Chapter 10: Installing the Ice Maker
Before we knew it, it was noon.
Bai Tang went downstairs to take a shower first, and after showering...
Bai Tang was in the kitchen. She took out an ice maker from her spatial storage, turned it on, and made some ice cubes, which she planned to put in drinks with lunch later.
On such a hot day, we must set up an ice maker; ice is a great way to cool down and beat the heat.
Bai Tang and Gu Yanxu discussed it last night, in order to prevent Lin Fan and the other two from having any unnecessary suspicions about these supplies that appeared out of nowhere.
The two of them decided to tell Lin Fan that the apocalypse was coming soon, and in order to protect Bai Tang, they also said that the space belonged to Gu Yanxu.
The supplies in the space were said to be something Gu Yanxu had received early on: the world was about to change.
That's why they were asked to purchase so many supplies, which are now stored in the space.
However, Bai Tang and Gu Yanxu did not tell the three of them that people could enter the space, just in case, they still had to be careful.
Bai Tang took out a large bowl of cold dishes, cold noodles, and iced drinks from her spatial storage.
While everyone was eating together, Gu Yanxu and Lin Fan talked about the space and the estimated change in the weather.
Lin Fan and his two companions reacted by saying, "Wherever you go, we'll go. We'll always follow your lead."
The three of them didn't ask too many questions about the space, but simply marveled at Gu Yanxu's good fortune in having a space where they could store goods so they wouldn't go hungry.
Okay, now everyone's a foodie.
After hearing this, the group rushed to grab the noodles from Bai Jiyang.
"It's all gone, leave some for me, please."
"First come, first served. You can't beat them, Raymond Lam. Hahahaha."
Seeing everyone laughing so happily, Gu Yanxu and Bai Tang also smiled at each other.
The next few days were spent cooking, with each person having their own specialty dish.
After finishing and packing each day, Gu Yanxu would put it into the space to keep it fresh (Lin Fan and the other two thought the space was the boss's and was there to protect Bai Tang, but in reality, Bai Tang was quietly collecting it from the side).
This way, they can take food whenever they want, saving them from attracting attention with their elaborate feasts when others don't have much food.
Although they are not afraid of trouble, they should not stand out. As the saying goes, "The first bird to stick its head out gets shot."
For the next few days, they spent their time wandering around the kitchen, the delicious aroma of the food spreading out through the exhaust fan.
Sometimes, young people smell the aroma and even open their windows to shout, "Whose stewed pork ribs are these? They smell so good, can I have a bite?"
Bai Tang and the others just smiled and didn't respond.
A few more days passed like this, and everyone continued to eat, exercise, cook, and pack food in the same routine.
Until the end of August, Lin Fan saw a news report on his phone saying that the outdoor temperature had reached 48º.
"My goodness, it's so hot, how can anyone live like this?" Lin Feng exclaimed in shock, having never seen such high temperatures before.
In the following days, the news reported that the temperature was rising instead of falling, and it was getting hotter and hotter. Many people fainted from heatstroke on the roadside, and many construction workers were hospitalized with heatstroke.
Bai Tang came across a post on Tieba that said: "It's been unbearably hot for the past two months, and it's been hot all the time without any rain. Is something wrong?"
Comments below the post expressed agreement: "Yes, I also feel that the weather is strange. It has never been this hot before. I have already stocked up on some water and food at home. I will try to stay home as much as possible for the time being."
Some people aren't worried: "It's just a bit hot, isn't it? Some say this year might just be a hot summer. There's nothing to be alarmed about."
Bai Tang and Gu Yanxu both remembered that the temperature at this time in their previous lives had already soared to 50º.
Bai Tang remembered that the school had just started the semester when it was extremely hot, and the school had no choice but to suspend classes. Bai Tang spent those days in her single dormitory with the air conditioning on.
Bai Tang and the others stayed indoors for a few more days. Now, there are no people or cars to be seen on the streets during the day. Everyone has started to go out at night, after the sun goes down.
The government has also mandated a comprehensive shutdown of work and school during the day to prevent any fatalities during the summer heat.
In the evening, Gu Yanxu suggested that everyone go out for a walk to get used to the weather, so that they wouldn't be unable to stand the heat if the power went out and there was no air conditioning.
As soon as the group opened the door, they felt the heat from the hallway hit them.
Going downstairs, it was even hotter, and there wasn't a breath of wind. The air felt like it had been melted by the daytime sun. When I breathed in the hot air, I felt unbearably hot.
Further outside, I saw some stalls outside the residential area, and they seemed to be doing quite well.
The police station across from the residential area seemed to be very busy; it was still brightly lit even though it was late at night.
When it's hot, people are bound to be restless, which leads to many arguments and disturbances, and some even end up at the police station.
The police were also helpless; they were sweating profusely in the heat and still had to maintain order, which was no easy task for them.
Bai Tang and his friends followed the crowd to the supermarket to shop, only to find that almost everything on the shelves was snapped up by customers as soon as it was put on the shelves.
The group made a token effort to grab a few bags of flour, rice, and some wilted vegetables that no one wanted.
It's unreasonable for so many grown people to not fight over any food. Anyone with a brain can see that something's wrong with them.
So Bai Tang and the others always had to put on an act, and incidentally test their bodies' tolerance for the summer heat.
When they returned, each of the five men was carrying a full load of things, and Bai Tang was also carrying a full load of food and water.
An older woman from the same building saw them and, as if they were old friends, asked, "Young people, which supermarket did you go to buy these things from? Can I buy some from you? I'm too old to compete with you young people, so please sell me some."
Bai Tang could tell at a glance that the old lady was deliberately squatting downstairs, looking for someone easy to bully, and taking the opportunity to force others to buy and sell the supplies they had worked so hard to acquire.
"Auntie, I see you're quite agile, and your tongue is even more nimble. You can sell us things with just a few words from your lips. Why should we?"
We need to eat too. Do you think we can just come to your house for a free meal if we're starving? If not, then get out of the way. A good dog doesn't block the way.
Lin Fan unleashed a torrent of attacks on the older woman.
The older woman was about to throw a tantrum when Lin Feng, looking menacing, walked right over and scared her so much that she became like a quail that had been struck by frost, and dared not say another word.
They bypassed the older woman and entered the building. Bai Jiyang originally wanted to press the elevator button to go upstairs.
But Bai Tang said, "From today onwards, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will form teams every night and take turns going downstairs to grab supplies."
Moreover, you have to take the stairs; the elevator is no longer available.
"Why?" Bai Jiyang asked, puzzled.
Bai Tang explained to his younger brother, "The weather is so hot now. What if the power company cuts off the power one day? How will we get upstairs?"
So let's start practicing climbing stairs now, so we won't be exhausted from climbing them later.
After saying that, Bai Tang took the lead and carried two large bags upstairs, followed closely by Gu Yanxu, and the others followed slowly.