At one o’clock, the signal vanished completely, and the internet went down worldwide.
Giant hailstones had smashed communication facilities and destroyed the infrastructure on the ground.
The disaster-relief air-raid shelters were packed with people, their generators struggling to power the air conditioning.
Just a few days prior, construction on all the local disaster-relief shelters had been completed. They were only open to the homeless and those living in condemned buildings.
Loudspeakers in cities everywhere blared, urging residents to reduce their electricity consumption and save power for the air conditioners.
Even so, large swaths of the country began to lose power, internet, and water.
Many people put on every thick piece of clothing they owned, piled on heavy blankets, and huddled together with their families in a single small room for warmth.
The Bai family stepped out of the villa. Heavy hailstones slammed against the protective shield, shattering on impact.
The house was built with special soundproofing materials, ensuring that anyone sleeping inside would not be disturbed.
Suddenly, two people and a dog emerged from the house.
It was Hong Xue and Wu Chen.
Bai Xi was surprised. "Why aren’t you two asleep? Did we make too much noise and wake you?"
They both shook their heads. Hong Xue said, "I suddenly felt like something was wrong in the middle of the night. The moment I opened the curtains, I knew something terrible had happened."
Shi Tou paced back and forth restlessly, its expression anxious.
Hong Xue stared at the sky in shock. A disaster of this magnitude was enough to crush any ordinary person.
"Why..." she whispered.
Bai Chen said, "The hail will stop in a few hours. It will start again in a few days."
"The local network is back up, but it’s hard to say about the national one. There wasn’t enough time to protect all the infrastructure."
He spoke in a low voice to the two of them, who were still so young and inexperienced. "Aside from Aunt Xiao, my parents, and Xiao Yunduo, I’ll be picking days with suitable weather to take the rest of you out. This villa is safe, but we can’t hide in this safe house forever."
Hong Xue and Wu Chen nodded in unison.
Bai Xi opened her phone. Ye Jun was spamming her with messages, asking how things were on her end.
Bai Xi ignored him and pulled up the surveillance feed. Su Yan was crying his eyes out. He and two others were huddled under their only two quilts, shivering uncontrollably.
Their luxury apartment complex had its own generator, so they wouldn’t freeze to death anytime soon. Bai Xi found that a little disappointing, but then she had a second thought: in an apocalypse like this, living a few extra days could be its own form of torture.
Berry Bliss had sent her a message, saying she had heat packs and was doing okay. She asked how Bai Xi was holding up.
Bai Xi replied that everything was fine.
For now, order was more or less holding. But once the central government lost contact with the local regions and society began to unravel, the extreme cold would expose all the darkness lurking within humanity.
Hong Xue suddenly asked, "What about everyone at the orphanage? The people who ran it were sent to prison... Will they... because of this...?"
"They won’t," Bai Jiao said, patting her head. "The director skipped town to avoid punishment. Most of the others, who were facing multiple charges, also fled. They’ve probably frozen to death on the streets by now. The orphans were all moved to disaster-relief centers long ago. Life there might not be easy, but at least they’ll survive a while longer."
"The government’s rescue efforts will start with the vulnerable groups in the shelters, then move on to everyone else."
Many people didn’t sleep that night. They watched as the sky slowly brightened, only to remain dim. A thick layer of fog shrouded the heavens, completely blocking the sun.
’Six months from now, when the extreme cold hits minus 100 degrees, humanity will have created an artificial sun to alleviate the pressure.’
The Bai family turned in surprise, only to see Mrs. Bai appearing with Ye Yunyun in her arms.
Ye Yunyun had slept with Mr. and Mrs. Bai last night. Bai Xi said, "Mom, why did you get Bao Bao up when you got up? She usually sleeps until eight."
Mrs. Bai shook her head. "Bao Bao woke up on her own. She even got out of bed by herself, moved a stool over to the sink, and brushed her teeth and washed her face. I wouldn’t have even known she was awake if I hadn’t heard the water running."
Ye Yunyun scrambled out of Mrs. Bai’s arms and toddled over to her mother, hugging Bai Xi’s leg.
’Mommy didn’t sleep with Bao Bao last night! A whole bunch of people stayed up all night!’
Ye Yunyun didn’t say a word, but her big, dark eyes were full of accusation.
Mrs. Bai chuckled. "Bao Bao missed her mommy, didn’t she?"
She then turned to console the others. "Don’t overthink things. The apocalypse is here. All we can do is live our own lives as best we can."
"Who knows what disasters are waiting for us? As long as there aren’t any earthquakes, we should be fine."
Bai Jiao looked at her mother. "Mom, take that back! You can’t just say things like that."
’If an earthquake really hits, we’re completely done for.’
Mrs. Bai put her hands together, closed her eyes, and prayed, "Okay, okay, heavens above, I take back what I just said."
"There. Retraction successful."
Bai Jiao said, "How about we have a barbecue today? To drive away the chill."
’Yes! Yes!’
The idea got only one vote of approval, but it just so happened to come from Ye Yunyun, the one person in the house who held all the invisible power.
Mrs. Bai hesitated. "You all... why don’t you go get some sleep first? I mean, it doesn’t matter much for you adults, but these two kids are underage and their eyes are all red. How could the three of you not keep an eye on them?"
Bai Jiao silently switched on her phone’s flashlight. Oof, the two kids did look awful.
Wu Chen said, "Granny Bai, it’s our fault. Hong Xue and I are just too weak to pull an all-nighter. The others are all fine."
Mrs. Bai shot them a glare. "None of that self-blame. Children need plenty of sleep to grow."
’Why not give the big kids some Spiritual Spring Water? Bao Bao wants some too!’
At this, Bai Chen pulled three popping-boba-like pearls from his pocket and handed them to the three kids, telling them to eat them.
He explained, "We’ve already tested them. Eating a little is fine. It’ll even improve your health."
Ye Yunyun eagerly swallowed hers. She didn’t feel any change, except that she was suddenly very hungry.
’When can Bao Bao eat?’
With that thought, she pulled her mother’s hand to her stomach and instinctively sucked it in, trying to show her mom how empty it was.
Mrs. Bai chuckled and handed her a cracker. "Aunt Xiao is already making porridge. It’ll be ready soon."
After eating the Spiritual Spring pearls, Wu Chen and Hong Xue were instantly revitalized, their faces glowing with renewed energy.
The two of them were sharp enough not to ask any questions.
Bai Jiao took the initiative to explain. "It’s just something to boost your health. Everyone will be having one. I’ll give one to Fang Meiqing and Aunt Xiao later, too."
’I’ll observe them for another three months,’ she decided. ’If there are no issues, I’ll tell them the truth. Otherwise, having all these snacks in my storage space that I can only look at and not eat is just too torturous.’
Wu Chen and Hong Xue thanked her in unison.
Life in the villa returned to a state of cheerful harmony. When the road ahead is uncertain, living in the moment is what matters most.
’I want more...’
Ye Yunyun silently suppressed her craving for the Spiritual Spring Water.
It had been fine before she’d had any, but after just one taste, she desperately wanted to dive right into the Spiritual Spring. Anything less felt as unsatisfying as trying to scratch an itch through a boot.
’Maybe... I could just sneak a little?’