Chapter 1077 - 165: Troublesome Heavy Snow (Part 5)

Chapter 1077: Chapter 165: Troublesome Heavy Snow (Part 5)

In the past, Tang Xiaoquan might have spent more time contemplating things, but now Huo Yuankai had become his lifesaver, and it would be rather unsatisfactory to be slippery at this critical juncture.

Therefore, after weighing the options, Tang Xiaoquan came up with a compromise.

What was the plan? Delay!!

"Huo, Hua is right. Worrying about this won’t help; what’s meant to happen will happen. At least now we have leads on the children, which is much better than aimlessly hunting around the streets without a clue. I suggest this: once we rescue your son, we gather resources and head to this place to catch up with the kids. How does that sound?"

It would take at least a day to get Lei Tong and Old Xu out, and by then, if they gave Huo Yunkai some tasks, they might manage to let this matter fade away.

After all, the two children were just students of Huo Yuankai. Tang Xiaoquan thought that as long as they settled down the Huo family, the guy might forget about asking for help.

It seemed that mentioning his son either influenced Huo Yuankai or he wasn’t so attached to the kids.

After a long sigh, Huo Yuankai finally nodded and agreed to everyone’s suggestion.

Seeing Huo Yuankai concede, Tang Xiaoquan also felt a bit relieved.

To avoid him overthinking, Tang Xiaoquan quickly changed the subject: "Hey, Dazhuang, could you light the fire? We’ve got quite a haul today, let’s cook some rice, make some small dishes, then drink some alcohol to warm ourselves. Haha, I wonder how much Huo can handle. We should definitely drink a few more glasses."

While talking, Tang Xiaoquan didn’t forget to signal Hu Xiaodong with a nudge.

Hu Xiaodong was smart enough not to miss Tang Xiaoquan’s implication.

Immediately, he chimed in: "Yes, let’s drink a bit to calm the nerves. All of us should have some."

Tang Xiaoquan’s idea of using alcohol to bring down Huo Yuankai was certainly unusual, but it was the only solution he could think of.

The timely weather seemed to follow the survivors’ plans inside the building, as Luo Baochun stood by the window and gazed outside, surprised to see snowflakes drifting down.

Seeing this, Luo Baochun called back: "Emma, it’s snowing."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaodong and the others turned around and soon gathered by the window.

"It’s really snowing?"

"Uh, hopefully it’s not too heavy, otherwise the accumulated snow on the road will be a hassle."

"Looks like it won’t be; probably just some light snowflakes, it’ll clear up soon."

Hua Biao waved dismissively, then headed towards the kitchen, planning to lend a hand to Wei Dazhuang, who was starting the fire inside.

"Hey, Old Zhao, if this weather keeps up, I’m worried that Old Xu and the others will have difficulty driving!"

Meanwhile, at the base, Wenquan Xin shared his concerns with Old Zhao and others while they were organizing dinner.

Old Zhao didn’t respond immediately, instead going to the door, where outside, heavy snow covered the entire view in white.

Ever since the team left, an unprecedented snowstorm had descended upon the village.

Initially, Old Zhao, like Hua Biao earlier, presumed that the snow would only last a short while.

But to his surprise, hours passed, and not only did the snowfall not slow down, it intensified.

The whole village had now been buried under thick layers of snow, and despite Old Zhao organizing several snow-clearing actions, the lack of tools had them losing the battle against nature.

Right now, not only was snow clearing suspended, but even the wall-building actions had to be halted halfway.

Looking at the snow-covered street outside, Old Zhao knew that Old Xu and his group wouldn’t be able to return for now.

"Don’t worry, Old Xu and many others; if they can’t come back, they can find a place to shelter outside. But here, if it keeps going like this, I don’t think the snow will stop anytime soon. So, Wei Yang, let’s cut the supplies in half for now, until Old Xu returns with the restocks. Also, later, Xiaowen, you and I, we need to clean the snow off the roof to prevent it from collapsing under the weight."

Old Zhao’s words weren’t fear-mongering, nor was he being pessimistic.

As a professor of construction engineering, he had more authority than anyone present to assess the current situation.

Indeed, the village houses were all self-built, and the place had long been abandoned when the team arrived.

Although survivors had fortified and modified the dilapidated buildings, it was merely a stop-gap measure; no amount of repairs could improve the faulty foundation.

On ordinary days, these structures were enough to keep out the wind and rain, but with adverse weather conditions, like this sudden snowstorm, the consequences could be dire...

"Okay, Uncle Zhao! I’ll go get the tools with Chaozi." With that, Wenquan Xin was about to leave.

Old Zhao quickly turned around and stopped him: "No rush, it’s almost dinner time, let’s eat first, then tackle it afterward."

Mentioning dinner brought a somber expression to Old Zhao’s face.

While it was possible to use tools to clear the snow off the roof, he couldn’t magically conjure supplies out of thin air.

Old Xu had entrusted the well-being of a dozen people to him before leaving, and now, due to the snow blockade, Old Xu certainly couldn’t return, leaving Old Zhao no way to go out and gather supplies.

If this persists, food supplies could indeed become a significant issue.

Hopefully, the heavens would be kind and stop this snowstorm soon.

With a pious heart, Old Zhao prayed, for he had no other choice.

"Come on, Huo, fill up; here’s the first glass of wine, let’s toast together. It’s rare to meet in these end times, so I’ll drink mine first!" In his effort to bring Huo Yuankai down, Tang Xiaoquan truly went for it, downing the glass in one go.

Witnessing Tang Xiaoquan’s hearty action, Huo Yuankai, despite his scattered thoughts, couldn’t refuse and was obliged to gulp down his glass.

Everyone was aware of Tang Xiaoquan’s alcohol tolerance, including Hu Xiaodong and others.

Though he wouldn’t pass out with one glass, he certainly wasn’t a heavy drinker.

So once he set the tone, Hu Xiaodong, Wei Dazhuang, and the other drinkers swiftly followed suit.

But after several rounds, Huo Yuankai showed no signs of being drunk.

There was nothing to be done; safety during the night in the abandoned city still relied on the guards.

Continuing this drinking contest would only result in mutual exhaustion.

And Tang Xiaoquan hoped to avoid an emergency where his brothers were all incapacitated in bed.

If that happened, it would truly backfire.

"Oh dear, the weather outside seems to be getting worse." A tipsy Luo Baochun walked to the window, slightly lifting the curtain to let the cold air in and clear his head.

Unexpectedly, the fine snowflakes had turned into a heavy snowstorm, making the city bright even at night.

While initially not paying much attention to Luo Baochun’s words, a mere glance prompted Hua Biao to jump up from his seat.

This sudden action caused Hu Xiaodong, Tang Xiaoquan, and the others who were still eating to stand up one after another.

As everyone gathered by the window again, the previously relaxed expressions quickly vanished, replaced by sternness and solemnity.