Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 218 Message

The situation was the complete opposite of what she had expected, with "hard currency in high demand."

The posts were almost all the same:

"Urgent sale! Half a ton of high-quality lump coal, sell it for whatever price! I need to move it soon!"

"We're selling our heating coal at rock-bottom prices, practically giving it away! We just want it sold quickly!"

"Two baskets of honeycomb briquettes, take them all for 0.5 points! Self-pickup!"

"Because we're moving to the underground city, we can't take all the coal with us. Looking for a suitable buyer. Price is negotiable, practically free!"

"South of the city, there's a lot of coal. Just give a few points as a token; if nobody wants it, we'll just have to dump it on the roadside..."

An atmosphere of panic selling permeated the air, and she clicked on several posts with the most outrageous prices to view details:

Post 1: "Approximately five tons of high-quality smokeless lump coal (with a small amount of gangue) are available for hauling away for only 2 points as my family is moving to Zone E. I will bring my own transportation and manpower. The address is in the old factory shed in Zone XX. Only three days left, or it will be discarded."

Five tons of coal for 2 points? That's practically free! It might not even cover the cost of hiring someone to move it.

Post 2: "Half a bag of honeycomb briquettes (about fifty pieces), take it for 0.1 points, pick it up at the north entrance of the city gate, first come first served."

Post 3: "I'm really desperate, so I'm selling all my heating coal with tears in my eyes. Just give me a few points as a token of my appreciation... My wife is sick and urgently needs points to buy medicine. The coal is at XX. You can give me whatever you think is appropriate, just three or five points will do... Please."

Xu Xiaoyan closed the forum interface, her phone screen went dark, reflecting her somewhat complicated expression. A helpless bitter smile appeared on her face as she shook her head and muttered to herself, "Well, this path is closed just like that."

She immediately understood the reason behind this strange market phenomenon. The official exchange office clearly stated in black and white that it would not accept coal, which was equivalent to directly and openly blocking the most important and "formal" channel for converting coal into cash. The official attitude was the clearest indicator, silently declaring that in the upcoming new order, the value of this thing was questionable and it might even become a liability.

As a result, supply exploded to far exceed effective demand in an instant, panic spread, and everyone wanted to get rid of their stock before others, fearing that if they were late, no one would want it even if it was given away for free. The market psychology instantly shifted from "waiting for a higher price" to "panic selling".

Since the authorities don't want it, and it won't fetch a good price on the private market, it's practically free... It would be such a waste to throw it away... She pursed her lips, and a thought gradually solidified: I'll take it with me for now!

Anyway, there's still room. What if... it comes in handy later? The underground city is supposed to have centralized heating, but what if the system malfunctions? What if the room we're assigned isn't heated enough? What if there's a special need? Or, in some unpredictable future, what else can we get for this coal? Even if it's just as a backup, it'll give me peace of mind.

She knew this idea was a bit like hoarding, an irrational instinct to store resources. In purely rational terms, once the coal entered the underground city, it would most likely just sit in a corner of the space and silently "collect dust." But driven by a deep-seated survival instinct that was almost etched into her genes, she couldn't make the decision to abandon it immediately and completely.

This instinct transcends simple weighing of pros and cons; it concerns a sense of security, an attachment to "possession" itself, and a grasping at the faint hope of "potential use" amidst uncertainty. Even knowing that it is highly unlikely to be used, the very fact of "possession" can bring a slight but real psychological comfort.

After resolving the issue of the coal's fate, another concern arose in Xu Xiaoyan's mind. She wondered if Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao had safely returned to the outer city. Had they been involved in the subsequent chaos and robbery on the glacier? More importantly, did they know about the explosive news of the underground city? If they didn't, facing the next ten days unprepared would put them at a significant disadvantage.

She needed to confirm their safety and share information with them as quickly as possible; reliable information and communication among companions were crucial in such a time of upheaval.

She picked up her phone, unlocked it, and quickly scrolled through her contacts. The base's internal communication network had limited coverage and the signal was unstable, but calls within the same city or at close range were usually still possible. She found Xie Yingtang's name and pressed the dial button.

"beep--"

"beep--"

The receiver emitted a monotonous, rhythmic ringing, exceptionally clear in the silent room—one ring, two rings, three rings…

Time ticked by as the caller waited. Xu Xiaoyan's brows furrowed slightly. At this point, if the two of them had safely returned to the city, they should be able to receive a call. Were they still on the glacier? Were they held up by the subsequent chaos? Or... encountered some unexpected trouble? Her heart tightened slightly.

Just as she was waiting for six or seven rings, preparing to give up and try again later, the waiting tone in the receiver suddenly stopped!

The phone was answered!

"Feed?...Feed? Xiao, Xiaoyan?" It wasn't Xie Yingtang's deep and steady voice that came through, but Wang Xiao's voice. Moreover, his voice sounded breathless and he spoke very quickly. The background sound was mixed with the whistling wind and a kind of rapid, rustling sound, similar to the sound of shoes rubbing against the ground when running or walking fast.

Further away, there could be faint, chaotic shouts of people, but they were muffled by the wind.

Xu Xiaoyan's heart tightened, and she immediately sat up straight, her tone becoming urgent, "Wang Xiao? It's me! What happened to you? Why are you breathing so heavily? Where are you? Are you alright?" She fired off a series of questions, her speech involuntarily quickening to reveal her concern.

"Xiao...Xiao Yan! You...you're lucky you left early! You ran fast!" Wang Xiao's voice was still filled with lingering panic and fear, and his breathing became heavier. "Something terrible happened here...it's all in chaos! Utter chaos!"

He seemed to be struggling to organize his thoughts while running, recounting in broken sentences, "Old Xie and I...after you left, we continued fishing for a while...we were lucky, and caught a few more pretty ones...we were thinking it was getting late and we should pack up and go home...but then, out of nowhere, a whole bunch of people suddenly appeared! Like they'd gone mad!"

Wang Xiao's voice was filled with lingering fear: "When they saw someone had a catch, no matter whose it was, they would just grab it! They would just snatch it! They didn't care about who came first or what reason they had! Several of them would surround them, reaching out to grab the buckets and bags! They were incredibly aggressive!"

Xu Xiaoyan's heart sank. Sure enough, the conflict escalated. What started as a riot and a flight on the ice had turned into blatant robbery. Once the idea that points were survival vouchers spread, violent plunder became the fastest way to "accumulate" them in areas lacking effective control.

"We almost lost our fish!" Wang Xiao continued, his voice trembling with emotion. "Those people had bloodshot eyes, they didn't care about anything! Pushing and shoving, yelling and cursing... Old Xie almost got into a fight with them!"

He took a deep breath, his speech quickening, "Luckily... luckily Old Xie reacted quickly and was strong! He saw the first three people rushing over, and before they could get close, he... he directly used his elbows and shoulders to knock two of them away. The other one tried to grab our bags, but Old Xie twisted his wrist, making him howl in pain... that momentarily stunned those guys!"

One can imagine the chaotic and dangerous scene at the time, and Xie Yingtang's skill and decisiveness played a crucial role at the critical moment.

"When we saw that, we didn't dare to linger!" Wang Xiao's voice was filled with relief at escaping death. "We didn't care about the fishing rod, the bucket, the folding chair, or anything else! We just grabbed the bag of fish tightly and ran! We ran until we were far away from the glacier, until we could barely see those people anymore, before we dared to stop and catch our breath..."

He paused, then added with concern, "Old Xie... just now, when Old Xie pushed those guys aside to block them, his arm seemed to be scratched by something one of them was holding—a hook or an ice pick... His sleeve is torn, but he said it's nothing, just a superficial wound... but it looks like it's bleeding a little... We're hurrying towards the city gate now, we should be there soon... The road isn't safe either, lots of people are in a panic..."

Xie Yingtang's deep voice could be faintly heard on the other end of the phone, seemingly telling Wang Xiao, "Say less, watch your step, be careful of your surroundings." Then his voice came closer to the receiver, slightly panting from exercise, but much more steady than Wang Xiao's: "Xiao Yan, we're fine, just some minor injuries. We're almost in the city. How are things on your end? Did you get back safely?"

Hearing that the two were temporarily safe and had escaped the most dangerous glacial area, and were on their way back to the city, Xu Xiaoyan's tense nerves relaxed slightly. But now was not the time for pleasantries; she had to immediately tell them the most crucial information: the robbery on the glacier was just the prelude; the real storm was about a complete change in the rules of survival.

"I just got home," Xu Xiao said quickly, her voice clear and serious, ensuring every word could be transmitted through the potentially unstable signal. "Listen to me, what Wang Xiao just said about the fish-stealing wasn't an accident, nor was it a simple conflict. It's because the base released an extremely urgent message this afternoon through all channels—"

She took a deep breath and dropped the bombshell in the most concise language: "Meteorologists predict that temperatures will soon drop below minus seventy degrees Celsius, and not just for a day or two, but for a long period! It could last for months or even longer!"

Silence fell instantly on the other end of the phone, broken only by heavy breathing and the sound of wind; clearly, the impact of the news was enormous.

Xu Xiaoyan continued without pausing, "The base's response plan is to open the 'Underground City'! Starting at 8:00 AM on January 17th, ten days from now, most registered residents will be forcibly relocated to the underground shelter, but," she emphasized, "the Underground City is hierarchical! Like a pyramid!"

She summarized the entry requirements and differences in treatment between zones E, D, C, and B as concisely as possible, speaking rapidly but clearly: "Zone E is the lowest level; you need to pay 0.5 points per day for a bed with central heating. Zone D requires a one-time payment of 3000 points to qualify for application, and you can rent a single room and small commercial space. Zone C requires 6000 points and offers free heating. Zone B requires 10000 points, offering free heating and permanent housing. Zone A is not open to the public. Everyone is going crazy now because points directly affect whether they can sleep warmly and live a better life after they go down there! The fish caught on the glacier are ready-made hard currency that can be immediately converted into points for those who didn't catch any fish or had a small catch! Grabbing them is like winning! That's why they're so desperate! In the future, these conflicts over points and resources will only increase and become more intense!"

Silence continued on the other end of the phone, with only Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao's heavy, suppressed breathing and the howling wind being heard. This sudden, information-heavy news had clearly shocked them completely, and they needed time to process it.

After a good seven or eight seconds, Xie Yingtang's voice came through, lower, more solemn, and even a little hoarse than usual. "Minus seventy degrees... underground city... ranked by points..." He repeated these keywords, his voice carrying a sense of realization, but more so a deep worry, as if facing a behemoth. "So that's how it is... no wonder..." He was probably connecting the rampant robbery on the glacier with this underlying logic.

Wang Xiao's voice quickly followed, filled with disbelief, shock, and sudden anxiety: "My God! Minus 70 degrees Celsius?! And they're going to rank us into different tiers based on points?! Where are we supposed to get so many points in ten days?! Zone E gives 0.5 points a day, that's 15 a month, not even counting food and water... This is practically forcing people to rob and steal!" His voice already carried a hint of despair.

Xu Xiaoyan deeply understood their feelings at that moment. If she hadn't had that unexpected "Block B Housing" qualification as a safety net, her panic, helplessness, and anxiety about the future would have been no less than theirs. She immediately and calmly reminded her:

"The outer city is in chaos now. Many people are selling their belongings for points. The official exchange point has been opened, but the prices are very low. When you come back, the area near the city gate is also chaotic. Many people are emotional. Be careful and don't get involved in unnecessary conflicts."

She paused, her tone softening slightly, offering words of comfort and reminder: "The most important thing is to get back to the city safely first, then calm down and carefully consider how to plan for the next ten days. Points are important, but safety comes first. Don't risk your life or get seriously injured just to earn points; that would be a real loss."

She thought for a moment and said, "My suggestion is to first take stock of all the resources you have that can be converted into cash, including today's catch, and see how many points you can exchange for them. Assess your savings and risk tolerance. If you have the resources, then think of other relatively safe options. As for the glacier..." she said firmly, "It's best not to go there again in the short term. It's a powder keg right now, too dangerous."