บท 16: The apocalyptic world arrives
Back at home, Ruby.Lee wasn't sleepy at all. At this time, the outdoor temperature was dropping rapidly and had already fallen to 16 °C. Such a cool temperature was extremely abnormal in the sweltering summer of Huahai City. Then, a light rain started to fall in the sky. The raindrops were as fine as ox hairs. Gradually, the rain became heavier and the temperature continued to slide.
At six o'clock in the morning, the temperature was already approaching zero. The rain gradually froze into ice under the effect of the low temperature, and sleet was falling. Ruby.Lee knew in his heart that the arrival of the apocalyptic world wasn't instantaneous but a gradual process. According to his memory, the real doomsday would arrive in full force about two days later. So at this moment, he wasn't in a hurry to set up the safe house. He planned to wait until the outside environment became so harsh that everyone was trapped at home, and then quietly go out and set up the safe house at Sheng Tian Square. After all, in this apocalyptic world, human nature was the most fragile and unpredictable. He didn't dare to take risks easily. Acting steadily was the key to survival.
Finally, at a little after eight o'clock in the morning on August 4th, the terrifying scene that was later defined as the beginning of the Ice Age officially began. The sun seemed to be pulled by a mysterious force and suddenly entered a period of weakness. The originally violent activities on its surface stopped abruptly, like a dead and still lake without any ripples. For the countless creatures on the Blue Planet that depended on the sun for survival, this was undoubtedly a catastrophe. The once blue sky like a gem had disappeared, replaced by an eternal gray, as if a shroud of death had been draped over the entire Blue Planet.
At this moment, the temperature in Huahai City was like falling into an ice cellar, dropping sharply to minus 5 °C. In the sky, large snowflakes were falling like goose feathers, and the howling wind was sweeping across the land like a runaway behemoth. At first, when the snowflakes fell on the ground, they would still be melted by the remaining warmth of the ground and the unfrozen rainwater. But as the temperature continued to drop, the water on the ground quickly froze, and the snowflakes no longer melted.
At ten o'clock in the morning, the temperature further dropped to minus 15 °C, and the heavy snow still showed no sign of stopping. The goose-feather-like snowflakes were flying wantonly in the wind. Slowly, the snow on the ground had accumulated to nearly 20 centimeters thick. Ruby.Lee quickly turned on the air conditioner and set the temperature to the highest. Then he rummaged through the system space and found a cold-proof suit specially developed for Antarctic scientific research teams. Thanks to the rapid development of technology, this high-end cold-proof suit abandoned the bulkiness of traditional down jackets. It was as thin as a cicada's wings, only a thin layer, and it was very comfortable to wear close to the body. Wearing his favorite clothes on the outside, he could easily withstand the extremely cold weather of minus 90 °C. You know, the environment in Antarctica is extremely harsh, with a minimum temperature of about minus 80 °C. Naturally, the cost of such high-tech products is extremely high. It is said that the price of a set is at least 2 million US dollars. For Ruby.Lee, this was the most expensive piece of clothing he had ever worn in his two lifetimes.
Surprisingly, Little Black didn't seem to be afraid of the cold weather at all. Instead, he became more and more excited, jumping around as if the lower the temperature, the happier he was.
Ruby.Lee opened his phone boredly and started scrolling through short videos. At this moment, the situation across the country was the same. All major short video platforms were dominated by this sudden drop in temperature. It was August. Although the sweltering heat of summer was gradually fading, it was still forty-something degrees in the past. Now it was snowing in summer, which was definitely not a good omen.
However, some netizens were extremely excited about this abnormal weather, especially those who didn't need to go to work and netizens from the south.
"Yahoo! This weather is so cool! Who would have thought it would be so cold in August? Finally, I don't have to endure the sweltering heat anymore."
"It's really cool. I didn't expect that my air conditioner has started to heat. Mom doesn't have to worry about me getting hot anymore."
"Oh my, I, a southern potato, have never seen snow in my life. Snowing is so romantic. How can there be such a beautiful thing?"
"Mom, I don't have to go to the north to play with snow! It's so great. Snow is so much fun!"
The southern netizens were excited. They got dressed neatly and couldn't wait to run out of the door and plunge into the snowdrifts. They took selfies and edited videos, busy with great enthusiasm. Such a scene made Ruby.Lee think of his childhood.
However, compared to these excited voices, there were more complaints and dissatisfaction from netizens.
"The first snow in 2030 came earlier than ever. I was two and a half hours late for work this morning. I'm more wronged than Dou E..."
"It's snowing so heavily. We weren't prepared at all. The authorities didn't give an early notice. What are you good for?!"
"The roads are blocked. How can we go to work? Why doesn't the municipal government organize snow removal? These people must be staying at home, blowing the air conditioner, eating watermelon, and not caring about our lives at all."
...
At the same time, all major news platforms and TV stations began to report on this extremely abnormal weather condition. On the TV screen, the experts were sitting upright and talking endlessly: "This is just a normal weather change, but the range of change is beyond our expectations. After in-depth discussions by our expert team, this abnormal weather change will end within three days at most. It will definitely not affect everyone's daily life."
The news was also constantly broadcasting official notices: "Please don't panic. Believe in the authorities. Do not create or spread rumors. The authorities will hold those who create and spread rumors and cause major social panic legally responsible. The authorities will also take active actions and fully implement various measures to combat the abnormal climate. Definitely... ensure... finally... emphasize again..."
Ruby.Lee shook his head helplessly as he watched these news reports and simply turned off the TV. He knew that this apocalyptic disaster would only get worse, and these so-called experts would eventually be slapped in the face by reality.
Ruby.Lee lay on the bed, calculating in his mind that he must go out tonight to set up the safe house properly. As time passed, various power facilities and energy supply facilities would surely break down. By then, there would be no water, electricity, or gas, and his rented house would no longer be habitable.
At this time, it was already twelve o'clock at noon. The temperature in Huahai City had dropped to minus 25 °C, which was unprecedented in the history of Huahai City. Huahai was located in the south and close to the sea. The lowest temperature in previous years was at least around 10 °C.
This abnormal weather change made some people with sharp minds realize that things were definitely not as simple as an ordinary climate change. They braved the heavy snow and walked out of their homes one after another, starting to hoard supplies crazily. Since Huahai City was located in the south and there was usually no snow, the vehicles here were hardly equipped with snow tires. Even the cheapest anti-skid chains were hard to find. There were thousands of traffic accidents caused by vehicle skidding on the roads. The ground transportation in Huahai City was instantly paralyzed, and the people were full of complaints. But even so, many people still gritted their teeth and walked to the nearest supermarkets on foot. For a while, the streets were full of people scrambling to buy supplies. Some originally optimistic people were also infected by the tense atmosphere around them and began to panic. More and more people joined the army of hoarding supplies. However, most people still stubbornly believed that no matter how much the temperature dropped, it wouldn't be much worse. It would definitely get warmer in a few days. They didn't want to do such a shameful thing in their eyes. They even sneered at those who hoarded supplies online.
Seeing this, Ruby.Lee couldn't help but find it funny. He thought to himself that in a few days, these people would pay the price for their stupidity. By then, they probably wouldn't even have the strength to complain.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง