Binhai City First People's Hospital

As it turned out, in heat like this, good weather was hardly a good omen.

The moment they left Huihai City, the rolling heat outside misted up the windows. The vehicles had been modified and were extremely heat-resistant, but Song Weishi still found the heat outside utterly terrifying.

The humid, scorching air churned across the road, like a single step outside would cook a person on the spot.

Fortunately, the inside of the vehicle was manageable, so the round trip wouldn't be too miserable. Still, the convoy only officially departed from Huihai City in the evening.

Nighttime temperatures were more bearable than direct daylight. Song Weishi sat in the car with her eyes closed, resting, while the people around her chattered about the trip.

Most of the people in this vehicle were transplants who had weathered the scorching summers outside; they had no desire to relive those memories. But the security officers who had only ever done assignments around Huihai City were a different story—they were itching to face the extreme heat outside.

"Is it really that hot? I see plenty of people coming in from outside, so it can't be much different from the places we've been, right? Like being roasted over a fire—how do these people even survive?"

"No idea. Hard to say."

The speaker shrugged in an infuriatingly casual way, then turned her gaze to Song Weishi, who had been silent the whole time.

"Hey, newbie. You came from outside, didn't you? What's it like?"

Song Weishi opened her eyes and saw a pair of extremely bright ones. The girl's red curly hair spilled out from under her helmet, making her face look particularly radiant.

Her hair seemed freshly dyed, with traces of dye still clinging to her eyebrows.

Song Weishi edged away, showing no intention of answering. The person sitting beside the girl scowled and leaned over: "Hey, newbie, why aren't you talking? This is Xia Yiqing's sister."

A nepotism hire?

Song Weishi remained unmoved. She had vaguely heard this girl was a relative of the top brass in District Three, a young woman who loved to play outside. She had also been out recently, quarantined at the same time as Song Weishi's group.

But she wasn't familiar with her. Now that all the districts had been consolidated, whoever's sister she was—what did that have to do with Song Weishi?

Why was a nepotism hire even on a mission like this? Fieldwork could get people killed.

Seeing no reaction from her, the woman started to speak again but was stopped by Xia Yining, who scratched her nose. She had thought Song Weishi looked easygoing and would respond, but it turned out she was completely off the mark.

Still, she wasn't discouraged, because someone else answered her: "Of course it's hot. You guys said you'd only been around the area before, so you have no idea what it's like out there—it's like a furnace. Inside the car now, it feels different, but once you get out, you'll wise up fast."

The words were blunt, but they matched the reality outside. The two girls' faces fell, and the chatter in the cabin died down.

Most people who had never experienced the heat outside refused to believe it. Even Song Weishi, if she hadn't felt it firsthand, would have stayed half-convinced.

The farther they got from Huihai City, the rougher the road became, and gradually fewer people spoke. Some felt carsick, their faces turning pale.

Song Weishi finally began to feel drowsy. Their seats faced each other in rows, and she tilted hers back slightly, leaning forward so her legs brushed against the person in front of her. Xie Yi sat across from her without a word, only nudging her luggage closer to her own side.

The convoy rolled along the highway, occasionally passing mountain villages where bleached bones lay scattered along the road.

So many people had died fleeing, their lives swallowed without mercy.

That was the best proof—how many had been killed by the heat outside was plain to see in the devastation along the route.

Once they left Huihai City, the insects thinned out, but the once-low trees stood abnormally tall. Occasionally they drove past branches that looked like ghostly hands, but the trees didn't react to the vehicles—probably because they couldn't smell human scent.

After nearly five hours of driving, Song Weishi's back ached, but they finally reached Binhai City. There were basically no living people here at night either; any surrounding city that had the means was heading for Huihai City.

This city was no exception—almost everyone had left. If you came here during the day, it looked like it had been swallowed by green plants. If not for the high-rises proving human existence, this place could have passed for a primeval forest.

The vehicles slowly came to a stop in the city plaza, where they paused briefly to rest.

Chu Miaoxuan studied the map to confirm their location. Their target was the international campus of Binhai City First People's Hospital, and they split off from the other convoy there. The international campus was still nearly forty kilometers from their initial staging point.

After loading the designated supplies onto the vehicles, they were to regroup here.

The whole operation would take about two days. Honestly, if they had electricity, it would only take a few hours to move everything, but conditions didn't allow it—outside, they had to rely on manpower.

The vehicles slowly pulled away from the staging point. Song Weishi felt tired from the day's ride, but thankfully there was no danger. Outside, the sky was still pitch black, not a single finger visible. The city roads gradually became clogged with cars, making progress increasingly difficult. Sometimes they had to ram through vehicles in their path, and the clanging and banging didn't stop the whole way.

That short stretch took three hours before they finally reached Binhai City First People's Hospital.

The hospital was blocked solid with cars, and a stench hung everywhere. Dawn was just breaking, and Song Weishi took in the bleak scene in full view.

These people had come to the hospital, probably never imagining death would strike so quickly.

They couldn't just ram through here anymore—it was packed solid, so they had to get out and walk.

The squad entered the hospital first to scout it out, leaving the logistics personnel behind to clear the road.

Song Weishi stood up, slung her backpack on, and prepared to face the heat. She pressed a wet wipe over her face. Almost no one wore protective suits now—they only had a simple sunshade on their heads to avoid getting burned.

In weather like this, wearing a protective suit would only hasten death; it provided no protection at all.

Everyone was ready. The air conditioning in the vehicle shut off, and the heat outside seeped in. It gave them a moment to adapt inside before stepping out, so the shock wouldn't be too brutal. Soon, though, everyone felt the temperature spike, sweat pouring down their backs.

With a hiss, the door opened. The wave of heat outside, laced with a foul smell, surged in wildly. Several people nearly stumbled, overwhelmed by the stench.

The hot wind was like scalding water, wrapping around everyone, and the cabin burst into groans and cries.

Chu Miaoxuan shouted, "Go! Move out!"

Everyone had no choice but to follow her footsteps, reluctantly getting out of the vehicle. But the heat outside was even more blistering. Aside from a brief moment of discomfort at first, Song Weishi now felt completely fine.

The two girls who had been talking beside her earlier started vomiting the moment they got out, all their earlier bravado gone.

Reality had crushed them.

Quite a few security officers were in the same state. Chu Miaoxuan didn't push forward recklessly; she waited a moment, letting those few get back in the vehicle to rest for a bit, while the rest of them advanced toward the hospital.