In the apocalypse, I hoarded goods and handed over my storage space to the government.

"Data team, report immediately!"

Li Guodong rubbed his face, took a deep breath, and turned to the back row of workstations.

Old Chen, a technical officer wearing black-rimmed glasses, took off his reading glasses, wiped them with the corner of his clothes, and put them back on.

My hands are typing rapidly on the keyboard.

"Confirmed! VEI index confirmed, level 8. Supervolcano eruption."

"The total volume of the ejecta is conservatively estimated to exceed one thousand cubic kilometers!"

The volcanic ash column reached a height exceeding 30 kilometers, entering the stratosphere.

He spoke very quickly, and his voice was dry.

"Based on the current eruption volume and wind direction, the entire North American region will be completely covered by volcanic ash within 48 hours!"

High concentrations of sulfur dioxide and silicate dust will drift eastward with the westerly winds.

As expected, within two weeks, at most two weeks, the volcanic ash belt will cover the Northern Hemisphere.

The large screen flickered, and Lao Chen directly pulled up a global weather simulation map.

A thick, gray cloud enveloped half the Earth.

"Sunlight is blocked, and the amount of solar radiation received by the Earth's surface is greatly reduced."

Old Chen swallowed.

"The temperature in the Daxia region will drop precipitously within a week."

"Sir, Director Li... nuclear winter has begun."

Inside the hall, everyone's expressions were solemn.

The annihilation of a beast tide of tens of millions did not bring any relief to anyone.

The upcoming extreme cold will be an even more severe test for 1.4 billion people.

Winter has already arrived in the north of Daxia, and if the temperature drops even further...

This means that in the coming months, outdoor temperatures in the north will typically remain around minus forty degrees Celsius.

In extremely cold weather, both fighting and survival are severe challenges.

The leader stared at the ever-spreading gray-black cloud on the screen, his fingers tapping lightly on his cane.

"Heaven and earth are ruthless."

The leader's tone was calm, revealing a composure born of experience.

"Even if humanity were to unleash its entire nuclear arsenal, it still couldn't create this kind of spectacle."

Respect nature.

His gaze shifted to the left side of the screen.

The coordinates of the underground bunker of the American underground government, known as Garden of Eden, were originally marked there.

Now, these coordinates are all obscured by strong electromagnetic interference caused by volcanic ash, turning them into a blind spot.

"I wonder how our old rival is doing now," the leader said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Li Guodong snorted coldly, a hint of ferocity flashing in his eyes.

"Hiding a thousand meters underground can protect you from monsters outside, but it can't protect you from a fractured earth."

He curled his lip, making no attempt to hide the disgust in his tone.

"Ideally, this volcanic eruption would have directly destroyed their stronghold along the fault line."

They buried people and those shady human laboratories together down there.

This will also save us from any future trouble they might cause us.

He hadn't forgotten that just a month ago, Eden had sent three thousand agents to infiltrate the surface and conduct large-scale human experiments on awakened individuals.

It would be better if all those guys hiding in the rat hole died.

After listening, the leader didn't say anything more.

He picked up the thermos on the table, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip of warm water.

"Strategically, we should despise the enemy, but tactically, we must take them seriously."

He put down his cup and shook his head.

"Those people in Eden didn't die that easily."

During the Cold War, they dug those underground bunkers precisely to prepare for nuclear war and apocalyptic disasters.

They have extremely strong foundations in life support systems, resource reserves, and underground ecological cycles.

"But even if they survive this time, nature will skin them alive."

The leader stood up.

He didn't offer any further comment, but gestured with his chin towards Old Chen.

"Continue to closely monitor meteorological data and report it promptly."

The leader uttered four words, then his gaze swept over Li Guodong again.

"The authority to allocate cold-weather supplies should be further delegated!"

The energy supply for greenhouses must be protected at all costs!

Tell those below that in the coming months, not even an ounce of cotton or a mouthful of grain can be handled with the utmost care and without any mistakes!

"Understood! Mission accomplished!"

Li Guodong responded loudly.

The leader nodded, turned and walked towards the door.

He stopped at the door and glanced back at the big screen.

"Issue cold-weather preparedness plans to all war zones." The commander said this and left.

Li Guodong watched the leader leave and then turned his attention back to the big screen.

The North American continent was completely covered by a deep gray-black color.

Space-based satellites cannot capture any images of the Earth's surface.

It had become a complete wasteland.

On the map of Great Xia, several long supply lines continued to operate amidst the wind and snow.

Armored trains, fully loaded with coal, grain, and cold-weather supplies, headed to the front lines.

Li Guodong picked up the encrypted phone on the table.

"Connect me to the Logistics Support Department and get me Lao Qian."

Two seconds later, the call was connected.

"Old Qian."

Li Guodong got straight to the point.

"Yellowstone exploded. Nuclear winter is coming in two weeks."

Your winter supplies production line is running at full capacity.

The soldiers on the front lines are fighting monsters in the freezing cold. If even one soldier dies from frostbite due to lack of a single layer of clothing, I'll hold you responsible!

"Don't worry, Lao Li!"

A hoarse guarantee came from the other end of the phone from Qian Liye.

"Even if it means the machines are smoking, I'll make up for the missing numbers! I won't let our brothers on the front lines bleed and weep!"

"Okay, report any developments immediately." Li Guodong hung up the call.

He looked up at the digital clock on the wall.

Winter is coming!

……

at the same time.

North America, the Freedom Beacon Federation, a thousand-meter-deep underground bunker.

Red warning lights spun wildly in the narrow metal corridor.

The piercing buzzing sound drowned out the roar of the exhaust fan.

The entire underground base was shaking violently.

The alloy ceiling overhead emitted a teeth-grinding, distorting sound, and tiny metal shavings fell down in a rustling sound.

Jopden gripped the edge of the console tightly.

In front of him, dozens of screens displayed flashing red warning boxes.

"Warning! External pressure at airtight door No. 3 in Zone C exceeds the limit!"

"Warning! High-temperature backflow has occurred in the underground water cooling circulation system!"

"Warning! Ground shaking intensity has reached level 9!"

"Mr. President!"

The deputy scrambled into the command room, his forehead covered in bruises from the impact.

"The upper bunker has collapsed! Ventilation ducts No. 3 and No. 4 are being flooded by lava, and the blast doors have automatically locked!"

Jopden gritted his teeth and stared at his deputy.

Where are the people inside?

"There's no time to evacuate."

The deputy was deathly pale. "There were 1,200 people in Zone 3 and 800 in Zone 4. The temperature exceeded 150 degrees Celsius before the blast doors were locked. They're all gone."

Jopden closed his eyes.

Two thousand people.

It vanished without a trace.

"Can the life support system hold up?" Jopden opened his eyes and asked sharply.

"The main circulation system is intact."

The assistant pulled up the equipment operation diagram.

"One-third of the outer geothermal filtration tower is damaged. The underground temperature is still rising. If we don't cut off power to some residential areas, the cooling system will be overloaded and shut down."

"Then let's cut it!"

Without hesitation, Jopden declared, "Apart from the core area and the laboratories, halve the power supply to the rest of the region!"

The deputy was stunned.

"Mr. President, the temperature inside the underground bunkers is rising continuously. If the power supply is reduced on a large scale, it will lead to the spread of disease..."

"I don't care about the lives of ordinary people!"

Jopden grabbed his deputy by the collar and spat in his face.

"This core shelter houses two million people! If the cooling system stops, everyone will turn into roast meat! Cut off the power! Now!"

The deputy nodded repeatedly, broke free, and ran to the control panel.

Jopden slumped into his chair, dejected.

He watched as the green dots representing vital signs on the screen went out one by one.

This is the power of nature.

"Great Xia..." Jopden murmured.

He thought of the young man named Su Ran from Da Xia.

That place has unlimited space and hoards resources from all over the world.

The Great Xia did not retreat underground. They continued to fight on the surface.

Nuclear winter has arrived.

Can the Great Xia Dynasty withstand this?

Jopden didn't know.

All he understood was that the only task for the Beacon of Freedom was to survive.

Like a rat in a sewer, clinging desperately to its last breath.

The deeper Eden headquarters.

It is relatively less affected by vibration.

The atmosphere among the high-ranking officials of the American government was equally oppressive.

Jopden sat at the end of the long table, looking at the damage report in his hand.

All surface monitoring stations were paralyzed.

Three shallow backup bunkers were swallowed by lava.

Nearly one-third of the material reserves were lost.

"We're blind."

Intelligence chief Hall stood to the side. "All the surface sensors are burned out. The main communication cable is broken. We don't even know if it's day or night outside."

Jopden threw the report on the table.

"What about Dr. Steven?"

"The laboratory is safe and sound."

Hall answered,

"The doctor said the earthquake did not affect the laboratory."

The purification process for a new batch of improved awakening potions has entered its final stage.

Jopden stopped tapping his fingers on the table.

"it is good."

He stood up and walked to a world map on the wall.

The Great Xia has planted its flag all over the world.

"Nature cleared the way for us."

Jopden loosened his tie; he felt he still had leverage.

"Tens of millions of monsters are gone. Once the lava cools and the volcanic ash dissipates, the ground will be a blank sheet of paper."

He turned his head and looked at the cabinet members present.

"Daxia thought they had won. They thought that with Su Ran and those crystal energy weapons, they could rule the surface of the earth."

"They are wrong."

"Once we produce the awakening drug in large quantities and create our own superhumans, we will reclaim our world."

"Close all passages now. Initiate deep hibernation mode."

Jopden gave the final instructions.

"Let the people of Daxia freeze up there. This six-month nuclear winter will help us deplete most of their manpower."