The Beginning of Natural Disaster, I Won by Hoarding Tens of Billions of Supplies

Chapter 518: Crocodile Egg Fried Rice

The Russians came to get some vegetables. 

Ivanov didn’t come, but he didn’t forget to send a message that the warships from the Huacheng base really came. 

They were taking all the Chinese people in the Arctic back home. 

After dealing with them for a while, the Russians had learned a few basic Chinese phrases, but nothing beyond that. 

They were talking quickly, and their gestures and expressions were full of emotion. 

Although Jiang Ning couldn’t understand, she could guess from their body language that the evacuation probably didn’t go very smoothly. 

But regardless, in the end, everyone left safely. 

Jiang Ning smiled, and other than saying thank you, she didn’t say much else. 

The vegetable trade continued. 

Every time a trade was made, Ivanov would send a box of cultural relics. 

At first, they were from China, but later, there were items from other countries. 

No matter what was sent, Jiang Ning accepted it all, until the Russians sent over a mummy. 

Unable to hold back her disgust, Jiang Ning threw the mummy back to them. 

More neighbors had moved in around the area. 

From time to time, they would stare at Jiang Ning’s house, wondering how many supplies were inside. However, because the owner of the house had close contacts with the Russians and the rich tycoons, they had the desire to steal but not the courage. 

As more neighbors arrived, the number of people coming to trade greens also increased. 

No matter who came, Jiang Ning treated everyone equally and fairly. 

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. It was already the end of spring and the beginning of summer, and the temperature in the Arctic was gradually warming up. 

The snowstorms became less frequent, and Jiang Ning walked around the front and backyard every day. 

The three little ones ate a lot and grew fast. They chased each other in the snow, fighting and playing. 

Jiang Ning sat in the snow, staring quietly at the ice house in the distance, lost in thought. 

The ice layer was becoming more and more uneven, to the point where it could be seen with the naked eye. 

The balance-testing ball rolled faster and faster. 

The nutrient solution in the hydroponic containers tilted more and more. 

In the middle of the night, her body would occasionally shake. 

At first, Jiang Ning was alert, wondering if it was an earthquake, but she eventually got used to it. 

However, the pressure caused by tectonic movement felt much lighter than an earthquake. 

But Jiang Ning knew very well that the land was constantly rising. 

When there is a rise, there will always be a fall. 

The survivors who migrated inland from the Arctic could no longer break through the ice to hunt crocodiles. 

Her heart, which had gradually been calming down, began racing again. 

Jiang Ning would come out to take pictures almost every day, and she would sweep away the snow around the ice house before taking pictures. 

Looking at the containers tilting more and more to one side, she couldn’t help but smile. 

But waiting was tormenting. Even though her body had adapted to the cold of the Arctic, her heart grew more and more impatient. 

Doudou was the same. Sometimes, she would stand on the snow hill and gaze into the distance for a long time, lost in thought. 

The temperature continued to rise, the wind and snow stopped, and the rare sunlight came out. 

Ivanov, who hadn’t visited in a long time, arrived again on his snowmobile. 

He came to exchange vegetables, and there were several boxes tied to the back seat. 

“Jiang, these are the last artifacts left at the United Base. They were nearly used as fire starters.” 

The words were like ghostly scribbles; some were on paper, and some were on parchment scrolls. He did not recognize which country they were from, so he just threw them all in the box. 

After dealing with each other for such a long time, these boxes were nothing, so he might as well give them all to Jiang Ning. 

To his surprise, Jiang Ning wasn’t happy. “Ivanov, why are you dumping all your garbage on me?” 

Ivanov laughed heartily. “Shall I take them back?” 

Jiang Ning frowned slightly in disdain. “Just bring them in. Those wooden boxes are decent; they can be chopped for firewood. Taking them back would just waste more fuel.” 

Since the successful evacuation of Chinese, the Russians have completely put aside their suspicions, and the exchanges between the two sides have become more friendly. 

Moreover, Jiang Ning had to admit that Russians were quite generous. As long as they weren’t in short supply, they would trade materials fairly and often even throw in extras. 

Vodka was obviously their favorite, and they had been gifted to Jiang Ning several times. 

Suddenly, fragrant crocodile egg fried rice was served. 

“Jiang, what’s the occasion today?” Ivanov’s eyes nearly popped out in surprise. Feeling flattered yet cautious, “I can’t accept this for nothing. Just tell me what you need.” 

Jiang Ning smiled, “Eat first. I do have a favor to ask.” 

After half a year of interaction, Ivanov understood her quite well. “Tell me first.” 

“It’s nothing major, just some questions about the current situation in the Arctic.” 

A person who didn’t even let him in the door now actually gave him egg fried rice. Ivanov was afraid that he was digging a hole for himself. 

Jiang Ning didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and asked directly, “Are more people coming to the Arctic these days?” 

“Up until last month, there were still boats drifting in, but almost none have come this month.” 

But Ivanov didn’t find it strange. “Many people have no experience surviving at sea, and with the land submerged for so long, there will be fewer and fewer survivors.” 

It was a sad topic: ten years of natural disasters that felt like a dream—an endless, inescapable nightmare. 

No one even knew if there was an end to it. 

Jiang Ning looked at him, “I think you have lost weight. Have you not eaten enough during this period?” 

Yes, he really had not eaten enough. 

There are more than 400 people in the base, and a lot of food is consumed every day. 

The Arctic environment is harsh, and it is impossible to grow crops at all, but there are two or three thousand survivors, and they can only rely on hunting animals. 

Continuous over-hunting has sharply reduced the number of crocodiles and seals. 

The hunting team brought back fewer and fewer prey, so Ivanov naturally had less to eat. 

Jiang Ning tried to console him. “Summer is coming, and as the ice melts, there will be more prey around.” 

Ivanov wasn’t optimistic. “Jiang, rising temperatures and melting ice will only push survivors further inland. 

“Even if prey becomes abundant, it won’t keep up with the pace of overhunting. The Arctic may become even more dangerous.” 

With hundreds of people at the base, no one dared to target it, but Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen needed to be cautious. 

Ivanov had survived the natural disaster for ten years and had seen all kinds of bloody scenes. He offered a kind reminder, “You must pay attention to safety.” 

After finishing the fried rice and taking the traded vegetables, Ivanov sped off on his snowmobile. 

Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen brought the boxes inside. To their surprise, they were filled with ancient documents. 

Jiang Ning couldn’t understand the text but could tell it was Chinese cultural relics, at least a thousand years old. 

Huo Yishen flipped through a few scrolls and said seriously, “These might be from the ancient Western Xia dynasty.” 

In addition to the precious documents, there were a few exquisite thangkas and Buddha statues, worn by a thousand years of time. 

They were all stolen by foreign countries a long time ago. How they ended up at the United Base was a mystery. 

Looking at the boxes of cultural relics in front of her, Jiang Ning fell into a daze. Civilization remained, but their homeland was gone. 

But after a decade of calamities, she quickly adjusted her emotions. 

Reflecting on Ivanov’s words, Jiang Ning wondered, “Is it really because there are fewer survivors at sea, so they haven’t drifted to the Arctic?” 

Huo Yishen wasn’t entirely convinced. “That could be part of the reason, but survivors who endure three months at sea can likely last a year.” 

Those lacking skills and intelligence would have perished early on. 

However, survivors had experience. If they lacked food, they would find ways to fish or hunt in the ocean. 

Huo Yishen went through the photos she had taken and started to get an idea. “Could it be that land has already appeared elsewhere, which is why fewer survivors are reaching the Arctic?”