Chapter 318: Chapter 316: Returning Home (Second Update)
When the blizzard finally ceased, Chen Xin stepped out from the refuge to the surface, only to be unexpectedly greeted by the clear sky.
Though the thick dust still blocked the sunlight, as Chen Xin looked up, he felt that the air beneath the dust seemed remarkably clean.
It was a paradoxical sensation, yet easily understood.
Due to the blizzard, the dust and other particles in the air were swept away by winds over twelve levels in strength, so when the fierce winds suddenly stopped, the air appeared clean and clear, which was nothing unusual.
This is also why many say that the weather improves after rain or strong winds, simply because the dirty things in the air are carried away by the rain or wind.
However, the atmosphere is layered, and disturbances in the lower atmosphere rarely affect the upper atmosphere. The dust and particles suspended high up are the main factors that block sunlight from reaching the ground, and they weren’t affected by this blizzard.
This explains why when Chen Xin looked up, he still saw a dark sky, yet could also feel a hint of the sky’s clarity.
"The snow has finally stopped!" Chen Xin and Qin Lan went outside again together, and as they looked up at the sky no longer filled with snowflakes blown by the storm, they couldn’t help but release a sigh of relief.
"Yes, it finally stopped. If it hadn’t, who knows how many more people could have frozen to death because of this snow." Qin Lan expressed some lamentation as well.
Previously alongside Chen Xin, Qin Lan had hurried between various refuges, witnessing quite a few people who had frozen to death due to the cold, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
Now that the snow had stopped, she could finally lay down the worry weighing on her heart for the other refuge survivors.
"The wind and snow have passed, everything will get better." Chen Xin knew what Qin Lan was feeling for the people who had frozen to death. He too felt a heaviness in his heart, but he focused more on those who were still alive.
The deceased are already gone, an irreversible fact. Apart from mourning and remembrance, there isn’t much more we can do for them.
But the living still have to go on; we can do something for them to help them live better.
"Yes, everything will get better." Qin Lan looked intently at Chen Xin and nodded seriously.
Her confidence wasn’t towards the world, but towards Chen Xin. She believed he would make everything alright.
"Let’s head back. We’ve been out for days, I wonder what home is like now." Chen Xin said to Qin Lan, a slight bitter smile appearing on his face: "It’s been days since we left home, I wonder how things are now. Mom and Dad must be worried again."
However, this time Qin Lan shook her head and declined: "You head back alone, I have some matters to attend to, so I won’t be going back with you."
"Matters? What kind of matters?" Chen Xin wasn’t surprised that Qin Lan wasn’t returning with him, but he asked out of habit.
"It’s about the squad. Previously, when my hand got injured, I had already withdrawn from the front line, but I’ve never formally dealt with the paperwork. I intend to officially resign from the police force." Qin Lan explained her reasons to Chen Xin for staying behind.
Chen Xin looked at Qin Lan, though she appeared calm on the surface, he knew her heart must be quite agitated at this moment.
As Qin Lan’s former boyfriend, Chen Xin understood how much effort Qin Lan had invested to become a good police officer. Being a policeman was her life’s aspiration and biggest goal and pursuit.
But now she was saying she wanted to end this Chapter, she must have made a significant decision to do so.
However, Chen Xin didn’t try to persuade Qin Lan or interfere with her decision, he simply nodded and asked: "Do you want me to accompany you?"
"No need, I want to handle this alone. You should head home; Uncle and Aunt must be worried about you." Qin Lan shook her head, not intending for Chen Xin to stay.
"Alright, just let me know if you need anything." Seeing this, Chen Xin could only offer a statement of support.
"Yes, if there’s anything, I’ll ask for your help." Qin Lan wasn’t planning on asking for Chen Xin’s assistance, but she didn’t refuse his goodwill, instead agreeing though not intending to involve Chen Xin.
Of course, Chen Xin realized Qin Lan wouldn’t reach out for his help, but such matters can’t be forced, so he didn’t press the issue. After a few more exchanges, he turned towards the direction of his home.
Due to the ravages of the previous blizzard, the snow outside piled thick and deep, burying most refuge entrances which were now being cleared, making vehicle travel almost impossible. Thus, Chen Xin could only walk back as he had come.
Watching Chen Xin’s departing silhouette, Qin Lan kept her gaze until his figure vanished, before turning around to return to the refuge and attend to her own matters.
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With no longer any interference from wind and snow, Chen Xin found his path home unobstructed, but when he arrived at his home’s location, he couldn’t find the door.
The thick snow had entirely buried the refuge without leaving any trace, and even the once prominent observation room had disappeared beneath the snow.
"Seems I’ll have to dig out my own home?" Chen Xin felt slightly helpless, meanwhile using the radio to contact the brothers Han Ping and Han Ze inside to open the door, controlling the Universal Mechanical Arm on his Power Armor to clear the snow in front, using a metal detector to locate the exact position of the refuge entrance.
Han Ping and Han Ze had apparently remained at the radio station, receiving Chen Xin’s communication, and Han Ze’s excited voice quickly came through: "Mr. Chen, you’re back?"
"Yes, the blizzard has stopped, so I returned. Everything alright at home? The doorway is completely buried by snow; you should open the door from inside and dig a path upwards." Chen Xin told Han Ze his instructions while continuing his attempt to find the refuge entrance.
If he didn’t have the Power Armor, Chen Xin would indeed find it quite difficult to locate his own door, as the post-blizzard changed both terrain and landscape, making finding his door evidently a challenging task. Unless all the snow was dug away, finding his door wouldn’t be simple.
Yet fortunately, he had the Universal Mechanical Arm, which, through metal detection and echo location, allowed Chen Xin to swiftly locate the door buried beneath the snow.
Additionally, following his instructions, Han Ping opened the door from inside and, along with Han Ze, began digging outwards. So, Chen Xin also quickly cleared the snow, converged with Han Ze and Han Ping who were digging from inside, cleared the snow before the refuge entrance, and finally returned to his home.