Lihua Hotel.
Five hours after Guan Tong left, the place was already packed to capacity.
The first floor lobby alone had over three hundred people cramd together. People had also cleared out spaces in the restaurant, bar, and other areas on the sa floor, moving aside space-occupying tables and chairs to create large areas for laying out bedding and sleeping on the floor.
The lobby's air conditioning was set to maximum, continuously producing hot air. However, relying solely on it to provide warmth for several hundred people still wasn't quite enough.
So most people were currently huddled and shivering, scrolling through their phones for the latest information, occasionally looking up to check the heavy snow outside.
What made them sowhat uneasy was that the slope of the steps on both sides of the entrance had already been completely filled with accumulated snow. This rate of snow accumulation was truly alarming.
Actually, more than three hours earlier, the content of the Hidden Rule stating "regional snowfall volu is positively correlated with population density" had already beco widely known.
Yet everyone at Lihua Hotel chose to remain at the hotel, with no one having any thoughts of leaving.
After all, the hotel was located right next to a main road, where massive snowplows passed by from ti to ti. Occasionally, they could even hear the roar of helicopter rotors in the air, all of which provided an indescribable sense of security.
Moreover...
Many people's eyes frequently glanced toward the corner of the hotel lobby, where an ard squad of eight people was stationed.
They had entered the hotel not long ago, with the squad leader informing all refugees in the hotel that their team was only there to maintain public order, telling everyone not to be nervous or worried.
People naturally welcod this.
Although in daily life people almost only dealt with Peace Officers and rarely had opportunities to see these ard squads, they still held great admiration and trust for these soldiers who protected the country and its people. With them present, the sense of security was even stronger.
"Quick, look at this video - on the city's uncleared secondary roads, the snow has already buried the curb edges!"
"This is happening too fast, and it's not even nightti yet..."
"Luckily we're next to a main road where snowplows regularly clear the snow."
"I think that's still questionable... don't forget this snow is supposed to last for a full month... and the first day isn't even over yet! Will many people end up dying..."
"Don't jinx it! With so much food and drink, and the support departnt will be sending blankets and such later, everything will definitely be fine!"
"Exactly, and we have soldiers here too, so don't worry unnecessarily."
While most people were optimistic, Xu Xiaotian, sitting near the entrance, looked out at the heavy snow with a lancholy expression: "I wonder how Brother Tong is doing. If he's outdoors right now, that would be really dangerous."
...
"Huff, huff..."
Guan Tong, carrying his backpack and sleeping bag, panted heavily as he trudged through the snow, taking deep, uneven steps.
Shadow had carried him for a large portion of the journey, but for the remaining five kiloters or so, Guan Tong had to walk on his own.
Five kiloters wasn't particularly long, and with his current physical condition it wasn't a big deal. It was just more strenuous than usual because of the snow on the road.
Temperature wasn't a concern either - if he wasn't going to use the Constant Temperature Tech Underwear's six-hour effective period now, then when would he use it?
Once the underwear's effect activated, he no longer had to worry about hypothermia.
Moreover, the snowfall here was genuinely much less than in the city. Based on visual and sensory judgnt, Guan Tong estimated that if the urban area was at the "severe blizzard" level, then around Mingdao Mountain it was roughly between "moderate snow" and "heavy snow" level.
This was satisfactory enough for him. After all, Mingdao Mountain's remote status was determined by comparison with villages and cities. For truly remote areas where "no bird flies over thousands of mountains, no human trace remains on countless paths," you'd have to look at the uninhabited zones in border regions.
The short five kiloters took Guan Tong over an hour to walk. Around 4 PM when the sky was growing dark, he finally reached the foot of Mingdao Mountain.
Due to being undeveloped, there weren't many buildings around the mountain base. There was no proper road up the mountain either, only a winding, narrow path stretching upward that looked like a trail beaten out by hiking enthusiasts.
This small path was now covered by a thin layer of snow, and combined with the dim lighting, it didn't look very safe.
Guan Tong had originally planned to go up the mountain to find a safe spot to camp, but after consideration he gave up on the idea. He didn't have climbing crampons, and if he accidentally stepped on a snow-covered rock and slipped and fell, he'd really be asking for trouble.
Besides, he ca here precisely because it was uninhabited and had less snow, not because he had any particular fondness for mountain climbing, so there was no need to take the risk.
"First, I'll find a leeward slope to rest for a while."
Guan Tong walked around the mountain base for a while, coming to the leeward side where he found a spot with a huge rock overhang above. Staying underneath it would perfectly shield him from the snow.
He wasn't worried about the rock falling - not only would such a massive rock not easily collapse under snow pressure, but even if it did fall, it would be blocked and deflected by the mountain's slope midway, posing no threat to Guan Tong.
After finding the spot, Guan Tong imdiately began cleanup work.
He used his folding shovel to clear so of the surrounding snow to both sides, then laid out his sleeping bag on the ground, adjusting its position based on size to prepare for sleeping at night.
Then he sat down, took a pack of compressed biscuits from his bag, and had an early dinner with the water he brought.
After eating and regaining so strength, he took advantage of the remaining daylight to continue working.
He gathered so wood from around the mountain base, wrapped it together with electrical tape to form a small wooden platform, which he brought back and padded with dry paper to place batteries and other moisture-sensitive items. Then he cut the remaining wood into segnts, stacking them in a circle to make a simple campfire.
This kind of thing didn't require learning - it felt completely like an instinct carved into human DNA. Fortunately, modern humans had invented lighters, eliminating the hassle of traditional fire-starting thods.
After the campfire was lit, watching the dancing flas that dispelled the surrounding darkness, Guan Tong felt his entire body relax.
He knew this sowhat "primitive" lifestyle was self-imposed. If he had chosen to stay in the urban area, at Lihua Hotel, perhaps he could still be living a comfortable life with heated air conditioning and supplied food.
But the question was, could this comfortable life last for thirty days? The pressure might not be apparent in the first few days, but as ti passed with no reduction in snowfall volu, various serious problems would likely erge.
Rather than trusting that the authorities could provide perfect protection and support for tens of millions of people over thirty days, Guan Tong trusted himself more. Because he knew that he was the first responsible person for his own life.
Others might recognize the situation was unfavorable but stay because they had no choice. But since he did have a choice, it was necessary to make decisions based on his own judgnt.
"I'll explore the area tomorrow after daybreak to see if there's anything useful around," Guan Tong thought. "For food, what I brought should be barely enough if I ration it carefully. If absolutely necessary, there's still one Food Box left in the Storage Box - that single use should last at least two or three days."
"As for water, what I brought probably won't be enough, but I have a portable filter and single-person gas stove in my bag. I can completely lt snow for water, then filter it after heating - that shouldn't be a problem."
"Then, I need to quickly earn so Binding Coins to gather 100 coins to buy those Multi-Terrain Marching Boots from the Ascension Store. With those, my travel speed through snow should definitely improve significantly..."
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