Chapter 19 Polarized Climate

Chapter 19 Polarized Climate

"Cao Kun, you're in for it now. You refused him so bluntly; he's definitely going to seek revenge." Cao Zilong said, glancing at Shenchi ahead of them. His voice was not low, and the other party definitely heard.

"If you ask me, you're just young and hot-headed. Why not join them? Someone that powerful? Did you hear what he said? He’s a superhuman! He can toss a car with one hand like it's nothing!"

"Sounds so great, why don't you go?" Cao Kun asked.

Cao Zilong secretly rolled his eyes, "Do you think I'm stupid? They clearly have their eyes on you. What would I gain by going?"

Cao Kun exclaimed, "Not stupid at all!"

Cao Zilong: ... Damn you!

Cao Zilong brushed past Cao Kun, instinctively moving closer to the wall as he passed Shenchi. Although he didn’t want to admit it, he was somewhat intimidated by the other man.

Yesterday, he had been terrified by the sight of zombies eating people. Later, when he discovered that his cousin, whom he had always suppressed, was not only brave enough to fight zombies but also highly capable, he became very uneasy about whether the other might take the opportunity to retaliate against him.

So last night, he took some things and planned to escape, but the police guarding the neighborhood wouldn’t let him out.

He had to sneak back quietly, only to see his cousin leaning against the wall in the dark—

That scene was terrifying!

And this house, claiming it’s Cao Kun’s own? He wouldn’t believe it even if he were dead! How could someone who had been in prison for years and had no job afford it?!

He also tried to get something from the pretty boy next door. Though the guy was cold, according to the information he got from TV dramas, such people usually had a soft heart underneath their cold exterior due to a lack of love and self-isolation. This was their way of self-protection, making them relatively easy to win over, which would increase his chances of becoming the top henchman.

Just as Cao Zilong was reveling in his cleverness, Cao Kun suddenly asked him if he remembered the person they beat up outside their rental house.

Cao Kun smiled, showing eight teeth, "The person you and your buddies beat up is the cold neighbor next door. Surprised?"

At first, Cao Zilong thought Cao Kun was lying because he couldn’t stand seeing him better off. But after carefully comparing their appearances and physiques, he was horrified to realize it was indeed the same person!

Cao Zilong felt a sharp pain in his recently filled gold tooth.

Cao Kun mocked him, "Aren’t you supposed to have a photographic memory?"

It wasn’t Cao Zilong’s fault he hadn’t recognized Shenchi then. The difference between the two versions of Shenchi was too stark.

Back then, Shenchi reeked of alcohol, had a scruffy beard, and looked wild and sinister—like a loser who had lost both career and love and was down on his luck.

But yesterday, Shenchi had the typical pretty boy look, with clear eyes and a nose, exuding a cold and noble aura. When killing zombies, he showed no mercy, clearly experienced, unlike the drunkard who stumbled while fighting.

Cao Zilong abandoned the idea of relying on the pretty boy but then remembered something even more horrifying! These two were neighbors! Why did they pretend not to know each other that day?!

The more he thought about it, the more horrifying it seemed!

Xia Yi, looking at the man who suddenly rushed into the room and closed the door, turned to Cao Kun in confusion.

Cao Kun, staring at the closed door, said coldly, "I give you three seconds. Three..."

The door opened a crack.

Cao Kun smirked wickedly.

After entering the room, Xia Yi still found it hard to believe that the situation in the North Latitude Autonomous Region had become so dire. If Wang Wei’s words were true, multiple cities in North Latitude had fallen days ago, yet there was no news about it.

Or perhaps the government chose to keep it hidden...

If this were true, could the nationwide lockdown on August 11 be related?

Perhaps there had been a previous outbreak of zombie infections?

Xia Yi recalled the nightmare from the previous night, momentarily lost in thought, and didn’t notice Shenchi stopping in front of him until he bumped into him.

Shenchi was sturdier than he looked, his stance unshaken.

"Xia Yi," Shenchi called his name, "this is no longer the world you knew."

Xia Yi was silent for a moment before saying, "I want to rest for a bit."

Shenchi nodded and left him alone, walking to the kitchen and opening the food provided by the government.

The government-supplied food was pre-packed for individual servings. There were two options: one with raw meat, vegetables, and rice that needed cooking, suitable for homes with water purifiers and gas stoves; the other with bread, instant noodles, canned food, and several bottles of mineral water.

Shenchi and Xia Yi chose the first option.

Shenchi found disinfectant and cooling herbs like Banlangen in his pack. He checked Xia Yi’s bag; there was no Banlangen but an extra bag of salt, which could also cool the body.

Shenchi washed the rice and cooked it, taking a piece of marbled pork from the refrigerator and two potatoes from the food bag. An hour later, the dining table was set with a plate of rich, oily Dongpo pork, a plate of spicy and sour shredded potatoes, and a bowl of seaweed soup.

These simple home-cooked dishes were both visually appealing and delicious.

Xia Yi sat across from Shenchi, picked up his chopsticks, and without looking away, placed a piece of pork in his mouth. The Dongpo pork was a bit greasy, so he paired it with rice and potato shreds, finishing two bowls of white rice in no time.

Cao Kun stood by the window, watching naked men and women walk around in the opposite building.

Cao Zilong curiously craned his neck to peek, seeing a group of naked people, clearly up to something.

"Wow, a group session!" Cao Zilong swallowed, planning to sit and watch. He glanced at Cao Kun with a lecherous smile, "Nice find. Any videos? Share them?"

Cao Kun gave him a look that said he was an idiot, which instantly infuriated Cao Zilong. However, realizing he was still a guest, he quickly put on a flattering face.

Cao Kun pulled the curtains shut, sniffing lightly, and turned his head towards the door, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Cao Zilong also smelled the aroma of pork and craned his neck in the same direction.

Cao Kun patted his shoulder, "Want some?"

Cao Zilong: Swallowed saliva.

Cao Kun tempted him: "Go ask for some?"

Cao Zilong shook his head in fear.

Cao Kun sighed, looking at Cao Zilong with pity in his eyes.

Cao Zilong: What the hell?!

Cao Kun walked away with his hands behind his back: "Go cook something."

Cao Zilong roared inwardly: I don't know how to cook!

Soon, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of clattering bowls and pots.

The next day, the government arrived with large trucks to distribute food again. This time, the residents were more prepared, bringing wet towels, fans, water, umbrellas, sunblock clothes, and sunscreen to beat the heat.

There were bare chests, tank tops, and miniskirts everywhere, revealing white skin as far as the eye could see!

This time, the distribution followed the same order as before—children first, then the elderly, women, and finally men. Unlike last time, they also brought several generators. Due to limited quantities, these were shared among several households.

People were initially excited but soon began complaining about why the generators hadn't been provided earlier. Wasn't this a matter of life and death?

The police officer let the sweat run down his forehead and said, "The government is working hard to restore power. Some areas of Jiu Zhou City have already been reconnected this morning. Huayuan New Mansion will be reconnected by around 8 to 10 AM tomorrow. Please bear with us a little longer."

The next morning at exactly 8 AM, power was restored to Huayuan New Mansion. The yellow warning tape at the entrance had been removed at some point. Lights shone brightly from every household, and air conditioners began running non-stop. The scent of cooking wafted out of windows and doors, accompanied by laughter, making the neighborhood lively once again.

Half an hour later, the human chatter gradually faded away. Two hours later, many people emerged from their homes, rushing to the parking lot. Cars started leaving, heading either into the city or onto the highway.

Before noon, all available air conditioners, electric fans, generators, water purifiers, flashlights, batteries, candles, lighters, and other essentials were sold out in the market.

The national water and electricity bureau also implemented temporary discounts, significantly reducing utility bills. Many closed stores had their taxes waived, and almost everyone stayed home.

There were few pedestrians on the wide streets, which seemed somewhat empty. The sky belonged to transport planes, and news reports daily updated the situation across the country and worldwide, including the unprecedented severe polarization of weather conditions.

From August 11th onwards, our climate was divided by Zhangling and the Blue River. The entire northern region, including the northwest and the northern part of Xili, had entered a harsh winter, with temperatures dropping to minus twenty-eight degrees Celsius. In contrast, the southern regions south of the Huai River, including half of the southern part of Xili, experienced average temperatures of forty-two degrees Celsius, which continued to rise.

All citizens who learned about this were stunned. However, they had no way to get information about the north because the power, communication, and internet there had not been restored.

While people felt relieved, they also felt uneasy.

The government then used television, radio, and the internet to educate the public on disaster response, emphasizing self-protection, conducting daily health checks, and deploying water trucks every five minutes to cool the streets. Militia members joined the patrol teams, increasing both the number of patrols and their frequency. The government also encouraged people to strengthen their physical fitness.

Shenchi privately trained Xia Yi's physical endurance, teaching him various combat techniques. His tactics were honed during the post-apocalypse fighting against zombies, characterized by swift, precise, and lethal moves. He never took more than one strike to end a fight, executing each move decisively.

After a few days, Xia Yi was so exhausted that he could fall asleep immediately upon hitting the ground.

But Shenchi's training didn't stop there. Every night before bed, he made Xia Yi check his body without any tools, though there weren't any tools anyway.

The results showed that Shenchi's body was fine, and in fact, his physical functions were improving slowly but noticeably.

Xia Yi was very surprised. He saw Shenchi's intense daily practice, which was twice as rigorous as his own. Yet, such rapid improvement was still hard to achieve in such a short time.

It was like taking steroids; the speed of improvement was too fast.