Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 257

“According to our station’s , starting last night, a polar cold front has begun sweeping down from the north, impacting multiple cities in the northeastern, northern, and northwestern regions of our country. White Bird Lake, a well-known ecological park in this region, is at the forefront of this weather event, welcoming winter much earlier than usual. This is the second major cold snap following the extreme temperature drop caused by a cold wave three years ago…
It is ed that our city and several surrounding cities have issued orange weather warnings. Over the next few days, heavy snowfall and strong winds are expected. Citizens going out should take precautions against the cold, and vehicles should drive slowly and prepare for slippery roads…”
In the buffet restaurant, the television was broadcasting the morning news, and the anchor was ing on the sudden blizzard.
From the anchor’s tone and expression, it was clear that while this snowstorm was quite severe, it wasn’t unprecedented for this region, given its northern location. The real issue was how abruptly the cold and snow had arrived, significantly earlier than expected.
This was peak breakfast time at the hotel’s buffet, and many guests were paying close attention to the weather. Some had only just arrived at White Bird Lake a day or two ago, looking forward to skiing, but with today’s harsh conditions—northwestern winds howling and thick snowflakes falling—none of them even felt like stepping outside the hotel.
“I wonder how long this blizzard will last. If only we had arrived a few days earlier! I heard it snowed a little then, but just light flurries. Skiing in that weather would have been amazing, and the videos would have turned out beautifully…”
Some guests had come specifically for skiing, only to be met with a storm upon arrival. With the ski resort closed and many outdoor activities at the base also suspended, their plans had been completely disrupted.
“Oh well, let’s just treat this as a vacation to stay in the hotel and enjoy the snow. There’s a gym, a spa, hot spring pools, and even an indoor heated swimming pool. Once the snow stops, the thick layer outside will be perfect for building snowmen and having snowball fights. That sounds fun too.”
“What’s so fun about staying in a hotel and watching snow…”
“If you don’t want to stay here, we could go down the mountain for a couple of days. How about one of the lakeside villas? There’s a fishing and shrimp-catching area there, and you can even grill your catch on the spot.”
“The snow is so heavy, the cable cars down the mountain are probably suspended, and electric carts might be hard to drive. I’d rather just stay in my room and play video games.”
Around them, most of the conversation revolved around the snowstorm.
Everyone had different thoughts. Some took it in stride, happy to adapt, while others felt frustrated—after all, they had spent good money to stay at the mountaintop hotel for skiing. However, most of the tourists were only concerned about their own itineraries and not particularly worried about the overall situation.
To them, this was just another winter storm that would pass soon enough.
Yu Xi and the others had already prepared everything they needed over the past few days, so there wasn’t much to worry about. Based on their past experiences, their range of activity would likely be limited to the ecological park anyway, so there was no point in stressing over it.
However, after hearing other guests’ conversations, they decided to visit the gym after breakfast.
On their way back to their rooms to change, they passed by the hotel’s bakery and caught the rich aroma of freshly baked bread. Without even needing to discuss it, all four of them instinctively detoured into the bakery, sweeping through the shelves and grabbing freshly made chicken sandwiches, cheese-baked toast, mochi pork floss rolls, butter milk toast slices, sea salt coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, and brown sugar boba milk.
They also cleared out a good portion of the pre-packaged items on display, including matcha cookies, chocolate mochi, and green bean ice cakes.
By the time they left, each of them was carrying two large bags. After returning to their rooms and changing into breathable, sweat-wicking workout clothes, they headed to the gym for a two-hour session.
Lin Wu and Ya Tong focused on endurance training, while Yu Xi wanted to test Yu Zhenzhen’s combat skills and see what she had learned from Leng Mian.
“Self-defense, hand-to-hand combat, that kind of thing,” Yu Zhenzhen said. But she regretted it almost immediately—because Yu Xi’s idea of “testing her skills” lasted for two full hours.
Even though Yu Zhenzhen had upgraded her physical abilities two or three times, when facing Yu Xi, she felt like she was up against a bottomless ocean. No matter how much strength she used—whether slow or fast, light or heavy—Yu Xi could always adjust instantly, matching her movements while applying just the right amount of pressure to push her limits.
After two grueling hours, Yu Zhenzhen finally collapsed on the floor, rolling around and whining, claiming she was completely drained and couldn’t even lift a finger.
“Really can’t move?” Ya Tong laughed as she turned off the treadmill. “Come on, let’s go relax with a spa session! We can have sashimi and ramen brought over for lunch, and after that, we can soak in the indoor hot spring.”
Yu Zhenzhen instantly sprung back to life. “I’m in!”
A spa and a hot spring soak together?
Lin Wu’s expression turned a little complicated. For the first time, he found himself hoping that their team would gain another male member.
Both Lin Wu and Ya Tong had completed S-rank missions before. Ya Tong, in particular, had already cleared ten S-rank missions but was stuck on the SS-rank ones.
Every time they finished an S-rank mission, they were rewarded with a three-month vacation in a peaceful world, where even a small amount of points could be exchanged for a significant amount of currency.
They weren’t strangers to enjoying themselves—in fact, they understood the importance of relaxation very well. After experiencing countless near-death missions, they always used their wealth to decompress and shake off the stress.
Some mission-takers coped with their trauma through violence and indulgence, acting reckless and aggressive. But in reality, these were the most fragile individuals, their minds gradually warped by the endless cycle of life-and-death situations. Only through bloodshed and pleasure could they find a moment of peace.
Lin Wu had been a military doctor before. Medicine required strict emotional control, and his military training had made him even more disciplined, calm, and rational. Compared to the average person, he was much more self-controlled and level-headed.
He knew how to manage his emotions in a healthy way. And ever since meeting Yu Xi, he had discovered an entirely new method—appreciating good food.
Ya Tong had not died unexpectedly in her original world; she had lived a full life and passed away naturally. For her, the mission worlds were nothing more than an additional life experience. Because of this, her mindset had been well-adjusted from the very beginning.
Moreover, she had entered the mission world fully prepared, so the concept of pressure simply did not exist for her. To her, completing missions felt more like taking on a challenge. S-rank mission worlds, in particular, were appealing—every time she successfully completed one, she could relax in a peaceful world for three months. During those breaks, she always chose the most comfortable and luxurious way to unwind.
This time, in the world of the Endless Train, ever since she had successfully joined a team, every day felt like a vacation. Her teammates were reliable, each with their own skills. Even while carrying out missions, she felt a rare sense of security, knowing that someone had her back.
After a soothing spa session and a relaxing hot spring bath, it was time for dinner.
They decided to visit the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, known for its excellent Sichuan cuisine. Their plan was to order a few stir-fried dishes and dine there. The restaurant was not in the same building as their accommodations; they had to take the elevator down to the first floor and then walk through a long corridor connecting to another building at the back.
As they passed through the first-floor lobby, they noticed that what had once been a quiet, spacious hall was now crowded with tourists. Many of them appeared to have just rushed into the hotel, wrapped in thick down jackets, shaking snowflakes off their coats and hats.
These were the tourists who had originally planned to finish their trip and leave White Bird Lake that day. They had been fortunate—over the past few days, the weather had been good, and they had enjoyed all the activities they had planned. Even though today’s weather had turned, they hadn’t been too concerned, as they were scheduled to leave anyway.
However, as it turned out, they hadn’t been able to leave after all.
White Bird Lake Ecological Park was located far from the city, nestled in rolling hills, with mountain roads as the only routes in and out. The blizzard had been even worse than predicted, completely blocking the roads leading out of the mountains. Many of these tourists had left before noon, only to spend the entire afternoon stuck on the highway in their tour buses. In the end, they had no choice but to turn back.
But returning presented another problem.
Due to the blizzard and plummeting temperatures, accommodations like treehouses and lakeside bubble tents were no longer suitable for staying in. The guests originally staying in those places had already been relocated to sturdier villas with heating.
With so many returning visitors, the remaining villas were not enough to accommodate everyone. As a result, park staff made an exception and allowed tour buses to enter the park, driving up the mountain to drop these guests off at various hotels.
The once sparsely populated hotels were now flooded with people, and the atmosphere quickly became chaotic.
Some guests stood at the entrance, trying to locate their luggage as staff unloaded it from the buses. Some shouted for help, while others dragged their suitcases inside themselves. Others had switched buses midway and were now unable to find their luggage, anxiously questioning the drivers and staff.
At the front desk, people were inquiring about room rates. Although the park had offered them a 50% discount, the cost of staying at a five-star hotel was still high, and some were reluctant to pay, instead wanting to move to the nearby three-star hotel.
Meanwhile, others were arguing with staff, insisting that since they had been forced to return due to the blocked roads, the park should cover their accommodation costs entirely.
The park employees, exhausted from working all day, raised their voices slightly in frustration, which only agitated the guests further. Soon, small disputes escalated into full-blown arguments.
Among the crowd were families with children, who had spent the entire afternoon stuck on buses. Now that they were finally inside a warm space where they could stretch their legs, parents busied themselves giving their kids water and snacks.
The children, however, seemed unaffected by the ordeal. To them, this was just an extended vacation. Instead of being upset, they were thrilled that they didn’t have to go home yet, running around excitedly.
The lobby buzzed with a cacophony of voices.
Yu Zhenzhen glanced at the crowded hall, then turned to look outside, where snowflakes swirled wildly in the fierce wind. She suddenly thought of the early days of the apocalypse in her fragmented world.
“This snow… it’s not going to keep falling nonstop, is it?”
“Not impossible,” Ya Tong replied, also looking outside. “In these station worlds, nothing should be considered strange.”
That night, the hotel took a long time to finish arranging accommodations and supplies for all the stranded guests.
The next day, the snow had not stopped. Tourists at White Bird Lake began complaining about the weather ruining their vacation plans, but they didn’t think much of it. After all, this was the north—snow in winter was normal.
Besides, the news had said the blizzard would last only three or four days at most. Once the polar cold front passed, the snow would surely stop.
Yu Xi and the others woke up early. Before heading downstairs for breakfast, they held a short meeting.
Currently, aside from Yu Zhenzhen, who still had two train tickets, the other three only had one valid ticket left. While they were confident that they would all be able to board the train safely when the time came, they preferred to have a buffer. Since they had plenty of time in this stop, they planned to ensure that each person had at least two valid tickets.
First, what was the key information about this station?
Looking back at the platform, it had seemed to involve plants in some way. But on deeper thought, those “plants” weren’t really plants at all—they had once been people.
This stop was clearly not a puzzle-solving mission. That meant it belonged to the same category as “The Desolate Land.”
In “The Desolate Land,” they had been required to cross an entire desert under extreme resource scarcity. Another station of the same type was “The Cretaceous Period,” which Yu Zhenzhen had been to before. It had been a wilderness survival challenge, requiring them to endure over forty days in a prehistoric jungle filled with massive, dangerous creatures.
So this time, it was highly likely that their goal was to survive for fifty-five days in extreme weather conditions.
As for what kind of extreme weather…
All four of them simultaneously turned to look outside the terrace window, where the blizzard raged on.
It was obvious now. This stop would revolve around low temperatures and relentless snowstorms.
Yu Zhenzhen let out a breath of relief. “Good thing we stocked up on winter gear.”
Yu Xi nodded. “Being prepared is always important.”
On the day they checked in, they had asked the hotel staff about the local climate. The staff had assumed they were southern tourists unaccustomed to the cold and reassured them that during winter, temperatures here often dropped to minus twenty degrees Celsius. Snowstorms lasting several days were not uncommon, and snowdrifts tall enough to bury a person had happened before.
But they had also been told not to worry—if heavy snow blocked the roads, the park had equipment to clear the paths.
Besides air conditioning, the hotel also provided heating during winter. The glass windows were double-layered, explosion-proof, and insulated, offering excellent heat retention. Even if the temperature outside dropped to minus 30 or even minus 40 degrees Celsius, the interior would remain as warm as spring, maintaining a comfortable 15 to 18 degrees.
Additionally, the hotel maintained a large stock of fuel year-round to prevent any heating failures. To prepare for road blockages due to heavy snow, the hotel’s storage facilities were also well-stocked with supplies.
Although the hotel was referred to as being at the “mountaintop,” this was only in relation to the base of the mountain. The ski resort required a flat, open area, so this region had been designated as the peak. However, to the northwest of this area, there were actually two towering, steep mountain peaks—the true highest points of White Bird Mountain. These peaks acted as a natural barrier, blocking most of the cold air currents from the north, shielding this area under White Bird Peak’s “wings.”
In short, everything was well-prepared, and there was nothing to worry about.
And yet, this very situation made Yu Xi and the others uneasy. If surviving the full 55 days could be achieved simply by hiding out in the hotel, this station wouldn’t be classified as a B-level challenge—if anything, it wouldn’t even qualify as C-level difficulty.
There had to be an unknown variable waiting ahead.
Before that unknown factor revealed itself, they decided to revisit all the major attractions in the ecological park to ensure they hadn’t overlooked anything.
In the past few days, while they had treated it as a vacation, they had actually followed their usual routine, systematically visiting and checking off every notable location both on the mountain and at the base.
However, just like on Paradise Island, actively visiting these locations hadn’t triggered any prompts or mission notifications.
So, for the past few days, aside from eating and drinking, they had been stuck in the hotel playing cards and mahjong.
After wrapping up their small meeting, the four of them found themselves at a loss—given the current circumstances, aside from continuing to eat, drink, play cards, exercise, and relax in the spa and hot springs, there really wasn’t much else to do.
Finally, Ya Tong slapped the table. “Forget it, let’s just go with the flow. No matter how much we analyze, there’s nothing we can do right now. If something happens, we’ll deal with it then. Let’s go have breakfast!”
And so, they continued their hotel routine for another three days.
Throughout these three days, the snow never stopped, and the roads leading out of the mountains remained sealed by the blizzard.
The tourists, unable to leave, grew more restless each day. They were no longer as carefree as before—gradually, concerns about the unrelenting snow began to take hold.
It snowed during the day. It snowed at night. The wind was fierce, and the accumulation outside had already reached nearly the height of a person.
Although the hotel had sufficient supplies and reliable heating, the uncertainty of when this would end loomed over them.
The news kept changing its stance—one day, it ed that the blizzard was about to end, but the next, it announced that worsening conditions would prolong it for another one or two days.
Wherever Yu Xi and her group went—whether in the restaurant, the lobby, or passing by other guests’ rooms—they could hear frustrated travelers discussing the situation outside.
The hotel was comfortable, but the longer they stayed, the more they had to pay. Food, drinks—everything cost money. Even sending clothes to the hotel’s laundry service required payment.
Many of the guests had jobs and responsibilities back home. Being stuck here, unable to leave, was aggravating.
But what they didn’t realize was that in just one day, they would desperately long for these monotonous yet safe and warm days.
That morning, before dawn, Yu Xi, still half-asleep, heard a strange sound.
She opened her eyes and realized that the noise was coming from the northwest side of the hotel. It sounded like thunder, but deeper, heavier, and continuous—like a string of firecrackers igniting under a thick blanket, muffled yet persistent.
Yu Xi sat up and moved toward the upper-level window, peering outside. The sky was still dark. Their room faced south, so she couldn’t see what was happening to the northwest.
Downstairs, Yu Zhenzhen, who was on night watch, suddenly rushed in from the terrace. She was wrapped in a thick, waterproof down jacket as she hurriedly woke Lin Wu and Ya Tong, then called up the staircase, “Mom, come down quickly!”
She didn’t need to say it twice.
The three of them immediately grabbed their down jackets, threw them on, and followed her out to the terrace. It was spacious, offering a broad view, and since their room was located on the westernmost side, they could barely see what was happening to the northwest.
In the dim, cold morning light, they saw it—toward the northwest, in the direction of White Bird Peak, a massive cloud of white mist was rising into the air.
But it wasn’t mist.
The cloud moved like a rushing tide, rapidly surging down the steep mountain slopes, heading straight toward them.
Yu Xi pulled out her binoculars for a closer look—and immediately felt her heart jolt.
That wasn’t mist.
It was snow.
It was—an avalanche!