The Ice Age had officially begun.
In the southern city of Tianhai, heavy snowflakes were falling thick and fast. Online discussions erupted—some people were complaining, others were pleasantly surprised.
But none of them knew that this snowfall and sudden drop in temperature were not temporary. It would continue, and it would escalate.
Eventually, it would bring about a catastrophe no one could withstand.
At that moment, however, Zhang Ye was lying comfortably on his couch at home, enjoying the 20-degree warmth of his safehouse, sipping chilled Budweiser. He was completely at ease.
Just then, Zhang Ye's phone rang.
He picked it up and saw that people in his chat groups were actively messaging.
There were groups of his former classmates, hobby circles, and even the community owners' group chat.
"Oh my God, why is it suddenly snowing so hard? The weather forecast didn't say anything!"
"I got woken up by the cold in the middle of the night—had to get up and turn on the heater."
"Tell me about it! Our crappy air conditioner doesn't heat well. It's been on forever, and it's only getting colder."
"No idea how long this cold weather will last—I haven't even bought my winter clothes yet!"
Everyone was chatting away, expressing their feelings one after another.
But Zhang Ye could clearly feel that most people didn't take the sudden cold seriously. In fact, many were even a little excited about it.
Zhang Ye knew in his heart—this was only the beginning.
He yawned, uninterested in reading any further.
Returning to his warm, cozy bed, Zhang Ye pulled up his velvet blanket and closed his eyes contentedly.
His bed was extremely comfortable—a luxury item he had moved from the Walmart warehouse.
Especially the mattress—it was rumored to be the same model used by a famous actress, worth three million yuan.
Outside, snow was falling like feathers, and icy winds howled. Inside, the fireplace roared, maintaining a pleasant temperature.
In this warm and secure environment, Zhang Ye quickly drifted into a peaceful sleep.
…
The next morning, Zhang Ye was awakened by his phone ringing.
Opening his eyes, he saw that it was a call from the white lotus, Fang Yuqing.
His good dream being interrupted, Zhang Ye naturally felt annoyed.
He picked up the phone and asked grumpily, "Hello? What are you calling me for so early in the morning?"
Fang Yuqing hesitated slightly at Zhang Ye's cold tone.
But soon she said, "Zhang Ye, it's so cold outside today! Did you stockpile supplies because you knew about this cold snap in advance?"
Her voice trembled a bit, as if she were trying hard to endure something.
Hearing that, Zhang Ye's lips curled into a mocking smile.
As expected, this white lotus never came without a reason.
He lazily replied, "I just heard it from a friend in passing. Didn't expect the drop in temperature to be this extreme."
He lifted his blanket—his room was so warm it was making him sweat.
Putting on his slippers, Zhang Ye walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The familiar scene before him made his eyes narrow.
The snow had already buried most of the city. He could no longer see the streets or the bushes lining the roads.
Only the vague outlines of buildings remained, and many houses had their ground floors nearly submerged in snow.
And the snow was still falling, thick as ever, with no sign of stopping.
On the phone, Fang Yuqing continued, "No wonder you stocked up on so many supplies. Zhang Ye, you're really something—you didn't even give me a heads-up. I'm freezing over here!"
Zhang Ye frowned. He couldn't believe she had the nerve to complain to him.
He hung up the phone without a word and tossed it aside.
Then he went to the bathroom and took a long, hot shower.
Afterward, he retrieved a slab of top-grade A5 Wagyu beef from his space and made himself a breakfast of steak and spaghetti.
While eating, he turned on the television.
The power was still on since the cold snap had just begun, so he could watch TV normally.
But even if the power went out, Zhang Ye was fully prepared—with various backup power sources, dozens of generators, and an enormous stockpile of fuel.
In terms of energy, he could easily last for three hundred years!
He switched to the morning news channel first.
Even though he already knew what was going on outside thanks to his rebirth, watching the news was still a form of entertainment.
On the news channel, both anchors were wearing thick down jackets.
That said a lot—TV stations typically had no shortage of central heating and were prioritized for electricity supply.
Yet the anchors needed heavy coats, which meant the cold was beyond what the HVAC systems could handle.
The female anchor spoke to the camera, trying to maintain a steady tone:"Last night, an extreme cold front swept across the globe, causing a massive temperature drop worldwide. The average drop ranged from 70 to 100 degrees Celsius."
"Meteorological departments are currently investigating the cause of this sudden cold wave."
"In the coming days, please make sure to stay warm and avoid frostbite."
"If it's not absolutely necessary, do not go outside."
"The government will handle the situation properly. Please don't panic."
"Don't spread rumors or believe in them, and above all, don't hoard supplies. This snowstorm will pass soon."
Hearing this, Zhang Ye sneered.
With the arrival of the Ice Age, the only way to survive was to rely on yourself. If you just sat at home doing nothing, you'd be one of the first to die.
In the corner of the screen, the temperature in Tianhai was displayed: minus 65°C!
Just yesterday, the daytime high had been 15°C. That meant the temperature had dropped by 80 degrees overnight!
Zhang Ye shrugged—this was exactly the same as in his previous life.
But now, dressed in pajamas, sipping red wine, and eating steak with pasta, he felt no trace of the freezing world outside.
After all, he had spent 8 million yuan building this safehouse, and he'd emphasized insulation during construction. The interior heat barely leaked at all.
Just then, his phone rang again.
Zhang Ye, feeling amused, was curious to see what his neighbors—those who had once mocked him—were saying now.
The first message he saw was from Fang Yuqing.
"Zhang Ye, why did you hang up on me just now?"
"The snow is so heavy outside. I can't go anywhere. Didn't you buy a ton of food? Can you lend me some? I'll pay you back after the snowstorm is over."
Zhang Ye raised his eyebrows and gave a cold chuckle.
This white lotus was no fool. She understood that in this kind of snowstorm, food would become extremely valuable.
She didn't want to brave the minus 60 to 70-degree cold outside, so she came to him for food.
But Zhang Ye knew that this ice age would last a very long time—it wasn't going to "pass soon."
And there was no way he'd give Fang Yuqing a single bite!
In his past life, he had been fooled by her, giving her a lot of his food.
In the end, she had him killed—and even tried to boil his ribs into soup!
Such a woman—Zhang Ye now only wanted to toy with her, then watch her die miserably.
Thinking of that, he grinned wickedly and sent her a reply:
"You should've said something sooner—I've nearly eaten all my supplies. Look, I just cooked up a steak for breakfast!"
After sending the message, he took a selfie of himself in his pajamas, along with the steak and red wine on the table.
He deliberately included his cozy appearance in the shot, then sent it to Fang Yuqing.