Chapter Thirty-Three: A Change in Attitude

If it were simply a matter of scarce survival supplies, with everyone receiving more or less the same share, there would be little to say—such things are unavoidable. "The real issue is, we saw some of the second generation—can you believe it?—still living as if it were the apocalypse, driving luxury cars through the snow, burning fuel, gathering for hot springs, eating greenhouse fruits grown by the springs. My God, I never imagined the authorities would behave this way. They claimed resources were tight, that they couldn't help out the various survival outposts, and even sent some of the more marginal, introverted technical staff out for others to support. I never expected things would be like this on the inside. Our team leader was hit hard by it—after coming back, he just sat gloomily in the warehouse, scribbling away at who knows what."

The younger man spilled everything without reservation, revealing the entire sequence of events.

Jiang Huan found herself unable to comment; since ancient times, the rich have feasted while the poor have frozen to death in the streets. True fairness requires a stable social order—only then can one even begin to speak of equity. For ordinary people, survival has always been a struggle. This was one of the reasons she preferred to find an insulated residential complex and live here with her younger brother, rather than trying to join a major base.

Jiang Huan let the matter slip from her mind. She’d come down to exercise at seven, and now, with the time nearing nine, it was about time to have breakfast with her brother.

When she reached the fifteenth floor, Jiang Huan halted, for Xiao Yi was waiting with a man and a woman by the door of the exchange room.

The woman’s gaze seemed glued to the items within, eyes full of longing and envy. The man was more composed. When Xiao Yi introduced Jiang Huan, he hastened forward to greet her with a handshake. “I always carry the key with me. Whenever you need it, I can accompany you at any time.”

“There’s no rush. Please, come in.” Jiang Huan invited them to sit, opened a few boxes of instant milk tea, and handed each a cup. “These times are special, so this is all I have to offer. You can help yourselves to hot water.”

She hardly needed to say more—Wang Ping had already brought over a thermos of boiling water.

Cradling the warm milk tea in their hands, neither wanted to drink it right away. They savored the warmth, inhaled the fragrant steam deeply, and only then took tentative sips.

“What a life of ease,” sighed the woman, likely the wife of Deputy Curator Xu.

Deputy Curator Xu handed her his own cup of milk tea as well.

But she didn’t drink it either—she simply placed it on the table and looked at it longingly.

Before the end of the world, these two were from an intellectual family. The disaster had truly destroyed the lives of everyone.

“I wonder, where exactly is your museum located? How long would it take to drive there? And if we walked, could we make the round trip in a single day?”

“Our museum is on the other side of the city. Walking would be difficult—we’d need to drive.” Jiang Huan nodded, and then heard him speak again, somewhat hesitantly: “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

“Our museum isn’t particularly large or small, but we do have a few prized treasures in our collection. I’d like to say, all the gold and silver jewelry and antiques—if you like, you can take them all. But there are two items I hope can be preserved until the very end. If this disaster ever ends, I would be willing to buy them back with all my savings and assets. To show my sincerity, I’m willing to cut the weight of supplies my junior agreed to with you by half.”

Such words piqued Jiang Huan’s interest in those two items. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of admiration—true scholars always retain a measure of integrity, no matter the times.

“I’ll do my best.”

He nodded. That was enough; even just a promise to try was something. It wasn’t right for such things to remain forever buried, and perhaps passing them to Jiang Huan was for the best.

Jiang Huan considered for a moment. “It’s still snowing today, and there’s no guarantee it will stop in the coming days. For now, let’s set the departure for the morning two days from now. If the snow continues, we’ll postpone again.”

“But in the meantime, you’re welcome to select some survival supplies to take with you. Register them first.”

The two were overjoyed, thanking both Jiang Huan and the younger man profusely.

Looking at Xiao Yi, Jiang Huan recalled something. “Yesterday I visited your 404. I noticed you weren’t using open flames for heating, yet the rooms were warm enough that you didn’t even need to wear your thickest coats. Did you make some modifications?”

“Yes, I tinkered with it along with my master. We took into account wind direction, airflow, indoor ventilation, and used various materials to assemble an indoor heating system. We added a touch of chemistry, too, and improved its design to use the least amount of fuel while maximizing insulation. After the fuel burns out, the room can still retain heat for about an hour, though the temperature does gradually fall in that time.”

Impressive—truly impressive! Knowledge never betrays you. Skills rooted in knowledge are sure to help you someday.

“How much material does it take to retrofit a single apartment?” Jiang Huan suddenly asked.

Xiao Yi was quick to catch on. “We still have enough materials for one more living room at our place. If you need it, Ms. Jiang, I can bring them over right away.”

“Good. Bring them up and help me set up the living room on the twentieth floor.”

Without another word, Xiao Yi hurried downstairs to fetch the materials.

Deputy Curator Xu also took his leave, and the two departed, clutching their now-lukewarm milk tea.

Half an hour later, Xiao Yi appeared, panting, on the twentieth floor. After catching his breath, he and Deputy Curator Xu, along with his mentor, set to work. In just over three hours, they finished retrofitting Jiang Xi’s exercise room.

“Once the fuel is adjusted properly, the room can be kept between five and fifteen degrees Celsius,” said Xiao Yi’s mentor, Li Yupeng, suddenly eyeing the pedal-powered generator in the corner.

Jiang Huan gave an awkward smile. That was something her brother had cobbled together. It produced very little power, just enough to run a nightlight, but gave him something to do for exercise—hardly impressive in the eyes of professionals.

“Did you make this, Ms. Jiang?”

“Oh, that was my younger brother’s handiwork. It does generate electricity, though not much.”

“If I tweak the wiring and adjust a few components here, it could be much less labor-intensive and at least five times more efficient. If you don’t mind, I could fix it now—since I’m already here.”

Of course Jiang Huan had no objection. She stepped aside and watched as the old technician fiddled with the machine. At first, nothing seemed to change, but when Jiang Xi tried pedaling, he exclaimed in surprise, “It’s easier!”

He meant it took less effort.

“Thank you, Mr. Li,” Jiang Huan said. She’d just learned that he’d taught at a university, so she addressed him as ‘Teacher’ rather than ‘Mister.’

“No trouble at all—just a habit of mine. When I see something, I like to tinker with it.”

Jiang Xi’s eyes sparkled as he stared at the wrench in Li’s hand. Jiang Huan had a sudden thought, but kept it to herself for the moment.

She treated Teacher Li with particular courtesy, personally escorting him and Xiao Yi to the fifteenth floor and helping them select enough supplies for half a month. Li Yupeng and Xiao Yi felt it was too much and insisted that three days’ worth would suffice.

Jiang Huan refused to take any of it back. “You’ve run up and down all day; these are a small token of my appreciation. If you don’t accept them, I’ll be too embarrassed to ask for your help in the future.”

Unable to refuse her kindness, the two left carrying armfuls of supplies. As they descended, people eyed them with envy, their gazes almost aflame.

The teacher and student made a hurried dash back to 404.

But they had barely returned when a knock sounded at their door.