Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 47: I am the person in charge

Limei Hotel.

Five hours after Guan Tong left, the place was already packed with people.

More than 300 people were crammed together in the lobby on the first floor alone. The restaurants, bars and other places on the same floor were also cleaned up by the crowd, who moved all the tables and chairs that were taking up space, making room for a lot of bedding and sleeping on the floor.

The air conditioning in the lobby was set to maximum, constantly producing hot air. However, it wasn't enough to keep the hundreds of people warm.

So most people are huddled up, scrolling through their phones for the latest news, occasionally glancing up at the heavy snow outside.

What made them uneasy was that the slope of the steps on both sides of the entrance was completely blocked by snow. The speed at which the snow was accumulating was truly alarming.

In fact, the hidden rule that "regional snowfall and population density are positively correlated" had already been known to the public more than three hours earlier.

However, everyone at the Limei Hotel chose to stay at the hotel, and no one had any intention of leaving.

The hotel is located right next to a main road, where huge snowplows pass by frequently, and the occasional roar of helicopter rotors overhead provides a great sense of security.

and……

Many people glanced from time to time toward a corner of the hotel lobby, where an armed squad of eight people was stationed.

They entered the hotel not long ago, and the team leader told all the refugees in the hotel that his team was only there to maintain order and that they did not need to be nervous or worried.

People naturally welcome this.

Although people mostly interact with sheriffs and rarely see these armed squads, they still have great admiration and trust for these soldiers who protect their country. With them around, people feel safer.

"Take a look at this video! The side roads in the city that no one has cleared are covered in snow, and the curbs have been completely gone!"

"That's too fast, it's not even evening yet..."

"Fortunately, we are located on the side of the main road, where snowplows are frequently used to clear snow."

"I don't think that's likely... Don't forget this snow has been falling for a whole month... This is only the first day! What if a lot of people die in the end..."

"Don't jinx it! There's so much food and drink, and the logistics department will even send over blankets and stuff later, so everything will be fine!"

"That's right, and there are soldiers around, so don't worry about it."

Most people were optimistic, but Xu Xiaotian, sitting near the door, looked at the heavy snow outside with a melancholy expression: "I wonder how Brother Tong is doing. It would be too dangerous for him to be outside right now."

……

"Huh, huh..."

Guan Tong, carrying a bag and sleeping bag, panted heavily as she trudged through the snow.

The shadow carried him for a long distance, and then there were still about five kilometers left, which Guan Tong had to walk on his own.

Five kilometers isn't a long distance, and it's nothing for his current physical condition. It's just that the snow on the road made it a bit more strenuous than usual.

There's no need to worry about temperature; the [Constant Temperature Technology Underwear] has a 6-hour effective period, so why not use it now? Once the underwear takes effect, he won't have to worry about hypothermia.

Moreover, the snowfall here is much less than in the city. Judging from visual and physical sensations, if the city is experiencing a "heavy snowstorm," then the area around Mingdao Mountain is roughly between "moderate snow" and "heavy snow."

This was satisfactory enough for him, after all, the fact that Mingdao Mountain was sparsely populated was a comparison with villages and cities. The truly desolate places, where "a thousand mountains are devoid of birds and ten thousand paths are devoid of human tracks," belonged to the uninhabited areas of the border regions.

It took Guan Tong over an hour to walk just five kilometers, and he finally arrived at the foot of Mingdao Mountain around 4 p.m. when it was getting dark.

Because it is undeveloped, there are few buildings around the foot of the mountain. There is no road leading up the mountain, only a winding, narrow path that looks like a trail worn by hiking enthusiasts.

The path was now covered with a thin layer of snow, and with the sky darkening, it didn't look very safe.

Guan Tong originally planned to go up the mountain to find a safe spot to camp, but after thinking it over, he decided against it. He didn't have any climbing crampons, and if he accidentally slipped on a snow rock and fell, he would really be asking for trouble.

Moreover, he only came here because there was no one around and little snow, and he didn't have any particular fondness for mountain climbing, so there was no need for him to take the risk of going up.

"Let's find a sheltered slope to rest for a while first."

Guan Tong walked around the foot of the mountain for a while, then came to a sheltered spot. She found a high place with a giant protruding rock, where she could stay and be sheltered from the snow.

He wasn't worried about the rocks falling; besides, such a massive rock couldn't possibly be easily collapsed by the weight of the snow. Even if it did collapse, it would be deflected by the slope of the mountain and wouldn't threaten Guan Tong's safety.

Once she found a good spot, Guan Tong immediately began cleaning.

He used a folding shovel to move some of the surrounding snow to both sides, then spread his sleeping bag on the ground, adjusting its position according to its size, in preparation for sleeping that night.

He then sat down, took out a pack of compressed biscuits from his bag, and quickly finished his dinner with the water he had brought.

After eating, he regained some strength and continued working before it got completely dark.

He gathered some wood at the foot of the mountain, wrapped it together with electrical tape to form a small wooden platform, and brought it back to use as a base for storing batteries and other moisture-sensitive items. Then he chopped the remaining wood into sections and piled them in a circle to make a makeshift campfire.

This skill doesn't need to be learned; it's practically an instinct ingrained in human nature. Fortunately, modern humans invented the lighter, making starting a fire much easier than before.

After the campfire was lit, Guan Tong felt completely relaxed as she watched the flickering flames dispel the surrounding darkness.

He knew that his somewhat "retro" lifestyle was self-inflicted. If he had chosen to stay in the city and at the Limei Hotel, he might have been able to live a comfortable life with air conditioning and provided meals.

The question is, can this comfortable life last for thirty days? The pressure may not be apparent in the first few days, but as time goes by and the snowfall shows no signs of abating, various serious problems may emerge.

Rather than trusting the authorities to provide perfect protection for tens of millions of people for up to thirty days, Guan Tong trusted himself more. Because he knew he was primarily responsible for his own life.

Others might see that things are not going well, but they stay only because they have no other choice. But since he has a choice, he needs to make a decision based on his own judgment.

"I'll wander around the neighborhood tomorrow morning and see if there's anything I can use," Guan Tong thought. "As for food, what I brought is barely enough if I eat it sparingly. If all else fails, I still have a food box left in my storage box, which should last at least two or three days."

"I'm afraid the water I brought won't be enough, but I have a portable water filter and a single-person gas stove in my bag, so I can boil snow water, filter it after boiling, and drink it without any problem."

"Then, I need to quickly craft some bound coins and gather 100 to buy the [Multi-Terrain Marching Boots] from the Ascension Shop. With it, my movement speed in the snow will definitely be much faster..."

(End of this chapter)