CHAPTER 285: CHAPTER 283: HOW TO GO TO THE URBAN AREA

While Ding Ning was worrying about Chen Xin and the others, Chen Xin, Qin Lan, and Mo Qingyan were equally concerned for Ding Ning, who was in the city.

The blizzard had been relentless for days with no sign of abating. The entrance to the shelter was nearly buried under snow, so much so that even if it stopped, they would need to dig a large hole at the door just to go outside.

In fact, it wasn’t just the entrance; even the observation port of the observation room was mostly covered by snow, and it was coated with frost.

Considering the current situation, even though Han Ping suggested several times that he could go outside in a protective suit to clear some of the snow from the observation port, Chen Xin did not agree.

After all, with such deep snow and freezing weather, even with a protective suit, it was still very dangerous for Han Ping to go out.

The more they thought about it, the more they worried about the situation in the city.

If it’s like this for them, won’t the city’s shelters be completely buried under the snow?

However, remembering the underground road connecting the shelters they had seen before, Chen Xin wasn’t worried that the shelters would be completely cut off, with everyone trapped inside. The underground transportation network ensured that supplies and coal transport were not a problem.

What truly worried Chen Xin was whether the city’s shelters could withstand such extreme weather, rarely seen even at the North and South Poles before the disaster.

In such freezing conditions where indoor water could freeze, Chen Xin did not believe people could survive without adequate heating.

"Ah Xin, do you think Ah Ning might be in danger? She’s staying at Qingyan’s place alone, and I’m worried she won’t make it through," Qin Lan expressed her concern to Chen Xin as he worked at his bench, though she hated to disrupt him.

Chen Xin looked up at her upon hearing this, put down his work, and nodded: "It’s indeed dangerous for Xiao Ding over there. Although I helped Long Niang install a geothermal heat pump, the heating shouldn’t be an issue, but the heat efficiency from one such pump is limited. In this weather, maintaining an indoor temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius is already a good effort."

Chen Xin wasn’t exaggerating. With outdoor temperatures at minus 70 degrees Celsius, keeping indoor temperatures at minus 20 showed the effectiveness of the geothermal heat pump.

Before the disaster, reaching an outdoor temperature of minus 30 degrees would already be considered extremely cold. Even in the Northeast of Flame Country with heating, the indoor-outdoor temperature difference was only 40 to 50 degrees.

But now, with outdoor temperatures at minus 70, achieving a 50-degree difference can’t bring the indoor temperature above zero. This requires a temperature increase of 70 to 80 degrees.

As for regular heating equipment, they were not designed for such extreme conditions, and achieving such results also depends on the building’s insulation capabilities.

"Do we have any way to help her? And I’m afraid the situation in the city doesn’t look good either. I think we should do something," Qin Lan said, knowing her words might be out of place. Under such circumstances, it was already remarkable that Chen Xin managed to take care of himself; how could he have the energy to help others?

She quickly added: "I’m just saying, don’t force yourself, Ah Xin."

Qin Lan felt she might sound insincere and was momentarily lost for words, her entire body stiffening.

Chen Xin didn’t think there was anything wrong with Qin Lan’s words. Helping others or doing things that benefit more people when one has the capability is a form of self-improvement.

Qin Lan’s feeling to do something stems from her background as a police officer. It would be odd if she didn’t think about what she could do in such situations.

Even though she was no longer an active officer, this didn’t change.

So Chen Xin merely smiled at her and explained: "I’d like to do something, but the problem is that in this situation, unless I could build an Energy Tower like in ’Frostpunk’ to heat the entire city, it’s hard to change anything."

"..." Qin Lan looked down, feeling a bit dejected. Even thinking about it, she knew such a thing was impossible.

However, Chen Xin wasn’t joking. With his system, building an Energy Tower wasn’t theoretically impossible, but it would take a lot of work, not something that could be done quickly.

Chen Xin actually had another plan.

"So, I plan to go to the city to see if there’s anything I can help with," Chen Xin expressed his intention to Qin Lan.

"Go to the city? But with such a heavy blizzard, how are you planning to get there? Even if your vehicle could make it to the city, you can’t even get out the door right now!" Qin Lan was well aware that the shelter door was buried under the snow, making it hard to imagine how Chen Xin planned to go to the city.

"The car definitely can’t leave before the snow stops, but that doesn’t mean I can’t," Chen Xin knew well that his car couldn’t move in such weather. The blizzard was so fierce that although his car was heavy enough not to be blown away, driving to the city was extremely difficult.

Hearing Chen Xin’s words, Qin Lan had a thought and tentatively asked: "Are you thinking about that Exoskeleton Protective Suit you made? With that, you could attempt to go to the city, but it would still be too dangerous, wouldn’t it?"

"The Exoskeleton Protective Suit’s capabilities are limited and would hardly withstand such a blizzard. The cold isn’t a problem, but a level 12 storm can’t be blocked by just a fabric suit." Chen Xin shook his head, picking up the item he had been working on from the table, and handed it to Qin Lan: "Remember the Power Armor I told you about?"

Qin Lan took the item from Chen Xin—a metal glove similar to her red Power Glove.

Seeing this metal glove, Qin Lan immediately understood and asked Chen Xin in surprise: "You’re planning to make a Power Armor and wear it to the city?"

"Yes, I’ve solved the energy issue. A small Isotope Thermoelectric Battery is sufficient to power a suit of Power Armor, and its sturdy metal shell can withstand the gale, while its significant weight will ensure I’m not blown away. With such equipment, I’m confident about going to the city," Chen Xin said confidently.