Chapter 009 Temporary Residence (II)

When Cheng Bin walked over, Xing Zhixin was standing at the door, peering inside. He certainly did not expect anyone to come and open the door for him. Before the disaster occurred, five provinces and two cities in the north had already mobilized for war, with a large number of reservists called up for service, and transportation means under military control. As a result, quite a few enterprises had already ceased operations, and it was quite normal for rural enterprises like this one to remain closed. He was merely assessing the risks of entering.

Cheng Bin was focused on the road ahead and did not notice that the cars behind him had suddenly gone quiet until Xing Zhixin started to grunt as he attempted to restart his vehicle. To be honest, he did not find it strange at all for a car to stall on a snowy day. Back in Harbin, whenever there was heavy snow, the streets would become congested, with various vehicles lined up, inching forward little by little. If one was not careful, the engine could stall, and the sounds of engines starting would rise and fall, echoing continuously. No one would dare to claim that they would never stall on the road, and of course, there would be complaints from those stuck behind inexperienced drivers who cut in line. However, very few people would mock others for their cars stalling.

This is merely a dirt road in the fields, without any significant elevation. Once covered by snow, it blends seamlessly with the surrounding fields. Cheng Bin had to walk back and forth in an S-shape on the snow, striving to create a width sufficient for a pickup truck to pass through, ensuring that the wheels on one side of the vehicle would not fall below the road. It must be said that his judgment was quite accurate; there were no major mishaps along the way. However, there was a slight accident while turning; he miscalculated the turning point, and as he stepped out, one of his legs suddenly disappeared.

Anyone who has ever smashed a padlock knows that the most vulnerable part of the lock is the spring clip area, especially for large, open padlocks like this one. Cheng Bin certainly understands this principle as well. However, the lock is hanging on an iron chain, and the 56-type gun barrel is quite long, making it rather awkward to use the wooden stock as a hammer. Therefore, although he aimed at the edge of the lock body, he missed the mark after two strikes.

However, he did not get out of the car to avoid Zhuo Anni; he saw that Xing Zhixin had already arrived at the factory gate, which was why he wanted to get out and go over.

As soon as the car was turned off, he hurriedly attempted to restart it while nervously observing Cheng Bin's reaction, fearing that Cheng Bin would come back and beat him up. In terms of physique, he was a whole size larger than Cheng Bin, and he might not be weaker in strength either. However, fighting is more about morale, and recalling Cheng Bin's ferocity, Xing Zhixin truly did not have the courage to confront him. Fortunately, Cheng Bin merely glanced back before turning his attention back to the path ahead, allowing Xing Zhixin's anxious heart to return to its original state.

Finally, after Zhuo Anni braked and turned off the engine once again, he spoke up and said: "Do not press all the way down."

This place truly lacks any semblance of modernization; it is merely a courtyard enclosed by a circle of brick walls. The main gate is of the double-opening mesh structure, secured by a large lock that binds the two doors together with a thick iron chain. Looking through the gate, one can see that the courtyard is filled with heaps of items, covered by a thick layer of snow, making it difficult to discern their original shapes and purposes.

First, the issue of gender equality was not raised by men. Cheng Bin said: Second, there are no men here now; your man is dead

Although Xing Zhixin was reluctant to get too close to Cheng Bin, he still walked over and insisted, "You should go back to the car and warm up a bit"

Unfortunately, Xing Zhixin was unaware of Cheng Bin's thoughts. He had witnessed Cheng Bin strangle that man right in front of him, a scene that could only be described as cold-blooded and ruthless. No matter how deserving that man was of his fate, he was unwilling to be associated with a murderer. He did not know when Cheng Bin might suddenly turn violent, nor did he understand what kind of mistakes Cheng Bin could tolerate. Living in such uncertainty was truly difficult. Just a moment ago, when they were in a desolate area with no village in sight, he feared being abandoned by Cheng Bin. Now that they were near the city, he could not help but start regretting his decision to accompany Cheng Bin.

Standing before the open door, the two exchanged glances. Cheng Bin, holding a rifle, stepped in first, followed closely by Xing Zhixin. As he passed, he casually brushed aside the snow piled on the debris at the door, hoping to find a piece of rebar or something similar. Unfortunately, what he touched was a heap of cut channel steel; even with his strong physique, it would be impossible for him to wield such an object and still move freely.

Cheng Bin did not pay attention to Zhuo Anni's feelings; what he needed now was a companion, not a lover. The former could be relied upon in times of need, while the latter would only waste time. Moreover, he came from an engineering background, and his rationality in problem-solving far exceeded his emotional considerations. In any situation, his primary focus was on practicality. Clearly, in this regard, at least up to this point, Zhuo Anni was still inferior to Xing Zhixin.

Zhuo Anni was taken aback. Before she could comprehend what Cheng Bin meant, he had already pushed open the car door and jumped out. Zhuo Anni remained stunned for a moment, and finally could not help but lean on the steering wheel and cry. Le Tao was curled up in a blanket, looking at a loss, while Hou Jia glanced around and felt that Cheng Bin's words were indeed too unfeeling, deserving to be a pet owner for a lifetime. He then reached out and patted Zhuo Anni's shoulder, softly saying: "Don't mind him." Le Tao was curled up in a blanket, looking at a loss, while Hou Jia glanced around and felt that Cheng Bin's words were indeed too unfeeling, deserving to be a pet owner for a lifetime. He then reached out and patted Zhuo Anni's shoulder, softly saying: "Don't mind him."

Cheng Bin certainly did not know how complex the emotions of the four people in the car were. Even his own fall could provoke so many associations. Now he was still annoyed that he had fallen into the snow. After returning to the road, he threw his rifle to the ground, sat down on it, and unfastened the military boot on his right foot, shaking out the snow inside. His military boots were high-top, so he did not have to worry about the accumulated snow on the road exceeding the height of the boots, which is why he did not tuck his pant legs into them. Now he was suffering the consequences; if he did not promptly clear the snow that had entered his boots, the snow would melt and soak his shoes.

It is impossible to expect the current snow to support the weight of the human body on the area of the foot, so when Cheng Bin lost his footing, his entire right leg sank straight into the snow. However, as he lost his balance and fell into the snow, the increased surface area actually allowed him to be supported by the snow, which only startled the four people in the vehicle.

Cheng Bin urged Zhuo Anna to drive while he sat in the passenger seat, holding a rifle and blowing warm air. The 56 rifle was quite long, and he had to hold it at an angle in his arms, making it somewhat uncomfortable to sit. However, he was too lazy to toss the gun into the back compartment; in case of any unforeseen circumstances, he would have to get back in the car to retrieve it, which would be too troublesome and a waste of time

He carefully cleaned the snow from his shoes and socks before standing up again, this time remembering to tuck his pant legs into his shoes. The pickup truck had long since stopped behind him, and Xing Zhixin jumped out of the vehicle, saying to Cheng Bin, who was still adjusting his clothes: "Let me do it."

"What?" Zhuo Anni was busy reigniting the fire and did not hear Cheng Bin's words clearly. Cheng Bin looked at Xing Zhixin, who was striding through the snow in front of the car window, and said, "Don't slam on the brakes." After a moment's thought, he added, "Are women's practical skills really that poor?"

Hearing footsteps behind him, Xing Zhixin turned around to take a look, showing no signs of surprise, and said: "How do you get in?"

On snowy days in the north, the wind enhances the snowfall, and as long as the snow is a bit heavy, it will fill the low-lying areas. Thus, the winter fields appear flat at a glance. However, the actual topographical differences beneath the snow can vary by several meters. Particularly when the outside temperature is not too low, the viscosity of the snow often causes it to cling to deep pits, such as well openings, making it difficult to detect the anomalies beneath the snow. If an unfortunate person steps on it, they may vanish without a trace. The road that Cheng Bin is currently walking on is flanked by rice paddies, resulting in deep drainage ditches on both sides. After such a long period of snowfall, these ditches have long been covered by snow. While walking on the road, Cheng Bin could quickly determine whether he had reached the edge due to the natural slope on both sides. However, when he turned, he misjudged the distance, taking a larger step that led him directly into the ditch. It is hard to say whether it resembled a leap, but he certainly found himself in a predicament, and as his body sank, he had already fallen.

"This is something that should be done by men." Zhuo Anni was already feeling anxious, and with his interruption, she failed to reignite the fire. Hearing Cheng Bin making sarcastic remarks from the side, she couldn't help but hit the steering wheel and said to him angrily.

Cheng Bin heard a noise behind him, turned around to glance at him, contemplated for a moment, then held the rifle with the barrel pointed upwards and handed it to Xing Zhixin, saying: "Do you know how to use it?"

Cheng Bin glanced at him and realized that he indeed felt a bit cold, especially his ears, which he had covered with his hands several times. Although he was wearing gloves, his hands had become somewhat numb from holding the gun. Thus, he accepted Xing Zhixin's advice and walked back to the car, stepping on the accumulated snow. Xing Zhixin watched his retreating figure and wanted him to leave the rifle for himself, but after opening his mouth, he chose not to speak and sulkily turned to walk ahead.

Xing Zhixin was glanced at by him, which reminded him that this person seemed to have a rather bad temper. He immediately closed his mouth and began to regret, simultaneously feeling a chill in his neck. Fortunately, Cheng Bin did not intend to pay him any mind; instead, he swung the butt of the gun and struck the lock again. It seemed that sincerity had paid off, as he successfully smashed open the lock, appearing to be quite compliant, succeeding on the first attempt as directed by Xing Zhixin.

Xing Zhixin has a model in Cheng Bing, and although he is paving the way with some style, unfortunately, Zhuo Anni's driving skills are considerably lacking. The more busy she gets, the more chaotic it becomes; almost every time they brake, they have to restart the engine. In just a few meters, they have already restarted the engine several times, which makes Cheng Bing start to worry about the battery's charge. He initially did not want to speak, but he became impatient with the constant jerking of the car. The main issue is that the air conditioning cannot be used once the engine is off, and the wind blowing in is intermittent, making it extremely uncomfortable.

Cheng Bin grew up in Heilongjiang. During his mischievous youth, there were times when he found himself completely buried in snow. Of course, he did not panic; instead, he lay on the snow with his rifle, slowly pulling out his right leg that had sunk into the snow. Then, he looked around, exerting effort to roll over in the snow, allowing his body to return to the roadside. Only then did he use both his hands and legs to crawl up. The entire process was cautious, avoiding excessive force, which made it appear exceedingly slow and endearingly clumsy

Cheng Bin turned his head to glance at him, shook his head, and remarked that finding a path in the snow relied half on experience and half on luck. He did not believe that Xing Zhixin could do better than him, and they were not far from that factory area.

Zhuo Anni was already filled with grievances, and upon hearing Hou Jia's words, she cried even harder. Hou Jia sighed, truly at a loss for words, yet she could not simply retreat outside the car. Thus, she remained seated, watching the two people beside her in distress.

The few people in the vehicle all witnessed Cheng Bin's impressive demeanor yesterday, and their respect for him came from the depths of their hearts. However, this respect is not the same as admiration; rather, it is a kind of respect that keeps a distance. Yet now, seeing Cheng Bin clumsily rolling in the snow, with snow covering his hands and face, his awkward appearance rivals that of a national treasure, and a hint of amusement inevitably arises in their hearts. This image naturally diminishes his stature, and their awe for him gradually dissipates without them even realizing it.

Cheng Bin did not respond, mimicking Xing Zhixin's posture as he leaned against the iron gate to look inside. It was quiet within, and there were no signs of movement on the snow-covered ground. He signaled Xing Zhixin to step back a little, raised his rifle, and struck the lock with the butt of the gun. It must be said that the lock was quite sturdy, likely having been produced many years ago, still embodying a style that prides itself on genuine materials. Surprisingly, it did not break open; instead, the impact caused the gate to clang loudly, startling Xing Zhixin.

Cheng Bin couldn't help but glance at Xing Zhixin again, which left the latter feeling perplexed, standing there in a daze without daring to move. Cheng Bin reached out to remove the padlock, pulling it down along with the iron chain. After a moment's thought, he decided not to throw it away, instead hanging it on the door nearby. This type of door is usually designed with its center of gravity leaning towards the sides, so without the constraint of the iron chain, it naturally began to slowly open towards both sides. Cheng Bin and Xing Zhixin pushed again, and the two doors swung completely open.

He looked at Cheng Bin and struck again, unable to help but say: "You are hitting it wrong; you should strike along the edge."