlight Base with the flow of people gradually moving towards the base entrance.

Xu Xiaoyan did not leave immediately. She stood there, her body slightly tense, her eyes carefully scanning the chaotic crowd and the military vehicles that were gathering and exuding a murderous aura. She was looking for a familiar figure.

The soldiers were disciplined and busy with their own tasks, oblivious to the chaos around them. Xu Xiaoyan weaved through the throng of people and military green uniforms, and finally, in a lull when the crowd was drawn to the base entrance and formed a surge, she saw that familiar figure.

Jiang Shan was standing next to a military truck, facing away from her, seemingly directing several soldiers to check and verify the remaining supplies on the truck. His bronze face looked even more serious than usual in the dim light of the truck headlights, his brows were tightly furrowed, and even his jawline was taut, clearly under immense pressure.

Without hesitation, Xu Xiaoyan took advantage of the deepening night and the still noisy and chaotic crowd as cover and quickly walked over. After the soldiers left, she quietly approached Jiang Shan's side, cleverly using her body and the shadow of the vehicle to create cover. In the instant their bodies crossed, her arm swiftly and discreetly handed him a pack of cigarettes, carefully wrapped in oil paper and seemingly inconspicuous, but which was a valuable commodity in the current situation, precisely into his slightly open hand as he spoke.

Jiang Shan felt an object with a familiar shape and weight suddenly appear in his hand, and his body paused almost imperceptibly.

A sharp glint flashed in his weathered eyes, but his expression remained unchanged. His fingers swiftly gripped the pack of cigarettes tightly, then with a fluid, practiced motion, he slipped it deep into his trouser pocket. The entire process was lightning fast, from offering to withdrawing, taking only a breath, and hardly attracting the attention of any of the surrounding soldiers.

"Uncle Jiang," Xu Xiaoyan's voice was as low as the softest whisper in the middle of the night, yet it carried an undeniable urgency. "Why didn't you wait for everyone on the last leg of the journey? Did something... happen up ahead?" She asked the most crucial question, her heart pounding slightly in her chest.

Jiang Shan did not answer immediately, nor did he turn to look at her. He maintained his posture of facing the soldiers and giving orders, but he glanced left and right cautiously and subtly to make sure that no one was paying any attention to their brief, seemingly accidental approach.

Then, he turned around abruptly, his broad back completely blocking Xu Xiaoyan's petite figure. He spoke very quickly, almost squeezing it out from between his clenched teeth, "The weather... is getting colder." He uttered these words as if revealing an extremely terrifying secret, "It's predicted... to be cold for a long time. We... have received other urgent missions."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he were struggling to weigh the risks of revealing more information against his lingering protectiveness towards the intelligent girl before him. Finally, he added, his tone unusually heavy, almost tangible, "You... this time when you go to Starlight Base... remember, bring plenty of warm clothing! Bring as much as you can! Make sure you bring it!"

After saying this last sentence, he didn't even give Xu Xiaoyan any chance to digest or understand or ask any more questions. As if he was afraid that if he lingered for even a second longer, people would discover their brief and dangerous exchange. He suddenly took a step forward and walked quickly towards the front of the convoy and the direction of the command center without looking back. His figure quickly disappeared into the shadows of the layers of military vehicles and busy soldiers, as if he had never stopped.

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Xu Xiaoyan was left standing alone in the same spot, surrounded by the still noisy and chaotic crowd, but she felt as if she were on a vacuum island, with Jiang Shan's warning, which was abrupt and unrelated, but exploded in her mind like a thunderclap, echoing repeatedly in her ears.

Is the weather getting colder? It's November now, late autumn, and it's normal for the weather to turn cooler. But... for the military high command to be willing to bear the stigma of "abandoning" the people in order to forcibly accelerate the process, and for an experienced veteran like Jiang Shan to take it so seriously and even risk his life to remind her to stock up on cold-weather supplies... the meaning behind this made Xu Xiaoyan feel a chill run down her spine!

This is definitely not an ordinary drop in temperature! This could very well be an unprecedented, devastating cold wave, or... the beginning of some kind of dramatic climate change!

A strong sense of crisis jolted Xu Xiaoyan out of her shock. Without a moment's hesitation, she turned around and quickly and nimbly moved against the flow of people rushing towards the base entrance, returning to the military vehicle belonging to her squad.

The carriage was in chaos. Many people were still arguing or silently shedding tears over the announcement. Xu Xiaoyan had no time to pay attention to anything else. She went straight to the corner assigned to them, bent down, and dragged out the sack with all her might. The heavy weight pressed down on her shoulder.

She must find Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao immediately! Time is of the essence!

Fortunately, Xie Yingtang was tall and imposing, and in the bustling crowd surging towards the entrance of the Starlight Base, he stood out like a prominent landmark. Xu Xiaoyan quickly spotted the two men looking around and waiting for her in a relatively open area near the city gate, where the crowd was sparse. They were traveling light, carrying only their own backpacks, indicating that their original plan was to first enter the base to assess the situation before deciding on the transaction.

When the two men saw that Xu Xiaoyan was panting and struggling to carry all her "belongings," they both looked surprised and puzzled. Wang Xiao, being the outspoken one, asked directly, "Xiaoyan, why did you bring all this? Weren't we planning to go inside and check the situation first?" Xie Yingtang didn't speak, but his gaze carried the same question.

Xu Xiaoyan hurried to their side, slightly out of breath from jogging and carrying heavy loads. Without time for further explanation, she succinctly relayed the warning she had received from Jiang Shan, which she had analyzed herself, in an extremely low voice, audible only to the three of them: "The army's sudden acceleration is fundamentally due to the weather! The weather is about to change drastically; it's predicted to be extremely cold for a long time! Uncle Jiang told me this personally, at great risk. He instructed us to stay here and do everything possible to replenish our cold-weather gear!"

Seeing the color drain from their faces and their expressions turn incredibly grave, she knew they immediately realized the seriousness of the situation. She continued her quick and clear analysis, "Right now, besides the necessary rations to keep us from starving and to get us to the next base, all our bargaining chips—this food—should be used to exchange for things that can keep us alive and keep us warm! Clothes, blankets, quilts, fuel…anything that can keep us warm! I judge that either this news hasn't spread widely yet, or many people are still clinging to wishful thinking, believing that food is more important."

"But once the news spreads completely, or once we arrive in Linchuan, the people there will definitely know about it in advance. At that time, the price of all cold-weather supplies will definitely skyrocket, and you won't even be able to get them even if you have money and food! It will be as difficult as climbing to heaven to exchange relatively 'cheap' food for enough life-saving equipment again!" After her analysis, Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao immediately realized, and their faces showed a look of enlightenment mixed with lingering fear.

They finally understood why Xu Xiaoyan had acted out of character just now, carrying all the food with her. In this unfamiliar Starlight Base, they had no idea what supplies the other party needed. Carrying as much food as possible in terms of variety and quantity would maximize the probability and quantity of obtaining urgently needed cold-weather items!

Moreover, just as Xu Xiaoyan predicted, while most people are still focused on hoarding as much food as possible, these three "fools" are actually willing to use their precious, immediately filling food to exchange for seemingly cumbersome cold-weather gear that they "don't need right now." To those who don't know the situation, they might even seem like fools! This might actually allow them to use relatively less food to obtain the life-saving items they truly need to withstand the coming cold!

"Understood! The situation is urgent!" Xie Yingtang reacted quickly and made a decision immediately. "Wang Xiao, we're going back to the car right away! Take all our food with us! We can't afford to waste a moment! Exchange for as much cold-weather gear as possible!"

Xu Xiaoyan nodded vigorously, adding, "Just keep enough food to barely last until the next base! Don't be stingy! Remember, if you freeze to death first, all the food you have in your pockets will be useless! Survival comes first!"

The cold reality and the imminent survival crisis made them no longer hesitate and they immediately split up. Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao quickly disappeared into the crowd. They didn't have much time left.