Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

The leader was a sergeant who took a megaphone from a soldier next to him, turned it on, and the piercing electrical whirring drew everyone's attention. "Comrades! Quiet! Listen to me!"

The sergeant's voice, amplified through a loudspeaker, was still hoarse, yet carried an undeniable seriousness:

"According to an urgent notice from higher authorities, the crust in the main earthquake zone remains extremely unstable, and the possibility of further strong aftershocks cannot be ruled out! This area, and the entire city of Kim Il-sung, remains extremely dangerous!"

A commotion arose in the crowd, and uneasy whispers arose.

The sergeant raised his voice, cutting through the noise, "After an emergency discussion at the on-site command post, we are now organizing everyone to move to a relatively safe area!"

Our destination is Qingshui Resort, about 15 kilometers west of Jinshi!

Upon hearing the name, some people's faces showed a hint of understanding. Qingshui Mountain Villa was built on the Qingshui Reservoir, with a quiet environment and many vacation villas and hotel facilities. At least it was a place where one could shelter from the wind and rain.

But the sergeant's next words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the slight warmth that had just begun to rise:

"However! The villa has limited indoor accommodation capacity! Command has ordered that all rooms must be prioritized for the elderly, children, the wounded, and the infirm! The remaining able-bodied personnel..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the young and middle-aged men in the crowd, his voice heavy yet clear, "They need to go into the mountains surrounding Qingshui Reservoir and dig their own caves or shelters to take temporary shelter!"

These words were like cold water being poured into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar!

"What? Dig caves? Are they expecting us to live like savages these days?!"

"Why should we? The resort is so big, can't we squeeze in a bit?"

"Can't we rebuild the house? Why are we living in a cave?"

"We are victims too! Why are we being treated differently?!" Protests, questions, and angry shouts immediately filled the air.

Having just survived a catastrophe, being asked to go to the deep mountains and forests to dig caves for shelter was something many still in shock simply could not accept.

The area around Qingshui Reservoir is surrounded by rolling hills, and apart from that solitary resort, there are indeed no modern buildings.

This means that those who are asked to dig holes are almost equivalent to being temporarily exiled back to primitive times.

Facing the enraged crowd, the sergeant gripped the megaphone tightly, his facial muscles taut. He had to explain clearly, otherwise it might provoke an even bigger riot. "Quiet! Let me finish!"

He practically roared, trying to suppress his voice, "This is an order! It's not meant to make things difficult for you! We just received an emergency weather warning!"

A strong cold front is moving south and is expected to affect our region in five days!

The temperature may drop by tens of degrees, and there may even be rain, snow, and freezing weather! His words struck everyone like a heavy hammer.

"Think about it! The power and heating systems in Jin City have been completely paralyzed! Even if you hide in a building that hasn't collapsed, without heating, you'll still freeze to death in this temperature drop!"

"Even the houses in Qingshui Mountain Villa can't be fully heated; we can only provide heating for the most vulnerable groups!" He pointed to the vast, desolate mountains to the west.

"Digging caves or finding natural rock caves to modify is currently the only feasible way to use the earth's temperature to keep warm and avoid the cold wind!"

Although it's tough, at least it increases the chances of survival! This isn't about treating you like savages; it's about saving as many people as possible under extreme conditions! It's a last resort!

The soldiers stood with their guns at the ready, forming a silent human wall. Their expressions were equally solemn and helpless. Resources were limited, and choices had to be made.

Priority is given to protecting those who are least able to withstand the risks, while those who are physically strong are only required to rely on their own strength to fight for a chance of survival.

The ground in the entire area was torn beyond recognition by the violent tremors; the asphalt road surface was twisted and warped, and gravel and broken wood were scattered everywhere.

The soldiers had previously emphasized in the park that if vehicles were to attempt to drive through, they could easily get stuck in the cracks and could even cause a collapse, resulting in the entire vehicle being swallowed up.

They strongly advised everyone to abandon their vehicles and evacuate on foot to Qingshui Mountain Villa.

In the crowd, Xu Xiaoyan glanced back at her small truck.

She bit her lip and, taking advantage of the moment when everyone was busy packing and no one was paying attention, quietly slipped back to the driver's seat.

The engine hummed softly, and she carefully steered the car behind a cluster of ruins.

The ruins obscured people's view, so she quickly turned off the engine, jumped out of the car, looked around, and made sure no one noticed.

She reached out and lightly touched the vehicle, and the entire van was instantly stored inside her space.

Thinking that I would be moving with the crowd later, I would have to carry some visible burdens!

After careful consideration, she took out a lightweight but sturdy simple tent bag and slung it over her shoulder, and picked up her usual backpack, which contained a flashlight, a folding entrenching tool, compressed biscuits, and other items.

When Xu Xiaoyan returned to the crowd with her belongings, several sharp-eyed survivors immediately noticed the makeshift tent and bulging backpack on her shoulders and couldn't help but lean forward and whisper to ask her questions.

"I found it in my car," Xu Xiaoyan explained breathlessly, wiping the sweat from her face with her sleeve. "My car was parked nearby."

These words, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, immediately stirred up ripples among the crowd.

Someone suddenly slapped their forehead and exclaimed, "How could I not have thought of that! I also have a camping tent and a campervan!"

Soon, a dozen people hurriedly ran outside to search for their vehicles, and some others followed suit, whispering amongst themselves as they ran:

"Even if some car doors are locked, you can open them by simply knocking on the window. In situations like that, you can't worry about anything else..."

Upon hearing this, the others hurriedly joined the search for supplies, because in this situation, finding more supplies meant a greater chance of survival.

The two soldiers had to raise their voices to maintain order: "Everyone, please be careful! You have a maximum of twenty minutes; we must depart on time!"

Urged on by the soldiers, the survivors finally regrouped, and after a headcount, the group was divided into two batches:

The young and middle-aged group was led by two soldiers on a forced march, while the middle-aged and elderly who believed they were physically capable could also go ahead, and the elderly, weak, women and children would follow slowly behind.

Xu Xiaoyan was assigned to the first group. She gritted her teeth and tightened the shoulder straps of her backpack even more.

She cleverly secured the tent above her backpack, but with each step, the weight made her shoulders ache.

At first, the line maintained an orderly formation, but after only half an hour, some people began to fall behind.

The highway was steaming under the scorching sun, and everyone's steps became heavier and heavier.