Time flies; over the past month, Wendy Wang had been busy shopping everywhere. She even leveraged her connections at the research institute to stockpile some of the most advanced "secret weapons" in her storage space, which now had a dedicated category for weapons.

Tomorrow, the world would officially enter the era of extreme cold!

**11:55 PM.**

Wendy cuddled her cat, Goldie, while glancing at the time on her phone.

"Five more minutes!"

"10 seconds!"

…

"3 seconds!"

"2 seconds!"

"1 second!"

The era of extreme cold had officially begun!

Wendy turned up the fireplace, activated a heater in her bedroom, and switched on four space heaters. The air conditioning was set to the highest temperature, and the underfloor heating was on too. She had even spread an electric blanket over her bed and was sitting there with Goldie in her arms.

Although it wasn’t as effective as it used to be before the apocalypse, it was still relatively warm compared to the frigid outdoors.

She wore a thick down jacket, a plush earmuff hat, and had wrapped a large scarf around most of her face, snugly bundling herself in three heavy blankets.

Goldie was dressed in a little pet coat and tiny shoes to keep his paws warm.

Ruffling Goldie's head, Wendy murmured, "This time, I will definitely survive!"

Only those who have faced death know how precious life is.

Goldie rolled onto his back and nuzzled Wendy's hand, responding with a soft, "Meow~," as if to say he was with her.

Wendy couldn’t help but smile, "What a good boy you are, Goldie!"

In the center of the room was Wendy's large bed, with a big desk near the window equipped with several computers connected to surveillance cameras, allowing her to monitor the outside roads for any potential danger.

The original wardrobe had been repurposed into shelves for storing food. In the middle of the carpet was a small table just big enough for one person to eat.

In the corner, Goldie's food bowl was set, while the litter box was placed in the bathroom.

As the temperature continued to drop, Wendy felt the biting cold even though she was well-prepared; her breaths felt like ice cubes moving between her throat and stomach. This was a magical attack…

Wendy thought to herself.

Goldie had already burrowed into the blankets during the onset of the extreme cold, snuggling against Wendy’s belly.

Outside, the wind howled ferociously, and in just a few seconds, the ground became completely blanketed in snow. How many lives were lost in their sleep that night, she wondered.

Wendy's eyelids grew heavy, and she stripped off her outer down jacket. Beneath it, she wore an insulated suit purchased from the research institute that was thin yet comfortable, keeping her skin warm. She removed her hat and scarf and dove right into the blankets where two electric heaters were placed at the foot.

She sighed contentedly.

Both Wendy and Goldie snuggled comfortably against the soft bed.

Outside, the wind and snow raged on.

**At the Research Institute.**

"Dr. Gao, the weather isn’t right!" 

A young man dressed in the institute's uniform rushed in, holding a report.

Dr. Gao paused his research, looking puzzled, "What’s wrong?"

Normally, his students wouldn’t disturb him unless it was a significant discovery or an urgent issue.

Dr. Gao’s expression turned serious.

Han Huo presented the report to his mentor, “The temperature is abnormal. Since midnight, it has been dropping by one degree every three seconds. It’s already minus sixteen degrees. It’s still September; many people are unprepared…”

The buildings at the research institute were coated in a unique temperature-insulating spray they had developed, which not only insulated but was also waterproof and fireproof. The walls effectively kept out the outside temperature, so inside, it felt like nothing was amiss.

As he continued, Han Huo's voice lowered, realizing the gravity of the situation. No one would expect the temperature to plummet to -16 degrees in September when most people were still using summer blankets and wearing short sleeves. The casualties that night would be countless.

Dr. Gao scrunched his brows as he quickly asked, "Have the causes been investigated? Has the report been sent up? Has rescue been dispatched?”

Han Huo replied succinctly, "It’s been reported, and rescue teams have been deployed, but the cause… we haven’t found it yet…”

Dr. Gao hurriedly walked out, speaking as he went, "Can’t find a cause? Has the solar activity been observed?”

Han Huo followed closely behind, “There’s been no change in solar radiation… We’ve checked everything that could cause temperature fluctuations, and nothing is abnormal… Everything seems fine…”

Dr. Gao questioned, "How can it be that we can’t find anything?"

Just then, the phone at the institute rang.

"A meeting in the conference room on the third floor of Building A!" The voice on the other line stated before hanging up.

Dr. Gao promptly instructed Han Huo to head to the conference room.

**At the Xu Family Home.**

Xu Jin had just finished work and was luxuriously soaking in the bathtub, his eyes slightly squinted.

Hmm? 

Something felt off.

Xu Jin quickly jumped out of the tub, noticing that the pleasantly warm water had visibly turned to ice.

He hurried to his wardrobe, pulling out the thickest clothing he could find. He slipped into thick socks and boots and threw a blanket over himself.

Brr…

So cold…

Xu Jin’s teeth began to chatter uncontrollably; he pressed them together, the sound echoing in the silence. His lips turned pale as he suddenly remembered what Wendy had advised him to buy a while back.

He tightened the blanket around himself and slowly made his way to the storage room. His hand barely touched the doorknob before he felt a sharp pain; his hand had been frostbitten.

Ignoring the pain, he managed to open the door. He grabbed a bag of warmers and ripped it open, sticking them onto himself. He plugged in the electric heater and the space heaters, finally feeling a hint of warmth.

Xu Jin mused over how fortunate he was that Wendy had reminded him to buy supplies; otherwise, he’d be in dire straits. He chastised himself for thinking about his supplies when survival was the priority.

**The Next Morning.**

Wendy woke up naturally, reaching out in the bed with her eyes still closed until she found Goldie. He was still curled up on her belly, and sensing her awake, he poked out only his head and mewed, "Meow~."

Wendy chuckled, rubbing Goldie’s head, "If you keep eating like this, you’ll be a big fat cat."

Goldie replied with another, "Meow."

Carefully, Wendy pulled back the blankets to prevent the cold air from creeping in, replenishing the firewood in the fireplace. To her dismay, the air conditioning was indeed broken; the outdoor unit had frozen solid, and the heating was gone.

However, the underfloor heating was still functioning, and the space heaters continued to radiate warmth.

Wendy quickly retrieved some previously heated water from her storage and brushed her teeth and washed her face in record time. Within moments, the water had already begun to freeze.

After finishing her morning routine, Wendy rolled the wheeled heater next to her bed and placed a small pot on it to prepare a very spicy hot pot.

In cold weather, spicy food was a must!

She set out Goldie’s food, and noticing he was reluctant to get down, she placed his food bowl on the bed, using a small mat underneath, ensuring the cat food wouldn’t freeze on the warm bed.

Wendy bundled herself in a thick down jacket, putting on her hat and scarf, crossing her legs atop the bed, wrapped in a large blanket, while a big heater stood before her. On top of it, the small pot was bubbling with a fiery red broth.

The enticing aroma of hot pot filled the air as she added beef balls, premium beef slices, shrimp, pig trotters, lamb slices, and other meaty ingredients. She set up two dipping sauces, one with oil and the other with sesame paste.

She picked up a piece of meat, dipped it in sesame paste, rolled it around, and popped it into her mouth, savoring the rich flavor.

Wendy turned on the projector to watch her favorite movie.

Wendy and Goldie enjoyed their meal together in the cozy room, creating a warm and harmonious scene.