Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Hearing Zhou Andi, the bespectacled man say this, the others also thought it was the Columbus Ocean Rescue Team arriving and began cheering excitedly.

"Wonderful! If we can go to Columbus Ocean, we'll definitely live a good life."

"Columbus Ocean is the most wonderful country in the world, abundant in resources and filled with happy people."

The group had already entered a celebratory mood.

After being trapped in desperate circumstances for so long, even the slightest glimmer of hope was enough to make them dream big.

Seeing this, Li Zongyu said unhappily, "It's a rescue ship from the Huaxu Kingdom."

The atmosphere instantly froze.

Zhou Andi widened his eyes in disbelief. "What? A rescue ship from Huaxu Kingdom? Mr. Li Zongyu, why did you ask them for help instead of Columbus Ocean?"

"I refuse to go to Huaxu Kingdom! I'm a citizen of Columbus Ocean! I'll wait for the Columbus Ocean Navy to take me home—that's my constitutional right!"

From another direction, a thin and short middle-aged man spoke in broken English: "Mr. Li, as a local official from New Rohan, I can tell you very clearly—Huaxu Kingdom is not an ideal country. My suggestion is to go to Columbus Ocean, or even Malai!"

Zhang Yi's suspicions were justified.

Some of the wealthy vacationers stranded on Rockflow Island were unwilling to seek refuge in Huaxu Kingdom.

In fact, this dispute had been going on for a long time.

Their group was divided into three factions:

The first was the Huaxu faction, led by Li Zongyu, who advocated seeking help from Huaxu Kingdom. These were either Huaxu citizens or overseas compatriots.

The second was the foreign faction, who preferred Western countries.

The third was the neutral faction, who went with the flow and had no strong opinion—they just wanted to survive, no matter where.

Che Haicheng and others were staunch members of the foreign faction.

Several of them immediately opposed Li Zongyu's decision, believing he had caused trouble for everyone.

Li Zongyu rubbed his temples.

"We've tried countless times before—we've sent distress signals to every nearby country, but none responded!"

"Now, only Huaxu Kingdom is willing to save us. Let's just go with them!"

"Staying alive is what matters most!"

Li Zongyu's girlfriend, Zhang Weiwei, stood by his side and firmly supported him:

"Now isn't the time to be stubborn. Rockflow Island is getting more dangerous by the day. We're running out of food, and other survivors have started killing each other. If we wait any longer, we might not get rescued—we'll just get slaughtered."

Suddenly, a high-pitched voice cut through the argument.

"Geez, stop arguing already! If we have to go to Huaxu Kingdom, then let's go! It's not like we have any other choice right now. We can stay there for a while, and if we find a way to leave later, we can go somewhere else. Easy!"

She said proudly, "Don't worry, I know my way out of Huaxu Kingdom. My mom and I left from there before."

"And my dad used to hold a high-ranking position there!"

She grinned smugly. "I'll take care of you guys when the time comes!"

The girl was petite, slightly plump, and had a delicate appearance.

The group had been together long enough to know she wasn't lying.

Su Nuanxi, nicknamed "Little Fish," came from a family with political influence—her father and uncles had held important positions.

However, Su Nuanxi grew up abroad and eventually emigrated permanently.

Her words made Che Haicheng and the others pause in thought.

At that moment, Ma Wenzheng, the part-time priest, stepped forward.

Speaking slowly but firmly, he said, "I think going back to Huaxu Kingdom isn't a bad idea! Right now, survival comes first. We can argue about other things later."

Zhou Andi scoffed when he heard Ma Wenzheng speak. "Mr. Ma, of course you want to go back—you're from Huaxu Kingdom. Once you return, you can go back to being a big-shot businessman. But it's not the same for the rest of us!"

Most of them didn't fully understand what was happening in the outside world.

Some even believed this was just a particularly severe snowstorm and that human civilization remained largely intact.

But Ma Wenzheng remained composed. "That's not the point. The point is figuring out where you can actually survive."

He pondered for a moment. "The outside world might be worse than we think. We have to consider whether this is our only chance to stay alive."

After speaking, he walked over to Li Zongyu's side. "I agree—we should return to Huaxu Kingdom."

Li Zongyu looked at the hesitant faces before him.

Despite their flaws and past conflicts, they had lived together for half a year. The bond forged through life-and-death struggles made him unwilling to abandon anyone.

"Regardless, I've made up my mind—I'm boarding that ship."

"I hope you'll all come with me. Please… trust me on this."

The crowd murmured among themselves.

"This is an opportunity, but do we really want to go to Huaxu Kingdom?"

"It's unfamiliar territory—what are we supposed to do there? It's fine for Huaxu citizens and overseas Chinese, but we don't even speak the language."

"I don't like that country. I'd rather go to Columbus Ocean or Evenia—even Malai would be better. Shouldn't they rescue us out of international humanitarian duty?"

After a long silence, Che Haicheng, the New Rohan official, finally stepped forward and stood beside Li Zongyu.

"Mr. Li, I believe you'll lead us to a better life! So I've decided to follow you!"

Che Haicheng had always been known for his shrewdness—he never made a move unless it benefited him.

His decision to go to Huaxu Kingdom convinced many others to join Li Zongyu's side.

In the end, after much persuasion, most of them chose to board the Huaxu Kingdom rescue ship.

Only five or six stubbornly refused.

"I've already sent a distress signal to Columbus Ocean—they will come for me. That's my right as a citizen!"

Those who stayed behind were all Columbus Ocean citizens, steadfast in their belief that their navy would cross thousands of miles to bring them home.

Seeing that persuasion was futile, Li Zongyu and the others could only reluctantly respect their choice.

Zhang Weiwei thought for a moment and said, "Since we're leaving, let's leave some food and clothes for those staying behind."

The moment she said this, most people instinctively stepped back, unwilling to volunteer.

Che Haicheng sighed. "Weiwei, your heart is in the right place. But whether we can even leave is still uncertain. I'm skeptical about Huaxu Kingdom's ship."

"Even if we do board, who knows how they'll treat us? Keeping emergency supplies is crucial. So I'm keeping my food and water for myself."

He clutched his backpack tightly, looking like Gollum guarding the One Ring—ready to fight anyone who tried to take it.

Author's Note