Min Shu froze, unable to process it: “What?”

“The power’s out too,” Wei Changchuan said. “I checked the basement—it’s not a circuit breaker issue.”

Min Shu froze and sucked in a sharp breath.

Living on Greenland—a small island within the Arctic Circle where the cold is extreme—electricity and heating are undoubtedly very important; they are practically essential for survival. Setting electricity aside for now, as soon as the heat is turned off, the temperature inside the house drops rapidly due to the outside temperature.

“Let’s go outside first,” Wei Changchuan said.

They then moved from the bedroom to the living room. Wei Changchuan stoked the fireplace, adding plenty of charcoal, and the roaring flames drove away the cold air inside the house. Min Shu didn’t dare take any chances and hurriedly put on his cotton coat, hat, gloves, and socks. He sat on the sofa closest to the fireplace. Wei Changchuan knelt on one knee, placed Min Shu’s feet on his knee, and slipped a pair of thick cashmere socks onto his feet.

As layer after layer was added, Min Shu’s feet swelled to three times their original size, becoming as round and plump as dumplings. Seeing this, Min Shu said, a bit embarrassed, “Bro, I’m not that cold.”

The fireplace was giving off plenty of heat, and Min Shu had just woken up from a nap, so his body was still warm. Wei Changchuan didn’t let go of his foot; he glanced at him and said, “By the time you feel cold, it’ll be too late.”

Min Shu couldn’t argue with that. When Wei Changchuan stood up, he lifted his head as well and said, “If everything’s fine at home, then there must be a problem at the heating plant.”

He paused for a moment as he spoke: “Or maybe… there’s a problem back in the capital.”

Greenland had a centralized management system for electricity and heating. If there were a problem in Nuuk, the capital, the entire island’s power and heating would be affected. Min Shu couldn’t help but think of the three members of the security detail who had left a few days earlier. He didn’t want to let his thoughts go in that direction—in the apocalypse, if any issue could cause the entire island to lose its power and heating, it would certainly be a catastrophic event.

Fortunately, Wei Changchuan spoke up at that moment: “I’ve checked—everything’s normal in Nuuk.”

Min Shu finally let out a sigh of relief: “Then the problem must be with the town’s heating plant.”

As a relay station for transmitting electricity and heat from the capital, Nuuk, to the small town, a small heating and power station was located in the town’s northwest. Due to the town’s small population, the power and heating systems were combined into one. Under normal circumstances, heating and power distribution operated largely on autopilot. Previously, the town would send someone to inspect and maintain the system once a month, but of course, after all the residents had left, no one went there anymore.

Not knowing what the problem was, Min Shu frowned in frustration, thinking to himself that if it were a major issue, he wouldn’t be able to fix it anyway. Just then, Wei Changchuan’s voice rang out: “I’ll take you to the capital right now.”

Min Shu froze at the words. He looked up and saw Wei Changchuan’s thick eyebrows drawn down over his eyes, his expression subtly tense. “What?” Min Shu asked in surprise. “The capital is so far away. How are we going to get there?”

Wei Changchuan’s jaw tightened as he replied, “I’ve made the arrangements. The Guard Unit will send a ship.”

Min Shu furrowed his brow. “It’s the freeze-up season now. The coastal shipping lanes are full of drift ice. How will the ship get through?”

Hearing this, Wei Changchuan lowered his head, his gaze resting on him.

At that moment, the moonlight fell directly on his face. Min Shu saw the deep furrow between his eyebrows; the man was looking down at him, and every line—from the bridge of his nose to the corners of his mouth and down to his jaw—was taut.

He paused, then suddenly realized: Wei Changchuan was very worried about him right now.

“…I’m fine, bro.” Min Shu’s heart immediately softened, and he reached out to take Wei Changchuan’s fingers, which were hanging at his side: “Don’t worry.”

Wei Changchuan gazed at him in silence.

Moonlight streamed down from above, bathing the young man’s pale face. Min Shu was very thin, with a pointed chin and deeply sunken collarbones; he lacked the body fat needed to maintain his body temperature in the extreme cold of the polar region. His stamina simply wouldn’t hold out if he traveled overland, but if he stayed here and waited until their stored charcoal was exhausted, he would face certain death.

Now that the “magic” of modern technology had failed, the two were suddenly exposed to the cruelty of nature. On this small polar island with its harsh climate, the power of a single human being seemed utterly insignificant; the cold alone was enough to leave them helpless.

Wei Changchuan lowered his eyes, took Min Shu’s hand in his own, wrapped his palm around the young man’s fingers, and slowly tightened his grip.

Perhaps, just as the Birdman had said, he should take Min Shu back to the base and find a safe place right under his watchful eye to look after him. That way, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about the young man freezing to death or starving to death one day.

Wei Changchuan gazed at him for a long time—so long that Min Shu furrowed his brow. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, he wiggled the fingers the man was clutching tightly and said, “Bro, that hurts a little…”

Wei Changchuan paused, then immediately let go as if he’d been zapped by electricity.

Min Shu withdrew his hand, rubbed his slightly red fingertips, glanced at Wei Changchuan again, and whispered, “Now that you’ve let go, I’m feeling a little cold again.”

He curled up on the sofa, muttering to himself that they should hold hands, but not too tightly.

Seeing him like this, the tension in Wei Changchuan’s expression eased slightly, and a hint of a resigned smile flashed in his eyes. He did as asked, clasping the young man’s hand with just the right amount of pressure—neither too light nor too firm.

Min Shu tugged on his hand and gave it a gentle shake, motioning for Wei Changchuan to look down:

“Bro, we should go to the heating plant.” He said, “As long as we fix the problem, we’ll have heat again.” Wei Changchuan was silent for a moment, then said, “Then I’ll go. You wait here at home.”

But Min Shu disagreed: “I’m more familiar with the heating plant. If the weather turns bad later, I’ll be able to find my way.”

He looked at Wei Changchuan and said earnestly, “In the past, people from the town took turns going to the heating plant for maintenance. I’ve been there too. While I can’t guarantee we’ll fix it, I at least know which parts are prone to malfunction.”

Wei Changchuan remained silent, lowering his eyes slightly. The moonlight shone into his deep-set eye sockets, making it impossible for Min Shu to gauge his emotions. He could only squeeze his hand and say with the utmost sincerity, “Brother, I’m not as fragile as you think I am.”

As he spoke, his cheeks flushed slightly, and he pursed his lips ever so slightly before adding, “Since… we’re in a relationship now, no matter what problems arise, we should face them together.”

“I won’t let you take risks on your own.” Min Shu looked up at Wei Changchuan, a bit shy yet resolute. “Brother, can you promise me that no matter what happens on the island from now on, we’ll always be together?”

Wei Changchuan held his hand, his fingertips gently rubbing the back of Min Shu’s hand. His face seemed expressionless, yet upon closer inspection, it appeared as though intense emotions were churning within his dark eyes.

It was a long time—so long that Min Shu began to feel a slight ache in the back of his neck from tilting his head back—before Wei Changchuan suddenly pulled his hand toward him, lowered his head, and gently pressed a kiss to his fingers:

“All right,” he whispered. “I promise you.”

And so, as dawn broke, Min Shu and Wei Changchuan set off for the heating plant.

If Min Shu’s college roommate had been there, he would have surely berated him for letting his “Saint Mary complex” get the better of him again—even though he was so frail that a mere draft could knock him over, he still insisted on braving the freezing cold. “He already said he’d go on his own—why don’t you just wait here!”

His college roommate once described Min Shu as the kind of person who would still help an elderly woman cross the street even if the world were ending. If anyone showed even the slightest sign of negativity, he’d be right there encouraging them with a beaming smile: “Come on, you can do it!”

Min Shu was once roundly criticized by his college roommates for this kind of behavior. They said he acted as if he were about to kick the bucket at any moment, yet he was bouncing around more energetically than anyone else—as if he had no regard for his own life, and so on.

But in reality, he was simply in a good frame of mind. He felt that although his health was poor, his vitality was poor. Since he’d survived several years of this kind of rough-and-tumble life without dying, he figured he’d probably be fine for the foreseeable future. Besides, if he were to tiptoe through life out of fear of his poor health and couldn’t use his limited time to do what he wanted, what would be the point of living those extra years?

Without electricity, there was no way to cook, so Min Shu heated a few cans over the fireplace, sliced up the leftover steamed buns from yesterday, spread a generous layer of butter on both sides, and toasted them over the fire until they were golden brown on both sides—a simple breakfast.

After breakfast, the two of them packed some energy bars and chocolate, then set out in the early morning light.

Though they called it “morning light,” it was still pitch black all around under the polar night; it was just that the sun was closer to the horizon at this hour, so the sky was slightly less dark than the pitch-black night when you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

Min Shu pushed open the front door, and a blast of icy air hit him in the face.

He squinted and looked at the snowdrifts around him, which were nearly half a person’s height: “With this much snow, we can’t take the dog sled.”

After days of snowfall, the once smooth and even ice plain was covered in loose, powdery snow. The freshly fallen snow hadn’t had time to pack down yet; it was powdery and soft, and the sled would sink right into it.

“We’ll have to walk,” Min Shu said.

Wei Changchuan approached from behind him and looked up at the view outside the window.

Min Shu was busy tying the laces on his snow boots when he saw Wei Changchuan walk up to him, bend down, and kneel on one knee.

“Get on.”

This wasn’t the first time Wei Changchuan had carried him, so Min Shu climbed onto his back with ease, finding a comfortable spot and wrapping his arms around the man’s neck.

Wei Changchuan stood up from the snow, still carrying him. Then, as if out of nowhere, he pulled out a huge, thin blanket and wrapped it around Min Shu from behind.

Min Shu:……？？？

The thin blanket wrapped around him from behind, looped over his shoulders, then around his right side, crossing over his back. It completely enveloped and encased him.

Min Shu was completely stunned. Leaning against Wei Changchuan’s shoulder, he watched as the man tied the blanket around his waist, securing it with a tight knot. 

Min Shu: …

A… baby carrier?!

Isn’t that how you carry a baby on your back?

Wei Changchuan stood up straight, reached behind him, and tugged the blanket upward to secure it: “Mm, all set.”

The man’s hand landed squarely on his butt cheek, but Min Shu didn’t feel the slightest bit like he was being groped. He was forced to press his entire body against Wei Changchuan’s back; the man had wrapped him so tightly that he couldn’t move a single limb.

Min Shu was silent for a moment before speaking up, “Bro… what do you take me for?”

Wei Changchuan turned his head and said, “Cargo.”

Min Shu:……？？？

Who would ever call their boyfriend “cargo”?!

He widened his eyes, staring at the man in disbelief. It wasn’t until he saw the faint smile playing at the corner of Wei Changchuan’s mouth that he realized Wei Changchuan was just teasing him.

Min Shu: “!” He snapped, “Bro!”

Wei Changchuan had already turned away and wasn’t looking at him anymore. Min Shu was furious beyond belief, but the moment he made a move, the man said, “Don’t move around.”

Min Shu had no choice but to stop moving, even though he was fuming. But to be honest, even though this position was a bit embarrassing, it was actually quite safe. Since he was tied up tightly and Wei Changchuan was blocking most of the cold wind in front of him, it was actually pretty warm.

After a moment, Min Shu calmed down, relaxed his grip, and lay limp against Wei Changchuan’s back. The deep, dark sky enveloped them, and there was not a sound to be heard. Wei Changchuan’s military boots sank into the snow, crushing the soft flakes beneath his feet and producing a faint crunching sound.

Min Shu turned his head, resting his cheek against the man’s shoulder as he looked around. In the deserted town, the colorful houses were all under lockdown, with not a single light on. Due to the power outage, even the sparse streetlights lining the town’s roads had gone out; only the faint yellow glow from Wei Changchuan’s flashlight illuminated the area.

The town had lost its former fairy-tale charm; shrouded in the polar night, it exuded a desolate atmosphere, almost like a ghost town.

Min Shu shivered slightly, turned his head, and asked Wei Changchuan in a low voice, “Brother, can you see the path clearly?”

Wei Changchuan: “I can see just fine.”

Min Shu: “Are you cold? Be careful not to slip.”

Wei Changchuan: “No, I’m not.”

It was so quiet around them that Min Shu couldn’t help but keep talking: “It’s actually kind of scary looking at it like this. Brother, don’t get the wrong idea—the town wasn’t like this before. Everyone’s lights used to be warm-colored, and during the holidays, they’d hang all kinds of colorful lights—”

He was muttering to himself when, in the next instant, Wei Changchuan cut him off: “Be quiet.” His voice was a bit low, sounding quite impatient.

Min Shu froze, then closed his mouth with a hint of hurt. He thought to himself, Sure enough, this guy is still pretty mean. But the next moment, Wei Changchuan suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look in a certain direction. Only then did Min Shu sense that something was off. He turned his head to follow Wei Changchuan’s gaze, but saw nothing.

As far as Min Shu could tell, there was nothing but darkness in that direction. He lowered his voice and whispered, “Bro, what’s wrong?” Wei Changchuan turned around with his back to Min Shu and narrowed his eyes: “A polar bear.”

Min Shu was startled and looked in that direction again. Only then did he notice what seemed to be a faint white patch in the darkness. Just then, a ray of light broke through the clouds and flashed across the fur.

Min Shu exclaimed, “What?! How could there be a polar bear in town?”

It was true that there were polar bears in Greenland, but most lived far from populated areas. This was the first time he’d ever seen a bear in town. Although polar bears were cute, they were genuinely dangerous; an adult polar bear could easily tear a person to pieces.

Min Shu immediately grew nervous and clutched Wei Changchuan’s shirt: “Bro, what should we do?”

Wei Changchuan, however, didn’t seem worried at all. He stared in that direction and asked, “Do you need a fur coat?”

Min Shu was taken aback: “Huh? No—I don’t think so…”

Hearing this, Wei Changchuan nodded and raised his hand in that direction.

After three shots—“bang,” “bang,” “bang”—the beast’s howl echoed, followed by heavy footsteps. The polar bear ran off into the distance.

Min Shu stood there in a daze for a few seconds before it finally sank in.

That’s right—no matter how mighty an animal may be, it’s no match for a firearm.

Wei Changchuan holstered his gun, turned around, and continued walking. Min Shu, clinging to his back, glanced at Wei Changchuan’s profile. But why did he keep getting the feeling that, if he’d mentioned wanting a fur coat just now, this guy would’ve looked ready to take on a polar bear with his bare hands?

Just then, Wei Changchuan suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head.

Min Shu: “? What’s wrong?”

Wei Changchuan: “You can talk now.” 

With that, he turned back and continued walking. Min Shu: …

He looked down at Wei Changchuan. What on earth did this guy think he was? An on-demand radio?

So Wei Changchuan, with his backpack—which served as both a cargo carrier and a radio—on his back, trudged through the snow and made his way across the entire town.

About half an hour after setting out, they arrived near the heating station. By then, the wind had picked up a bit, and the sky was gradually showing signs of snow. Fortunately, they were quite close to the heating station by this point. Min Shu squinted into the wind and snow, peering into the darkness. After a moment of careful scrutiny, he spotted the bright green factory building on a small hill not far away.

“That’s it!”

Min Shu said excitedly.

The heating plant was situated on a high slope north of the town and consisted of two adjacent buildings. The larger structure on the left was the heating plant, while the power plant stood right next to it. Wei Changchuan and Min Shu slowly made their way up the slope. As they drew closer, they noticed that the windows of the building were pitch black, with not a single light shining through. In the silence, only the cold wind swept past the factory walls, emitting a low, mournful whine.

“Something’s definitely wrong,” said Min Shu. “The lights here should always be on.”

Wei Changchuan walked up to the door and set Min Shu down from his back. As vital resources for the town, the heating plant and power station were usually kept locked. The village chief used to keep the keys, but after everyone in town had left one by one, they eventually ended up in Wei Changchuan’s possession.

“I’ll open the door,” Min Shu said, taking out the key and stepping forward.

He inserted the key into the keyhole, turned it to the right, but it wouldn’t turn.

“Huh?” Min Shu froze, then applied a little more force and tried again.

“Snap!”

With a sharp snap, Min Shu stared wide-eyed at the half-key stuck in the lock.

Wei Changchuan, watching from the side, said, “The latch must be jammed.”

Holding the half-key, Min Shu looked up, on the verge of tears: “Bro, what are we going to do now?”

Hearing this, Wei Changchuan reached out and pushed the door, motioning for him to step aside.

Min Shu took a few steps back and watched as Wei Changchuan braced the heavy door with his shoulder. No one knew how he managed it, but the iron door flew open and slammed heavily against the wall.

“Bang!”

At the deafening roar, Min Shu shuddered and looked in shock at the now-warped iron door.

“Let’s go,” Wei Changchuan said to him.

Min Shu paused where he stood, then slowly shifted his gaze to Wei Changchuan. The man’s expression was calm, as if nothing had happened. Min Shu looked at the shoulder Wei Changchuan had just used to slam open the door—its contours were graceful, showing no sign of injury whatsoever.

Min Shu couldn’t help but ask, “Bro, who’s stronger—you or a polar bear?”

Upon hearing this, Wei Changchuan paused as he stepped toward the doorway and glanced back at him.

Only then did Min Shu realize why he’d compared Wei Changchuan to a bear. Didn’t that make it sound like the man was some kind of ferocious beast?

“I—I mean,” Min Shu quickly corrected himself, grinning widely. “You’re really strong, bro. You’re so cool.”

Only then did Wei Changchuan take his eyes off him. As he stepped through the door, he casually ruffled Min Shu’s hair. “Don’t go touching things once we’re inside. Stay right behind me.”

Min Shu obediently nodded and followed the man into the factory building.

The power station was pitch black, and Min Shu hadn’t taken more than a few steps before the dust in the air choked him half to death.

“Cough, cough, cough—”

This place had fallen into disrepair and hadn’t been ventilated in a long time; the air was full of fine, suspended particles. Min Shu coughed and heard the sound of running water; he put a damp cotton cloth over his mouth and nose.

“Cover your mouth and nose,” Wei Changchuan said.

Min Shu covered his mouth and nose, and only then did he feel a little better. At the same time, Wei Changchuan turned on his flashlight; the warm yellow light illuminated the dust suspended in the air. When the beam hit the wall, it revealed a lightning-shaped emblem with black and blue lines on a white background.

Min Shu said, “This is the power station.”

Wei Changchuan nodded, holding the flashlight as he walked into the plant. Min Shu followed him, fumbling through his bag to pull out the power station’s safety manual and repair blueprints:

“Bro, here are the blueprints… Hmm, let me see—it should be this one—”

Wei Changchuan paused in his tracks and shone the flashlight in a certain direction.

Min Shu looked over and froze. He saw several massive distribution panels standing against the wall; their dark surfaces were covered with a thin layer of white frost, and the indicator lights—which should have been glowing—were completely dark, seemingly having stopped working entirely.

“Ah,” said Min Shu, “So they’re frozen solid.”

Looking at the scene before him, Min Shu surmised that the heating plant must have malfunctioned first, causing the temperature inside the factory to drop, which in turn froze the power plant’s distribution boxes and led to the power outage.

Min Shu said with some concern, “What should we do? I hope the cables haven’t frozen too.”

Wei Changchuan said nothing. Standing in front of the distribution panel, he looked up and scanned the area to the left and right, then turned and handed the flashlight to Min Shu.

Min Shu instinctively stepped closer: “Bro, what are you going to do?”

Wei Changchuan didn’t answer. Instead, he suddenly raised his leg and kicked the distribution box.

“Bang!”

With a loud bang, all the frost and snow on the electrical panel fell off in an instant.

Min Shu stared at Wei Changchuan, dumbfounded, then snapped out of it and exclaimed in shock, “…Brother!”

Wei Changchuan didn’t stop. Instead, he grabbed the electrical box with both hands and began shaking it back and forth, then raised his hands and slammed them down on it several times:

“Clang!” “Clang!” “Clang!”

With three loud thuds, the frost and snow continued to shake off the electrical panel.

Min Shu heard a “beep” that sounded like a computer booting up, and immediately afterward, the indicator lights on the electrical panel lit up simultaneously. The hum of electricity filled the air, machinery creaked back into operation, and the lights in the factory came on instantly.

Min Shu’s eyes widened as he watched Wei Changchuan lift his head and look around. Once the lights came on, he seemed somewhat satisfied and casually patted the electrical panel.

Min Shu: …I-is this really going to work??

So it’s true what my parents used to say when I was a kid—that you can fix appliances just by patting them!