At the beginning, no one paid attention to this disaster. First, it was the high temperatures lasting for dozens of days, with the highest even exceeding 45 degrees Celsius.

Then, the fields dried up, and the lakes ran dry. By the time people realized the seriousness of the problem, the apocalypse had already arrived.

01

“It’s so hot, it’s unbearable! Why is it so hot this year?”

“Yeah, it’s been over 40 degrees for three consecutive days. It’s driving people crazy!”

On the way home from work, pedestrians hurry along, with almost no one lingering on the streets. Everyone rushes into buildings to escape the heat as quickly as possible.

I stop my car at an intersection, waiting for the red light, and glance at my cell phone. 17:45, temperature: 38 degrees Celsius.

Even though it is already close to evening, the sun has not yet set. The sunlight and the continued high temperatures give the illusion that it is still noon.

Today’s temperature is unusually high.

When the light turns green, I hesitate for a moment and then turn left instead of heading straight home. I decide to go to the city’s largest supermarket to stock up on supplies.

Today is Friday, and tomorrow is the weekend. If the weather continues to exceed 40 degrees, I plan to take adjustment leave from work to stay home for a few days to escape the heat.

Having just completed a major project around the clock, the company should approve my leave.

I rush into the supermarket, head straight to the fresh food section, and buy a large quantity of daily food items. I then go to the frozen section to get some steaks, frozen fish, and shrimp.

Passing through the toiletries section, I see that the sanitary pads and tampons I usually use are on sale, so I buy two large bags on a whim, quickly filling up my shopping cart.

“Do you need any help?” A shop assistant approaches me with a shy smile.

I nod and hand him the cart, grab another one, and head to the canned food section.

I take two cans of each type and then go to the snack section, sweeping up seeds and potato chips.

“Would you like to buy some beverages? We have a promotion on large bottles of Coca-Cola and Sprite combo packs, only 9.9 dollars,” the shop assistant suggests.

It makes sense to me. Although I usually live a healthy lifestyle and rarely drink beverages, potato chips just wouldn’t be complete without Coke.

So, I go to the beverage section and grab five combo packs, totaling ten bottles.

I also ask the shop assistant to help me carry two boxes of mineral water, filling up the third shopping cart.

I think I am done, but as I pass by the rice and grain section on my way out, I suddenly remember that my rice barrel at home is almost empty and needs refilling.

So, I continue to trouble the shop assistant, asking him to carry two bags of rice for me. I grab five packs of instant noodles and fill the remaining space in the second cart.

Finally, with three fully loaded shopping carts, I head to the checkout. The total comes to 1,321.8 dollars.

“Do you need home delivery?” The shop assistant asks again.

I shake my head, “No, just help me load them into my car.”

“Are you sure? These items are quite heavy.” The shop assistant seems eager to assist, but I still decline, only asking him to help me load everything into my spacious trunk.

As I close the trunk door, the shop assistant seems to sigh, but I don’t pay much attention and drive home directly.

Five years ago, after divorcing my ex-husband, I embarked on a six-month random journey, eventually settling in this slow-paced city, leaving behind everything I was familiar with.

Now, I live alone in a high-end community in the suburbs, on the 16th floor of a mid-rise building, not too high or too low, with one apartment per floor and a separate security door.

Due to different activity schedules and excellent soundproofing, I have never met my other neighbor. Only the occasional umbrella left at the elevator indicates that someone else lives on this floor.

I park my car in the underground parking lot and make three trips to carry all my purchases to the elevator. At my doorstep, I spend another ten minutes sorting and storing everything in my large freezer and refrigerator.

After a previous pandemic lockdown in the community, I specifically bought a large freezer, which is now eight-tenths full.

One-third of it is stocked with ice cream, while the rest is filled with frozen chicken, duck, and animal offal, along with half a pig.

These are all sent by my mom from my hometown, where my parents, who had leased a mountain, raised animals for fun.

They often send me frozen goods, accumulating more and more.

I store the steaks, frozen fish, and shrimp, finally filling the freezer to nine-tenths full.

I reassure myself that, in the event of another sudden lockdown, these supplies would sustain me for months, a small comfort in these increasingly uncertain times.

Ring…

As I am putting some of the beverages in the refrigerator, my cell phone receives a text message.

Glancing at it, I see that it is a high-temperature red alert issued by the municipal meteorological bureau, with a big 41 degrees Celsius prominently displayed.

‘Tomorrow, the city’s temperature will reach a new high, exceeding 41 degrees Celsius. Citizens are advised not to go out between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. If there are elderly or children at home…’

41 degrees? I curse under my breath and immediately grab my phone to send a text message, going through the process of requesting leave and notifying HR in one go.

In this scorching weather, I have no intention of going out to get roasted. I plan to take as much leave as possible.

Considering the accumulated adjustment leave from working on the major project, plus the weekend, I figure I could take about 20 days off. Surely, the heat wouldn’t persist for 20 days straight.

The leave request is quickly approved. After taking a shower, I see that it has already been granted. There are also two missed calls from my mom, so I call her back.

“Hello, Mom.”

“Monica, the temperature is very high over there. If you don’t have anything urgent, stay indoors. How will you manage alone if you suffer from heatstroke?

Hurry and request leave from your company. You used to run around even when it was 39 degrees…” As soon as the call connects, my mom bombards me with concerns.

“I know, Mom. You and Dad also need to stay cool and avoid the heat. Don’t hesitate to use the air conditioner, okay?” I advise.

“Use the air conditioner? Your dad and I are in the mountains, where the highest temperature is only 35 degrees.

We still need blankets at night. You should worry about yourself instead. If you stayed here, it would be cool living in the mountains.” My mom complains.

I listen to her nag for a good ten minutes before finally finding an excuse to end the call.

This summer is indeed unusually hot.

I open a box of ice cream, sit comfortably on the sofa, and turn on the TV while eating.

“Recent high temperatures have caused over a thousand deaths in various European countries. Temperatures in some parts of India have exceeded 55 degrees Celsius.

Experts say such temperatures are no longer suitable for human habitation…” The news on TV is filled with global high-temperature reports.

Little do I know that in just a few days, the continuing high temperatures will soon show me what it means to be uninhabitable for humans.

02

The next weekend, I happily keep my constant-temperature air conditioner running 24 hours a day, sleeping in, watching shows, and playing games at home.

When it is time to eat, I cook a dish and make soup, enjoying a comfortable staycation. Until Monday…

I am sleeping soundly when my phone suddenly rings, waking me up. It is a call from my colleague, Naomi.

“Monica, why didn’t you come to work today?”

“I took a long leave. You won’t see me until next month.” I yawn.

Naomi is shocked, “Really? HR said you used up all your annual leave and adjustment leave. I couldn’t believe it.

Did something happen at home?” She is the closest colleague to me in the company.

I quickly sit up. “No, it’s just too hot, and I didn’t want to work. I wanted to rest a bit. Don’t worry.”

“Girl, not coming to work because it’s hot? Are you crazy? It’s not the end of the world.”

“High-temperature apocalypse, haven’t you heard of it?” I chuckle.

“Tsk, I envy you for being able to take leave now. I still have to wrap up my project. If it weren’t for that, I’d take leave too.

Do you know my hand got sunburned on the way to work this morning?” Naomi complains for a while before hanging up.

I check the time, 8:45 a.m. Is the sun really that harsh so early in the morning?

I get out of bed, pull back the blackout curtains, and open the window to feel the heat. Instantly, a wave of scorching air hits me, and everything in sight seems distorted.

Damn! I quickly close the window and draw the curtains.

This is insane! How could anyone working outdoors survive in this weather?

I check the weather forecast, which shows 39 degrees, but it quickly refreshes to 40 degrees. The temperature for the following hours is predicted to keep rising.

Am I going crazy, or is the weather forecast insane? Yesterday’s highest temperature was 40 degrees, and today it is going to reach 43 degrees?

With a sense of dread, I make myself a simple breakfast, eat it, and decide to take out the trash before it gets even hotter.

As soon as I open the door, I encounter Property Manager Owen, who is just about to knock on the door of the opposite apartment.

“Great, you’re here too. Let’s listen together.” He turns to me with a smile.

I smile back and look at my never-before-seen neighbor.

He is a man with slightly long hair and dark circles under his eyes, looking like he has just woken up. We nod at each other.

“Here’s the situation. I’m here to inform you that due to the high temperatures, there might be power outages in the coming days. If there’s an outage, don’t panic.

Our community has solar charging equipment, which will take ten minutes to activate. In the meantime, please try to conserve electricity.

Set your air conditioner to 26 degrees or higher.” Property Manager Owen explains.

“Will there be water outages?” I ask.

“We don’t know yet, but we recommend storing some drinking water. This heat is extreme, and we can’t make any guarantees. Here’s a flyer with the information.”

“Got it.” The man next door nods, takes the flyer, and closes the door. He doesn’t seem like a very polite person.

Property Manager Owen doesn’t mind and hands me the flyer.

I ask if he wants to come in and rest for a bit, but he declines, saying he needs to notify the residents of the building as quickly as possible to ensure everyone gets the message.

“You were going to take out the trash, right? Let me take care of it for you.” He even takes the trash from my hands.

The property management fee is well worth it. The community’s facilities are top-notch, and the service is considerate and attentive.

After seeing him off, I go back inside and see the high-temperature power outage notice displayed on the communication screen by the door, matching the flyer in my hand. If Property Manager Owen hadn’t come to knock, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it.

The sound of ambulances and fire trucks passing by is particularly frequent today.

I nestle on the sofa, enjoying the air conditioning and eating ice cream, feeling a bit guilty.

The news online starts to continuously play reports of extreme high temperatures causing various disasters. One video is pushed to the top.

It shows a reporter standing under the scorching sun without a hat for the first thirty seconds, bravely live streaming outdoors. At the thirty-first second, his head suddenly starts smoking and then catches fire.

Fortunately, a staff member nearby quickly douses it with mineral water.

“Thank you for your concern. I’m fine. In high temperatures, avoid using too much hair wax and avoid working under the sun for extended periods.” This is the top comment.

I want to laugh but can’t quite manage it.

I have a vague feeling that the world is in serious trouble.

43 degrees, 44 degrees, 45 degrees…

Sure enough, in the following days, temperatures continue to rise. A week later, daytime temperatures reach an astonishing 46 degrees, and even at midnight, it is still 39 degrees.

All outdoor work has been halted, and almost all companies have switched to remote work. Only a few essential workers are still holding the front line.

Yesterday’s top news was about a mother carrying her feverish child who fell on the road, with the skin that touched the ground getting burned. Today’s top news is about a heroic electrician suffering from heatstroke and dying while climbing to work under the scorching sun. Countless people silently offer white flowers online.

No one expected that the high-temperature apocalypse would come so suddenly, and it had only just begun.

Because it’s just too hot. As the high temperatures persisted, power issues occurred in many places, and news of people dying from the heat became more frequent.

High-level authorities initiated emergency measures, opening all schools with air-conditioned halls, gyms, and malls as 24-hour shelters for those without air conditioning to escape the heat.

However, the number of heat-related deaths continued to rise with the temperature. Hospitals were overcrowded, fires broke out frequently in cities and rural areas, and the internet was flooded with videos of people seeking help.

Since taking adjustment leave, I’ve been calling my parents almost daily to check on their situation.

Although they live in the mountains, the highest temperature there lately has also reached 40 degrees.

When I called them today, I found out they finally turned on the air conditioning. “Monica, don’t worry about us.

Make sure to turn on your constant-temperature air conditioner; don’t be afraid to use electricity. Mom and Dad have money.”

Now, they were the ones urging me to turn it on.

“I have it on, don’t worry.” I replied.

“Do you have enough to eat? Should we send you some food? Who knows when this high-temperature apocalypse will end.” Mom’s voice sounded worried.

“I have enough, really. Didn’t I tell you? I stocked up on a lot of food before my adjustment leave.

It’s enough for three months, and Property Manager Owen delivers groceries every day.” After the call ended, I took photos of the contents in my two refrigerators and sent them over.

Due to the severity of the disaster, I haven’t had much appetite these days and haven’t eaten much.

The two refrigerators were only missing some fruits and vegetables. After rearranging them, they still looked full. Buzz… Just after taking the pictures and sending them, the TV suddenly went black, and the room fell silent. I pressed the light switch a few times to confirm that the power was out.

Fortunately, Property Manager Owen had warned me earlier, so I wasn’t too worried. After the air conditioner stopped, the temperature around me quickly rose, and the air became stuffy.

Every breath I took felt much hotter, making it seem like I was about to suffocate in this inferno.

Within a few minutes, I was drenched in sweat. I quickly grabbed an ice cream from the freezer, sat on the floor, and ate it, hoping the power would return soon.

I finished the ice cream, but the power still hadn’t returned. I ate another one. The power still didn’t come back.

I couldn’t sit still anymore. Just as I was about to use the walkie-talkie to call Property Manager Owen…
Ring, Ring.

The doorbell rang. Through the peephole, I saw the man from the apartment across, with dark circles under his eyes and sweat all over, standing at my door.

03

Open or not? After a moment’s hesitation, I chained the door and opened it a crack.

“What’s up?” I asked.

The man gestured with the item in his hand.

Upon closer inspection, it was an ice cream. “I just called Property Manager Owen.

They said it would take another half hour.

You must be really hot.

Have an ice cream to cool down.

I have plenty; if you feel hot, you can get more from me.”

His voice was quite pleasant.

“Thank you, but no need.” I replied.

Perhaps noticing my wariness, he didn’t say anything more, just placed the ice cream on the rack at my door and turned to leave.

I kept the door slightly ajar, watching him walk past two safety doors and return to his apartment, closing the door behind him.

Maybe… he really is a good person?

Ice cream is a precious commodity in times like these.

I opened the door, took the ice cream inside, and after some thought, wrapped it in two plastic bags before placing it in my freezer for safekeeping.

I took out another ice cream to eat.

After finishing that one, I decided not to open the freezer again to prevent the cold air from escaping.

It was really, really hot…

About 20 minutes later, I was lying flat on the floor, panting heavily.

It was hot, but I didn’t dare open the windows, fearing it would be even hotter outside.

46 degrees high temperature!

Then the interface suddenly became 404.

I went back, trying to check the weather again, but the phone indicated the network was disconnected, with a red exclamation mark on the screen.

Restarting the phone, it directly showed no signal for both numbers.

Not only was the network down, but the phone had also lost communication.

The surrounding temperature kept rising.

I felt the room was nearly 40 degrees. Every breath was hot, making it seem like I was about to suffocate.

I rushed to the door, grabbed the walkie-talkie, and pressed the property management communication button.

Beep… Beep… Beep… No one answered for a long time.

Had Property Manager Owen also stopped working?

A wave of heat and fear gripped my heart, amplifying my isolation and helplessness.

The room echoed with my breathing sounds.

The soundproofing was so good that I couldn’t hear anything other than myself. It was like being on a deserted island.

“Calm down, Monica, you need to stay calm.” I talked to myself, walked to the freezer, and grabbed a frozen duck, hugging it for coolness.

This duck had been in the freezer for months, frozen solid.

It cooled me down a bit and helped me calm down, starting to analyze what to do if I had a heatstroke alone in the room.

Heatstroke… Heatstroke should…

Right, I soaked a blanket in a large basin of water in the bathroom and draped it over myself.

Having done everything I could, I ate an ice cream in a few bites and kept checking the wall clock, regretting not buying an electronic clock with a thermometer so I couldn’t know the room’s temperature.

But even if I knew the temperature, I couldn’t do anything about it.

Beep beep beep…

I didn’t know how long passed, maybe a few minutes, maybe half an hour, when the walkie-talkie at the door suddenly buzzed.

I turned my head sharply, nearly straining my neck. “All residents, please pay attention, our city is facing a high-temperature disaster.

The community’s solar panels are damaged by the sun and can’t restore power. Residents can temporarily go to the underground parking lot to cool off.

The temperature on the first basement level is 39.8 degrees, and the second basement level is 38 degrees…”

Right, the underground parking lot, why didn’t I think of that!

I was about to rush out the door but stopped to grab a backpack, replaced the frozen duck with another, added two loaves of bread and three bottles of mineral water, re-soaked the blanket, and then opened the door.

As I opened the door, my neighbor across the hall also came out, carrying a large backpack.

What a coincidence, never met this neighbor before, but since the high-temperature apocalypse, we’ve seen each other every time we opened the door.

“Follow me. My car’s gas tank is full.” He walked straight to me and said.

I instinctively took a step back.

Since my divorce, I’ve been very wary of men around me, always habitually afraid.

“Sorry, I mean no harm. You should have a car too. We can sit in the car with the air conditioning on. If my car runs out of gas, we can switch to yours, so we can last longer.” He looked into my eyes, seeming a bit at a loss.

The hallway had windows, and the sunlight pouring in made it hotter than inside.

The air I breathed in felt scorching, and my vision started to blur.

I took a few deep breaths, grabbed the car keys by the door, and locked the door. “Okay, let’s go!” In such a natural disaster, no one can survive alone.

Only by sticking together can we live through this. I had to agree with him.

The neighbor walked ahead of me, opened the stairwell door, and a cool breeze instantly hit me.

16th floor, usually no one takes the stairs.

But because it usually wasn’t ventilated, the typically stuffy stairwell was surprisingly cool, and I figured the basement would be even more comfortable.

The desire to cool down made me quicken my pace.

Soon, I heard footsteps echoing in the stairwell, accompanied by curses and the cries of children.

It seemed others in the building had heard the property’s announcement and come out as well.

Passing the 5th floor, I saw an elderly man with graying hair sitting against the wall, unresponsive as people passed by.

“Sir, are you okay?” I stopped to ask.

“My legs don’t work well, I can’t walk. Don’t worry about me, just go.” The old man said.

I hesitated.

My neighbor was already at the corner but turned back upon hearing my conversation with the old man. “How about we both help you walk?”

“No need, get lost!” The old man glared viciously.

I was startled and quickly continued downstairs.

By the time we reached the 3rd floor, my neighbor caught up, zipping up his backpack as he walked.

“I left him a bottle of mineral water. Life and death are determined by fate.” His deep voice trembled slightly.