Chapter 1082 - 170: Troubling Heavy Snow (10)

Chapter 1082: Chapter 170: Troubling Heavy Snow (10)

With a slight frown, Hua Biao stuck the bamboo pole he was holding into the ground, then walked backward while saying, "You always carry a pen, right? Take it out and give it to me."

"Huh? Why do you need a pen?" Tang Xiaoquan was completely baffled and really didn’t want to take off his gloves to fetch the pen in this freezing weather.

"You’re seeing things, those are signs of snow blindness syndrome. If you don’t do something about it, the consequences could be severe."

"Snow blindness syndrome!?" Tang Xiaoquan silently repeated the term, vaguely recalling hearing it in an exploration program once.

Upon reflection, it seems that this condition is caused by inflammation due to UV rays reflected by the snow damaging the corneal and conjunctival epithelium.

Mild symptoms include blurred vision and swollen eyelids, while severe cases involve light sensitivity, tearing, and inability to open the eyes.

Walking outdoors with opened eyes presents an immense danger at this time.

This was undoubtedly something Tang Xiaoquan didn’t want to face, and he disregarded the freezing hands, immediately removed his gloves, and took out the pen from his pocket.

"Here, Hua!"

Handing over the pen, Tang Xiaoquan quickly put his gloves back on; the outdoor temperature was so low that his fingers stiffened to immobility the moment he took off the gloves.

Hua Biao took the pen and removed the cap, then waved Tang Xiaoquan over.

After the latter arrived, Hua Biao habitually blew a few breaths onto the pen tip, then used it to scribble around Tang Xiaoquan’s eye sockets.

"Applying some color here will greatly alleviate your symptoms. All done! You’re good to go!"

After settling Tang Xiaoquan, Hua Biao casually dabbed a few strokes on himself too, then screwed the cap back on and handed the pen back to Tang Xiaoquan.

Whether Hua Biao’s actions truly worked or the explanation had an effect, the formerly dizzying scenes seemed to be genuinely much better now.

At least that sickening discomfort had considerably lessened.

"How is it? How do you feel now?" Hua Biao solemnly asked.

"Better, much better. This method really works." Though still panting heavily, the improvement in vision didn’t lessen the burden on Tang Xiaoquan’s body.

"Can you still walk? Do you need a break?" The same question Hua Biao couldn’t remember how many times he had asked.

"I can, I can." The reply was somewhat strained, but not wanting to lag behind, Tang Xiaoquan gritted his teeth and pressed onward.

Nodding slightly, Hua Biao genuinely appreciated the young man’s fighting spirit.

Immediately, he reclaimed the bamboo pole stabbed into the ground earlier and continued to pave the path ahead.

The snow continued to fall swiftly, with Tang Xiaoquan and Hua Biao already covered in thick layers of snow and ice as they walked the countryside roads.

From afar, they seemed almost merged into the surrounding environment, and if not for their slow movement, it would be extremely difficult for people to spot their whereabouts.

"Uncle Zhao, things don’t look optimistic, the situation outside, Brother Hu and the others..." Midway through his sentence, Wen Quanxin slapped his thigh heavily.

Most of the survivor team members were gathered in the village head’s house.

The atmosphere inside was quite heavy, everyone’s hearts were weighted down.

Demmi lightly patted Wei Yang’s shoulder beside him. Though he hadn’t been at the base long, Demmi knew about Wei Yang and Tang Xiaoquan’s private matters from the others.

Wei Yang, tight with nervousness, clasped her hands together.

Her mind, in turmoil, wasn’t overly anxious about their food supply issue because her heart was already filled with concern for the man outside whom she loved deeply, constantly worried something might happen to him on his journey.

Everyone who has driven knows how difficult it is to drive on snowy days.

Even though apocalyptic scenarios eliminated risks like rear-end collisions or hitting pedestrians.

The road conditions remained complex, and the presence of zombies added further unpredictability to driving in the snow.

After all, who knows what bizarre "evolutionary" tricks the creatures might develop responding to this harsh weather.

"Uncle Zhao, how long will our supplies last at home? Shouldn’t we go outside to gather some food?" Wu Chao, unable to stand the oppressive atmosphere indoors, interjected to change the topic.

Zhao Yunhai silently smoked, a habit he maintained whenever he felt upset.

This was a habit cultivated over years, and being Zhao’s daughter, Zhao Lina naturally knew.

She, too, was somewhat worried, with her hand on her father’s arm, gently advising, "Dad, don’t worry too much, also about the smoking... cut down a bit."

It was as if Zhao Yunhai hadn’t heard his daughter’s words, continuing to maintain his bowed posture. After a moment, he lifted his head and looked at Wu Chao, who had just posed the question.

"No! The snowfall is too heavy now, we’re staying put!"

There was logic behind Zhao Yunhai’s decision.

Firstly, he had meticulously calculated that with the current base supplies, streamlined distribution would last an estimated 15 days.

Secondly, the base only had one bus left, and its low exhaust port would clearly be insufficient to manage the existing road snow.

Thirdly, even if the vehicle could run, there were dangers hidden in the nearby markets due to the snowfall’s concealment; going recklessly could result in not only failing to gather supplies but also sacrificing lives.

As for relying on manpower to fetch supplies on foot, that was even less feasible; setting aside whether it’s achievable, even if it were, how much can one person carry back?

Moreover, the lengthy road itself is enough to wear people down.

Considering all these aspects, Zhao Yunhai decided to stand his ground.

Until the very last moment, he wouldn’t send anyone on such risky missions.

However, despite not deploying people, necessary preparations were essential.

"Xiao Wu, Da Hu, Lao Yue, later you three follow me to inspect the state of various rooms. Try to clear the snow as much as possible. Xiao Wen, Li Zhong, Li Guo stick to the old routine and take the newly made snow collecting troughs from last night outside; with this rare snowfall, let’s collect as much water as possible. Furthermore, everyone must keep warm during this period, Xiao Zhang, Wei Yang, endure a bit more, monitor everyone’s health, if anyone shows symptoms of a cold, treat them promptly to prevent spreading!"

Zhao Yunhai is indeed a seasoned veteran, though his heart was full of worry for the brothers outside, overall he remained rather calm.

From the orders he issued, at least his mindset seemed to be stable.

Only when people become occupied do they stop overthinking.

Zhao Yunhai deeply understood this, hence he issued such a batch of demanding instructions.

The survivors quickly acted, dividing into groups to undertake their respective tasks.

A distance away, two white dots slowly moved forward, leaving behind four slender tracks.

Yet, these tracks didn’t last long before being covered by the falling snow.

After nearly 3 hours of continuous walking, Tang Xiaoquan’s physical strength was almost completely depleted.

No joke, under normal weather conditions alone, walking for 3 hours consumes stamina that an ordinary person can rarely endure.

Listening to the increasingly heavy breathing of the young man behind him, Hua Biao knew they couldn’t continue further.