Chapter 119: Chapter 119: A Sense of Distance
As for the world outside, it was a different kind of hell.
The surface temperature constantly hovered above eighty degrees Celsius. The asphalt on the roads melted and flowed, while reinforced concrete buildings baked until they cracked. All plant life had withered and died. Even the rivers had evaporated, leaving behind nothing but parched, cracked beds. The air was thick with the smell of scorching dust, and every breath felt like swallowing a ball of fire. No living thing dared to linger in the open.
The extreme heat was even more unbearable than the extreme cold. Even hiding in the lowest level of the air-raid shelter, far from the direct heat of the surface, a suffocating humidity still trapped everyone like an airtight net.
Sweat constantly trickled down people’s foreheads and necks, soaking their tattered clothes and clinging uncomfortably to their skin. Children cried and wailed about the heat, but the adults could only fan them desperately with worn-out fans. The air they stirred was just as hot. Everyone was flushed and listless, their speech punctuated by heavy panting. They endured day after agonizing day in the extreme swelter, their hope for survival slowly eroding with the heat.
Jason Sterling wiped the sweat from his head.
The members of his small team were gathered together, living off their stockpiled supplies.
But without Maeve Walsh’s space, all the cold drinks and ice cream they had hoarded were gone. Even the fresh fruit was something Dominic Trent had stockpiled later. Thankfully, there was still some left, providing the only cool relief in this godforsaken weather.
"This extreme heat is torture."
Adam Zane and Miles Finch felt like they were about to die from the heat, and they were on the lowest level of the air-raid shelter. If they were on the surface, they’d probably have turned into human jerky by now.
Everyone was speechless. Tiana Lynch subconsciously glanced at Jason Sterling, only to see him grab two bottles of water and walk away.
"Jason!"
Tiana Lynch called out to him instinctively, but Jason Sterling only paused for a moment before turning and continuing on his way.
Tiana Lynch’s expression instantly soured.
She thought she knew where Jason was going.
’He must be going to see Sue Lawrence.’
And indeed, Jason Sterling was going to see Sue Lawrence.
He felt that in this heat, he should bring her something. He suddenly found himself hoping that Sue would survive.
"Where’s he off to?" Miles Finch frowned.
Dominic Trent glanced at Tiana Lynch’s face and smiled. "That’s the direction of where Sue Lawrence and her family are staying, isn’t it?"
There were even people with guns standing guard in the distance!
Tiana Lynch’s face grew even darker.
"Why go looking for her?" Adam Zane was still muttering.
"Yeah, what’s gotten into Jason? Tiana..."
A few of them looked toward Tiana Lynch, but she just stood up and walked off in the opposite direction. Seeing the tense atmosphere between the two, no one else said a word.
However, Jason Sterling couldn’t enter the area where Sue Lawrence lived, but he could have a message passed along.
So, a soldier went inside to deliver the message.
But inside her room, Sue’s family wasn’t living the agonizing, difficult life Jason imagined. In fact, they were quite comfortable.
She had stored a lot of ice from the extreme cold apocalypse precisely to deal with this extreme heat. As for Silas Hawthorne, she had made the same recommendation. It seemed he had also prepared plenty, so since she couldn’t earn Points from him, she decided to use her own supply. After all, once the extreme heat passed, these things would be useless.
Thus, placing blocks of ice in the room to cool it down was indeed more effective than an air conditioner.
Sue Lawrence held a cream popsicle in her hand. The cool, sweet flavor melted on her tongue, instantly banishing the oppressive heat. Her child held a small fan, its cool breeze blowing gently, a look of pure contentment on their face as they ate.
On the table were chilled bottles of mineral water and sliced fruit. In an apocalypse where even cool water was a luxury, this kind of life was an unimaginable paradise.
Sue’s parents sat leisurely, not having to worry about the high temperatures or fight over food, peacefully enjoying this rare moment of comfort.
Soon, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a voice: "Sue Lawrence, someone’s here for you!"
"Coming!"
Sue quickly finished her popsicle in a few bites, wiped her mouth, and rinsed it out with some mineral water before getting up to head outside.
When she saw who was looking for her, Sue couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Jason Sterling, however, was excited. He immediately held out two bottles of water. "Sue, you must be thirsty. Here, these are for you."
Sue leaned in and glanced down at them. Suddenly, Jason felt a wave of cool air waft over from her.
It was so hot outside that he noticed even the slightest hint of coolness.
Jason’s heart sank. He looked at Sue’s face—it was clean and fresh, without a single drop of sweat. Her clothes were pristine. He, on the other hand, was soaked through with sweat, as were the soldiers standing guard on either side.
’What’s going on?’
’Why doesn’t Sue look as miserable as I do?’
"You..."
He instinctively grabbed Sue’s wrist, about to ask, but she immediately shook him off. The woman looked at him indifferently. "Keep them for yourself."
With that, she turned to leave.
In that instant, Jason’s expression finally turned ugly. Then, as Sue pushed open her door, he caught a glimpse of fruit and an ice cream wrapper through the gap.
"Sue, what was that!"
’She still has ice cream?’
’Where on earth did she get ice cream?’
Jason was genuinely on the verge of going mad from the heat. Water quenched his thirst, but at this temperature, even the bottled water was warm!
Everything was hot, and the heat made people irritable. And now, he sees Sue has ice cream? ’Why?’
"I’ll trade you for it!"
He once again held out the water he had intended to give her, his face full of expectation and a desperate craving for the ice cream.
Sue abruptly shut the door. She knew Jason had seen, but so what?
She remained perfectly calm. Slowly and deliberately, she wiped the corner of her mouth, crossed her arms, and looked up at Jason Sterling. Her tone was casual yet unquestionable. "If you want some, use your own Points to exchange for it at the base. I also used Points to get these cooling supplies—the ice cream and this food—through a special channel at the base. Here, as long as you have enough Points, you can get whatever you want."
Her explanation was flawless. With the recent heat wave, the base’s exchange system had indeed added many cooling items. However, whether it was ice cream or fruit, the Point cost was extremely high. Ice products, in particular, were priced at a premium. Even people like them, who had several thousand Points, couldn’t bear to exchange them for a single popsicle. They had to save their Points for the most important resource: water.
Jason Sterling couldn’t find any reason to refute her.
Looking at Sue’s calm expression, his suspicion didn’t dissipate; instead, it grew stronger.
Because Sue’s words sounded more like a flimsy excuse.
He opened his mouth, wanting to press further, but Sue had already turned away, giving him no opportunity to ask more questions. She was clearly done with the conversation.
Jason Sterling was helpless. He realized he could no longer see Sue whenever he wanted. In fact, if Sue didn’t want to, it was now difficult for them to even have a conversation.
