The group chat fell silent for a full ten minutes.
Finally, Wang Xiaohui, the one being called out, replied. 【Who told you that? This involves the government. Don’t spread rumors.】
【Team Leader Zhu Mengchun: Oh, so your family does know it involves the government?】
【Team Leader Zhu Mengchun: And you still dare to profit from a national disaster? Don’t you worry about sleeping soundly at night?】
Even through the screen, the tension was palpable.
【Manager Wang Xiaohui: Zhu Mengchun, focus on your own job.】
【Team Leader Zhu Mengchun: Oh? So you’re changing the subject because you don’t know how to answer?】
【Manager Wang Xiaohui: [Screenshot]】
【Manager Wang Xiaohui: Employee Zhu Mengchun is instigating trouble and spreading slander without cause. I have already reported this to the department manager. Wait for your performance bonus to be docked.】
Ping!
Song Yue received a private message.
【Zhu Mengchun: [Screenshot] I quit.】
【Song Yue: ?】
【Zhu Mengchun: Haha, surprised?】
Song Yue wanted to say it wasn’t much of a surprise.
Even before the flood broke out, Zhu Mengchun’s behavior at the company had already shown signs of what was to come. She and Wang Xiaohui had joined the firm in the same intake, but Zhu Mengchun’s performance had crushed Wang Xiaohui’s nearly every year since.
But best-laid plans often go awry. The year she was up for promotion, her performance inexplicably fell short of Wang Xiaohui’s. When combined with her inferior educational credentials, she missed out on the manager position.
【Zhu Chunmeng: I’ve wanted to quit for a long time. If the company wasn’t so close to home, making it easy for me to check on my kid at lunch, I wouldn’t want to stay here for another second.】
【Song Yue: I understand. Since your resignation is already approved, try to put this whole mess behind you.】
【Zhu Chunmeng: Easier said than done. My degree has always been my sore spot. But I’ve never understood—what’s wrong with a third-tier college degree? Does it mean I can’t produce results? Every single year, my performance crushed Wang Xiaohui’s, except for last year when I was just slightly behind.】
【Zhu Chunmeng: And of course, that happened to be the exact year our batch was up for promotion. Ugh, I get so frustrated just thinking about it.】
It really is a shame, Song Yue thought.
Zhu Chunmeng’s failed promotion had drawn a lot of sympathy from other employees in the department. She had been a top performer for five straight years. To lose out on a promotion because of a single slightly off-year, allowing Wang Xiaohui to swoop in and snatch the spot, was a bitter pill to swallow.
This incident had also taught Song Yue the true nature of the company. Performance didn’t matter; what mattered was knowing how to play the game. As long as you had the right connections, there was no problem you couldn’t solve.
She had planned to resign this year, but the natural disaster had put those plans on hold.
Interestingly, Zhu Chunmeng’s failed promotion the previous year had brought her closer to Song Yue.
Song Yue was always polite to everyone at the office, but she never let anyone get too close. Don’t get emotionally attached in the workplace—that had always been her rule.
Zhu Chunmeng had broken it.
The woman was kinder, more open, and more sincere than she had initially appeared. They discovered a shared temperament and gradually became close colleagues. Song Yue suspected that this was why Zhu Chunmeng had told her about her resignation immediately.
【Song Yue: So, what are your plans now?】
【Zhu Chunmeng: Nothing much. I’ll just stay home and take care of my kid for a while. With everything so chaotic outside right now, it’s not the time to be job hunting. I’ll use this as a chance to rest and recharge. (Grinning emoji)】
【Song Yue: Sounds good. Makes perfect sense.】
【Zhu Chunmeng: What about you? Are you still planning to keep working there?】
【Song Yue: No, I’ve already written my resignation letter. I was planning to use up my remaining leave and then turn it in, but then everything went crazy.】
【Zhu Chunmeng: Sigh, you’re another promising talent being held back… Oh, wait! I just saw a government document. Haha, let me share it in the group chat so everyone can have a good laugh~】
***
Department Group Chat
【Team Leader Zhu Mengchun: [Screenshot]】
【Team Leader Zhu Mengchun: @Manager Wang Xiaohui, fresh from the government: “Public Notice on Recently Blacklisted Enterprises.” Looks like your husband’s Zhongxin Garment Factory is on the list~ (Confetti emoji)】
The main group chat fell into a dead silence.
The private group chat, however, erupted.
【xxx: Hahahahaha, I’m dying! I’m absolutely cracking up!】
【xxx: I’ve never felt this satisfied. Look at Wang Xiaohui’s mouth—for the first time, she can’t even squeeze out a single word!】
【xxx: I suddenly really want to run to her house and take a close-up of her face. It must be a sight to see!】
【xxx: That’s what she gets for acting like a tyrant and constantly berating us. Losing face in front of the entire department… she must be spitting blood right now, haha~】
【xxx: Let’s all raise a silent toast to the Team Leader. She’s the one who won back our dignity!】
【xxx: A toast to the Team Leader, even though she’s not in the group! Cheers!】
The private group chat exploded.
Song Yue didn’t think anyone was going too far.
After all, Wang Xiaohui’s husband had played foul by breaking his promise to the government. And since Wang Xiaohui herself ran wild with power and arrogance at work, she couldn’t blame anyone for laughing now that her dirty laundry was aired.
Suddenly, the member count in the main group chat dropped from 134 to 133.
Song Yue knew it was Zhu Chunmeng who had left.
【Zhu Chunmeng: By the way, I wanted to ask you something. Do you know if there are any vacant factories left in the South District?】
Song Yue paused. 【Are you looking to hire workers too?】
【Zhu Chunmeng: Hardly! You know my father-in-law, right? He works for the government. That’s how I found out about the trouble with Wang Xiaohui’s family today—it was him negotiating with her husband!】
【Song Yue: WOW!】
【Zhu Chunmeng: Zhongxin refused to budge. They insisted on a one-time transfer of 250,000 yuan and five tons of supplies from the government. My father-in-law was so furious he slammed the door and stormed out, planning to negotiate with other factories. But basically all the factories are built in the suburbs. There are none in the city—like in our South District. These past few days, he could only get in touch with Zhongxin. Heh, no wonder they jacked up the prices. They knew the government had no other choice.】
Factories in the city… Song Yue gripped her phone, thinking. 【Would the government consider an abandoned factory?】
【Zhu Chunmeng: Wait, let me ask!】
【Zhu Chunmeng: They don’t mind!!! My father-in-law says as long as there’s a site and basic equipment, it’s fine. Preferably on higher ground so it won’t be swept away by floods in the short term!】
【Song Yue: Oh, there’s a factory on Nanshan behind my residential complex. The owner ran off six months ago to escape his debts, and no one has taken over yet. The workbenches and production lines should still be there. You can mention it to your father-in-law.】
Zhu Chunmeng never imagined that a casual question would actually yield such good news!
She quickly replied with a heart emoji and immediately called her father-in-law.
“Yes, a close colleague of mine told me. Okay, okay, Dad, you go ahead and get busy. I’ll hang up now.”
After the call, Zhu Chunmeng let out a sigh of relief.
Great! I can’t believe I’m actually able to help my family and the government!
On July 21, the soldiers returned in their assault boats to collect skilled factory workers.
But this time, the pickup location had been changed from the Zhongxin Garment Factory to the Nanshan Textile Factory.
That night, Song Yue received a message from Zhu Chunmeng: 【Song Yue, you’ve been a huge help! My father-in-law says the equipment at the textile factory is in great shape, just a bit dusty. They cleaned it up this morning and started full production—everything’s running perfectly! He thinks the first batch of clothes will be ready by tomorrow!】
Song Yue smiled. 【I’m just glad I could help~】
In truth, it was a stroke of luck. In her previous life, she’d seen a minor news report before the disaster about the owner of the Nanshan Textile Factory fleeing to escape his debts and the company declaring bankruptcy. It hadn’t even made the local headlines, so hardly anyone had paid it any mind.
Later, while hiking with her mother, she had taken a detour to visit the factory, noting its impressive size and modern machinery. She’d forgotten all about it until now, never imagining the memory would actually come in handy.
The days passed, and the residential complex buzzed with activity. Some residents left to volunteer in exchange for food and supplies for their families; others went to the factory, working overtime to produce warm clothing.
On July 22, the first batch of winter gear was completed. Soldiers rowed boats to the nearby residential complexes, delivering the clothes to every household.
Meanwhile, CCTV began broadcasting continuous warnings about the upcoming temperature drop, urging citizens to prepare winter clothing for the potential cold wave.
In the neighborhood’s group chat, residents repeatedly shared the news, sparking a fresh wave of panic.
“The government is officially warning us! This can’t be that bad, can it?”
“My God, it’s July! How can it be winter overnight?”
“You never know. The rainstorm lasted a month—why would a sudden winter be any more surprising?”
“Please, no. Between the storms and the floods, our lives are hard enough. If it freezes, how are we supposed to survive?”
“Complaining won’t help. The heavens don’t listen to us. We need to start preparing before we’re left completely helpless.”
“You’re right. I need to dig out my heavy coats and thick quilts!”
“Aaaah, what about me?! I only moved in earlier this year—I don’t have any winter clothes!”
“Me too! I just got back from a business trip last month. My place is empty; I haven’t bought a thing!”
Not everyone, like Song Yue, was fully prepared to face the coming disaster.
In the neighborhood chat, a chorus of desperation rose. Many residents cried out, having no winter clothes or heaters, frantically tagging community staff and begging for help.
On July 23, a second urgent batch of cold-weather gear was rushed to production and distributed to the most desperate households.
Of course, a single factory couldn’t possibly supply the entire C City South District. It lacked the equipment and the manpower.
Song Yue learned from Zhu Chunmeng that the government had requisitioned seven or eight more factories. Some had just been abandoned; others were newly renovated by their owners but not yet in use. All were located in the suburbs, a significant distance from the city center, which would complicate transportation.
Still, these additions provided the government with desperately needed relief.
【Zhu Chunmeng: The owners of these factories are such good people! As soon as they heard the government needed space, they immediately contacted the managers and said they’d waive the state’s compensation fees, letting them use the facilities for free! My father-in-law was brought to tears when he told me about it.】
【Zhu Chunmeng: So different from Wang Xiaohui’s family! They actually tried to use this as an opportunity to rip off the government. The difference in character is truly night and day.】
Song Yue stared at Zhu Chunmeng’s messages, her mind drifting.
This had never happened in her past life.
She remembered how the torrential rains and floods had thrown the country into chaos. No one had predicted the sudden, drastic drop in temperature that summer, which froze the water’s surface and ruined most of the factories’ equipment due to a lack of timely insulation. The entire second half of the year had been a desperate struggle for survival against the extreme cold.
In the days following July 23, winter clothing was produced and distributed in waves. News anchors announced with conviction that, with C City leading the way, initial coverage had been achieved across residential complexes nationwide.
On the morning of July 31, less than twenty-four hours before Song Yue was set to enter her next Instance, Lin Xiaojuan opened the window as usual. She had only meant to let in some fresh air, but she gasped in surprise.
“Come look! The rain has stopped!”
It had been raining for over a month, the sky perpetually shrouded in gloom. How long had it been since they’d seen a clear day?
Lin Xiaojuan kept calling out. Song Tianyuan answered repeatedly as he threw on a shirt and hurried to the balcony. “Is it really over?”
Despite his words, Song Tianyuan’s voice dropped, heavy with dread.
“Why are you making such a face?” Lin Xiaojuan asked, nudging him. “The rain stopped. Isn’t that a good thing?”
He sighed. “That’s not what I meant. Did you forget what Xiao Yue told us? When does the temperature drop?”
Lin Xiaojuan paused, the memory finally clicking. “Right… she said it starts once the rain stops.”
“Exactly,” Song Tianyuan said. “And that’s exactly what happened today, isn’t it?”
A sudden gust of wind swept in, and Lin Xiaojuan shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. “It’s definitely getting colder…”
She shut the window. “Lao Song, what’s the thermometer saying?”
Song Tianyuan checked the wall in the living room. “Twenty-four degrees. That’s three degrees lower than yesterday.”
C City was a riverfront city in the south, a place that topped the heat charts every summer. July usually brought scorching highs of thirty-seven or thirty-eight degrees Celsius. Yet the last two days had been unnervingly cool.
Today was worse. The moment Song Tianyuan had woken up, he’d felt a chill in the air.
Just as their daughter and the official warnings had predicted, the cold wave was coming.
Song Yue overheard their conversation from her bedroom. The memory flooded back.
In her past life, this was the exact moment. The temperature had plummeted, crashing from thirty-something degrees Celsius to minus forty in a single night. It was like being transported to the Arctic overnight.
The drop had been so sudden and severe that some people, who slept with their windows open, froze to death in their beds. Their bodies weren’t discovered until long after.
Song Yue had encountered one such case.
Back then, her family was desperate for supplies, so she had joined a scavenging team. They’d found the nearby supermarkets and hotels completely picked clean, forcing them to venture further afield.
Eventually, they arrived at an old brick-and-tile house on their sleds. These kinds of houses were usually slated for demolition and rarely occupied. After knocking for a long time with no answer, the team pried the door open.
They’d assumed the place was abandoned. Instead, they found two bodies lying in the living room—an elderly couple, frozen stiff on a wooden lounge chair.
In the bedrooms, they found three more: two adults and a child. All had frozen to death in the night.
It was the first time Song Yue had seen people who had frozen to death up close. She couldn’t describe the shock and grief that had overwhelmed her.
Just the day before, they had been a happy family of five. Now, they would never wake again.
Song Yue offered a silent prayer for them.
She took the quilts and down jackets she needed, stowed them in the wooden crates the scavenging team had brought, and departed in silence.
It won’t happen this time, she told herself. Not with the official warnings and the supplies we’ve gathered. This life will have a different ending.
That night, the family gathered around the dinner table, eating their meal in heavy silence.
Sensing the tension, Song Yue forced a smile. “Don’t worry, Mom, Dad. It’ll only be a second. I’ll be back in the blink of an eye.”
Song Tianyuan looked up at his daughter.
A second for us, he thought. But for her, it’s at least thirty days.
Thirty days was not three seconds. Anything could happen. No matter how capable Song Yue was, she wasn’t invincible. What would happen if she ran into danger?
Song Tianyuan’s brow furrowed, his expression grim. Beside him, Lin Xiaojuan bit her lip, her shoulders trembling.
“Dad… Mom…”
Song Yue knew the truth. Every time she entered a Instance, she faced the possibility of a final goodbye.
But she wanted them to be at peace, to sleep soundly and wake the next day to find their happy family intact. All her unspoken promises dissolved into a silent sigh.
Forget it.
Such a promise was too heavy a burden to bear, and she lacked the confidence to make it. Perhaps, only when she had grown strong enough, could she face her parents with a genuine smile and tell them not to be afraid.
After dinner, she retreated to her bedroom.
At precisely 11:00 PM, 099 issued the mission details for the upcoming Instance.
Instance Type: High Temperature**
Instance Rank: C-rank**
Main Quests:
Optional Quest: Successfully cultivate a new, heat-resistant crop. (Reward: 80 Lifespan Points)
She still owed the system 25 Lifespan Points. Completing the two main quests would clear her debt entirely.
This meant she didn’t have to risk the optional quest, a thought that eased her tension considerably. Still, if the opportunity ever arose, she would try for it.
Not for any other reason—the reward was simply too good to pass up. Lifespan Points could be exchanged for Points, which could then be used in the Mall to buy items and tools. And when it came to tools, the more she had, the safer she felt.
With her decision made, Song Yue entered her Space to inventory her supplies.
Throughout July, only her food stores had dwindled. Everything else remained untouched. In C City, water and power had never gone out, so her diesel generator, water tank, and flashlights had simply been stored away. As for the food, she still had plenty. Even with extra meals every day, she would barely make a dent in her stock over two months.
Food was the last thing she needed to worry about.
Given the high-temperature setting of this Instance, water and heat-relief medication were the most critical resources. She had stockpiled a large amount of medicine the previous month and purchased an extra 20% during her first Instance at Thousand Crane Lake. That should be enough.
As for water, she hadn’t forgotten that she’d moved a ten-ton water tank into her Space, leaving a smaller backup supply at home. It was more than enough for one person to last two months.
One hour later, the clock ticked over.
August 1st, 00:00.
【C-rank Instance Opening…】
【Task-taker, please accept your identity information…】
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