Pay first, then sit down; no credit allowed.

Chen Yu asked indifferently, "What kind of suspicion would it cause?"

Zhang Wanyue explained patiently, "People from other teams have basically gotten off their Vehicles and gathered together. If we keep staying on the bus, won't it be too conspicuous and attract unnecessary attention..."

Chen Yu shook his head, "They're all competitors anyway. What's the point of getting friendly in advance?"

Li Mengyao also said in a low voice, "Chen Yu, look at them; they're freezing half to death. Meanwhile, we're here eating hot pot and enjoying the heater. If we're discovered..."

Chen Yu finished the last sip of soup in his bowl, wiped his mouth, and said flatly, "Being conspicuous is exactly what I want."

His 12-seater bus was parked steadily at the position closest to the entrance of the Glacier Crevice, with its windows tightly closed.

It quickly attracted many gazes.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, heavy footsteps came tramping through the snow and stopped outside the car door on one side.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

A knocking sound rang out. There were three boys outside the window.

Li Mengyao recognized one of them—Xiao Bing from the Directing Department.

"Hey! Students inside! Everyone's here, we're just waiting for you!"

Another male voice said, "Yeah, come down and let's discuss a plan together. You can't handle this ghost of a place alone. We're all schoolmates; we need to be united!"

"Director Yu is here too. He has plenty of experience and is in charge of coordinating the overall situation. Don't be afraid!"

Outside the Vehicle, it was pitch black.

The blizzard swirled wildly.

Thanks to the [Structural Reinforcement I] upgrade, the windows had become tempered glass with built-in privacy protection.

This meant the three boys outside couldn't see inside at all.

They simply thought the students in this small bus were just too cowardly to come out.

But what they didn't expect was... the passenger-side window actually began to lower slowly!

"???"

This unusual scene left the three of them slightly stunned.

In this freezing world, they hadn't seen any Vehicle that could open its windows.

Even if it only opened by 2cm, it was unscientific, wasn't it???

However, the unscientific part came later... "Whoosh—!"

A powerful surge of warm air gushed out from that gap!

It was even mixed with the lingering scent of food and perfume!

The terrifyingly frigid air outside suddenly met the warm, humid air from inside the Vehicle!

In an instant!

A thick, rolling wave of white steam burst out!

Xiao Bing, who was closest to the window, stiffened as the steam hit him full in the face!

Not far behind him, the other two boys' eyes widened!

Even other teams nearby were attracted by the commotion and looked over... "Stu... Student..."

"It's... pretty warm inside your Vehicle?"

Even Xiao Bing felt it was bizarre to ask that.

Through the gap in the window, Chen Yu spoke calmly, "Yeah. Is there anything else? We don't plan on joining any cooperation. Sorry."

After saying that.

"Whir—"

The window rose at a steady speed and closed tightly once more.

Leaving Xiao Bing dazed on the spot.

Just now, even through just a gap, he could guarantee he definitely hadn't seen wrong... The people in the Vehicle were wearing thin clothes, and their faces were flushed!

In the middle of the aisle, a pot was actually set up, filled with bubbling red oil soup base!

The spicy and fresh aroma in the air was even harder to fake!

You've got to be kidding me!!!

Outside, it was minus thirty or forty degrees, the howling wind swirling snow like knives, and everyone was shivering in the freezing cold, their faces turning blue, worried sick about the upcoming life-or-death mission.

And these people were eating hot pot in their Vehicle???

"Brother Bing, what did he say?"

"Hey, Brother Bing? Why aren't you saying anything?"

The urging from behind snapped Xiao Bing back to his senses, and he forced down the shock in his heart.

"Oh, oh, it's nothing. Let's head back first."

He waved his hand and led the two boys toward the main group.

But before they had gone far.

Director Yu came up to meet them, rubbing his hands, "Xiao Bing, what's going on? Where are they? Everyone's waiting to discuss, and they're the only ones acting special?"

Xiao Bing stopped and opened his mouth, for a moment not knowing how to describe it accurately.

Director Yu saw something was wrong and quickly asked, "What's in their Vehicle?"

Nearby, several other students from the Film Academy gathered around, curious.

Xiao Bing coughed and cleared his throat, "Uh... they're in the Vehicle... eating hot pot..."

"What?!"

Director Yu's voice suddenly rose!

A boy nearby couldn't help but interject, "Eating hot pot? Xiao Bing, did you freeze your brain?"

"I saw it with my own eyes!"

Xiao Bing's tone was certain, "A red oil soup base, still bubbling! The people inside were just wearing shirts, and their faces were red! When I got close to their window, a wave of heat puffed out!"

"It was like... like being in a sauna. It's absolutely true!"

Director Yu's expression changed repeatedly, from doubt to shock, and finally, he believed Xiao Bing's words.

He turned his head to glance at the bus parked quietly at the front, then looked around at everyone shivering in the cold wind, feeling a faint sense of displeasure in his heart.

"Ridiculous!"

Director Yu squeezed the words through his teeth!

Attracting even more students... He pointed at the bus, "What kind of occasion is this? It's doomsday survival! A matter of life and death! Do they think they're on a picnic? They have no sense of collective spirit at all!"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Everyone's emotions were stirred up by the director.

Unease and indignation spread among the surrounding students.

"We're here freezing like dogs, while they're hiding in their Vehicle living it up!"

"Where did they get so much fuel? Not only can they run a heater, but they can eat hot pot too?"

"That's too unfair!"

"We're all schoolmates, why should they get to enjoy themselves?"

"It's one thing to have different Vehicles, but now even the social classes are different. Isn't this just bullying honest people!"

Public indignation was boiling over.

Amplifying emotions.

Collective protest.

Dozens of people, with Director Yu at the core, slowly gathered and stared at the bus ahead with unfriendly eyes.

Director Yu looked at the growing crowd of students behind him, a flash of smugness in his eyes.

This was exactly the effect he wanted... "Let's go! We'll go ask them together what they mean by this! Do they even have a shred of mutual-aid spirit!"

Director Yu gave a rallying cry, wrapped his down jacket tighter, and set off.

Behind him followed a crowd of over twenty people, mostly students from the same Vehicle as him, but also some from other teams caught up in the atmosphere.

The group marched forward in a grand fashion across the snow, quickly semi-surrounding the bus.

Director Yu walked up to the Vehicle door, preparing to pound on the window.

But his gaze was caught by a piece of paper stuck to the window.

[Ample heating inside, empty seats for rent]

[Price: 5 bottles of Drinking Water or 10 packs of Compressed Biscuits per minute]

[Equivalent supplies negotiable]

[Pay first, sit later, no credit given]

"?????"