Chapter 19: Seizing Winter Supplies

That night, the family of three could clearly feel the temperature dropping rapidly, and it wasn't just a slight decrease.

Glancing at the indoor thermometer on the wall, they were shocked to see it had dropped to over -20 degrees Celsius.

Fortunately, before entering the shelter, Lin Cheng had prepared some warm clothing and thick blankets, or else they would have surely caught a cold overnight.

After enduring a harsh night, the eighth day of the "Great Reckoning" had arrived!

To ensure they could secure the first batch of supplies, Lin Cheng and his father set out early in the morning. Both wore thick padded jackets, making them look like plump penguins from afar.

When they first stepped out, the biting wind made them shiver, but as soon as they reached the city center, they were sweating profusely.

The drastic day-to-night temperature difference had become very evident, forcing the father and son to take off their thick jackets and stash them under the seat of their pickup truck.

They avoided putting the jackets in the truck bed, fearing that while they were gathering supplies, someone might take the chance to steal them.

Their main goals today were heaters and fuel for burning, such as coal and charcoal.

Besides these essential items, if they encountered any other survival supplies, they planned to take those as well.

However...

After the past two days of scavenging, Lin Cheng figured that most of the survivors in the city had probably already cleaned out the available supplies.

Thus, Lin Cheng didn't hold much hope for finding anything. His mother remained in the shelter, controlling a drone that followed the father and son.

Seeing the devastation along the way made Lin's mother feel uneasy.

Having lived in this city for so long, it was hard for her to watch it reduced to such a state. Seeing the place she had called home for years in ruins stirred emotions she couldn't ignore.

In some sense, this was the family's first real outing together since the "Great Reckoning" began.

Compared to previous days, the number of survivors wandering the streets had visibly decreased.

Perhaps it was because of the sudden drop in temperature the previous night...

This assumption was soon confirmed when they saw many people huddled under tattered blankets in some of the alleyways.

Some were even fighting over ownership of a single blanket, and cold medicine had become a scarce commodity. Most survivors had stopped gathering around the usual stores and were now frantically searching for nearby pharmacies.

Unfortunately, the most resourceful survivors had already cleared out the pharmacies. There was nothing left for the others.

Lin Cheng felt no pity for them. The natural laws of survival were unforgiving: the strong survive, and the weak perish.

The environment was constantly changing, and only those who adapted would endure. Even if Lin Cheng intervened to help these people now, it would only be a temporary solution; he couldn't save them forever.

The sudden cold snap the night before had driven many survivors to start hoarding coal and charcoal, and as Lin Cheng and his father approached a nearby coal yard, they saw many people already moving coal.

Seeing this, Lin Cheng and his father quickly parked their truck, locked the doors and windows, and joined the others in loading coal.

Heaters were easy to find — if necessary, they could even build one themselves. But without coal, even the best heater would be useless without fuel.

Lin Cheng hadn't done physical labor in a long time, but fortunately, his pre-apocalypse workout routines kept him in good shape. Despite the repeated trips, he managed to keep up with the work.

The pickup truck's bed was soon filled to the brim with coal. Looking at their substantial haul, father and son exchanged proud smiles.

But this was just the beginning. One truckload of coal wouldn't be nearly enough to survive the month-long extreme cold spell ahead.

They would need to make several more trips. The entire morning was spent in a frenzy of transporting as much coal as possible.

By the time they returned for their final trip, much of the coal had been taken by other survivors.

When they reached the yard for the last time, there wasn't even enough coal left to fill half of their truck bed.

What's worse, some people had started eyeing the coal they had already loaded. Earlier, there had been enough coal to go around, so no one bothered with theft. 

But now that the coal yard was nearly empty and Lin Cheng's truck was loaded with so much coal, it had naturally become a prime target.

Lin Cheng chuckled coldly and drew the pistol from his waist, resting his gun hand casually on the truck window.

The people around him, upon seeing the gun, slowly backed off, turning their attention to other means of gathering fuel.

However, something unexpected happened.

Lin Cheng's keen senses picked up on a group of people lurking in the corners, watching him intently.

These individuals looked vicious, clearly not the type to back down easily. Even after seeing his gun, they didn't seem to lose interest. Lin Cheng suspected they might have something to counter him — or perhaps they had weapons of their own.

Could it be...

Do they have guns too?

The thought sent a wave of concern through Lin Cheng. Although most civilians wouldn't have access to guns, there had been military personnel stationed near the official shelters before the army was wiped out.

It was very likely that some of the remaining firearms had fallen into the hands of survivors as personal defense.

While most people might not know how to use such weapons effectively, there was always the chance that a few survivors had a knack for firearms or had received prior shooting training.

"Dad, be careful. Those guys hiding behind the crates might have guns."

Lin's father tensed up. Although he knew how to use a gun, he had never faced live combat before.

A bullet doesn't have eyes, and if his aim was off, they could be in serious danger.

"Don't rush. They haven't acted yet, which means they're still hesitating. Let's try to leave first and see if they follow."

Lin Cheng and his father switched places, with his father now driving the truck while Lin Cheng kept an eye on their potential attackers.

As the black pickup started up, sure enough, the group of men began to move. Their actions were coordinated and disciplined, clearly the work of individuals with some level of training.

This could be trouble…

Lin Cheng's heart sank. He hadn't brought any heavy firepower with him on this trip.

Although he had a Glock 18 and a Desert Eagle, if they were up against long-range rifles…