Chapter 29
: Pay first, sit later; no credit allowed.
Chen Yu asked calmly, "What suspicions could it arouse?"
Zhang Wanyue patiently explained, "The other teams have mostly gotten off and gathered together. If we stay on the bus, won't we be too conspicuous and attract unnecessary attention...?"
Chen Yu shook his head: "Since we're all competitors anyway, what's the point of getting to know each other beforehand?"
Li Mengyao whispered, "Chen Yu, look how frozen they are, while we're eating hot pot and enjoying the warmth of the heater. What if we get caught..."
Chen Yu finished the last drop of soup in his bowl, wiped his mouth, and said in a flat tone, "That's what I wanted—to stand out."
His 12-seater bus was parked steadily at the location closest to the entrance of the glacier crevasse, with the windows tightly closed.
It quickly attracted a lot of attention.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, heavy footsteps came through the snow and stopped outside the car door.
"Knock knock knock!"
A knocking sound was heard; there were three boys outside the window.
Li Mengyao knew one of them, Xiao Bing, who was from the directing department.
"Hey! Everyone inside! We're all here, just waiting for you!"
Another male voice said, "Yeah, let's come down and discuss a plan together. This godforsaken place can't be managed by one person alone. We're all classmates, we need to stick together!"
"Director Yu is here too. He's very experienced and in charge of overall coordination, so don't be afraid!"
Outside the car, it was pitch black.
A blizzard raged.
The car windows were upgraded to tempered glass in the [Structural Reinforcement I] upgrade, which also provides built-in anti-peeping protection.
This also meant that the three boys outside couldn't see inside at all.
They simply assumed that the students in the minibus were too timid to get out.
But what they didn't expect was...
The passenger-side window started to slowly roll down!
"???"
This unusual scene surprised the three of them slightly.
You know, in this freezing weather, I haven't seen a single car with its windows open.
Even opening it by only 2cm doesn't make sense, does it?
However, the unscientific part comes later...
"call--!"
A powerful stream of warmth gushed out from that crevice!
It also has the lingering aroma of food and the scent of perfume!
Outside the car, the frigid air suddenly meets the warm, humid air above freezing inside!
In an instant!
A thick, churning white wave of air shot out!
Xiao Bing, who was closest to the car window, suddenly stiffened as his face was covered in steam!
Not far behind him, two boys also stared wide-eyed!
Even other teams nearby were drawn by the commotion and turned to look...
"Classmate..."
"Is it...pretty warm inside your car?"
Even Xiao Bing found the question strange.
Through the crack in the car window, Chen Yu calmly spoke: "Yes, is there anything else? We don't intend to join any cooperation, sorry."
Done.
"Buzz—"
The car window rose steadily and closed tightly again.
Xiao Bing was left standing there, stunned.
Just now, through the crack alone, he could be certain that he hadn't misread it...
The people inside the car were wearing thin clothes, and their faces were rosy!
In the middle of the aisle of the train carriage, there was a pot with a boiling red oil soup base!
The spiciness and aroma in the air are undeniable!
Are you kidding me?!
It was minus thirty or forty degrees Celsius outside. The wind whipped up snowflakes like knives, and everyone was shivering and pale in the freezing cold, worried about the life-or-death mission that lay ahead.
Are these people eating hot pot in their car?
"Soldier, what did he say?"
"Hey, soldier? Why aren't you saying anything?"
The urging from behind brought Xiao Bing back to his senses, and he forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart.
"Oh, it's okay, let's go back first."
He waved and led the two boys toward the main group.
But they hadn't taken more than a few steps.
Director Yu, rubbing his hands, came forward: "Xiao Bing, what's going on? Where are they? Everyone's waiting to discuss this, are they the only ones getting special treatment?"
Xiao Bing stopped in her tracks, opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know how to describe it accurately.
Director Yu noticed something amiss and quickly asked, "What's in their car?"
Several film school students gathered around, curious about the situation.
Xiao Bing coughed and cleared her throat: "Um...they're eating hot pot in the car..."
"What?!"
Director Yu's voice suddenly rose!
A boy next to them couldn't help but interject, "Hot pot? Xiao Bing, are you out of your mind?"
"I saw it with my own eyes!"
Xiao Bing said with certainty, "The spicy soup base was still bubbling! The people inside were only wearing shirts, and their faces were all red! As soon as I got close to their car window, a blast of hot air rushed out!"
"It's like...like being in a sauna, it's absolutely true!"
Director Yu's expression changed repeatedly, from doubt to astonishment, and finally, he believed Xiao Bing's words.
He turned his head and glanced at the bus that was quietly parked at the front, then looked around at everyone shivering in the cold wind, feeling a little annoyed.
"Nonsense!"
Director Yu squeezed out two words through gritted teeth!
This attracted a large number of students...
He pointed at the bus: "What kind of occasion is this? Apocalypse survival! It's a matter of life and death! Do they think they're here for a picnic? They have no sense of teamwork at all!"
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
Everyone's emotions were stirred up by the director.
Anxiety and indignation permeated the surrounding students.
"We're freezing like lambs here, while they're enjoying themselves in their cars!"
"Where do they get so much fuel, enough not only for heating but also for hot pot?"
"That's so unfair!"
"We're all classmates, why should they get to enjoy this?"
"It's one thing to use different vehicles, but now even the social class is different! Isn't this bullying honest people?!"
The sentiment is indignant.
Amplify emotions.
Collective protest.
Dozens of people, with Director Yu at the core, slowly gathered, their eyes fixed on the bus in front of them with hostility.
Director Yu looked at the growing number of students behind him, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes.
This is exactly the effect he wanted...
"Let's go! Let's go ask them what they mean! Don't they have any spirit of mutual assistance?"
Director Yu raised his arm and called out, then pulled his down jacket tighter around himself and started walking.
Behind him followed a large group of about twenty people, mostly students from the same car as him, and some from other groups who were caught up in the atmosphere.
A large group of people trudged through the snow and quickly surrounded the bus.
Director Yu walked to the car door, preparing to pound on the window.
But my gaze was drawn to a piece of paper clipped to the car window.
[The vehicle is well-heated; empty seats available for rent]
[Price: 5 bottles of drinking water per minute, or 10 packs of compressed biscuits]
[Equivalent goods are negotiable]
Pay first, then sit down; no credit allowed.
"??????"