CHAPTER 249: EXTREME HEAT SPIKES

Ethan and Elena moved swiftly to the room Lieutenant Fern indicated and pushed the door open.

Inside, stacks of raw jade and several antiques lay scattered across the floor, some still half-wrapped in cloth.

Their brows lifted slightly, and both turned their gazes to Lieutenant Fern, silently demanding an explanation for the damaged items that were far from the promised quality.

Looking embarrassed, Fern walked toward them, his hands clasped tightly.

"I tried my best to secure high-quality pieces, but the higher-ups wouldn’t allow it. I know it sounds like a poor excuse, but please... accept these for now. I promise I’ll repay the rest."

Instead of relying on the government, Fern would rather shoulder the responsibility himself—a gesture that earned a flicker of respect in Ethan’s eyes.

"Alright," Elena said calmly, her gaze sweeping over the distressed soldiers nearby. "I’ll accept it for now."

’You can repay the rest... once I make you all my subordinates.’

Soon after, Elena stepped into the room, while Ethan stayed outside, casually engaging the soldiers in conversation to keep them busy.

He wanted answers—what truly happened after the avalanche, and how these men managed to survive when everyone thought they were dead.

"Mind if I ask," he began, his tone steady yet curious, "why does it seem like you’re no longer aligned with the government? There’s clearly some tension."

Lieutenant Fern gave a short, bitter laugh.

"It’s not that complicated. We simply don’t share the same direction anymore. The officials running this center... they’re far too greedy. I refuse to serve under people like that, so I chose to walk away—on my own terms."

Ethan smirked inwardly. ’Recruiting them later will be easy.’

"I see," he said, masking his thoughts behind a calm expression. "So, what’s your planned now?"

"We decided to enter the military sector and apply to join their forces," Fern stated calmly.

Ethan paused for a moment, then asked, "If we want to recruit you, would you consider us?"

The soldiers froze, disbelief flashing across their faces.

Rumors about Paradise were widespread—mysterious, powerful, and well-supplied. Aligning with them could only mean security and strength in these uncertain times.

All eyes shifted to Lieutenant Fern. His decision would dictate their future, and they were ready to follow him no matter what.

"I... Paradise shop..." Fern hesitated, his voice low with curiosity.

"Are you serious about this? I mean, I’ve heard that you’re very reclusive. Why would you want to recruit us?"

"Because we see loyalty in you—and that matters to us. You don’t need to decide now. If you choose to join us, just leave a message at any Paradise branch," Ethan replied, his tone firm with persuasion.

Fern exhaled slowly, nodding. "Alright... give me a day. I need to discuss this with my subbordinate who chose to stay with me."

Truthfully, his heart leaned toward accepting, but he valued his men’s input.

"Take your time; I’ll be waiting. By the way, how did you manage to survive the avalanche?"

"Avalanche?" Lieutenant Fern blinked in confusion for a moment, then recalled the reports his men gave after the battle with the mutated cat.

"Actually, right after you handed us the Paradise ointment, we pulled out immediately to assist our commander. So we never encountered the avalanche. As for the others, from what I know, the avalanche was meant to hit their position—but an earthquake occurred, and it shifted the entire direction to the other side."

Ethan frowned at Fern’s explanation; it seemed Heaven was meddling again, which could only mean one thing—Troy was still alive.

’Should I check on him later?’ he wondered, then sighed. By now, that cunning Heather had probably escaped, afraid of their retaliation.

"Oh, I’m glad to hear you made it out safely," Ethan said calmly.

Then he pulled out a small booklet, placing it on the table in front of Lieutenant Fern.

"Please, read this. It contains everything you need to know if you ever decide to join us—our terms, benefits, and expectations," he explained.

This idea had originally come from Butler Aki, who suggested preparing clear guidelines in case they ever decided to recruit someone.

At the time, it felt like an unnecessary —but now, it was proving to be extremely useful.

After a few minutes, Elena finished storing the jades and antiques into her [Inventory] and walked over to Ethan’s side.

She didn’t ask any further questions; she had already heard everything she wanted to know from their earlier conversation.

Soon after, Elena and Ethan decided not to linger, giving the soldiers time to think about their offer.

"On behalf of my men, thank you for the Paradise Ointment. I promise to repay this debt as soon as possible," Lieutenant Fern said sincerely.

"No problem. Until we meet again, Lieutenant," Ethan replied, giving a short salute before he and Elena vanished without a trace.

The soldiers stood frozen, their jaws slack.

"They’re gone... just like that? How?"

"The rumors were true—they really are powerful," another muttered in awe.

Lieutenant Fern turned to his men with a serious expression. "What you saw and heard today stays here. Not a word leaves this room. Understood?"

He suspected this might have been a test from the mysterious Paradise staff. If his men couldn’t keep their mouths shut, it could ruin everything.

"Yes, sir," the soldiers responded firmly, their voices filled with resolve.

"Good. Now, let’s weigh their offer against what the military can give us," Fern replied, his eyes sharp with determination.

Afterwards, the group gathered closer, discussing their options while quietly packing up their belongings.

Inside the space, the two quickly teleported back to their house.

Ethan insisted on letting his pregnant wife rest; she had been busy all day.

"You heard about the avalanche?" he asked as they settled down.

"Yeah," Elena replied softly. "It sounds strange, but that’s how Heaven interferes with those it favors."

"So, Troy is alive?" Ethan’s tone carried a trace of coldness.

"I presume so," she answered, her expression calm but resolute.

"Let’s not waste our thoughts on them. If fate brings us together again, we’ll make sure to end it properly next time."

"Alright," he agreed, brushing aside his thoughts as he pulled her into his arms, holding her close.

Wrapping her gently in his embrace, Ethan settled beside her, content to simply rest with his wife.

******

In the next few days, Camel Tower fell into a frenzy as residents scrambled to prepare for the looming extreme heat.

Paradise Shop stayed open 24 hours to handle the overwhelming surge of customers.

It seemed that refugees from other parts of City A had gathered in Camel Tower and Golden Tower, seeking shelter.

The once-quiet surroundings now buzzed with life, corridors echoing with hurried footsteps and constant chatter as more people crowded into the area, forming long lines to enter the shop.

With no other choice, Elena instructed her team to prioritize the shop for now and set aside their other tasks, confident this sudden rush would only be temporary.

Meanwhile, the military remained focused on clearing corpses for mass cremation, still haunted by the recent epidemic and fearful of new diseases breaking out if the bodies were left to rot.

At the same time, the temperature continued to climb at an alarming pace.

The thick sheets of ice that had blanketed the city just days ago began to melt, trickling into streams of icy water that snaked through the streets.

Fear gripped the residents, forcing many to remain inside their buildings, terrified that the thinning ice might crack beneath them and send them plunging into the frigid waters below.

This tense atmosphere dragged on until evening—when the temperature suddenly spiked without warning, transforming Grandpa Caldwell’s unit into an unbearable furnace.

Inside the room, Ethan stirred, his body drenched in sweat.

The extreme cold suit clung uncomfortably to his skin, suffocating him, so he quickly peeled it off, gasping for relief.

He then turned to his wife, still lost in a peaceful dream, and gently shook her shoulder.

"Wife, wake up. It’s too hot—you need to take off your clothes."

Elena jolted awake at the sound of his voice.

Without hesitation, she pulled out the portable heat devices and replaced them with a compact air conditioner from her inventory.

Once they both changed into lighter clothes, they stepped out to alert the others.

The moment Ethan opened the door, he found the entire household already in motion, retrieving portable heaters and switching on air conditioners at full blast in a desperate attempt to fight the sudden wave of heat.

"The temperature spiked suddenly by twenty degrees Celsius. It’s not unbearably hot yet, but with the heating devices still running, it feels like a furnace," Grandpa Caldwell said as he checked the thermometer.

"Extreme heat is finally here," Elena muttered. "Who’s currently at the shop?"

"Everyone’s at the shop except for us old folks and the kids," Grandpa Caldwell replied, turning on another air-con. "They all went to help manage the rush."

Elena nodded calmly. She had already given them clear instructions on what to do in the event of sudden extreme heat, so she wasn’t worried.

Drenched in sweat, she felt uncomfortable and made her way to join the kids gathered around the air conditioner.

She chuckle as she saw their faces glowing with relief while they basked in the cool breeze.

But her smile soon faded as she thought of another disaster that had arrived.