Apocalypse Chapter 75: The Snow Disaster (Part 2)

Chapter 75: The Snow Disaster (Part 2)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

By the time Jiang Rong and the others arrived at the activity center, snow had already piled thick across the ground, and visibility had dropped to less than ten meters. In the meeting room, Guan Shao tossed two logs into the fireplace while Jiang Rong found a cardboard box and set it by the hearth. Inside, nestled in towels, was a trembling little kitten.

As the warmth seeped in, the kitten’s stiff body began to loosen, and its cries grew a bit louder, less pitiful. Jiang Rong mixed some formula and gently fed it. After drinking the warm milk, the kitten curled into a corner and drifted off to sleep.

Watching the small body still trembling even in slumber, Jiang Rong sighed. “No telling how many lives this snowstorm is going to take.”

In his last life at the Peace Base, Jiang Rong hadn’t dared sleep during those first few days of freezing temperatures. He was terrified that if he closed his eyes, he might never wake up again. After the blizzard had passed, three or four frozen bodies were carried out from the same basement he lived in. Later, he’d learned the Peace Base had lost more than 200,000 lives to that snowstorm. He’d already warned Meng Liang about the coming blizzard during their last call. Hopefully, he’d taken it seriously this time. Hopefully, they wouldn’t see a repeat of the past.

Outside, the snow fell heavier. A small pickup truck rolled into the activity center’s lot. Moments later, Chu Qiang and Pan Pan burst into the meeting room, heads dusted in snow.

“It’s freezing out there…” Pan Pan muttered with a shiver. Chu Qiang hurried toward the fire, holding out hands already red and stiff with cold. “Pan and I checked out a few nearby villages. The younger folks have organized themselves. Once the snow gets heavier, they’ll start clearing it.”

“Any buildings look like they might collapse?” Jiang Rong asked.

Pan Pan drew in a sharp breath, then gave him a confident thumbs-up. “Don’t worry. The houses we reinforced can handle it.”

Buildings strengthened by both metal- and earth-type espers weren’t like the poorly made deathtraps built by shady developers. Even if the snowfall doubled, those structures would hold strong.

As they talked, more team members trickled into the meeting room. Once inside, everyone quickly began sharing updates on the base’s status.

Chiang Jinhu said, “I heard the temperature’s going to drop below minus twenty in a couple of days. We’ve already swapped in antifreeze for the working vehicles.”

Meng Weixian nodded. “The big snowplows are ready. They’ll clear the main roads every three hours.”

Wang Chunlan added, “I’ve already handed out cold medicine and herbal packets to the village leaders. Hopefully this cold snap won’t make too many people sick.”

The chatter grew, voices overlapping as everyone expressed their thoughts and concerns—but the overall mood was calm. They’d prepared. They were ready. Only Zheng Zhanqing still looked uneasy. He hesitated, then spoke. “Captain Jiang, there’s something I need to report.”

Jiang Rong turned toward him. “Hmm? What is it?”

“This morning,” Zheng said slowly, “Overlord told me it smelled something strange in the air.”

Wang Ting chuckled. “What, the smell of cold air?”

Zheng shook his head. “Even Overlord couldn’t explain it. It just said there were a lot of them—noisy. It thinks some kind of animal is moving toward the base.”

The room fell silent. Everyone immediately thought of mutated rats. A chill passed through the group.

“Rats?” someone asked. “Can Overlord tell what direction they’re coming from?”

“If they’re rats, we need to start preparing now,” another muttered. Zheng frowned, shaking his head again. “It doesn’t seem like rats. But Overlord couldn’t say exactly what it was.”

Jiang Rong was quiet for a moment before scanning the room. “Alright. Everyone stay alert. Keep a close eye on the surveillance feeds. If anything looks off, report it immediately.”

At that moment, the meeting room door swung open. The last team member, Ruan Hanyu, pushed through the wind and snow and stepped inside. Everyone burst into laughter at the sight of her.

“Hanyu, aren’t you wearing a few too many layers?” someone teased. She was wrapped in layers upon layers—jacket, scarf, gloves, earmuffs, a thick hat, even a mask. Her slim figure was completely hidden beneath all the clothing. Her hands were tucked into heat packs, and only her eyes peeked out from behind the bundle.

“I’m really bad with the cold,” she said sheepishly. “Winter’s always hard for me. Sorry, if I’m slowing anyone down.”

It was funny, really—the person most afraid of the cold had awakened an ice ability. With how easily she conjured ice shards, no one would’ve guessed she couldn’t handle a chilly breeze.

The others quickly scooted over to make room for her near the fire. Leilei grinned. “I’m the same. Sister Hanyu, since you live alone now, it must be freezing. Why don’t you move back in with us?”

After becoming a level-two esper, Ruan Hanyu had moved out of Chu Qiang’s house and back into her childhood home. No matter how nice someone else’s place was, it couldn’t compare to the comfort of the house she’d grown up in.

Of course, living alone came with its own issues. Just this morning, she’d found the cured meat she’d hung outside had been chewed through—only a scrap of skin remained. She had no idea what creature had done it.

She smiled. “No need. Aunt Chu and the others already have their hands full. I don’t want to add to their burden.”

Just as she was about to sit, Jiang Rong called to her. “Hanyu, do you want a cat?”

“Of course,” she answered without hesitation. Ever since moving back into her own house, she’d been hoping to find a kitten. She didn’t want a mutated one—just a regular little furball. But in times like these, even humans struggled to survive, let alone cats and dogs. So far, she hadn’t found one.

“There’s a box behind you,” Jiang Rong said, nodding toward it. “Inside’s a kitten. Xiaoheng and the others found it by the roadside this morning. If you like it, take it home.”

Surprised, Ruan Hanyu turned. Her eyes landed on the tiny kitten, wrapped in towels and fast asleep. She stood quietly for a moment, then pulled her hands from the warmers and gently cradled the kitten in her palms.

Feeling the warmth, the kitten snuggled deeper and purred in its sleep. Ruan Hanyu’s eyes turned red as she smiled and held the kitten to her chest. “It’s so cute. I really like it.”

Only then did Leilei notice the kitten. She skipped over happily. “Wow, it’s a cow-print kitten! Big sister, let’s give it a name! How about Black-and-White?”

Everyone was speechless. Trust Leilei, the doctor’s daughter, to name a kitten after a cold medicine. Ruan Hanyu nodded solemnly. “Great name. Black-and-White it is.”

*

A cheerful tune played through the loudspeakers, followed by the voices of Jiang Xiaoheng and Jiang Hao.

“Hello to all the big brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, grandpas, and grandmas listening in! We’re your ‘Little Stars Can Talk’ hosts—I’m Xiaoheng,” one said.

“And I’m Xiao Hao!” the other chimed in. “Today, we’re reading some letters from our classmates. They wanted to use our broadcast to share a few words. We hope you enjoy it~”

After a bit of rustling, Jiang Hao’s voice came through.

“Hi everyone, my name is Miao Sicong. I’m eight years old. My family used to live in Building 3, Unit 508, Longjing Community, Hehuachi Street, New District of City D. My daddy’s name is Miao Ling, and my mommy is Xie Shufen. When the Great Crisis started, Daddy was away on a business trip. Daddy, I want to tell you—Mommy and I are still alive. We’re living in the Spark Base, Xinqiao 2nd Village. Daddy, if you hear this, please come find us. Mommy and I are waiting for you. You have to come find us!”

The next letter was read by Jiang Xiaoheng.

“Hi everyone, my name is Sun Weiwei. I’m six years old. We used to live in XXX, and now we live in XX Village at Spark Base. When the Great Crisis began, Mommy and Daddy didn’t wake up. I don’t know Grandpa and Grandma’s names. I just know they live in Jiangbei, City J. Grandpa, Grandma—this is Weiwei. Are you doing okay? If you hear this, please remember—I love you.”

Everyone had expected laughter from the children today, but what they got instead were letters overflowing with longing. Most of the kids barely knew how to write. Many had scribbled in pinyin.

No fancy language. No polished structure. Some of the sentences were barely grammatical. But the message was clear:

They were still alive. They were waiting—hoping their families would hear them, hoping the survivors would find their way back to one another.

Jiang Xiaoheng and Jiang Hao didn’t know many characters, and they struggled with each line.

The last letter came from a child in Miao Miao’s class—an orphan now. The letter was so heavy, both children had to read it together.

“Hi everyone. I want to say something to my mommy and daddy in heaven. Mommy, Daddy, are you doing okay up there? Do you have enough to eat? Are you warm? Don’t worry about me—I’m doing well. I have new teachers and classmates. The people here treat me kindly. Mommy, Daddy… I’m fine. I just… I really miss you.”

The innocent voice brought a lump to every throat. By the time the last sentence fell silent, most listeners had tears in their eyes.

If given a choice, who wouldn’t want their family to stay whole? This cruel world had shattered so many families. Would they get to see their loved ones again in this lifetime? Hold their partners and children… just once more?

By the time they left the activity center, the snow had already risen past their ankles. Jiang Rong and Guan Shao each carried a child on their back, trudging through the thick white blanket toward home. Jiang Xiaoheng lay curled against his daddy’s back, face buried in the soft folds of his father’s scarf.

“Daddy,” he murmured in his sweet, cotton-soft voice, “I love you so much.”

Jiang Rong smiled. “Daddy loves you too. What’s wrong? Did reading those letters make your heart hurt?”

“Yeah,” Xiaoheng replied softly. “But I’m okay. It’s brother Xiao Hao who’s upset.”

He’d always been with his daddy, so he didn’t feel the loss as deeply. But his older brother had watched his grandmother die with his own eyes. During the reading, his eyes had gone red.

Jiang Rong turned his head slightly, glancing toward Guan Shao and Jiang Hao. The boy lay on Guan Shao’s back, eyes closed, looking as though he’d fallen asleep.

“He’ll be alright,” Guan Shao said gently. Jiang Hao was a strong child. Just like his biological father, he wasn’t good with words, but he understood everything.

The snowfall grew heavier, flakes coming down in dense clusters that hit their coats with surprising weight. Jiang Rong quickened his pace. “We should hurry home. What should we have for dinner tonight?”

Before Guan Shao could answer, two furious tiger roars echoed from the direction of their house.

The two men locked eyes. Did some poor soul wander into their courtyard without realizing whose home it was? They had barely taken a few hurried steps when a flurry of wings beat through the air above them. Jiang Rong looked up—just in time to see a large flock flying overhead.

At first glance, they looked like chickens. But a second look made him freeze. They weren’t chickens. They were sparrows—mutated sparrows—each one the size of a hen.

Thick-cheeked with dark patches on their faces, the swarm flew with heads down and beaks pointed straight toward Jiang Rong’s house. There were hundreds of them, a thick, angry cloud blotting out the falling snow as they charged like an unstoppable wave.

Jiang Rong hesitated. “Could Junjun be fighting them?”

Sparrows were notorious for swarming. If hundreds of mutated sparrows attacked Junjun all at once, could the tiger really win? Guan Shao’s gaze sharpened. Without hesitation, he picked up his pace. “Let’s go!”

 

 

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