A brief conversation highlights the different states of mind of the three individuals.
Sam, after all, is a transmigrator, Having experienced transmigration itself, He approaches the coming of the disaster, whether it be meteorites falling from the sky, solar flares erupting, or heavy snowfall, with an optimistic mindset.
After all, having the chance to live an extra life is already a huge gain!
Moreover, He has a golden finger, "The InfiniteShelter Upgrade System," which is mysterious in origin and clearly not an ordinary technological creation.
Based on the self-description of The InfiniteShelter Upgrade System, its ability to drift through the endless void and chaos is certainly extraordinary!
By comparison, Han Xiaowu is just an ordinary person. Though she was a strong woman and a business elite before the disaster, Beyond business, She is still a woman, feeling apprehensive, uneasy, and fearful about the coming disaster.
She actually represents the personality of a normal person, Having certain principles, yet also fearing death and starvation.
The young girl Liuli, having experienced a painful explosion, became somewhat introverted and is the most carefree among the three.
For her, as long as Sam is there, nothing else matters.
...
After dinner, Han Xiaowu goes to tidy up the dishes, While Sam lies on the sofa with the young girl, quietly enjoying the comfort of being full.
"Tick tock..."
Time passes by, Unknowingly, Sam falls asleep,And the girl in his arms quietly closes her eyes as well.
What Han Xiaowu sees when she comes out of the kitchen is this serene picture.
Peaceful and calm.
"How nice!"
Han Xiaowu feels somewhat envious, Such picturesque scenes, which girl hasn't dreamt of them?
Unfortunately, Reality is far more cruel than dreams.
Watching them, Han Xiaowu couldn't help but start to think.
Should she also make a decision?
Sam hadn't forced her, and so far, she had been very comfortable in the shelter!
For this, Han Xiaowu was actually very grateful.
Being intelligent, she naturally knew that as a vulnerable woman in someone else's home, she couldn't control her own situation.
If Sam wanted to do something, she could only comply.
But he hadn't done anything bad, On the contrary, His treatment of Han Xiaowu was very normal, both in attitude and behavior!
Han Xiaowu wasn't naive; she clearly understood that Sam wasn't being soft-hearted, but rather he was attracting her with the affluent life in the shelter!
This tactic was an open strategy!
Conspiracies and schemes, once detected, lead to the downfall of the schemer, But an open strategy, even when recognized, is hard to counter.
And that was the situation now!
"What a big villain, already having one."
Han Xiaowu's beautiful eyes revealed a hint of sourness, she couldn't help but walk over to the couch and sit next to Sam, Leaning her head on his shoulder.
She didn't speak, Only the breathing of the three people in the living room could be heard, carrying a moving rhythm.
Unconsciously, Han Xiaowu also fell asleep.
...
"Zzz——!"
"Zzz——!"
"Zzz——!"
The sound of electricity, the sound of sparks, The next moment, The satellite TV in the living room suddenly lit up, A news reporter sitting in a small room took a deep breath and announced loudly: "December 22, 2021! The research institute urgently developed a disaster satellite, launched into the sky from the plateau, breaking through the ray storm's interference with Earth's communication!"
"Starting today, network signals are restored. Please, everyone, stay calm in your shelters. The nation has the capability and the determination to lead everyone through this major disaster!"
"At the same time, the white paper on the disaster has turned a new page. The heavy snowfall that experts had anticipated suddenly arrived, suspected to be a prelude to an Ice Age!"
"Next, are the issues that all shelters need to be vigilant about!"
...
The sound startled Sam awake, As soon as he opened his eyes, He saw the lit-up satellite TV.
"News... the signal has been restored?"
Sam's expression changed as he listened intently.
"A new era is approaching, the world might be enveloped in ice. The research institute is studying the cause of the heavy snow. Currently, there are three main hypotheses. The first is that the meteorite brought a substance to Earth that, after a nuclear explosion, volatilized into the air, triggering global snowfall!"
"The second hypothesis is that solar flares have affected the Earth-Moon system's magnetic field, which could cause seasonal changes."
"The third is that it's just normal winter coldness, and there's no need to worry!"
"Now, let's invite Professor Qin to explain what the citizens should do and how to do it in the snowy weather!"
The reporter steps aside, A white-haired elder in a white robe appears on camera, stating: "Citizens, must be aware! In cold weather, keeping warm is the first priority! Then comes air. If there are no accidents, the oxygen content in the air outside will plummet, and even standing on the plains, one might experience altitude sickness. If the shelter has plants, algae, etc., it's best to carefully cultivate them!"
"Moreover, during chaotic times, the number of thugs increases, and although it's not as rampant as in foreign countries, it's still happening frequently!"
"Here, the state strictly warns that anyone who robs or kills during the disaster period will be severely punished without mercy!"
In the satellite TV broadcast, The professor looked serious, not joking at all.
"In times of chaos, strict laws are necessary,"
The disaster isn't a zombie apocalypse, and the state, still maintaining order, won't tolerate too much recklessness from thugs!
The stern warning, Is not just a caution but also a declaration, Signifying that the state is prepared to impose severe penalties.
"Difficult."
Sam shook his head after watching.
Heavy snow has sealed off roads, railways, and highways, Even streets are covered with layers of snow, For the military to move out from official shelters, enter urban areas, or enforce laws elsewhere, The difficulty has increased several levels!
Subsequently, The TV broadcast shared more information, Such as the areas around "meteorite craters" being sealed off by the military, urging residents not to approach, And about the roads being blocked by snow, the emergency development of the "disaster satellite" by the research institute, the restoration of signals, and so on.
Undoubtedly, Much of this information is useful, Sam watched for a while, nodding silently.
At this time, the restoration of signals by the state is also a strong boost for people, Providing most with some psychological comfort, Preventing utter despair.
Besides, the officials also encouraged all shelters to support and help each other during times of crisis to get through the disaster.
Of course, such statements are easier said than done, Few truly believe in them.
From a philosophical perspective, in a world where roads are sealed off, a "chain of suspicion" will wildly grow, You may not intend to harm others, but you don't know if others might intend to harm you, And vice versa, Whether someone is a criminal or not, suspicion exists, and trust is completely a joke!
In the end, The official reporter provided an update, Due to the restoration of the network, various corporate shelters worked overnight on repairs, striving to restore the servers in all provinces to operation.
"No wonder it's divided into official—corporate—personal, there's a reason for this!"
At this realization, Sam had an epiphany.
When the shelters were initially constructed, the state specified categories for official, corporate, and personal, Sam hadn't thought much about it at the time,
But now it seems, this was done to restore modern civilization as much as possible under extreme conditions.
"If the network signal is restored."
Sam stroked his chin, At this moment, Liuli also slowly woke up, looking somewhat bewildered at Sam, Tilting her head, Under her short hair, Her large eyes were full of mist.
"What's up?"
Sam smiled.
Liuli shook her head, sitting up straight, her petite and fair body stretching out, her skin glowing attractively.
Han Xiaowu also woke up, smacking her lips, a droplet of drool running down the corner of her mouth.
"What were you dreaming about to drool like that?"
Sam's face darkened, Because Han Xiaowu had been sleeping on his shoulder, the drool immediately landed on his clothes!
"Ah!?"
Han Xiaowu startled, looked at the wet spot on her clothes, and gave an awkward smile, Suddenly, Liuli tugged at Sam's clothes, pointing her finger towards the TV!
Her eyes brightened, her face carrying a hint of hope.
"You don't need to ask me to watch TV!"
"Go ahead!"
Sam ruffled the girl's hair, She was so well-behaved, it was heart-wrenchingly so.
The girl nodded, grabbed the remote control, and obediently sat in the living room to watch TV.
In the midst of the disaster, The satellite TV was almost exclusively broadcasting various news, all related to the disaster.
Entertainment celebrities and the like are nowhere to be seen at this time.
Han Xiaowu couldn't resist and started watching as well, sitting next to the girl. The two of them, one big and one small, looked quite harmonious together.
Sam shook his head, took out his laptop, and following the instructions on the satellite TV, connected to the satellite signal.
"The transmitter and receiver are still working fine."
Sam muttered, After connecting to the internet, He immediately went to a forum.
The forum... had changed its name!
"2021 Ice Age Forum!"
"These moderators really keep up with current events!"
Sam chuckled, The Ice Age is still just a hypothesis, yet they've already named it!
In the forum, Various netizens, who had been holding back for a long time, continuously posted and replied, sharing a massive amount of information.
"I feel like the Ice Age is coming, I'm already holed up in a boxing gym!"
"Stepped outside yesterday to grab some stuff, wrapped up like a giant, I threw up."
"You guys can still go outside, I'm so jealous, we've been banned from going out here!"
"Sigh, it's even worse by the meteorite crater, we were informed by the officials to move, from our cozy little nest to an official shelter, it's tough."
"Lucky you, being taken care of by the officials and you're still uncomfortable?"
"As if I don't work."
"The Ice Age is coming! Folks, are you prepared?"
"Prepared for what, just lie down and wait to be frozen to death."