Chapter 103: The Extremes of Frost and Flame

Chapter 103: The Extremes of Frost and Flame

Zhou Yun didn’t find out until the next day that the north had been hit by a blizzard. The fragile communication systems were heavily damaged, and the freezing weather and blocked roads made repairs impossible.

The northern bases had already lost internet and communication capabilities, with only military telegraphs barely operational.

Though Central Base hadn’t seen snow yet, temperatures had dropped sharply.

Meanwhile, the south was still sweltering, with daytime temperatures soaring past sixty degrees.

Under the relentless sun, the ground burned, and leaves curled and withered under the intense heat.

Only the cicadas screeched incessantly, and the sunlight was so intense that even the zombies sought refuge in the forest.

Of the outdoor crops, only a few drought-resistant ones—mutated kudzu, pumpkins, and agave—survived. The rest, unable to endure the heat, had already been harvested overnight by prisoners under Zhu Zhuan’s orders.

In this heat, shadow hemp fabric was found to have another advantage: when laid over greenhouse roofs, it absorbed significant solar heat, cooling the interior.

Zhu Zhuan was busy directing workers to cover the precious herb garden’s top layer with shadow hemp.

As evening fell, the sky was painted with colorful clouds. Suddenly, swarms of mutated crickets emerged in the grass near the detention area, their glossy black wings and powerful legs on full display.

Most were earth-type, able to burrow underground at will, but now, driven out by the scorching soil, they leaped and scattered through the grass, chirping sharply and uneasily.

Hua Rou and Zhao Yi led a flock of shadow ducklings into the grass, watching the ducks stretch their necks and snap up the crickets one by one.

Yao Huan and Zhou Yun, teacher and student, lounged in rattan chairs downstairs, watching them play. Beside them sat a massive block of ice Zhou Yun had frozen, mist curling off it. Comet lay by the ice, tongue lolling as it dozed. Normally, it would’ve followed Zhao Yi to play in the grass, but now it refused to leave the ice.

Yao Huan remarked, "When crickets swarm like this, the old-timers used to say it foretells a tsunami."

Zhou Yun was somewhat worried: "I heard from Shen Lan that the Golden Triangle area is mountainous and at a high altitude. Nirvana Manor, in particular, is built high up and isn’t afraid of flooding. Being in the primeval forest, the temperature is actually more pleasant than here. Why don’t you go stay there for a while while the weather still allows for flying?"

He was actually concerned that the Psychic Research Institute might still have designs on his teacher, and the Gong family wasn’t entirely united either. Otherwise, someone as strong as Qin Sheng in his past life wouldn’t have been so easily ensnared.

Yao Huan had indeed been feeling uncomfortable these past few days due to the heat, with little appetite and poor sleep. Being old and frail, he found the air conditioning draft unpleasant, but turning it off made the heat unbearable.

He slowly fanned himself with a folding fan: "It’s the same everywhere. I’ll follow the arrangements. Aren’t you coming along?"

Zhou Yun replied, "I still have several experiments to continue here. The heat is good for collecting data and drying herbs. Plus, I have a lot of things planted at Yunding Mountain Villa, and others don’t know how to take care of them. I’d rather do it myself."

Yao Huan glanced at him: "I think you just don’t want anyone else tidying up Captain Guan’s place. You’ve always been like this. Even the test tubes from your experiments, you insist on washing them yourself and won’t let others touch them."

Zhou Yun: "..."

Yao Huan sighed: "I heard from the Taoist priest that the news online says the north is buried in snow, and the roads are impassable. There are also zombies and mutated beast hordes, making their situation much more stressful than ours."

"I wonder if the supplies Qin Mu sent over recently will be enough for them to get through this winter. Captain Guan is such a straightforward person; he probably puts others before himself. It’s really worrying."

Zhou Yun: "..."

Yao Huan spoke earnestly: "Zhou Yun, sometimes you should take the initiative. I think if you spoke up, he might stay—do you really want to keep worrying like this forever?"

"This isn’t like the peaceful old days when a phone call or video chat could bridge the distance."

"Are you shy, or is there something else holding you back?"

"Afraid of ruining the friendship? Afraid he doesn’t like men?"

Zhou Yun fell silent.

Yao Huan coaxed gently, "A test tube, once someone else has touched it, you don't want it anymore. If you've been chasing for so long, and someone else takes the lead..."

Zhou Yun: "..."

The ducklings suddenly seemed to sense a predator, flapping their wings and flailing their pink flat claws as they ran back from the grass to Zhao Yi's side.

Zhou Yun and Yao Huan looked up and saw Qin Mu and Qin Sheng approaching from a distance. Qin Mu bent down and picked up the slowest duckling: "Why are they so afraid of me? Strange."

Zhao Yi looked up, his eyes unfocused, staring at him: "They feel you're like a great demon king, very scary, capable of eating them."

Qin Mu: "..."

Qin Sheng greeted cheerfully: "Teacher Yao! Doctor Zhou! We've brought some seafood for you. Tonight, we'll make spicy mantis shrimp for you, it's delicious."

Yao Huan peered over and said, "Ah, my uric acid levels have been a bit high recently, I can't eat that. You young folks enjoy it. Where did you get such big shrimp?"

Qin Mu said, "The old sailors from the Old Street borrowed my boat for a trip out to sea and brought some back as thanks. But..."

His face turned serious: "The old folks say, looking at the sunset, a big typhoon might be coming. The tides are changing too quickly, jellyfish are floating to the surface, and many big fish have come up."

Qin Mu continued, "City Lord Gong from Beiming has already sent his daughter and her husband to Central Base. We came to suggest you take refuge at Nirvana Manor."

Yao Huan was startled: "So dangerous?"

Qin Sheng chuckled: "Of course, we don't say it's to avoid the typhoon, just that we're attending some psychic research symposium at Central Base, and they did receive an invitation. But we all know, City Lord Gong will definitely stay in Beiming, but with his daughter pregnant, naturally, he doesn't want her to suffer."

"Now the city is recruiting earth and wood psychics daily, reinforcing and thickening the city walls and fences. Our Old Street has also been reinforced. The city's grain greenhouses have been set up, and every household is busy preparing for the typhoon."

Qin Mu said, "Even though we're by the sea and used to annual typhoons, we've never had so many extreme weather events. Last year's typhoon was small, just a few rains, but it was quite dry. This year might be different; the old sailors say a big one might be coming."

"The city is too crowded to stay during a disaster. I talked to Shen Lan last night, and we both think Nirvana Manor is better, basically self-sufficient in food, and with our own people. Many psychics from Jing Nan Base have also stayed there, it's safer."

"We suggest Teacher Yao and Doctor Zhou go there too, better decide early. Once the wind picks up, it'll be hard to leave. Shen Lan can fly a plane over to pick you up."

Yao Huan said, "He can even fly a plane? Wow! What a talent!"

"General Ren has also stationed two helicopter pilots on standby, saying it's safer with two people taking turns." Qin Sheng was eager: "I plan to learn too. General Ren, a skilled pilot, said he'd teach me when the opportunity arises."

Qin Mu said, "Xiao Sheng and Zhu Zhuan will accompany you. The Taoist priest, the master, Xiao Rou, and Xiao Yi will all go. I'll stay here alone."

Zhu Zhuan said, "I'll stay too, I'm more familiar with the prisoners here."

"We'll reinforce the walls, build disaster shelters at higher grounds, and inform the greenhouse staff in advance. Those staying can bring their families. Those willing to stay in the city can take a high-temperature typhoon holiday these days, take some supplies and food back to the city."

Zhou Yun glanced at Yao Huan, who quickly made a decision: "Alright, I won't be a burden here, I'll go. Zhou Yun won't leave, he wants to guard Xiao Guan's house, let him be. Anyway, the place is high, not afraid of flooding."

Zhou Yun: "..."

Qin Mu knew Zhou Yun was very decisive and didn't push, concerned: "Enough food? If the wind really picks up, communications will likely be cut."

Zhou Yun said, "Don't worry about me, you all take more things with you."

For a while, everyone was busy packing supplies, food, and personal items. After seeing everyone off, they began reinforcing the greenhouse, moving expensive equipment and valuables to high floors, preparing for the typhoon.

Zhou Yun returned to Yunding Mountain Villa and made some preparations. Indeed, two days after Teacher Yao and the others left, the typhoon hit Beiming. Danlin City, over a hundred kilometers away from Beiming, also experienced typhoon rains.

In the middle of the night, Zhou Yun woke up to the howling wind on the 30th floor, his phone had no signal. The wind howled outside all night, violent and fierce. Comet stayed by his bed, pacing restlessly. Zhou Yun soothed it by gently patting its head.

At dawn, the sky remained dark, the storm raged, and rain pelted the roof like bullets.

He went up to the second-floor terrace to take a look. The storm was raging, and the terrace's glass door rattled violently in the wind. The electricity in the house was still on, so it seemed the wind power equipment was functioning properly.

Through the glass, he could see that the water level at Qingyun Reservoir had peaked, with muddy torrents rushing downstream.

The wind from the sea carried terrifying sound waves, rolling in and shaking the trees in waves. The mountain trees tumbled and swayed in the wind, rustling loudly. The taller trees were being blown over, their trunks snapping and falling to the ground, while some with shallow roots were completely uprooted. The lower trees were submerged in water.

This was the kind of disaster you'd expect in the apocalypse. Fortunately, the teachers had already evacuated, and Qin Mu and Zhu Zhuan were guarding the medicinal garden, so there shouldn’t be any major issues. He delved into his hazy memories of a previous life for information about these disasters, but back then, he had already been at Sanchu Base, working as a researcher and support staff. He had become numb to the frequent natural disasters outside, especially in Danlin City, which had long since become a ghost town.

He gazed at the dark sky, wondering how long the typhoon would last and what Guan Yuanfeng, who was enduring a blizzard in the north, was doing right now.

=====

At that moment, Guan Yuanfeng was also thinking about Zhou Yun.

On the day he left Danlin, Zhou Yun was dressed in a light, short-sleeved cotton shirt. His forehead was broad, his nose straight, and his face full. His hair was slightly lifted by the morning breeze as he stood tall and vigorous in the morning light, waving goodbye. The horizon was bathed in a warm, golden morning glow.

He figured Zhou Yun was probably busy with the new folks he’d met, with the Qin brothers, and with his teacher, planting herbs, growing crops, and preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Zhou Yun would never be idle, but in his mind, Zhou Yun was always calm and leisurely, always smiling.

Since meeting Zhou Yun, Danlin had gained a warm, stable foundation, and the concept of "home" had taken on a tangible form.

Now, standing on the high walls of the base, he watched as large snowflakes swirled down in the biting cold wind. The temperature outside had dropped to minus twenty degrees Celsius, and there were no living beings in sight. Beyond the walls, a dense horde of howling zombies surged forward.

The blizzard intensified, the wind howling across the sky, sweeping snowflakes and violently shaking the tree branches. The wind roared and howled, sweeping across the mountains and fields, carrying with it a series of mournful sounds, as if souls were wailing in the storm.

Peng Zheyi approached through the snowstorm, a frown on his face. "It won’t let up anytime soon. You should go down and rest."

"Don’t waste your psychic energy. Even if you summon wind and lightning, it will only drive them away temporarily. They don’t feel pain and will quickly regroup. When there are no living beings outside, they gather under the command of the zombie king and besiege human bases. It’s always like this in winter."

Guan Yuanfeng turned his head, his expression indifferent. "It’s fine. The city feels stuffy. I’ll stay here and get some fresh air. Let me know when the zombie king appears."

Peng Zheyi nodded. "Alright. People from nearby small bases have already been taken in. Fortunately, the wood psychics from the Wood Guild catalyzed a lot of food and taught the wood psychics how to use natural forces. For now, the food supply is barely enough. Plus, Green Bird Pharmaceuticals just delivered a batch of sugar, sugarcane, mooncakes, and pomelos, which are really useful for quick energy replenishment."

Guan Yuanfeng remained silent.

Peng Zheyi continued, "I’m just worried this blizzard will last half a month like last year’s. If the special forces are trapped here, will you have any trouble on your end?"

Guan Yuanfeng replied expressionlessly, "What trouble could there be?"

Peng Zheyi sighed. "I know it’s not easy for you in Central Base either. If you’re too weak, you can’t hold on. If you’re too strong, you’ll be resented. All the major bases are watching closely. If Central Base loses you, who will take charge? But with you being away for so long, I’m worried you won’t be able to handle the situation there."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Let them do whatever they want. Do they really think I give a damn about Central Base?"

Peng Zheyi was surprised. He looked at Guan Yuanfeng and couldn’t help but try to recruit him. "Then why not stay here? I’ll make you the commander."

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "Get lost."

Peng Zheyi chuckled, but his laughter faded as Jiang Rongqian approached, his expression grave. "Team Guan, there’s an urgent message."

Peng Zheyi said, "I’ll go patrol elsewhere. You handle this."

Guan Yuanfeng and Jiang Rongqian headed down to the barracks below the wall. Jiang Rongqian lowered his voice and said, "Kexin sent an urgent message. There’s a typhoon in Beiming. The frontline army deployed the 'Wolf,' but its current location is unknown."

A flicker of change crossed Guan Yuanfeng’s expression.