I Am the Primary Responsible Person

Limei Hotel.

Five hours after Guan Tong left, it was already packed.

The first-floor lobby alone had over three hundred people crammed together. On the same floor, in the restaurant, bar, and other areas, everyone had cleared out the furniture, moving tables and chairs aside to make space for bedding and sleeping bags.

The lobby's air conditioning was set to maximum, blowing hot air continuously. However, it was still not enough to warm hundreds of people.

Most people were huddled together, scrolling through their phones for the latest news, occasionally looking up at the heavy snow outside.

What made them uneasy was that the snow had completely filled the slopes of the steps on either side of the entrance. The speed at which the snow was accumulating was truly terrifying.

In fact, more than three hours ago, the hidden rule that "regional snowfall is positively correlated with population density" had already become public knowledge.

Yet, everyone at the Limei Hotel had chosen to stay, with no one having any intention of leaving.

After all, the hotel was located right next to a main road. Large snowplows passed by frequently, and the occasional roar of helicopter blades overhead provided an unspoken sense of security.

Moreover...

Many people's eyes kept darting to a corner of the hotel lobby, where an armed squad of eight people was stationed.

They had entered the hotel not long ago. The squad leader had informed all the refugees in the hotel that their mission was solely to maintain order and that everyone should not be nervous or worried.

Naturally, people welcomed this.

Although people usually only interacted with police officers and rarely encountered armed squads, they deeply admired and trusted these soldiers who defended the country. With them around, the sense of security was even greater.

"Quick, look at this video! The snow on the side streets in the city that no one's cleared has covered the curbs!"

"This is too fast, it's not even night yet..."

"Good thing we're on the main road, where snowplows come by often."

"I don't know about that... Don't forget this snow is supposed to last for a whole month... It's only the first day and it's not even over yet! Will a lot of people die in the end..."

"Don't jinx it! We have plenty of food and drinks, and the Support Department will be bringing blankets and stuff later. We'll definitely be fine!"

"Yeah, and we have soldiers here, so stop worrying."

Most people were optimistic. However, Xu Xiaotian, sitting near the entrance, gazed at the heavy snow outside with a troubled expression. "I wonder how Brother Tong is doing. If he's outside right now, it's truly dangerous."

"Hoo, hoo..."

Guan Tong, carrying his backpack and sleeping bag, panted as he trudged through the snow.

Shadow had carried him for a significant distance, and with about five kilometers left, Guan Tong had to continue on his own.

Five kilometers wasn't a long distance, and with his current physique, it wasn't much. However, due to the snow on the ground, it was more strenuous than usual.

He didn't need to worry about the temperature. The Thermostatic Tech Underwear had a six-hour effect, and now was the perfect time to use it.

Once the underwear's effect kicked in, he wouldn't have to worry about hypothermia.

Furthermore, the snowfall here was indeed much less than in the city. Guan Tong judged from sight and feel that if the city was experiencing a "severe blizzard," then near Mingdao Mountain, it was more like a "moderate snow" to "heavy snow" level.

This was satisfactory enough for him. After all, Mingdao Mountain was sparsely populated compared to villages and cities. True "uninhabited areas" on the scale of "a thousand mountains with no birds flying, a million paths with no footprints" were found in the border regions.

The short five kilometers took Guan Tong over an hour. As dusk fell around 4 PM, he finally reached the foot of Mingdao Mountain.

Due to its undeveloped nature, there were no buildings around the mountain's base. There was no road leading up, only a winding, narrow path snaking its way up the mountain, looking like a trail worn by hikers.

This path was now covered by a thin layer of snow, and with the dim light, it didn't look very safe.

Guan Tong had originally planned to find a safe spot on the mountain to set up camp, but after considering it, he decided against it. He didn't have crampons, and if he accidentally stepped on a snow-covered rock and slipped, he'd be asking for trouble.

Besides, he was only here because it was uninhabited and had less snow; he didn't have a particular passion for mountain climbing, so there was no need to take the risk.

"I'll find a leeward slope to rest for a while first."

Guan Tong walked around the base of the mountain and found a spot on the leeward side, under a large protruding rock formation. Staying there would shield him from the snow.

He wasn't worried about the rock falling. Not only was such a massive rock unlikely to collapse easily under the snow, but even if it did, its slope would likely cause it to deflect and roll away before reaching him, posing no threat to his safety.

Having found a suitable spot, Guan Tong immediately began clearing the area.

He used his folding shovel to clear some snow to the sides, then spread out his sleeping bag on the ground, adjusting its position to prepare for sleeping at night.

Afterward, he sat down, took out a pack of compressed biscuits from his bag, and ate his early dinner with the water he had brought.

After eating, his strength somewhat recovered. Before it got completely dark, he continued to busy himself.

He gathered some wood at the foot of the mountain, wrapped it with electrical tape to form a small wooden platform, and brought it back to place dry paper on to keep items like batteries, which were sensitive to moisture. Then, he cut the remaining wood into sections and arranged them in a circle to build a simple campfire.

He didn't need to learn how to do this; it was like an instinct etched into human bones. Fortunately, modern humans had invented lighters, making fire-starting much less troublesome than in the past.

Once the campfire was lit, watching the flickering flames dispel the surrounding darkness, Guan Tong felt completely relaxed.

He knew that this somewhat "primitive" lifestyle was his own choice. If he had chosen to stay in the city, at the Limei Hotel, he might have continued to enjoy a comfortable life with hot air conditioning and provided food.

But the question was, could this comfortable life last for thirty days? The first few days might not have seemed stressful, but as time passed and the snowfall showed no signs of abating, various severe problems could arise.

Rather than trusting that the authorities could provide perfect protection for tens of millions of people for thirty days, Guan Tong had more faith in himself. This was because he knew he was the primary person responsible for his own life.

Others might have realized the situation was dire but stayed because they had no other choice. Since he had a choice, he needed to make decisions based on his own judgment.

"I'll look around nearby tomorrow after it gets light to see if there's anything useful," Guan Tong thought. "As for food, what I brought should be enough if I ration it. If worse comes to worst, I still have a food box in my storage container; that alone would last at least two to three days."

"As for water, what I brought probably won't be enough, but I have a portable filter and a single-person gas stove in my bag. I can boil snow for water and then filter it to drink, which should be fine."

"Then, I need to earn some Binding Coins as soon as possible to gather enough to buy the Multi-terrain Marching Boots from the Ascension Shop. With them, my movement speed in the snow will definitely increase significantly..."