My Apocalypse System Arrives 10 Years Early

Chapter 515: Chapter 334: Scorching Winds, Splitting Clouds, Resounding Thunder; The Plains Bake, The Rivers Choke

Furthermore, ”after a great flood, a great plague is sure to follow.” It was a one-two punch, and the extreme heat was just the beginning!

The post shot to the top of the trending charts, and many people were in an uproar.

Many who hadn’t understood before were now filled with a vague sense of dread.

However, some people were thrilled. After all, they didn’t have to go to work.

Due to the extreme heat, many companies had already halted operations and production according to their pre-established emergency plans.

Another reason was that it was a peak period for electricity consumption, and the Electric Energy supply was already insufficient. With every household running their air conditioners 24/7, the power grid would indeed be in a critical state if those factories were also operating at high capacity.

Some students were disappointed. Why couldn’t this have happened during the school year? It just had to be during summer vacation. Otherwise, they could have gotten an even longer break.

But most people were still worried.

This was especially true for those with mortgages and car loans. The factories were shut down, meaning no income, but their expenses wouldn’t be decreasing much.

Ice makers were selling like hotcakes, but unfortunately, delivery services were interrupted in some areas, leading to shipping delays.

”If you can’t deliver it during the heatwave, are you going to wait until it cools down? What the hell would I need it for then?” As a result, many people chose to cancel their orders directly.

As for brick-and-mortar stores, home ice makers had long since sold out.

Of course, even without an ice maker, you could still freeze ice cubes and make cold drinks with a refrigerator; it was just a bit less efficient. Besides, many people’s refrigerators and freezers were already stuffed with supplies, leaving little room to spare.

To prepare for the great flood, many families who could afford it had bought extra-large freezers specifically to stockpile meat, vegetables, and other goods.

As for non-perishables like salt, sugar, rice, flour, oil, snacks, instant noodles, purified water, paper towels, compressed biscuits, canned goods, and common medicines, that went without saying.

Fortunately, Li Xiang had given an early warning, and the country had prepared in advance, thus preventing panic buying and price gouging.

The supplies for Li Family Village were distributed directly by Li Xiang. In addition to the goods, there were also various high-temperature welfare benefits, allowing the once-impoverished mountain villagers to enjoy the same treatment as people in developed areas.

Li Xiang, along with Lei Jiaming, Lei Xiaonan, Han Qifeng, and a group of security guards, went door-to-door visiting families and distributing supplies. He repeatedly reminded them that the village would cover this month’s electricity bills, so they shouldn’t be reluctant to use it. If they needed to turn on the AC, they should turn on the AC.

Some of the elderly were always frugal, thinking, ’So what if it’s hot? I can just endure it.’ Little did they know that the medical expenses from heat-related illnesses would far exceed the cost of a little electricity.

His various shops and the clothing factory had also long been closed, but the employees’ base salaries were still being paid, a benefit on par with a stable government job.

The ice makers in the coffee and milk tea shops were switched on to produce massive amounts of ice, which was delivered to everyone daily.

Li Xiang’s cousin, Shen Wenqian, had also awakened an Ice Element Superpower, so she was roped in to create large quantities of ice.

The ice blocks Shen Wenqian made were enormous and produced directly on Tiger Mountain, Xiang Mountain, and Panda Mountain. The elephants, tigers, and pandas were suffering terribly from the heat. This was especially true for the five Siberian Tigers, which had previously lived in a bitterly cold land and couldn’t handle such high temperatures.

The three Extraordinary Tigers were doing a bit better, but the two Mortal Tigers panted with their tongues lolling out all day to dissipate heat. There were also Mortal Elephants in the herd and ordinary pandas among the group.

Li Xiang had expanded their dens and even built special ice pools inside the caves. The large ice blocks made by Shen Wenqian were placed in these pools.

The tigers would jump in and lick the ice, which finally brought them some relief. The elephants, on the other hand, went ”CRUNCH CRUNCH” as they chewed on the ice blocks. They would eat a piece of ice, then a carrot, looking happier than ever.

Tuantuan and Yuanyuan were hugging several ice balls, playing with their three cubs. Huanhuan and Lele were soaking in a mix of ice and water, refusing to get out. Tuantuan’s mother was lying in a hammock with a pile of ice balls and tender bamboo shoots on her belly. She swayed gently, unhurriedly nibbling on the bamboo. She would take a bite of bamboo, then a small ice ball, her movements slow and deliberate—far more elegant than the elephants.

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That night, Li Xiang flew to the Imperial Capital to bring Jiang Cai’Er home. Because Jiang Cai’Er was pregnant, he flew more slowly and leisurely. A trip that normally took a few minutes now lasted over an hour, but it was still quite nice, like taking a joyride through the sky.

Dressed in her Purple Mirage Armor, Jiang Cai’Er was unafraid of the cold and harsh winds at high altitude.

While flying through the sky, Jiang Cai’Er nestled in Li Xiang’s arms and told him about her progress at the university.

Her dissertation defense had gone smoothly, and she had now obtained three doctoral degrees and five master’s degrees.

”Does that mean you’ve graduated then? My darling, you’re incredible. Other people spend seven, eight, even ten years to get one doctorate, and you’ve earned so many in just two years.”

”I don’t have to graduate. Several departments have offered me an associate professor position and even want me to lead my own lab and establish my own research team. But I think I’ll just stay a student for another two years and pick up a few more master’s and doctoral degrees first.”

A bachelor’s degree was no longer worth mentioning in Jiang Cai’Er’s eyes. Her plan was to complete the full four years of study. After that, she would formally start working and focus all her energy on establishing a comprehensive laboratory.

Although she had graduated from the programs for the degrees she’d earned, there were still many other fields she was interested in but hadn’t had time to get a degree in yet. She could continue as a student in those. The university had also agreed to let her take any combination of courses she wanted, giving her special priority.