May 26, 2023, had quietly arrived.
Ye Xingchen woke up very early, just as dawn was breaking, and sat up on his bed. The impending doomsday was approaching. He glanced at his phone to check the time – it was 5:00 AM, leaving only seven hours until the world's end.
The phone screen emitted a peaceful glow, with everyone still asleep. Using his thoughts, Ye Xingchen conjured up breakfast from his dimensional space before leisurely going to freshen up.
The sun rose as usual outside. Ye Xingchen sat on the sofa, nibbling on a small steamed bun.
Having an entire space of resources gave Ye Xingchen a sense of security. He closed his eyes and lay back on the sofa, using his thoughts to scan through the items on the shelves.
Various medicines, food, clothing, entertainment facilities, medical equipment, weapons, fitness equipment, generators, fuel, and more... there were even clean water supplies that Ye Xingchen had stored a long time ago. These were enough resources for generations of his descendants to use...
With such a vast stockpile of resources, Ye Xingchen could ensure his survival for another lifetime. He could live longer and better in this post-apocalyptic world.
Exactly at noon, Ye Xingchen extracted a chilled beer from his dimensional space along with two meat dishes and a vegetable dish. He didn't rush to eat. Instead, he turned on the TV and tuned it to a news channel.
The fortress-like house had been set to a constant temperature of 25 degrees Celsius by Ye Xingchen. It had long been equipped with generators and fuel, enough to power this fortress-like safe haven and maintain a temperature of 25 degrees.
The news on TV hadn't caught up yet, but the screen of his phone was already lit up.
"Ding—[Breaking News] Unexpected Heavy Snowfall! Sudden Temperature Drop!"
"Ding—Experts Believe It's a Late Spring Cold Spell, No Need to Panic."
"Ding—[Official Report] Citizens, Please Stay Calm, It's Normal, No Need to Panic."
...
Ye Xingchen looked down at his phone, scrolling through the news popping up one by one. He sneered, then picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth.
This residential area was secluded with good security, attracting many wealthy individuals. The large supermarkets outside the area were already crowded. The majority of the affluent residents here were intelligent, and even though the government had repeatedly urged everyone not to panic, it couldn't stop the widespread anxiety.
In May, the temperature should already be approaching 30 degrees Celsius. Even when Ye Xingchen went out shopping, he'd be wearing short sleeves. This sudden temperature drop caught everyone off guard. Just two hours had passed, and the temperature had plummeted from 29 degrees to 11 degrees Celsius.
As the clock struck twelve, the sunlight weakened, and the sky turned grey. The sun's presence disappeared entirely. The time was now 2:00 PM, normally the hottest time of the day, yet the sky was now faintly scattering snowflakes.
Ye Xingchen glanced at the weather forecast on his phone, which displayed a surprising 5 degrees Celsius.
In just a few minutes, the scattered snowflakes outside became denser.
Initially, the snowflakes were the size of a fingernail, but in a matter of minutes, they grew to the size of a palm!
The wind outside began to howl, and in an instant, the snow outside turned terrifying!
In the sky above the entire city, there was a sudden appearance of an all-encompassing snowstorm!
Watching the footage on the camera, Ye Xingchen couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
Even though he had created the fortress himself and stored enough supplies in that space to last generations, he had personally experienced an ice apocalypse. Fear still crept into his heart.
He didn't know whether this fortress could truly keep him safe in temperatures below minus 100 degrees.
He had no idea how long it had been snowing. The camera's screen showed that the accumulated snow was already ankle-deep.
Ye Xingchen once again opened his phone to check the news. He realized that the news of the sudden temperature drop had already spread throughout the entire internet.
Online users were complaining incessantly, expressing their annoyance at how this sudden snowstorm had disrupted their plans. They grumbled about how troublesome the weather had become, given that they had just put away their winter clothes and now had to take them out again.
"What's with this crazy weather? How is it below freezing?"
"With this situation, the roads might be frozen tomorrow. How are we supposed to get to work?"
Of course, there were also people expressing happiness.
"Hahaha, with such heavy snowfall, I won't have to go to work tomorrow!"
Especially among the netizens from the southern regions, many shared pictures of themselves strolling in the snow. There was even a trending hashtag about experiencing snowfall, indicating their surprise at witnessing such heavy snowfall in their normally warmer areas.
Ye Xingchen shook his head; this was just the beginning. This snowfall would last for at least another three months, and the temperature would continue to drop. By that time, it was unlikely anyone would be laughing anymore. The Ice Age had begun.
In the southern city of Jinghai, heavy snowfall covered the area. Some people were complaining, while others were rejoicing. However, apart from Ye Xingchen, no one knew that this snow and temperature drop wasn't temporary; they would persist and worsen.
This catastrophic event of mass extinction was something no one could bear.
But at this moment, Ye Xingchen was lying comfortably on his sofa, enjoying a scoop of Maotai ice cream he had retrieved from his dimensional space. With his eyes half-closed, he savored it with contentment, when suddenly his phone rang.
He picked it up and saw various messages from different groups.
Messages from school groups, homeowner associations, and even family groups were all becoming active.
"Damn, why did it suddenly start snowing? We haven't seen snow in decades, and now it's such heavy snowfall. The weather forecast didn't mention this!"
"I was napping in the hotel when I suddenly woke up from the cold. I had to turn on the heater."
"Sigh, my heater isn't working well. It's been half a day, and it's getting colder."
"Oh my, luckily I was diligent a while back. I took out my winter clothes to sunbathe, thinking of putting them away after that. I didn't expect to need them today."
People were discussing and complaining about the strange weather. Ye Xingchen clearly sensed that most people weren't taking this sudden temperature drop seriously; some even seemed secretly pleased.
Only Ye Xingchen knew that their fleeting pleasure wouldn't last for long.
He yawned; he had woken up too early in the morning. Knowing that doomsday was approaching, he hadn't slept well all night. Now, everything was just as he had envisioned. The heavy burden in his heart had finally been lifted.
Returning to his warm bed, Ye Xingchen covered himself with the thin comforter, closed his eyes, and drifted off...
...
When he opened his eyes again, it was already eight o'clock in the evening. Annoyed, he opened his eyes to find the source of the noise.
Oh, it was Chen Rou'er's phone call.
It had begun.
Ye Xingchen smirked, no longer in the mood to sleep. He immediately picked up his phone and answered the call.
"What's the matter?"