“Sister, you’re so pretty~” The little girl looked up at her, her big eyes filled with deep trust.
The corners of Rong Hui’s lips lifted slightly. She gently stroked the child’s soft cheek. Thinking of something, she took a wool scarf out of her backpack and carefully wrapped it around the girl’s neck, leaving only her eyes visible. “This is for you. Stay close to your mom and protect yourself.”
“Okay!” The little girl nodded vigorously, her ponytails bouncing up and down.
Seeing that everyone had almost finished packing, Rong Hui took the lead and walked toward the second basement level. Just the difference of one floor meant a temperature gap of five to eight degrees.
More than twenty people moved upward in a messy line, their footsteps uneven and scattered. From time to time someone sucked in a sharp breath or their teeth began chattering. Only now did they truly realize how terrible the conditions outside were, and they had not even reached the first floor yet.
Rong Hui slowed her pace and stopped at the entrance of a hot pot restaurant on the first basement level, allowing everyone to rest inside the private rooms. With the temperature dropping so drastically, adults might endure it, but she was worried the children might not.
After resting for an hour, Rong Hui distributed the last box of heating pads, instructing everyone to stick them around their joints and on their hands and feet. This would speed up blood circulation and prevent their bodies from freezing stiff in the extreme cold. Then she led the group toward the first floor of the mall.
Before the children could say anything, a middle aged woman bundled up like a round ball suddenly jumped out and complained.
“Oh dear, my old arms and legs really can’t handle this. Young lady, could you lend me your shoes to wear? You young people have strong vitality. We should respect the elderly and care for the young. Didn’t you already give your scarf to that little girl…”
Rong Hui looked at her expressionlessly. She had noticed this woman before. Yesterday, when they carried a large bundle of clothing downstairs, this woman had grabbed items the fastest. It was clear she was the type who excelled at grabbing vegetables or seats in everyday life. There was not the slightest sign of frailty.
Shen Li spoke in a sarcastic tone. “Aunt Liu, you’re very strong. I hear you snoring every night. Why would you need this girl’s shoes? Could it be…”
A look of admiration suddenly appeared on his face.
“Are you planning to help go find the military and report the situation? Aunt Liu, that level of awareness is truly admirable. I’m impressed, really impressed!”
The middle aged woman’s face turned green. She had been counting on rescue workers to send her home. Who would want to go outside to report the situation? In such cold weather, what if she froze to death on the road?
“I didn’t… I was just asking…” she muttered weakly.
Rong Hui did not want to waste time. Shen Li had already responded for her, so she ignored the woman and said, “Let’s go to the first floor. Prepare yourselves. It’s extremely cold there.”
Everyone nodded and followed behind her with their heads lowered, no one paying attention to the middle aged woman who tried to rely on her age.
When they reached the first floor, the extreme cold made it impossible for them to open their mouths. The cold air entering their lungs caused piercing pain, forcing them to bury their noses and mouths inside their clothing.
Rong Hui had already grown somewhat accustomed to the temperature. She still put on her face mask and goggles.
“The indoor temperature is around minus 40°C right now. Everyone adjust to it first. Stamp your feet and move around. Those planning to walk home on your own should depart with me in half an hour.”
When they heard this, those whose homes were nearby began to hesitate. With such terrifying weather outside, could they really walk home by themselves?
Immediately five or six people withdrew from the group planning to leave on their own and decided to wait for rescue. Rong Hui did not interfere with their decision. Instead, she gathered the remaining people to look at the map.
Although her map was quite simple, it was sufficient for residents who had lived here for years. If the blizzard had not covered many buildings and landmarks, they would not even need someone to guide them.
“When we go outside later, stay close to me and support each other. Be careful of pits in the road. I will take you to about one kilometer away from your homes. If you recognize your own neighborhood, you can leave the group and go home directly. Understood?” Rong Hui explained the process.
Seeing everyone nod, she said nothing more. She checked her personal stats and saw that only her cleanliness value had fallen below eighty. That would have to be dealt with after returning home.
Shen Li walked over with a serious expression. “Thank you for helping me. My home is too far away, so I can only wait for rescue. Do you want me to go report the situation with you?”
“No need. I can go alone.” Rong Hui shook her head. Helping Shen Li had only been incidental. She herself was wearing enough layers and could move faster on her own.
At eleven thirty, the wind outside weakened slightly. The temperature stabilized at minus 46°C. Rong Hui and the others prepared to depart.
Under the worried gazes of Shen Li and the remaining people, the group of eight walked closely together into the snow. Their clothes were soon covered with a layer of snow. Gradually they blended into the white landscape until their figures could hardly be seen. Only Rong Hui’s sky blue clothing created a bright streak in the white world as she moved forward with difficulty.
Although Rong Hui’s clothes were thick enough, the lower parts of her legs were freezing painfully when she stepped into the snow. She did not dare stop and continued searching for direction within the endless white expanse.
Two people soon recognized the buildings of their own residential complex. They left the group and struggled through the snow toward home. Rong Hui continued leading the remaining five people, helping each of them find the direction of their homes.
After about an hour, four more people returned home. Only one girl remained, whose home was located near Citizen’s Square. Rong Hui held her hand as they walked toward the square together.
The snowfield was silent, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing. Walking through snow that reached their knees felt like constantly lifting their legs high with every step. The last girl was clearly running out of strength. Rong Hui pulled her along, half dragging her forward. A journey that usually took only ten minutes now required nearly an hour.
Finally, the military vehicles parked in Citizen’s Square appeared before them. Rong Hui pointed out the direction for the girl, and they parted ways.
Before leaving, the girl struggled to take something from her pocket and pressed it into Rong Hui’s hand before turning away. Rong Hui lowered her head and saw that it was a blue crystal pendant. A smile could not help appearing in her eyes as she carefully stored it in her System Backpack.
Several military vehicles were lined up in a row, and many people were still queuing to receive supplies. Rong Hui approached one of the vehicles and found a soldier. She informed them about the situation at Jincheng Department Store and presented the list she had written earlier as proof. The soldier asked her to wait for a moment and went to report to his superior.
Soon afterward, a stern soldier with several stripes on his shoulder walked over. As soon as he reached Rong Hui, he gave a solemn salute.
“Miss, thank you for providing this information. We will immediately arrange a rescue team. Thank you for the effort you made to help these people.”
Rong Hui smiled shyly. Then she suddenly realized they could not see her expression because of the mask, so she removed it and said, “I didn’t do very much. I only helped deliver the message for them. The roof of Jincheng Mall is entirely glass. If the snow keeps falling, it could collapse. If that happens, those people might be buried underneath and unable to escape.”
When she noticed that the soldier was not wearing gloves and that his hands were covered in frostbite sores, her expression turned serious.
“The ones who deserve thanks are you. Please take care of yourselves.”
The soldier smiled fearlessly. “This bit of hardship is nothing. It’s just that the snow keeps falling, and we can’t spare enough manpower to carry out rescue operations. The civilians are the ones suffering.”
Rong Hui felt her heart fill with emotion, and her eyes grew slightly warm. In her own world, there were also people just like this.
…